Prime Mover June 2021

®

June 2021

Mills Freightlines Long Term Grains

JUNE 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 05

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Kurmond Feed & Freight Feature: Club Assist Showcase: Fatigue Management Personality: Peter Frazer

Innovation Fleet: Simon National Carriers Feature: ABC Transport Test Drive: Volvo FH 13-litre Delivery: FedEx Express

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

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 63-77.

MAGAZINE

®

June 2021

MEET THE TEAM

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.

Mills Freightlines

John Murphy | CEO

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

Long Term Grains

JUNE 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 05

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Kurmond Feed & Freight Feature: Club Assist Showcase: Fatigue Management Personality: Peter Frazer

Innovation Fleet: Simon National Carriers Feature: ABC Transport Test Drive: Volvo FH 13-litre Delivery: FedEx Express

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

Delivery Magazine inside: Pages 63-77.

MAGAZINE

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

william.craske@primecreative.com.au

William Craske | Editor

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

managing editor,

transport group

Luke Applebee luke.applebee@primecreative.com.au

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

business

Ash Blachford

development ash.blachford@primecreative.com.au manager

0403 485 140

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

design production

manager

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

client success manager

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

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

Ashley Blachford | Business Development Manager

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

www.primemovermag.com.au

Kerry Pert, Madeline McCarty

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

Paul Matthei | Senior Journalist

design

head office 11-15 Buckhurst Street

South Melbourne VIC 3205

P: 03 9690 8766

F: 03 9682 0044 enquiries@primecreative.com.au

subscriptions

03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Prime Mover magazine is available by subscription from the publisher.

The right of refusal is reserved by the publisher.

Annual rates: AUS $110.00 (inc GST).

For overseas subscriptions, airmail postage should be added to the subscription rate.

articles

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher.

The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

copyright

PRIME MOVER magazine is owned and published by Prime Creative Media.

All material in PRIME MOVER magazine is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

The opinions expressed in PRIME MOVER magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

CONTENTS

Prime Mover June 2021

54 46

38

24 76

COVER STORY “We are a family business and we care about what we do and how we service our customers and that’s how we’ve stayed in business. It’s because we care and we actually try to service the customers as we would like to experience service ourselves.”

30

EUROPEAN VOCATION

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS

TEST DRIVE

24 Long Term Grains Daimler-backed commercial vehicles are a common thread running through the many interesting and divergent operations of the Mills family businesses, which recently expanded its stable with a new 560hp Freightliner Cascadia.

54 Gravity’s Rainbow A key element in Volvo’s Euro 6 line up is a 13-litre engine which utilises turbo compounding technology to recover energy typically wasted through the exhaust.

30 European Vocation A respected road freight operator of over 50 years, Simon National Carriers, recently deployed six new Scania R 540s into its European-only linehaul division.

34 All the Pretty Horsepower Kurmond Feed and Freight provides the connection to get valuable livestock fed throughout all seasons. The industry, however, is undergoing change via social media trading.

TRUCK & TECH 38 Fruits of Labour A procession of ABC Transport roadtrains embark on a seasonal trek to bring watermelons from the Northern Territory to the rest of Australia.

42 Taking Charge Celebrating 30 years in business this year, Club Assist offers a comprehensive car battery replacement service for customers across Australia. For its most rigourous operation in Western Australia, the company relies on a new Isuzu FSD 140-260, which travels up to 3,000km per week.

Regular Run 06 From the Editor 08 Prime Mover News 58 Personality 60 Prime Movers & Shakers 63 Delivery 78 Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association Life Members 80 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 82 Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds 83 Australian Logistics Council 84 Trucking Industry Council 85 Victorian Transport Association 86 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Safety in Numbers

William Craske Editor It was around 2007 that driver distraction as a road safety issue leapt into our loungerooms courtesy of the Transport Accident Commission. Its shock and awe approach to galvanising the public around its ‘Distracted Drivers are Dangerous’ campaign paved the way to a steady filmography of vivid and mostly horrific simulated collisions and crashes nominally reserved in real life for paramedics, police and fire crews. In the effective TV ad, a range of distractions, unnecessary to the practical responsibility of driving a passenger vehicle, are dramatised — mobile phone use, a dropped child’s toy and operation of a CD player. Each is directly correlated to a near-miss or worse.

A decade on, driver inattention or distraction was again in the crosshairs when it was found as the cause of 39 per cent of major truck incidents in 2018, up from 29.6 per cent in 2017, according to a study from NTI’s National Truck Accident Research Centre.

While it’s nigh on impossible to ignore the profound behavioural changes digital connectivity has ushered into our everyday lives, the integration of

6

j u n e 2 0 21

cellular phones, satellite navigation, touchscreens and Bluetooth, none of which can be said to improve driver distraction, is to this day apparently a non-issue. Of course, one might argue the prevalence of Lane Keeping, Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Warning and other safety technology as a suite of features – call it a corrective – helps to offset the others. To my knowledge the person who wants to die on that hill has yet to come forward.

Automation in transport is nothing new and each of these systems, now mandatory on many of the latest commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles, utilises programmable technology whose system relieves the driver of control of the vehicle. This of course is a good thing in response to an approaching collision. However, drivers are also proven to become less vigilant when they have less governance over the vehicle. Focus wanes. Responses dull.

Attention is no longer concentrated strictly on the important task of driving.

The logic of automation is totalising according to author Matthew Crawford, who has observed that with each stage of increased automation, “remaining pockets of human judgment and discretion appear as bugs that need to be solved”. In what he calls the “safety industrial complex”, Crawford contends there are no limits to its expanding dominion. Truck driving, of which there is an ongoing shortage of operators, is considered one of the most dangerous occupations in Australia. Right now many OEMs and tech startups around the globe are in the process of evaluating different forms of automation in commercial vehicles as the task of moving enormous

freight volumes mushrooms. It should not come as a surprise that Crawford is a vocal opponent of automation. An automobile and motorcycle mechanic, Crawford, who has a PHD in political philosophy from the University of Chicago, argues in his bestselling book Shop Class as Soulcraft (2009) that our happiness is contingent on losing ourselves in “work that is genuinely useful and has a certain integrity to it”.

Crawford views skill and responsibility as undergirding principles of the type of self-government that decides the sort of regime of mobility we will inhabit.

To what lengths can we continue to forego skill and abdicate responsibility if safety alone is the all-encompassing measurement? In this regard, life on the road is also tantamount to life outside of it. What do we surrender each time we defer responsibility for our protection to others?

A motorcycle apparel company provides a glimpse into the future. Klim has designed an airbag vest for motorbike riders and people who undertake dangerous exploits. For the vest to work, in which a detection module made by a French company senses a coming crash and inflates the bag, the company is charging a premium. A monthly subscription-based service is offered to make it manageable for those who can’t afford an annual lump sum. But don’t miss a payment or it will actively disable the safety features. Some would say it’s a new twist on paying extra for safety.

*

*Based on severity bands obtained using min/max fuel burn categorisations from 9 different American & European OEMs

www.castrol.com/severitytest

MAXIMISE YOUR DRAIN INTERVAL MAXIMISE YOUR PROFIT

PRIME NEWS

>Freightliner Cascadia introduces head-protecting airbag Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Freightliner Australia will launch a headprotecting side airbag on the Cascadia later this year it has announced. This makes it the only truckmaker to offer a head-protecting side airbag in a bonneted truck in Australia.

The move further extends its safety leadership in the conventional truck class as it remains at present the only bonneted truck in Australia to be fitted with a steering wheel mounted airbag according to parent company Daimler.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, said Daimler is excited to further advance safety in the conventional truck class in Australia.

“There is no good reason why conventional truck drivers in Australia should not be able to drive a truck fitted with the latest safety features,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are driving a truck with or without a bonnet, your

Cascadia will launch the head protecting side airbag later in 2021.

8

j u n e 2 0 21

safety is just as important.”

The Cascadia’s head-protecting side airbag has been specially developed for the Australian market with partner RollTek by IMMI to ensure it caters for local preferences. As a result, it can be used with standard Cascadia ISRI seats. In the United States, the RollTek airbag system is seat-mounted, while the seatbelts are mounted to the truck’s B-pillar.

Australian drivers prefer the belts to be tethered to the seat instead of the B-pillar, allowing the belts to move up and down with the seat and the driver, which is incompatible with the US seat-based airbag deployment system.

RollTek instead developed an Australian head-protecting airbag that is mounted on the truck’s B-pillar.

Freightliner Trucks Australia Pacific Director, Stephen Downes, said the company is committed to raising the bar in the conventional truck class.

“A conventional truck with fully integrated advanced safety technology like Detroit Assurance 5.0 and not one, but two airbags, is exactly what many of our customers have been asking for in this class,” he said. “When this life-saving technology is available for Cascadia, but none of its rivals, not even the most recent additions, the Cascadia is the only choice for customers who care about safety. Considering the Cascadia’s fantastic fuel economy and advanced comfort, the new safety addition only makes the business case stronger.”

The Cascadia comes standard with the Detroit Assurance 5.0 safety package, which features AEBS and adaptive cruise control as well as Tailgate Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Intelligent High Beam, while Automatic Wipers and Headlamps are also standard.

Customers are able to order the new head-protecting side airbag later this year.

ALL-NEW HINO 700 SERIES ARRIVING SOON.

THE EXPANDED RANGE IS SAFER AND CLEANER THAN EVER.

With an expanded model range to suit more applications, the all-new Hino 700 Series is set to redefine what you can

XAVIER_HINO37908.7_PM

expect from a heavy-duty truck. It boasts the most comprehensive active safety package via Hino SmartSafe. Featuring Pre-Collision System with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Vehicle Stability Control, LED Headlamps, and Daytime Running Lamps, plus a suite of other standard safety features. The all-new Hino 700 Series meets Euro 6 exhaust emission standards, which makes it the cleanest Hino heavy-duty truck ever. And with a choice of either a true automatic or an automated manual transmission, it makes driving easier and more enjoyable. Be the first to see the next generation Hino

700 Series. It’s safer, cleaner, and built for the future. Visit hino.com.au.

PRIME NEWS

> Isuzu Group Parts Manager retires after 53 years The retirement announced this week of Brisbane Isuzu’s Group Parts manager marks the close of a 53-year career.

For over half a century Peter Niewand has worked in the automotive parts industry starting as a junior in the Preston Motors Parts department in Melbourne where he remained for five years before embarking on a 30-year tenure across several Holden dealerships. In 1998 he joined Brisbane Isuzu in the role of Parts Manager.

“It was just such a great place to work, I never left,” Niewand said. “I never left.”

He was promoted to Group Parts Manager in 2001 and continued to consistently deliver key contributions which helped the Brisbane Isuzu Dealership become one of the most competitive truck dealerships in the nation. Niewand refers to setting up the parts department for Brisbane Isuzu as one of the most challenging and rewarding periods of his career.

“Other highlights include helping the dealership become appointed as the primary Queensland Parts distributer in 2001, after which the company set up new branches at Eagle Farm and Burpengary,” he said.

“Isuzu Trucks is a great brand. To be

John Plunkett, Peter Niewand and John Borsboom.

the highest volume seller in Australia for over 32 consecutive years can only be the result of a true quality product and amazing team effort,” said Niewand.

“The interaction with my colleagues, the processes, contact with customers. I’ll miss all of that. I feel truly blessed to be a part of the brand and its success.”

Niewand performed every task with passion, and always had Isuzu’s interest at heart according to John Borsboom, Isuzu Truck’s Queensland Parts Zone Manager.

“It was a privilege to work with Peter, who was not only very experienced but was

more than happy to share his knowledge with the rest of the dealer network,” he said. “We have all benefited from his skills and been inspired by his dedication and infectious passion to the Isuzu brand”.

John Plunkett, Isuzu Australia Limited’s National Parts Manager concurred with those sentiments.

“Peter is a stalwart within the Isuzu Parts family, and we congratulate him on a standout career,” said Plunkett. “I take this opportunity to thank him for his tireless efforts, hard work and loyalty to the Isuzu brand and wish him the very best in this next stage of life.”

> Volvo names new Mack Trucks Australia Vice President

Tom Chapman.

10

j u n e 2 0 21

Volvo Group Australia today announced it had filled the position of Vice President, Mack Trucks Australia. Tom Chapman, an appointment from within the company, will take the mantle.

Since 2015 he was worked in a variety of roles mainly across marketing and communications. More recently Chapman worked in branded commercial support roles within the VGA retail network.

“Throughout his time within the VGA business Tom has demonstrated an impressive ability to drive change, find solutions and support both our dealers and our customers,” said Martin Merrick, President and CEO, Volvo Group

Australia. “Tom’s drive, enthusiasm for the Mack brand, and his commitment to customer success make him perfectly placed to steer Mack Trucks Australia into an exciting future.

“Mack is in excellent hands as our transformation journey continues to take shape here in Australia. Our new Australian-made Mack range has hit the road with excellent initial feedback from customers driving these trucks for the first time.

“We look forward to seeing Mack continue to evolve under the stewardship of both Tom and the wider Mack team as we power into a rapidly changing future for road transport.”

SPICER SELECT

TRUSTE D QUALITY AFTE RMARKET DRIVETRAI N PRODUCTS For more information contact Dana on 1300 00 DANA or visit us at www.Dana.com.au

Strength • Power • Endurance

PRIME NEWS

> Mercedes-Benz Trucks launches Level 2 automation local validation program An Australian validation program for an Actros that can help steer itself has been launched by MercedesBenz Trucks. The Active Drive Assist technology enables SAE Level 2 partially automated driving capability; a first for Australian heavy trucks. The MercedesBenz Trucks validation program will consist of 20 trucks, including 15 units in Australia and five in New Zealand.

These trucks will operate with a wide range of customer fleets, clocking up substantial kilometres on various roads across both countries.

The Active Drive Assist system, according to Mercedes-Benz Trucks, helps to steer the truck and keep it in the centre of its lane, although the driver is still required to hold the steering wheel. This makes it one step ahead of some current systems that can guide a wandering truck back into the lane.

In this iteration, the Mercedes-Benz Trucks system actually proactive rather than reaction as it helps to steer the truck thus preventing it from shifting outside the lane. It does this by using

cameras to monitor the edge of the road and lane markings, and uses that data to help operate the electro-hydraulic steering system. The driver can overrule Active Drive Assist at any time and is able to turn off the system.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has already had a handful of Actros models with Active Drive Assist operating in customer trucks during the last few months and the feedback has been positive.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific Director, Andrew Assimo, says the Active Drive Assist technology is promising.

“Mercedes-Benz is always looking for new technology to boost safety and reduce fuel consumption and emissions and we think Active Drive Assist could deliver genuine benefits to our customers,” he said. “Level 2 automation has the potential to deliver a major safety boost and make life easier for drivers by helping to help reduce fatigue, so naturally we are very keen to validate how the system operates on Australian roads.”

Active safety aids standard on the

Actros such as the Active Brake Assist 5 advanced emergency braking system, active cruise control and lane departure warning, according to Assimo, have been embraced by operators.

“More and more customers are placing increased importance on advanced active safety features that can help protect truck drivers and other road users,” he said. “Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront with fully-integrated active safety systems in Australia and we intend to continue this leadership.”

Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia will examine customer feedback and data from the validation vehicles before making a decision on whether to add Active Drive Assist as an option in the local market. Mercedes-Benz Trucks launched a new Actros model mid last year, which introduced new technology including Multimedia Cockpit tablet screens, Predictive Powertrain Control, which uses GPS and topographic information to optimise gearshifts and coast when safe, and the optional MirrorCam mirror system.

Up to 15 Mercedes-Benz Actros units will take part in the validation program in Australia.

12

j u n e 2 0 21

the new benchmark in six-cylinder performance With a massive 2700Nm of torque the benchmark for 13-litre six-cylinder engine performance has just been reset. With a standard rating of 75,000kg, and generating maximum torque at low revs, it’s well equipped to take on the most demanding task with a minimum of fuss.

Throw in Scania’s renowned fuel efficiency and advanced safety features, including side curtain airbags, and luxury interior and you’ve got a package fit for the only business that matters. YOURS.

For more information on the all-conquering 540hp simply contact your nearest Scania branch/dealer.

VICTORIA Scania Campbellfield Tel: (03) 9217 3300 Scania Dandenong Tel: (03) 9217 3600 Scania Laverton Tel: (03) 9369 8666

NEW SOUTH WALES Scania Prestons Tel: (02) 9825 7900 Midcoast Trucks Coffs Harbour Tel: (02) 6652 7218

QUEENSLAND Scania Richlands Tel: (07) 3712 8500 Scania Pinkenba Tel: (07) 3712 7900

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Scania Wingfield Tel: (08) 8406 0200 WESTERN AUSTRALIA Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500

PRIME NEWS

> Ballarat construction company increases Cascadia fleet to six

Freightliner Cascadia 116 with 13-litre Detroit engine.

