Carrier: Future Recycling
Feature: Toll Workshops
Showcase: EWDs & Fatigue Management
Personality Profile: Wade Lewis
Fleet: Fleurieu Milk
Spotlight: Kaunis Mine
PBS: Moffatt Fresh Produce
Technology: Shell Helix
At Isuzu, we’ve always taken great care of our customers.
At Isuzu, we’ve always taken great care of our customers.
We’re Australia’s number one truck… an honour we’ve held for over three decades.
We’re Australia’s number one truck… an honour we’ve held for over three decades.
It’s part of our DNA.
It’s part of our DNA.
That means more businesses put their trust in us than any other truck brand. We understand that reputations are riding on us and that’s why Isuzu Care is more than just an aftersales service package.
That means more businesses put their trust in us than any other truck brand. We understand that reputations are riding on us and that’s why Isuzu Care is more than just an aftersales service package.
From day one, we support customers and demonstrate that reliability is everything. We pride ourselves on being proactive and always going the extra mile.
From day one, we support customers and demonstrate that reliability is everything. We pride ourselves on being proactive and always going the extra mile.
Isuzu Care is what sets us apart.
Isuzu Care is what sets us apart.
Always has, always will.
Always has, always will.
And as we look to new frontiers, we’re finding new ways to help our customers exceed their goals.
And as we look to new frontiers, we’re finding new ways to help our customers exceed their goals.
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.
With more than two decades of experience as a media professional, Christine has worked in newsrooms across Canada, Vietnam and Australia. She joined the Prime Creative Media team 12 years ago, and today oversees more than 43 titles, including a dozen print and digital transportation titles. She continues to lead a team that focuses on continuous improvement to deliver quality insights that helps the commercial road transport industry grow.
William Craske | Editor
Over the past two decades William has published widely on transport, logistics, politics, agriculture, cinema, music and sports He has held senior positions in marketing and publicity for multinational businesses in the entertainment industry and is the author of two plays and a book on Australian lm history. Like many based in Melbourne he is in a prolonged transition of either returning or leaving.
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 eet and held a range of senior marketing and management positions in the oil and chemicals industry before becoming a nationally acclaimed transport journalist.
Louise joins Prime Mover after nearly 25 years as a writer. Starting her career as a reporter at the Toronto Star, she has spent much of the last 15 years as a design writer and editor. In 2020, she was shortlisted on the Richell Emerging Writers Prize list. Originally from Nova Scotia, she lives in Melbourne with her two children.
CEO John Murphy john.murphy@primecreative.com.au
Editor William Craske william.craske@primecreative.com.au
Managing Editor, Luke Applebee Transport Group 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
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Client Success Salma Kennedy Manager salma.kennedy@primecreative.com.au
Head Of ce 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008 enquiries@primecreative.com.au
Peter White | Journalist
Peter has completed a Bachelor of Media and Communication (Media Industries) degree at La Trobe University, and he brings a fresh perspective to Prime Mover. He gained valuable experience at Upstart, La Trobe’s newsroom, work that has been supplemented by direct industry experience in a Council placement. Peter has a strong interest in commercial road transport, and in contributing to Prime Mover’s efforts in growing the industry.
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
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52
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“Four of our site ladies have been directly trained by Volvo for several weeks and they’ve gone from jobs in the office and roles at the depot to being drivers.”
44 On the Hook
FLEET FOCUS
22 New Dawn
Team Global Express has recently marked the official opening of its flagship Bungarribee site where it is now operating 60 battery electric trucks. Not without its challenges, the project nevertheless represents a major milestone in the transport and logistics industry.
28 Here to be Herd
Located on the picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide, Fleurieu Milk was established by three local farming families who still continue to manage and operate the growing enterprise.
32 Above the Rim
Moffatt Fresh Produce as part of its centenary celebrations has added a new Kenworth T610 SAR with a showstopping livery to its fleet of prime movers.
40 Campaign Trail
A national recruitment campaign across its workshops and the introduction of ten new Fuso Canter service trucks, signal some of the major changes underway at Toll.
New DAF CF450s have joined the fleet at Future Recycling as it enjoys a period of transformative growth. INDUSTRY
52 Formula Won
Shell is leading the way with the development of the Next Generation of heavy-duty diesel engine oils. Matt Urbanak discusses what we can expect to see soon.
William Craske Editor
Driving after sundown, statistics have shown, can increase the risk of having a fatal crash by four times that of daylight hours when our bodies are programmed to be active. Impairments increase, for most of us, the later the hour gets and are magni ed particularly between the hours of 10pm and dawn. Traveling at night during a downpour when surface water pools across the road making it all but impossible, even on well-lit freeways, to delineate where one lane begins and another ends, can certainly increase the heart rate at the end of a long trip. Were there anything remotely entertaining about such misadventures, we might forego guidance from the raised re ective pavement markers that most of us, since they were rst introduced some time after 1968, have become accustomed. For the lack of talk about them as a technology they are grossly undervalued.
The human operating system otherwise known as the unconscious, prefers avoiding verbal instructions pretty much altogether, even in dangerous situations where they appear useful, as Cormac McCarthy has previously noted, because it doesn’t trust them. When
at risk we don’t process, we react. This is partly why rumble strips and raised re ective road markers are so effective. They don’t divert our attention. Designed to withstand frequent heavy weights, not to mention extreme temperatures from sub zero to sweltering heatwaves, the micro prismatic lens on the re ector enhances its visibility by diverting light back to its source, making the marker visible in low light conditions. A welcome bene t in winter for those of us who live out in the sticks and leave for work in the dark. Different colours on the raised re ective pavement markers, of course, can represent very different things. Yellow pavement markings, for instance, are placed on the dividing line to separate traf c. These markers outline medians, islands and the edge of dual carriageways. Blue road markers can be used to identify water supply points and re hydrants for re ghters. Incidentally, many speed humps and rubber road cushions are designed not to cover the width of the road entirely so that emergency vehicles, with wider axle spacing like re trucks, can pass by unimpeded.
In some overseas jurisdictions the re ector will appear red when approaching it from the rear side to indicate the approaching vehicle is going the wrong way. I’ve not yet been in a position, fortunately, to verify this. Rumble strips are another highly ef cient road safety invention proven to
reduce crashes when a vehicle has left its travel lane. In giving motorists the opportunity to correct their path before they veer off the edge of the road or into oncoming traf c, they are particularly relevant at night-time when visibility is poor. Earlier this year, installation of nearly 200 kilometres of rumble strips on the Castlereagh Highway between Dunedoo and Lithgow in New South Wales were completed after four months of work. Data strongly indicates, according to the Australian Automobile Association, that motorists living in regional areas are almost ve times more likely to die in road crashes than those living in cities. As much as these road safety mechanisms go unnoticed, statistics do not.
Great as both raised re ective road markers and rumble strips are, especially as largely unobtrusive technology, they have little function in subduing the eye level blinding glare being emitted from the latest model Utes and SUVs. Now that the days are getting shorter, and more time will be spent driving in the dark, averting our eyes to re ectors and road markings to reorient our vision will be an activity many of us are required to do more so than ever.
We’re not all made the same and neither is a Kenworth. With a huge range of options, a Kenworth can be customised for the driver and the task at hand. Drive something to be proud of; a truck that’s uniquely yours.
kenworth.com.au
Hills Tankers has taken delivery of two new A-double designated Volvo FH16 700 flat roof prime movers. This takes the A-doubles operating in the leading fuel tanker fleet to 13 units in total.
The 30-metre long 74,0000 litre A-doubles will be based in Sydney and service Newcastle and Canberra, respectively, hauling jet fuel. With a GCM of 85.5-tonnes the vehicles feature the first Tieman Tankers in the fleet to run a fixed drawbar.
Scott Cullen, Hills Tankers Chief Operations Officer was present for the handover.
“We’ve gone for a fixed drawbar on the dolly after traditionally opting for floating drawbars previously,” he told Prime Mover. “The drivers find this set up mitigates against the duck and dive
and whip that can be felt on the trailing equipment in the previous set-up.”
The dollies are manufactured by Southern Cross Transport Equipment Group. Hills Tankers exclusively specs all of its A-doubles for Volvo prime movers in Newcastle.
On the back of record truck sales, Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) has hosted its annual Dealer of the Year Awards. Ballarat Isuzu has achieved the rare treble of Sales Dealer of the Year, Service Dealer of the Year and the major award, Isuzu Dealer of the Year. The award for Parts Dealer of the Year was claimed by Patterson Cheney Trucks in Greater Melbourne.
Isuzu evaluates dealerships across multiple operational areas for its Dealer of the Year Awards such as customer care, servicing, parts, sales, training attendance and
inventory management.
The attention to detail demonstrated by Isuzu Dealers across all aspects of their business has helped the brand maintain its reputation for outstanding truck sales, service, and care, said IAL Chief of Sales and Aftersales, Ben Lasry.
“It is the efforts of dealerships like Ballarat Isuzu and Patterson Cheney Trucks, that help to shape the brand and what it can offer,” he said. “In particular, the team at Ballarat Isuzu led by Dealer Principal Ian Deacon, have greatly impressed everyone at IAL with their dedication to improving
The relationship with the VCV Newcastle dealership goes back to the early 1970s.
“For us it comes down to the reliability of the product and the service provided by Brandon Hughes and his team is second to none,” said Cullen.
not only their own operation but also the outcomes that they can achieve for their customers.
“As always our sincere thanks also go to the Isuzu Dealer Network at large—for supporting the brand yearon-year and for playing the vital role of connecting Isuzu Trucks with transport operators at the local level.”
It’s not Ballarat Isuzu’s first time being recognised at the Isuzu dealer awards. The regional Victorian dealership took out the same three categories in 2022, as well as being awarded Dealer of the Year in 2020.
“The team works very hard towards these results all year,” said Ian Deacon, Ballarat Isuzu Dealer Principal. “It is great to be part of the Isuzu family and celebrate a record year of sales, we can’t wait to see the next generation of trucks that are on the horizon.”
IAL Head of Network Development, Nathan Ton, congratulated the winners. “After such a fantastic year, it is more important than ever to recognise the contributions of our Dealers as well as come together to celebrate the triumphs of 2023,” said Ton.
A revenue increase of 1.3 per cent to $3.86 billion has been announced by Australia Post in its Parcels and Services business. While Australia Post’s domestic parcel volumes were largely flat, increasing 0.9 per cent in 1H24, Australians continued to embrace e-commerce highlighting the two-speed nature of the business.
Letter volumes continued their downward trajectory having decreased 11.9 per cent over the past 12 months just as Letters losses were $182.1 million for the half. With Australians now receiving on average just two letters per week, Australia Post said the continuing structural decline of the Letters business was unstoppable.
In response, Australia Post launched a new next-day delivery service, Australia Post Metro, to retailers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. According to the company it reflected changing customer needs and provided greater speed, reliability and convenience.
Australia Post Metro is due to be expanded into other cities during the remainder of FY24. Australia Post also reported an interim profit of $33.6 million, an increase of $10 million on the prior corresponding period. However, losses in the Letters business as well as declining customer visits to Post Offices as online
services replace over-the-counter transactions, continued to impact the long-term viability of the business.
While Australia Post’s Post26 strategy to simplify the business is starting to deliver financial benefits, significant structural headwinds remain. Australia Post’s Letters revenue declined by 2.7 per cent to $857.9 million compared to 1H23. This result would have been more than $90 million weaker without the $0.10 increase to the Basic Postal Rate (BPR).
Australia Post has commenced a New Delivery Model trial, which sees Postal Delivery Officers delivering priority mail, express letters and parcels to addresses every day and standard letters and unaddressed mail every second day. Operationally, this allows posties to deliver more parcels during their rounds, and supports the growing e-commerce sector, while continuing to ensure Australians receive an appropriate letter service aligned with declining volumes.
In August 2023, Australia Post lodged a draft notification with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), proposing an increase in the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) from $1.20 to $1.50 to help address the rising cost of delivering letters and reducing letter losses. In February, after carefully assessing the draft notification, the
Logistics and transport firm, Austrans, has announced the appointment of a new Chief Operations Officer. The company named Ryan Greenwood to the role in February.
An experienced senior leader, Greenwood comes with two decades of success in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and logistics industries. Considered a strategic thinker with a track record of driving operational excellence, Greenwood has, over his career, developed a deep understanding of the FMCG and logistics sectors, including supply chain management, warehousing, distribution, and
transportation.
Greenwood’s leadership style, according to Austrans, is characterised by a focus on collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
“Ryan excels at building and leading highperforming teams, empowering them to deliver exceptional results,” the company said in a statement.
“Ryan, as the incoming COO, is committed to leveraging his expertise and leadership skills to drive the success of Austrans. Ryan is excited about the opportunity to lead our operations to new heights and contribute to the company’s overall growth and success.”
In Australia, transport contributes 19% of the country’s total carbon emissions. By 2030, it is estimated that the transportation sector will become the country’s largest source of emissions. Driven by this concern, many organisations are starting to adopt Electric Vehicles (EVs).
In 2023, Australia has seen a 120.5% increase in the sale of EVs as compared to a year ago. For fleet managers, transitioning an entire fleet is a gradual and complicated process. From ensuring that the new EV fleet reduces its carbon footprint to maintaining operational objectives in a cost-effective manner, here’s how telematics can contribute to a seamless transition process.
Telematics takes the guesswork out of the transition process, provides transparency over emissions, fuel consumption and capabilities allow access real-time data, enabling prompt and
As the climate crisis builds, the need for cleaner forms of transport becomes more prevalent. Telematics will support the expansion of EVs by giving fleet managers the transparency they need to make the change successfully, and by helping governments assess their infrastructure needs.
Learn how to optimise your fleet with Geotab, the leading global telematics provider:
www.geotab.com/au/
British multinational alcoholic beverage company, Diageo, has gone from having its products moved on standard 34-pallet B-doubles to 42-pallet quad doubles. The change was brought about last year by Primary Connect+, the commercial arm of Primary Connect.
It’s the first equipment of its kind to be used at Diageo’s Huntingwood facilities.
The new fleet, according to Primary Connect, brings a significant
reduction in carbon emissions, with every five loads removing one B-double from the road. The trailers provide extra capacity to support Diageo’s growing customer base while also reducing transport cost per pallet.
“When we partner with Primary Connect+, we gain access to expertise and solutions that benefit our customers, our budget and the planet,” said Diageo’s Head of Logistics, Sam Laycock.
