Prime Mover February 2022 by Prime Creative Media

Februar y 2022

WA Sand Supply & Haulage Line in the Sand

IN CO-OPERATION WITH FEBRUARY 2022 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 01

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Tumut Freight Services Feature: KS Easter Report: Premier Commercial Fleets Personality: Marco Quaranta

Innovation Fleet: CNC Cartage Technology: Mobil Delvac Test Drive: Hino 700 2848 6x4 Delivery: Accurate Pest Management

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M OV E AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 71-87.

MAGAZINE

Carry more. Worry less. Ready-to-Work NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 – $52,990 Drive away*. With an Isuzu Ready-to-Work Traypack, you can carry over a tonne more than with your typical ute. And that’s on the same car licence you already have. What’s more, the new NLR Traypack comes with three years’ included servicing and a six year factory warranty, all for $52,990 drive away. So start off the new year with a new truck… and carry more and worry less. For details, head to isuzu.com.au or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer. *The NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Truck Drive away promotion is available only on new NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Trucks sold between 1 January 2022 – 31 March 2022 (Promotion parts and accessories. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer. Fleet and Government purchasers are not eligible. †Drive away promotion includes a 3 year Isuzu Total Service Agreement bodies, and all AWD/4x4 models are covered by a 3 year factory warranty. The NLR 45-150 AMT MY21 Traypack comes with a 6 year, 24 hour roadside assistance program. Offer available while stocks last.

Period) and delivered by 30 June 2022. Featured drive away price $52,990 includes GST, 12 months registration, stamp duty and CTP, and dealer delivery costs. Drive away price excludes any additional package and is only available on new NLR 45-150 SWB AMT MY21 Traypack Trucks sold during the Promotion Period. 6 year factory warranty, covering the cab and chassis only. Any Ready-to-Work truck Visit isuzu.com.au for full terms and conditions. FSA/ISZS706

Februar y 2022

WA Sand Supply & Haulage

MEET THE TEAM

Line in the Sand

Australia’s leading truck magazine, Prime Mover, continues to invest more in its products and showcases a deep pool of editorial talent with a unique mix of experience and knowledge.

John Murphy | CEO

John has been the nation’s foremost authority in commercial road transport media for almost two decades and is the driving force behind Prime Creative Media becoming Australia’s biggest specialist B2B publishing and events company. Committed to servicing the transport and logistics industry, John continues to work tirelessly to represent it in a positive light and is widely considered a true champion for the growth of the Australian trucking and manufacturing industry.

IN CO-OPERATION WITH FEBRUARY 2022 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Tumut Freight Services Feature: KS Easter Showcase: Premier Fleets Personality: Mark Quaranta

Innovation Fleet: CNC Cartage Technology: Mobil Delvac Test Drive: Hino 700 2848 6x4 Delivery: Accurate Pest Management

T H E P E O P L E & P R O D U C T S T H AT M A K E T R A N S P O RT M OV E AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 71-87.

MAGAZINE

ceo John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au editor William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au

William Craske | Editor

In his 15-year career as a journalist, William has reported knowledgeably on sports, entertainment and agriculture. He has held senior positions in marketing and publicity across theatrical and home entertainment, and also has experience in B2B content creation and social media strategy for the logistics sector.

managing editor, transport group

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

senior feature Peter Shields writer peter.shields@primecreative.com.au

business Ashley Blachford

development ashley.blachford@primecreative.com.au manager 0425 699 819

art director Blake Storey blake.storey@primecreative.com.au Peter Shields | Senior Feature Writer A seasoned transport industry professional, Peter has spent more than a decade in the media industry. Starting out as a heavy vehicle mechanic, he managed a fuel tanker fleet and held a range of senior marketing and management positions in the oil and chemicals industry before becoming a nationally acclaimed transport journalist.

design production manager

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

client success manager

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

Starting out at the coalface, Paul completed a heavy vehicle and plant mechanic apprenticeship before transitioning into professional heavy vehicle driving where he became proficient operating semis and B-doubles. Some 17 years ago he made a giant leap into transport journalism and has been an ongoing contributor for several commercial road transport publications.

Ashley Blachford | Business Development Manager

Handling placements for Prime Mover magazine, Ashley has a unique perspective on the world of truck building both domestically and internationally. Focused on delivering the best results for advertisers, Ashley works closely with the editorial team to ensure the best integration of brand messaging across both print and digital platforms.

www.primemovermag.com.au

Kerry Pert, Aisling McComiskey

journalist Paul Matthei paul.matthei@primecreative.com.au

Paul Matthei | Senior Journalist

design

head office 11-15 Buckhurst Street South Melbourne VIC 3205 P: 03 9690 8766 F: 03 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au

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03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Prime Mover magazine is available by subscription from the publisher. The right of refusal is reserved by the publisher. Annual rates: AUS $110.00 (inc GST). For overseas subscriptions, airmail postage should be added to the subscription rate.

articles

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

PRIME MOVER magazine is owned and published by Prime Creative Media. All material in PRIME MOVER magazine is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in PRIME MOVER magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

A SMALL STEP ON OUR PATH TO CHANGE FROM 2021, ALL CASTROL PRODUCTS WE SELL IN AUSTRALIA WILL BE

COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAS 2060** A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

CONTENTS

Prime Mover February 2022

40 36 66

COVER STORY “I haven’t had any issues in finding drivers. I suspect that’s coming from the fact that we’re running brand new gear. I hope people are seeing it on the road and thinking it will be a good idea to work for those guys. I’ve already had several drivers call me up for that very reason.”

HERO HIGH

Prime Mover Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 26 Line in the Sand Perth-based transport business, WA Sand Supply & Haulage, is growing rapidly as it diversifies its customer base. With a recent order of Euro 6 DAF CF 450s received late last year it now boasts the biggest fleet of DAF commercial vehicles in Western Australia. 32 Hero High CNC Cartage grows thanks to the versatility of its fleet of crane trucks and the expertise of its people. 36 King of the Mountain Tumut Freight Services is a local family-owned business which has been providing transport services for more than 30 years and is now run by Michael and Tracey Lucas. TRUCK & TECH 44 In Good Company Skyroad Logistics has a strategy aimed at saving the planet by saving fuel. Through the Cummins Integrated Power drivetrain, the company has achieved quality outcomes while keeping up with its dynamic network.

48 JOST in time for Easter A desire to keep ahead of the game by engaging the latest turntable technology has led prominent Brisbane-based haulier KS Easter to first trial and now standardise on JOST JSK37CXW greaseless fifth wheels fitted with the Sensor Coupling option on its new prime movers. TEST DRIVE 62 A Genuine Contender The Hino 700 Series is a serious contender for the 400-500hp heavy duty market and completes the refresh of the entire Hino range.

Regular Run 08 From the Editor 10 Prime Mover News 54 Premier Commercial Fleet Report 66 Personality 68 Prime Movers & Shakers 71 Delivery 88 ARTSA-I Life Members 90 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 92 Trucking Industry Council 93 Victorian Transport Association 94 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Backward Counting

William Craske Editor In this the 2,022nd year of our Lord, as they say in the classics or perhaps at your local church, the fog of uncertainty that shrouded the last two years, is supposedly showing signs of lifting. You could be forgiven, however, for not seeing the path forward for all the wreckage. Elimination and suppression strategies, favoured by the think tanks that inform the National Cabinet, are being memory holed as COVID case numbers, once the key determinant to life as we knew it, have since spiralled into the new issue of the day — a sudden shortage of rapid antigen test kits (RATs). It follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention withdrawing the PCR test in the United States as it now claims to having a better way of differentiating between COVID-19 and influenza. Online, swarming partisan fact checkers will insist you don’t draw the wrong conclusion just in case you scare the elephant in the room lest the gold standard is proven to be, like our diseasecontrol experts, rusted on. For a majority of frontline workers, knowing the mechanism of the supply chain was to be kept moving despite running on empty, has taken literal form

febr u a r y 2022

as the countdown is already underway to see whether we can ride out the shortage of diesel emission fluids such as AdBlue ahead of an imminent collapse. But before worrying about food, fuel lines and civil unrest, the rapid antigen test kit shortage must be blamed on someone as we approach a federal election where accusatory bombast, for all the nation’s recent failings, is the sideshow that rates highest. An inability of workers to secure rapid antigen tests is being identified as to why workforces in the transport sector have been recently decimated. That sounds, knowing all the staff who have been let go, awfully convenient. While dwindling numbers of AdBlue stocks have, in turn, caused predatory price gouging, the sudden demand for rapid antigen test kits is creating similar inflammatory practices in the market. Demand was outstripping supply according to the ACCC, who has taken to examining claims the current costing of RATs is due to challenges in obtaining supply of the tests. But who is insisting upon demand? And of whom? Assurances have been made by governments, should it become a supply chain issue, which is to say a campaign wedge, that they have purchased enough RATs. Though the supply is less certain than the supplier, who will be, without doubt, a politically adjacent ally. Call it mandated enterprise. After all businesses in the private sector, unlike government, are without the power to sustain how long market demand lasts. Demand, in this case, is the muddy realm of medical diagnostics, in which

the well is separated from the unwell by the thinnest of margins. The old adage regarding the asymptomatic goes something like this: they probably aren’t sick. But in this brave new world the healthy, it seems, need some convincing. There’s an episode of The Simpsons where the teacher, Miss Hoover, who has been off sick, returns to class and explains that her illness turned out to be psychosomatic. Ralph in response asks if this means she is crazy. Another student says it means she was faking it. The teacher, ruefully, admits it’s a little of both. Thomas Mann in The Magic Mountain, a novel, at root, about a sickness no one can properly diagnose, suggests the life of the individual is also lived, attuned to the era of the moment, consciously or unconsciously, aware of its deficiencies. These deficiencies are likely to be prejudicial to one’s own moral wellbeing, thorny stuff, no doubt, for a truck magazine. It will be the political leaders in this country, supposing they exist, that understand there is rarely a healthiest way of being ill, who are going to lead industry and by extension the country, out of this mire. Put another way, if it were a workshop policy that resulted in a repeated fault code on a prized piece of working equipment, no longer would it be considered a bug but rather a feature.

SAFER CLEANER CONNECTED THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

THE ALL-NEW 700 SERIES, BUILT FOR THE FUTURE.

The new Hino 700 Series rewrites the rules in safety, emissions and connectivity. It’s our safest truck ever, with an

XAVIER_HINO38554.4

enhanced Hino SmartSafe package including Pre-Collision System, Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Warning

System and Driver Monitor. Designed to meet Euro 6 exhaust emission standards, it’s the cleanest Hino heavy-duty yet.

With Hino-Connect on board as standard, benefit from superior business intel and support, it’s next-generation telematics

delivered in real-time. The all-new 700 Series is the truck of the future, here today. Find out more at hino.com.au

PRIME NEWS

> Fuso breaks record on way to becoming fastest growing truckmaker in Australia Fuso has set an all-time sales record for Australian truck sales. In the same year it celebrated 50 years of local Canter sales, the Japanese manufacturer sold 4770 trucks in 2021, which eclipsed its previous record of 4476 set in 2007. It capped off a comprehensive year of new model introductions for the brand. In addition to posting its best-ever new truck sales in Australia, Fuso was also the fastest growing truck manufacturer in the Australian market last year having increased its share in light, medium and heavy duty truck segments. In 2021, Fuso became the first Original Equipment Manufacturer to introduce an all-electric truck, the eCanter, and was also the first brand to offer Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) technology on light, medium and heavy duty trucks with the launch of the Euro 6 Fighter. It also became the only light bus manufacturer to offer AEBS as part of its safety-first policy. Late last year, Fuso became the only Japanese manufacturer to offer Australian customers a heavy duty Euro 6 truck with more than 500hp when it introduced the Shogun 510. Fuso Truck and Bus Australia Director,

Fuso Shogun.

Alexander Müller, said the Fuso team was excited by the record numbers. “We are thrilled to see positive sales growth and are grateful to our customers for their business, their trust and the opportunity to give them the trucks they need to get the job done,” Müller said. “This result will motivate our team and the Daimler Truck dealer partners even more to deliver the right products and services for our hard working Australian customers to make their life a little easier and them a bit more successful.”

Fuso’s record year is part of a larger success story at Daimler Truck and Bus Australia, with sibling brands Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz Trucks also recording positive results. “To have all three of our brands grow market share in 2021 demonstrates Daimler Truck’s commitment to lead the Australian market with advanced safety, reduced emissions and lower running costs across our MercedesBenz, Freightliner and Fuso brands is hitting the mark with our customers,” said Daniel Whitehead, Daimler Truck and Bus President and CEO.

> AdBlue price gouging undermines supply chain sovereignty: VTA Inordinate recent increases to the cost of diesel exhaust fluid was, according to the Victorian Transport Association, further sign of lack of sovereignty in supply chains. Victoria’s peak freight and logistics body noted that the Commonwealth’s National Coordination Mechanism needed to address the fast developing situation in which freight operators are being charged exorbitant prices for AdBlue. “While the VTA welcomes the Commonwealth’s agreement with Incitec Pivot to secure local production of refined urea for the supply of AdBlue, more needs to be done in the interim to stop the extraordinarily higher prices operators are now paying for this essential additive,” said Victorian Transport Association CEO Peter Anderson. “We’ve had reports of 10

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operators being charged up to five times more for AdBlue today than they were paying last week,” he added. “Such exorbitant increases cannot be explained by demand exceeding supply alone and is a stark example of the manipulation that can occur in the absence of supply chain sovereignty of the basic inputs the transport industry needs, like fuel and labour, to avoid collapse.” While much of the freight industry has been focused on AdBlue shortages, the VTA has been advocating that the bigger picture issue facing Australia is its continued dependency on imports if integrity in Australian supply chains is to be maintained. “COVID has laid bare just how dependent

we are on other nations for the supply of material and labour to keep our country running,” Anderson said. “We are seeing this play out right now with higher inflation and consumer prices because of deficiencies in our supply chains from labour shortages and delays and shortages of spare parts, raw materials and other essential inputs to keep our fleets of trucks, trains and ships running. “If we don’t attain higher levels of sovereignty with these key ingredients to support our industry, delays, shortages and higher prices will become the norm for every Australian,” Anderson said. Anderson said the solution to these issues was creating local industries to support supply chains, so that the economy is less dependent on imported goods.

THE NEW D190 FULL TIME PUMP HAS ARRIVED D190

E NG I N E E RE D & BU I LT I N AUSTRALIA For more information contact Dana on 1300 00 DANA or visit us at www.Dana.com.au

Strength • Power • Endurance

PRIME NEWS

> Isuzu truck of the year winners announced Isuzu FXZ 240-350.

An Adelaide-based transport firm has been decorated by Isuzu Australia Limited with top honours for the 2021 Truck of the Year. Adelaide Liquid Waste Solutions was named as the Grand Prize Winner with an FXZ 240-350 outfitted with a matching tank and heavy-duty vacuum pump. The company delivers on-point waste pumping services around Adelaide. In the N Series category Andrew Watson was named the winner for his

NPR 75-190. Located in Pacific Pines, Queensland, Watson’s NPR 75-190 boasts a GVM of 7,500 kg, making it handy for heavy loads, from air conditioners and the kitchen sink — quite literally. “It’s just a great, strong truck and a smooth ride too,” said Watson. Seville Tractors took out the F Series category with an FSS 110-210 4×4 while the FX/FY segment was awarded also to Adelaide Liquid Waste Solutions.

The FSS 4×4 service unit is a “workshop on wheels” for the Seville Tractors team, carrying all and sundry for servicing customers and their tractors in regional Victoria, no matter how rough the ground conditions. From its earliest days in the mid-’90s, the competition has been about bringing truck owners and drivers together, celebrating the many proud mum-anddad, family-owned and locally grown businesses across the country.

> Re-Car founder, visionary behind Mad Max vehicles remembered Terry O’Hare, founder of the Re-Car Group, among his multiple business and sporting interests, has passed away peacefully aged 87. O’Hare immigrated to Australia from his native London aged just 18 and after a number of odd jobs and a stint in the National Service, used his training as a cabinet maker to build a wooden car body on an old Ford chassis which he was able to sell at a profit before it was even finished. That initial vehicle was put together in his mother’s back yard in St Alban’s and led O’Hare to establish his business Re-Car, named after reincarnation, which ultimately became one of Australia’s largest 12

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truck repairers employing some 250 people and utilised innovative production-line techniques to significantly shorten repair times. Terry O’Hare, along with his son Stephen, built ‘Waltzing Matilda’, a jet powered Ford Louisville which achieved the World Truck Speed Record over a flying mile at 176.2 miles per hour (276.9 km/h) with champion drag racer Larry Ormsby at the controls in 1979. O’Hare and Re-Car also built many of the unique vehicles used in the original Mad Max movie. Terry also became a successful property developer with projects as diverse as Whitsunday Airport

at Airlie Beach in Queensland and Truck City at Campbellfield in Melbourne. His passion for sailing had him involved as logistics manager for Australia’s successful America’s Cup challenge in 1983. Other business interests included the Anchorage Restaurant and Marina at Williamstown, the Citylink Property Group and Sea Air Pacific. Terry O’Hare was inducted into the Australian Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2017. “My father was a true entrepreneur, an innovator and a very proud Australian, who loved a challenge,” said son Stephen O’Hare.

Always Delivering

The DAF model range delivers on Safety, Fuel Efficiency, Driver Comfort and Good Design. Whether it’s moving freight across the nation, or going the last mile, DAF Trucks are Always Delivering.

DAF XF, CF AND LF PURE EXCELLENCE

PRIME NEWS

> Prime Minister launches truck driving apprenticeship The Federal Government has announced a new truck driving apprenticeship to help what it believes will secure Australia’s economic recovery. Following calls from the transport and logistic sector for a nationally agreed qualification to meet future workforce challenges, the new national apprenticeship, Certificate III in Driving Operations, will see the industry in conjunction with states and territories develop a truck driving apprenticeship for the first time. Under the apprenticeship future truck drivers will receive advanced competency across the profession that will cover, among other things, load constraints, transporting dangerous goods and pre-departure inspection. It comes after federal, state and territory skills ministers endorsed the new framework. Each state and territory will now consider adding the apprenticeship to their training programs, with existing Commonwealth funding for apprenticeships and training flowing as soon as they do. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any new national trucking apprenticeship was a critical step to address a potential shortfall in the trucking workforce while meeting supply chain needs. “Securing Australia’s economic recovery relies on the thousands of men and women driving trucks right around our country every single day,” the Prime Minister said. “Our trucking sector drives our economy and there couldn’t be a more important job than getting food on the table to millions of families or delivering COVID-19 vaccines to doctors, hospitals and pharmacies right around Australia.” He was also in campaign mode, taking a swipe at the opposition, with a federal election anticipated for May next year. “Right now we have a record number of trade apprentices in place with over 220,000 Australians training for 14

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison and cohort meet with young trainee.

new job opportunities which is in stark contrast to Labor who cut $1.2 billion to employer incentives and lost 110,000 places,” he said. A study by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) of Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) funding through 2020 has found the Morrison Government provided the vast majority of the increase to funding across the skills and training sector, including TAFE. The NCVER study found the Morrison Government increased funding from $2.65 billion in 2019 to $3.83 billion in 2020 (excluding loans), an increase of $1.18 billion or 44.7 per cent. Over the same period the state and territory governments’ combined contribution increased from $3.72 billion in 2019 to $3.86 billion in 2020, an increase of $142.2 million or 3.8 per cent. Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said the new apprentice pathway would help lift the professionalism of the transport industry and attract new workers. “The transport industry is the lifeblood that keeps Australia moving and supplied, Australia stops without our

hard-working truck drivers, it is as simple as that,” he said. “Truck driving is about more than just changing gears and unloading, by providing a national driver training framework, our future truck drivers will have an advanced competency across the profession, such as load constraints, transporting dangerous goods and pre-departure inspection,” said Buchholz. “This is a new approach to ensuring our transport industry has the workforce of the future and provides young Australians with the opportunity to have a career, not just a job – in a rewarding industry. “The Commonwealth led the nation on this and we will continue to work with State and Territories Skills Ministers to ensure they step up to roll out this new and exciting apprenticeship pathway for the next generation of professional, Australian truck drivers.” The Transport and Logistics Industry Reference Committee finalised updates to the Certificate III in Driving Operations and the nationally agreed enhancements have been recommended for delivery as an apprenticeship, subject to States and Territories agreement.

cummins.com.au

PRIME NEWS

> Hino Australia announces new VP Hino Australia has announced the appointment of Richard Emery as its new Vice President – Brand and Franchise Development. A highly experienced sales, marketing and business development professional, Emery has over 30 years of automotive industry experience in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, including CEO and Managing Director of Nissan Australia. He also brings experience from his previous roles at Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Audi and Land Rover, and as a board member of the FCAI (Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries). “We are excited to welcome Richard to the senior management team at Hino Australia,” said Sam Suda, Hino Australia President and CEO. “The launch of the all-new Hino 700 Series has completed five years of new model introductions across our light, medium and heavy-duty range,” he said. “These new products along with our strong customer focus have contributed to our record-breaking year. “We are confident that Richard’s experience and expertise will complement those of the broader Hino

Richard Emery.