Clifford Brick and Tile has added a further four new Freightliner Cascadias to its fleet. This follows an impressive run of fuel burn figures for the Ballaratbased family business on the pair of initial Cascadia units it purchased along with three Mercedes-Benz Actros models last year. Brothers Peter, Neil and John Clifford have run the company since 1976.

“Our trucks are running with a load of bricks, all over suburban Melbourne, often in heavy traffic, with a forklift sitting on the back which is not great for economy, but the Cascadia is proving to be very economical,” Peter Clifford said. “That’s part of the reason we were keen to order four more,” he said.

The Clifford Cascadias are 116 models with a 36-inch sleeper and a 13-litre Detroit six-cylinder pumping 14

j u n e 2 0 21

out 505hp and 1850lb-ft of torque that meet the Euro 6-equivalent US emissions (GHG17) rating. They have been selected with a mix of DT12 fully automated transmissions and Eaton 18-speed manuals. Clifford also points to the quality of the Cascadia’s cabin noting the build standard is impressive.

“The fit and finish is great and the doors shut like a car,” he said.

Clifford was interested in the Cascadia early on and expected it to perform strongly given the Daimler technology under the bonnet.

“We bought the new generation Mercedes-Benz Actros when it came out in 2016 and it has just been a brilliant truck and was easily the most economical truck in the fleet,” he explains. “Given the powertrain is effectively the same in the Cascadia we knew that it was going to be a good

thing and that has turned out to be absolutely correct.”

Another key attribute that attracted the Clifford Brick and Tile team to Cascadia was the full suite of safety features that are standard, including radar-based emergency braking and adaptive cruise control as well as Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent High Beam and Automatic Wipers. The excellent visibility out the front of the truck, especially for a conventional model, is also a big plus for the Clifford team.

“Our trucks are often operating in an urban environment, in a lot of traffic, so it is reassuring to know we have the safest trucks available,” he said.

The Clifford Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner trucks are sold and supported by Daimler Trucks Somerton.

Would you trust your livelihood to a replacement part that isn’t backed by Isuzu?

FSA/ISZ12866

To keep your truck performing at its best, only trust Isuzu-backed parts, which include Isuzu Genuine Parts, Isuzu Best Value Parts & Isuzu Approved Parts.

PRIME NEWS

> Fuso debuts 14-pallet friendly Shogun 360

Fuso Shogun 360.

Fuso has launched a new heavy rigid Shogun model. The Shogun 360 was developed as a premium 14-pallet rigid model with class-leading safety, comfort and Euro 6 emissions using a more compact engine. A low chassis height and electronically controlled rear air suspension, with memory function for two settings, allows for easy loading and unloading at docks.

It features the efficient Daimler OM936 7.7-litre six-cylinder with 360hp and 1400Nm of torque linked to a fullyautomated 12-speed transmission. The transmission features Eco Roll fuel saving capability and an advanced crawler mode for low-speed work. With a tare weight of 6950kg, the Shogun 360 is available as a 6×2 or 6×4 and comes with a full-suite

of safety technology designed to keep drivers and other road users safe.

This includes Advanced Emergency Braking System, Lane Departure Warning System, Electronic Stability Program and Driver Attention Assist, which uses facial recognition technology to warn of fatigue.

Fuso Truck and Bus Director, Alex Müller, said the Shogun 360 was developed for a specific segment of the Australian transport industry.

“Many of our customers operating in the 14-pallet distribution segment have been asking for a truck with the safety, quality and efficiency of Shogun, so we are thrilled to deliver it,” he said. “We have already taken extensive orders for this exciting new Shogun model and are pleased that our customers value the

safety and fuel efficiency the 360 offer.”

According to Müller, the Shogun 360 introduction is another example of Fuso’s commitment to help customers boost safety and cut emissions.

“Fuso is proud to further contribute to road safety in Australia with the latest active safety features and also help reduce emissions with Euro 6 technology well in advance of any regulations,” he said. “Our customers really appreciate the peace of mind provided by our classleading warranty and the long service intervals, which help them to drive down running costs.”

The Shogun 360 features the same spacious cabin as regular Shogun models, including the innovative passenger-side transom window for optimum visibility and the ergonomic interior with a driver-focused dashboard layout. Standard features include a 7-inch multi-media unit with digital radio, air-suspension seat, climate control and steering wheel mounted controls, and push button start. A reverse camera is standard, while as many as seven can be supported. The Shogun range also includes prime mover and rigid models that use the Daimler OM470 10.7-litre sixcylinder engine and 12-speed AMT.

> First students commence Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations Skill Set The critical necessity to find a new generation of truck drivers in Western Australia has begun with the state government’s $6.1 million Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations Skill Set underway. First announced in February, the six-week long pilot course aims to increase skilled workers through both theoretical and practical hands-on truck driving at the state-of-the-art Driver Risk Management facility located at Perth Airport.

With 12 students currently enrolled in the course, Central Regional TAFE is now taking expressions of interest for future intakes and planning is underway to expand the training to the MidWest, Goldfields and Great Southern 16

j u n e 2 0 21

regions in coming months. The Western Australian Government is pushing its training sector as a key driver behind the state’s COVID-19 recovery. Central Regional TAFE has partnered with Driver Risk Management to deliver the course which is free for eligible students and the Practical Driving Instruction Training and Assessment and licencing costs $500 for concession students and $1,250 for non-concession students.

An Australian-first, developed in consultation with the transport industry, the Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations Skill Set has been established to address driver shortages, by training 500 new workers in Heavy Rigid (HR) licences and upskilling an additional

500 existing drivers from HR licences to Heavy Combination (HC) and/or Multi-Combination (MC) licences. On successful completion, participants obtain a Heavy Rigid; Heavy Combination; or Multi Combination class vehicle, and may apply for a forklift (LF) licence. Western Roads Federation has been advising the State Government on issues affecting the industry, and has been instrumental in developing the expanded skill set to address unprecedented workforce demands due to COVID-19. As the peak industry body, it will mentor and support students on the path to employment, working to connect students to employers.

> AusPost appoints Woolworths executive as Holgate replacement National parcel carrier, Australia Post, has named Paul Graham as its new Group CEO and Managing Director. He joins Australia Post after a successful tenure as Chief Supply Chain Officer at Woolworths Group, and an extensive career working in eCommerce, and supply chain as well as global experience in digital marketing and retail.

Graham, who will commence the role in September, is the former Managing Director of Primary Connect is also on the board of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds.

Australia Post Chairman Lucio Di Bartolomeo said Australia Post undertook a thorough global search before choosing Mr Graham to lead the business through the next phase of its transformation program.

“On behalf of the board I am so pleased to announce Paul as the next CEO of Australia Post – an outstanding candidate with strong logistics, digital and retail experience both here and overseas, including as a senior executive at Deutsche Post DHL,” said Di Bartolomeo. “Paul has a demonstrated track-record of delivering results in large, complex organisations and is a proven leader managing large teams.

“The Board was impressed by Paul’s 40 years’ of deep industry experience working in supply chain in Australia, Europe and Asia. We are also confident Paul’s community and

customer philosophy is a perfect fit for Australia Post.”

Originally from Northern Ireland, Graham began his career in the supply chain industry in 1980 and joined Woolworths in 2016. He said in a statement he was proud to be appointed as CEO of such an iconic Australian brand and looked forward to getting started in the role later this year.

“Australia Post has proven itself to be one of the most resilient and successful postal businesses anywhere in the world,” Graham said. “I feel fortunate to be joining at a time when we can truly capitalize on the extraordinary growth in eCommerce experienced in the past year and continue developing our retail and digital offerings while keeping letter deliveries strong,” he said. “I am most looking forward to meeting the team across the country – the posties, Post Office workers, mail processors and delivery drivers that kept our country operating during COVID19. I am also looking forward to getting out into regional Australia where Australia Post has an enormous presence, as well as meeting with the thousands of Post Office licensee partners who play a critical role every day serving the country.

“I have been so privileged to run Woolworths’s supply chain for the past five years and it has shown me how important it is to keep our customers at the centre of everything we do –

Paul Graham.

without our customers we don’t have a business.”

Graham’s remuneration has been set at $1,456,560 fixed annual total remuneration and the potential to earn incentive payments of up to $1,456,560, in accordance with the parameters set by the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal.

The Australia Post Board also confirmed that Rodney Boys will continue to lead the business through the CEO transition period until Graham commences in September. Boys was appointed in the interim following Christine Holgate’s resignation as CEO late last year after she revealed that she had given four staff members luxury Cartier watches two years prior as a bonus for securing a lucrative deal.

> Gillespie calls time at Hino Hino Australia Vice President of Brand and Franchise Development, Bill Gillespie, has announced his resignation after seven years in the role. Gillespie said he was looking forward to moving back to Brisbane to be closer to his family.

“During my time with Hino, I have been based in Sydney and travelling regularly to Brisbane to spend time with my extended family,” said Gillespie. “COVID lockdowns and border closures have made me reassess the ongoing viability

of this travel and ultimately played a large part in my decision to relocate back to Brisbane on a full-time basis,” he said – adding, “I am confident that Hino is well placed to take full advantage of the growing market and is in good hands.”

Gillespie joined Hino Australia in February 2014 following a 30-year career in strategy, network development, marketing and sales in the automotive industry. Over the past seven years, he has played a pivotal role in the growth of Hino’s local market share,

overseeing new model introductions and orchestrating the company’s sponsorship of the Supercars Championship.

Under Gillespie’s watch, Hino truck sales in Australia have reportedly increased by over 28 per cent.

“On behalf of Hino Australia, we would like to thank Bill for his dedication and leadership over the past seven years and wish him well in his future ventures,” said Hino Australia President and CEO, Sam Suda. p r i m em ove r m a g . c o m . a u

17

PRIME NEWS

> Linfox and Toll heavy vehicles join road safety campaign with Coles

Coles trailers will become giant travelling billboards for the NHVR’s We Need Space road safety campaign.

Supermarket giant Coles and its supply chain partners have joined forces with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) on the We Need Space campaign. The campaign is aimed at educating road users about how to share the road safely with heavy vehicles.

Coles trailers carried by Linfox and Toll will become giant, travelling billboards in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, urging road users to stay out of truck blind spots, learn how to overtake trucks safely, and avoid overtaking turning trucks. The NHVR has produced a series of Community Service Announcements fronted by Supercars Champion Garth Tander and will be rolling out educational resources through driver education programs and its state and territory transport authority partners. Coles Chief Legal and Safety Officer David Brewster said Coles was committed to improving safety through the transport supply chain.

“Our transport operators travel approximately 100 million kilometres each year, delivering goods via our Distribution Centres to more than 800 18

j u n e 2 0 21

supermarkets across the country,” he said. “Last year our robust supply chain was put under pressure like never before, as Coles stepped up to become an essential service and continue to help feeding Australians through the pandemic,” said Brewster. “We want to educate and work with road users to avoid potential incidents, so that the drivers carrying loads for Coles and the communities through which they travel can all stay safe.”

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport Scott Buchholz said that in many instances of multi-vehicle crashes, it was not the heavy vehicle driver at fault.

“Heavy vehicle drivers are proud of their safe driving, it is what they do each and every day – a proud profession – but we know some motorists might feel a little intimidated by sharing the road with them,” he said.“It is important all road users recognise that trucks can be difficult to manoeuvre, have large blind spots and regularly have to navigate unpredictable traffic.”

Senator Glenn Sterle, Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety and

Chair of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee has praised Coles and the NHVR for developing the national road safety initiative.

“This campaign will highlight to other road users the importance of giving trucks the space they require to safely navigate our roads and highways as they deliver everyday essential items to market and homes,” he said. “Road safety affects us all and it is terrific to see such commitment to safety and the promotion of better standards and awareness being championed at a national level.”

The second phase of We Need Space was launched at the Victorian Transport Association’s headquarters at Webb Dock, Port Melbourne. Speaking at the event, VTA CEO Peter Anderson praised Coles for its significant investment in driver education by partnering with industry.

“On behalf of Victorian transport operators we congratulate them for their proactive approach to improving road safety,” he said.“The campaign also demonstrates the value Coles places on the heavy vehicle drivers that work hard every day to ensure supermarket shelves are stocked and that consumers have regular and unimpeded access to food and grocery items they enjoy. We Need Space is a campaign every operator should endorse and sincere thanks to everyone involved in bringing it to life.”

Coles is committed to lifting standards on road safety in Australia.

Last year it signed a charter with the Transport Workers Union on standards in road transport and the gig economy focusing on safety, driver education and mental health.

Coles and the NHVR also partner with Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds, a collaboration between road transport, warehousing and logistics operators to support drivers and logistics workers tackling mental health and wellbeing issues.

> Ron Finemore Transport announces latest Daimler assets National freight and fuel carrier, Ron Finemore Transport, has taken delivery of its 200th Mercedes-Benz Actros.

The new truck, an Actros 2651, is part

of a spate of ongoing investments the Wodonga-based company is making in safe and reliable equipment inclusive of the most up to date safety features.

Daimler President & CEO Daniel Whitehead with Ron Finemore.

The milestone, recently celebrated by Ron Finemore Transport family members and senior management from RFT and Daimler Truck and Bus Australia, includes progressive delivery of the latest Freightliner Cascadia which is set to be deployed in its liquids haulage division.

“Once again these new vehicles incorporate the very latest and up to date safety features helping to keep our drivers safe and allowing them to carry out their job in prime movers that have been developed with the driver in mind,” the company said in an online statement.

Ron Finemore Transport prides itself on providing safe and reliable service to it’s customers.

Continued investments in prime movers and trailers help it deliver what is considered one of Australia’s safest, youngest and most fuel efficient fleets.

Darren Wales, CEO

We’ve got trust by the truckload.

Heavy Vehicle Accident Repairs. Australia Wide.

At AMA Heavy Vehicle Accident Repairs we do one thing and we do it well.

The superior craftsmanship from our experienced teamof repair professionals across Australia ensures your truck or bus is in the best hands.

Our combined knowledge and ongoing investment in equipment, technology and people means we defeat the challenges of today, and into the future, for all types of heavy vehicles and trailers.

And because we have strong and binding relationships with all major insurers we are able to quickly assess, quote and complete your repairs to ensure you are back on the road as soon as possible.

Be safe on our roads, but if you need a repair contact us:

Phone: 1300-223-072 Email: info@amagroupsolutions.com.au Web: www.amaheavyvehicle.com.au

BRISBANE

PERTH

NEWCASTLE SYDNEY

ADELAIDE

MELBOURNE

HEAVY MOTOR DIVISION

GLOB AL NEWS

> TuSimple becomes first stand-alone autonomous truck company to go public Navistar International is one of the companies with reservations placed with TuSimple.

Self-driving truck startup, TuSimple, has raised $USD1.35 billion in a public offering. The news followed the San Diego-based company announcing that it had launched a roadshow for its initial public offering. Alongside an existing investor, TuSimple sold an estimated 33.8 million shares at $40 per share in a move viewed as a significant step in helping the company commercialise self-driving trucks and expand its autonomous freight network across the United States.

The company, which has operations in Tucson, Arizona and Shanghai and Beijing in China, wants to achieve SAE Level 4 automated driving across its operations, which would see the vehicle operate autonomously without human input or intervention given the right conditions.

An explosion in eCommerce combined and with a worldwide heavy vehicle operator shortage is fuelling investments in the embryonic driverless 20

j u n e 2 0 21

delivery segment.

Just this year IVECO signed a memorandum of understanding with autonomous trucking company Plus to jointly develop autonomous trucks.

In March Volvo Group announced a long-term partnership with self-driving technology company Aurora.

Despite a loss of more than $USD300 million since 2018, TuSimple insists it will see a turnaround in fortunes once production on its self-driving trucks commences in 2024. According to its IPO filing the company has customer reservations of over 5,700 trucks with the likes of Navistar International and Traton SE among them.

The IPO makes TuSimple the first go-italone autonomous truck developer to be publicly traded.

Later this year TuSimple has plans to run a truck without a human safety driver for more than 100 miles day and night as part of its proof of concept for its self-

driving technology.

The Traton Group, the parent company of Scania and MAN trucks, acquired the remainder of Navistar International in November, 2020. TuSimple have already entered into a global partnership to develop self-driving trucks with Traton.

The two companies have agreed to launch a development program to operate the first SAE level 4 autonomous hub-to-hub route between Södertälje to Jönköping in Sweden using Scania commercial vehicles.

“Our partnership with Traton Group accelerates the introduction of autonomous truck technology to new international markets, and we look forward to our global partnership,” said Cheng Lu, TuSimple President. “The Traton Group has an excellent reputation and established a portfolio of world-class truck brands, their strategic investment in TuSimple is a powerful testimony to our technology and approach.”