The Fair Work Commission will gain the power to issue mandatory orders across the road transport contract chain, following the passing by Parliament of the Federal Government’s closing loopholes bill. Under the bill, the commission will be able to issue road transport contractual chain orders, which will apply to businesses up and down the chain. Payment times, fuel levies, rate reviews termination, including one way termination for convenience, and cost recovery can all be, as a result, included in the contractual chain order.
Following extensive discussions with the ATA and other industry bodies, ATA Chair David Smith said the ATA had
worked hard and co-operatively with the Australian Government to ensure the commission’s new powers were workable and fair.
“We were not able to achieve our goal of restricting the commission from setting minimum rates. That argument will now need to be put to the commission as it considers applications for orders,” said Smith. “But we were able to secure legislation that will work and that could deliver better contract terms for owner drivers and trucking businesses.
“The commission will be required to have regard to the need to avoid adverse impacts on the sustainability, performance and competitiveness of
Ron Finemore Transport is a Primary Connect carrier. In addition to the 42-pallet quad doubles, Ron Finemore Transport has previously collaborated on the launch of 30-metre B-double high cube combinations with Primary Connect.
These vehicles are considered part of a continuous journey to safely increase productivity to not only benefit the community but also help reduce emissions per pallet carried by Ron Finemore Transport.
supply chains and the national economy.
“In looking at road transport contractual chain orders, it will also need to have regard to the commercial realities of the road transport industry, including commercial practices in relation to part load, mixed load, no load, multi-leg and return trips.”
The commission will gain its new powers six months after the bill, which will require a 12-month notice of intent period for any proposed order, is signed by the Governor-General.
“There will be failsafe mechanisms including internal merits review and new rights for the minister or another party to seek a review of an order if significant new facts or evidence come to light,” said Smith. “Contractual chain orders are intended to ensure that all parties are covered.”
Smith said the industry could not afford a situation where some businesses regulated by the commission lose work to businesses that are not.
“Importantly, we were able to ensure that the commission will not become another safety regulator. The commission will not be able to make orders covering matters comprehensively dealt with under the Heavy Vehicle National Law or other relevant laws,” he said. “The bill requires the commission to engage genuinely with the industry. If a proposed order is good for industry, it will not be opposed by affected operators.”
Woolworths Managing Director and Group CEO Brad Banducci has announced his intention to retire in September.
Banducci will step aside after 13 years with the Group, and eight and a half years as Group CEO. His replacement Amanda Bardwell will take the reins as Managing Director and Group CEO, commencing 1 September, following the release of the Group’s 2024 financial year results.
Mack Metro-Liner.
Bardwell has been with the Group for 23 years. For the past seven of those she has acted as the Managing Director of e-commerce division WooliesX.
“On behalf of the Board and all of the Woolworths Group team, I would like to thank Brad for his outstanding leadership and contribution,” said Woolworths Group Chair, Scott Perkins.
“Brad has led a remarkable turnaround and transformation of
the Group. He has engendered a Customer 1st Team 1st culture, worked to strengthen existing businesses and build digital, eCommerce and analytics capabilities that are seen by our peers as world leading.
“Most importantly, he has built a team of amazing calibre. Woolworths Group has been fortunate to have Brad as its leader and he has indeed helped us to be better together.”
Perkins noted the test of any CEO is to leave the business in much better shape than when they started.
“On that simple metric, history will judge Brad to have been one of Woolworths Group’s finest leaders,” he said. “We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Amanda as the incoming and 13th Managing Director and Group CEO of Woolworths Group, as the Group starts its next century of creating better experiences together for a better tomorrow,” said Perkins.
Trucks and buses could charge wirelessly as they drive on the highway, following a new $3 million grant from the Australian Government to accelerate the nation’s electric vehicle sector.
In a world first, the Swinburne University of Technology-led project aims to implement an embedded dynamic wireless charging technology into roads, unlocking the uptake of electric heavy vehicles.
Electrifying heavy vehicles could save Australia $324 billion by 2050, while contributing to a greener, safer and more efficient transport sector. But ensuring they have enough charge with heavy loads or over long distances is an urgent roadblock.
Integrating dynamic wireless charging systems into the road infrastructure will set the stage for a transformation in the heavy vehicle industry
according to New Energy Technology Research Group Professor Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, who is lead on the project.
“This collaborative effort is a perfect example of our shared vision for a sustainable transportation ecosystem that can significantly reduce our environmental footprint,” he said. This $8.2 million prototype for embedding advanced wireless charging infrastructure on regional roads was funded by the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) Grants scheme, supporting short-term collaborative research projects.
The project is a collaboration between ACE Infrastructure, Fleet Plant Hire, SEA Electric, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Siemens, ARRB Group, and Net Zero Stack.
Queensland cold carrier, JD Refrigerated Transport, has announced a new partnership with Maleny Dairies. The agreement became effective on 19 February 2024. JD Refrigerated Transport Managing Director Joe Joseph said he was proud of the new partnership.
“They are a fantastic business with a great brand and great people. There are a lot of similarities between our two businesses which make a partnership logical and this is certainly something we look for,” he said. “Partnerships that make sense and which are mutually beneficial, stand the test of time and this is important to us.”
Joseph told Prime Mover that his team had worked, prior to commencement, for some time with Maleny Dairies management to ensure a seamless transition.
“We have custom co-branded equipment designed specifically for the task at hand,” he said. “A couple of DAF CF450 prime movers with 22P Schmitz Cargobull trailers will certainly not go
unnoticed on the highway back and forth between Maleny and Brisbane.
“The co-branding of the trailers has attracted a lot of positive attention and we are really pleased with the design. Our reputation for keeping our equipment well maintained and always looking good means that we couldn’t have accepted anything less.”
It’s a milestone agreement for both companies with JD Refrigerated Transport offering exclusive refrigerated transport services to Maleny Dairies.
“We see ourselves as a growth enabler so by continuing to partner with likeminded businesses that are looking to grow we will grow in turn,” said Joseph. “Our job is to make it happen for the client. Excellent customer service and a 100 per cent commitment to getting the job done are the backbone of our service offering and our clients value this. It’s another area of the job they do not have to worry about.”
Renowned for its exceptional dairy products, including milk, cream,
custard, and yoghurts, Maleny Dairies has been a major presence in Queensland for over two decades. An ongoing commitment to supporting local Sunshine Coast farmers has helped ensure fair compensation and a strong reputation in the region.
Because the products are sourced locally and bottled cold it’s imperative that they are delivered fresh. A critical partner in a new distribution model is the transportation of finished goods to the warehouse said Stephen Tait, Maleny Dairies CEO.
“We’re extremely privileged and delighted to now be working with Joe Joseph and Wayne Azzopardi at JD Refrigerated Transport who have gone above and beyond to get our products to Brisbane in full and on time and no challenge has been too hard for them to overcome,” he said in a statement. “We can’t thank them enough for all their help during our transition-and clearly they’re as passionate about our brand as they are about their business.”
Membrey’s Transport & Crane Hire has taken delivery of a new Kenworth K220 — the first of its kind in the fleet. It also occasions the debut of a 250-tonne rated Kenworth K220 to come out of the PACCAR factory in Melbourne, marking another milestone for the new truck range. Powered by a Euro 5 Cummins X15 600hp engine enabling up to 2050lb/ft of torque, the truck features six rod suspension and a Meritor planetary diff, coupled with an Eaton RoadRanger 22 Series gearbox. Membrey Transport & Crane Hire Director, Craig Membrey, said it was custom built for specialised heavy haulage platform work.
“It will enter operations in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “I drove it back myself and the new digital dash is impressive. It’s like a space ship inside. Everything is modern. Being a totally new design from the K200, the K220
has all the whistles and bells. There’s a lot of new things to take in.”
He added, “I look forward to better acquainting myself with the truck.” The new truck will tow a Drake 8×8 Steerable Extendable trailer and 2×8 Dolly.
Membrey said it had not been allocated any work yet but that it would join the fleet in transporting heavy machinery. mobile cranes and large wind turbine components. The spacious 2.8m big cab features a smart TV, microwave and stand-up 50-litre fridge.
Hallam Truck Centre handled the sale. “Hallam are very nice people to deal with. Matt Keene the general manager is a real rock star in the industry,” said Membrey. “My favourite saying is ‘make it happen’ and if we have breakdowns or need support they’re a really good team to partner with.”
Hino Australia has crowned its top dealers for 2023 at its annual Dealer of the Year Awards. CMI Hino Adelaide, the longest serving dealership in the network, won the Metropolitan Dealer of the Year for a third consecutive year while Coffs Harbour’s Southside Truck Centre was crowned the Regional Dealer of the Year.
“The annual Dealer of the Year awards are an important opportunity for us to reflect and collectively celebrate the success of 2023, while also congratulating our pre-eminent dealerships on their success,” said Richard Emery, President and CEO of Hino Australia. “Southside Truck Centre only commenced as a Hino dealer in mid-2021, and has hit the ground running, demonstrating commitment to the Hino brand with strong investment in its facilities.
“It is a particularly poignant award for the Southside team – its Lismore dealership was essentially destroyed in the floods of 2022, and Coffs Harbour
was vital in keeping the business going, despite being in its infancy.”
Nathan Chatfield, General Manager of CMI Hino Adelaide accepted the award on behalf of his team.
“I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this team – every single person in our dealership consistently works hard across all areas of the business and stands by the CMI Hino values,” he said. “This award is simply a tribute to that. To receive this award in our 90th year of operation is an honour – we have been a part of Hino for almost 55 years and Hino is a part of our DNA.”
The accolades didn’t stop there for CMI Hino Adelaide as it also won the metropolitan awards for Customer Experience, Sales Excellence and Service Excellence, the latter for the second year in a row.
Collecting the Regional Dealer of the Year award, Southside Truck Centre Dealer Principal Steve Robinson spoke on behalf of the organisation.
“This is amazing! We are relatively new
compared to other Hino dealerships,” he said. “This win is particularly emotional as it has been almost two years to the day since our Lismore branch was wiped out in the floods – we lost everything including 21 Hino trucks and every single spare part and piece of furniture.
“While the Lismore dealership was starting from scratch, the new, young team in Coffs Harbour just went from strength to strength, and this award is a tribute to their determination, skill and passion.”
The Southside Truck Centre also added the Parts Excellence Award (Regional) to its trophy cabinet.
For the third consecutive year, CMI Hino Adelaide, Sci-Fleet Hino Brisbane and Sci-Fleet Hino Gold Coast were recipients of the prestigious President’s Award and were joined by Sydney’s City Hino, Coffs Harbour’s Southside Truck Centre and Sunshine Coast’s Wideland Hino. City Hino also claimed the Hino Financial Services Dealer of the Year.
Kenworth K200.Dana Incorporated has announced a record three-year new business sales backlog of $USD950 million, a $USD50 million increase over prior backlog as part of the release of its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year 2023.
Sales for 2023 were $SUSD10.6 billion, compared with $USD10.2 billion in 2022. The increase of $USD399 million resulted from improved overall market demand and conversion of the sales backlog, combined with pricing actions and cost recoveries partially offset by the UAW strike the company said in a statement.
Adjusted EBITDA for 2023 was $USD845 million, compared with $USD700 million in 2022 driven by refreshed and new programs, efficiency improvement actions, and more stable customer order patterns.
The net income attributable to Dana for 2023 was $USD38 million or $USD0.26 per share, compared with a net loss of $USD242 million or a loss of $USD1.69 per share in 2022. The loss in 2022 resulted from a one-time non-cash goodwill impairment charge and from
non-cash tax valuation allowances.
“With record sales reaching $10.6 billion for 2023, Dana continues its strong trajectory built on our balanced approach of supplying both conventional and clean-energy solutions to nearly every vehicle manufacturer around the globe,” said James Kamsickas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “The Dana team successfully launched a companyrecord number of programs across all markets we serve, while delivering substantial profit conversion on our growth.”
Kamsickas said the company was building on strong momentum and expected to further expand sales and profit margin into 2024.
“Our record three-year new business backlog has grown to $950 million, marking the seventh consecutive year we have recorded an increase,” he said. “This reflects our team’s relentless commitment to being a leading supplier to the world’s top vehicle manufacturers for internal combustion, hybrid, and electric vehicles.”
As part of an ongoing evaluation of its operations and product portfolio, Dana Incorporated has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its European hydraulics business to HPI Group, a hydraulics business jointly held by Apogee Group and EiM Capital. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.
The transaction includes operations in Italy, France, and Germany that produce industrial components, including hydraulic motors, pumps, valves, and power packs. In 2023, the business generated approximately $90 million in sales to external customers.
Under the terms of the agreement, Dana will enter into a supply agreement whereby the newly combined hydraulics business will continue to provide components to Dana.
It was this month 120 years ago in Plainfield, New Jersey that Clarence Spicer founded his company based on his recently patented encased universal joint.
Dana’s manufacturing facility in Ohio.
WOMEN IN INDUSTRY NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN.
Now is your chance to nominate an industry leader who you believe is advocating for positive change and deserves to be recognised.
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY
Thurs 20 June, 2024
The Women in Industry Awards recognise outstanding women leaders from across Australia’s industrials sector.
Team Global Express has recently marked the o cial opening of its agship Bungarribee site where it is now operating 60 battery electric trucks. Not without its challenges, the project nevertheless represents a major milestone in the transport and logistics industry.
Within a satellite suburb of western Sydney, Team Global Express has transformed one of its 147 depots into a transport node, the likes of which, it is safe to say, has not been seen before in this country. Over 60 battery electric trucks on pick-up and delivery duties are based at Bungarribee. The vehicles, which constitute a mix of 36 Volvo Electric FL units and 24 Fuso eCanters, attend nearby distribution
centres and supermarkets, returning to base at night to plug into one of 63 charging stations installed on a premises that has undergone signi cant redevelopment.
Known internally as Project Cobra, a $44.3 million project supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to the tune of $20.1 million in funding, the site now includes 47 7/22kW AC slow chargers and 16 400kW DC fast chargers. A range of determining factors ultimately favoured the location over the shortlisted others. Available energy and spare capacity along with the amount of real estate required for parking up trucks and their application were among the dominant criteria. Much of the nancial analysis and subsequent investment was predicated on the site layout. As truck movements needed to be limited according to payload, postcode and distance required, modi cations took place involving a conveyer system situated on one side of the yard for the trucks. The main switchboards were organised to exploit extra capacity of about 800amps so that the slow chargers could be arrayed down one side and the fast chargers down the other.