Australia team in 2022 and beyond.” The Brand and Franchise Development Division encompasses Sales, Supply Chain, Dealer Development, Product Strategy, Marketing and Bus departments. “I’m looking forward to joining Sam and the wider Hino team to drive Hino forward,” said Emery. “We are well placed following the launch of product updates across the

range culminating in the recent launch of the all-new Hino 700 Series,” he said. “I’m especially looking forward to getting back together with our dealership network, as travel restrictions ease, and to drive the growth and opportunity that the current Hino lineup offers to our business partners and customers.” Emery will commence his role on 17 January 2022.

> Former Australian Cummins boss promoted in North America Cummins Inc has announced that Steph Disher has been named Vice President – Cummins Filtration. The appointment was effective 15 November. Disher entered Cummins as Director of Finance for the South Pacific region in Australia in 2013. Before long her leadership capability was recognised resulting in her serving as the Director of Operations for the region and then Managing Director – South Pacific in 2017. During her tenure, the business achieved record growth in revenue and profitability in 2019. Disher began leading the Filtration wing in August 2020, navigating the business during the global pandemic and related ongoing supply chain constraints. Through these challenges, the business, 16

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according to Cummins, consistently has delivered solid financial performance. Disher has led the business as Cummins also explores strategic alternatives, a move that was announced as part the Company’s second quarter 2021 results. “Steph has been asked to step into increasingly challenging roles that are critical to Cummins’ continued success because of her business acumen and commitment to creating environments that foster and further our values both inside and outside of Cummins,” said Jennifer Rumsey, President and Chief Operating Officer. “She truly is a champion of our mission, vision and values, and her leadership, strategic mindset and caring nature have been incredibly important for all Filtration

employees and the future opportunities for the business.” Disher has been active in Cummins’ communities, sponsoring the TEC: Technical Education for Communities program in Australia and launching the PRIDE employee resource group in the South Pacific. Prior to her career with Cummins, Steph excelled in roles across strategy, human resources and finance while working for BP, and as a director with Norman Disney & Young. Disher earned a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from the University of Western Sydney and a Master of Business Administration from University of Melbourne (Australia). She lives in Nashville, Tennessee (USA), with her husband, Brad, and their three daughters.

PRIME NEWS

> Dazzling new Kenworth T909 leads way for family campaign Kelly Transport Toowoomba has invested in a magnificently specified Kenworth T909 which pulls a resplendently adorned Vawdrey B-triple set that’s helping raise public awareness about the rare genetic disorder known as Rett syndrome. Kelly Transport Managing Director, Mitch Kelly, was taking his wife Jess for her first ride in the new truck, which was delivered by Brown and Hurley Toowoomba, on what he described as “a short lap up to Rocky” the day Prime Mover called. “This truck has been done up to raise awareness for a disability that is pretty close to home for us – our younger daughter Georgia suffers from it,” said Kelly. The classy T909 has the typical bulletproof powertrain and driveline comprising a Cummins X15 mated with an Eaton 18-speed manual ‘box feeding into Meritor 46-160 diffs with a ratio of 4.11:1 and riding on Kenworth Airglide eight-bag suspension. External features include smooth stainless-steel guards with concealed brackets and the truck’s stunning colour scheme – a blend of

Kenworth T909 with Vawdrey B-double. 18

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white, charcoal and a Chrysler/ Mopar colour called Plum Crazy. Icepack did the the sleeper fitout and installed the Icepack 2000 IC airconditioning unit between the chassis rails at the rear. They also installed about 160 lights to the truck’s exterior. “Typically I don’t go for the light show, but they did such a good job of it and it certainly adds to the unique character of the truck,” said Kelly. The sleeper interior is a veritable home away from home with Icepack having done a sensational job of fitting it out with the blower unit, TV, microwave, upright fridge/ freezer and pull-out table. “There’s also a slide-out fridge under the passenger seat for quick access to drinks and food while travelling,” explained Kelly. Other interior creature comforts include a top-shelf aftermarket Pioneer sound system with six-inch speakers with tweeters in the front and 6×9” fourway speakers in the rear along with a five-inch sub-woofer under the bunk – all working through a five-channel amplifier.

“The sleeper is trimmed in genuine leather and it all looks like it has been done in the factory – they did a really schmick job,” said Kelly. The exceptional freehand scrollwork and signwriting was done by Signs ‘n’ Lines at Toowoomba while the outstanding trailer graphics were a collaborative effort between trailer builder Vawdrey and Attards truck curtains. “We have a phenomenal relationship with Paul Vawdrey and when I told him what we were planning to do with the trailers he was straightaway on board and insisted on working in with Attards to get all the graphics on the curtains done for free,” said Kelly – adding that the end result was incredible and so much better than he could have imagined. “It’s been so well received – it’s been viewed by over 200,000 people on social media sites and shared many times, everyone’s been really supportive of what we’ve done,” said Kelly. “Some people said in their comments that they hadn’t heard about Rett syndrome before, which means the truck is doing its job.”

JOST Fifth Wheel JSK37CX & JSK37CXW

The heavy duty version of JOST Australia's most popular Fifth Wheels - the JSK37 range

Technical data Type JSK37CX & JSK37CXW

JSK37CX & JSK37CXW • Available in grease and greaseless versions • Available in heights of 150mm, 170mm, 185mm, 220mm and 250mm bolt on / weld on pedestals • Also available in low proﬁle and double row ballrace assemblies • Features a new 4 bolt wear ring for added strength • Suitable for many PBS applications, as well as tankers, livestock and fridge van and other high centre of gravity applications

King pin

2”/50mm

Imposed Load

24,000kg

D-value

240kN

CRN

45374

PRIME NEWS

> Farmers grow mobile asset outlay, NAB says Finance for regional businesses investing in trucks and trailers increased by 40 per cent over the past two years according to NAB while light commercial vans increased up 43 per cent. Equipment finance loans to NAB small business customers have jumped 341 per cent in total value since 2020, as farmers around Australia stocked up on critical agricultural equipment. The latest data from NAB, who calls itself Australia’s largest agribusiness bank, shows equipment finance for agricultural businesses generally, taking in enterprises of all sizes, has increased 33 per cent from 30 September 2019 to 30 September 2021. NAB Executive Regional and Agribusiness, Julie Rynski, said the trends in equipment finance reflected good seasonal conditions creating good economic conditions across Australia and the ongoing uptake of government incentives including the instant asset write-off scheme. “The generally positive outlook of the agriculture sector, buoyed by solid commodity prices and the prospect of record crops, has seen equipment finance lending for sheds increase 80 per cent, while lending for grain silos has increased 65 per cent over the last two years,” said Rynski. Among the agribusinesses investing in equipment – and seeing an increase in

investment across their supply chain – is Jim Riordan, Managing Director of Riordan Grain Services, Victoria. “In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in on-farm investment by grain growers, especially in large silo and storage complexes,” he said. “Our business model is about finding the best and most efficient ways for the supply chain to deliver quality grain to their global client base in particular. This year was our 25th year in operation and we loaded our one millionth tonne of export grain to bulk vessels. We have upgraded our transport fleet, prime movers, trailers and invested in our facilities to meet the demand,” said Riordan. Demand for finance for tractors also continues and is up 69 per cent over the same period and NAB expects these trends will continue as farmer confidence remains high. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has forecast Australian winter crop production will reach a new national record of 58.4 million tonnes and that’s after factoring in the likelihood of flooding causing some losses and downgrades across several production regions. The area planted to summer crops in 2021-22, according to Rynski, is forecast to increase by 36 per cent to

reach 1.4 million hectares. “Farmers are also being incentivised by the instant asset write-off scheme, which was expanded substantially in the 2020-2021 Federal Budget to $150,000, largely as a COVID-19 stimulus measure,” she said. “In the 2021-2022 Federal Budget, the scheme was extended for one year to 30 June 2023, providing a longer window of opportunity for agribusinesses to make on-farm investments.” Rynski said equipment finance for regional businesses across Australia had also increased. “Loans for equipment finance to regional businesses have increased 31 per cent over the last two years,” she said. “Finance for cars and light commercial vans is up 43 per cent, while finance for trucks and trailers is up 40 per cent.” Lending for construction equipment such as cranes and earth movers was also up, having increased 39 per cent. “This is reflective of the ongoing migration of many capital city residents to regional Australia, which is great news for regional communities and their local economies,” said Rynski. Overall regional net migration grew by a further +14 per cent over the quarter to September 2021, according to data released by the Regional Australia Institute.

> IVECO announces locally engineering focus As part of a global transformation process, IVECO has announced the development of what it is calling a Customisation & Innovation Centre (CIC) among a raft of changes that will impact its Australian manufacturing arm. The CIC is a business unit that will further leverage IVECO’s local engineering and manufacturing expertise. It follows the decision made late last year to fully import its Heavy Duty range from IVECO’s manufacturing facility in Spain and this transition is anticipated 20

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to take place from the end of June 2022. It brings to an end 70 years of local manufacture in what was originally established as the International Harvester facility in 1952 in Dandenong, Victoria. IVECO acquired the production plant in 1992. IVECO expects CIC to help transform the company’s focus towards the customisation and innovation of its vehicles for local markets. The CIC is being developed to better assist IVECO customers and body-builders – particularly those with

complex body types – to achieve a more streamlined design and body fitment process for their vehicles. “Historically, our most unique value proposition has been our ability to customise and specialise vehicles for our market, leveraging the expertise of our local engineering team and the local facility,” said IVECO Managing Director Michael May. “By further enhancing this service, we believe there is considerable potential to provide additional value to existing and prospective customers.”

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GLOB AL NEWS

> DAF claims International Truck of the Year

DAF’s new generation of trucks for long distance haulage has been crowned ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’. Harry Wolters, President of DAF Trucks, accepted the award during a special Gala Dinner at Solutrans 2021, the Commercial Vehicle & Bodybuilder Show in Lyon, France. Taking advantage of the European Union’s new mass and dimension regulations, the XF, XG and XG⁺ have set a “new industry benchmark in efficiency, safety and driver comfort” according to a statement from the jury following an extensive series of tests. Based on the International Truck of the Year (IToY) rules, the annual award is presented to the truck introduced in the past year, which has made the most significant contribution to road transport

efficiency. This judgement relies on a comprehensive range of criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint’ and Total Cost of Ownership. The DAF truck range, per the ITOY jury, dramatically improves aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, active and passive safety, and comfort for the driver. “DAF is the first truck manufacturer to introduce a completely new generation of trucks that has been developed with the new European regulations for truck masses and dimensions in mind”, said Gianenrico Griffini, International Truck of the Year Jury Chairman. “The result is a series of highly attractive and very aerodynamic trucks which features class-leading

efficiency, safety and driver comfort. “The new XF, XG and XG⁺ offer excellent direct visibility provided by a large, curved windscreen, side windows with low beltlines and the kerb-view window. These features – along with the digital vision system that replaces the traditional side view mirrors and the new corner view camera – offer all-around view, protecting vulnerable road users.” DAF’s range held off the T-Way from IVECO and the forthcoming second generation eActros launched by Mercedes-Benz to claim the top prize. The Dutch manufacturer was also recognised with the ‘2022 Truck Innovation Award’ for its XF Innovation Truck with a hydrogen combustion engine.

> Amazon commits to gas-powered trucks with major order E-commerce giant Amazon has invested heavily in compressed natural gas commercial vehicles for its European fleet. It recently announced that it had ordered 1,064 IVECO S-Way trucks, a huge boost for the Italian truckmaker who is looking to lead the way in the alternative fuel space. The first 216 units have already been delivered to Amazon’s transport partners in Europe while the remaining 848 vehicles will go into operations by the middle of next year. Each of the IVECO S-Ways is powered by a FPT Industrial Cursor 13 Natural Gas engine and equipped with a 22

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1052-litre CNG tank, the largest available, with the expectation that they will yield a range of 620 km between refuelling. The 848 units on order for delivery in 2022 will also feature IVECO Driver Pal, the Brand’s on-board vocal driver companion with Amazon Alexa features. IVECO has been pioneering gas propulsion technology for 25 years, according to Gerrit Marx, Iveco Group designated Chief Executive Officer, that allow operators to make significant reductions in emissions right now. “Collaboration with global leaders like Amazon is a testament to the robust

capability of our innovative products and our unyielding commitment to the industry objective of decarbonizing transport by 2050,” he said in a statement. “Iveco Group will continue leading the way in combustion engines running on renewable fuels, the only viable solution already available at scale on the market to reduce emissions. “Let’s not forget that a CNG truck powered by bio-methane can cut CO2 emissions by up to 95 per cent from a well-to-wheel CO2 measuring approach, effectively contributing to the decarbonization process.”

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SUPER MINDSET MINDSET SUPERANNUATION

INVESTING IN A WORLD OF LOW RATES Edward Smith With over 30 years of experience within financial services, Edward Smith has a deep understanding of superannuation, markets, and investing. As the Chief Investment Officer at TWUSUPER his roles include actuarial, funds management, asset consulting, superannuation and teaching.

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Lower risk diversified options are having strong appeal amid stagnant rates. As it moves forward, TWUSUPER will keep working hard in the best interests of members in transport and logistics to ensure their money with the Fund is invested with a strategy tailored for their needs.

t has been two years since COVID-19 started to take hold, and it has shaped our lives in ways we could not have imagined. The economy has been remarkably resilient, but some sectors such as tourism, education and aviation have been badly hit. There have been numerous arguments over who pays the costs associated with COVID-19 with variable outcomes across different sectors. For example, retail property has struggled through lockdowns, and it remains to be seen how societal changes such as working from home will affect the office property market. The unemployment rate is currently 4.6 per cent, which is much improved from the 7.4 per cent recorded in May 2020. But this hides a falling labour participation rate (the number of people willing and able to work), and a sharp drop in number of hours worked. Meanwhile, some sectors that rely on imported labour are struggling with labour shortages. Examples include agriculture, hospitality and (alarmingly) medicine. Australia’s trade balance has been remarkably strong, despite the Chinese embargo of some goods. This

is largely thanks to surging commodity prices. For example, the iron ore price peaked at USD$238 per tonne in May 2021. While it has since fallen and is currently trading at around USD$107 per tonne. To put that in context, it was USD$38 per tonne in 2013, and has averaged around USD$85 over the last seven years. Strong surges have been recorded in the price of coal, copper, lithium and a bevy of other Australian exports, which has buttressed the Australian economy from the worst effects of ongoing domestic lockdowns. It seems Australia is once again the ‘lucky country’. TWUSUPER always looks to opportunities to support transport and transport infrastructure in our members’ best financial interests. Our investments are completely aligned with the interest of members employed in the transport sector. These investments also play a role in building Australia. The Fund invests in roads, airports, water and renewable energy amongst other things. These are crucial assets for keeping Australia on the move, and helping our nation

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recover post-pandemic. TWUSUPER invests around 10 per cent of $6.5 billion in assets into infrastructure, both in Australia and globally. An example of this is a stake in Sydney Airport, which will managed by IFM on behalf of TWUSUPER. Superannuation funds like TWUSUPER, also must make sure they have a range of options for their members to choose from to match variables such as age, risk appetite, other assets and ideally as part of a retirement plan. We have reviewed the range of investment options to test how well they meet member needs and made several changes to enhance the quality of services and products provided to members. TWUSUPER’s Equity Plus option has been renamed to the High Growth option. While the option has a substantial investment in equities (or shares), it also invests in other asset classes such as property and infrastructure. The combination of asset classes makes the option less volatile than shares alone, but still provides a higher expected return that suits members who are relatively insensitive to investment risk, such as younger

members with smaller balances. We were conscious that members might have interpreted the previous name of the option as implying that it invests only into shares, which it does not. The new name is consistent with industry norms for this type of product. TWUSUPER has established two new investment options, the Conservative option and the Moderate option. These two options provide a higher expected return and will experience more investment risk than TWUSUPER’s Cash Plus option. Their main purpose is to provide greater choice for those members that are uncomfortable with the investment risk associated with the Balanced option, but who need a higher return than is likely from the Cash Plus option. WHY DIVERSIFY FROM THE CASH PLUS OPTION? The global financial crisis ended the good times for cash investors. Central banks around the world lowered cash rates to support their respective economies, and Australia was no exception. By the end of 2008 the 90-day bank bill rate had fallen to 4.2 per cent. Cash rates rose briefly in

the following years, but yields continued to drift lower as the world’s economies struggled to recover in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Since 2017 the real (after inflation) return on cash has been close to zero. A new crisis emerged in 2020 — the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 triggered an enormous response from governments and central banks around the world. This has distorted financial markets in many ways, but the biggest single effect has been the collapse in cash rates. At the time of writing the 90-day bank bill rate was 0.07 per cent. The net effect of low cash rates is that people have been looking to invest in a wider range of assets in order to generate returns. These investors are still wary of risk. Hence the appeal of lower risk diversified options. The addition of two new investment options at TWUSUPER provide an option between a cash and balanced portfolio. Looking ahead TWUSUPER will keep working hard to ensure your money with the Fund is well invested with investment options and a strategy tailored to the best interest of members in transport and logistics.

COVID-19 triggered an enormous response from governments and central banks around the world. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

COVER STORY

New DAF CF 450s lined up in Hazelmere in Perth.

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LINE IN THE

SAND Perth-based transport business, WA Sand Supply & Haulage, is growing rapidly as it diversifies its customer base. With a recent order of Euro 6 DAF CF 450s received late last year, it now boasts the biggest fleet of DAF commercial vehicles in Western Australia.

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COVER STORY

A Sand Supply & Haulage services major infrastructure projects in and around metropolitan Perth. Based in Hazelmere, it is conveniently located next to a quarry and only minutes from dealership CJD Trucks Forrestfield. A second-generation truck company whose roots begin in the plateau of Turkey’s Central Anatolia region, the business was founded by Tyson Inceoz, Gorkem Pezik and Tolga Kaya and is now run by Tyson’s son Salih, who goes by Sal. Having worked with trucks from a young age in Aksaray, a two-and-a-half hour drive from the Turkish capital of Ankara, Tyson emigrated to Western Australia in his mid-20s. After trying his hand as a plasterer and then painter he eventually found his way back into the transport industry as a tow truck operator before

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eventually landing at Holcim where he drove as a subcontractor. At one point he had 15 trucks. In 2012 WA Sand Supply & Haulage was established. The first prime mover purchased was a DAF CF85 460. For the best part of the last ten years the company has been a loyal DAF customer and with good reason. The DAF fleet is now up to 25 units including the new DAF CF 450s, its five latest purchases. Contrary to the esteemed regard now afforded the DAF brand among the team, according to Sal, expectations were not high initially. “When we first bought the DAFs we never had high hopes about it. We were thinking maybe we’ll get a couple of years out of it before getting rid of it,” he recalls. “In just two years all the other branded trucks fell apart and the DAFs kept going strong. We said, maybe we

should change to DAF! And ever since then it’s been all about DAF in the metro area. Of course, our expectations were formed without even trying the truck. Within two years all the other truck brands fell apart and the DAFs in that time have not missed a beat.” The original truck is still in use. It was recently sold to one of their contractors with a mammoth 750,000 kms on it. That’s three quarters of a million kilometres in a punishing application of continual starting and stopping as Sal likes to point out. “It’s much harder on the vehicle than highway work,” he says. “Things start going wrong earlier on tipper trucks compared to highway trucks, generally speaking.” The business has 70 prime movers and 100 trailers specialising mainly in end- and side-tippers. Road West is

their primary bin supplier with some GTE and Howard Porter trailers as well. The growing DAF fleet also includes a MX-13 powered Euro 6 rated DAF CF 530. European cabovers are standard across the business. Trucks with bonnets are considered less than convenient for entering restricted work sites. “It’s much better to get in and out of tight spaces,” Sal says. “Sometimes tipper spots are very tight and American truck manoeuvrability is not that good. We find the overall height is also an issue in American trucks. We often need to go under as much as we need to work tight angles. In our industry cabovers are the way to go.” In the metro area the WA Sand Supply & Haulage trucks average 200 kms a day, shuttling, for the main part, on repeat journeys. In regional areas where there are less scheduled pick-ups the trucks are

“Some jobs are two loads a day but involve a great deal of travel and some jobs are short distances but entail 20 loads a day,” Sal says. “Fuel economy is beautiful. In our industry the average is 47 to 48 litres per 100 kilometres. With the DAFs I’ve seen 41, 42, 43 litres per 100 kilometres. If I have to send another truck brand on the same job as a DAF, the DAF will definitely burn four or five litres-per-hundred less.” Sal Inceoz WA Sand Supply & Haulage Services

prone to travel 800 kms daily. Improved fuel efficiencies in both scenarios are crucial. “Some jobs are two loads a day but involve a great deal of travel and some jobs are short distances but entail 20

loads a day,” Sal says. “Fuel economy is beautiful. In our industry the average is 47 to 48 litres per 100 kilometres. With the DAFs I’ve seen 41, 42, 43 litres per 100 kilometres. If I have to send another truck brand on the same job as a DAF,

Sal Inceoz with two of his drivers at the WA Sand Supply & Haulage depot.