> India paves way for Australian-style roadtrains India’s Automotive Industry Standards Committee has amended its AIS-113 Standard to include the safety requirements of roadtrains. A draft including the amendments for multi-combination heavy vehicles like those pioneered in Australia was hosted on the Ministry of Roads Transport & Highway’s website. AIS113 factors in the Code of Practice for Type Approval of trailers/semi-trailers of categories T2, T3 and T4 being towed by commercial vehicles classified under the heavy-duty categories N2 and N3.

The standards have been prepared in line with Indian operating standards following an examination of commercial vehicle benchmarks overseas, particularly in Europe, as part of a drive to reduce costs and congestion, save fuel and innovate the high demand for road freight movements throughout the country.

“These standards shall pave the way for a breakthrough intervention for fast and

efficient movement of goods along the long-distance freight corridors,” the Ministry announced in a statement.

The Automotive Industry Standards Committee represents members from the relevant ministries, testing agencies, industry stakeholders and the Bureau of Indian Standards.

The amended standard AIS-113 has been published for invitation of public comments.

Truck sales have plummeted in India after a strong 2018 with poor freight availability, lower freight rates, axle load increses and a general slowdown in the economy which have continued to hamper the commercial vehicle demand.

Meanwhile in North Dakota, a trial run for roadtrains has cleared a final legislative hurdle.

In a 39-6 vote the North Dakota Senate greenlit a pilot program for higher mass multiple-trailer combinations, with the measure clearing the House 70-22 later

Commercial vehicles in India are set to get longer.

that same day. The proposal now awaits sign-off from North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

If signed into law, Senate Bill 2026 would introduce long multi-combination heavy vehicles to North Dakota roads in a limitedscope pilot program overseen by the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

Plans are already in place for roadtrains to start running in the northwest corner of the state, near Crosby, according to Minot Republican Sen. Oley Larsen, who sponsored the bill.

FTC MANAGER

Get the fuel tax rebate your business deserves •

First solution to receive an ATO Product Ruling confirming the claim methodology is fair

•

Utilise second-by-second GPS data for accuracy

•

Paired with expert tax advice

1300 111 477 TeletracNavman.com.au

MENTAL HEALTH MINDSET

Naomi Frauenfelder Naomi Frauenfelder was previously Executive Director of the TrackSAFE Foundation — an Australian rail industry not-for-profit, that addresses suicide on the rail network and the resultant trauma caused to train drivers and other frontline staff. It is this experience that Naomi will draw upon and apply to HHTS, to strengthen and grow the organisation and work to improve mental health in the trucking and logistics industry.

Naomi has spent her career to date honing her passion for working nationally to unite industries behind significant causes such as mental health, providing individuals and organisations with the resources they need to face challenges head-on, creating cultures of care and support.

Naomi holds a Bachelor and Masters from Monash University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

22

j u n e 2 0 21

MAPPING OUT THE FUTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH A National Mental Health and Wellbeing Roadmap is the next step in creating environments and workplaces where employees can thrive in what they do.

H

ealthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) Foundation has delivered a National Mental Health and Wellbeing Roadmap, which sets out the plan for the road transport, warehousing and logistics industries to move forward on mental health and wellbeing. The Roadmap is about knowing where to start, knowing where to turn, knowing where to go next, and it is freely available to everyone in the sector. In establishing HHTS, industry leaders acknowledged the long road ahead to building a sector that is healthy and happy, one where mental health is as everyday as physical safety. The role of HHTS is to coordinate the implementation of the three-year Roadmap strategy across all levels of the sector, whether it be owner-operators, small businesses or large organisations. As a Foundation we know that systemic change will not occur overnight. This is partly due to the wide range of challenges that people in the industry face. Through research conducted by AP Psychology Consulting Services (APPCS) and engagement with industry, we know that these challenges vary from

workload and fatigue to critical incidents and trauma, as well as high levels of isolation and social disconnection. Unquestionably, these risk factors can play a significant role in impacting a person’s mental health and wellbeing. This is why the Roadmap is a vital step toward making a tangible impact, creating environments and workplaces where employees can thrive in what they do.

The Roadmap has been developed by APPSC in consultation with HHTS and industry participants through an Advisory Board, and covers three key priority areas that have been identified as pivotal in changing existing approaches to mental health and wellbeing. These areas aim to address: 1. Leadership capabilities in the workplace, 2. Challenges of work design, and 3. Building psychologically safe cultures within industry.

In targeting these key areas, the Roadmap provides an integrated approach for leaders and managers to support and protect employees.

Traditionally, many workplaces in the sector have focused on awareness, rather than implementation of support

SPONSORED BY

and recovery strategies. Although awareness is of critical importance, moving forward greater emphasis must also be applied to prevention. Over time, as HHTS embeds understanding of the Roadmap, we, as an entire industry, can build better work cultures that champion support and recovery, with a focus on increasing the resilience of the entire workforce. In the future we hope that if a person is struggling in work or in their personal life, their workmates and other

colleagues will be able to support them with the right tools and strategies.

Underpinning the success of the Roadmap is our industry taking small steps over time and recognising the journey ahead. Equally important is all of industry coming together to make a unified commitment to following the plan that is set out in the Roadmap. For some businesses this will be the beginning of their journey to better mental health and

SPONSORED BY

wellbeing, and for others the Roadmap will support them in building upon the progress that they have already made. Beyond the Roadmap itself, HHTS provides the opportunity for businesses and individuals to become members of the Foundation, in doing so they will be able to receive the tools, resources and support to successfully implement the Roadmap, with the opportunity to become a certified workplace in the process.

The roadmap recognises the small steps of the greater journey ahead. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

23

COVER STORY

LONG T E R M

A Freightliner Cascadia 116 is the newest addition to South Australian carrier Mills Freightlines.

24

j u n e 2 0 21

GRAINS

Daimler-backed commercial vehicles are a common thread running through the many interesting and divergent operations of the Mills family businesses, which recently expanded its stable with a new 560hp Freightliner Cascadia.

W

hen viewed in its entirety, the portfolio of the manifold operations of the Mills family business are, despite their differences, relatively complimentary.

Diversification has, over the past 55 years, grown the South Australian organisation which was started by former car salesman Bob Mills and his wife Mavis in 1966

as a fuel depot in the small town of Brinkworth about 32 kilometres north of Clare. Bob soon recognised the opportunity to cart grain for some of his farming customers, so he and his son Gavin acquired their first truck. At that time local farmers were just beginning to need grain carted from their farms to the ports at Port Pirie and Wallaroo just over an hour away. One truck, a Ford Thames,

led to many recalls Bob’s grandson Paul Mills, who alongside his wife, Jayne, now heads up the business. In addition to the bulk transport division known as Mills Freightlines, today the Mills family is involved in its two gypsum mines and Clare Valley Waste which contracts the kerbside wheelie bin collections across several council areas in the region. This sector of the business was purchased in p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

25

COVER STORY

The Freightliner Cascadia is equipped with a 540hp Detroit DD16 engine.

2007 and has expanded to around 20 trucks including several front loaders for use mainly in cardboard collection from businesses and council transfer stations.

Clare Valley Waste operates a multiproduct recovery facility for kerbside recyclables at Brinkworth which is managed by Paul and Jayne’s son Thomas, who is a member of the fourth generation involved in the Mills family enterprises. Youngest son Harry recently qualified as a heavy diesel mechanic.

The recyclables, including large hauls of cardboard, are sorted and taken to Adelaide in Mills Freightlines tippers.

One of the B-double combinations may carry milk bottles in one trailer and cans in the other and bring fertiliser back to Wallaroo and Port Pirie on the return trip or go to Angaston and load lime for 26

j u n e 2 0 21

delivery back to local farms.

Walking floor trailers, frequently in roadtrain combination, are hauled by Mercedes-Benz Actros prime movers and serve extra duty by transporting green waste once it is dried at the recycling facility, in addition to bulk cardboard and putrescent waste.

The core activity for the Mills Freightlines division of the family business is the transport of fertiliser products for Incitec Pivot Ltd (IPL) which are loaded at IPL’s facility in Geelong as well as at the port in Adelaide and then transported to IPL depots located in Port Pirie and Wallaroo.

IPL insists upon very high safety standards as a client and all vehicles involved in fertiliser transport have autonomous and manual fire-retardant systems, visual and audible in-cab brake

drag alarms, tyre pressure monitors, and forward facing and rear facing cameras.

Safety is paramount at Mills Freightlines and the prime movers are equipped with the Seeing Machines’ Guardian fatigue monitoring systems. The company’s own standards are high and as another layer of safety the business also utilises NHVAS for maintenance management and compliance auditing purposes.

In addition to fertiliser and grain, the Mills Freightlines trucks also transport lime for farmers, as well as gypsum from the Mills family mines, one located at Everard to the west of the Clare Valley and the other about ten kilometres on the Renmark side of the town of Morgan. The gypsum is used in agriculture as a soil improver and fertiliser as it is the most economical

Paul’s artistic abilities are reflected in the liveries and overall appearance of the trucks and trailers.

“I had to question why I was working on these things all the time, so I changed my ways and now continue to only put new vehicles on the road.”

Paul and Jayne Mills.

form of sulphur.

There are currently 14 trucks in the Mills Freightlines fleet. For some time all have been exclusively from the Daimler

Group including Freightliner Coronados and Argosys as well as Mercedes-Benz Actros models. The most recent addition is a Freightliner Cascadia powered by a DD16 Detroit Diesel rated at 560hp and 2050 ft/lb of torque.

“I’m absolutely happy with it,” says Paul, speaking of his latest acquisition.

“It’s light and beautiful to drive and very fuel efficient. It’s still early days but the driver reports the fuel economy is significantly better than the Coronado he was previously driving. If it stays true

to form it will save a significant amount of fuel over the life of the vehicle. That’s why a few years ago I moved forward and exclusively bought new trucks instead of second-hand units. I had to question why I was working on these things all the time, so I changed my ways and now continue to only put new vehicles on the road.”

The trucks are generally replaced at around 900,000 kilometres which takes about six or seven years to achieve depending on the demands of the application.

“We don’t do many Ks which is p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

27

COVER STORY

probably advantageous for sales to people such as farmers,” explains Paul.

“Over the past ten years the resale value of second-hand trucks has been down but I think that trend has changed now and they’re holding their value.”

As new trucks join the fleet, Paul opts for service and maintenance contracts in the form of the Daimler Service Plan. Paul has been specifying automated manual transmissions for a while and agrees the DT12 in the Cascadia is smoother that other similar boxes he has had.

“It’s also a lot nicer to back up,” he says.

When Paul left school he undertook a pre-vocational course in sign writing and his artistic abilities are still reflected in the liveries and overall appearance of the trucks and trailers.

The grain harvest generally starts in November. During the period between March and August, each year, Paul loads gypsum from the family’s two mines and spreads it on farms located in the region as well some as far away as the Yorke Peninsula and Barossa Valley. The

The designed capability to work as a broad-acre spreader as well as a grain carrying roadtrain allows Paul to work from the one truck instead of swapping into a Freightliner for grain haulage. This is important because, in practice, Paul is able to perform many functions of his management role from the Actros cab. current spreader is a Mercedes-Benz Actros Classic Cab 2653. When not spreading agricultural soil improvers the Actros is converted to a grain-hauling roadtrain with connection to a new set of trailers. Although the Actros is rated at 91 tonnes, Paul doesn’t anticipate pushing out to hauling maximum loads and by utilising a bogie dolly is able to easily carry about 58-59 tonnes of grain.

“It’s a beautiful truck. I love my Benz,” he says. “This one has a few more options and the interior space is set out ergonomically better.”

Each of the prime movers at Mills Freightlines has Seeing Machines’ Guardian technology installed in it.

28

j u n e 2 0 21

Paul took delivery of his first Actros 2641 in 2004, followed by a 2644 and now the 530hp 2653. As a driver, the smooth ride provided by the airbag suspension is appreciated by Paul, with the only unintended consequence being that as the truck glides across the paddock lumps caused by moisture in the material being spread don’t always break up as they would in a vehicle with a harsher ride.

The designed capability to work as a broad-acre spreader as well as a grain carrying roadtrain allows Paul to work

The Freightliner Cascadia is primarily devoted to grain haulage.

from the one truck instead of swapping into a Freightliner for grain haulage.

This is important because, in practice, Paul is able to perform many functions of his management role from the Actros cab.

“My wife Jayne is based in the office and she acts as the main scheduler. I don’t run the trucks, she does and is the co-ordinator over all of the Mills Freightlines trucks and tells them what to do every day,” Paul says. “Only when she’s unavailable do I step in.’

Jayne also handles the accounts for Mills Freightlines and is the company paymaster. Paul’s parents Gavin and Margi, who took over from Bob and Mavis, also remain closely involved with the family operations.

“I manage from the truck and business just goes on regardless of wherever I am. When I finish my day’s spreading

of gypsum or lime or superphosphate I may spend time servicing waste transfer stations or visiting sites for the Clare Valley Waste side of things,” Paul explains. “There are certain times where my experience is required in regards to how we are going to utilise our vehicles when we go to pick up green waste and hard waste from the council transfer stations and occasionally I have to see if we can safely and practically access some of the sites.”

The Mills family have been servicing fertilizer companies for over 30 years.

Other carriers of the products have come and gone, yet they themselves have remained a constant in the industry.

“We are a family business and we care about what we do and how we service our customers and that’s how we’ve stayed in business,” says Paul. “It’s because we care and we actually try to

service the customers as we would like to experience service ourselves.”

The diversity of the family business units is effective in countering the ebbs and flows of the seasonal demand for fertilizer and grain haulage. Local and even overseas weather can affect demand for fertiliser, as can the cost which is influenced by international factors including demand in other agricultural countries. Fortunately, the waste and recycling operations provide a steady demand throughout the year.

There is a continuing family ethos around being successful in the business without having their high standards compromised by various competitive pressures and short-changing clients and employees.

“I enjoy it,” notes Paul. “If you can take something away at the end of the day and be happy then that’s pretty good.”

FLEET FOCUS

EUROPEAN V O C A T I O N

A respected road freight operator for more than 50 years, Simon National Carriers, recently deployed six new Scania R 540s into its European-only linehaul division.

30

j u n e 2 0 21

L

earning from experience informs the bedrock of the exemplary customer service Simon National Carriers offers its nationwide customer base. Interstate road freight is, to this day, a major stream of revenue for the business. It provides extensive B-double and roadtrain services carrying wholesale general freight items from air conditioning equipment, finished construction materials, vehicle parts, glass, air filters and larger agricultural and other machinery. As these operations don’t require higher mass limits the B-double combinations are rated to 64.5 tonnes and can be found running the length of the eastern seaboard from Townsville through Brisbane and Sydney to Melbourne and even, on occasion, across to Adelaide.

A longstanding industry leader, David Simon, the Executive Chairman at the company and former Chair of the Australian Trucking Association, made an observation in the 1980s that has stayed with him to this day. He noticed, at the time, that the drivers of the European cabover commercial vehicles were by and large fresher at the end of a trip when compared with their colleagues who were behind the wheel of bonneted Americandesigned trucks. Ever since then the company has gone with a blanket rule of using strictly European trucks in its linehaul division.

Into that same division have gone six new Scania R 540s with a modified inline six-cylinder engine especially befitting B-double operators although David won’t discount their utilisation in other applications.

“They might also be used on a small amount of roadtrain and A-double work for us as well,” he says. “For the most part they are suited to the B-double task performed up until recently by our Scania V8s which they have been brought in to replace.”

Added to Scania’s 13-litre range last year, the Scania R 540 boasts an extra 40 horsepower over the previous topof-the-range 13-litre engine sold in Australia. Torque increases to 2,700 Nm at a range of 1,000 to 1,300 rpm,

with the new Euro 6 compliant 13-litre DC 166 delivering 100 Nm over its nearest rival according to Scania. Drivers appointed to the new trucks by Simon National Carriers have so far offered overwhelmingly positive assessments.

“We’ve received good feedback from drivers in regard to the power-to-fuel,” says David. “Again, the fuel economy is impressive and that goes for any of the European vehicles in the trial runs we’ve done with Scania, Volvo or Mercedes.

They’ve all been very good on fuel and all very good on driver acceptance.”

The relationship with Scania for Simon National Carriers goes back to the turn of

the recent century when it purchased the first Euro 4 emission rated Scania brought into the country. With each decade the fleet has introduced the newest available engine technology from the Swedish truckmaker. The decision to upgrade its Scania V8s is part of the company’s latest fleet replacement schedule being employed across the heavy vehicles this calendar year. Another 30 prime movers will eventually be substituted over an 18-month period as part of this initiative.