Team Global Express has been able to pioneer operational innovations that most other companies would never dare at a similar infancy. Of course, the business wasn’t invented ex nihilo, having resulted from the seismic divestment in 2021 of the greater part of the general and overnight freight division of Toll Group. Even so, it has been forthright in its stance, during the foundational phase of establishing the new company brand, in reducing the Scope 1 emissions pro le outlined in early 2022 by CEO Christine Holgate, whose expressed vision is to make Team Global Express Australia’s most sustainable logistics company. That vision, because of Project Cobra, has begun to take shape.
Team Global Express Director ESG, Heather Bone, whose brainchild the project was, is best placed to recount the stages, quotidian obstacles and eventual progress made since her pivotal decision to reach out to ARENA.
“At the time we made a decision that we
needed to go hard or go home on this because the impact on the depot was going to be so enormous,” she recalls. “We needed to narrow down the site and the application of the trucks that were going to make sense given we were quite limited by the EV trucks that we wanted to use.”
Primarily a PUD site where vehicles are designated B2B work, the depot affords the eet, through its proximity to last mile destinations, a radius of around 40 kilometres. The Fuso eCanter can comfortably travel between 100 to 150 kilometres per day depending on the payload. It is limited to three tonnes. The Volvo FL Electric, with its bigger 7-tonne payload, can achieve over 250 kilometres a day but in Heather’s experience these distances are already being exceeded. “We’ve had one driver come back with more battery than he had when he left with in the morning,” she says. “Talking and working with the drivers and training them around regenerative braking has been really imperative.”
During the embryonic stages of operating the new battery electric trucks, Heather
was involved in union negotiations every morning to hear concerns from the team and to provide a platform for drivers to ask questions on how they might be affected.
“I am just astonished how the drivers have taken to them,” she says. “Once they have learned how to optimise both the Fuso and Volvos, they absolutely love them.”
The battery electric trucks have equally been feted by some of the new female drivers. As a registered training organisation, Team Global Express is a partner of the Volvo Iron Woman program which several of its team members recently have come through.
“Four of our site ladies have been directly trained by Volvo for several weeks and they’ve gone from jobs in the of ce and roles at the depot to being drivers,” says Heather.
“We’ve had a strong cohort of ladies putting up their hands to drive these new trucks.”
Signi cant changes on the site included demarcation of these two separated charging zones. The fast chargers were positioned adjacent to a cafeteria where
drivers can have lunch or a coffee during the day and top up their batteries. Spare distribution volume on each of the high current MSBs, each with a capacity of 1500amps, facilitated strong voltage coming into the depot but not where they needed it in the battery charging arena.
Cables from the main switchboard, in turn to help fortify the energy inputs, needed to be run along the roo ine of the depot. It resulted, subsequently, in a shutdown of the power at certain times, usually on weekends when the work was scheduled.
“You can image how popular that was at a 24/7 depot,” says Heather. The obstacles have scarcely been forgotten. Heather recalls, not in strict chronological order, some of the more memorable challenges. A fragment of asbestos, likely dropped by a bird passing overhead, was found on site during all of this. That necessitated another shutdown. This time for 30 days.
“We had to excavate ve cubic metres of soil out from around this 20 cent piece of asbestos,” recalls Heather. “The ow on effects of something like this proved enormous.”
There were other delays caused by weather.
High rainfall prevented the pouring of concrete. Cables could not be laid. Later on, once the trucks were up and running, unseasonal hot weather contributed to the rst vehicle being stranded, albeit less than two kilometres from base. With the mercury soaring to 42° celsius, conditions were less than ideal for any type of working equipment.
“You don’t do a trial expecting that nothing is going to go wrong and our rst one came back last week that needed to be towed,” says Heather. “The driver was doing everything he could to make it back. It was 42° in Sydney that day. It was horribly hot.”
The truck had until that point had covered 123 kilometres comfortably.
“Of course, the air conditioning had been running for the whole day because it was so hot,” explains Heather. “A combination between the two of those factors just meant the truck ran out of energy. She adds, “It’s all a learning.”
Given the nature and complexity of the enterprise it won’t be the last.
“You can’t underestimate the things that are likely to go wrong along the way,” she says. “If you’re planning on whacking in a few chargers and bringing in a few trucks it’s simply doesn’t work that way. It’s far more complicated than that.”
The wealth of knowledge garnered from the undertaking of Project Cobra will provide intelligence for the business across a raft of different areas from
change management, site infrastructure, project planning, e-mobility solutions, battery technology and integrated grid management.
Early on, Heather and her team identi ed that assiduous energy management would be crucial to the success of the new look depot. Because the trucks are deployed during the day, Team Global Express has the luxury of charging the vehicles at night on a slow charge. Plugging them in after 4pm, however, presents another
issue — peak rates. To avoid paying 500 cents per kilowatt/hour rather than say, for example, 12 cents per kilowatt/hour, a load management system (LMS) was introduced to oversee the time at which the energy is feeding through to the trucks.
“It would not make any economic sense if you’re paying a huge amount for the energy of the trucks,” says Heather. “It would completely blow the nancials.” The LMS can wake the plugged-in trucks from sleep mode during times the grid
is less in demand and power prices are lower. Team Global Express is currently working with the truck OEMs on a software interface for this function as it has proven problematic to date. Solar panels and a battery have also been installed on site.
“We want to be able to use that battery to coincide with when the energy is really expensive on the grid so we can arbitrage the market,” says Heather. “That way we’re not really paying anything for the energy
because we’ll have solar feeding into the battery.”
Taking the extra time to drill down on the engineering and electrical work from the initial planning and project commencement has been bene cial according to Heather and not without some pleasant surprises.
“What we’ve found is the trucks aren’t coming back empty of course,” she says. “A majority of the time they’re coming back at 60 per cent or 70 per cent battery capacity which means they’re charging very quickly.”
Heather is excited by what promises to be the dawn of a new era for the business. Having a whole eet of electric trucks at her disposal rather than a single unit provides an opportunity to better understand large data samples. How might they optimise the delivery routes? What is the most ef cient way to use energy? As soon as the eet can start accessing a wider set of data over the next six to 12 months, Heather foresees educated changes of behaviour in the business being facilitated based on the numbers returned.
“We’ve got a huge amount of interest out of customers in how we might change our delivery routes and how they get involved in the project to optimise it,” Heather says. “Things like how we can work with our customers to provide them with an alternative offering that is lower in carbon than diesel, for example, becomes a very real proposition.”
These are, for the moment, grounds for genuine excitement, according to Heather, as the residual value of the project becomes, upon its conclusion, self-evident. Another aspect of this major education growth, to name one, implicates electric vehicle maintenance.
“In doing it at the size that we are, we’re going to learn very different lessons than someone with only just one truck,” she says. “There’s a limit to what you can learn out of one truck whereas when you’ve got 60 you can say let’s look at how we can arbitrage the market and lower our energy costs and those sorts of things as well.”
Located on the picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula, south of Adelaide, Fleurieu Milk was established by three local farming families who still continue to manage and operate the growing enterprise.
Operating a dairy farm has always been hard work and in the early 2000s the industry was faced with the mounting challenges of increasing costs, particularly for feed, and declining farm gate prices as the major supermarket chains used milk as a “loss leader”, mostly at the expense of the farmers who were supplying the products. Around the town of Myponga in South Australia the number of dairy farms decreased from around 40 to just ten as many farmers sold up and left the industry.
The Fleurieu Milk Company was created in 2004 by three local farming families who saw there was still demand for high quality full-cream milk products and by having the processing and transport
operation “in-house” the customers would bene t from fresher milk and the farms stood a better chance of remaining viable.
The three families of Barry and Merridie Clarke, Chris and Karen Royans, and Geoff and Louise Hutchinson had the shared vision to ef ciently provide the best quality milk and its associated products, and the Fleurieu Milk brand is today carried by more than 1,000 stockists throughout South Australia including supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, and cafes. The company is also the of cial supplier to the annual Adelaide 500 Supercars race which provides an opportunity to showcase the products to motor racing fans at what is arguably Adelaide’s
largest public event. A repurposed 40foot shipping container serves as the company’s on-site outlet at the Supercars and the Adelaide Show.
Processing around 1.3 million litres of raw milk each month, Fleurieu Milk has expanded its offering of dairy products to around 50 different items ranging from white milk, avoured milk, cream, yoghurts and a unique range of Australian Native yoghurts. The company uses its own trucks to transport to the various customers. An online ordering system has been utilised to further enhance ef ciencies through the routing of the trucks to service the customers throughout metropolitan and regional South Australia.
Wayne Deacon has the role of
Distribution Manager and joined the company in 2017 when the management decision was made to buy out the distribution company which had been performing the bulk transport task of collecting milk from the farms. The change of bringing that vital step of the operation in-house not only provided control over the logistics associated with sourcing the basic product but has also delivered sustainable incomes for the distribution transport team. Additionally, operating its own trucks has produced a higher level of personal service and a higher degree of exibility which bene t both customers and company. Importantly, the truck drivers are regarded as customer service representatives and play an important role in client satisfaction that goes beyond simply performing timely deliveries.
It was early in its operation that Fleurieu Milk established a strong relationship with Adelaide’s CMI Hino dealer group. “One of the reasons we went with Hino originally was because they were building
the service centre at Lonsdale, which is probably only 40 minutes from here,” says Wayne, noting the majority of truck dealerships are on the other side of Adelaide in the northern suburbs and
consequently more than an hour and a half away.
“Having them based at Lonsdale has been amazing and the service and everything else they have provided over the six or seven years we have been with them has been exceptional.”
The eet presently includes 22 Hino trucks, with a couple more currently on order, from both the 300 Series and the 500 Series with servicing carried out by the dealership.
The trucks range from a FM 3622 tanker, to 14-pallet FE1426 models and eightpallet 916 models from the Hino 300 Series. Other than the tanker, the Hino trucks are equipped with refrigerated bodies from Adelaide-based Advanced Transport Refrigeration or from Thermo King distributor TRS. The tanker collects the morning’s milk from the various local dairies and delivers it to the processing plant at Myponga where it is pumped into a silo tank and is put into the production schedule that day to be pasteurised to eliminate bacteria and enzymes, and then homogenised
to evenly distribute the fat globules to provide the rich white colour and smooth texture that Fleurieu Milk is renowned for. The processed milk is sent out to resellers within the rst 24 hours.
An innovative way of supplying milk are the 18-litre kegs that Fleurieu Milk has developed thanks to a partnership with a small Tasmanian company, named appropriately enough, The Udder Way.
A number of resellers are already embracing the concept which involves the use of re llable one-litre glass bottles and has the additional environmental bene ts of reducing plastic waste from single use plastic bottles.
“They approached us when they needed someone to ll kegs for them and we’ve taken over a fair bit of the whole process,” says Wayne. The Udder Way supplies the kegs and Fleurieu Milk supplies the milk product and handles the distribution and collection of the kegs.
Fleurieu Milk’s substantial growth has been largely due to the support of the South Australian public which has got
behind the locally owned and operated business. But the rate of growth presents challenges in itself. One area is the extended lead times involving additional new vehicles and equipment, a situation shared by most Australian transport operators over the past few years.
The public’s appetite for Fleurieu Milk products has also meant the capacity has been maxed out to supply the raw material from the local dairy farms, which range from being located just 300 metres away from the processing plant to up to 30 kilometres away.
“We’ve had to reach out and bring on
more farms outside of the Myponga and Mt Compass local areas and we’ve got farms down at Victor Harbour now, so we have to go a little bit further just to keep up with our growth,” says Wayne. During this current period of sustained low employment rates in Australia, a growing organisation like Fleurieu Milk could have been expected to have some critical staff shortages, but the attraction of working for what is essentially a family-managed operation has assisted in keeping pace with the growth and the need for additional trucks and drivers.
“Over the past few years, we’ve been very
fortunate that we haven’t had huge staff turnover,” says Wayne. “Because drivers in general are very dif cult to nd at the moment.”
They are, after all, the face of the business.
“Moreso than anyone else because they see the customers two or three times every week,” Wayne says. “We’re quite lucky we’ve got very good staff, and we try to look after our people as best as possible.”
He adds, “Having a couple of farmers and a former sherman as directors means they’re pretty grounded people.”
Mo att Fresh Produce as part of its centenary celebrations has added a new Kenworth T610 SAR with a showstopping livery to its eet of prime movers.
Located in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, the Scenic Rim region, south of Brisbane, has been home to Moffatt Fresh Produce for generations. The fth-generation family business, in fact, marks its centenary this year and is located six kilometres west of Aratula, a township of little more than 500 people on the Cunningham Highway. The agricultural foundation of the town is re ected in a local playground situated, not coincidentally, at Moffatt Park.
Travellers, especially caravaners, who come through the area on their way to the Gold Coast, would have likely seen one of the eight Moffatt Fresh Produce trucks that travel around the region commonly delivering carrots, celery, onions and pumpkins to market and the Port of Brisbane for export. The eet is in
the main comprised of Kenworth trucks. These vehicles primarily service Moffatt’s requirements from farm to factory and from factory to market. Of the Kenworths there are two T409s, one T909, a T610 and two T404s. Moffatt Fresh has, up until recently, favoured a combination of 32-pallet B-double refrigerated trailers. With the introduction of a new Kenworth T610 SAR that is all set to change.
“We’re very focused on simplifying and maximising our freight ef ciencies through the PBS systems,” says Steven Moffatt, Managing Director. “What we’ve done with this particular truck is we’ve gone from running a T909 with a 32-pallet FTE con guration B-double refrigeration unit and we’ve gone to PBS and we’re going to take out the nonsense of hooking and unhooking the second trailer on
such a short run because this truck will run predominantly back and forth into Brisbane servicing our chain store business and market business.”
The 28-pallet single, in addition to removing the need for an extra trailer, involves less running gear and less refrigerated motor requirements. That’s one less unit on the whole combination and two less axles.
“There’s a lot less fatigue on the prime mover not having to tow the combination and the payload is not that much different,” says Steve. “It’s role thereafter will be to cart produce from our factory, predominantly doing carrots and some other vegetables we grow for the supermarkets and fresh markets and the international markets — that’s what we do.”
Moffatt Fresh Produce is a 12-month of
the year operation. Aside from the Scenic Rim, Moffatt Fresh Produce grows at sites in the Southern Downs, the Lockyer Valley and the Granite Belt. The geographical spread in area enables growing conditions ranging from 100 to 1000 metres above sea level which allows Moffatt to capitalise on differences in temperatures and manage seasonality across every month of the year. Truck movements span north and south by about 250 kilometres and east and west by about 120 kilometres. That has come about by concentrating its main base in the Scenic Rim, a strategic move that goes back to Steve’s grandfather Alan “Scott” Moffatt, whose legacy today looms large in the family business, having had the foresight, along with his father to see the area’s great potential for farming and transport.