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COVER STORY

the DAF will definitely burn four or five litres-per-hundred less.” On the five new DAF CF 450s, the MX-11 engine is so quiet it has caught out some of the drivers new to it according to Sal. “When you’re driving the revs will be very low so you fail to realise it,” he says. “Some drivers getting into it for the first time have made the mistake of assuming the truck doesn’t have any pulling power because you can’t hear the engine. I say, ‘mate just watch the speedo,’ and they agree that the truck pulls pretty hard but it goes unnoticed given how quiet it is.” The new vehicles, which, in the current environment of supply chain disruptions, took less than four months between order and delivery, have all gone into the metro area on short haul detail limited to carrying 29 tonnes. Aerodynamic and styling refinements to the cab, in visible contrast to its predecessors over the past decade, are noticeable. “It’s a good-looking unit with a real presence on the road. The drivers tell me it’s an absolutely lovely truck to drive,” Sal says. “I haven’t had any issues in finding drivers. I suspect that’s coming from the fact that we’re running brand new gear. I hope people are seeing it on the road and thinking it will be a good idea to work for those guys. I’ve already had several drivers call me up for that very reason.” The interface and the application of drivetrain elements on the 12-speed Euro 6 DAF CF 450 are, according to Sal, worthy of distinction. Reliability always trumps responsiveness for the task he is asking of the vehicles. “The ZF TraXon automated gearbox shifting is very smooth. It never ever makes a mistake, and it always knows which gear to select,” he says. “What I like most about the brand is that they keep it simple. It’s not overly complicated. Even a man who is 60 years old and who has driven American trucks his whole life can jump without fear into a DAF. It’s very user-friendly.” Last year the business found its feet in diversifying its customer portfolio. The decision, which protects it from fluctuations in local and global 30

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One of the new DAFs working on the outskirts of Perth.

economies, has brought with it exposure to markets in commercial, rail, roads, imports, exports and iron ore. In Kalgoorlie, WA Sand Supply & Haulage is running triple side tipper sets in the

The DAF CF 450s are carrying loads of 29 tonnes in single trailer applications.

mining industry. Other contracts have been serviced in the Pilbara region. The DAF XF series trucks have also, when required, hauled iron ore on B-doubles in some of the harshest conditions

going. If that weren’t enough, the daily obligation was a distance of 1400 kilometres with some 160 kilometres consisting of rutted gravel road. “The DAF XF did its job without any issues,” says Sal. “In stark comparison to the other more supposed mining friendly brands.” Upon completion of the job the new assets recently acquired for these obligations have subsequently been redeployed in Perth where commercial and residential construction remain the bread and butter business, augmented periodically by road works such as Kalamunda Road and Great Northern Connect. A land subdivision usually requires 100,000 to 200,000 tonnes of sand depending on the size of the project. On government projects like Perth Stadium, for which WA Sand Supply & Haulage was engaged, it is not uncommon for 2,000,000 tonnes of sand to be shifted from the quarry to site up to

a dozen times in a day. In Perth there is a vast network of quarries which mercifully reduces trip times. Again, the DAFs, with a competitive total cost of ownership, are leading the way for a business that can’t afford any downtime as it actively grows its footprint. That kind of consumer confidence is indeed rare. “When I drop it off for a service I request that we pick it up the same night because I know there’s going to be no defects found on that truck and it’s going to be ready to work again first thing in the morning,” Sal says. He’s not scared to answer dread phone calls from drivers either, knowing the call won’t be truck related. “If our whole fleet was DAF I don’t think I would need to wear work boots — no more high vis,” he says. “I could come to work in a suit. You know what I mean? I can sleep comfortably at night because I know my trucks are going to be ready to work first thing in the morning.”

It’s been a relatively swift journey to tendering on huge infrastructure projects — Perth Stadium cost around $1.6 billion — for Sal whose introduction to the industry came through his father. At age ten he was washing trucks. That led to a five-year apprenticeship to become a mechanic. A heavy vehicle combination licence and considerable driving followed. “I have grown up around trucks,” he recalls. “I was always helping my old man out on weekends, after school. I was always trying to help lighten the load on him.” Despite overseeing a serious heavy vehicle operation, Sal is still driving, maintaining his equipment and managing the business. “I’m washing trucks on the weekend. It’s a part of my life. I don’t mind being at work every day or being at work on the weekends,” he admits. “I love it. If I don’t love it, I wouldn’t do it.”

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FLEET FOCUS

Chad Brown pilots one of the new Hino 700 series vehicles.

HERO

CNC Cartage grows thanks to the versatility of its fleet of crane trucks and the expertise of its people

HIGH 32

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wo Australian industries which have defied the constrictive effects of the pandemic have been the supply of new trucks, and the construction industry. CNC Cartage Solutions’ Chad and Chelsea Brown have been riding the wave of both as the demand for the services of their crane trucks has driven their requirements for additional vehicles. In the late ‘90s Chad was only 20 years of age and delivering timber to a wholesaler’s customers using flat top trucks when he realised there was a gap in the market which could be better filled with deliveries using crane trucks. “A lot of people were asking me to deliver components to building sites for them. I remember the first customer who said ‘if you get a crane truck we’ll use you’,” says Chad. “We took the plunge and we still do work for that same customer today. A lot of our early customers are still with us and we’ve grown together.”

From those humble beginnings the CNC fleet has evolved to 40 company owned vehicles with more currently on order, plus almost 30 full time dedicated sub-contractors in company livery. The equipment also includes 12 semitrailers. As a family company its growth, according to Chad, has been partly determined by its inability to say no. “The biggest thing is making sure the customer is happy and they don’t need to rely upon anyone else,” he says. Chad readily admits he has never been much of a salesperson. Until recently he didn’t even have a need for one, having managed to achieve company growth by providing a good service and maintaining good relationships with the customers. “Keith Poppleton joined us in 2020 in the dual role of sales and compliance. Keith enjoys making sure we are compliant and he’s our WH&S officer and works closely with the authorities and any outside companies we use in the areas of health and safety,”

Chad says. Social media assists the dual purposes of expanding both the client base and the recruitment process. “The whole idea of being on Facebook is to have a presence so people know who we are, and we also get a lot of guys coming to us looking for work,” Chad explains. Rather than being a self-promoter, Chad considers his own expertise is in the area of operating the trucks and the business around them and he has assembled a group of key people and trusted suppliers. Chad considers Russell Walls, who is in charge of the daily logistical side of operations, his right-hand man. “Over the past ten years Russell has helped expand the business,” he says. “Russell and I worked together at the very first company where I started with flat tops 20 years ago. It was a big step for us to bring someone in from outside yet we’ve consistently grown since then. Jo Booth joined us about seven years ago and manages all of the office staff Sci-Fleet supplies the CNC Cartage Solutions trucks.

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FLEET FOCUS

Chad Brown has given several vehicles spectacular vinyl wraps.

and HR compliance and she has made a great contribution to easing the running of the business.” A large proportion of the clients are retailers such as the big hardware chains, manufacturing companies, and anyone who needs to get something delivered to a building site. Frequently CNC Cartage 34

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is able to save clients double handling by picking items up from a wholesaler and delivering it direct. The nature of the clients’ businesses dictates that most of the job allocations for the CNC Cartage trucks is decided late in the afternoon of the previous day. Some trucks are assigned permanently to specific

clients and Chad sees CNC Cartage’s flexibility as an important factor in the service offering. “If a customer needs six trucks for the day then we’ll give them six, if they need two trucks the next day then we give him two,” Chad says. Corporate identity is important

and traditionally the CNC fleet has featured its red, grey and blue logo on its company trucks. Arising out of supporting community activities such as local football clubs, Chad made the decision to progress to some stand-out vinyl wraps to give a few of the trucks their own identities. “We often loan trucks to be used as stages for community events,” he says. “So why not do a superhero wrap that kids are going to love?” An unintended consequence of the wraps is the additional level of care the trucks receive from their operators and scratches and dents from incidents such as brushing past trees have become non-existent. The drivers also have some input into the design being applied to the truck they drive. Recently a number of newly delivered Hino’s have been illustrated with flames on a black background. “You’d be surprised at how well it has worked out,” says Chad. “Our trucks are noticeable on the road, and are commonly referred to by their character name. The drivers look after them and some customers even have a favourite truck.” CNC’s fleet is predominantly from Hino, with Sci-Fleet being the supplying dealer for the past 20 years. In the past, temporary shortages of certain models and the unavailability of some particular specifications has seen Chad try other brands but the expansion of the Hino range over recent years has meant he hasn’t had to look elsewhere when it’s time to order new trucks. On this front Will Gaulton at Sci-Fleet ensures Chad will have new trucks when he needs them. CNC’s business model involves keeping a truck for between five and seven years and then on-selling it to a sub-contractor as the business expands. Chad has had some Hino trucks which were still performing well after more than 1.5 million kilometres. Vehicle down time is minimised through the use of night-time servicing. Every combination is equipped with a HMF crane and Chad values his relationship with Grant Sweeting from West-Trans

which supplies the HMF cranes and Tim Hill from Crane Tech Industrial, who performs the installations and manages the crane service and repair as well. “Servicing is a big thing with the cranes. We get it done at six monthly intervals but they also have an annual inspection. I’m big on compliance and making sure we’re doing everything right. About five years ago the authorities had a big push targeting crane trucks and it was one of the better things that happened because the industry needed a good shake up. We came out of it fairly well and our

find someone who is suitable for what we do, and then we tend to keep them.” The building industry in general can be a challenge as sites become smaller and every boundary is being pushed to the extreme. A full semi load of 12-metre-long floor joists may have to be unloaded onto a site which itself is only 12-metres wide which requires, in turn, a high skill level from the driver/ operator. During 2021 CNC relocated into its new premises at Narangba from which the trucks can service the Greater Brisbane area as well as the Gold and

The trucks are equipped with 360 degree camera systems.

customers know they can rely upon us to make sure we’ve got everything right including gear such as the correct slings. They’d rather pay us a few more dollars an hour and get it done right than use someone cheaper.” To further enhance safety the trucks are equipped with 360 degree camera systems supplied by Petr Stajnc at Active Fleet. As with many Australian transport businesses, staffing has been a challenge in meeting the demands of growth. “It doesn’t matter how many trucks we’ve got. They have to be out on the road so we look after our staff and make a real effort to retain them,” says Chad. “We provide lots of training to make sure they are suitable for the needs of the job and to put a new driver on we may go through three or four others to

Sunshine Coasts. Chad credits his wife Chelsea with much of the success of CNC Cartage. “Chelsea works harder than me in the business. I might get the accolades and recognition about the good stuff we’re doing, but without her we wouldn’t be where we are,” he says. “She needs just as much rap as I do in putting everything together.” Their son Jack joined the business last year. “I want to provide a service for our customers and if that means we need to work a little bit harder in the background and make sure that happens, then so be it,” says Chad. “If we are doing the best we can there is no need for our customers to go elsewhere.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

FLEET FOCUS

KING OF THE

MOUNTAIN Tumut Freight Services is a local family-owned business which has been providing transport services for more than 30 years and is now run by Michael and Tracey Lucas.

Michael Lucas with his new Freightliner Cascadia.

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The alpine region requires a versatile truck for the various tasks asked of Tumut Freight Services.

he picturesque Tumut Region is located in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, and includes the towns of Adelong, Batlow, Talbingo, Tumut and Cabramurra. Tumut is approximately halfway between Sydney and Melbourne and is just 35km from the Hume Highway at South Gundagai, and is conveniently central to Sydney and Melbourne, as well as Canberra and Wagga Wagga. In usual circumstances the mountainous landscape around Tumut can be a challenging environment in which to operate a trucking business and when travelling across the top of the mountain range during winter snow can be often encountered on narrow roads along with temperatures as low as minus nine degrees Celsius.

General freight travelling into the region represents the majority of Tumut Freight Services’ (TFS) activities, complemented with carrying bulk timber on the outbound trips. For general freight there are number of regular runs including a single trailer service to Sydney every day, a B-double every day out of Melbourne, a single trailer three times a week out of Canberra, and a rigid every day out of Wagga Wagga. TFS has a contract with a major steel supplier carrying steel products from Sydney and Port Kembla covering southeast NSW through to the Riverina area. The local timber industry was hit hard by the 2020 bushfires and by mid2021 the mills were moving away from recovering burnt timber as most of the usable supply had been exhausted.

This was a factor in the local mill in Tumut reverting to just one shift per day, approximately halving output and resulting in around 70 job losses. In a move to remain viable the Tumut mill is taking on an additional role as a distribution centre for Associated Kiln Driers (AKD) and its mill in Colac will perform a similar function for its Victorian customers. A core value of the TFS business is to be reactive and nimble and Michael is able to adapt to changes to suit clients and other transport contractors. Today, TFS operates a diverse fleet with nine prime movers, seven tautliner trailers including two B-double sets, plus five flat top trailers all with container pins to maximise their flexibility. A new flat top trailer spends a lot of its time carrying steel and has a lift axle due to p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

FLEET FOCUS

The Cascadia’s 13-litre Detroit engine is having no troubles with mountain climbs and decents.

occasionally travelling unloaded. “All of the prime movers are generally quite new as we try to turn them over every five years,” says TFS’s Michael Lucas. “Having new equipment on the road is great for the reliability our customers have come to expect from us. They’ll forgive you for the odd breakdown here and there but if you’re constantly ringing up saying you can’t 38

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get there because of a breakdown they start looking around because you can’t provide the service they need.” The first prime mover purchased by the company was a 2007 Sterling which has since been retired to yard duties. “The Sterling would do a lot of odd jobs with different trailers,” says Michael. “A flat top one day, the 48-footer the next. It’s done about 1.3 million ‘Ks’

and we put a clutch and gearbox in it last year. It’s now retired back here at the depot as a tug, but it’s still in good enough condition that if we did have a breakdown or an extra load comes up we can jump in and it can do the job.” Michael is the third generation in the business started by his father’s father more than 30 years ago. TFS currently has 15 employees supported by a couple

of sub-contractors. “It started with Pop back in the ‘70s with his six tonne tipper carting peas and corn up to the Mountain Maid cannery at Batlow,” he says. “Back then there was also lot of produce from the Tumut Plains such as millet and tobacco.” Michael’s father left the Police Force to take on the business when his own father retired. Growing customer

requirements led to regular trips to Melbourne. Towards the end of 2000 Michael started doing casual driving in between studying graphic design at Charles Sturt University. Following the Sydney Olympics, where he trained horses for the Modern Pentathlon equestrian events, Michael joined the family company full time. “I’d been with Dad a lot in the truck as a kid, so a lot of the customers already knew me. We’d do a delivery and they’d ask if we could do something additional,” he recalls. “I started developing the same relationships with customers. The bulk of business has always been general freight back into Tumut and most of the growth has been organic.” The mammoth Snowy Hydro 2.0 project presents some opportunities for TFS even though the project is based on the opposite side of the range at Cooma where the large concrete batching plant and factory to manufacture tunnel segments is located. At times a TFS truck is there once a week. Road access to the construction sites such as Lob’s Hole is via a single direction road on which everyone travels in at a certain time and the direction is reversed later in the day to allow vehicles to leave. This situation calls for meticulous schedule planning and consideration of a situation where a truck and its driver are possibly delayed because of the necessary access arrangements. The majority of TFS’s prime movers are Kenworth, with a DAF based in Sydney. The latest fleet addition however is a Freightliner Cascadia, which has come about largely due to the relationship with Dave Warren who is now the Dealer Principal at Daimler Trucks in Wagga Wagga and Albury. “We’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with Dave and he sold us six Kenworths plus the DAF during his time at the PACCAR dealership,” says Michael. “He knows our business fairly well, knows what we do and where we go. When a demo Cascadia became available Dave sent it up to us, initially for a couple of weeks. We were very busy

at the time and ended up having it for a month.” Michael himself took the Cascadia on a single trailer steel run down the coast and then up to Bombala, and then back across the mountains to Tumut. “I gave it a fair old hiding to see what it was like and with the 13-litre engine it handled the coast road very well,” he recalls. “The South Coast has a lot of little, short dips and turns where there is no run up to next hill. The Cascadia wanted to hang on and pull really hard.” Carrying a 25.5 tonne load, Michael was impressed with how well it handled. While performance capability is one thing in the mountains fuel efficiency is important as well. “After the month long trial we did the download through the Detroit Connect telematics which showed an average 2.4 km/l and our own records showed 2.44, which is around 0.15 to 0.2 km better than the other trucks we had been running on that task,” says Michael. “That’s a fair bit of fuel saving over a year or five years.” Equipped with the DT12 automated transmission the Cascadia’s overall top gear ratio of 3.65:1 means the engine is only doing 1420 rpm at 100 kph. The Cascadia’s short bonnet, good manoeuvrability and low tare weight remind Michael of his trusty old Sterling and he is enthusiastic about his first Freightliner and its Detroit Diesel engine. “Obviously they’ve been a success in the US for a number of years, so you feel some confidence that it’s not a totally brand new concept,” he says. “I love the Kenworth brand but up here we needed a truck with the versatility of the Cascadia.” Michael is also impressed with the warranty and servicing arrangements which he has with the Cascadia, just as he is with the Detroit Assurance 5.0 safety features which include Lane Departure Warning, Active Brake Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Tumut Freight Services is successful due to its combination of country charm and service. These are seamlessly combined with big city experience and efficiencies. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

FLEET FOCUS

F E AT BIRDS OF A

A long-held penchant for premium North American conventional prime movers has led Glenn Nightingale to purchase half a dozen Western Star 4964FXC Constellation prime movers, adding a new dimension to his fleet of 32 multi-combination linehaulers.

aving started his transport business with one European cabover prime mover in 1995, Glenn Nightingale acquired his first Western Star in 1998. This started him on the path of exclusively operating North American prime movers, a decision which he says has served him well over the

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ensuing years. Glenn’s career in road transport started with a diesel mechanic apprenticeship with a prominent truck manufacturer and progressed to him gaining his heavy-combination and later multi-combination licences. “I really wanted to drive trucks more than I wanted to fix them, so I got into interstate driving and did that for a

number of years,” Glenn says. “However, I soon realised that I was busting my butt to help other people pay off their trucks which I might as well be doing for myself.” Then a fortuitous event enabled him to gain his first haulage contract ,which he still holds today. “The guy I was driving for at the time

HER had a good contract carting palletised refractory products including furnace bricks and castings for the steel industry at Unanderra near Wollongong,” Glenn says. “He was planning to retire and offered me first option of taking on the work, which I did, and the job just grew and grew over the following years.” Glenn’s business subsequently went from the initial prime mover to two then three, half a dozen and so on. Today, the company specialises in hauling everything from steel plates, coils and fabrications to precast concrete,

commercial machinery and heavy equipment, catering mostly to the mining and civil construction industries. Interestingly, the distinctive metallic blue colour of Glenn’s first Western Star cemented the colour scheme for Nightingale Transport henceforth. The story of how he came to own it reinforces the influence of strong relationships between salespeople and truck operators – along with immediate stock availability when its needed most – in the truck buying process. “I had ordered a bonneted prime mover

for the new contract and was assured it was nearly ready, but during a trip to Melbourne I decided to drop in at the factory in Dandenong and discovered to my dismay that they hadn’t even started building it,” Glenn explains. “At my wit’s end and desperate for a new truck so I could fulfil my new contract, I called a mate of mine Ron McKenzie who had just started in Sales with Western Star and he asked, ‘What colour would you like, blue or green?’ Ron flew me up to Brisbane and I chose the blue one to drive back, hence how we came to have our blue

Some of the new Western Star 4964FCX Constellations.