“It’s a fairly significant program within the company,” says David. “Right now there’s another 19 prime movers awaiting delivery between now and August.”

Having easy access to gear controls on the stalk is appreciated by Simon National Carriers commercial vehicle operators.

Superior visibility is one of the many advantages of the Scania cab interior. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

31

FLEET FOCUS

Safety and fatigue, as David sees it, will continue to dominate the conversation surrounding efficient commercial vehicles given quotidian measurements for fuel economy and reliability are cumulative and can span months to determine the results across mixed loads.

The driver ride, he says, with its quietness, the integration of the safety technology and the automated gearboxes, is all incredibly accomplished by the main European OEMs. “As NSW State Manager in 1980s when we were doing different vehicle-testing I distinctly remember drivers that would get out of a European truck were much fresher versus a driver who got out the American product,” he recalls. “Even back then the much better ride and the quieter cabs made a noticeable difference. The drivers, clearly, didn’t feel the same pressure in that environment and that helped make the decision of going to a purely European fleet. So that’s where we’ll stay. The Americans have a come a long way but the Europeans have continued to move ahead and I think they’ve got a great product.”

It’s not uncommon to canvass the experienced drivers for their opinions

when it comes to the new heavy vehicle technology.

“The best drivers will have a different preference in the seating position or their perception of power so we try to get to a few drivers for that kind of feedback,” David says. “The feedback on any of the European product is generally good these days. But we do canvas their views — the group’s views, not one individual. We’re looking for feedback and for fuel results.”

That said individual drivers, especially enduring commercial vehicle operators of the calibre employed at Simon National Carriers, will always have their preferences.

“One of our long-term drivers was given one of these new Scanias to evaluate and commented that it was the best vehicle he has ever driven,” David explains. “Another driver will have a different view, too.

Having the gear controls on the stalk is very well done on the Scania versus down on the side of the seat which Volvo have persisted with. I’d like to see that moved to a more sensible position like Scania have done. But these are minor things. The main thing we’re looking for is driver safety and here they’re all fairly comparable.”

The linehaul drivers at the company and

David Simon.

32

j u n e 2 0 21

in general across the industry are owed, David believes, a debt of gratitude from the wider population. Over the last 12 months, particularly with the restrictions on people movements and border crossing, an already difficult job was not made any easier by the inconsistencies of the states. It was particularly hard on Queensland drivers, who helped keep, despite enormous daily challenges, the economy afloat at great personal cost.

“For us, the Queensland drivers deserve particular recognition. Over quite a long period they travelled interstate and whenever they came home for their long breaks whether it was two days off, a week or fortnight or even a longer holiday they had to self-isolate at home while they weren’t working,” David says. “They couldn’t go to the pub or have friends around. They have sacrificed enormously in ensuring they did the right thing to protect the community. Considering we, as an industry, had a massive number of heavy vehicle movements in and out of hotspots every day they did a great job keeping everyone protected.”

These impositions on drivers, however, have taken a toll. As a result, the company lost a handful of quality experienced drivers to early retirement. With everexpanding powers under executive fiat, some state governments did an industry, already with a widely publicised driver shortage, no favours.

“There’s no reason why we couldn’t have had consistent rules to get good sensible outcomes but every state wanted to do it differently. Different paperwork. Different day requirements,” he says. “That was a nightmare and with every iteration they would change the rules as well. They didn’t necessarily flow the information through in a timely manner. Industry associations such as the QTA did an incredible job getting information out in a timely manner, generally well ahead of formal government advice, with each of these changes” Despite this David believes the company has an advantage in bringing heavy vehicle operators through its system.

“We’ve got the ability that a lot of the others don’t and that’s the ability to

A new Scania R 540 embarks on a journey from Brisbane.

bring drivers on in body trucks and bring them through into semis over time,” he says. “A lot of the industry doesn’t have that ability. Operations managers might lose a good local rigid driver when they upgrade to a semi and that’s not always the driver’s preferred choice but that’s the only way the industry can get semi drivers the required experience. We do that to get them experience in a rigid and move them onto a semi and a multi-combination vehicle in time. But it’s not always easy in some of our smaller depots to do that.”

Simon National Carriers employs an IT team of six programmers that work across its warehouses, in-vehicle systems, and freight management systems. Keeping the inhouse freight management system updated is a constant job. The first generation software was developed back in the mid-’80s and has evolved continuously since then, with the interactive in-vehicle component introduced around 2006.

“We have work diaries, driver communications, fault reporting, everything in the cabin,” says David. “All of our pricing, invoicing, freight tracking is all reported through that software.”

Even though the linehaul operation was running at capacity with further increases in demand last year, the warehousing

business suffered under global supply chain disruptions. Warehouses went empty for long periods and when stock was eventually delivered it was cleared out invariably the next day.”

Most diversified road transport businesses were confronted by similar challenges when having to juggle between two or more divisions.

Meanwhile calls amid industry to have ADR regulations amended to permit wider heavy vehicles on Australian roads has, through Tesla’s appeals to the National Transport Commission, reignited debate around the issue. For his part David supports a move to the European standard of 2.65m for fridge vans and suggests there are strong arguments for it but denies it has nothing to do with putting more freight on the truck.

“That’s about better carbon outcomes through better insulation. It will lower fuel use in refrigeration units and also open up some European product to be brought in,” he says. “We’ve got a very strong trailer manufacturing industry in Australia and I think it will stand up on its own two feet with quality product and lead times. More 2.65 metre vans that are more fuel efficient will see strong uptake by industry.”

But in regard to the cab itself he doesn’t

support what Tesla, who are unlikely to have much of a future in long haul, are proposing.

“I don’t know what their range is with a fully loaded 68-tonne B-double but it’s going to need a couple of charges between Brisbane and Sydney,” he says. “They’re certainly going to find a market. They’ll find a use in metropolitan distribution no doubt, and there will be lots of other product competing in that space whether it’s fully electric or a hydrogen fuel cell like on long haul.”

Over Easter David embarked on a long trip in one of the new Scania R 540s up and down the Bruce Highway north of Gympie where sections are begging to be made dual carriage.

“There are some very narrow sections of road still on our highways. I would not want to see something another 27 cms wider, supposedly what Tesla are looking at, on those roads,” he says. “The road itself is OK but the line-marking and ‘railroad track’ linemarking only 8 foot 7 or 8 foot 8 wide between the white lines and then a divided painted island. Those stretches are very narrow and there’s still some narrow bridges so we don’t need to be going to the sort of widths Tesla are talking about.”

With commercial freight operators trying to keep up with demand and infrastructure burdened by governments playing catch up David is wary that funding for these projects must be appropriate to what traffic volumes dictate. He appreciates noticeable developments taking place on the northern side of Rockhampton where the road is being widened and duplicated.

“It’s taken 25 years to duplicate the Pacific and we need to keep pushing further up the Bruce and having gone up the inland route from Roma to Emerald to Charter’s Towers there’s a lot of money that needs spending on that road as an alternative,” he says. “We need an alternative when it’s flooding on the coast. We’ve also got to continue the upkeep needed on the Pacific and the Hume and we need to duplicate the bridge at Gundegai that’s stopping the use of A-doubles between Melbourne and Sydney. There’s a lot of money that needs spending and we can’t spend it all at once.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

33

FLEET FOCUS

Most of the runs are completed overnight for Kurmond Feed and Freight on fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz Actros.

A L L

T H E

PRETTY HORSEPOWER Kurmond Feed and Freight provides the connection to get valuable livestock fed throughout all seasons.

S

urrounded by rural holdings and nestled in the green foothills of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney is the picturesque village of Kurmond. The Bennett family have been involved in agriculture and transport for five generations and continue to provide a vital link between farmers and hungry livestock.

After following his father Ron, and his grandfather Jack, into farming and transport Steve Bennett became instrumental in the design and development of some specialised trailers for carrying large quantities of empty pallets. He did this for around seven years before selling off his trucks 34

j u n e 2 0 21

and going back to the family’s roots of farming fodder crops such as lucerne in the Forbes area of western NSW. As Steve began supplying hay and chaff to livestock owners he realised the need for trucks to transport his produce to his clients. Eventually he accepted a good offer and the farm was sold and Steve went on to develop the current feed merchant business, mostly specialising in fodder suitable for horses, and with it the in-house transport operation.

The feed industry has changed significantly with the advent of social media and much of the trading is now done via platforms such as Facebook rather than the traditional method of

advertising in rural newspapers.

“I’m computer literate but I’m not social savvy,” says Steve. “I stood back and realised this is my son Jack’s world.

Jack was just starting into the buying and selling of feed products, so I said it was time to hand over the day to day running to him, and I slipped back into the driving role. I’ve found that at many of the farms we deal with, the sons are taking over as well.”

Most of the feed runs are overnight which suits Steve. The priority is their own freight and it is not unusual to factor in running back empty from delivering feed. However, if it can be managed to suit their own feed transport

logistics the Bennett trucks also carry some overnight freight for Direct Freight Express through the central west of the state including areas around Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo and Goulburn.

“If we’ve got a truck that’s not in a hurry to come back and if we have a night free or a leg free, we give that first option to DFE,” says Jack. “That’s why we are Kurmond Feed and Freight, because we freight feed and we also run some general freight.”

In an industry dependent upon predictable climate conditions, Mother Nature can present the biggest challenges. Good rainfall, at the right time of year, leads to good summer

growth, but a dry season can result in an increase in demand at the same time that suitable produce becomes a little harder to source.

“In full drought the volume of demand is ridiculous and supply becomes an issue. The cost of fodder goes up and sometimes we don’t know the price until we’re loading the truck,” says Steve.

Currently, much of the feed supply is sourced in Victoria and when volume is short Bennett’s will travel as far as South Australia to obtain quality fodder. The Bennett’s now have a strong affiliation with a chaff mill located in Castlemaine and it took a year to develop a level of trust.

“He didn’t want to be anywhere other than Victoria because they didn’t want to be responsible for product that he could not look at or evaluate himself at the point of delivery,” says Steve.

Most of the regular clients are wholesalers such as stock feed stores and deliveries are common to places such as Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Dubbo as well as to the local Hawkesbury region.

There has been a rise in the amount of direct sales to people such as the owners of two or three horses, through to multimillion dollar racehorse stables, and it is important to locate the right feeds for each purpose.

“Not only are we transporters, we’re p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

35

FLEET FOCUS

On the single trailer the Actros hauls loads rated at 42.5 tonnes.

sales reps for other people’s product,” says Steve. “We’ve got to be able to onsell their products and even though we haven’t had any part in producing them we have a level of responsibility to it.”

At the minute, the business model revolves around delivery according to order, which can present some logistical challenges and future plans may involve establishing a storage hub north of the Victorian border. The number of deliveries of produce is increasing at the same time as the quantity per delivery is decreasing and having the ability to store some feed would contribute to the overall efficiency of the operation.

The first trucks Steve used in this business were small Isuzu rigids sometimes hauling a small trailer, then Steve had a succession of UDs which eventually lead him to Mack prime movers as the loads and trailers got larger. A second-hand Mercedes-Benz Atego had provided an extended period

On the B-double pulled by the Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 they report a fuel burn of 2.2 – 2.4km/l.

36

j u n e 2 0 21

“When you can run a truck from Kurmond to Coffs Harbour and back, with four deliveries along the way, and get 3.0 kilometres per litre out of a 630hp truck that’s not dawdling, mate, and that sums it up as to why I stayed with Mercedes-Benz.”

Steve Bennett with his son Jack Bennett.

Steve Bennett Kurmond Feed and Freight

of great service towing a pig trailer and as the requirements for prime movers manifested, Steve stayed with MercedesBenz and bought his first Actros (a V8) which again provided good service for around 700,000 kilometres. This was followed by a 2658 Actros.

“Most of what we do involves horse feed but we only own one horse,” he explains. “People say to me, ‘you must know a lot about horses’ but the only horsepower is under the cab.”

The latest Actros 2663 to wear the Kurmond Feed and Freight livery is loaded with technology features such as the Multimedia Cockpit with two highresolution tablet-style display screens on the dashboard, instead of the traditional instrument cluster with a centre screen and speedo and tacho. The new Actros also uses the fuel-saving Predictive Powertrain Control system which uses topographical data and GPS to help the transmission pick the right gear for the terrain. Steve admits he is still coming to terms with some of the technology.

“Towing a single trailer at 42.5 tonnes I’ll get 2.4 km/l, while Jack gets 3.0. Jack is from the new generation and knows how to drive that truck better than me,” he says. “When you can run a truck from Kurmond to Coffs Harbour and back, with four deliveries along the way, and get 3.0 kilometres per litre out of a 630hp truck that’s not dawdling, and

that sums it up as to why I stayed with Mercedes-Benz. I talk to other truck owners and they just envy that sort of economy. We thought the V8 was going good at 1.9 km/l, but with this new Actros in B-double configuration we’re getting 2.2 – 2.4km/l even though we are yet to receive the driver training from Mercedes-Benz.”

The past couple of years have tested many sectors of the Australian agricultural industry with the effects of drought and fires followed by the flooding rains of the el Nino weather system. Then came the COVID situation which didn’t impact the feed side of things immediately but has affected business.

“At the start it actually increased demand by around ten per cent because people stopped attending events such as gymkhanas, so many had to keep feeding their horses on small holdings,” says Jack.

Even with lockdown now easing people aren’t going to gymkhanas as much as previously which is reflected in the change in demand.

As long term residents of the Kurmond area the Bennett family is mindful of their local economy and consciously purchase items such as fuel and tyres locally, which makes them important to their local community. They are also important to communities where they pick up fodder and obviously important to communities where they deliver.

“It’s an industry we love and the family has been in it for a long time,” says Steve. “Social media keeps us on our toes. In the old days one good customer would bring three new ones with them and one disgruntled would take five with them. But a negative post on Facebook will lose many more. We recognise our level of service has to be increased now more than ever.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

37

TRUCK & TECH

FRUITS OF

L ABOU

A procession of ABC Transport roadtrains embark on a seasonal trek to bring watermelons from the Northern Territory to the rest of Australia.

B

etween Easter and Christmas more than 63,000 bins of watermelons are moved by Primary Connect, the interstate logistics and freight arm of Woolworths Group, from the Northern Territory. In 2017 Primary Connect were considering bringing in a carrier partner to assist with the annual conveyance of melons. As a precondition, they were looking for a proven carrier with experience and an outstanding track record. The following

38

j u n e 2 0 21

year they established a partnership with regional carrier ABC Transport to better service the growers of the vast Northern Territory area in which melons represent the largest total freight volume sector, with up to 70,000 tonnes of freight moved annually to southern markets.

Founded in Alice Springs in 1998, ABC Transport also maintains a presence in Darwin and Adelaide where the head office is now located. With expertise in refrigeration, dry goods and general

freight, the privately-owned company has diversified in recent years to offer warehousing as an integrated part of its service offering.

The longevity of the business is built on a reputation that it only promises what it can deliver. In time that has generated what is now a platform in which over 30 B-triples depart weekly from Adelaide.

For Primary Connect, ABC Transport hauls around 190 bins per roadtrain loaded with watermelons, each of these

R is destined for South Australia.

A few Kenworth trucks are utilised by the fleet for this purpose but the majority of the 30 triple roadtrains it deploys up and down the Stuart Highway are pulled by durable Australian-made Mack Super-Liners. Each truck is powered by a 16-litre 685hp rated engine which is paired with a 12-speed automated mDrive transmission with Meritor designed rear drive axles.

A gruelling 3000km leg is completed

Mack Super-Liner with a triple roadtrain.

Nearly 100,000 tonnes of NT watermelon production is bound for areas outside the region.

daily by ABC Transport vehicles, arriving into Darwin in the early hours of the morning. It takes drivers through the arid regions of the south, the daunting expanse of the red centre and, following what has been something of an ominous wet season, the lush tropical top end.

The landscape is as challenging as it is awe-inspiring according to ABC Transport General Manager Steve Bartkowski.

“All this puts enormous pressure on the equipment to meet the needs of the customers” he says. “Even more so we must maintain temperature-controlled goods at critical levels.”

Aside from Darwin, the main watermelon growers of the territory are located in Douglas Daly, Katherine, Mataranka and Ali Curung. These four regions dominate the NT melon production accounting for over 10,000 tonnes each. Another couple of regions outside of these yield between 1,500 to 5,000 tonnes each annually according to a 2016 report released by Northern Territory Farmers Association.

ABC Transport drivers collect much of this produce on the return trip back to Adelaide direct from the farms. With the Mack Super-Liners rated to 130 tonnes, watermelons are normally carried in one third or quarter bins depending on the final destination, whereas mangoes, the

other major produce from the region, are stacked into trays onto pallets. As watermelons use three pallets for each tonne of freight moved, demand for CHEP pallets across the sector is often high at around 150,000 pallets total.