“We were strategically placed for the central markets particularly up here with the Roma Street markets in Brisbane in the early days,” says Steve. “But today, we’re overnight to Sydney, we’re short-haul to Brisbane. It’s only 1.5 hours southwest of the Port of Brisbane which complements our international trade. The Scenic Rim is a perfect t for our business. The decisionmaking of grandfather and the great grandfather is testament to that.”
By way of testimonials, there can be no better one, at least not in the trucking game, than the standout mural dedicated to
“We wanted to do something special for the centenary but also something special for the guy who made it all very well happen albeit he was a second-generation part of the business,” explains Steve.
The new truck runs a 28-pallet single quad axle trailer built and tted out by FTE in Melbourne. Like the prime mover, it too features a stunning continuation of the mural. The combination debuted in the eet this February just gone. Steve and his team brought the initial concept to Matthew Lin Art, who does other work for Moffatt’s including much of its marketing materials.
“He was good enough to put it down on paper and bring it to life so we could see something we were really happy with,” recalls Steve. “He superimposed everything from truck to trailer and it couldn’t have worked out any better than what it did. He was a large part of the success of the project. We’re not ones to skite and blow our own trumpet but we wanted to do a nice tribute for the old fellow and it has far exceeded
our expectations.”
The impressive graphics on the prime mover cab were created by Robert Rundell from Belair Truck Spray Painting.
With a GVM of 27.83 tonnes, the Kenworth T610 SAR features a Euro 5 Cummins X15 550hp engine that can achieve 431kW at 1800 rpm, maximum power. An 18-speed
and Hurley Darra.
The Moffatt Family have a long association with Brown and Hurley that goes way back to 1964, where they purchased their very rst truck, an Albion Revier.
“Michael Oliver is very good to deal with. He understands our speci c needs in relation to what we do as an agricultural customer if you like,” says Steve. “He’s always on the ready to deal with any of the questions we ask in relation to the best way we have to set up the vehicle to suit our needs. And he’s more than accommodating.”
Part of the motivating force behind the decision to buy the new truck is the shrinking labour market. Having a truck of this build standout on the road won’t hurt Moffatt’s chances in attracting drivers during an industry wide shortage as Steve sees it.
“It certainly is something we have put out there to encourage drivers to want to drive our equipment being that it is second-tonone,” he says. “It’s about attracting that style of driver who wants to be professional and grow with our business.”
The driver of the new combination has come to the T610 SAR from a Kenworth T909. Along with the different driving features, the shorter bonnet and superior vision better suits the application. Steve, in
addition to getting more longevity out of the new truck, wants to make life as easy as possible for his drivers.
“They’re the heart and soul of the back end of the process,” he says. “We’ve got the front end covered as far as the farming and processing goes and the transport is the back end of it. It’s an important part of our operations. I can see it as something that grows internally within the business.”
For the moment that is limited largely to refrigerated transport. In time, Steve can foresee the team utilising the PBS system from what he calls farm to factory.
For overnight freight into Sydney and Melbourne, Moffatt Fresh Produce outsources linehaul duties to Nolan’s Transport, for whom it has an ongoing arrangement. Nolan’s, according to Steve, have been helpful in its decision-making, especially around heavy vehicles and PBS.
“In terms of the application Flea Nolan has helped us to get our head around PBS,” he says. “He’s been a great help there. We have a great partnership with the Nolan family and have done for many years.”
Head of ce is at Tarome, a small farming
community found at the bottom of Cunninghams Gap, the section of road notorious to many a long haul driver over the decades with its sharp angles and steep descent. These days there are far less incidents involving trucks traversing the ‘Gap’ as there once was.
“In the past there were always some heavy vehicles coming to grief up there — it was infamous,” recalls Steve. “Not to disparage the old school, but these days the push on drivers is a lot less to make it all happen and they’re very professional at what they do. It’s probably a credit to the broader general population of drivers that are doing a really good job.”
Even so, engine wear is at its greatest coming over the rise when the retarder is deployed.
“The Cummins motor provides a really good environment for that and the way that Michael has set the transmission and gearbox up, it works really well in that environment,” says Steve. “At the end of the day it comes down to the driver doing what they’re good at and the running gear we operate probably complements that.”
The world’s demand for iron ore results in mining and transport operations in some of the harshest environments on the planet, including north of the Arctic Circle.
The Kaunis Iron mine is located near the town of Pajala in Swedish Lapland, close to the border with Finland and inside the Arctic Circle. The open cut mine began operations in 2010, with the rst ore production in 2012.
After its original owners experienced nancial dif culties the mine was closed in 2014 and re-opened under new Canadian owners in June 2018 and has since moved into Swedish hands. It employs around 500 people.
The mine produced 2.3 million tonnes of its high-quality iron ore during 2023, and production is expected to grow to 3.2 million tonnes by 2027. The iron ore is among the best in the world with a concentration of 68 per cent, well above the market normal of 62 per cent and as such commands a premium price because it produces better quality steel.
There are many contrasts between the Kaunis operation and what we are familiar with in Australia in terms of iron ore
mining, most notably due to the climate. Consider the Kimberley region in Western Australia with its dry heat and red rocks, while Pajala, being located north of the Arctic Circle, experiences the “midnight sun” during June and July when the sun stays above the horizon for six weeks. This is offset by very short days during the mid-winter months with sunrise not until after 9.00am and full darkness is present by 4.30pm. Temperatures as low as minus 44 degrees Celsius are common during winter. To take comparisons even further, the crushed iron ore at Kaunis is black, not the familiar red found in Australia.
Mikael Wahlberg oversees the transport operations at the mine. With a background as a truck mechanic, Mikael commenced at the mine as a dumper truck driver in 2012, then drove the road trucks for two years and has been at the forefront of managing the eet and getting the ore delivered since the recommencement of mining operations in 2018.
The remote location of the mine dictates
that the ore is delivered by road 160 kilometres to a rail head using a eet of 33 bespoke Volvo side tipping truck and trailer combinations.
There is a maximum of 117 and an average of 100 truck movements every 24 hours, delivering 6,500 tonnes of ore to the rail head, from where it is transported in railway wagons a further 226 kilometres to the “ice-free” port of Narvik in Norway before being shipped to steel works in various countries such The Netherlands and China.
The specialised ten axle combination vehicles are 22.25 metres long and are built around ve axle Volvo FH16 rigids powered by 750hp engines, each towing a ve-axle tipping trailer. The side tipping combinations operate under special permits at 90 tonnes gross based on ten tonnes per axle, delivering a payload of 62.5 tonnes.
Usually operating 24/7 across 365 days per year, each truck travels around 350,000 kilometres during a 12-month
period; the eet’s annual total of 12,000,000 kilometres roughly equal to circumnavigating the globe 300 times.
The trucks are on indexed repair and maintenance plans and Kaunis Iron enjoys a strong relationship with WIST, the Volvo dealer for northern Sweden.
One factor in common with Australia is the sometimes agonising wait for approvals and permits, and in 2017 the paperwork relating to the certi cation of the trailer drawbars was a nal piece in the puzzle which came through allowing the combinations to operate at 90 tonnes GVM.
The trailing axle on the trucks is lifted when unladen. The tyres on trucks’ twin steering axles are studded, as are two axles on the trailers, and the drive tyres have a rugged tread pattern to aid traction. There are 34 tyres on each truck and trailer combination and as safety comes rst, then price, various brands and types are regularly tested. It’s not just about handling the winter ice and snow, as during summer roadworks and poor surfaces present additional challenges to tyres.
The long hours of darkness are illuminated with roof mounted LED light bars and the frontal areas of the trucks are protected by moose/reindeer bars. The low temperatures sometimes cause incidences of brakes freezing on if a truck is parked for more than an hour. This isn’t an issue with loaded trailers and the usual procedure is to back up a little to release the brakes when starting off with empty trailers. The Volvo’s are speed limited to 82 km/hr
and both trucks and trailers are equipped with on-board weighing systems in deference to the risk of overloading and breaching the 90-tonne permit, with some tolerance for the build-up of ice which occurs during the colder months. In a move to reassure drivers the police were invited to test weigh some samples of loaded trucks with good results. Mikael currently has 130 drivers on staff and despite the challenging weather and
isolated location, due to the company’s reputation he has no dif culties recruiting. “It’s not hard to get drivers and it’s not a problem for us,” he says. “In the beginning it was a little hard to ful l our needs, and many drivers came from countries south of Sweden and found it too cold in winter. I don’t think it’s the pay that is the attraction, although we pay a little more than standard, most of them seem to enjoy the work. Of the 130 drivers some leave for a while and some come back. It’s not a big problem.”
The weather is a major factor in just about every aspect of the transport operation. “This has been a cold winter and the temperature was minus 44° Celsius last week,” Mikael tells us. Which makes the minus 16 ° on the day of Prime Mover’s visit seem balmy by comparison. Weather at that extreme level adversely affected rail travel across the north of Sweden and Norway but the Volvo’s kept operating right through it.
Assessment of the existing ore reserves indicates the mine has a future life of at least 30 years. Planning ahead for a reduced-carbon future, a Volvo electric truck was trialled during 2022. The electric Volvo FMX was equipped with a
lift-up rear steer axle and operated at a gross weight of 32 tonnes, delivering a payload of around 15 tonnes. The monthlong trial was a worthwhile learning experience and resulted in extra cabin insulation being installed as the absence of heat soak from a conventional diesel engine resulted in a driver environment which was too cold even with an allelectric HVAC unit tted. A more extensive test of Volvo electric trucks is planned for later in 2024.
The side tipper bodies on trucks and trailers utilise Hardox steel plate. Due to factors such as the ne texture of the crushed ore causing it to settle during the 160-kilometre road trip and with a moisture content of up to seven per cent, the lower sections of the loads can actually freeze and this presents dif culties when unloading at the rail head. To counter this, special vinyl liners are used as well as shakers mounted on the sides of the bodies. A heated side tipper trailer body has recently been developed and will be trialled as a method of ensuring smooth and safe unloading during winter. Two tipping units with stainless steel inserts are also currently being assessed. Volvo 700 horsepower trucks have been
trialled, as has a 500hp version and the new 780hp 17-litre engines may nd their way into the eet in the future. In contrast with much of Australia’s long haul eets, the Kaunis Mine trucks are equipped with relatively small fuel tanks holding just 278 litres of diesel. This is a factor in fuel load management with the trucks refuelling at the rail head site after unloading and therefore seeing a reduced weight to maximise payload when they return to the mine to get the next load of ore. Average fuel consumption across the eet is 5.5 litres per 100km during summer and 5.8 litres per 100km during winter. AdBlue is consumed at a rate of approximately six per cent of the diesel use.
“Nobody ever likes lling up the diesel tank but I think with 90 tonnes it’s OK to get those results,” says Mikael. Diamonds have actually been found in the mine but not in a worthwhile quantity. The real value remains in the iron ore which will be the reason for the mine’s existence for the next 30 years. Sustainability, excellent facilities and skilful and innovative management of its mining and transport operations will keep Kaunis Iron in its strong position on the world iron ore market.
A five-axle Volvo FH16 with tipping trailer.
A national recruitment campaign across its workshops and the introduction of ten new Fuso Canter service trucks signal some of the major changes underway at Toll.
The Toll portfolio since the transport and logistics behemoth sold off the general freight streams of the business, is orchestrated around complex, purposedriven essential services for industry. Because of this, Toll’s workshops, which are critical to the continuity of its Fleet, will
see all manner of interesting applications come through the network — a network that covers locations all over Australia, servicing customers that require it often to go into very different and challenging environments. As far as equipment goes there’s an embarrassment of riches from two-tonne light commercials to 200-tonne
quad roadtrains.
The diversity of the truck applications is perhaps only matched by the geography. Staff, depending on the location, can work near the beach, outback, city and rural settings. That ability to cater to a variety of lifestyles given the sites cover metropolitan, regional and the remote,
has prompted Toll to look at how it can recruit new staff in a specialist eld where labour is in high demand. Last year the company commenced a national campaign on social media to attract mechanics, technicians, auto electricians and apprentices across their workshop and mobile service operations. Progress is encouraging. Some 30 Diesel Mechanics are currently in the process of being onboarded across Toll’s network of strategically located workshops.
The company has subsequently learned a lot from that experience and have launched another campaign in recent weeks.
“We’ve basically, for the rst time, coordinated it nationally, rather than having the states go their own way,” says Gerard Bridgeman. “Toll is such a visible company that employs many people in so many different ways. We have a lot of great opportunities within the business for people who want to join us working on all eet types and top line equipment and we
are constantly reviewing that.”
Gerard is Trades Manager for Toll People. Based in Melbourne, he co-ordinates the recruitment for the workshops around Australia.
“It’s a much more collaborative approach and we have a lot more to do with each other,” says Gerard. “I’m talking to Mitch Brooke for example, several times a day and that’s very visible now. We are all working as a team to make sure that the workshops are getting the staff that they
need and getting the focus and attention they should be receiving as it is such a crucial part of the business.”
Mitch Brooke, National Fleet & Maintenance Manager, has spent the last 17 years in the heavy vehicle industry. He is enthusiastic about supporting talented apprentices and developing them into heavy vehicle mechanics.
“Signi cant capital expenditure is being invested in equipment over the next two years and a lot of that is going to align with these businesses that use our workshop support,” he says. “There are some exciting
opportunities on the horizon and a lot of new eet and equipment that will come into the business which we’ll look to support internally within our workshops where it makes sense to do so.”
On that front, ten new Fuso Canters have just joined the eet in a specialised service delivery task as mobile support vehicles working remotely between the workshops. “Rather than having a xed location we’ve now added a eet of mobile vehicles and a mobile brake tester trailer that can go out and service our customers at their locations,” says Mitch. “We’re going to
customers rather than having them come to us and that’s where we have shifted the dial.”
Fitted out in Melbourne with custom-built bodies, the wide cab 4x2 Fuso Canter 815s, are powered by a 4-cylinder 3.0-litre engine able to produce 110kW at between 28403500rpms matched to a Duonic 6-speed Dual Clutch with auto and manual modes. The new Fuso 815s have been built to provide drivers with everything they will need, no matter where they are, in safety features, comfort and tooling.