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FLEET FOCUS

Glenn Nightingale.

fleet colour and also the start of our long association with Western Star.” Nightingale’s work with the refractory company grew in synch with the company’s growth. Its workforce expanded from 28 to 100 staff at one stage and entailed flat-top work transporting the company’s palletised products all over Australia and returning with general freight. Glenn says he kept driving until the company had six trucks, at which point he felt compelled to swap the truck seat for an office chair in order to keep abreast of things. “I had been organising all of our subbies and doing everything from the truck while my then wife managed the paperwork. They were pretty hectic days back then,” Glenn recalls. “Then I employed my cousin and his wife who have both been with me for over 20 years and they now manage the allocating at Unanderra and do a great job.” As the hub of the operation, Unanderra is where Nightingale Transport has its 42

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head office and mechanical workshop, with Glenn’s son Jason fulfilling the role of Workshop Manager, overseeing a mechanic, apprentice and yardman. The company also has a Brisbane depot at Yatala where Glenn is based, along with another mechanic and yardman. In regard to the affinity with Western Star trucks, Glenn says he loves the fact that he is able to specify them with a super long wheelbase of 245” (6.2m) and a 68” (1.73m) Stratosphere high-rise walkthrough sleeper. In defence of what could be perhaps construed as over-spec’ing, he contends that his drivers are travelling between 5,000 and 6,000km per week and are often away for long periods and, therefore, deserve to have the extra comfort and convenience these features provide. “Sometimes our drivers don’t get home for up to one month when they’re running back and forth to Perth, for example, so it’s only fair that they have something decent to live in,” Glenn

asserts. “You don’t want to be squished up in a confined space and shifting your bags every time you want to get into the bunk.” Other ‘home comforts’ in the Western Stars include microwave ovens, TVs, fridges and Sleeper Air bunk air conditioning. According to Glenn, the Western Stars are all-round solid trucks that are well suited to the harsh Australian conditions, particularly when operating under heavy demand as his do. They are roadtrain rated for a gross combination mass (GCM) of 90.5t. Each of Nightingale’s Western Stars is powered by a Detroit DD15 engine rated at 560hp backed with 1,850lb/ft of torque and Glenn says he has found the Detroit engines to be extremely reliable and durable. He also appreciates the peace-of-mind that comes with the market-leading warranty that fully covers the engine for five years, 1,000,000km, 500,000litres of fuel burn or 15,000 engine hours, whichever comes first.

The plush interior of the latest Western Star purchases.

Other durable components in the powertrain include the robust Eaton Fuller RTLO20918B manual transmission running synthetic oil, feeding into a Meritor RT46-160GP tandem drivehead with a 4.30 diff ratio via sealed and lubricated for life Meritor RPL25SD main and RPL20 inter-axle shafts. Rear suspension is Airliner 46,000lb (20.8T) and the steer axle features threeleaf taper leaf springs with threaded pins and bushes. Fuel capacity is just shy of 2,000 litres held in six cylindrical tanks that are stainless-steel wrapped for the ultimate in long-lasting shine. Glenn emphasises the value he puts on the ability of Western Star trucks to be customised to suit the needs and purposes of his fleet. “We reserve a big budget for customisation and all of our trucks are customised to a similarly high standard to reflect the pride we take in them,” he says. As such, the list of custom features both inside and out is extensive, including polished stainless-steel items throughout which match beautifully with the King Bars polished bumper and Alcoa Durabright rims. “Our aim with customisation is to create an impressive vehicle that drives well and provides a comfortable workplace for our drivers,” Glenn says.

“The drivers have really taken to the new Western Stars. From an ergonomics perspective the seating is good and the sleeper cab is voluminous with easy access.” Drivers return home after long, arduous trips in good condition and relatively unfatigued according to Glenn, another endorsement for the comfortability of the trucks. Glenn also maintains a very good relationship with the local Penske dealership in Brisbane and in particular Sales Manager Derek Schroff with whom he

has been dealing for more than 15 years. “Derek is excellent at arranging and implementing any specifications we require and has always been there to assist if any issues have arisen,” Glenn says. When it comes to acquiring new vehicles for his fleet, the most important features Glenn looks for are reliability, service prospects, driver experience and return on investment. With his latest batch of Western Star prime movers, Glenn reckons all these criteria are well and truly covered.

These Western Stars are roadtain rated at 90.5 tonnes GCM.

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TRUCK & TECH

IN GOOD

COMPANY

Skyroad Logistics has a strategy aimed at saving the planet by saving fuel.

eter Assel took a slightly unique path into the freight and logistics industry and obtained his truck licence while studying for his engineering degree. He drove trucks on weekends to pay for the tuition fees and after graduating he worked as an engineer for Boeing and Qantas, yet maintained his interest in road freight and logistics. Through contacts in jet

engine sales and leasing Peter went to work at Jets Transport Express both part and full time for almost 13 years, ultimately moving on to be a founder and Managing Director of Skyroad Logistics in 2015. Peter’s background provides him with an engineer’s perspective and the requirement for exhaustive research in order to formulate any business plan.

This saw him venturing to Europe and the United States to take a good look at air cargo road feeder services. The PBS scheme in Australia was also closely examined to determine what was needed to be done with trailers to provide more productivity while retaining general access. Skyroad’ s customers now include airlines, freight forwarders and freight

Skyroad Logistics relies on Kenworth prime movers.

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integrators, and includes global operators such as UPS and DHL, along with seven of the top ten air cargo operators in Australia. The Skyroad network is very dynamic. Typically, allocators only know what’s loading and what’s moving on the day of operation rather than planning full trailer loads a week ahead or on a regular rotational basis. Skyroad has utilised Kenworth prime movers since the company’s inception. In meeting the PBS design requirements, the iconic truckmaker has been a key factor. There are, however, other significant reasons in support of aligning with Kenworth. “Driver retention is important so we had the view that the Kenworths would provide a more attractive workplace for drivers with a decent sized bunk so our guys could sleep,” says Peter. “And ultimately the other deciding factor was reliability. We still have our first two trucks with original engines and gearboxes, although we are now transitioning them out of air cargo operations to other work because they are getting a bit older, however they are still doing really well after six years and travelling more than 1.5 million kilometres. We think those engines will go to 1.8 million because they are still very low on crankcase breathing, their compression is good and everything is still very strong. We’ll probably be pulling those engines down as a precaution at 1.8 or 1.9 million ‘Ks’. That’s just unheard of.” Kenworth and Cummins were able to provide Skyroad Euro 6 level emissions well before its general availability in Australia. Computer emission simulations of Skyroad’s key mission profiles conducted in partnership with Cummins allowed for the team to use the Cummins Integrated Power drivetrain with down-speeding, according to Peter, resulting in a theoretical better-than 17.5 per cent reduced fuel consumption. “Our real life fuel economy results were within 3.0 per cent of the simulations,” he says.

Cummins X-15e5.

Skyroad’s engagement with its engine supplier Cummins became closer as their tier one customers and other forward-looking global corporations moved towards better managing carbon emissions. “It was obvious to us that in the future contractual obligations that were going to come in we would have to report our carbon emissions to such parties,” says Peter. “We worked out what it would take for Skyroad to be net zero carbon for these customers and determined what the cost of our own carbon emissions was. We then did a cost/ benefit analysis on the cost of offsetting versus the cost of actually reducing our carbon emissions. The beauty of where we ended up was that Cummins

and Kenworth were very positive when they learned that our first prospective customer in that space was UPS because Kenworth and UPS are both very strong partners in the United States.” Factors such as approximate payloads, trailer designs, and tare weights were analysed for the current fleet and the data was subjected to the computer modelling by Cummins and a number of opportunities were identified to reduce Skyroad’ s carbon emissions specific to the UPS task. Aerodynamics on trailers provided a degree of improvement, as did building the trailers out of highgrade steel to reduce weight along with the use of alloy hubs, laser cutting the cross beams and using a bolt-in floor system which saved a lot of structure p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

TRUCK & TECH

Cummins Euro 6 engines have delivered supreme fuel burn figures.

which would normally have to be built into the trailer itself. However, the Cummins Euro 6 engines were a major contributor due to their fuel economy over the projected life of the trucks. “We were doing 2.5-2.6 km/lt on a similar network and the Cummins modelling said we were going to do 2.88 km/lt and in the first run of that engine it was a very close 2.83 km/lt,” Peter recalls. “We have a program with Cummins where they tune the engines and we let the trucks go through their run-in period and at around 200,000 kilometres they were getting down to 2.7’s [lt/km] so Cummins did a ‘hot set’ engine tune and 46

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we ended back in the 2.8s. “What it really shows is the computer modelling and data that we have is extremely accurate which allows us to predict with confidence where we are going to be in terms of fuel burn and emissions.” The success of the Euro 6 Cummins X15 engines highlights the close collaboration between Cummins and Eaton in developing a more fuel efficient powertrain package and Skyroad has also transitioned from manual to automated transmissions to enable control of performance and fuel efficiency variations. “We have moved totally to AMT. All

trucks from now on are Cummins Integrated Power and the beauty of the integrated powertrain is we have full authority over the gearbox and engine behaviour,” says Peter. “We lock out manual shifting and although there was an initial driver backlash, though some fine tuning over the past two years and continual reviews with our Cummins representative, we’ve arrived at a pretty good outcome. A lot of it is perception and we can look at the drivers who are saying the truck is slow, and we’ve actually got the data to show their pointto-point times are hardly affected.” By way of example, Peter explains the difference between Sydney and Melbourne can be less than ten minutes. At current, Skyroad Logistics is operating two trucks with the optional Hill Climb Assist (HCA), a feature which detects when the vehicle is on a grade and delivers an alternate transmission shifting strategy and access to increased power. “The drivers who were providing feedback that they thought the truck was slow,” Peter adds, “have now got Hill Climb Assist and most of the objections have gone.” Going from 2.5-2.6km/lt up to 2.8 without hurting trip times makes the efforts worthwhile. A long-term trial involving a European prime mover provided similar results and proved to the Skyroad team that specifying a Kenworth/ Cummins combination with a similar strategy will achieve the same, or even better, fuel efficiency figures. “We’re getting the same fuel, but getting better reliability based on what we saw in the trial and in terms of total cost of ownership these Kenworths hold their value,” Peter says. “For what we do, reliability and performance are what people pay extra for so the efficiencies of the Euro 6 Cummins is really the answer for us.” There’s also an advantage in the Euro 6 Cummins engines having all of their emission technology produced internally rather than relying on components from external suppliers according to Peter. “The reliability of the emissions system has improved drastically since Euro 5,” he

says. “Cummins has the ability to actually deal with it and get the truck back on the road with a much lower cost.” As an engineer, Peter has a pragmatic view on the topic of climate change. He insists they aren’t supporting either side of the debate. “We’re just taking the conservative view that if we look after it and later on its proven to be true then we’ve done the right thing,” he says. “If later on its proven to be not true then we haven’t done any harm.” Peter considers Skyroad Logistics very privileged to have key support from Cummins and Kenworth as it seeks to further its operational efficiencies. “Mike Fowler at Cummins and Andrew Hadjikakou at PACCAR have been personally involved in supporting that, believing in it and wanting to do the right thing,” he says. “A lot of customers talk it but these are actually people who do it. It says a lot about the ‘can do’ attitude we have in Australia.”

The Cummins program is designed to moderate carbon emissions.

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ph: 02 9623 1800 e: chris.coleman@twsaust.com.au www.twsaust.com.au

TRUCK & TECH

JOST IN TIME FOR EASTER

JOST fifth wheels are mounted to Western Star dropdeck curtainsider B-doubles.

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A desire to keep ahead of the game by engaging the latest turntable technology has led prominent Brisbane-based haulier KS Easter to first trial and now standardise on JOST JSK37CXW greaseless fifth wheels fitted with the Sensor Coupling option on its new prime movers.

aulage company KS Easter was founded in Newcastle 45 years ago by Managing Director Ken Easter, who started out as a single truck owner-operator. Over the next decade the business grew quickly and Ken made the decision in 1988 to up stumps and move to Brisbane. As much of the work was linehaul between Melbourne and Brisbane, it made sense to be based at one end or the other. Since then the business has continued to grow and today a number of family members have joined Ken in helping run the company. Ken’s eldest son Kenny is General Manager and his younger son Matthew is Paymaster, while Kenny’s wife Karlie is in charge of Compliance. Speaking with KS Easter General Manager Kenny Easter, who has been involved with the business since he left school in 1991, it’s easy to appreciate that the company places an extremely high emphasis on the safety and wellbeing of its drivers and the general public, which is exemplified by the decision to standardise on JOST JSK37CXW fifth wheels with the sensor option that alerts the driver if a miscouple has occurred. “We always try to keep abreast of the latest technology that’s available on the market to make the job easier and safer for our drivers and everyone around them,” says Kenny. “We were approached by JOST to try its new JSK37CXW with Sensor Coupling technology and we decided to give it a go.” Like every large transport company, KS Easter have to deal with infrequent incidents every year where trailers unintentionally become detached from prime movers. The consequences can vary from minor damage and inconvenience to catastrophic. One difficulty associated with tackling the problem of miscoupled trailers – and what makes this such a critical issue – is the huge variety of causes that can lead to a trailer being miscoupled and when or how a miscoupled trailer actually becomes separated from the prime mover. In the best-case scenario, the driver will notice a miscoupled trailer when he or she follows best-practice procedures and p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

TRUCK & TECH

visually inspects the coupling to ensure the kingpin is secure in the lock jaw and the safety mechanism is in place, prior to performing a tug test after coupling. If the check is not made on the kingpin in the jaw, then a miscoupled trailer can separate from the fifth wheel during the tug test or when manouevering in the yard, which can cause damage to the truck or trailer and delay deliveries. However, the weight of a loaded trailer sometimes puts enough force onto the fifth wheel that it can pass a hasty tug test and give the driver a false impression that the trailer is securely connected. This can lead to a potentially far more dangerous situation if the trailer separates from the prime mover when travelling at speed on the road. JOST’s solution to this major safety factor is its Sensor Coupling System which gives the driver a visual and audible warning if it detects that any one of the skid plate,

The JOST JSK37CXW comes with in-cab Sensor Coupling option. 50

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kingpin or safety latch are not in the correct position for a secure connection. This system has the potential to avert disaster if the abovementioned scenario should ever occur. “We believe that JOST’s Sensor Coupling system will help reduce the incidents that happen due to drivers cutting corners and not physically checking that the fifth wheel jaw and locking bar are fully engaged,” Kenny says. “In our view the extra investment is well worthwhile because it will reduce our damage bill and the time and cost involved with filling out incident reports and paperwork that must be done every time a trailer is dropped.” He also mentions that the frustration of customers when events happen has a negative impact on the business and must be avoided as much as possible. Interestingly, Kenny explains that there’s an appreciable difference in the skillsets of drivers across the board, particularly in the

current climate where driver shortages and the need to keep trucks moving has tended to lower the experience and skill levels, on average. He cites the example of another initiative the company has taken to help drivers ensure correct coupling on every hookup – an LED light mounted on the rear of the prime mover chassis that shines into the lock jaw area so the driver can easily confirm correct coupling – even in the middle of the night. “Of course, that only helps if drivers use it, but we’ve had feedback from many of our drivers who have thanked us for installing the lights and helping them in their jobs,” says Kenny. He adds that it comes down to the old ‘drivers versus drovers’ issue. “Some of them carry torches, some don’t. Some carry toolboxes, some don’t,” he says. “It’s a changing world and a changing game so if we can do something positive like this to help reduce incidents and

make things safer, we’re all for it.” The fact that most drivers now own a smartphone with an LED flashlight incorporated means the excuse of not having a torch to check if the turntable jaws are locked correctly is hardly valid anymore. Having put one of JOST’s JSK37CXW fifth wheels with Sensor Coupling on trial for several months, both the driver and management at KS Easter were pleased with the results. “There were a few very minor teething issues, but these basically centred around housekeeping — ensuring the sensors are kept clean so they can do their work properly,” he says. “Other than that, there were no issues at all, so the last new truck we bought we had the standard turntable replaced with the new JOST unit and that will now be the standard fit for any new trucks we buy.” In fact, so happy is Kenny with the

outcome that he is already speaking to JOST about the possibility of developing sensor systems for fifth wheels on the A-trailers of the company’s B-doubles. “That’s something we’re working on but it probably will be a while down the track,” he says. Kenny mentions that every vehicle in the KS Easter fleet, including all A-trailers, now have low maintenance non-greasable fifth wheels as the company takes a lot of pride in its fleet presentation and not having grease floating around in the turntable area. It makes prime movers and trailers a lot easier to keep shiny. “It took us a couple of years to change them all over, but it was the direction we wanted to take and now each time a truck comes into the washbay or workshop it is much quicker and easier to clean them,” he says. “We also have auto greasing systems on all the trucks which are hooked up to the turntable jaws so the drivers and mechanics don’t have that extra task – which can easily be overlooked.” KS Easter has been using JOST turntables and landing legs since Ken first started the business and today the entire fleet is now equipped. Nowadays the company runs over 100 prime movers and more than 250 trailers, along with eight heavy rigid Volvo and Mercedes-Benz trucks that are used for ultra-time sensitive intra- and interstate premium air freight.

The prime mover mix consists of Volvo, Western Star and Kenworth vehicles which pull drop-deck B-double and B-triple curtainsiders and dry freight vans on linehaul runs predominately between Brisbane and Sydney. The company also services Adelaide and North Queensland as required. Time sensitive overnight freight and bulk palletised goods are the predominate loads and the company has Concessional Mass Loading (CML) which enables a gross combination mass (GCM) on the drop-deck curtainside B-doubles of 64.5 tonnes. Kenny has spent 15 years managing the operations side of the business and prior to this he was driving trucks doing local and some interstate work. Growing up within the business has imbued in him a deep understanding of what’s required in all aspects of the operation to keep ensuring success. The decision to exclusively use JOST equipment, and now even more so with the addition of the Sensor Coupling technology, is an important element in this ongoing strategy. According to Kenny, the products are bulletproof and rarely if ever have any issues. “We’re very happy with the JOST low maintenance greaseless turntables,” he says. “They’re very reliable and they do the job well.”

JOST JSK37CW greaseless fifth wheel.

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TRUCK & TECH

LIFE IS A

HIGH A marketing alliance between Ampol and ExxonMobil will involve Ampol blending, distributing and marketing Mobil lubricants in Australia, including the premium product range Mobil Delvac.

conic Australian brand Ampol, a presence on local forecourts since 1936, returned in 2020 after a 25year hiatus. Part of the revitalisation of the iconic brand across Australia, is rebranding all of its service stations to

A K&S Freighter prime mover pulls a B-double. 52

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Ampol. As it is committed to delivering world-class products to Australian customers, Ampol, in line with the agreement announced last year, that it will blend, distribute and market Mobil lubricants in Australia.

By leveraging Ampol’s scale and strong customer relationships, ExxonMobil can deliver its advanced lubricants to an increased number of customers across the country. Mobil Delvac is expected to form the bulk of these products and

WAY will be supplied to retail and business customers through a combination of direct and distributor channels. Nearly a century of experience and innovation has gone into Mobil Delvac. Its uses are many in the rugged environs Australian trucks are asked to operate daily, often without reprieve. National transport company KS Freighters have recently transitioned to the Mobil Delvac products. The fleet had formerly been relying on a previous range of products. Darryn Hall, K&S Group National Maintenance Manager, joined the company following commencement of the introduction of the Mobil Delvac Modern product range into a fleet that operates in a range of challenging conditions across the country. At present the main product – namely 15w-40 rated Delvac Modern – is being evaluated through three different segments of its national operations. These are the heavy haulage fleet, linehaul prime movers and Chemtrans, its licenced dangerous goods and explosives speciality division. The predominant truck brand is Scania, but there are also a few Kenworth and Mack trucks involved. In total this would involve close to 2000 commercial vehicles nationwide. “The underlying driver was really about the alignment of the oils for our equipment,” says Darryn. “The decision to do so was primarily made regarding the performance and cost, as is most things.”