With the limited growing season that equates to roughly 7,500 pallets per week.

After the ABC Transport trucks arrive in Adelaide, watermelons are moved by road to Primary Connect distribution centres nationally before being delivered to Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro stores. Nearly 100,000 tonnes of the Northern Territory melon production, at present, is bound for markets outside of the region. Depending on the harvest, melon production is the largest of the agricultural sectors in tonnage valued at around $70 million each year. Seedless watermelons are by far the largest melon crop in the NT accounting for over 85 per cent of all melon production.

Due to the specifications of the linehaul trucks, all produce is unloaded in Adelaide and transhipped at various hubs.

That then enables, according to Steve, the swift overnight distribution into the states the produce is thereafter destined.

“The key is to keep the produce moving so its fresher onto shelves,” says Steve.

“In order for that to happen you need to take comfort in knowing the p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

39

TRUCK & TECH

The Mack Super-Liners complete a gruelling 3000km leg daily hauling up to 130 tonnes.

equipment you have purchased meets everyone’s expectations.”

This is one of the reasons why the Mack trucks have maintained such a strong presence in the fleet according to Steve.

“When you call on express truck drivers to leave Adelaide and arrive in Darwin within 36 hours, in an industry driven by demand and tight deadlines, driving skills alone won’t cut it,” he says. “You are really asking a lot out of the products. Especially the trailing equipment purchased.”

As reliability is always a critical factor, ABC Transport specifies BPW axles and suspensions, JOST fifth wheels and landing legs and Carrier refrigeration units. It is anticipated that new equipment will clock up 450,000kms in just the first 12 months.

The melon industry, started essentially from zero in 1981, spends over $11 million on freight from the NT annually. In the winter months during its dry season, the Territory remains a significant producer of watermelons for 40

j u n e 2 0 21

“The key is to keep the produce moving so it’s fresher onto shelves. In order for that to happen you need to take comfort in knowing the equipment you have purchased meets everyone’s expectations.”

Steve Bartkowski General Manager, ABC Transport

the rest of Australia.

“With different regions of the Territory producing produce at different times of the year, the NT is fast becoming a food bowl for the rest of the country,” says Steve. Speed to market is crucial for ABC Transport given harvesting, as it was last year, can be impacted by various challenges including adverse weather conditions and shortages of seasonal pickers due to COVID-imposed travel restrictions.

Primary Connect works with melon growers to understand their unique needs and supply chain movements every season to reduce their cost of

doing business. Currently, the Australian industry consists of around 300 growers.

For ABC Transport, the association with Primary Connect has helped it deliver efficiencies and sustained outcomes for many of these locally-owned businesses in the increasingly expanding and vital agricultural sector of the Northern Territory.

“The combined knowledge and resources of both businesses helps to offer a seamless approach for all the growers involved,” says Steve. “Our motto ‘we only promise what we can deliver’ has led to the business being able to grow year upon year.”

Prevent fatigue BEFORE your drivers even get in the cab.

Your business has a legal responsibility to keep people safe from fatigue risk. This could mean fines, loss of licence or even jail time. Is your business one of the 85% that are not meeting minimum regulatory WHS requirements?

Don’t lose sleep over it.

Complete your personalised digital Fatigue Risk Management Compliance Report in minutes and identify your essential steps towards a safe and compliant workplace.

TRUCK & TECH

TAKING Celebrating 30 years in business this year, Club Assist offers a comprehensive car battery replacement service for customers across Australia. For its most rigourous operation in Western Australia, the company relies on a new Isuzu FSD 140-260, which travels up to 3,000km per week delivering batteries to outlying regions where rough roads and searing summer temperatures take their toll.

C

lub Assist was founded in 1991 in Dandenong, Victoria. Realising that roadside battery replacement services were not offered by any of the automobile clubs in Australia, and sensing an enormous

Driver of the Isuzu FSD 140-260, Clayton Trezise with Steve Williams.

42

j u n e 2 0 21

opportunity, the business undertook an 18-month study, researching data on roadside emergency calls from auto club members in Victoria. The study revealed dead batteries were the most common reason for roadside assistance calls and in response they came up

with a revolutionary solution that would redefine roadside assistance by providing battery replacement at the roadside. That started a partnership with the automotive clubs and by 2000, Club Assist’s fully integrated roadside service solution had expanded to include

CHARGE partnerships with other motoring clubs across Australia and in New Zealand.

Club Assist expanded across the world in 2001 to North America and Canada.

Today, Club Assist supports its motoring club partners in serving more than 66 million members worldwide. In North America, Club Assist is proud to have been the Preferred Supplier for the AAA/ CAA Mobile Battery Service Program for 20 years.

“Club Assist is primarily a business-tobusiness automotive battery supplier,” says Adrian Smith, Executive General Manager at Club Assist. “We also operate roadside service vehicles on a contract basis for the automobile clubs in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.”

Adrian explains that while the main focus has been on supplying batteries to automobile clubs in all states and territories of Australia as well as in New Zealand through a joint venture, the company recently started supplying batteries to other automotive outlets including Pedders Suspension & Brakes, JAX Tyres & Auto and Penske Trucks.

With the introduction of new national key accounts and growing volumes with the Motoring Club often requiring larger consignments of batteries, the company was prompted to purchase a new Isuzu FSD 140-260 for its Perthbased operation.

“We’ve been using Isuzu trucks for a long time and about 12 months ago we embarked on an extensive fleet renewal program which involved acquiring a number of new Isuzus,” Adrian says. “Our number one priority when selecting vehicles is a three-element

Clayton inspects the battery stock carried by the Isuzu FSD 140-260.

approach to safety – safety for our drivers, pedestrians and the load. After extensive study we found that Isuzu vehicles were ideally placed to meet these criteria.”

After safety, the other important aspects, Adrian notes, are efficiency and functionality.

“We are very happy with the safety features of the Isuzu vehicles from a driver’s perspective and also in terms of the pedestrian warnings,” he says.

“In the case of the new FSD, we’ve also gained worthwhile improvements in efficiency and driver convenience due to its larger fuel and payload capacities – important factors due to the vast distances it travels in WA.”

These features, according to Adrian, enable the driver to cover more distance in a day and be less fatigued at the end of the day. Furthermore, the design of the body has been modified to reduce manual handling for the driver.

“We designed the body so as to reduce a significant amount of manual handling – both loading and unloading – which further helps in reducing fatigue,” he says. “The feedback from the driver has been very positive. He feels safer while driving and fresher at the end of the day thanks to features such as the air suspended seat with improved damping, rear air suspension and cruise control.”

Adrian says the vehicle covers regional areas of WA radiating out from Perth p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

43

TRUCK & TECH

Steve Williams, Sales and Operations Manager.

– travelling up to 3,000km per week – and is right at home in the harsher environment of country driving.

“In terms of safety and functionality it fits the bill and has been very reliable so far,” he says.

The FSD 140-260 has respective gross vehicle and gross combination (GVM/GCM) figures of 14,000kg and 20,000kg. This allows Club Assist a payload capacity of 7,500kg which equates to around 500 batteries. Respective power and torque outputs of 256hp (191kW) at 2,400rpm and 761Nm (561lb/ft) between 1,450 and 2,400rpm are delivered by the 7.8-litre six-cylinder diesel engine which features common-rail injection, an electronically controlled variable nozzle turbo and air-to-air intercooler. Euro 5 emissions standards are achieved using cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC).

Transmitting torque to the rear wheels is an Allison LCT2500 six-speed torque 44

j u n e 2 0 21

converter automatic with double overdrive ratios of 0.74 fifth and 0.64 sixth. The full-floating Banjo style differential has a ratio of 5.125:1 and is saddled with Hendrickson HAS200 air suspension with a 9,000kg capacity.

Brakes are ABS mastered dual circuit airover-hydraulic drums on both axles.

On the safety front, the FSD 140-260 has driver and passenger airbags and seatbelt pretensioners, an ECE-R29 (cab strength) compliant cab, Antilock Braking System (ABS), front stabiliser bar and cornering lamps.

Cab comfort and convenience features include an ISRI 6860 air suspension driver’s seat with pneumatic lumbar support and automatic weight adjustment, electric mirrors, cruise control and a satellite navigation (GPS) system.

Optional equipment comprises a telematics system integrated with the multimedia unit, up to four camera inputs including a rear microphone, reversing sensors, tyre

pressure monitoring system, airbag compatible bullbar and a roofmounted air deflector.

The custom designed body fitted to the vehicle, Adrian explains, was specifically designed to reduce manual handling by a massive 75 per cent compared with the vehicle it replaced.

“The body is designed to be accessed from both sides as well as the rear whereas the unit it replaced was only able to be accessed from one side,” Adrian says. “That significantly reduced manual handling because we were not having to push the batteries through the full width of the body.”

It was also designed for better efficiency in servicing the company’s regional WA clients which are typically smaller workshops and approved repairers that require limited quantities of batteries delivered just-in-time.

“The previous vehicle had to be fully manually loaded and unloaded while this one has provision for both forklift and manual loading,” Adrian explains.

“Therefore, we now use pallet loading and unloading wherever possible which saves the driver a lot of time and effort.

We’re really ecstatic with the fact that he is so happy with the new truck because his safety and comfort are our prime priorities.”

Running hot on the heels of these priorities, Adrian says, was the company’s need for solid dealer support and it was here that Perth Isuzu dealer Major Motors didn’t disappoint.

“We really can’t fault the servicing and support we receive from Major Motors; this was certainly a big factor in us choosing to go with Isuzu in our WA operation,” Adrian says.

When it’s all boiled down, the FSD 140-260 with its custom-built body is a vehicle that’s suitably tailored to the task and backed by a dealer network that ensures it will remain reliably and efficiently traversing the WA outback for years to come. Add to the equation a very happy driver, who feels safe and comfortable behind the wheel for his 3,000km each week, and it’s all boxes ticked for Club Assist.

3A’s of Fatigue Delivered online or face to face, we can activate a powerful fatigue management model into your business.

Aware Accept Act

R&R CORPORATE HEALTH Specialists in workplace wellbeing, culture and performance training since 1999.

Logistics is what we know.

It’s what we do.

What else do we do?

Mental Health at Work Injury Prevention Nutrition Teambuilding

Scan to see what we’re doing online.

Contact Us 03 9859 7700 info@rrcorphealth.com.au www.rrcorphealth.com.au

TRUCK & TECH

The unveiling of the new Mack Super-Liner 100 anniversary edition.

MACK I N ACTION

Followmont Transport celebrates its history with new commemorative limited edition Mack Super-Liner.

L

egacy is often the means to value people and traditions. It’s an inheritance from which to remember and learn. Indeed, legacy served as one of the main themes of a recent Followmont Transport Leadership Conference which gathered together over 50 senior managers from across Queensland and NSW where the past and the present helped shape discussion of future directions and set the table for a major reveal.

Followmont Transport legacy itself begins 36 years ago when it was co-founded by Bernard Tobin and Alan Salpietro. For 25 years they guided and built the company on an ethos of hard work and strong customer service. More than ten years ago, the four shareholders of the company which includes Managing Director and CEO Mark Tobin, realised the importance of healthy leadership, the significance of 46

j u n e 2 0 21

having a roadmap and agreed to a goal of working smarter rather than harder.

That was a watershed moment for the business which from that point underwent a seismic change. While the foundation of the business remains service, its legacy now revolves around its people having a real sense of belonging to a family business including the values that come with it.

“Our business has transitioned, as has our legacy,” says Mark. “Our legacy today, whilst the foundation is still service, is around our people having a sense of belonging to a family business and our people feeling empowered, educated and inspired by leadership as opposed to having it demanded by leadership.”

Underpinning this is the notion of care — caring at once for one and other and customers while acknowledging everyone is only as good as their last delivery and therefore, last interaction.

The Leadership Conference included a special reveal of the 100th anniversary Legacy Mack Super-Liner. Mack, as part of customising each of the commemorative trucks, made available a year from every one of its last 100. Followmont selected 2016, the same year Mark purchased Followmont thus preventing it from being sold to Toll.

“Where we are now we can be seen as one of the top transport businesses in Australia,” he says. “That is why we celebrate with the newest addition to the fleet family, the 100 Year Mack – Legacy.”

With so many of the Followmont Transport team having a close association with the Mack over the years it is considered a fitting addition to the everexpanding fleet.

The 11-tonne special edition Mack SuperLiner is spec’d for B-double operations. At about 8 metres long it will carry all forms

of freight. Based out of Brisbane it is likely to travel up and down the whole of the eastern seaboard.

Belair Spray Painting were authorised to carry out finishing flow and clear coatings by Mack Trucks Australia on all 100th anniversary Limited Edition trucks.

Followmont and VCV Brisbane then commissioned Belair to air brush the custom Followmont branding. The design concept was put together from another print piece with a view of creating something bold that would include the emblem as well as the gradient concept. This was carried out prior to the final clear coats to preserve the artworks for the life of the truck. It’s the third truck that Brand Manager Meg Ellis has been entrusted in to project manage.

King Bars also created a one-off custom Texas Bumper for Followmont based off the original 100th anniversary bumper design. Blingman HQ carried out a few custom stainless and LED lighting creations to further enhance the vision in creating this tribute to the Legacy of the Tobin family within the Followmont team.

The Followmont and Mack Trucks relationship has been built on the back of the 30-plus year history between Followmont and UD Trucks.|When Volvo Group Australia took control of the UD brand a number of years ago it gave them the opportunity to showcase their other products in the business. This saw both Mack and Volvo commercial vehicles ingratiated into operations. VCV Brisbane North has since built a very strong relationship between the whole Followmont family, with sales, service and parts supplies only a few minutes away. Today, as a result of this partnership, there are approximately 45 Mack, 25 Volvo and around 180 UD Trucks in the Followmont fleet with additional units from each brand on order currently. Mack Trucks, VGA and VCV Brisbane North were all invited by Mark to be involved in the project. Given the legacy of Mack Trucks Australia in the Australian road transport industry, the limited edition Mack Super-Liner was considered a great fit to play a small part in the Followmont Legacy project.

Family values have been carried through the business generationally from Bernie, Mark and now Ben Tobin. This is

inherent in the company legacy as are its people with many longstanding staff members having been employed between 15 and 25 years. The values the Tobin Family live by echo through the business according to Chris Fasone, Followmont Transport Regional Manager South QLD, who started in 1988 having had to take on a second job sorting magazines to support his new family after the birth of their first child.

“It didn’t take me long to be tempted in making Followmont my primary role with the opportunities available to me back then and the care shown by Bernie Tobin who took me under his wing and shared his wealth of experience with me,” he says. “I don’t know if I can ever voice enough in gratitude to thank the Tobin Family and Followmont for the opportunities and life lessons they have afforded me over the years. I have never met a family that is so generous with their time.”

Since then Chris has been provided with many opportunities in various positions including Forklift and PUD operator, supervisor, customer service representative, depot manager and regional manager.

“In every position I have received their full support and assistance and in every instance it has made me better personally and operationally,” he says. “Not only have they made me feel part of the family, they also have employed Jason, my first born who has been provided with the same opportunities as have many others.

Followmont has become part of me over the years and I treat it as my lifeline and will be forever grateful to Bernie, Mark and Ben for the experience I have gained.”

Steve Helms, Mack Trucks, Mark, Bernie and Ben Tobin. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

47

FATIGUE MANAGEMENT SHOWC ASE

FIT FOR

PURPOSE

Fatigue is recogised as a major cause of accidents involving heavy vehicles.

Digital platform, Fatiguefit, helps ensure operator fitness so transport managers and their business are in a scientifically and legally defensible position for fatigue risk management.

T

ransport operators concerned about fatigue risk management have typically had to engage with consultants for an assessment and solutions. Given the nature of the service and the expertise involved the recommendations sought through this process come with a significant price premium making the cost involved prohibitive for many organisations. With Workplace Health and Safety Legislation imputing governance responsibilities right up and down the supply chain this looms as a major stumbling block for many in the industry.

Legislation, under chain of responsibility, has evolved past the point of penalising 48

j u n e 2 0 21

truck drivers for driving with undue care. Now the people responsible for the culture that allowed the poor decision-making at a company will also be personally and criminally liable.

More than ever it’s vital that directors and board members are across what’s happening from a broader workplace and health perspective, many of whom lack visibility on where they fail to properly meet their fatigue risk management compliance.