“That way guys can go out on site and
reliably do pretty much any task that is thrown at them,” says Mitch. “The trucks have all the tools on each vehicle including a top of the range 18-volt battery technology, and a full lube system so we can service and capture waste oil on site.” In addition to axle stands, torque wrenches, dial indicators and hydraulic presses, the trucks are each equipped with a microwave and fridge.
“For someone out on site they can work with having all of the required necessities as if they were at a workshop,” says Mitch. “They’ve got everything tted out.”
There is also a 7-inch LCD touch screen, Satellite navigation, digital radio, keyless central locking, 12-volt accessory power outlet and reverse camera compatibility. The trucks can input up to ve cameras and Toll has taken Fuso up on this capability, tting a specially designed AI camera system, an innovative technology for Toll. “The major upside for our diesel mechanics is that the Canters have been tted out with safety in mind,” says Mitch. “We have cameras installed on them especially for when our workers might be working in remote locations. If there is an incident or someone is in trouble, we can quickly review the footage.”
Toll’s safety- rst work culture is not merely a marketing exercise. It was meticulous in getting the vehicles exactly right. The objective was to make them as operationally ef cient as possible while ensuring the onboard systems and design was as safe as possible.
“We didn’t want to rush the process,” recalls Mitch. “It was important for us to deliver the best vehicles that we could to help support our businesses and customers.”
The rst of these new Fuso Canters commenced operations out of Sydney with the nal unit of the ten being deployed to a mine site just outside of Port Hedland. Two diesel mechanics will operate on a two-on and two-off roster. They will work back-to-back to help support its fuel and security sensitive business on remote locations.
To that extent Toll has changed its offering in the last 12 months, to make themselves more competitive. In keeping with these changes across the business, Toll now offers y-in, y-out (FIFO) at its remote workshops as part of a revamped recruitment drive.
“A lot of mechanics do enjoy the FIFO arrangement which isn’t everybody’s cup of tea,” says Gerard. “Some people want to do it, so we offer that. For the people who do not, we have jobs that will have them home to dinner with their family every night.”
As well as offering FIFO from Perth to Port
Hedland, Toll offers a market competitive rate for their mechanics.
“That’s part of a bigger story we’ve got to tell,” says Gerard. “Working for Toll is a real opportunity for people. We are all about career advancement.”
That said, there’s still juicy work for bona de diesel technicians across all locations day-to-day. Tasks cover a wide range of modern trucks and trailers.
“It’s more than just eet maintenance. We offer a bit more,” says Mitch. “The workshop capabilities are designed to internally support our business units and customers on the back of their speci c eet requirements.”
The Global Logistics Division of Toll is contract-focused and therefore subject to volatility aligned to economic conditions across the different market segments. Not being tied to a xed location is another upside of the new service vehicles with the ability for Toll to ef ciently reallocate the eet and support other parts of the business.
“That gives us that exibility,” says Mitch. “Over recent years we’ve changed our operations and how we run the business. Historically, we did not have an apprentice program in place. That’s something we’re starting to see deliver runs on the board.” Toll is now looking at a yearly apprentice intake. Nor is it strictly looking for young people, either.
“Older people who want to get into the industry, as long as they’ve got a good attitude, they’re equally suitable,” says Mitch. “We’ll be keeping an eye out for that over the next couple of years.”
Toll’s now familiar slogan “we move the businesses that move the world” is still as relevant as ever. The workshops, according to Gerard, are crucial cogs when it comes to ensuring those vehicles stay on the road.
“That’s at the very heart of what Toll does. The guys in all our workshops do an excellent job,” says Gerard. “We’re at the forefront of where any company wants to be as far as being progressive and being a good employer.”
He adds, “It’s a company you’re proud to work for.”
New DAF CF450s have joined the eet at Future Recycling as it enjoys a period of transformative growth.
In 2016 Future Metals Recycling was renamed to Future Recycling and from there the company came into its own. Having diversi ed its portfolio, which had originally been in metal recycling dating back to 2008, to include waste and cardboard recycling collection services, the business helmed by Tyrone Landsman, who became the sole owner in 2018, has gone from strength to strength. Growth has since then been something of a habitual vein of constancy. In 2016 the
business purchased a transfer station in Pakenham. After major capital investment, the facility was upgraded signi cantly. By 2019, the business had commenced the upgrading of the Hallam Transfer Station facility where the team accepts scrap metal, materials for recycling and waste.
In 2023 Future Recycling was successfully awarded a major contract with the City of Bayside. The 20-year contract is to manage and operate a Cheltenham-based site on the basis
that it is upgraded to a standard equal to that of their Pakenham and Hallam facilities. The entire site, subsequently, is being redeveloped and will include undercover shelter, a large hardstand area, and a recently completed rst stage that makes it compatible for the State Government Container Deposit Scheme (CDS) refund program.
In the last year alone, the business has grown by 30 per cent. With that, Future Recycling has had to bring in additional vehicles to bolster the eet.
In 2021 it introduced the rst two of the new Euro 6 DAF CF450s. They have performed very well over the past three years prompting the purchase of two more, one of which an owner-driver has already taken on according to Tony Black, Waste and Logistics Manager. “For manoeuvrability they’re absolutely ne,” he says. “The DAFs are easily getting into all our customer sites and transfer stations. The day cab spec works well in and out of our facilities and there’s good vision for the driver.”
Driver visibility when loading and unloading bulk bins is paramount to a safe working environment. The new hook-lift 8x4s have a maximum payload of 27.5 tonnes. They are powered by the PACCAR MX-11 engine. Fuel ef ciency compares favourably to the bestrunning trucks in the eet.
The remit of its operations is to extract as much recyclable and reusable material as possible to reduce waste going to land ll. Future Recycling diverts up to 70 per cent of waste to
recycling. Materials that can be reused are separated for resale. As the trucks are predominantly transporting bulk bins, in any given day they can go from a VISY recycling facility to a CDS recycling facility to one of several scrap sites to a scrap customer to a waste customer to land ll, where the diff locks on the vehicle customarily come into play. Future Recycling doesn’t always rely on set runs for set trucks with some sites being time critical.
“We can change drivers runs at any time of any day,” explains Tony. “It’s about having a truck that provides the autonomy to make the required changes and run our business ef ciently that enables us to continually improve our productivity and most importantly our customer service.”
Future Recycling provides full resource recovery, bin delivery, regular bulk bin
changeovers and removals. The trucks, accordingly, are double shifted. They can average between 18 and 20 hours a day. This is a practice that is becoming more prevalent over the business as its ascendant growth continues so it can meet the service needs of customers according to Tony.
“The double shifts underscore the importance of having xed contract maintenance on these trucks and also being able to have a partner that operates 24/7 where we can take the trucks after hours,” he says.
The relationship with Hallam Truck Centre from a previous role of Tony’s has proven fruitful and long-term.
“When we came out of COVID we needed trucks and we needed them quickly like everybody did and Hallam Trucks provided the lifeline we needed,” Tony recalls. “They provided us two
trucks within six weeks. That was part of having a good relationship and it certainly helps.”
The new management structure at Hallam Truck Centre also ts with the duty cycles now inherent in Future Recycling’s operations.
“We’ve been really happy in how they service the vehicles after hours and that’s encouraged us with their contract maintenance,” says Tony.
“They’ve also provided us with a new contract maintenance slant which drove us towards having that relationship where we want to operate the vehicles, however the maintenance side, which is not our skillset, we want to have a partner like DAF that can service and provide us with the backup we need to continue to keep our eet moving.”
Between the trucks primarily servicing recycling contracts for VISY and the CDS
‘Return-It’ program each night, daylight hours are mainly dedicated to scrap steel work. While the bulk bin application is mostly uniform, with new 23m3 and 31m3 containers purchased for the ‘Return-It’ account, there’s a diversity of industry segments the DAFs work across. The partnership with DAF, however, is not newly forged. The rst trucks in the eet, going back to when the business started out in Shepparton in 2008, were purchased from DAF. In fact, one of the original vehicles, after a $25,000 refurbish, was returned to the fold. That truck is now approaching nearly one million kilometres.
“It has been a reliable and hard-working truck although now in semi-retirement it’s mainly used nowadays as a spare,” says Tony. “It’s done its job well, safely, and ef ciently. That’s an indication of how well Future Recycling and Hallam Truck Centre have maintained the vehicle.”
When Tony joined the company in 2017 the eet, which now consists of 30 vehicles, was relatively small. Future Recycling also runs semi-tippers and six walking oors for the transfer stations with tray trucks also making up a small part of the growing eet. The company is Certi ed Carbon Neutral by Climate Active. That leaves little room for leniency in its maintenance procedures. Driver and eet safety along with Chain of responsibility is taken very seriously. “That’s one of the reasons why we’re constantly updating our eet,” says Tony. Truck OEMs are also continually updating their product. For operators and eet management that can sometimes be problematic when too many changes are made. Not so with the new generation DAFs where a familiarity in the interior design has carried over. That shouldn’t be underestimated according to Tony, who has seen rst-hand the dif culty some
drivers can have in adapting to too many changes in a vehicle’s operational pro le.
“When I drove the new DAF to our truck depot, I looked through the cabin and thought they haven’t changed the outlay in the cab to any great extent,” he says. “Modernised it, sure. The layout has remained driver friendly and quite easy to drive.”
Over a recent period, many OEMs tended to a vogue of extra trick gauges and microswitches. From his perspective, when teaching the merits of conservative engine braking and the effectiveness of using a retarder for fuel economy and braking is taking precedence, less is more for Tony.
“It’s very important for us to have a truck that you can work easily with and can rely on every time you sit in the cab,” he says. “Our DAFs have de nitely been that so far. After three years we have had no issues with them at all.”
Tasmanian manufacturer and supplier Clark Windows has just commemorated its 40th anniversary.
For four decades the family business, Clark Windows, has steadily built itself a reputation as a pre-eminent manufacturer and supplier of windows and doors for the Tasmanian housing market. Based out of Smithton, a town of 4,000 people in the state’s northwest, Clark Windows makes products for retail and wholesale customers from one of its manufacturing plants. There have been several over the years. On each occasion business has surpassed the capacity of the previous facility. It now operates an aluminium manufacturing plant, a powder-coating plant and a glass factory on a 5000m2 site it built in 2000. The date is important as it pre gures the most recent phase of growth the company is presently undertaking. Clark Windows now employs 70 staff state-wide. Aside from its head of ce
in Smithton, the company also runs a manufacturing facility in Launceston and sales of ces in Hobart. There are nine trucks in its operations, all of them from its preferred OEM, Isuzu. The eet started with an early model Isuzu NPR and over time the vehicles have evolved. They require a longer wheelbase as the products are carried on 7.2-metre trays for an L rack platform. The L racks are physically loaded on the ground straight from the production line with four racks to a truck. Weighing little more than 700kg each, the 90 degree shaped frames ensure the trucks are well under payload capacity rarely exceeding three tonnes. “We’ve never anywhere near the weight we can get to,” says Craig Clark, Co-owner and Co-founder. “On that type of system, we can turn around the truck in under half an hour before we drive off. We’ll
have the L racks loaded prior to the trucks even turning up. That’s our aim. That’s how we can turn trucks around quickly.” There’s pressure to do so given that they cover all of Tasmania. A driver swap-over system is employed, using other drivers, than those who deliver, to return the empty trucks in a co-ordinated piggy-back dispatch around the state.
“We’ve got this interchange system plotted out throughout Tasmania and it keeps our drivers at normal hours and keeps them fresher,” says Craig. “We’ve instigated this allocation system ourselves and it’s worked well for the better part of 20 years.”
The Launceston based trucks deliver straight to site whereas the Smithton trucks will swap over in Launceston or, halfway down in the middle of Tasmania with another driver, and he will advance
the products on the supply chain and deliver to site before turning around and swapping the truck the next day.
“It doesn’t matter where you go on a building site, they are never prepared fully for unloading your products,” says Craig. “It doesn’t matter if it’s in Tasmania or somewhere else in Australia.”
The challenge remains the same for anyone providing residential construction supplies: to get as close as possible to the slab where the frame is.
“The tray area is critical and keeping the tray as low as possible is the other critical factor for us for unloading on sites,” says Craig. “Each window has a reveal on it, making each item only 150mm.”
The reveal is a timber surround tted to the n of the window or door and used for installing the product into timber framing. In 2013, the state legislated that new homes would have to be built with a six-star energy rating. The outcome?
Nearly 98 per cent of windows in
Tasmania are now double glazed.
“We’re different to a lot of the other states in the fact that we don’t have any single glaze,” Craig explains. “Therefore, we have to strip our products back for manual handling as much as possible to make it easier on site for the chippies to t it and for us to unload.”
Low-cost housing, a segment Clark Windows supplies into, requires double glazed windows all the same.
“That’s how much it has taken over the industry,” notes Craig. “The running costs of the house are considerably cheaper and you can cool yourself just as easily as heat it with double glazed windows. It’s just the norm now.”
Craig established the business with his brother Glenn Clark in 1984. March 28 to be exact. There were no provisions for franchise expansion at the time.
“We were just doing local work which mainly entailed glass repairs, aluminium windows, a couple of shower screens and
bringing in lengths of material,” recalls Craig. “Then we grew to the northwest coast and started a sales of ce in Burnie. Our work subsequently picked up.”
Before he knew it Craig had ve staff on the books. That soon doubled. By 1998 they had already outgrown three factories. The purchase of a new land plot with a factory and an adjacent powder-coat plant was, considered at the time, the infrastructure required to set the business up for future growth. By then word had spread to Hobart where a volume homebuilding business was situated and approached Craig.
“They told me they had been hearing we were doing good work and that our products were great quality,” he recalls. “They asked if there was an opportunity to tap into our business. I thought about it for a while and agreed after a meeting.”
Clark Windows initially provided windows and doors for six builders in Hobart. It proved the catalyst not only
for a surge in growth but subsequently enormous exposure of their products, which Craig notes is one of the most diverse product ranges offered by a window company in Australia.
“We can do low-cost housing, upper market housing, bifolds, thermal break products,” he says.
Thermal break uses advanced technology to improve the energy ef ciency and noise insulation of homes. Commonly reinforced polyamide extrusions are used along with double glazing with warm edge spacers as barriers. Clark Windows is also a licensee of Bradnams. They’ve been with the privately owned Bradnams, who has greatly expanded its product portfolio, for 35 years as a licensee of their windows and doors. The national footprint includes Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales.