A trial process of three months eventuated after Ampol pitched K&S Freighterrs the Mobil Delvac Modern products. The range of engine oils and advanced lubricants have been formulated to extend the life of road transport equipment. Leading transport operators like K&S Freighters are, through close examination, checking to see if fifth wheels and universal joints receive greater protection against rust and corrosion, transmissions are running smoother, and if leakage on steer axles wheel bearings have been noticeably reduced. In heavy haulage operations, the differentials are operating under extreme conditions. Greasing points on the tierod ends, spring pin bushings, king pins and chassis must also be protected. Upon completion of this 12-week evaluation period K&S Freighters, according to Darryn, were more than happy to proceed with a commitment to the Mobil Delvac products. “As part of the transition we’re doing a fairly deep system of oil testing to monitor how it’s going,” says Darryn. “We put into play a full-service cycle but instead of doing the sampling at the service interval we have performed it every four weeks to see how it was tracking.” In this way K&S Freighters can better stay on top of the monitoring of the equipment in direct comparison to the new oil and note any changes. “What we were interested in seeing is if

Mobil Delvac 15w-40.

there are any adverse reactions,” he says. “We didn’t believe there were going to be any big differences. But we wanted to make sure the oil was behaving the way it was supposed to behave. That’s why we looked at it on a shorter cycle of monthly runs rather than the full-service cycle.” K&S usually performs oil sampling at each of its prescribed service intervals. These samples are subsequently analysed. Confirmation is sought on whether the oil is holding its consistency and the base is still intact. It’s also checked for signs of any wear with metals in the oil or in case dirt may have found its way into the mix. “We’re seeing nothing in the oil tests to suggest there’s any issues,” says Darryn. “They’re certainly doing their service intervals. At this stage we’re very happy.” Part of Darryn’s job is to centralise the results he collects from various workshop managers across the country. The data records are held by Darryn through the fleet maintenance systems. As trucks used on operations for interstate linehaul, heavy haulage and dangerous goods hauling utilise different operating systems it was crucial for Darryn that he found a single point of lubricant source that meets with all of these conditions. “What we didn’t want was to have an oil drum for linehaul, an oil drum for local,” he says. “We were looking for a product that could actually work under all types of operating conditions and what we’ve seen with the Delvac range so far is it does that.”

Mobil and Mobil Delvac are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation and used under license by Ampol Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

PREMIER COMMERCIAL FLEET GUIDE

FOR 54

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CE OF NUMBERS

The Premier Commercial Fleet Guide provides an overview of who has what in the fast changing landscape of road transport in Australia.

p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

PREMIER COMMERCIAL FLEET GUIDE

leads. That is our intention at any rate. Putting together these lists will likely cause debate. As with any exercise like this one, data is approximate and mined via the means available at the

elcome to the inaugural Premier Commercial Vehicle Fleet Report. The intention of this nascent guide is to provide a benchmark of the established road transport organisations in Australia including those companies rising in recent years, the groups that are essential to the national economy, major investors in new mobile assets, trendsetters, regional powerhouses and firms undergoing investment and growth. By increasing the visibility of the premier fleets in the industry, suppliers, dealers, repairers, tech specialists, startups and those companies in and adjacent to the aftermarket will have greater visibility with which to familiarise operational specs, create alliances and generate new Toll Global Express Linfox Australia Post Fedex Boral Toll K&S Group Global Express Kings Transport Linfox Mainfreight Australia Post Centurion Transport Fedex Border Express Boral Qube K&S Group Followmont Transport Kings Transport Hanson Mainfreight Allied Express Centurion Transport Lindsay BorderTransport Express All Purpose Transport Qube Direct Freight Express Followmont Transport CTI Hanson Logistics Allied Express Lindsay Transport All Purpose Transport Direct Freight Express CTI Logistics

time. Last year Prime Mover circulated a survey of which many fleets volunteered to respond in regard to unit numbers as they pertained to prime movers, drivers and Performance-Based Standards FedEx Australia figures in the top ten for total mobile assets.

TOTAL COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

3000

6000

3000

9000

6000

9000

12000

15000

TOTAL PRIME MOVERS Linfox Centurion K&S Group Global Express Qube Linfox Mainfreight Centurion Australia Post K&SLogistics Group ACFS Port Global Express Kalari Qube Ron Finemore Transport Mainfreight Richers Transport Australia Post Lindsay Transport ACFSCameron Port Logistics Glen Group Kalari Rocky's Own Transport Ron Finemore Transport McColl's Richers Transport Jim Pearson Transport Lindsay Transport Blenners Transport Glen Cameron Group Wettenhalls Rocky's Own Transport Cahill Transport McColl's Jim Pearson Transport Blenners Transport Wettenhalls Cahill Transport

TOTAL PRIME MOVERS

500

1000

1500

2000

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500

1000

TOTAL TRAILERS

1500

2000

Blenners Transport Wettenhalls Cahill Transport

500

1000

1500

2000

TOTAL TRAILERS Linfox Global Express Australia Post Primary Connect K&S Group Qube ACFS Port Logistics Centurion Kalari Glen Cameron Group Mainfreight Ron Finemore Transport KS Easter GTS Freight Management Matic Transport Freightlines Group Jim Pearson Transport Tasman Logistics SCT Logistics Followmont McColl’s Transport Wettenhalls Blenners Transport Multiquip

500

1000

1500

acquisitions are actioned and older vehicles are sold or phased out. Fleet numbers can also change quickly in accordance with management schedules and asset availabilities. These numbers are those that have been provided to us at the close of 2021 or through the annual reports that are circulated. Japan Post’s divestiture of Global Express last year saw the mighty titan of Toll Group fissure and this, as we enter the embryonic

(PBS) combinations. The responses to this survey along with annual reports, recent records and information available in the public domain have Qube helped in collating raw figures of this first attempt at an annual survey across K&S Group multi-faceted Australian transport operators and Post the many mobile assets Australia currently in their possession. These numbers, given the nature of the ACFS industry, are always in flux as managers refresh their fleets, mergers occur, Kalari

TOTAL PBS UNITS

2000

2500

stages following that momentous deal, has been represented accordingly. Freight specialists who are no longer independent and work under the aegis of another, larger freight company have been counted, where applicable, in the numbers of the parent. Not all numbers were available across the entire industry. Where there might be a glaring omission regarding a certain company in a category it’s fair to assume that figures with any semblance

ACFS Port Logistics has grown total

Burdett Haulage number of prime movers and PBS combinations recently.

Ron Finemore Transport GTS Freight Management VISY 0

120

150

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Jim Pearson Transport Tasman Logistics SCT Logistics Followmont McColl’s Transport Wettenhalls

Blenners Transport PREMIER COMMERCIAL FLEET GUIDE Multiquip

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

TOTAL PBS UNITS Qube K&S Group Australia Post ACFS Kalari Burdett Haulage Ron Finemore Transport GTS Freight Management VISY 0

of accuracy could not be obtained. In future versions of this report we hope to have the most updated numbers supplied to us by as many major players within the industry as possible. Additional support with such things by those in the know is always welcome. Approximate numbers have been applied even when exact figures have been supplied to us as large orders and supply chain disruptions can alter the business picture in just a matter of weeks. Just as tax write-off asset incentives have been welcomed by many companies over the last 18 months compressed orders by supply chain strangulation may have stagnated investments made by some firms that would have inordinately been made by now. Ron Finemore Transport leads the way in regional Australia.

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120

150

The Report doesn’t pretend to be exhaustive or comprehensive by any measure but rather indicate as to which players are growing in the market, those having consolidated in recent times and who might be up and coming. Where possible we’ve concentrated on companies whose businesses are synonymous with commercial road transport or that rely foremost on the use of commercial vehicles and/or heavy trucks in their daily operations. Operations with ‘wharf horses’ have grown exponentially with the rise in containerised transport which, outside of last mile delivery, remains perhaps the biggest trending segment as it pertains to prime movers of the commercial road transport industry in this country.

No doubt growth by acquisition strategies will again come to the fore as the bigger players look to expand. Many organisations are also at the mercy of single-enterprise bargaining agreements which can impact future plans for investment and growth, not to mention staffing and with that, naturally, drivers and contractors. Disruptions to supply chains, COVID variant outbreaks, changes in testing requirements and industrial action have made the last 12 months a minefield for growing and established freight operators, logistics providers and infrastructure transport specialists. Geo-political risks in increasingly uncertain times where tariffs are becoming par-for-the-course are fast becoming a way of life for asset management teams who are looking to hold onto trucks, it appears, much longer than usual. The Premier Commercial Vehicle Fleet Guide 2021 is endorsed by ARTSA-i and Victorian Transport Association (VTA). It will be a valuable resource offering truck manufacturers and OEMs the ability to ascertain and discern sales targets for new business, connect geographically with buyers and identify fleets with needs that they can meet. In time we are hoping we can grow this across all segments and categories.

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INDUSTRY

HANDLE WITH

A fully restored Mack Magnum 500 Superliner.

One of Australia’s most impressive collections of historic commercial vehicles goes on show in Shepparton with iconic trucks from every era.

pening in late 2021 and located in Shepparton in Central Victoria, The Museum of Vehicle Evolution (MOVE) is a community based, not-for-profit organisation with a simple mission to create a significant cultural heritage attraction for Shepparton which exhibits the Goulburn Valley region’s rich transport, and social history. MOVE has a dynamic, ever-changing collection of vehicles on display,

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including vehicles from the Holden Heritage Collection, and machines from every era of motoring. As well as the historic and significant trucks and cars, the 6,000 square metre MOVE facility is also home to impressive collections including pre-1900 bicycles, a collection of HarleyDavidson and other motorcycles, and other collectables including the Loel Thomson Clothing Collection which is the most significant single collection of Australian clothing and accessories with

10,000 items of museum quality dating as far back as the first fleet. Mrs Thomson is the wife of respected local motorsport identity Bryan Thomson who established the Twin City Truck Centre Kenworth dealership in Wodonga in 1979. The Furphy Museum showcases the 150-year history of one of Australia’s oldest family companies, which still operates in Shepparton, and its iconic water carts. Shepparton is the heart of the Goulburn Valley, a region of economic

RE Mercedes-Benz 1418, one of the last of the bonneted European prime movers.

1927 Chevrolet 1.5 ton truck bought new by Barney Mawson.

importance underpinned by agriculture, food processing and manufacturing and transport. Shepparton is a natural hub for road transport with nearly one-in-four of all registered Victorian trucks based in the area. Many of the now wellknown transport operators based in the region evolved from beginnings in the agricultural industry and delivering to market the produce their families grew. The $6 million in funding to create MOVE had come from industry, community and support from all three tiers of government. The driving force behind the original Shepparton Motor Museum and now MOVE has been local businessman

1977 Kenworth K125CR.

and philanthropist Jim Andreadis, along with his wife Angela. Chair of the MOVE Board is Peter Hill, the CEO of Kreskas Brothers Transport. With sponsorship support from PACCAR, MOVE’s Kenworth Dealer Truck Pavilion features vehicles from some of the legendary transport operators from the Goulburn Valley region. The local transport operators have committed more than $800,000 to the MOVE project. The line-up of trucks is not restricted to the Kenworth brand, although there are plenty of examples of Bayswater’s finest on display. Vintage trucks with names such as Foden and Thorneycroft are on show in both restored

and unrestored conditions. The Truck Pavilion is more than a collection of trucks and the displays have been arranged to tell the story of the operators’ lives, their businesses and the trucks they utilised. There is the opportunity for other historic commercial vehicle owners to place their vehicles on display on a temporary basis. Curator Jade Burley estimates the MOVE museum section will attract 40,000 visitors per year with an expected additional 10,000 visiting various public events, markets, and functions such as truck product launches held at the facility. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

TEST DRIVE

GENUINE CONTENDER

The Hino 700 Series is a serious contender for the 400-500hp heavy duty market and completes the refresh of the entire Hino range.

perational restrictions brought about by COVID have meant that it is almost six months since the mid-2021 release of the all-new Hino 700 before we have the opportunity to drive it. And it has been worth the wait. Key new models in Hino’s heavy-duty range include 4x2 and 6x2 rigid trucks suitable for distribution applications and new 6x4 and 8x4 models, which will cater for customers at the heavier end of the distribution and vocational application spectrum. We have come to expect a Toyota standard of finish on Hino trucks, but the new 700 Series takes it to the next level. Even on this pre-production example the standard is worthy of Toyota’s premium brand Lexus. The new 700 Series breaks fresh ground for Hino in terms of safety and application suitability as well as the very important driver experience. With much in common with the latest Hino 500 models the functional and contemporary interior of the cab is trimmed with a balance of carbon fibre, silver and ‘earthy’ tones. The new wraparound dash creates a cockpitlike environment for the driver who performs their job from the comfort of the latest generation ISRI 6860 NTS2 driver’s seat which has air lumbar supports and a myriad of adjustments. The redesign of the cab allows for additional adjustability in rearward

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seat travel which combined with the tilt and telescopic steering wheel, can provide the ideal driving position for drivers of various shapes and sizes. The ride is further smoothed due to the

Hino 700 SS 2848 6x4 towing a three-axle dog trailer.

cab being remotely mounted on fourpoint air suspension, resulting in less vibration, road noise and driver fatigue. Cab temperature is now controlled by automatic climate control, while the bunk is ADR42 sleeper compliant, and has interior light controls which can also be operated from the rest area. The dash layout features all-new instrumentation with large, high

contrast speedometer and tachometer, and a central 7-inch LCD MultiInformation Display, which shows information such as the Hino SmartSafe settings, driving economy, gear selection and vehicle maintenance data. Other upgrades include easier and safer ingress and egress via the generously sized door openings, the illuminated staircase design steps and the conveniently placed full length cab grab handles that make three points of contact available at all times. The vehicle provided for this assessment is an SS 2848 6x4 rigid towing a three-axle dog trailer which, along with the truck’s tipping body, has been manufactured from steel by Chris’s Body Builders. Loaded to a gross weight of 38.5 tonnes the combination is well below its maximum GVM, yet allows

for a realistic workout that will cover metropolitan, highway and rural roads. The potentially punishing climb back up Mount Ousley is handled easily by the Hino with the transmission not needing to drop below ninth gear. This new Hino 700 Series boasts the most comprehensive safety package ever offered in a Hino truck including Driver Monitor (DM) which has been added to the Hino SmartSafe package. Driver Monitor features driver assistance technologies which take an active focus on protecting the lives of drivers, passengers and other road users. The system constantly monitors the driver’s attention towards the road using key metrics such as driving posture, face orientation, and eyelid status via a camera unobtrusively integrated into the A-pillar. The system provides a visual

and audible alert if it detects drowsiness or a lack of attention from the driver. The overall Hino SmartSafe package also includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection (PD), Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Reverse Camera and a suite of other standard safety features including a driver’s airbag. The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) maintains the speed set by the driver while continuously scanning the road in front of the truck. If a slower vehicle is detected in front, the ACC can reduce the engine acceleration and even engage the auxiliary braking, adapting the truck’s speed to that of the vehicle in front. The E13C-BK 13-litre engine delivers a peak power of 480hp (353kW) and

p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

TEST DRIVE

2157Nm of torque, which is now available across a wider range between 1,000 and 1,500rpm, delivering the opportunity for improved drivability and fuel efficiency. A 450hp rating is also an option. The Euro 6 exhaust emissions compliance is met using a combination of the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and a reliable Hino Diesel Particulate Active Reduction Filter (DPR). The engine is matched to the latest generation of the ZF TraXon 16-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), making Hino’s heavy duty offering exclusively available as a two pedal configuration with the 9-litre versions coupled with a six-speed Allison full automatic. The transmission is controlled with dial gear selector for Drive, Neutral and Reverse, and features a slow mode in forward and reverse for improved manoeuvrability control. The dash-mounted dial selector is complemented by a sequential type shift lever on the steering column which allows the driver to easily switch the transmission mode between automatic and manual, and also manually select gears without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. For us, the novelty of manual shifting quickly wears off and allowing the electronics to make

An E13C-BK 13-litre engine delivers a peak power of 353kW. 64

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the decisions provides for a smoother journey and better fuel economy. The Hino Easy Start system is a hill holder which assists with smooth take-offs after stopping on a slope. All 700 Series models now feature an Electronic Brake System (EBS) and have moved from an S-cam brake system to the Hino Taper Roller brake system, which reduces tare weight, decreases compressed air requirements, provides a smoother more consistent brake feel and uses less moving parts, resulting in reduced maintenance requirements and lower operating costs. The Hino 700 Series is the only Japanese heavy-duty truck with a genuine Jacobs Engine Brake which improves driveability and operational efficiency and all 13-litre models receive additional auxiliary braking from the ZF Intarder, which is integrated into the rear of the transmission and can be controlled by a wand lever on the steering column. The synchronised braking capabilities of the Hino 700 are impressive with evidence such as setting the speed at 39 km/h at the top of Mount Ousley and having the truck hold itself steady for the entire descent with minimal input from the driver. The 3.9:1 rear axles ride on a significantly redesigned six rod mechanical

suspension. Noticeable here is the improved articulation, lower tare weight and improvement in payload capabilities compared to previous models. At the test weight the ride is exceptionally smooth. On the outside the Hino 700 has a distinctive new bold new look which includes a new enlarged chrome grille and automatic LED headlamps complemented by daytime running lamps set in the bumper. Polished Alcoa alloy wheels are standard equipment and lower the tare weight considerably compared to steel wheels. Our test circuit covers 250 kilometres and according to the Hino’s calculator we are able to return a very creditable 1.9 km/lt fuel efficiency despite tackling long pulls such as Mount Ousley. With a wider range of axle configurations, an increased number of engine power ratings and now an exclusively two-pedal transmission lineup, the all-new Hino 700 Series models will suit more customer applications and operating requirements. It seems that virtually every new model of a Japanese truck comprehensively improves upon its predecessors and competitors. The all-new Hino 700 is no different and is arguably a contender to take the baton as the best heavy duty Japanese truck on the current market.

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PERSONALITY

HIT THE

GAS

In late 2021 IVECO Australia stalwart, Marco Quaranta, assumed the position of Strategic Relations and Industry Relations manager with a focus on future propulsion.

ommencing work with IVECO 34 years ago, Marco Quaranta has held technical and sales roles and more recently product management. A certain level of exposure in the industry comes with that. Quaranta is also involved in meetings with the Truck Industry Council and Heavy Vehicle Industry Association, but the institutional relationships are not all he does. PRIME MOVER: What is it about alternative fuels that has helped prepare you for this new role? MQ: I follow special projects including the evolution of our factory. With alternative fuels it’s my prolonged exposure with the product development and evolution in Europe where my contacts provide a certain level of the knowledge of market segments and customer demands. PM: Is the lack of facilities the main reason gas hasn’t been successful in Australia? MQ: No. Gas fuelling facilities have grown in Europe and now there are 4,000 stations spread between CNG and LNG. There was growth because there was demand. The large fuel companies would never have started to build an infrastructure unless they were sure that there were manufacturers supplying the vehicles and customers buying them. PM: What has driven the growth in gas? MQ: They key to the current growth of gas trucks in Europe, and also in the near future of electric vehicles, are the incentives and the benefits that, first the central government in Europe, and then the individual country governments, put on the table. This has filled the gap in the 66

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Marco Quaranta speaking at an IVECO event.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of the gas truck. Today driving a gas truck is pretty much the same as driving a diesel truck in terms of cost of operations. PM: Does gas still have a future in Australia? MQ: Gas had a spike in 2009-2011 when the diesel price was up and it looked like it was getting some momentum so there was some LNG trucks produced but when the diesel price went back to normal everything died because there was no support or incentive to create infrastructure and to create the demand. PM: Is that support what we are going to need for EVs? MQ: Australia has taken a big commitment recently to achieve certain targets as promised at the recent COP26. The discussions, which I have been having with the industry organisations and the government, are now quite different and at the moment there are tangible signals

of investment. It’s happening in Europe where 30 per cent of the new trucks on the road need to be zero emission by 2030 because that is what has been imposed by the government. The German Government were the first to offer incentives for gas trucks and they have been the first to put on the table incentives for EVs and the infrastructure is actually being created there. It is not by chance that our first customer for the first batch of the Nikola which will come out of the Ulm factory in 2022 is the German Port of Hamburg. PM: Is there a future for diesel other than niche applications? MQ: Once you have a radical change of technology like battery and hydrogen, which in my view go hand in hand, probably in 20 years’ time it will not be efficient to produce both kinds of vehicles. I don’t see two different technologies which require constant development in terms of safety, emissions and so on, go hand-in-hand because you would duplicate

all the investment. Eventually you will see a future only of electric motors. The technology of batteries will evolve because it’s only a matter of how much money you throw in. Batteries will become more and more affordable as the technology develops. PM: How far behind Europe will Australia be in implementing zero emission vehicles? MQ: In Europe the objective is that you will not be able to achieve the CO² reduction which will be regulated unless you have 30 per cent of the new vehicles sold with zero emissions ten years from now. In 25 years, 100 per cent of new vehicles will have to be actually zero emission to achieve that reduction. In Australia, well, who knows? It all depends how much support, incentive and infrastructure for refuelling will be available. Australia has a big challenge because the distance to be covered by long haul trucks can be ten times what is in Europe between one city and another. So refuelling stations will need to be created in quite remote locations. If Australia will follow Europe in the implementation of the CO² emissions and we call for zero emissions as promised, probably it will only be two or three years after Europe.