Fatiguefit has emerged in response to the need to have a fast, easy to use and cost-effective fatigue risk management solution for carriers who might be exposed. Developed by Sleepfit Solutions, an Australian digital health

company in partnership with Professor Drew Dawson, a leading expert in fatigue risk management, Fatiguefit consists of an online assessment and report which allows businesses both large and small, to determine if they are complying with their fatigue risk management legal requirements. At present, there is a misunderstanding among many industry people that the enterprise bargaining agreement is actually their fatigue management policy. While it does indicate acceptable working time arrangements it’s not actually a safety document. It is estimated that 85 per cent of companies who should be doing something about fatigue risk, like those in road transport, energy, logistics and

mining, aren’t necessarily.

Fatiguefit has automated the process so operators don’t have to spend a fortune to hire consultants. The initial aim, according to Steven Perlen, Fatiguefit Chief Operating Officer, was to create a ‘consultant in a box’ that was scalable, accessible, cheap and within reach of any organisation.

“By putting information, tools and training in the hands of the businesses that need it, Fatiguefit not only keeps people safe, but it keeps the business safe as well,” he says. “It allows people to maintain control and gives them risk management choices, rather than having an expert dictate what they need to do.”

As an online digital platform Fatiguefit allows businesses of any size to undertake their own fatigue risk management compliance assessment in around 15 minutes and only costs $99.

It’s evidence based and provides the operator with a legally and scientifically defensible position. Fatiguefit then provides a set of tools and templates to close any compliance gaps, covering policy, training and risk identification and mitigation. Importantly, operators using Fatiguefit can pick and choose the solutions they use to cover those gaps and implement them in their own time. In short, they can integrate their fatigue risk management with their other operational demands and existing safety systems, including fatigue detection technologies. That way they take control of the process and can do it in a very cost-effective way.

“The Assessment and Report provides clear understanding of where the compliance gaps are for fatigue risk management,” says Steven. “It gives businesses visibility of where their exposure lies so people can make informed decisions about managing their risk.”

Recognising that different organisations are going to want to manage their compliance differently, the Fatiguefit team can also provide additional expert support for businesses that are looking for a little more guidance.

Professor Drew Dawson, the Australian

expert who helped create Fatiguefit, notes fatigue risk is hard to assess.

“This is because the person is the actual hazard rather than a third party such as a chemical spill or a saw without a blade cover,” he says. “With a people risk like fatigue, the hazard is somewhat invisible.”

While Fatiguefit has been created to minimise fatigue risk, it also features tools to help minimise fatigue itself.

Sleepfit, for instance, allows individuals to determine the likelihood that they have a treatable sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnoea, prevalent issues amongst the driver community, and then get treatment.

“Better sleep quality means improved rest and recovery which equates to greater productivity and reduced fatigue risk,” says Steven. Fatiguefit isn’t however, as Steven points out, about eliminating fatigue.

“That’s unreasonable — it’s about ensuring people can continue to work

safely whilst fatigued,” he says.

Fatiguefit has been designed to help businesses of all sizes. Smaller firms will do one assessment and then decide who in their team are the highest priority for the risk management activities.

Bigger companies may run separate assessments across multiple depots to get visibility across their entire operation.

This will guide their decisions on where to focus the implementation of the Fatiguefit solutions. And for Tier 1 companies that already have confidence in the procedures they have in place to manage their own employees, Fatiguefit can be used as a platform to work with their subbies to ensure that they are meeting their COR obligations. “Whether your business has six trucks or 6000 trucks you can use the Fatiguefit platform in different ways to achieve that scientifically and legally defensible position for your fatigue risk management.” says Steven.

Fatiguefit’s online fatigue risk management tool. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

49

FATIGUE MANAGEMENT SHOWC ASE

SOLVING THE ENERGY CRISIS

R&R Corporate Health offers fatigue management training and well-being services ideal for handling the pressures of commercial road transport and enhancing company culture.

F

atigue, for Matthew Beechey, Director of R&R Corporate Health, is not unlike dealing with mental health — early intervention is crucial. The company, which specialises in health and safety with Human Resources departments to develop their well-being brand, offers deep dive solutions into fatigue management with two decades of experience working within the logistics and road transport sectors.

In 2018 Monash released findings from a study correlating driver fatigue and road accidents. Based on the presence of factors such as extended driving hours, falling asleep at the wheel, Matthew Beechey.

50

j u n e 2 0 21

distractions, driving right of centre and night-time driving, the study estimated fatigue contributed to 19.9 per cent of accidents. According to a NTARC Report released in 2019, fatigue was underlying cause of crashes 34.8 per cent of the time in which truck drivers died with inattention/distraction representing another 30.4 per cent of these tragic incidents. Most definitions of fatigue include the concept of a deterioration with extended effort in work output, physiological well-being or feelings.

In a logistics world where long hours and shift work are par for the course fatigue is commonplace even when guidelines of fatigue management

compliance are in place.

“Managing stress effectively is a big part of it both personally and professionally,” says Matthew. “It’s doable but not without management.

Sometimes in fatigue management that word management is the bit we don’t take seriously enough.”

People who start the training course, which teaches sustainable behaviour and lifestyle changes, often don’t have a true understanding of what fatigue is, mistaking it, for the most part, with tiredness. Many different factors can lead to fatigue such as problematic relationships, an unwell child, and even dehydration. It’s important to recognise the signs of fatigue according to Matthew, no matter if you’re a forklift driver, big rig operator or using heavy machinery.

“Too many people are working in Australia in close to a fatigue state,” he says. “So much so that it eventually becomes the norm.”

In these circumstances our energy battery is inordinately depleted. Most people wouldn’t buy a mobile phone under these terms let alone drive a car.

“It happens so slowly and we’re not actually sure that’s where we’re at,” says Matthew. “But we work on an empty battery, topping it up intermittently to keep it going.”

Often this is how a dependency begins on high sugar foods and high sugar drinks.

Someone working long hours and sleeping poorly or unable to resolve issues at home will do their best to chase energy.

A bad diet is a consequence of this.

Given shift work involves long hours it

Early intervention is important in identifying fatigue and managing it.

will push our body to its limit especially if we don’t get right what Matthew calls the ‘one percenters’ — solid sleep, diet, exercising and stretching. Indeed these one percenters help to maintain a solid energy base which in turn enables greater wellbeing. But if we’re having to go searching for energy constantly than there’s a problem according to Matthew, who points to night shift workers and overnight truck drivers being more susceptible to fatigue incidents.

“We shouldn’t have to be consciously trying to stay awake. Our energy should be vital and not a conscious process,” he says. “We typically wait for a crisis before we take action.”

As part of managing fatigue R&R incorporates what Matthew refers to as the ‘Three As’ — Aware, Accept and Act. Awareness is often the easy part; acceptance, however, can prove a challenge. Most people are not willing to accept where they are at and should they be able to they’re often unwilling to accept that they need to do something

about it. Matthew says there are a range of factors that influence why this next step proves so hard for some people.

Pride, for one example, intervenes in us sharing our feelings or reaching out to tell someone we are struggling.

Fear also plays a part in this as people worry that they might lose their job or be considered difficult or unfit for employment.

“A significant near-miss or an incident will motivate us as human beings to acknowledge we need to do something about it,” Matthew says. “Why do we let it get to the point we have hit a rumble strip for the third time in a night before we pullover?”

Unfortunately, it often takes for something to go wrong before we reach the acceptance stage of the Three As of Fatigue. By then, if it’s not too late, it’s about accepting that we need to make drastic changes. It’s doable, of course, but not without management.

R&R takes a holistic approach in delivering education outcomes in

managing fatigue, energy and wellbeing. The 3 As of Fatigue have given businesses a common language for managing fatigue according to Matthew.

A former registered nurse who moved into massage therapy in 1999 to work with heavy vehicle operators, Matthew got to understand firsthand how the toll of working long hours with a bad diet impaired their sleep and importantly affected their desire to do something about it. At the core of Matthew’s ambition is to help look after heavy vehicle operators, given they are in one of the most dangerous occupations in Australia. In 2008 he authored The Healthy Road Warrior, a book for truck drivers and between that year and 2014 he estimates he trained nearly 7,000 drivers. At the time the concept of wellbeing was considered fluffy and feel good.

Even now current fatigue management compliance doesn’t necessarily factor in the whole spectrum of issues when it comes to instilling preventative measures for exhaustion and fatigue and ultimately injury. Inspired by these Aussie Road Warriors, R&R is looking to create a culture around it.

“In order to work to those schedules a person really does need to be eating well, drinking lots of water and getting as much good sleep as is possible,” he says. “These are a solid base in which to work from when it comes to managing stressors in their lives whether they be personal or professional as one invariably impacts the other.”

Despite COVID-19 making personal engagements with businesses difficult last year, through necessity Matthew was forced to create an online course package with rich media online training.

It is a blended learning model of online and face-to-face interaction.

“Any business working in fatigue management needs incredibly consistent message,” he says. “Online helps facilitate this through learning a truly common language.”

R&R Corporate Health will have an exhibit at MEGATRANS2021 in September. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

51

INDUSTRY

The 70,000th Kenworth produced in Australia.

HISTORY I N

THE

MAKING One of Australia’s leading Kenworth and DAF dealerships, Brown and Hurley, celebrates 75 years in operation this June. Prime Mover speaks with Jim and Paul Hurley, son and grandson of co-founder Jack Hurley OAM, about the remarkable rise to prominence of this successful Australian family business.

T

he Brown and Hurley story started in the early 1940s during the Second World War when Alan Brown and Jack Hurley, who were both in the army at the time, met and became great mates.

Due to their excellent mechanical skill set, rather than being sent into battle the dynamic duo was enlisted to train the soldiers in the service and repair of trucks and machinery used during the war.

In 1946, after the war had ended, they decided to go into business together at Kyogle. With limited funds they started doing mechanical repairs in a shed behind a bike shop situated on a property owned by the Catholic church.

The business, according to Jim, struggled to make money doing mechanical repairs

52

j u n e 2 0 21

over the following year or so, however, a turning point came in 1947 when the first new machinery sales were made.

“A fellow came in and wanted a crawler tractor so they got him an Oliver Cletrac and then another fellow wanted a new White truck which they also managed to supply,” says Jim. “From those two sales they made 150 pounds commission, which convinced them that selling new equipment was the way they needed to go.”

In the early 1950s the Catholic church decided to build a new church on the site, which prompted Jack and Alan to buy a block of land a couple of doors up and build their first dealership which was opened in 1953.

Brown and Hurley subsequently became a

White truck distributor and sold 154 units.

They also sold 548 Leyland trucks between 1957 and 1968, along with a large number of Volvo trucks between 1968 and 1999.

Also sold in the early years were significant quantities of Allis-Chalmers and David Brown tractors along with Blue Streak Two Man and One Man chainsaws (and later McCulloch chainsaws) which were tools of choice in the thriving logging industry in northern NSW at the time.

A watershed moment came in 1964 with the appointment of Brown and Hurley as Australia’s first Kenworth dealership – an event that set up the company for ongoing success that continues unabated as the 75year milestone is passed.

“We’ve been a truck dealer with various franchises for most of the 75 years,”

says Paul Hurley.

“Becoming Australia’s first Kenworth dealer in 1964 and selling our first Kenworth in 1965 are certainly two of our biggest milestones.

“Another was being given the opportunity

by PACCAR to buy the 70,000th Kenworth produced in Australia, which was delivered to us in April this year.”

Paul agrees that the successes of both PACCAR Australia and Brown and Hurley are intrinsically linked, with both businesses enabled to flourish due to the symbiotic relationship.

“There’s no doubt that without the Kenworth products we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have and I’d like to think that we’ve played a part in helping PACCAR achieve its considerable success in this country,” Paul says.

“Both companies have similar aspirations in that we have always strived to serve the end users who buy the trucks by supplying them with products tailored to suit their individual circumstances.”

Paul explains that as a proudly Australian family-owned company Brown and Hurley has achieved this goal by continually investing in its people and facilities, including spare parts and service, to ensure excellence across the board. He also highlights the careful succession planning that has seen a third generation step up to guide the business through its next phase.

“Both families have a long-term commitment to the company that has enabled continued investment in our brands. This, in turn, enables us to better Jim Hurley.

serve our many loyal customers, without whom we wouldn’t have a business,” he says.

Today, with a staff numbering 468, Brown and Hurley has a parts inventory of $24million and across all of its nine branches supplies around 97 per cent of Kenworth parts off the shelf.

Historically, the company has sold between 27 and 30 per cent of Australianbuilt Kenworths and between 30 and 35 per cent of DAFs sold in Australia.

Jim says the prowess of its sales people along with having its own technician training centre are big factors in the company’s success, particularly with selling DAFs. “Being able to support the product is key,” he says. “We have a head trainer who attended a course at DAF headquarters in Holland so he could come back and train our technicians, ensuring they’re right up to date with all the latest technology.”

As part of its 75-year celebrations, Brown and Hurley recently released 75 Diamond Edition trucks which were all snapped up within 24 hours. A number of these were displayed at the recent Brisbane Truck Show.

Celebrations continue throughout June with open days at the company’s nine branches scattered across northern New South Wales and Queensland.

The first will be at the Kyogle headquarters on Saturday 5 June which will be opened

by Federal Member Kevin Hogan MP at 11am. The event will include a new truck display and pallet sale auctioning goods

An artist impression of the first Brown and Hurley outlet in Kyogle, NSW.

donated by various parts and accessories manufacturers. The proceeds of this will go to the daughter of a staff member who is bravely battling leukaemia and has three young children.

Also being launched that day is a book titled How a great oak from a little acorn grew, originally written by Jack Hurley OAM, detailing the first 60 years of the company’s history and recently expanded with the last 15 years of history by his son Jim. The Coffs Harbour branch also has its open day and pallet sale on 5 June, followed by the Yatala branch on 10 and 11 June and Toowoomba branch on 12 June.

Rockhampton and Caboolture open days will occur on 19 June, while Townsville and Darra branches have their turn on 26 June.

Kyogle, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Caboolture and Darra branch open days will also play host to Show ‘n’ Shine events enabling truck enthusiasts to display their pride and joy for the general public to admire.

The grand finale will be the open day at the Tamworth branch on 3 July which will also be a celebration of the official branch opening.

All up, it’s a fitting celebration for the diamond anniversary of a great Australian company that started from little more than a shared vision of two talented men and has grown to become a pivotal part of this country’s vast and varied road transport industry.

As the book title so aptly depicts, from a tiny acorn a mighty oak tree has grown. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

53

TEST DRIVE

GRAVITY’S R A I N B O W

A key element in Volvo’s Euro 6 line up is a 13-litre engine which utilises turbo compounding technology.

V

olvo’s plan for the global launch of its comprehensively enhanced Euro VI models was an early victim of the restrictions brought about by COVID, and while the subsequent ‘virtual’ launch delivered an abundance of information, more than a year later the trucks are finally available to drive on Australian roads and their numerous features can be better appreciated. As expected of Volvo, this is more than a range of trucks focused on meeting the latest emission standards and the new models have plenty for everyone with cabs loaded with features to enhance the drivers’ working lives, advanced safety systems to improve protection of all road users, and even more fuel efficient drivelines plus a plethora of electronic wizardry which ties everything together.

Our test drive takes place on a wet Sunday along the Hume Highway between Sydney and the border city of Albury and a number of drivers 54

j u n e 2 0 21

cross over between four very different examples of the latest Volvo range. A 700hp FH16, a 540hp FH featuring the dual clutch version of the Volvo I-Shift transmission, a 540hp FM and a 500hp FH fitted with the 13-litre I-Save turbo compound engine which seriously captures our interest as this form of technology appears to be making a comeback after going out of favour some years ago.

The 13-litre Volvo D13TC engine utilises turbo compounding technology which recovers energy typically wasted through the exhaust, converting the heat energy into useable mechanical energy which is transferred back to the engine’s crankshaft by way of a viscous coupling and a gear train. Volvo says up to 50 ‘free’ horsepower are available resulting in up to a 6.5 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency from the engine when compared with the previous Volvo 13-litre engine. The harnessing of the additional power and torque comes at no extra running cost and translates to a 500hp engine with the fuel demand of a 450hp engine.

The Volvo turbo compound technology is at its most basic description a waste heat recovery system which uses an

additional turbine to convert energy from the exhaust gases into additional torque at the crankshaft and therefore improving engine efficiency. The engine features patented wave top pistons with uniquely designed ridged piston crowns to burn fuel more efficiently by moving the air/fuel charge to the centre of the combustion chamber prior to ignition.

The compression ratio has also been increased from 17:1 to 18:1, further improving fuel efficiency within the engine. Externally, the fixed geometry turbocharger is fitted with ball bearings for an extended service life.