“We work closely with them in what we can do for the future,” says Craig. “We build it all, every one of those products ourselves.”
In time Craig anticipates they will do
more site glazing compared to carting nished products out of their factory. That’s inevitable when weight restrictions apply and a greater onus is placed on the safety around staff and equipment.
“Our industry is going to be forced to change the way that we do things compared to the other states because of the double glazed factors,” says Craig. “We’re going to be forced to nd ways to do site glazing faster and more economical so that we can feasibly drop the windows on site and they’re in the hole and you turn around and drive out.”
Aluminium is painted at the purposebuilt powder-coat plant. The extruded aluminium window frames come in a mill nish. For anyone who has attended a colour appointment upon completing a house build this is the process that allows them to choose between the likes of Monument or Woodland Grey.
Clark Windows powder coats to match production.
The powder-coat factory is in Smithton which provides an additional nancial
advantage given the cost of the land is signi cantly cheaper than in Hobart where much of the state’s industry is based.
“The great thing about that is also the people. Many of the people here are second generation people throughout our business,” explains Craig. “A lot of those people have been with us quite a while. It’s very easy in manufacturing to have someone with no skills to come in and train them.”
In Tasmania industry enjoys a more level playing eld. That helps insulate it from the boom or bust residential building cycles of the mainland according to Craig. “It bodes well for longevity not having the major peaks of NSW or Queensland or Victoria,” he says. “Sure, Tasmania has had builders go under in the last two years but not to the scale of the other states. But no matter which company goes under it affects the industry. It’s the same with accidents on site.”
Since that watershed moment in 2000, when the new factory was opened, the
business, Craig remarks, hasn’t looked back.
He won’t, however, speculate as to how many windows they have since produced.
“Now 24 years on from that there’s been a lot of windows come out from us,” says Craig. “It’s quite daunting to consider the fact that we started so small but with regular consistent growth over a few years how that has gotten us to where we are today.”
The partnership with Isuzu is the other major event that happened at the turn of the current century. The latest truck in the eet is an Isuzu FRR 110-240 with a factory automated manual transmission. Clark Windows deals directly with the team at Webster Trucks. It’s a healthy working relationship spearheaded by Cameron Smith and Bevan Coleman at the dealership.
“They are 12 months ahead of us in nding what upcoming requirements we are likely to need,” says Craig. “During COVID and the supply shortages we needed a new truck desperately and it looked like we would have to buy another brand.”
Alas it never happened. Mainly because Webster Trucks were prepared to move heaven and earth to meet Craig’s needs.
“They were adamant we were not going to purchase another truck brand,” recalls Craig. “Cameron found me another Isuzu somewhere in the country and delivered it on time and that’s the level of service they provide and a testament to our working relationship with those guys.”
Craig adds, “We’ve never ever had another truck brand — we’ve only ever bought their products.”
Shell is leading the way with the development of the Next Generation of heavy-duty diesel engine oils. Matt Urbanak discusses what we can expect to see soon.
Being an importer of truck engines, and their technology, makes Australia deeply vested in the changes to engine technology that inevitably nd their way to our shores. Right now, the key driver behind engine technology advancements is emissions legislation changes in both the USA and Europe, where Australia sources most of its heavy duty on-road diesel engines. Changes in engine technology, after all, have a ow on effect to the lubrication requirements. DPFs are one such area, having been introduced as part of tightening emission legislation applied to engine oils which have since required a chemical change to the lubricant additive technology.
In December 2022 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued legislation that would solicit stringent emissions standards for engine manufacturers to meet. These regulations will come into effect for engines in Model Years 2027 and later according to Matt Urbanak, Shell Lubricants Technologist.
“While it is still three years away, engine manufacturers are working hard on technology to meet the new standards,” he says. “The new standards are another step change in reducing emissions from heavy
duty diesel engines and include a 75 per cent reduction on Nitrous Oxide (NOx) emissions, and a 50 per cent reduction in Particulate Matter (PM).”
Matt Urbanak leads a team whose job it is to look at future engine technology changes, and then, focusing on the lubricant technology eld speci cally for heavy duty diesel engine oils, create formulations to help engines perform better with the new technology.
“The EPA are also phasing in stricter greenhouse gas emission standards, and placing more emphasis on service life of components,” he says. “Aftertreatment systems such as AdBlue systems and DPFs must achieve a longer service life.”
In the USA this will extend out from around 435,000 miles to 800,000 miles.
When weighed up, these changes mean heavy duty diesel engine oil will also need to change to help keep engines operating as their manufacturer intended. To that end, a number of US industry bodies collaborated to request a new engine oil category, called Proposed Category 12 (PC-12). PC-12 was formally endorsed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) in early 2022. In future, it is widely anticipated that it will become the most modern oil standard according to Matt.
OEMS are asking for even lower viscosity formulations.
“The current oil category, Proposed Category 11 [PC-11] was introduced in 2016 and covers the familiar names of API CK-4 and API FA-4 engine oils,” he says. “CK-4 was intended to cover engines manufactured around the 2016 timeframe, while the FA-4 standard was designed to ‘future-proof’ the oil category, to help protect more fuel-ef cient engines that at the time we knew were coming out in around 2020-2022. That has played out in the market as OEMs search for better fuel economy, more power and longer oil drain intervals, and existing oil was not designed to withstand the requirements of those engines.”
Australia has recently launched a brandnew Shell Rimula FA-4 oil formulation to coincide with the most modern truck engines arriving in country.
The new PC-12 oil category is expected to bring about several signi cant changes.
One of the most straight forward ways for an OEM to realise the emissions reduction targets is to burn less fuel. OEMs, as Matt explains, look at a wide range of technologies to help an engine achieve this objective, and one key method to achieve it is to use a lower viscosity engine oil.
“Lower viscosity engines oils mean less internal friction, meaning the engine expends less energy on internal friction, leaving more energy available to drive the truck wheels,” he says. “We have seen reduced viscosities under the API FA-4 standard, where 5W-30 and 10W-30 oils
are now common. Under the new PC-12 category, OEMs are coming to us asking to provide even lower viscosity formulations, such as 5W-20 and 0W-20 oils.”
One of the chief roles of Matt’s team is to formulate oils that can meet these lower viscosities. But that’s not all. They are also asked to provide engine protection against wear and deposit build up, greater resistance to high heat, offer extended oil drain intervals, and stay in-grade across a very long oil drain interval. The new oil category, of course, requires very high-quality base oils. An organisation the size of Shell has access to commercial quantities of consistent, high quality base oil.
“One of our biggest advantages at Shell is that we have some really advanced base oil manufacturing plants across the world,” says Matt. “Base oil makes up around 80 per cent of the ingredients in a drum of oil, so getting that part right is a critical rst step.”
Shell works closely with its additive suppliers to develop what is called an additive package, which contains the necessary chemical components to help provide the desired levels of wear, deposit, and oxidation protection in the harsh engine environment. These formulations are tested in a series of standardised engine tests and laboratory bench tests to assess that they meet a minimum level of protection before they are commercialised. There may also be
speci c eld testing that occurs on the formulations to assess performance in real world operating conditions. Ultimately, that combination of base oils and additive package, according to Matt, becomes the formulation which Shell will eventually commercialise in its Rimula product line.
“While this seems simple, this testing process can take several years to complete, which is why development work for the upcoming PC-12 category is starting so early,” he says.
OEMs approach Shell regularly seeking oil formulations that they can test in trial engines. This will precipitate discussions focused, post hoc, on engine characteristics and performance objectives. Following this Shell will make a recommendation on a formulation that it considers suitable. The OEM will then trial that formulation to ensure it meets the requirements, sometimes over millions of test miles.
“We work closely with the OEMs to re ne our formulations using cutting edge technologies to maximise engine performance and protection for their latest engines,” explains Matt. “Gone are the days where an oil will just do the job across lots of engines. New diesel engines are very complex, very ef cient and have very tight tolerances, and our Shell products need to mirror that, so that endusers know that the truck they’ve invested a lot of money in is being protected by products designed for that application.”
NAPA is about much more than just parts as its continuing commitments to safety, quality, scale and capability ably attests.
After almost a century in Australia gaining vast product knowledge, NAPA has become part of the country’s automotive heritage, offering heavy-duty products and services through its extensive network of branches. With the widest range across the largest branch network, NAPA is con dent that whatever aftermarket need you might have, it will have the right part and service.
As part of Global Parts Company, based in Atlanta Georgia, it combines the unique strengths of its fellow subsidiaries – Global Auto Spares and R&E Auto Parts and founding company, Ashdown-Ingram.
NAPA services trade, industrial and mining customers, and has become a goto destination for truck eets looking to ensure their vehicles stay on the road.
“We have mechanical and automotive electrical product know-how ingrained
in our DNA,” said NAPA National Industrial Sales Manager, Wesley Skewis. “We can provide the full offer for your workshop.”
Supported by an online catalogue, NAPA’s heavy-duty parts and accessories include OE replacement alternators and starter motors, auto electrical accessories, air conditioning, lubrication, service parts and braking, as well as smart technologies.
NAPA branches are located extensively
along the National Land Transport Network. When combined, they have more than 95 years of knowledge and experience and, as a by-product of this, it has been able to leverage national scale and international partnerships, providing cost and operational ef ciencies at a local level to ensure parts arrive on time as quickly and ef ciently as possible.
NAPA’s commitment to operating a safe business is deeply rooted into its company values. The company reports it is taking safety to new levels and by doing this it is ensuring continuous improvement and the safest possible environment for anyone interacting with a NAPA team member, product or initiative.
NAPA maintains an ISO 9001 accreditation which extends to its OE manufacturers, while leading brands and partners are encouraged to maintain the same certi cation. Quality products mean less down time.
NAPA has a comprehensive network of automotive part specialists who can respond to complex industry
“We have mechanical and automotive electrical product know-how ingrained in our DNA,” said NAPA National Industrial Sales Manager, Wesley Skewis. “We can provide the full o er for your workshop.”
NAPA National Industrial Sales Manager Wesley Skewis
requirements. Solving problems, providing technical expertise and valuable market insights is a priority with which it can provide its customers with the scale and capability that they depend upon. On the whole, NAPA aims to contribute to improved safety, increased productivity and pro t growth by presenting opportunities for customers that saves not only time but money. While parts are NAPA’s strength, they come with the application and technical knowledge needed for trucks of any size. At present the company offers everything from vendor rationalisation programs, a range of consolidation activities, OE alternative supply chain options, inventory
and vendor rationalisation and recommendations, strategic sourcing programs, eet pro ling and packaging, automation, vending solutions and freight aggregation.
In fact, NAPA’s e-commerce software, NAPA PROLink, is a comprehensive online catalogue and e-commerce platform that allows teams to accurately identify and order the right parts for eets and vehicles. It is designed to integrate into existing ERP/OCI systems to allow for 24/7 automated ordering. Features include searchable parts identi cation, live visibility of stock and price at the nearest NAPA outlet, as well as technical support through an easy to navigate platform.
Geotab and its partner, Logmaster, are on the verge of bringing a complete telematics and Electronic Work Diary solution to the Australian transport
At the beginning of last year, Geotab announced a partnership with leading Australian Electronic Work Diary (EWD) and fatigue compliance management systems provider, Logmaster. The agreement, a major milestone for Geotab’s investment cycle in the Australian market, promised the creation of a complete telematics and EWD solution for Australian eet and transport companies. Geotab is a relative newcomer to the local heavy vehicle industry – opening up shop in Australia in 2017 – but it has the resources to bring the right solution to the market. Now, it’s about packaging it up in a way which is attractive to the customer. “We really want to understand the market, listen to the voice of the customer, nd out what their ideal world looks like, and then bring in a solution to achieve it,” says Geotab APAC Associate Vice President Sales, David Brown. “We can tick the boxes today. We can absolutely do that. But how do we get better? How do we add more value to the customer, and how do we make it easier to get the data and make decisions?”
Geotab’s collaboration with Logmaster is a major step forward for heavy vehicle businesses. The plan is for Geotab to integrate its own application into the Logmaster EWD in the near future. This is part of a wider push by Geotab to make inroads into the heavy truck space in Australia.
“Our plan is really heavily dedicated to heavy trucks — really understanding what the customer wants to see and to line our product solution around what they want,” David says. “Towards the end of the year, we’re bringing on another heavy truck team as well to work internally, to start to progress in the heavy truck space.”
In terms of advancements in the Logmaster solution, though, the message both companies want to get out is how simple the collaborative EWD solution will be to use and the bene ts it can bring to both drivers and businesses as a whole.
David says it’s currently quite complex to manage drivers’ logbooks in each state because they all have different rulesets and fatigue management laws. The Logmaster and Geotab solution, however, will eliminate this.
“The fact that the logbook will be relevant to each state
is extremely important,” David says. “It will also give our customers the choice of how they want to have access to the application, whether it’s on ruggedised tablets, bring your own devices [BYODs], or on the driver’s phone. So, we look to make it a simple to use, easy to navigate, and a costeffective application for our customers, to give them the power of choice.”
One advantage of using EWDs, David says, is a reduced risk of logbook errors, which can lead to nes for businesses. The system helps prevent breaches with break alerts, where audible noti cations can be given to a driver to let them know when they’re set to take their rest break and in advance so that they can properly plan it.
EWDs also allow drivers to edit work and rest breaks before actually submitting them. For instance, if there is a delay in taking a break, operators can automatically override their own notes to justify the situation while still keeping the original notes on le.
Once EWDs become mandatory in Australia, David says, the Geotab and Logmaster solution will simplify compliance, while providing bene ts to businesses.
“For heavy trucks, it’s the complex
solution which provides a lot of different things,” he says. “As a truck owner, you would look to see where the truck is, how the truck is performing, what the fuel ef ciency is like.
“Our job at Geotab is to make things as easy as possible for the customer but also to provide the customer with a return on the investment that they’re putting in. With our Logmaster partnership we give the customer a holistic solution.” Geotab maintains partnerships that enable additional solutions. Many different companies and organisations fall under the Geotab umbrella, covering tyre pressure monitoring systems, camera solutions, and of course, logbooks through Logmaster to ensure compliance with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).
David says Geotab wants to be the preferred choice for heavy vehicle businesses, and it will rely heavily on user feedback to improve its products and services.
“At Geotab, we want to be better at it than anybody else right now,” he says.
“How we can do that all depends on the voice of the customer and the user experience of the customer. At the moment, we are doing a lot of research and meetings with clients, customers and the industry to understand what they have now, but also what they would like in the future. Logmaster, having that experience over many years in EWDs, is critical for us to understand what gaps are currently there.”