There is also another factor if the manufacturers will produce more electric trucks and less diesel trucks which will effectively push for electric trucks to be in production in Australia because we all know the difficulty of maintaining different platforms. The same thing is happening with Euro 6 engines because it is more convenient for the manufacturers to have Euro 6 production for Europe, Australia and all the rest of the world rather than having a Euro 5 right hand drive here, or a Euro 4 there. The day will come when no more diesel trucks will be produced for anywhere in the world. It is a mandatory path we have to take because if we don’t we’re out of the market. We will not be able to sell our trucks because we will have to achieve that zero emission with the reduction of CO² holistically. It’s almost a domino effect if you take the whole CO² generated in building a truck and all of its components and carrying it forward for the lifetime of the vehicle, the actual driving represents up to 70 to 80 per cent of the total CO². If you reduce that you already have a big achievement in the whole picture of the CO² reduction. PM: Is IVECO ready for these challenges? MQ: At IVECO we are ready to supply. We will have the Daily Electric for export

from end of this year in Europe and it will come to Australia the following year. The Nikola is very much a public project and every month or two we achieve another milestone. We opened the Ulm factory late last year. My appointment in this role is the evidence that IVECO is not just looking at Europe because there is a regulation there, but because it believes this is a global effort. PM: Are you excited about it? MQ: Very much, because I’ve always been intrigued by new technologies such as ESC, ABS and automatic transmissions and the evolution of the generations of them. I’m interested when the technology actually marries safety, efficiency and so on, and it’s always fascinating to find out how. We are now talking about totally different trucks. An electric motor can give you infinite opportunity in terms of safety, efficiency and a quieter truck. In fact, we are facing the problem of how to make people hear the truck coming because it doesn’t make any noise. Before the problem was to keep the noise down to 85dB, now the problem is to produce some noise so that cyclists and pedestrians can actually hear it and they don’t cross the road. This is really a total change of shape for the technology in the industry.

Marco Quaranta with the IVECO Daily van. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

LEARNING Well known for its annual ‘Ute Muster’, the NSW town of Deniliquin can now add an effective safety program for young drivers to its achievements.

Jenny Fellows with Kayla O’Brien - SafeT360 Marketing and Engagement Coordinator.

aul and Jenny Fellows operate Fellows Bulk Transport based in the Riverina town of Deniliquin and both have demonstrated a long and passionate commitment to road safety. Their company has been a member of the TruckSafe program for 20 years, winning the ATA’s prestigious John Kelly Memorial Award in 2016. Paul currently serves as the Chair of TruckSafe. Jenny has been a leading instigator of a community-based road safety program directed at learner drivers which gained national recognition when it received an Australian Road Safety Foundation award in 2020. The idea to establish a local road safety training program for young people initially came from within the Fellows family. “Our eldest son is now a commercial pilot, but when he was 16 and learning to fly he was a learner driver as well and we were travelling over to Shepparton 68

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every Saturday for flying lessons and I was also teaching him to drive,” says Jenny. “His flight instructor had been flying for 40 years and it is so specific how they do the training in the aviation industry. There are less pilots in the sky than there are car drivers on the road, so I thought this is crazy — we need to align ourselves with the air industry more and have professional driving instruction. So I came back to the High School and spoke with the principal.” The concept grew from there and for the first three or four years the activities were mostly opportunistic and arranged at short notice with 16 participants in the first year, doubling to 32 in the second. The program has since evolved significantly and has been running in its current week long format for the past 11 years. Normally 8090 students participate and despite COVID in 2021, 65 students from four local high schools participated.

It’s mostly a farming community so many children have the fundamental ability in driving of even heavy machinery from their early teens. “Some parents were saying well, these kids can drive and they don’t need additional training,” says Jenny. “But they did and roads are very different.” As interest in the idea grew, to achieve credibility and recognition the Driver Education Committee was set up as a subcommittee of the Deniliquin High School Parents and Citizens Association (P&C). “We wanted to capture the Year 10 learner drivers so we needed to get people from the different organisations and I thought what better way to get people involved than its stake holders in road safety,” says Jenny. Regardless of the size of a school, P&Cs generally have a core group of people who shoulder the majority of the tasks. “I thought we can’t get these people to do any more than they already do, so we need to find a different set of people, so I spoke to a policeman, who said ‘yes’ immediately,” Jenny recalls. “He was fantastic. Then we got an ambulance officer onboard and it grew from there.” The program, which delivers a holistic approach across multiple safety factors, is now included in the school’s curriculum. These include professional driver, motorcycle and ATV rider instruction, drug and alcohol prevention, mental health and well-being, as well as personal security. Being a ‘river’ town, maritime safety is covered as well. “We’ve had some very good principals over the years, and we have this incredible committee that has ebbed and flowed but

CURVES there are people who have stayed in there right from the beginning,” says Jenny. The Police officers and emergency services such as the local Volunteer Rescue Association, were keen to include a realistic mock accident exercise to show the mental and physical trauma associated with road accidents and the processes involved, from the initial emergency call, first aid and extraction of the casualties, and the ensuing work of the Police Accident Investigation unit. The week provides an excellent platform for the students to interact with various emergency services personnel including the Highway Patrol, which was represented in 2021 by senior officers from both sides of the MSWVictoria border. “It’s good for them to interact with the people in uniform and see they are actually people and that attending road accidents involving young people affects them too,” says Jenny. The ATA’s SafeT 360 education unit attends for the duration and utilises virtual reality to educate novice drivers about truck blind spots and sharing the road with heavy

The driver program includes a mock accident exercise with first responders.

vehicles. A practical exercise on truck stopping distances has had a profound effect on most students when they realise just how much space a loaded truck needs to pull up safely. The efforts of the organisers in the early days has led to the current situation in which the program smoothly operates. “It’s beyond my idea now, it’s a driving force in itself,” says Jenny. “We’ve had this amazing group of people and everybody brings something to the table, most just quietly. Everyone now seems to have succession plans, so if they think they may be leaving the committee they’ll have somebody else organised.” Everyone involved does so on a voluntary basis, with even the ambulance people participating on their days off. Participating students pay just a nominal $50 for the week. The Committee raises additional funds at the annual Deni Ute Muster by doing breathalyser testing, the proceeds going to support the cost of providing a free professional driving lesson after the students have finished the weeklong program.

“To make it self-funding over the years we have applied for and received grants for items such as the breath-testing units. The parents and the kids see the benefits of having professional lessons, so we’ve broken down that barrier,” Jenny explains. “The aim of the week is to be able to educate our young learner drivers to the level that they can make safer choices on our roads. And if we get one kid to think about making a better choice it’s worth every second. It’s a responsibility to have a licence, a responsibility to yourself, your family and your community to stay safe in yourself and be safe around others. It’s worth the efforts of putting the week together for that change in attitude.” Students are encouraged to join the local car club which has been a great supporter of the program. There are many unsealed roads out of town and the car club grounds allows the students to become skilled on dirt surfaces in a controlled environment. The local council even constructed a hill so they can perfect their hill start techniques. “The Road Safety Foundation Award has given us national recognition and opened a lot of doors because we want to share this program with everybody,” says Jenny. “We’re not saying we do the best thing but everybody can do something in their own community. We can provide the basic template and I’m happy to visit them. It took us three to four years to get through the red tape to set up, so if I can short-cut somebody’s community efforts with that I’m more than happy to do that.” As a leader in her own community Jenny Fellows exhibits a somewhat maternal attitude towards the program’s participants. “The first six months on ‘Ps’ is the most dangerous and some of them do get cocky and will push the limits,” she says. “But these kids are great. I don’t think they realise how precious they are.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

ELECTRONIC WORK DIARIES ADVERTISE IN OUR APRIL 2022 PRODUCT SHOWCASE ON EWDS & FATIGUE MANAGEMENT. For an industry hungry for the safest solutions for drivers, precious cargo and other road-users, the shift to electronic work diaries (EWDs) in Australian commercial road transport has been a seismic event. EWDs are fast replacing the reactive exercise of the traditional driver work diary by improving operator compliance through ease-of-use, cloud storage and real-time transparency. Software development in telematics and GPS solutions is now cutting-edge making pre-start checklists a breeze while affording front office better work and rest time calculations. EWDs are also providing greater assistance with work management and assigning tasks to drivers. Correct allocations can often deliver productivity gains, as businesses increasingly look to a smarter means of fatigue management across the whole organisation.

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ISUZU D-MAX

ACCURATE PEST MANAGEMENT LINDE MATERIAL HANDLING | IVECO DAILY E6

FEB

CONTENTS

BUGGING OUT

DELIVERY NEWS

LATEST FROM THE INDUSTRY

RIDING SHOTGUN

BUGGING OUT

A specialty business working in pest control services operates over an expansive territory in Southeast Queensland with the help of Isuzu Ute, its preferred commercial vehicle partner.

TRUSTED PARTNER

Technicians supporting Linde Material Handling’s nationwide fleet of equipment rely on Volkswagen Transporter vans to convey them, their tools and equipment reliably, safely, comfortably and consistently to and from each job.

FINAL MILE

THE GREAT JUMBO

The new IVECO Daily E6 range affords commercial vehicle abilities and passenger car driveability with room, at the higher end, to carry 7,000kg in back.

ONSITE

POWER GRAB

LDV has added class-topping power to the new T60 Max utes in its quest to compete with the market leading rivals. 72

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BORN TO WORK

GET PERFORMANCE AND 5 STAR SAFETY ACROSS THE ISUZU D-MAX RANGE The Isuzu D-MAX is born to work. With 24 model variants offering various cabin and tray options you can make light work of any job. Plus with 8 airbags and the Isuzu Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS*) backed by a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, an Isuzu Fleet has never been more reliable – keeping your team safe on the worksite and on the roads. Discover the Isuzu D-MAX at your Isuzu UTE Dealer today.

ISUZU FLEET *IDAS features are designed to assist the driver, but should not be relied upon nor used as a substitute for safe driving practices. Feature operation may vary in different driving conditions. For full explanation of limitations, see Owner’s & Driver’s Manual.

NEWS

EUROPCAR CONFIRMS HUGE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ORDER Europcar Mobility Group Australia has added to its Europcar fleet with the recent acquisition of 195 IVECO Daily units. The new vehicles which are currently being delivered to Europcar stations around Australia include 150 vans and 45 Pantech-bodied cab chassis. An additional 241 units are also on order and due to enter service with Europcar in the first half of 2022 as the brand builds on the partnership that commenced with IVECO when it took delivery of several IVECO Daily vans in 2017. In subsequent years, the organisation behind leading rental brand, Europcar, has fast grown its IVECO commercial vehicle fleet as it looks to expand its presence in the commercial vehicle rental market. At 12m³ in volume, the Daily 35S van models that Europcar have specified can be driven on a passenger car licence and offer generous load-carrying ability, while remaining easy-to-drive and manoeuvrable for drivers of all levels of experience. Further assisting the vans’ ease of use is IVECO’s market-leading 8-speed full automatic transmission which is matched to a new 2.3l 136hp (350Nm) Euro 6-rated turbodiesel engine, delivering ample power combined with enhanced emission performance and fuel efficiency. The cab chassis models (45C) can also be driven on a car licence and are equipped with a larger 3.0l Euro 6-rated turbodiesel engine which produces 180hp

and 430Nm. These light trucks feature a Pantech body and rear tail lifter, allowing for easy loading and unloading. A key differentiator of the Daily range – especially compared to cab-over competitors – is its superior safety performance. The models offer a full suite of standard safety equipment that includes four SRS Airbags, Advanced Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, front and rear disc brakes with ABS and ‘ESP 9’, IVECO’s advanced electronic stability program. According to Europcar Commercial Director, Jonathan Dexter, offering rental customers access to a fleet with superior safety was extremely important for the business. “The Daily range provides an impressive overall safety package and fits well with our brand’s position in the market as a company that operates a modern, safe and reliable fleet,” he said. “We’re also mindful that many of our customers are not full-time drivers of commercial vehicles, so providing them with vans and light trucks that are easy-to-use, while still having a large payload is important. “Certainly, the customer feedback on the Dailys continues to be very positive nationally – customers enjoy the functionality of the vehicles as well as their sleek European design, it’s a strong point of difference for us compared to other rental fleets. “The Daily is also a standout performer when it comes to emission performance,

and again this aligns well with our corporate sustainability goals.” Europcar’s recent Daily purchases are due to both an increased demand for commercial vehicle rentals as well as the company’s fleet rejuvenation program, which sees the company rotate its commercial vehicle fleet every 36 months on average. Dexter said that the Europcar had experienced strong demand for its services in recent months. “In the business-to-business space, we’ve seen growth in the transport and logistics sector on the back of demand increasing for home deliveries, including directly from retailers pivoting to delivery models,” he said. The new vehicles are also providing Europcar with some ongoing cost benefits. For rental companies the major cost associated with running their fleets is servicing and maintenance expenses, and in this regard the Dailys fare extremely well, says Europcar Fleet Director Michelle Coventry. “There are reduced maintenance costs in running the IVECO Dailys thanks in part to their longer oil change intervals (50,000km), which deliver ongoing, measurable benefits for us and our customers,” said Coventry. “We’re enjoying growing our relationship with IVECO and looking at expansion opportunities between our companies for the future.”

A selection of the 150 IVECO Daily vans on order. 74

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MERCEDES-BENZ VANS ANNOUNCES ELECTRIC RANGE FOR AUSTRALIA Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia is preparing to offer all of its commercial van model lines with electric drive, and will also add the EQV – the company’s first fully-electric premium people mover – to the lineup. These developments are planned to start in the second half of 2022 with the introduction of the mid-size eVito panel van, eVito Tourer and the EQV sevenseat people mover. The eSprinter is intended to follow sometime in 2024 when the next generation version becomes available. Mercedes-Benz Vans (MBV) said in a statement that thanks to the flexibility of its global vans production strategy, the company intends to offer both conventional and battery-electric vans side-by-side for the foreseeable future, and is preparing to switch to electric-only when customer and market demands are deemed sufficient. In Australia, the company said, sales of electric vehicles are on the rise and the electrification of vans is increasingly becoming an attractive proposition for light commercial fleet operators who are looking to show commitment to sustainable practices and reduced total

Mercedes-Benz eSprinter at a charging point.

cost of ownership. MBV Managing Director, Diane Tarr, said this is a very exciting step towards a more sustainable future for the company and its customers in Australia. “We are confident that the electric drive will gain more prevalence here over the coming years,” said Tarr. “As it does, we will be ready with a strong customer-centric electric product portfolio, offering the potential to assist customers with lowering their operating

costs and reducing their environmental impact.” The company said full local specifications and pricing of the various electric models will be communicated closer to launch. However, it provided key technical data for the Europeanspec eVito Tourer and the upmarket EQV people movers, upon which the Australian versions will be based. Via a 90kWh (usable capacity) lithiumion battery, both versions have an identical electric motor that delivers 150kW (204hp) and 362Nm of peak torque delivered to the front wheels. It’s claimed to be capable of propelling the vehicles to a top speed of 160km/h and providing a driving range of around 355km for the EQV and 360km for the eVito Tourer, as determined by the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). Using an 11kW AC charger, charging time from zero to 100 per cent is said to be 10 hours. The EQV has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) rating of 3,500kg, wheelbase of 3,200mm, length of 5,140mm and a luggage compartment of up to 1,030 litres, depending on equipment fitted.

TOYOTA EXPANDS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE AT ALTONA As part of a continuing investment in Australian innovation and expertise, Toyota Australia has commissioned a state-of-the-art Product Centre at its Centre of Excellence (CoE) facility in Altona, Victoria. The new Product Centre, according to Toyota, brings together all of the company’s local planning, design, engineering and evaluation teams in the same facility, ensuring the world-class Australian teams will continue to design and develop unique products for the Australian and global markets. These teams were reportedly behind such models as the HiLux Rugged X and HiLux Rogue. Toyota Australia Vice President

Product, Guest and Aftersales Operations Mike Rausa said the new facility would give the product design, engineering and evaluation teams even more opportunities to create exciting products. “We’ve already seen what our planning and development teams are capable of, with vehicles like the HiLux Rugged X and HiLux Rogue proving to be popular here in Australia and creating accessories that are adopted in markets around the world,” said Rausa. “We wanted to retain and build on the capability developed during our long history of vehicle manufacturing, providing a highly collaborative environment that would allow Australian

design and engineering expertise and know-how to be utilised within the broad Toyota family. “The new Product Centre delivers just that, keeping jobs, skills and career paths grounded in Australia and allowing for an unmatched level of collaboration across departments.” Located at the sprawling 22-hectare CoE, the Product Centre is housed inside the former powertrain manufacturing building that produced over 2.5 million Toyota engines from 1978 to 2017. Toyota has reportedly invested about $40 million in the construction of the Product Centre, forming part of the $150m overall investment in the CoE. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

NEWS

ISUZU UTE INTRODUCES VALUE-PACKED D-MAX SX

Isuzu Ute D-Max SX.

New D-Max SX Single Cab Chassis 4×2 variants featuring the new RZ4E-TC 1.9-litre turbodiesel engine arrived at Isuzu Ute Australia (IUA) dealerships in early January, 2022. Coming standard with a six-speed manual transmission, a six-speed automatic is available as an extra-cost option. Making its debut in the Australian market, the 1.9-litre RZ4E-TC has reportedly earned its stripes in overseas markets for its supreme fuel efficiency and refined, quiet operation. Generating 110kW of power and 350Nm of torque, the six-speed manual version of the new 1.9-litre SX workhorse is said to return class-leading fuel economy of 7.0 litres/100km, as measured by ADR 81/02 combined cycle testing, and reportedly will be priced from $29,990 drive away. CO2 emissions are 183g/km for the manual and 184g/km for the automatic. Equipped with a 76-litre fuel tank, the new variants are said to be capable of travelling close to 1,000km between fuelstops, depending on payload. Engineered for the worksite, carrying capacity remains a strong suit for the RZ4E-powered SX Single Cab Chassis 4×2, with heavy-duty three-leaf rear suspension and a broad selection of 2,550mm x 1,777mm (Length x Width) alloy or steel tray options. Payload capacity is 1,405kg for the manual version, while the auto can carry 76

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1,380kg; braked towing capacity is 2,800kg with the manual and 3,000kg for the auto. The two new SX Single Cab Chassis 4×2 units are among six new variants to join the expanded 22MY Isuzu D-Max ute range, offering customers one of the widest selections of body styles, tray configurations and powertrain options in the Australian one-tonne ute segment. Driven directly by feedback from Isuzu Ute customers, all 22MY D-MAX models now feature a new Lane Support System (LSS) switch, located on the steering wheel. By pressing and holding the switch for two seconds, the driver can toggle all Lane Support Systems on or off, including Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Departure Prevention (LDP), and Emergency Lane Keeping (ELK). Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) will still function even if the LKA is disabled via the switch. The new LSS switch is coupled with Isuzu’s Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) and the latest in smartphone connectivity with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. Other work-friendly features of the base model SX 4×2 include a useful 235mm ground clearance, heavy-duty urethane steering wheel, gear knob, and handbrake, vinyl floor covering, cloth trim upholstery,

power windows and mirrors, electric power steering and air-conditioning with rear air vents on Crew Cab models. There’s also a 7” infotainment display with Voice Recognition, DAB+ radio, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, four-speakers, automatic wipers and automatic halogen headlights with automatic high beam control. Completing the rugged repertoire is an Isuzu signature matt grey metallic front grille and sturdy 17” steel wheels shod with 255/65R17 Dunlop AT25 rubber. IUA said its updated 2022 (22MY) Isuzu D-Max one-tonne ute range has received a host of updates and refinements based on feedback received from customers and the media over the past year. Originally due to arrive in dealerships in the first quarter of 2022, the bulk of the updated D-Max range will be available from 1 December 2021, with the entrylevel 1.9-litre D-Max SX Single Cab Chassis 4×2 arriving shortly after, in early-January 2022. “We are pleased to be able to offer our updated 2022 D-Max range to our Australian customers earlier than initially forecast,” said Hiroyasu Sato, IUA Managing Director. “Fast-tracking its availability ensures we get the improved product and a wider variety of options into the market sooner, which essentially helps to improve customer satisfaction – which has always been a priority for us.”