The maximum power of 500hp from the D13TC is available between 1,250rpm and 1,600rpm, with the maximum torque of 2,800Nm delivered from as low at 900rpm up to 1,300rpm. The additional 300Nm of maximum torque being available at such low revs results in reduced application of the accelerator, either by the driver or the cruise control, so that steady speeds can be maintained on the highway. The additional torque at lower revs also contributes to a better point-to-point average speed due to improved abilities by extending the time spent in higher gears when climbing hills or negotiating long stretches of

gradient. The maximum retardation of the engine brake is an effective 380kW @2,300rpm.

The Volvo I-Shift transmission has a new controller which makes it easier for the driver to toggle between the new drive modes which have been developed to extract the full advantages of the characteristics of the turbo compound engine. Three main modes are now available: ‘Economy’ with an obvious focus on fuel consumption with some reduction in power, ‘Standard’ which maintains ‘reasonable’ fuel consumption without compromising driveability, and ‘Performance’ which delivers full power with a reduced focus on fuel consumption.

There are two other transmission modes to select from: ‘Off Road’ in which agility is prioritised, and ‘Heavy Duty’ which optimises driveability at high loads above 85 tonnes GVM. Integral to the I-Save suite is the I-See system which uses GPS coordinates and shared topography data through a central data storage in the Cloud to maximise the vehicle’s efficiency by maintaining momentum and avoiding unnecessary gear changes.

The I-See system knows when a hill is ahead, so the truck accelerates and is able to remain in a higher gear for longer during the climb. It also is aware

Energy typically wasted through the exhaust is recovered by turbo compounding.

when it is approaching the crest so stops accelerating unnecessarily. On the downhill side, I-See is able to disengage the powertrain to allow the truck to be pulled along by gravity and will apply the engine and service brakes as required to keep within the speed parameters set by the driver.

In the situation of a fleet of trucks

Volvo FH 13-litre.

being connected to the I-See system, it is enough that just one connected vehicle has driven a particular route, for all connected vehicles to be able to utilise the information and optimise their driving when they then traverse the same route. When the vehicle operates outside GSM network coverage the I-See functionality will still operate using topography data from previous trips stored within the truck.

The FH is also equipped with Downhill Cruise Control (DCC) with Auto Service Brakes. DCC prevents the truck from exceeding the speed set by the driver and primarily uses auxiliary brakes such as the engine brake to control downhill speed and only autonomously applies the wheel brakes when absolutely required. When the DCC is activated a symbol and the set speed are displayed in instrument screen. If, and when, service brakes are applied another icon appears to indicate their use. The DCC will enter a ‘Reduced’ mode to protect the service brakes from overheating and in this situation a message is displayed on the dash of ‘DCC functionality reduced’ and the driver may have to p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

55

TEST DRIVE

I-See is able to disengage the powertrain to allow the truck to be pulled along by gravity.

intervene to maintain speed at or below the predetermined level. Normal DCC function returns once brakes have sufficiently cooled. Unlike traditional cruise control, the driver can operate the foot brake without deactivating the DCC cruise system and having to reset it. The Adaptive Cruise Control now functions down to 0km/h, dropping from 15km/h in previous versions meaning the truck can come to a complete stop if it detects a stationary object in its path.

Another innovative safety feature is the Volvo Passenger Corner Camera located on the bottom of the kerbside mirror, which activates when the turn indicator is flicked to the left. The camera’s view can also be activated manually using the camera button located below side display screen, which is handy when reversing or making a tight left-hand turn at an intersection. A clear view of the side of the area along the kerb side of the vehicle 56

j u n e 2 0 21

is displayed on side screen in the cab.

The new cab’s LED headlights follow an iconic V-shape and incorporate four reflectors and 12 LEDs on each side.

The headlights have adaptive high beam which utilises the radar and camera components of the Adaptive Cruise Control to detect surrounding traffic and light sources. If objects are detected, various LEDs within the headlight assemblies are switched off or on automatically to suit the circumstances.

The Volvo Dynamic Steering as fitted to this FH has also been the subject of some changes. The basic torque overlay of up to 25Nm results in a reduced steering force of up to 85 per cent which contributes to a lowering of driver fatigue. The default production setting is designed to give a balanced feel and should be ideal for most drivers.

However, personal settings are now easy to access through the side display

screen in the Vehicle Settings menu.

There are a number of pre-defined settings including ‘Light’ which provides very light steering but is still damped, ‘Stable’ which is good on narrow roads, ‘Responsive’ which delivers a car like feel due to its high spring, low damping and friction settings. In ‘Custom’ mode the driver is able to set and save their own steering preferences. The power steering pump is now of a variable displacement design to provide its own contribution to fuel economy.

In revisiting the turbo compound engine technology which it and others had walked away from in previous years, Volvo has succeeded in harnessing the significant fuel efficiencies this type of engine offers and surrounded it with a comprehensive suite of technologies to produce a truck with a high level of innovations accentuating safety, driveability and efficiency.

E X H I B I T I O N S PAC E NOW ON SALE

PROUD PARTNER

Department of Transport

S U P P O R T I N G S P ONS OR S

M E L B O U R N E C O N V E N T I O N & E H X

EXHIBITORS CAN CLAIM U P TO

H I

50%

B I T I O N

O F T H E I R E V E N T- R E L AT E D EXPENSES THROUGH THE

GOVERNMENT GRANT

C E N

M E G AT R A N S . C O M . A U

T R

CO N F E RE N C E SP O N SO R S

ASSOCI ATI ON PARTNER S

ACCREDITATION PARTNER

E

PERSONALITY

ROAD SAFET Y

WARRIOR Peter Frazer turned his energy and abilities towards improving road safety following the tragic death of his 23-year old daughter in 2012.

S

arah Frazer was on her way to commence university in February 2012 when her car broke down.

The NRMA tow truck operator who responded to her call was loading her car when they were both struck and killed by another truck. Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group was set up by Sarah’s father Peter Frazer to ensure more lives are not lost through preventable and clearly foreseeable situations like the one that took her life.

PM: Is road safety more than a mindset?

PF: Because people make mistakes, how we build our infrastructure is fundamentally important to road safety.

But it really starts with how we view ourselves and whether we give priority to the safety of others.

PM: Is there a culture in society around on-road behaviour that we need to address?

PF: There is far too much selfish behaviour on our roads and it’s costing lives. Speeding, drink and/or drug driving, driving distracted or tired — these all put other people directly at serious risk of death or serious injury.

During National Road Safety Week we are asking drivers and riders to choose to put the safety of others first, to ‘Drive So Others Survive’. We want drivers to see themselves as a ‘Road Safety Warrior’ whose primary purpose is to actively protect all those on or beside the road ahead. And the outcome of 58

j u n e 2 0 21

the changed behaviour is everyone gets home safe to their loved ones, every day, without exception.

PM: Your own background has been in policy, human rights issues, compliance, and enforcement. In NSW legislation, Sarah’s Rule, as it was later known, came into effect some 18 months ago and requires speed to be reduced around emergency vehicles on the roadside with their lights flashing.

As an informed observer, do you think it has made a difference?

PF: It absolutely has. We started our ‘Slow

Down Move Over’ campaign because it wasn’t just Sarah who was killed but also the NRMA towie who was assisting her.

Like Sarah, he had a right to get home safe. For too long workers in non-trafficcontrolled circumstances have had drivers illegally speeding past, as if their lives didn’t matter. So we are grateful that Sarah’s Rule in NSW, and its equivalent in WA, now protects these workers and those they are assisting. Importantly, our campaign recommended reducing speed by 30 to 40 km/h because our key was to recognise the danger to those pedestrians, slowing without any emergency braking

Peter Frazer [right] with ATA CEO Andrew McKellar.

and then move to an adjacent lane if safe to do so. Sarah’s law is a great start but there is so much more to do. For instance, we often see vehicles speeding at 80 or 100 km/h through traffic management areas where the posted limit is 60 or even 40 km/h! Selfish drivers clearly couldn’t care less about the

PM: Is driver distraction approaching epidemic levels?

PF: Without doubt, distraction is at epidemic levels. But what drives me is my personal experience because of the outrageous selfish behaviour of the driver who killed Sarah. How can you drive more than 309 metres and

‘I drive to actively protect all those on the road ahead and that yellow ribbon and reflective yellow sticker on my truck publicly shows that I ‘Drive So Others Survive!’ life of our road workers, or indeed any vulnerable road user! So irrespective of whether its police, emergency services, traffic controllers, line markers, towies, roadside assistance, or simply someone who is just broken down, our Road Safety Warriors are committed to slowing down and giving them the space they need to be safe.

PM: The Commonwealth Government is developing a national road safety strategy. What can be done to make that better?

PF: It is critical that our infrastructure is built to Australia’s agreed standards.

It aggravates me that while Austroads set national standards, individual jurisdictions often exempt themselves.

This is not some academic exercise.

Where Sarah was killed, that three-lane 110 km/h freeway was built with only a 1.5-metre-wide emergency lane. It should have been three metre wide to allow a broken-down truck to fit safely.

That freeway was deliberately not built or maintained to standards and Sarah was deliberately left in harm’s way. As a result, she was horrifically killed.

PM: Is it a case of the road owner trying to save money on construction or road builder cutting corners?

PF: Definitely the former. Road builders build to the specifications given to them.

But vulnerable lives are put at risk when road designers cut corners.

be distracted for a minimum of 11.1 seconds without even looking up?!

Whether you are a professional driver or not, you don’t have the right to do what you like on the road… your only job is to ensure the safety of others while you drive from A to B. This type of disgusting selfish criminal behaviour is why we created National Road Safety Week and the yellow ribbon road safety symbol.

PM: Where did the yellow ribbon come from?

PF: Believe it or not, it initially had nothing to do with road safety. Sarah was killed on 15 February 2012 and the following week we had to deal with that terrible situation of identifying her and then organising her burial.

Because of my grief, I literally couldn’t talk so I tied a yellow ribbon to our car’s aerial because yellow was Sarah’s favourite colour. Amazingly, our local community spontaneously started doing the same, tying yellow ribbons to their vehicles in solidarity with us. A month later my family started our road safety group … Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH). Our symbol was the yellow ribbon. That symbol spread, first throughout NSW, then nationally. By 2015, it was recognised as Australia’s symbol for road safety.

While people are unlikely to know the backstory, I am very pleased that yellow ribbon means ‘road safety’. So just

seeing that yellow ribbon may prompt them to just back off their speed, or if tired, take a five-minute break, or if driving while distracted, put the phone in the glovebox so they can’t touch it. I think Sarah would be very proud that she is changing people’s behaviour and helping save lives.While our yellow ribbons and stickers now appear on police, emergency services, government and corporate fleets, as well as countless private vehicles across our country, my greatest satisfaction is when I see a red P-plate driver with a yellow ribbon on their car. That’s when I know SARAH is really having a positive influence.

PM: Should the operation of average speed cameras be extended to vehicles other than trucks?

PF: Absolutely! Research clearly shows that Point-To-Point (P2P) cameras are extraordinarily effective in changing driver behaviour. Yet only heavy vehicles are subject to enforcement in NSW. Excluding cars sends a contradictory message effectively saying it’s OK to speed through P2P cameras if you’re in a car. SARAH is actively encouraging the NSW Government to change this policy.

PM: Can the trucking industry assist?

PF: It certainly can. One of the reasons I enjoy working with the trucking industry is that so many are taking the lead and effectively saying: ‘I drive to actively protect all those on the road ahead and that yellow ribbon and reflective yellow sticker on my truck publicly shows that I ‘Drive So Others Survive!’. My work details are on the back of my truck. I am proud of the way I drive, so feel free to ring up my supervisor and have a talk.

There are so many individual truckers and fleet owners publicly showing they are champions, or as I call them our ‘Road Safety Warriors’ by displaying our yellow ribbons and/or stickers and pledging to ‘Drive So Others Survive!’. How good would it be if all the trucking and logistics industry was seen as a leading road safety advocate? My goal is to work together to achieve this and so my challenge to industry is simple: Want to join me? p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

59

PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

UNITED F R O N T In her role of National Truck Rental Manager Anna Marie Taylor demonstrates the culture of diversity Scania leadership promotes is strong.

A

nna Marie Taylor came to Australia in 2010 to establish Scania’s truck rental program after starting up a similar operation for the Swedish manufacturer in the United Kingdom in 1995. This was the first rental operation to be created by any European truck manufacturer and under Anna Marie’s direction Scania’s rental business in the UK ultimately involved almost 1,500 trucks across nearly 100 locations. In May 2010, Anna Marie relocated from Scania GB to Australia to establish a rental division in this country, and built up a fleet of about 120 new vehicles, available as short and long term back up for Scania customers and non-Scania customers as well.

Her Australian responsibilities also include running Scania’s national used truck program in parallel with the rental activities. In addition to these two linked roles, Anna Marie was appointed Queensland State Manager in early 2021 for all of Scania’s operations in that state.

“Rental is a good opportunity to keep a Scania customer in a Scania truck rather than hiring a different brand and is now very much a part of Scania around the world,” says Anna Marie.

Rental trucks are typically in the fleet for about 12 months and then are moved into the used vehicle division, providing a supply of good quality trucks with very low kilometres and detailed service histories which can be purchased by customers along with repair 60

j u n e 2 0 21

Anna Marie Taylor.

and maintenance contracts similar to those available for new Scania vehicles.

The rental operation also generates an increasing number of new truck purchasers.

“The old saying is ‘try before you buy’, so customers can hire a truck to see how it works in their own particular application.

But it’s also not just about the trucks because they get to see how proactive we are in areas such as service,” says Anna Marie. “In Queensland we’ve got a rental customer who has just bought six new vehicles, so they are replacing some of the rentals with new Scania trucks.”

Although Australia is rapidly emerging from the problems of the COVID pandemic, there are knock-on effects from the continuing situation in Europe which has created some challenges here.

Trucks require parts and in anticipation of additional demand Scania has established additional parts warehouses, one in Perth and one in Victoria.

“We’re in a 24/7 business and no matter what industry you’re in, trucks keep things going. For uptime these parts warehouses will help Scania and our customers,” says Anna Marie.

Another current challenge is the

Australian market’s remarkable demand for new heavy duty trucks.

“Demand for new Scania vehicles this year is incredible and demand for new trucks leads on to another challenge, which is used vehicle stock. Longer lead times for new trucks means the trade-ins are delayed, so our used truck stock is lower than we would like at the moment,” she says. “We will see stock improve by midyear but we’ve just come

Anna Marie acknowledges there are opportunities for all people to progress in the Scania organisation based on merit.

“Scania is more about quality, diversity and culture than any organisation I know,” she says. “In the UK I had 17 managers report to me and in turn they had more people reporting to them, and yet it wasn’t unusual when I went into a meeting back then for the client to ask if I would mind making the tea. My own guy

“The old saying is ‘try before you buy’, so customers can hire a truck to see how it works in their own particular application. But it’s also not just about the trucks because they get to see how proactive we are in areas such as service. ” Anna Marie Taylor National Truck Rental Manager, Scania

off such a successful 2020 in terms of used trucks. It was one of the best years ever despite the stocks being down.”

The restricted availability of new trucks also translates into more demand for rental vehicles.

“Our rental demand is unbelievable with 96 per cent utilisation,” says Anna Marie. “The aim is actually 92 per cent so we always have availability, but we are continuously adding new vehicles to the fleet and will soon have the 7.0 litre Scania product becoming available.”

Ex rentals can be purchased with low kilometres and detailed service histories.

with me would say, ‘she’s my boss!’’

Anna Marie took such instances in her stride, but events such as that helped with her determination that people be recognised for their abilities rather than being categorised by their gender or cultural background.

“Being realistic in life, everyone knows we all work together and regardless of what you are, male or female, everybody should treat each other just the same. I am a team player and I believe honestly that you are only as good as your team,”

she says. “If you make them strong and make them confident then people can do anything. Things will only change if we make them change and we all embody that. I am passionate about Scania and honestly I feel so proud to work for a company like this.”

To celebrate the different cultural backgrounds of its people Scania recently held a morning tea event to acknowledge those diversity and cultural differences. With employees of eleven different nationalities, the Scania facility in Brisbane is considered a good representation of Scania internationally as a multi-cultural organisation.

“I’ve worked in five countries for Scania and this is the most fortunate country to work in. We make sure we get the training right and pass on our knowledge,” she says. “One of the things we are taught at Scania as part of the leadership training is skill capture and how to attract and retain good people, and that’s through diversity too. Forget about gender, that’s old school. Nowadays we’re looking at sexual orientation. Years ago, we never spoke about anything like that and now we’re looking at how to incorporate it into the workplace.”

When Anna Marie first arrived at Scania’s Richlands facility in Queensland in June 2010 there were three only females there including the receptionist, the business controller and herself, and there was only one toilet.

“Now we have 11 females and rather than decrease the number of females we put in an extra toilet because we definitely see the female ratio at Scania is growing,” Anna Marie says. “There are 52,000 people employed worldwide and out of that at least 20,000 are females.”