Going forward, Geotab will invest time, energy, and resources into the Australian marketplace to achieve this.
“We’re looking to expand our connection base and customer base in the region,” David says. “Our plan is focused on heavy trucks — really understanding what the customer wants to see and to align our product solution around what they want.
“We’re constantly looking several years ahead. We’re investing in the Australian marketplace, we’re investing in resources, and we’re getting industry experts in heavy trucks but also in other industries too.”
Tired drivers are in danger. Electronic work diaries are helping to solve the fatigue problem.
Fatigue is a killer on our roads. While the exact number of fatalities and serious injuries attributable to tired driving is hard to nail down, what’s clear is that factors like being awake continuously for 17 hours will impair a driver the same as if they had a blood alcohol reading of 0.05, or the legal limit for noncommercial drivers in Australia.
Staying awake for an entire 24-hour stretch is even worse, being the equivalent of a blood alcohol reading of 0.10, or well in excess for what’s lawful in the country for any driver. This is why the approach heavy vehicle drivers and their managers use for fatigue management is heavily regulated by the NHVR, with limits placed on how long a driver can continuously operate a truck before having a mandatory break.
In the past, heavy vehicle operators had to manually ll in a diary covering how long they’d been on the road, when they took their breaks and for what length of time. The traditional use of paper diaries has also been a major problem.
“It’s easy to make an error in an entry, or even to understand the rules which are complex too,” says Andrew Rossington, Teletrac Navman Chief Product Of cer.
“Knowing when you should be resting instead of driving or even picking up violations is reactive, meaning the driver has already exceeded limits and you’re reacting to the fact you found out, that is if you even gure it out.”
Falsifying records can also happen,
particularly if a driver is on a tight schedule and feels like they have no choice.
Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs) are helping transport operators solve the problem of fatigue. Developed over the past decade alongside telematics providers, regulators, industry specialists and professionals, EWDs provide a solution for fatigue management. Using an in-cabin device, drivers can easily log their time on the road and be noti ed when they’re due ahead of time to pull over for a well-earned rest.
Real-time fatigue monitoring is crucial for ensuring driver safety, especially in an industry where fatigue-related accidents are all too common. Drivers receive proactive alerts when rest breaks are required, helping them stay compliant with fatigue laws and regulations. Backof ce staff gain access to real-time data, allowing them to monitor driver fatigue levels, better allocate upcoming jobs, and take preventive action when necessary.
“By enhancing their fatigue management processes with the latest technology, companies can reduce the risk of incidents, improve compliance with regulations, and enhance overall productivity,” explains Andrew. “When the time comes for an audit, with proactive management of compliance and fatigue, they’ll be better prepared for a healthy 100 per cent pass, showing that they are doing everything practically reasonable to ensure safety.”
Teletrac Navman’s EWD is one of the
original solutions to be NHVR-approved, and the rst to offer AFM soon after. EWDs provide transport operators the opportunity for a central source of truth for fatigue information, eliminating the need to complete a written work diary. Even in remote areas with limited mobile network connectivity, EWDs can still be used to access fatigue information, regardless of their location. All the calculations for a driver’s fatigue are completed on the device itself, meaning the driver always has accurate and real-time fatigue rule information at any point in time. Combined with the TN360 system, eet managers receive advanced AI-based insights and analytics, allowing for a better understanding of fatigue patterns and compliance across the business.
EWDs provide drivers with the means to proactively manage their fatigue, including easy logging of driver start, stop, and rest times, advanced audio and visual alerts for rest breaks, and clear displays of work and rest events and fatigue rules.
Drivers are presented with a simple, informative, and real-time view of their own fatigue status, empowering them to make informed decisions about their work and rest schedules.
Port of Brisbane-based Jarratt Transport Solutions is one business to have had its operations positively transformed by the EWDs and eet management software supplied by Teletrac Navman. Drivers now have greater control over their work
and rest schedules, enabling them to manage fatigue effectively.
“Using electronic work diaries means our drivers are always aware of their fatigue schedule and know when they must take a break,” says Jarratt Transport Solutions’ Managing Director, Phil Jarratt.
As Jarratt’s EWDs provide an irrefutable digital record of driver fatigue management, it’s easy for the company to demonstrate to authorities they’re in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations if they must undergo one of the regular audits members of the industry are subject to. In fact, the business has been audited several times – there is no suggestion the company has behaved illegally – audits are simply part of doing business in the heavy transport sector. What’s more, the company has been granted a clean slate every time.
Fleet managers also bene t from realtime visibility into driver schedules, allowing for better allocation of resources and enhanced productivity.
By digitally storing documents, the need for cumbersome paperwork for regulatory purposes is eliminated, and administrative processes are streamlined.
The whole team at Jarratt Transport Solutions receives valuable metrics that provide coaching opportunities for drivers, fostering continuous improvement.
“We use Teletrac Navman’s EWDs and eet management solutions to provide our drivers with a scoreboard about how well they’re driving,” says Phil.
“The top-scoring driver every month gets a $500 bonus, but the reality is, that bonus is a drop in the bucket compared to the money we save from better driver behaviour and compliance.”
Comprehensive fatigue management solutions like EWDs help ensure drivers stay safe, compliant, and productive on the road. Companies like Jarratt Transport Solutions can approach fatigue management armed with the latest technology by providing real-time fatigue monitoring, advanced analytics, and easyto-use features.
Wade Lewis has over 20 years in the heavy vehicle industry and is on a mission to encourage more drivers from regional areas.
Wade Lewis has had a diverse career in road transport in roles including driver, business owner, operations manager, logistics manager, and trainer. Currently Wade owns and operates a small eet of tippers which carry mostly grain and stock feed, as well as Tamworth Car Carrying.
Prime Mover: You serve in a number of voluntary roles. What are they about?
Wade Lewis: I do a lot of work with industry peak bodies. I’ve been President of the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) since May 2022.
I’m also a member of the NSW Freight Transport Advisory Council and NSW Livestock Loading Scheme Training
Steering Committee. The LBRCA and the two businesses take up most of my time, and I also do some project work as a subject matter expert in the eld of logistics and stakeholder engagement in the agriculture sector.
PM: Programs such as the LBRCA Young Driver of the Year award encourage young people to take up driving. Is there more to be done?
WL: It is well documented that driver shortages and licence pathways continue to be peak challenges for the heavy vehicle industry. We have an ageing workforce, and our industry is not attracting drivers, particularly young people. Current licencing rules are a barrier to entry and the challenge is heightened in regional and rural areas where we have no opportunity as industry participants to employ school leavers.
PM: An NSW parliamentary inquiry into road transport released its ndings in February but the suggested reforms are likely to take at least two years to implement. Will it make a difference?
WL: That’s something we’ve worked on for a long time and nally we’ve got a parliamentary inquiry that has actually made some recommendations. At least we’ve got something now that’s going to hold some departments accountable. This process will have to go through parliament but at least we’ve got a recommendation from the Inquiry which has formally recognised the issues we’ve been battling for decades. That’s very encouraging.
PM: You’ve long been a supporter of an apprenticeship program for drivers particularly in the livestock and rural transport industries. Is this now getting any more traction?
WL: The situation is no one wants to take the risk at the end of the day. There is a tangible program we put forward that will quite obviously work, and they agree it will work, but no one in any type of power will take the risk to say ‘yes’ and that is because the jurisdictions are so risk adverse they don’t want to take that next step, which is strange because we in the industry are saying ‘we’re taking the risk not you’.
PM: Are there any precedents which demonstrate such a system is working?
WL: The stakeholders directly in the industry don’t have an issue with the proposal. But no one has wanted to take the risk politically and say, ‘yes I’ve allowed an under-skilled person to go on the road’. But then we point them to the Army which has 19-year-olds driving under supervision. So how is it OK for the Army, which still has to operate under the same road laws, to get around the system? It’s because they can get the time to perform the initial training and have a trainee pathway with forklifts and other light vehicles.
PM: What’s your proposal?
WL: In our proposal we’re providing the checks and balances and the CEO or the owner of the business is directly responsible for the trainee. We’re also saying the trainees have to get into the most technologically advanced vehicles that are available on the road with all the camera technology, with the data available, any time for auditing. There’s not much more we can do to make it an easier process.
PM: How many hours of instruction are you advocating for?
WL: AusRoads supports 16 hours, yet we’re saying 300 hours for a HC, then 200 hours for a B-double. That’s many times more hours than the government body says they want us to do. Yet no one will pick up on it.
PM: Have you widened the scope for potential participants?
WL: We’re happy now to have any entrant and we’ve conceded we don’t have to have a young person. That was one of the barriers for the bureaucrats, so let’s forget about anyone under 25, we’ll take on over-25s.
PM: Can you give me an example?
WL: I’ve got a former medical receptionist working for me and the young man is very bright. But hated working inside and wanted to be a truckie. He’s driving a rigid in the car carrying business and is an excellent driver, an excellent fatigue manager and all the rest of it, but I can’t put him in a semi for another 12 months. This kid could go tomorrow. Contrast that with the big increase of after- school childcare centres where a P plater can put up to 12 kids into a people mover van and drive them around town. What skills does that P plater have? With 12 little lives in there and all the distractions that come with it.
PM: Are you able to get a minister on board who is going to push through the reforms rather than waiting for every other state and territory to implement the apprenticeship scheme?
WL: I really don’t think we are going to see it until there is absolutely a
stoppage of product deliveries because we just don’t have those people there to drive the trucks. So instead of being proactive right now, they are going to be reactive when that happens. The problem is truck driving is not recognised as a profession so we can’t have a traineeship or indentured apprenticeship. Remember, the trainee doesn’t get paid any less money, we’re not asking anything from the government, and there’s no funding from the government. I did the math with three different operators at the LBRCA conference and it’s going to cost the business owner between $50,000 and $60,000 to get a new driver through the pathway we’re proposing.
PM: That’s a huge investment.
WL: Now that we can’t get that person indentured to the company providing the training, we can literally help them get their licence today and they could leave tomorrow. In my businesses I have nothing under a HC, and in regional areas they don’t have many heavy rigids or light rigids. There’s only a few operators who even have a forklift in their business so we can’t do the traditional progression from forklift to rigid to HC to B-double. That is why an on-the-job training pathway that we are proposing allows more opportunity for people to enter our great industry.
Roger Alm replaced Claus Nilsson as a member of Volvo’s Group Executive Board and President of Volvo Trucks early in 2019 and is a passionate driver of the company’s future directions.
Born in 1962, Roger Alm began his career with Volvo Trucks in 1989 as a design engineer and has progressed through the ranks including working as head of operations in Latin America and senior vice president of Volvo Trucks’ northern European operation.
Engineers are often either very taciturn or too verbose — there’s an old joke about ask an engineer the time and they’ll tell you how to build a watch. Neither is the case with Roger Alm. He might have the global colossus of Volvo Trucks to
run, yet he is able to articulate his deep understanding of, and commitment to, the net zero emission journey the organisation is travelling.
The year 2024 has already been a monumental one for Volvo Trucks with the launch of the completely new VNL platform into North America.
“This will be a game changer for the North American market,” Roger says.
“With the improved aerodynamics we are bringing down the fuel consumption on that product by up to ten per cent. We are improving the safety features, and we
are improving the driver comfort as well. I am extremely proud of what we have been doing because this is the biggest launch of products that we have ever had at Volvo Trucks.”
Paralleling the launch of the bonneted VNL for North America, Volvo also gained attention for its latest developments in its cabover models.
“For Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia Volvo has developed the FH Aero which is capable of reducing fuel consumption by ve per cent along with improved safety and comfort,” says Roger. “This
model is coming both with a combustion engine and also in an electric application and is the most energy ef cient truck that we have. We are also presenting an upgrade of the 16-litre engine [now 17-litres] to bring that up to 780 horsepower — the most powerful truck on the market.”
Manufacturing is also underway on a new FM with low entry, which will only be available in an electric application. Market acceptance and industry recognition have already brought delight and vindication to Volvo in relation to the recent models.
“Last year we were rewarded as [European] Truck of the Year for the FH Electric,” says Roger. “This was a great moment, extremely emotional and a source of great pride for all of us in the Volvo Group due to the fantastic work done by our entire community of engineers. This was the seventh time we got the award as Truck of the Year and the fourth time for the FH. We have now had the FH in production for 30 years and have sold more than 1.4 million units of this product. And we were the rst to receive the Truck of the Year award for an electric truck, and this is a great step into the new area in terms of fossil free applications.”
Despite its age, it seems the Volvo FH will be around for a while yet.
“It has been a successful product for more than 30 years and we will certainly continue with it for quite a time,” says Roger. “We love that truck!”
Roger calculates that all of the electric trucks Volvo has produced and delivered since 2019 have driven more than 35 million kilometres.
“That is approximately 900 laps around the world. That is massive, but we will continue to grow because it is so very important that we do,” he says. “We are very much focused and determined that we reach that zero emission target in 2040. To do that, we need to start today by offering all kind of products for many applications, for all kind of markets and for all kinds of customers.”
While the development of the 17-litre diesel engine for the Volvo FH may have surprised some industry pundits, Volvo Trucks has made no secret of its intention to further explore internal combustion engines which use alternative fuels.
“We will of course have electri cation, and we will also have the combustion engine, we will have LNG, we will have biogas, we will have HVO and a lot more than that,” Roger says. “We are standing strong and wide in offering our products and powertrains.”
Volvo as both a car and truck brand has a strong reputation for safety and Roger Alm sees that continuing as a key factor in future designs.
“Safety is in the DNA of Volvo Trucks and when we design things in our product offer it starts really with the driver and a safety focus,” he says. “For Volvo it started with the seat belt many years ago and since then we have really been innovative in terms of improving our safety applications.”
Globally, Volvo Trucks delivered approximately 145,000 trucks during 2023, about the same as it did the previous year in 2022 when it gained increased market share in 40 countries. “We have been able to hold that market share in 2023 and we are standing very
strong from a commercial business point of view and we therefore have the ability to make the investments we need to do into a complete new product range,” says Roger. “But it is just more than the product. We need to combine the product with all other service offers that we have, making bene ts for the driver and the operator to reduce cost because we need for them to have no problems.” It’s not enough to design, build and provide trucks, reliability and aftersales service are also critical factors for customers.