NEXT-GEN RANGER RAMPS UP STYLE, POWER Ford has revealed its Next-Generation Ranger, describing it as the smartest, most versatile and most capable Ranger ever. Beneath the new bodywork is an upgraded chassis riding on a 50mm longer wheelbase and a 50mm wider track than those of the erstwhile Ranger. Engineers moved the front wheels forward by 50mm for a better approach angle and outboard by the same amount for better off-road articulation and stability, both of which improve the off-roading experience. They also shifted the rear suspension dampers outboard of the frame rails with the aim of procuring a better ride both on- and off-road. A hydro-formed front-end structure creates more space in the engine bay for the new V6 engine and helps future-proof the Ranger for alternative propulsion technologies. It also opens up the front to allow more airflow through the radiator, helping keep operating temperatures lower when towing or hauling heavy loads. Answering the cry of Ranger customers wanting more power and torque for towing heavy loads and extreme off-roading, Ford has engineered its 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 into the Ranger. It is one of three turbodiesel engine options available at launch, depending on market. “The 3.0-Litre turbodiesel V6 really delivers,” said Ranger Program Manager Pritika Maharaj. “When you drive a Ranger with the V6 turbodiesel, it feels like a much bigger truck; and it feels really tough in the sense that it’s got endless power and torque, which is exactly what our customers wanted.” The Next-Generation Ranger will also come with a choice of Single- and Bi-Turbo 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder diesels. According to Ford, the Single Turbo unit delivers power, torque and fuel economy, which is important to small business owners and commercial vehicle fleets; while the Bi-Turbo

variant is a more sophisticated performance variant for customers who want more power but need to maintain fuel economy. “We know our customers push their Rangers to the extreme, so that’s how we test them,” said Maharaj. “We go the extra mile to make sure Ranger will do everything our customers want, over and over again.” Transmission options include an updated 10-speed automatic in addition to the current six-speed unit. Customers will have a choice between two four-wheel-drive systems: an electronic shift-on-the-fly or advanced full-time 4×4 system with a reassuring set-and-forget mode. Off-road recovery is made easier with prominent dual recovery hooks at the front. Interior-wise, the large 10.1-inch or 12-inch touchscreen in the centre stack complements the fully digital instrument panel and is loaded

with Ford’s latest SYNC4® system, which comes customer-ready with voice-activated communications, entertainment and information systems including 360-degree camera vision. Additionally, there’s an embedded factory-fitted modem, allowing connectivity on the go when linked with the FordPass™ app. FordPass enhances the ownership experience with features like Remote Start iv, Vehicle Status Check and Remote Lock and Unlock functions via a mobile device. Many of the traditional driving mode controls have been moved from the dash and centre console to their own dedicated display on the SYNC screen. With one button press, drivers can go to Ranger’s dedicated screen for all off-road and drive modes where they can monitor the driveline, steering angle, vehicle pitch and roll angles and other controls.

Next gen Ranger customers will have a choice of two four-wheel-drive systems. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

RIDING SHOTGUN

BUGGING OUT A specialty business working in pest control services operates over an expansive territory in Southeast Queensland with the help of Isuzu Ute, its preferred commercial vehicle partner.

ituated at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, Accurate Pest Management (APM) has been growing its footprint and staff in Southeast Queensland where it services all types of building construction, commercial and domestic customers — its main revenue streams. The work force has surged to 28 full time employees in

Accurate Pest Management head office on the Sunshine Coast. 78

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recent times with nine admin and 19 qualified technicians travelling about the southern corner of the state. As it dispatches technicians to Hervey Bay in the north and as far south as the Gold Coast, its growing fleet of utility vehicles can travel long distances to attend preinstallation on construction sites, a service fast growing in demand thanks to the recent national housing boom. To

install a termite system APM technicians must be on site before the concrete is poured and the frame is raised. Pipes are treated by having a physical termite system around them that integrates with the slab. “It nails to the slab before the builders stand the timber frame,” says Accurate Pest Management Managing Director Mark Hayman. “We nail and glue it to

the perimeter of the actual slab. This happens again before the bricklayers start their work and we conduct checks that there are no cuts or damage to the underground piping to stop a tiny termite from entering for the next ten to 50 years.” TERM-seal is APM’s flagship product which they use in conjunction with the building’s structural members. If the builder has already ordered the concrete and they haven’t got a pest controller yet booked, APM, as they would for a domestic callout, can dispatch a vehicle. Responsiveness is crucial. In such a scenario, where the techs are on call, the vehicles they drive must be reliable. In recent times the business has aligned itself with Isuzu D-Max, expanding its fleet of vehicles in line with the company’s growth.

APM now has 15 Isuzu D-Maxs in total including five new models just this year. One is a double-cab while the other four are single-cab six-speed vehicles. Manual gearboxes are standard across the fleet. Domestic vehicles, as they ply the most miles, eventually get transitioned to the pre-construction wing of operations. The business, according to Mark, isn’t compelled to flip the older D-max utes, but has, instead, held onto them as required. In some instances, they are offered to trainees to help put them through their paces or assigned to a pre-construction role, where the cars are prone to encounter messier conditions onsite. It’s not uncommon for the back of the vehicle to withstand a more robust treatment. “We’re more than happy to hold onto

the older vehicles,” Mark says. “They’re still tight and not falling apart. The paint work, for one, seems to hang on where the other guys don’t — they fade.” Presentation matters, of course. It encourages excellence among the staff and serves, to no small degree, as a marketing tool. “That’s a key for us in getting the brand out there,” Mark says. “That’s probably my favourite compliment: ‘I see your utes everywhere.’” The remaining non-Isuzu utes in the fleet will be replaced in due course, more than likely over the next 12 months with additional D-Maxs predicts Mark. The reason? The whole of life costs, as he sees it, are very competitive within the current marketplace. “They’re less disposable in five years which is the maximum you can

Mark Hayman.

d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

RIDING SHOTGUN

The Isuzu D-Max tray easily fits a toolbox, dusters, sprays and gels.

potentially get your equipment financed for so it’s almost as though the other guys are building the utes to last about that long so they can just be flipped over and over,” he says. “The reliability is most certainly there with the D-Max and the serviceability isn’t an issue as they are all mostly new so parts aren’t much of a factor during this COVIDinduced schmozzle.” The first Isuzu D-Max, purchased in 2015 is still going strong. In fact, Mark, who is a second generation pest controller, notes he’s not had one single issue with it. “It’s been fault free,” he says. “If a ute goes in for an unscheduled service, I have to throw a technician into a sales car where they’re not as productive because they’ve only got a certain amount of tools and they can’t carry chemicals in a sedan. A technician needs to be out on the road and for that to happen we need the vehicles to be in and out of service quick.” The Isuzu D-Max accommodates larger type toolboxes, an air sprayer with dusters and tanks and gels. These all need to be locked up and secured. The preconstruction team, naturally, requires more tools to service commercial sites. 80

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This includes, ladders, rolls of termite management film, and containers for consumables like nails and gun, gases, nail belts and cutters. Whereas the domestic team, in contrast, is required to be equipped for a multitude of treatments. APM prefers to run with a flat LE tray over a canopy. “We’re not lugging weight around. It’s

Mark Hayman behind the wheel of one of the fleet’s 15 D-Maxs.

not heavy loads,” says Mark. “It’s more sizeable. That said the D-Max pulls without a hitch – no worries.” A 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine generates 450Nm of torque. It makes towing a caravan to Noosa — as Mark recently found out when his personal car was in for a service, and he used a company D-Max for the weekend holiday — a breeze. ServiceM8 is the CRM system relied on to dispatch staff to jobs and it integrates with Apple Car Play, reducing the opportunity for technicians to look at their phones. Jobs can be viewed at a glance from the dash and techs can communicate with clients from the actual interface of the car. If, in case, two technicians have been sent to the same job, they can be notified en route that the trip is cancelled, preventing wasted time. “In the truck they can jump into the vehicle, put on the aircon and cool down before heading on to the next job without having to touch their phone while in transit,” says Mark. “That’s a big plus for me. There might be a few envious technicians in the older models without the Apple Carplay but it will filter through eventually.”

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RIDING SHOTGUN

One of Linde’s many Volkswagen Transporter vans.

TRUSTED PARTNER

ffective service support and backup is undoubtedly the backbone of every successful organisation engaged in the hire and sale of machinery. For Linde Material Handling (LMH), procuring the most suitable vehicles to enable this vital part of its operations is entrusted to Volkswagen Group Australia (VGA), which provides the company with its fleet of Volkswagen Transporter vans under a fully maintained operating lease arrangement. As such, LMH can focus on what it does best, safe in the knowledge that VGA is playing its part — keeping the service van fleet in tip-top order. George Pappas, Senior Director Service and Sales at LMH Australia and New Zealand, was instrumental 82

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in setting up the service fleet of Volkswagen Transporter vans for the company, having looked after the service operations for many years. “We have in excess of 250 field service technicians, in addition to our fixed site technicians, and I’m happy to say they all drive Volkswagen vans,” he says. The Volkswagen Transporter van is a standout for George who says there are several reasons that make it the ideal vehicle for the service fleet. “First and foremost, these vans do exactly what we need them to do,” he says. “They achieve the very specific outcomes that we require.” Unpacking this further, he says that the heavy-duty suspension is more than up to the task of carrying the significant payloads of tools and equipment in each van. The layout and cubic volume of the Transporter

enables the company to fit them out in the most effective manner in order to carry everything they need. “Secondly, and most importantly, is that our service technicians love them and due to this we actually consider these vans a significant employer of choice factor,” George explains. “The marketplace is incredibly competitive and so we want to give our employees the best equipment and tools that enable them to achieve their goals.” George adds that many of the technicians travel vast distances so providing them with a vehicle that is safe, comfortable and drives well is paramount. Although the price difference is there between some of the other brands and Volkswagen, it’s insignificant in the whole scheme of things. “The Volkswagen vans are incredibly

reliable and downtime, apart from scheduled servicing, is virtually non-existent,” he says, adding that the company recently standardised on automatic transmissions across the fleet. “The automatics have proven to be safer because they allow the drivers to focus solely on driving without having to think about gear changes — they really appreciate that.” The market space in which LMH operates is extremely competitive. As a consequence, the company is not in the habit of spending more money than necessary, but that the small premium required for the Volkswagens is money well spent. The standard specification for the fleet is a long wheelbase with heavyduty suspension, automatic and front

wheel drive, although there are some specified with 4Motion all-wheel-drive for regional areas. Volkswagen’s dealer network is very good and the stand-by servicing it offers means the vehicles spend minimal time off the road according to George. “Access to servicing for the technicians is excellent,” he says. “For us downtime with the vans is a disaster due to the high hourly rate of the technicians. If I lose them for hours at a time that’s a lot of money wasted. Volkswagen are very good with their standby servicing which means the techs can take the vehicle in for the service and it’s done in a couple of hours while they wait there.” The latest iteration of the Transporter van can trace its lineage of being a trusted Aussie work partner back more

than 70 years. The 3,400mm wheelbase version used by LMH has a load length of 5,290mm, load volume of 9.3m3, load width of 1,700mm and payload capacity of 1,256kg, thanks to the heavy-duty suspension. It comes standard with multiple safety features including Autonomous Emergency Braking, Side Assist, Blindspot Monitoring with Rear Cross Traffic Alert, as well as Multi-Collision Brakes and Crosswind Assist. All of these features and more add up to create the safe and comfortable driving experience for its technicians that LMH highly values. “With our service fleet we package up the total operating cost and with the Volkswagen Transporter all the numbers stack up for us,” George says.

Automatic transmissions are now standard across the fleet. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

FINAL MILE

IVECO Daily E6 van.

THE GREAT JUMBO

The new IVECO Daily E6 range offers commercial vehicle abilities with passenger car driveability.

VECO quietly released the Euro 6 models of its Daily vans and cab chassis early in 2021 and the range has achieved good success with unit sales exhibiting a growth of more than 50 per cent throughout the year compared with the results of the previous Euro V models during 2020. The IVECO Daily E6 van range is available in a number of wheelbases with single and dual wheel options and cargo volume capacities ranging from 7.3 cubic metres to a cavernous 19.6 cubic metres. There are four GVM options to select from in the van range, starting at passenger car-licence levels of 3,800kg and 4,495kg, through to a light truck licence 5,200kg and a market-leading 7,000kg if you have the need to transport something the size of an elephant. Instead of a manual dipstick the engine oil level is displayed on the dash. Cost of 84

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operation is kept in check due to the E6 Daily’s 50,000 km service intervals. There is also a tyre pressure monitoring system so daily checks (pun not intended) are carried out from the comfort of the heated driver’s seat which has multiple adjustments including its damping. Driving a van of these dimensions could have been a little intimidating in metropolitan traffic conditions yet within minutes it genuinely does feel like we are at the wheel of a sleek passenger car. The soft touch steering wheel has a contemporary design with a flat bottom to provide additional clearance for the driver. The engine in the test van is the rangetopping 3.0-litre diesel which sports an electronically-controlled Variable Geometry Turbine (e-VGT) which helps the engine to develop a sector-leading 155kW (210hp) and 470Nm of torque.

To meet the Euro 6 emission standards, the Daily E6 uses Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology and has a 20-litre AdBlue tank which, under typical circumstances, should only require topping up once every six or seven diesel refills. Other engine options include a 132kW (180hp) version of the 3.0 litre, and a 2.3 litre which produces 132kW (180hp) and 430Nm of torque. A conventional six speed synchromesh overdrive manual is the standard transmission while the test unit is equipped with the Hi-Matic eight speed full automatic which has Eco and Power modes. Shifts can be manually overridden by the driver with an easy flick of the multi-position gear lever. Despite a steel ballast block weighing 2,000kgs being secured in the back to simulate a partial load, this engine and transmission combination has some surprising

acceleration capabilities for a vehicle of the big Daily’s size, even when left in Eco mode. The ride is also car-like due in part to the optional ElectronicallyControlled Air Suspension (ECAS), at the rear, which can be used to raise or lower the ride height. In addition to the previous generation Daily’s impressive list of safety features, which already included four SRS airbags, ABS, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and the availability of Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS), the E6 range offers significantly more, particularly in the area of active safety. Now standard across the entire range is an Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), enhanced ‘ESP9’ technologies and Crosswind Assist. Crosswind Assist uses the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) system to help stabilise the vehicle if it is affected by a sudden gust of wind. The technology is particularly helpful for models with large lateral surface areas such as on the test van as well as cab chassis models fitted with pantech or motorhome bodies, the latter being particularly important as many may be driven by inexperienced operators who could possibly over-correct the steering. Additional safety equipment such as City Brake, Queue Assist, Hill Descent Control and Traction Plus are also available as part of the E6 Daily’s ‘Hi-Technology’ option pack. City Brake is initiated by a button on the end of one of the control stalks and is a boon in low-speed stop-start traffic and works by prefilling the braking system to provide a faster response if it detects a possibility of collision. If the driver doesn’t respond to visual and acoustic warnings, the system will apply the brakes autonomously to reduce the likelihood and severity of a collision. Hill Descent Control is actuated via a dash-mounted button and is similar in operation to a cruise control function for low-speed down-hill driving, providing a more controlled descent particularly in wet and slippery conditions. Traction Plus, which is also engaged at the touch of a button, operates at up to 30 km/h

The steel bulkhead can be removed for direct access to cargo.

and helps maintain traction on slippery surfaces by automatically applying the brakes to the drive wheel which is losing grip and transferring power to the wheel with the most traction and would be handy for applications where the vehicle may need to access parks or reserves with wet grass, or muddy construction sites. Depending on the model and application, owners can also specify an optional rear differential lock. The new Daily E6’s revised interior now contains additional cabin features to make the operator’s time on the road more comfortable and convenient including the introduction of an optional new ‘Hi-Connect’ touchscreen multimedia and navigation system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Tom-Tom GPS navigation (which gets free map upgrades for ten years), Bluetooth connectivity and an inductive phone charging pad atop the dash. There’s also a new, high-resolution colour TFT instrument cluster that’s easy to read in all light conditions. Multiple storage options include a holder for an A4 sized folder and there are plenty of 12-volt outlets and USB ports for keeping electronic devices charged. The Daily E6 has an electronic parking

brake operated via a button on the shift lever , providing extra space and easier movement around the cabin, especially if the driver needs to exit via the passenger side on a busy road. The park brake operates automatically at key-off and disengages once the driver’s seat belt is on, the key is on and ‘drive’ selected (neutral for manual models). It may seem a bit complicated on paper but in practice the operation is very straightforward and IVECO estimates that the automatic electronic park brake can save up to five hours of working time each month in metropolitan courier applications. The vehicle can also be locked externally with the engine remaining running, keeping the interior environment at the selected temperature while the driver is performing a delivery away from the parked vehicle. A steel bulkhead is standard equipment and is easily removable to achieve a walkthrough configuration to access the cargo area direct from the driver’s compartment. The E6 Daily is packed with technologies which combine with the van’s mechanical factors to provide a safe, efficient and practical vehicle which is also comfortable and even enjoyable to drive. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

ON SITE

LDV T60.

POWER GRAB

LDV has added class topping power to the new T60 Max utes in its quest to compete with the market leading rivals.

ven with an additional $5,000 added to its prices, the latest ute range from LDV is jammed packed with features and is now the most powerful four door ute available on the Australian market. The LDV T60 Max from Chinese manufacturer SAIC boasts 160kW (up 50kW from the previous model) from its 2.0 litre bi-turbo engine, which is 3kW more than the twin turbo 2.0 litre Ford Ranger and 10kW more than the 2.8 litre Toyota HiLux. Maximum torque for all three is 500Nm. Local distributor ATECO makes no secret that it intends to take head-on the 4x4 dual cab ute class leaders Toyota and Ford by offering a strong value for 86

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money proposition. The LDV T60 is available with a six-speed manual or 8-speed ZF automatic transmission which supersedes the 6-speed auto of earlier LDV models. Our test model is an auto which contributes to the overall value of the package. Costing an additional $2,000 the auto is well worth having when taken into account the many thousands of dollars saved by choosing an LDV over its better known competition. The T60 Max also comes with an Intelligent Real-Time Torque on Demand system from Borg Warner which takes the guesswork out of road conditions by delivering maximum traction automatically. The Luxe

model is also equipped with an Eaton automatic rear diff lock. The transfer case is operated electronically using a rotary dial on the console and the T-bar style gear selector can be flicked to manual mode in situations where the driver requires some additional input. ‘Park’ is selected by touching a button on the T bar. The LDV’s Hill Hold and Hill Descent functions are appropriate inclusions for the typical applications of a crew cab ute. The basic exterior is much the same body released here in 2017 but with a new grille and tailgate. The bold grille treatment and the ultra slim LED headlamps are very contemporary and may conjure up images of Darth Vader and at the back the 3D moulding on

the tailgate leaves no question as to the T60’s identity. From the side the T60 Max has a smoother appearance than previous models due to the side steps being eliminated along with the roof rails and the sports bar which was fitted to the earlier Luxe models. The ute tub has four anchor points for cargo tie downs and a spray in liner of what is probably an epoxy based coating. The tub just misses out on being able to accommodate a standard Australian pallet between the wheel arches by about 60mm. A payload of 935kg can be carried by the Pro (750kg for the Luxe) while both variants are rated up to 3,000kgs maximum braked towing capacity. The interior has mostly solid plastic surfaces styled with piano black and silver accents along with contrasting red stitching on the leather seats. Front seats are six way adjustable and are heated. The steering wheel has tilt adjustment but is not telescopic.

The dash is dominated by a 10.25 inch touchscreen which incorporates Apple Car Play, Android Auto and Bluetooth functions. There is no inbuilt satellite navigation so the mirroring of a smartphone is how you don’t get lost. The dash has two USB sockets plus there are 12-volt outlets front and rear. The touchscreen is also the monitor for the reversing camera and the Luxe model has a 360 degree camera view which will be great for inexperienced caravaners attempting to negotiate reversing into their allocated site at the van park. There is plenty of head and leg room in rear even for passengers of more than 180cm in height and the seating position is quite comfortable due to not having to sit bolt upright as in some four door utes. There are two different specifications of suspension tunes with ‘heavy duty’ for the Pro and ‘comfort’ for the Luxe models and both have been specifically calibrated for Australian conditions. We find the ride on-road in the ‘Luxe’

is more than acceptable even when unladen and, as with most vehicles of this configuration, expect even more improvement with a 100kgs or so in the back. The electric steering provides an excellent road feel on all surfaces. This next generation of the T60 Max has a strong suite of passive and active safety measures and has achieved a coveted ANCAP 5-star safety rating. Safety features include six airbags (driver and front passenger, side airbags, and full-length curtain bags), Electronic Brake Assist (EBA) and Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Hill Descent Control for greater stability on steep slopes. There is also a lane departure warning system, dusk sensing headlamps, rain sensing wipers and automatic folding exterior mirrors. Other features include keyless entry and a starter button. The LDV T60 Max is covered by a generous 5-years / 130,000km warranty and Roadside Assistance.

Both T60 models are rated up to 3,000kg maximum braked towing capacity. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

Can the road transport industry reduce CO2 emissions?

PETER HART

accept the urgent need for all of us to reduce our greenhouse emissions. I also accept that no industry will voluntarily change to its own detriment. Could the road freight industry reduce its emissions and be better off? According to the latest Survey of Motor Vehicle Use issued by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, during the 12 months to 30 June 2020, the road transport industry moved 223,949 million tonne-kilometres of freight. In 2019 the BTRE predicted that freight growth in the road transport sector would grow on average by 2 per cent per annum. So, in 10 years’ time — 2032, the freight task will be 124 per cent. That is, ~280 billion tonne-kilometers. While only 0.5 per cent of Australia’s total vehicle fleet are articulated vehicles, Megalitres

75per cent of the total tonne-kilometres were carried by them. Not surprisingly articulated vehicles had the highest fuel consumption at 53.1 litres /100km. In 2020 the freight carrying sector used 77 per cent of the 16.211 Megalitres of diesel consumed by road transport. That is, the freight carrying sector consumed 12.479 Megalitres of diesel fuel. This produced about 34 Megatonnes of CO2 per annum. There are about 750,000 commercial motor vehicles consuming that fuel. On average each vehicle consumes about 17,000 litres of diesel fuel per annum. If the cost of diesel fuel is $1.20/l after subtracting taxes etc., then the fuel cost for the commercial vehicle sector in 2021 is about $B15. There are supply and political forces that could force the price of diesel fuel to increase above inflation levels. Government incentives intended to spur adoption of new technologies are likely to be paid for by reducing the excise rebate. I can easily envisage the cost of diesel rising by 5 per cent pa in real terms over the next decade. In 2032 a litre of diesel fuel could cost $2.00 excluding excise and GST. That is, $2.60 at the pump. It could be more. Rising fuel price is a significant risk that the industry should plan for. The graph shows the fuel usage by

commercial vehicles. The do-nothing scenario is that in 2032 the Australian road transport sector will use about 20 Megalitres of diesel fuel costing about $B32pa. This is a 124 per cent increase in diesel volume and an increase in fuel cost by 195 per cent. Is it possible to hold our fuel usage to 2021 levels? Probably yes. Here are my suggestions that could reduce the diesel fuel usage by commercial articulated vehicles. They fall into three classes, Economy, Productivity, Coordination and Drive Technologies: ECONOMY My estimates of the energy losses on articulated vehicles with diesel engines are shown in the pie chart. The potential fuel economy improvements are: • Training drivers for fuel economy to reduce acceleration and braking energy. This has potential to improve fuel economy by ~ 5 per cent. • Speed limiting trucks to 95km/h. This could reduce aerodynamic losses and acceleration energy. It probably has potential to improve fuel economy by ~ 5 per cent. • Improving diesel engine efficiency significantly is not possible. • Technical improvements might reduce tyre and aerodynamic losses by a couple of percent. • In summary efficiency improvement of ~ 10 per cent are possible. PRODUCTIVITY The Australian road-freight sector has an impressive productivity improvement record. This is due to liberalised combination length and configuration rules. The widespread use of B-doubles and recently A-doubles on interstate routes and around freight hubs has doubled productivity in the past 30 years. More can be achieved; 30m long A- and B-double trucks should have access to most divided dual-carriageway

d c eumbe 2018 feebr a r y r2022

ARTSA-I LIFE MEMBERS

Powered by highways. These trucks should be PBS accredited. However, regulators should define ‘Blueprint’ specifications that allow these configurations to travel without individual approvals being needed. Mass limits should also be reviewed, as suggested by Chris Koniditsiotis in the ARTSA-I August 2021 article. I would speed limit 30m long vehicles to 95 km/h, which will deliver further fuelusage improvement. Such reforms should include fueleconomy, dimensional control, and mass management into a new nationally recognized accreditation scheme that could be called ‘Productivity Accreditation’. I assess that fleets operating under Productivity Accreditation might achieve 10 per cent improvement in tonne-kilometre fuel economy over the next decade. CO-ORDINATION The USA Environment Protection Agency introduced the Smartway program about 20 years ago. It has helped industry to use less fuel. It does this by informing, connecting and awarding transport companies who improve fuel economy performance. Efforts to establish an Australian scheme based upon the USA Smartway model have been unsuccessful. It is vital that our industry fix this. An ‘Australian Smartway’ scheme is urgently needed to help our fleets: • Identify and implement best practice fuel efficiency. • Understand and manage the issues relating to new fuel-technology uptake. • Promote arrangements whereby fleets share spare capacity to maximize tonne-kilometre freight performance. • Assist multi-mode freight coordination.

powered trucks or battery electric trucks will be adopted in great numbers. While these technologies have merit, they are a long way from being proven performance for Australia’s long-distance routes. Hybrid trucks are being introduced for urban deliveries and they improve fuel economy by ~ 50 per cent. They have merit and should be incentivised. On long haul trucks there is little prospect of hybrid drive technology having a significant impact in the next decade. Hybrid technology for prime movers is not currently on the radar. However, electric drives could be installed on heavy trailers. Heavy trailers have the space for a traction motor to be installed in front of the first axle. A battery pack, that might be easily changed over could be installed between the chassis rails. Electric traction on trailers would complement the diesel drive on the prime mover. The electric drive could be used to reduce the ‘acceleration energy’ and avoid gear shifting on the truck. It could also capture most of the ‘braking energy’. Speed

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control braking on trailers is sensible considering road safety. An electric trailer might provide 20 per cent of the tractive effort. Thereby, the size of the truck diesel engine could be reduced improving fuel economy and lowering purchase price. My concept of a hybrid semi-trailer involves a diesel powered prime mover with electric traction on the trailer. The trailer should qualify for higher mass limits. The trailer drive system could be controlled wirelessly from a portable control unit that is connected in the prime mover cabin to the OBD port. The trailer drive would be managed automatically in response to the primemover operating conditions, together with a driver override control. Australia uses more heavy trailers per truck than any other country. We could and should be world leaders with trailer electric drive technology.

Dr Peter Hart, ARTSA

DRIVE TECHNOLOGIES The replacement rate per annum for single-trailer prime-movers is about is about 2 per cent and for multicombination prime-movers, about 4 per cent. At best 30 per cent of the motive vehicle fleet will be replaced over the next decade. It is unlikely that hydrogen p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR | INSIGHT

SAL PETROCCITTO

he last few months have been incredibly busy for the heavy vehicle industry, as our drivers delivered essential goods across the country ready for the holiday season. While we know road users are focused on safety during this peak period, sadly there were a still number of crashes involving heavy vehicles that could have been avoided. There are close to half a million heavy vehicles—and over 14 million passenger vehicles—sharing our roads at any given time, which can lead to serious crashes involving both parties. What’s more, we know the light vehicle is at fault in close to eight out of ten fatal crashes involving both cars and trucks in Australia. Educating and changing the behaviour of the way light vehicle drivers behave around trucks is a major focus for the NHVR. This year, we are proud to undertake a campaign targeted at young drivers, particularly Learner (L) and Provisional (P) licence holders, called ‘Don’t #uck With A Truck’. It’s a departure from any campaign we’ve done before, and the bold message is designed to cut through to young drivers and stick with them when they are on the road. The dangers when young drivers meet trucks on our roads are very real. L plate drivers are only required to complete around 100 hours before getting behind the wheel unsupervised. For this campaign, we quizzed L and P platers on what 90

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Don’t #uck with a truck they knew about driving safely around trucks – with a focus on three key safety messages: • Leave two lanes free for trucks when turning • Pulling in front of a truck can cause a crash • Patience is critical when overtaking a truck From what we’ve learned, they have little knowledge or understanding of the road rules or requirements when it came to driving around trucks. Overwhelmingly, they are focused on the perceived danger a truck presents to them and did not have awareness of the hazards they pose to trucks and other road users from their own driving behaviour. They also had limited understanding of a truck’s limitations in terms of visibility, manoeuvrability, and response times. To change their perceptions, we gave the L and P platers the opportunity to see what it felt like to be a passenger in a single tautliner truck. Here they received firsthand experience of the daily challenges truck drivers face when cars drive up the inside lane of a turning truck or pull in front of a truck. The design of our Don’t #uck With A Truck logo takes inspiration from the ‘Do Not Overtake Turning Vehicle’ sign displayed prominently on the back of heavy vehicles. When we asked the L and P platers what this sign meant we were met with vacant expressions and

silence. This reaction cements the need for greater awareness of road safety for young drivers and trucks, which is why the Don’t #uck With A Truck message is so vital. Over the coming months, the campaign will reach young drivers online including Instagram, TikTok Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube and across billboards and university pop-ups. We will also have a microsite, which will host the campaign videos and safety messages. You can visit our website to learn more about the Don’t #uck With A Truck campaign. I encourage you to share the important message with your network and join us in supporting a campaign designed to help keep you, your colleagues and your family safe. This national campaign is a priority outlined in the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy 2021 – 25, and annual Heavy Vehicle Safety Strategy Action Plan. Through this national campaign, we hope to drive positive change by influencing road users’ behaviour and promote greater road safety awareness. The campaign supports our ‘We Need Space’ campaign, launched in partnership with Coles, Linfox and Toll which helps educate light vehicle drivers on the importance of sharing the road safely with heavy vehicles.

Sal Petroccitto CEO, NHVR

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INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

here is no doubt that the past two years have been challenging for most and truly devastating for some. I doubt that anyone can claim that they have not been affected by COVID-19 in some way. Be that through border closures, changes to work, meeting, travel and education routines, as well as, direct and indirect financial and health impacts, the past 24 months have truly been unprecedented times. Of course, not all the change has been bad. New work practices have benefitted many, reduced vehicle traffic, particularly in those states affected by lockdowns, and have led to reduced pollution and accordingly, some of the best urban air quality that we have seen in decades. Additionally, road trauma for 2020 and 2021, is 20 per cent lower than the baseline set in 2011 for the National Road Safety Strategy 2011 to 2020. I believe that in general, we have become more adaptable, patient and embracive of change. We are also far more conscious of the basic expectations that we have taken for granted for so long, none more so than the freedoms that we enjoy here in Australia. Many of the disadvantages of life over the past two years are obvious, however some are not as evident. When I look back over 2020 and 2021, one such deficiency is the lack of progress in the area of regulation. This is none more evident, than in the development and approval of new Australian Design Rule (ADR) regulations for heavy vehicles. 92

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The COVID excuse Prior to the start of 2020, discussions were well underway between government and industry, with regard to heavy vehicle Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) and the extension of Electronic Stability Control (ESC) to cover new rigid trucks. While discussions and development of the next step in exhaust emission standards, ADR80/04 (Euro 6 and the Japanese and USA equivalent alternatives), had been underway for some time. Given the maturity of these deliberations, one could have well expected that these three ADRs would have been finalised during the course of 2020, or given the initial COVID disruptions, at least by early 2021. However, we now find ourselves in 2022 and none of these significant safety and environmental regulations have been finalised. The reason for the lack of action by governmental departments was again and again, blamed on ‘COVID’. It is simply not acceptable that these departments keep hiding behind the COVID excuse. The road freight industry did not hide behind COVID. Truck Industry Council members kept building, importing and delivering new trucks and kept servicing and supporting the needs of Australia’s existing truck fleet. Operators worked through the differing state and territory border restrictions, kept delivering goods to supermarkets and retail shops, medical supplies to hospitals, doctors and chemists, building supplies to construction sites, fuel to service stations, farm produce to market, kept containers moving in and out of our ports and delivered online

purchases to you and I. Trucks continued to picked up our garbage each week, ensured critical electrical and water utility maintenance was carried out, emergency service trucks provided fire, storm and flood responses, as well as road infrastructure construction and repair. There were many roadblocks, some quite literal, placed in our way, but we just got on with the job. Our industry did not hide behind the ‘COVID excuse’ at any time over the past two years, we stepped up and faced the challenges, found solutions and simply delivered when it counted. This year will be disrupted somewhat by a Federal Election and time will again be lost in finalising and enacting regulation if decisions are not made early in 2022. It is critically important that governmental departments spend less time working on their excuses and focus on making up for their period of COVID inactivity. The Truck Industry Council calls upon government to finalise and gazette ADR80/04 (Euro 6 and Japanese and USA equivalent alternatives), ADR35/07(Electronic Stability Control for rigid trucks) and ADR97/00 (Advanced Emergency Braking Systems) early in 2022, so as to ensure that these important regulations are not delayed by the upcoming Federal Election. No more excuses, the time for action on these regulations is long overdue.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

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Supply chain sovereignty will make or break us in 2022 PETER ANDERSON

t’s terrific to be back writing in these pages and I hope you enjoyed a well-earned rest with family and friends over the Christmas and New Year break. Of course, for many freightworkers rest wasn’t an option, with our industry working through the holidays to keep our supply chains operational, as we have done for the past two years of the COVID pandemic. Australians have a keener appreciation of supply chains and their fragility than they did 12 months ago, after an unprecedented period where they have been put to the test by record demand, border restrictions, compliance and labour shortages. Our nation, and the way of life of our 25 million inhabitants, is at a critical juncture, with supply chain headwinds on several fronts threatening consumer confidence, economic security and the standard of living generations of Australians have become accustomed to. At stake, unless governments do more to support the transport industry’s pivot to attaining supply chain sovereignty, is our ability to supply the basic needs of Australians all over the country. Supply chains in Australia have been under immense pressure at the best of times over the past decade, but COVID has exposed the deep structural flaws that have put them on the brink of collapse. Labour shortages and an ageing workforce of drivers has been an issue for years, but COVID and the way it has driven workers from the industry

through restrictions, compliance and vaccination mandates is starting to resonate in the community. For example, the heavy vehicle licencing system that discourages young and capable people from considering a career as a professional transport worker is alienating a new generation of workers and undermining renewal of an essential workforce. And over summer we experienced shortages of a key engine additive our industry uses to keep the wheels of our economy turning, with reduced supply of urea from China threatening supplies of the AdBlue emissions reduction additive. At the time of writing this column, alternative urea supplies were being sourced by the Commonwealth, but if we as a nation can’t maintain supply of a basic engine additive relied upon by hundreds of thousands of commuter and commercial vehicles, we’re in huge strife. It is encouraging that the Commonwealth has recognised this issue by forming a Taskforce to work across government and with industry to develop solutions to any potential future supply constraints. Options being explored include alternative international supply options for refined urea, bolstering local manufacturing capabilities and technical options at the vehicle level. We simply cannot have a situation where our economic security is threatened by an inability to source essential engine additives, underscoring the importance of sovereignty in our supply chains. A recent VTA industry survey showed labour availability, costs and rates management, and fuel pricing are

the most pressing issues for freight operators. Only by attaining higher rates of supply chain sovereignty will Australians be able to have economic security and confidence in living standards being upheld. These are the major issues the VTA will be advocating in 2022, with a specific focus on driver training and licencing reform to secure labour supplies going forward. We need regulatory settings to identify the greatest risks that inhibit us from standing on our own two feet when it comes to basic things like labour and fuel security, which means ensuring we have a growing – not shrinking – workforce, sufficient reserves of fuel and energy, and the associated inputs necessary to keep road, rail and sea transport supply chains intact. In this election year, the politicians and public servants tasked with setting legislation and regulation that impacts supply chain sovereignty must factor this into their decision-making because the status quo of shortages and delays is not acceptable or sustainable for Australia. These and numerous other issues will be canvassed at the VTA State Conference from March 20-22. The conference will be addressed by senior leaders from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments and oppositions, together with stakeholders from key regulators that shapes transport policy that impacts operators all over Australia. Please visit www.vta.com.au for further information about the conference.

Peter Anderson CEO, VTA p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Gone But Not Forgotten their production lines as well as adverse global influences. Perennial Heavy Duty sector champion Kenworth delivered 2,838 new units in 2021 and has a head start on 2022 due to the phenomenal response to the Legend SAR model which generated 750 orders during the single day window of purchase opportunity. Despite their necessary inherent complexities, modern trucks are easier to maintain and are more fuel efficient than their older counterparts which contributes to keeping overall operational expenses in check.

There is good reason for some positive consideration of last year’s Truck Industry Council statistics (34,743 units sold) and a welcome consequence of the increasing number of new trucks on Australia’s roads is already being reflected in the overall roadworthiness of the national fleet as evidenced in the results of the NHVR’s 2021 survey. The national roadworthiness survey was carried out across all states and territories during mid-2021 and confirmed the strong link between vehicle age and mechanical safety. The significantly increased number of new trucks joining the fleet can be reasonably expected to reflect further improvements over the next few years. The average age of the inspected fleet was 10.2 years, compared to 9.2 years during the previous survey performed in 2016. This may appear to be a statistical aberration but can be explained by the NHVR’s stated targeting of ‘older’ vehicles being stopped to undergo inspections. This is based on experience and industry intelligence to address vehicles and operators which are more likely to present the greatest safety risks and at the same time allow compliant operators to continue unimpeded on their journeys. Rigid trucks were the highest non-conforming vehicle type at 38 per cent, which has reduced from 52 per cent in 2016. “In the last five years, we have seen the rate of non-conformities drop from 48 per cent of units inspected to 31 per cent,” NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said. “Importantly the most serious cases of major non-conformities and groundings has dropped from 12 per cent of inspected vehicles in 2016 to six per cent in 2021”. The increasing number of trucks meeting Euro 6 emission standards not only has an improved effect on air quality but brings with it the platform for significant safety advancements such as Autonomous Emergency Braking. The Heavy Duty sector delivered 12,999 new prime movers and rigids during 2021 which is even more commendable in consideration of the effects brought about by the pandemic and the perhaps not unrelated shortage of some critical components such as the silicon chips necessary for engine control units (ECUs). Local manufacturers have had to contend with interruptions on 94

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Dec-21

YTD

% Change YOY

ISUZU

899

10175

22.9%

HINO

588

6251

20.3%

FUSO

446

4770

35.2%

KENWORTH

293

2838

34.2%

MERCEDES-BENZ

113

1729

33.9%

VOLVO

162

1727

-5.2%

IVECO

118

1361

-3.4%

SCANIA

1129

27.4%

UD TRUCKS

777

34.2%

DAF

718

42.7%

FIAT

127

705

40.4%

MACK

566

-19.7%

FREIGHTLINER

439

70.8%

MAN

387

7.8%

WESTERN STAR

373

63.6%

HYUNDAI

232

71.9%

RENAULT

221

16.3%

FORD

177

105.8%

DENNIS EAGLE

108

103.8%

VOLKSWAGEN

-34.5%

-51.0%

INTERNATIONAL CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

3203

34743

23.1%

M-B VANS

183

2560

18.4%

FORD VANS

1086

2.0%

RENAULT VANS

1040

-16.1%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

994

-15.0%

FIAT VANS

537

68.9%

IVECO VANS

444

49.0%

VANS

325

6661

6.5%

TOTAL

3528

41404

20.1%

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TWU Nominees Pty Ltd, ABN 67 002 835 412, AFSL 239163, is the trustee of TWUSUPER ABN 77 343 563 307 and the issuer of interests in it.

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Fleet Savings and Carbon Footprint Calculator Discover how switching your engine oil could help your fleet generate cost and carbon savings.

DESTINATION :

CARBON NEUTRAL

TRY THE CALCULATOR HERE www.shell.com.au/savingscalculator or scan the QR code

Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil

Prime Mover February 2022

Articles inside

Hit The Gas

A Genuine Contender

Life is a Highway

Jost in time for Easter

In Good Company

King of the Mountain

Hero High

Line in the Sand