“We need to make sure that our trucks are operating on the road and we are providing the up-time and security to our customers so they can have the operational ef ciency and transport their goods,” Roger explains. “Then we will take care of the service, the maintenance and give them security by operating as the one entity. We have a distribution network of 2,300 service locations around the world. We need to make sure that they’re ful lling stand-out quality and competence to handle the business of Volvo Trucks. We have a very strong and competent network with 20,000 technicians working on the trucks every day to support our customers with uptime and have their trucks on the road.” Nor will it stop there according to Roger. “We will continue our journey to develop our products, to have innovation, to further improve our product offer, to further extend our ranges, to further lift Volvo products to become more fossil free, to become more energy ef cient, to reduce fuel consumption, to improve safety and also improve driver comfort,” he says. “You will see more innovation and you will see more product uptakes coming into the near future from Volvo Trucks.”
There’s a bigger picture at stake. It’s the environment which Roger Alm feels equally strongly about.
“We all know we cannot wait,” he says. “We have generations of children and grandchildren that we want to hand over what we have today in a better shape.”
ARTSA-i Data splits the heavy vehicle eet up according to state, region and postcode of registration. Insights into how regions and industries in those regions are travelling economically could be obtained from the registration trends for vehicle types that can be associated with particular industries. ARTSA Data classi es vehicle types according to Registration category, GVM/ATM and body type. This article focuses on state regions. We can go a lot deeper, but that would be a consulting report. The number of heavy vehicles per 100,00 population is important for assessing the size of the freight task. The population in each state is a measure of the number of consumers. Conversely, the drivers and mechanics to run the vehicles have to be found in that state population. The freight task is split between deliveries for local consumption, deliveries to transfer goods via the state and deliveries to take export product out of the country. The local delivery task is probably dependent on the population in the state and the income level of that population. I will call the number of heavy vehicles per 100,00 people “the vehicle type population density”. There are some conclusions that can be drawn from the population density graphs for various vehicle types: Graph 1 shows that on a per-capita basis the single-trailer prime mover density is highest in South Australia. This may re ect SA’s role as the conduit state
Graph 1 - Heavy Prime Movers for Single Trailers (SP) per 100,000 people
Graph 1 - Heavy Prime Movers for Single Trailers (SP) per 100,000 people
VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
Graph 2 - Heavy Prime Movers for Multi-combinations (MC) per 100,000 people
Graph 2 - Heavy Prime Movers for Multi-combinations
VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
between western and eastern Australia. The state with the largest number of prime mover registrations (single and multi-combination) is Victoria (34,586 which is 27 per cent of the Australian total). The term ‘Heavy’ in these graphs
Considering heavy trailers, Queensland and Victoria have about the same number registered at about 75,000 (about 24 per cent of the total). NSW (63,780 – 20 cent) again under-performs considering its population and economic size. Graph shows that the outstanding jurisdiction on a per capita basis is…Northern Territory.
The predominant trailer types in Northern Territory are semi-trailers and dolly
number 20 per Graph 3 Territory. dolly trailers
5 - Lead Trailers per 100,000 people
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26% of the Australian total). Next for multi-combinations is NSW (21 per cent). While NSW has a greater population and a larger economy than the other states, it is not the prime mover capital state of Australia. That title might arguably go to Western Australia, which has a higher prime mover population density and higher total number (16,183, 13 per cent of the total population). It is notable that Western Australia also has the highest per capita gross product per capita. Obviously, that is due to mining revenue and a lot of volume is moved by train and pipeline rather than by trucks. However, WA is a truckin’ state!
Graph 5 - Lead
people
AUS NSW VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
Heavy Rigid Trucks are the largest heavy vehicle category. The total number of rigid trucks is 217,000 which greatly exceeds the number of prime movers. Heavy rigid trucks are used for intrastate and local freight delivery. NSW has more rigid trucks (57,243 or 26 per cent) than other jurisdictions, which reflects the nature of its economy. The population density of Australian heavy rigid trucks is shown in Graph 6.
AUS NSW VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
6 - Heavy Rigid Trucks per 100,000 people
Considering heavy trailers, Queensland and Victoria have about the same number registered at about 75,000 (about 24 per cent of the total). NSW (63,780 – 20 per cent) again under-performs considering its population and economic size. Graph 3 shows that the outstanding jurisdiction on a per capita basis is…Northern Territory. The predominant trailer types in Northern Territory are semi-trailers and dolly trailers (Graph 4). Lead trailer registrations indicate the level of B-double combinations in the population of trailers. Graph 5 shows that B-doubles are rare in the ‘roadtrain states‘ of Western Australia and Northern Territory.
Heavy Rigid Trucks are the largest heavy vehicle category. The total number of rigid trucks is 217,000 which greatly exceeds the number of prime movers. Heavy rigid trucks are used for intrastate and local freight delivery. NSW has more rigid trucks (57,243 or 26 per cent) than other jurisdictions, which reflects the nature of its economy. The population density of Australian heavy rigid trucks is shown in Graph 6.
Heavy Rigid Trucks are the largest heavy vehicle category. The total number of rigid trucks is 217,000 which greatly exceeds the number of prime movers. Heavy rigid trucks are used for intrastate and local freight delivery. NSW has more rigid trucks (57,243 or 26 per cent) than other jurisdictions, which re ects the nature of its economy. The population density of Australian heavy rigid trucks is shown in Graph 6.
VictoriaQueensland Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
means that the vehicle has a gross rating exceeding 12 tonne. The data used in this article is current for Q4 in 2023. Graph 2 shows that for multi-combination prime movers the peak population density jurisdictions are Northern Territory and South Australia. Both are centrally located in Australia. These graphs hide the total situation. Victoria has 14,424 multi-combination registrations (about
The ARTSA-i database allows connections to be identi ed between registration category totals, vehicle type and location at state, region and postcode level. ARTSA-i is working to improve its understanding of the connections between registrations and industry freight activity.
The ARTSA -I database allows connections to be identified between registration category totals, vehicle type and location at state, region and postcode level. ARTSA-i is working to improve its understanding of the connections between registrations and industry freight activity.
VictoriaQueensland
Western…SouthAustralia Tasmania Northern… ACT
Dr Peter Hart, ARTSA-i Life Memberprimemovermag.com.au
In February the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Catherine King and the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Chris Bowen announced the release of the Australian government’s Light Vehicle Ef ciency Standard Consultation Paper for new vehicles. The Consultation Paper was developed jointly by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) and the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DoIT). With DoIT taking the lead, as the regulation will be implemented as a motor vehicle directive.
The Truck Industry Council (TIC) and its members, the truck manufacturers, importers and distributors in Australia are committed to the Australian Government’s objective of reducing transport carbon emissions. Collectively providing heavy vehicles today in Australia that provide the market with the latest technologically advanced low and zero emission truck models. In 2023, there were six truck manufacturers marketing models of low and zero emission vehicles in Australia. In 2024 at least four more TIC members will roll out new low and zero emission truck and van models. The transition to a low carbon road freight future in Australia has well and truly begun.
While the intent of the government’s proposed Light Vehicle Ef ciency Standard is to improve the CO2 performance of light vehicles, with the Consultation Paper detail that all vehicles below 3.5t GVM will be captured by the Vehicle Ef ciency Standard, the Paper also detailed that “some” vehicles between 3.5t and 4.5t GVM would also be captured. This is the rst time that light trucks and the heavy end of the van sector have been agged as being in scope of such pending CO2 regulations. However, the Consultation Paper details that it is not the government’s intent to capture “working trucks and vans” in the Vehicle Ef ciency scheme. In fact, the Paper lists the type of applications that would be excluded for vehicles above 3.5t GVM, this includes, freight/cargo trucks and vans, emergency services vehicles, military vehicles, law enforcement vehicles, agricultural vehicles, construction and mining vehicles, motorhomes, horse trucks and passenger busses/vans. No doubt this is not an exhaustive list, with the potential for more “working truck and van” applications to be added. It is a well-known statement that ‘without trucks Australia stops’. Never was this more evident than during COVID. The trucks sold by TIC members delivered our most basic needs; foodstuffs and medicine as examples, maintained refuse services and transported construction materials to keep essential building projects progressing, ensuring Australia’s economy did not falter and our high standard of living was maintained. Our geography and decentralised
population centres create a unique freight challenge, in which road transport plays the primary role.
Excluding bulk commodities (example minerals, resources), road transport constitutes 80 per cent of Australian freight. Almost everything bought, or sold, in Australia has been on a truck at one time or another before it is in the hands of a consumer. So, while noting the government’s ambition, it must be remembered that the truck sector provides an essential role/service to society and the economy and that a transition strategy to a low carbon future that is too ambitious will add expense to the road transport sector, increasing the cost of freight, fuel in ation and make our exported goods less competitive in the global marketplace.
In the short to mid-term, governments, federal, state and local, can actively assist the take-up of new low and zero emission trucks by removing Australian unique barriers such as restrictive vehicle dimension and mass regulations. This will allow new globally designed low and zero emission trucks to operate ef ciently on our road networks. These measures and not Vehicle Ef ciency Standards placed on trucks and vans, will better support the transition that is already underway to a sustainable road freight sector. A transition that will see our ageing diesel truck eet replaced with new, greener, safer and cleaner and trucks. An outcome that will bene t Australia and all Australians.
Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council
STUART ST CLAIR
The passage of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing the Loopholes) Bill 2023 marks a signi cant milestone for the transport industry in Australia. When enacted into law, we can anticipate a transformative shift towards greater fairness, equality, and ef ciency within the sector. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless efforts of various organisations and stakeholders who have worked diligently over many months to advocate for its implementation.
As the National Secretary of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO), I am proud to have been part of this collaborative effort alongside esteemed organisations such as NatRoads, TEACHO, the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), and the National Road Freighters’ Association. Together, we have championed legislation that not only bene ts our industry but also upholds the rights and well-being of those working within it. The establishment of the Road Transport Advisory Group (RTAG) within the Fair Work Commission, is a crucial step towards addressing longstanding issues of inequality and unfairness within the workplace and contractual chains of the transport industry. By providing a platform for stakeholders to raise speci c concerns and collaborate on solutions, the RTAG promises to be a catalyst for positive change and improvement. One of the primary reasons why the
Closing the Loopholes legislation is a boon for the transport industry is its focus on safety standards. Transport carries inherent risks, and it’s imperative that stringent safety measures are in place to mitigate these risks. Loopholes in existing regulations have often allowed corners to be cut on safety protocols, jeopardising the lives of workers and the public. By closing these loopholes, the legislation sets a higher standard for safety compliance, thereby reducing the likelihood of accidents and ensuring the well-being of all stakeholders.
Moreover, the legislation promotes fairness and transparency. Loopholes have historically enabled some parties to gain an unfair advantage over competitors by exploiting regulatory gaps. This not only distorts market dynamics but also undermines the integrity of the industry. By levelling the playing eld and holding all players to the same set of standards, the legislation fosters healthy competition and encourages innovation while curbing unethical practices.
Critics may argue the legislation imposes additional burdens on businesses, sti ing growth, and innovation. However, such concerns disregard the long-term bene ts of a more regulated and responsible transport industry. By prioritising safety, fairness, and environmental sustainability, the legislation lays the groundwork for a more resilient and future-proofed sector. Through our membership in ARTIO, the VTA has played a pivotal role in
advocating for the legislative reforms necessary to create a more effective framework for addressing industrial relations gaps within the industry. The passage of this legislation is a testament to the power of collective action and demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations come together to pursue a common goal.
It is important to recognise that the bene ciaries of these ongoing improvements will not only be current industry participants but also future generations of business operators, drivers, and logistics workers. By enacting measures that promote fairness, equality, and safety, we are laying the foundation for a more sustainable and inclusive transport industry that will continue to thrive for decades to come.
Peter Anderson CEO, VTA
At Isuzu, we’ve always taken great care of our customers. We’re Australia’s number one truck… an honour we’ve held for over three decades.
February is the shortest month, albeit with an extra day due to this being a leap year, yet solid sales of new trucks in the Medium and Heavy Duty categories indicate that the industry is already establishing good momentum in 2024 and not just due to an extra 24 hours in the month. According to the Truck Industry Council (TIC), total sales across all three truck categories of 3,004 new units took the year-to-date (YTD) accrual to 5,215, which moved the de cit compared with 2023’s record results, from being 7.0 per cent down at the end of January, to 4.3 per cent behind at the end of February.
in the Middle East will translate into delivery delays as ships are persuaded to take the much longer trip around the Cape of Good Hope in order to access the southern hemisphere. Asian manufacturers are facing their own challenges with port delays at both ends of the shipping chain, exacerbated by the increasing need to fumigate even new vehicles arriving in Australia in order to protect our vital agricultural industries.
That means more businesses put their trust in us than any other truck brand.
We understand that reputations are riding on us and that’s why Isuzu Care is more than just an aftersales service package.
It’s part of our DNA.
From day one, we support customers and demonstrate that reliability is everything. We pride ourselves on being proactive and always going the extra mile.
And as we look to new frontiers, we’re finding new ways to help our customers exceed their goals.
Isuzu Care is what sets us apart.
Always has, always will.
The Light Duty category was the only one to show any comparative constriction, with the total for February of 1,047 units being 20.9 per cent less than February 2023’s result (-20.9 per cent). The category’s 2,351 YTD accrual shows 486 less new Light Duty trucks for the year so far (-20.7 per cent). Moving up to Medium Duty results, the category delivered 649 new trucks during February, up 23.1 per cent (+122 units) from last year and the YTD total of 1,089 units shows an increase of 16.7 per cent (+156 units).
The Australian Heavy Duty truck market is a phenomenon and continues to surge upwards showing 1,308 new trucks delivered during February, a 6.9 per cent increase on February 2023’s result (+84 units) and taking the 2024 YTD total to 2,256 which is 4.1 per cent more than for the rst two months of last year (+88 units).
Considering that many of these deliveries were for vehicles ordered up to two years ago, the Heavy Duty dealers are looking to have another great year in terms of sales of big trucks.
Vans which fall under TIC’s purview had an excellent month in February with 556 new units, 30.8 per cent more than during last February (+131 units) and the YTD total of 832 vans keeps the accrual at 29.8 per cent more than at this point in 2023.
This year is not going to be without its challenges for the new commercial vehicle market in Australia. Demand doesn’t look to be much of an issue, but it is supply that is likely to have an impact on results. Various geopolitical situations around the globe have been affecting the vehicle component supply chain for some time.
Ukraine was the source of vital items such as wiring harnesses for a number of European vehicle manufacturers and has been affected by the Russian con ict, and the escalating problems for shipping
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