Diversity, according to Anna Marie Taylor, is something talked about at every opportunity to encourage the female staff.

“An example is Heba Eltarifi who started at Scania as a business controller, then had the opportunity to be Chief Financial Officer, and she is now Managing Director in charge of South East Asia,” Anna Marie says. “Proof you can start at entry level and finish up as a Managing Director.” p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

61

proudly sponsored by

Have you got your tickets? www.asci-2021.com.au/tickets/

TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO BOOK YOUR TICKET TO THE MUST ATTEND SUPPLY CHAIN EDUCATION EVENT OF THE YEAR

28-30

JULY

2021

William Inglis Hotel, Sydney

AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 98 JUNE 2021

FUSO eCANTER

SILENT

RUNNING PLUS: FEDEX EXPRESS | HYUNDAI STARIA

JUNE

CONTENTS

21

Welcome to Delivery…

68 DELIVERY NEWS

66

LATEST FROM THE INDUSTRY

RIDING SHOTGUN

68

SAFE AND SOUND

The recent integration of TNT into FedEx Express Australia is among a litany of exciting developments underway at the freight and parcel carrier, including an historic relief effort with respect to the COVID supply chain.

FINAL MILE

72

SILENT RUNNING

Fuso has tapped into the global resources of its parent Daimler to develop a practical allelectric light-medium duty truck.

HOME RUN

74

STARSHIP ENTERPRISE

With the embodiment of what Hyundai describes as its ‘inside-out’ design methodology, the company has developed an all-new people mover called Staria that will be launched in Australia later this year.

FUTURE TENSE

76

KEEPING CANTER CURRENT

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation holds the view that the aesthetic appeal of its vehicles is of equal importance as the functionality. The company recently held a Design Essentials event at its Kawasaki headquarters to showcase its latest extensive redesign of the light-duty Canter workhorse, along with its vision for future vehicles.

64

j u n e 2 0 21

Honda is the latest major automotive manufacturer to turn the dial up on an electric vehicle future.

By the year 2040 it will only make zero-emission vehicles including electric and fuel cell electric vehicles in North America it recently announced.

Last year Honda confirmed it would redirect its Formula 1 resources to EV and fuel cell development, the latter segment an area it has heavily invested R&D over the years. With a joint venture already underway with Isuzu to collaborate on fuel cell technology, Honda is expected to expand its commercial vehicle operations, an application it considers better suited to fuel cell electric vehicles. With a timeline in place for phasing out its gasoline engines over the next two decades, Honda expects 40 per cent of its vehicles will be electric or fuel cell electric vehicles by 2030.

This suggests the light commercial vehicle space is only going to get more crowded.

An active player already in that market, Hino Motors, has advanced its zero-emission offering to the point of unveiling the Hino Dutro Z EV, the commercial manufacturer’s first full scale electric vehicle. A variation of the Dutro more commonly regarded as the 300 Series in Australia, the walkthrough van, with its ultra-low floor, is designed specifically for last mile deliveries. It features a compact 50kW electric motor mounted under the cab, which drives the front wheels. With the lithium ION battery mounted underneath the cargo area between the chassis rails, the walkthrough structure of the van is particularly suited to the multi-stop delivery characteristics of the last mile delivery challenge. The Hino Dutro Z EV is currently scheduled to be released in Japan as early as mid-2022.

By then state governments might have been pressured into giving incentive packages for electric vehicles consistent with actions being taken by governments across the world. Even so, questions remain in regard to the Victorian Government introducing legislation that targets a road user charge on electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, technologies still in their infancy in the Australian market. Already in NSW, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has flagged the development of a ‘holistic’ package that will support EV uptake and has committed to delaying any new charges until the market has had a chance to mature. Alignment on this issue, at least for the moment, beckons a federal decision.

NEWS

MITSUBISHI EXPRESS VAN FAILS ANCAP SAFETY TESTING Australasia’s independent voice on vehicle safety, ANCAP Safety, has appointed its first zero-star rating to the new Mitsubishi Express van. The latest Mitsubishi Express van – a popular choice for commercial fleets and private tradespeople – was unable to qualify for a rating higher than zero due to the absence of active safety systems and marginal performance in physical crash tests. It’s a revelation made all the more surprising by the fact that the vehicle is essentially a badge-engineered and French-built Renault Trafic. It’s also ironic given Mitsubishi reportedly withdrew the previous Express van – an old-school single box model – from the Australasian market in 2013 due to its failure to meet rapidly evolving safety and emissions

standards. After a seven-year hiatus, the Express nameplate was reintroduced locally last year. According to ANCAP, the new Express lacks basic safety features that consumers have come to expect. Autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems – safety features which are routinely fitted to almost all vehicles assessed in recent years – are not offered on the Mitsubishi Express, resulting in a Safety Assist score of just seven per cent. Scores for Adult Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User Protection were also low.

“Mitsubishi recently introduced the Express into our market, but its specifications do not align with today’s safety expectations,” said ANCAP

Chief Executive, Ms Carla Hoorweg.

“Unfortunately, we saw below par performance for protection of occupants and vulnerable road users from the Express, with results lowered even further due to a fundamental lack of active safety systems.”

The zero-star rating will see the Mitsubishi Express ineligible for purchase by a wide range of fleets and commercial buyers that have for many years required 5-star rated vehicles.

“The Express’ poor result sends a clear signal to manufacturers and their global parent companies that safety must be prioritised in all segments offered to the Australasian market,” said Hoorweg “We know Mitsubishi can deliver vehicles with high levels of overall safety.

FORD LAUNCHES 4X2 XL SPORT, NEWEST RANGER FAMILY MEMBER Top selling utility vehicle, Ford Ranger, has introduced an XL Sport variant into its range as it ramps up its work and play consumer offering. New and enhanced Ford Ranger models, as well as improved standard safety features and powertrain choices for existing variants, have been announced by the carmaker ahead of market launch in July.

The new Ford Ranger 4x2 XL Sport variant boasts black accents, including black 16-inch alloy wheels, a bedliner and a black sports bar. It is powered by Ford’s 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel which makes 118kW at 3,200rpm and a muscular 385Nm of torque from 1,600 – 2500rpm and six-speed automatic.

As the newest member of the Ranger family, the 4x2 XL Sport is based on the Ranger 4x2 Double Cab and borrows styling cues from the XLS Sport variant and carries more than $4,500 worth of extra features compared with standard XL. Available in limited numbers, the new 4x2 XL SPORT boasts eye-catching black accent styling as well as a new black rear bumper and unique ‘Sport’ decal on the tailgate. Buyers will be able to purchase it in Arctic White, True Red, Shadow Black, 66

j u n e 2 0 21

Meteor Grey and Aluminium Metallic.

Meanwhile, a Ford Ranger 4x4 XL Heavy Duty Special Edition will be in showrooms in July. It features a factory-fitted bullbar, LED lightbar, fixed-head snorkel, Continental CrossContact All-Terrain Tyres and Heavy-Duty suspension. 4x4 XL variants see Ford’s 157kW/500Nm Bi-Turbo powertrain with 10-speed automatic transmission added to the list of engine choices.

This updated Ranger XL 4x4 Heavy Duty Special Edition is available exclusively in Arctic White and combines two previously separate packages into one offering, with nine accessories fitted to enhance its offroad capability, character and value.

Ford Ranger 4x2 XL Sport.

“Ranger has been designed and engineered in Australia, and our harsh continent is an ideal place to develop, test and test again to ensure Ranger meets Ford’s Tough Done Smarter mantra,” said Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia and New Zealand President and CEO. “With the new XL SPORT and 4x4 XL Heavy Duty Special Edition variants, we’re working hard to ensure that tradies and businesses all across the country have the right equipment and support to get on with the job. And our 4x4 XL customers will have even more choice with the inclusion of our premium BiTurbo powertrain, while adding Adaptive Cruise Control as standard to XLT.”

COURIER SERVICE FORECASTS 30 PER CENT GROWTH IN 2021 Rapid changes in consumer behaviour have led to a boom in the logistics sector as industry revenue for parcel delivery services increases by six per cent.

Since last April the Australian Bureau of Statistics has reported a 67 per cent average monthly increase alone in online shopping.

Parcel delivery specialist, CouriersPlease has announced an additional 80 per cent increase in handling parcel delivery volumes over the last 12 months its biggest growth in the 38 years it has existed. As a result CouriersPlease has redesigned its entire service cycle, expanded its network and depots, which now includes more than 1200 franchisees and delivery partners in addition to 400plus freight handlers. This year alone the business, having positioned itself for further growth, expects to incrase parcel delivery volumes by up to 30 per cent.

CouriersPlease remained one of the few essential services to continue operating during heightened restrictions last

CouriersPlease has increased handling parcel delivery volumes by 80 per cent since 2020.

year. Company CEO Mark McGinley established and headed a Business Continuity Team, comprising a team of 12 senior managers, to design a business continuity plan, safe working practices for a pandemic environment, and risk mitigation strategies to safeguard the business for recovery.

In early March, with more people restricted to their homes, McGinley anticipated CouriersPlease would see a significant upscale in business by hiring hundreds of additional drivers and

growing the franchisee network by 50 per cent. Staff also expanded by 55 per cent.

“In the last year, CouriersPlease has transformed its business into a pioneering, highly competitive and technologically driven company in the eCommerce and logistics industries – and one that will continue to evolve and grow with the rapidly changing e-commerce market,” said McGinley.

On this front, CouriersPlease has invested in automated parcel sortation systems to boost handling efficiency seven-fold.

DHL EXPRESS PARTNERS WITH FIAT ON ELECTRIFICATION OF LAST-MILE DELIVERY DHL Express plans to have more than 14,000 electric vans in operation in Europe by 2030 to reduce their carbon emissions. In what is considered another step towards zero emissions for the company, it has announced a partnership with Fiat Professional involving the purchase of 100 of the Fiat e-Ducato following the recent unveiling of the new model to the public by Stellantis. These large vans are 100 per cent electric and boast a range of more than 200km. Fitting with the recently launched Sustainability Roadmap of DPDHL Group, DHL Express plans to have more than 14,000 electric vans in operation in Europe by 2030 to reduce their carbon emissions.

“We strongly believe that the future of last mile logistics is electric”, said Alberto Nobis, CEO DHL Express Europe. “To fulfill our purpose of connecting people and improving lives, we have committed to get greener and cleaner in what we do every single day. By adding the

e-Ducatos to our fleet, we take the next important step to reach our goal of electrifying the major part of our last-mile delivery fleet. With Fiat Professional, we found what we were looking for: state-ofthe-art technology and powerful batteries which enables us to reach beyond 200 km with one charge to deliver our customers their Express shipments fast and green.”

In Europe DHL Express connects consumers and businesses in more than 60 countries and territories relying on a pickup and delivery fleet that consists of around 500 electric vans, mainly operating in urban regions, and 14,000 non-electric vehicles today. Due to the high customer demand for international Express deliveries the company expects its European last mile fleet will grow to approximately 20,000 vans by 2030.

To transform its sustainability strategy into reality the company is strongly committed that 60 per cent of its fleet

operate electric by end of the current decade (approximately 14,000 vehicles).

A majority are large vans used for urban and metropolitan deliveries. Together with Fiat Professional, the E-Ducato was trialed through tests under different realworld operating conditions such as very low temperatures, extreme slopes, and long distances, to check its response to the whole range of DHL usage patterns.

For Eric Laforge, Head of LCV Enlarged Europe at Stellantis, the e-Ducato project is a journey towards innovation and the future.

“We’re proud that a player as important as DHL Express has chosen the e-Ducato as part of such an ambitious goal,” he said. “With the e-Ducato, our task was not only to develop a sustainable product from both an economic and environmental perspective, but most of all to provide a complete mobility solution for our partners.” d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

67

RIDING SHOTGUN

FedEx parcel sorting distribution centre.

SAFE AND SOUND

The recent integration of TNT into FedEx Express Australia is among a litany of exciting developments underway at the freight and parcel carrier, including an historic relief effort with respect to the COVID supply chain.

D

espite sweeping disruptions impacting the global supply chain last year, FedEx Express Australia, has not wavered from its long-term strategy. As a business its priorities remain the same as preCOVID-19 — that is to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by making it easy for them to do 68

j u n e 2 0 21

business and grow, using both digital and human touchpoints. For customers especially impacted by COVID-19, FedEx Express Australia, as the company is now known following the consolidation of operations with TNT in April, enables them to access newer opportunities and markets as they pivot their business models in the wake of the pandemic. Part of the business

recovery that FedEx is providing for SMEs is digital solutions as more and more companies move towards online transactions.

The onslaught of stay-at-home orders issued around the world over the past year, have accelerated growth of e-commerce, which has driven the digital transformation that was already well underway pre-COVID. This, in turn,

has led to increased demand for air and ground deliveries.

“Due to our proactive planning and the ability to flex our network, we did not stop operating at any point during the pandemic and remain well positioned to support the global response to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, as well as the needs of our customers as they stayed home and shopped online,” says Peter Langley, FedEx Express Australasia Vice-President.

FedEx, for its part, helped ensure the delivery of critical medical supplies, personal protective equipment and other essential goods. As the pandemic forced many commercial airlines to reduce flights or even close entirely, this left only a limited number of passenger flights in operation. It was one of many challenges confronting logistics and freight carriers like FedEx last year, especially at the height of the virus outbreak. Globally, there was a 73 per cent drop in passenger air cargo belly space between February and May 2020. This led to significant capacity constraints across the entire industry, even as FedEx worked round the clock to respond to increased global demand.

Proactive planning was critical. FedEx continued to flex its Australian and global networks to create additional capacity necessary to respond to the needs of Australian customers and communities according to Peter.

“Owning our own cargo fleet has allowed us to increase the rotation of our flights to and from Australia, changing routes where needed to create efficiencies whilst keeping up with the latest border restrictions,” he says. “We were able to considerably scale up our weekly flights to Australia to keep supply chains moving during COVID-19.”

Safety is paramount at FedEx. All decisions on suitable suppliers of its commercial vehicles, whether these be Mercedes-Benz Sprinters or Renault Masters in the van space or Isuzu or Mercedes-Benz Actros in the light and heavy vehicle space respectively, are made on the basis of

safety and the internal process control measures it has in place. In accordance with this benchmark, the company currently purchases vehicles from

typically comprises smaller trucks, one tonner vans and a fleet of concept vehicles, where the driver of the vehicle can walk through to the cargo area

Peter Langley, FedEx Express Australasia Vice-President.

“Owning our own cargo fleet has allowed us to increase the rotation of our flights to and from Australia, changing routes where needed to create efficiencies whilst keeping up with the latest border restrictions.”

Peter Langley FedEx Express Australasia Vice-President

several manufacturers who meet the specific requirements inherent in best optimising the application in use. Its multi-faceted fleet comprises a majority of Pick Up and Delivery (PUD) vehicles, bulk delivery vehicles, semi-trailers and B-double units. The PUD sector

from the driver’s seat instead of using the driver-side door. These concept vehicles help the drivers select freight (some are fitted with shelving) and the driver can then alight from the passenger side door in the cargo area, down a step and safely onto the d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

69

RIDING SHOTGUN

At FedEx drivers are given productivity incentives.

footpath, or at least out of most traffic situations. The concept vehicle project commenced in 2017 with the building of three units designed and built by Action Manufacturing in New Zealand.

Since those initial vehicles went into service improvements have been made to the original design and by 2019 a further 46 units were onboarded. The FedEx organisation has over 2,800 vehicles across Australia, with most of these TNT branded. The recent integration of TNT in Australia has prompted the company to embark on the voluminous task of rebranding the many TNT vehicles to the new FedEx Express branding.

The business also operates a fleet of bulk delivery vehicles with carrying capacity of between six- tonnes and up to 14-tonnes. Typically these are curtainsiders that predominantly carry pallets or simply large and bulky items like big flat screen televisions. FedEx also has a number of semi-trailer and B-Double configured units, some also 70

j u n e 2 0 21

with adjustable mezzanine floors to enhance load utilisation, as well as providing superior freight security to mitigate against damage.

The larger stations also have ‘tug’ prime movers specifically designed for quick hitching and moving trailers around the facility for loading or staging once loaded. These are not designed for on road delivery or collection use.

An internal team is dedicated to overall fleet management explains Peter.

“All vehicle updates and replacements are decided on a scorecard method across the fleet,” he says. “The scorecard includes points for age, mileage and so on.”

Adopting a ‘safety above all’ approach, FedEx is serious about meeting its Chain of Responsibility (CoR) and Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) obligations, right down to Manual Handling training and fatigue/break management. Warm up exercises are also part of the overarching approach FedEx instills in all of its drivers.

“We have processes in place for the selection, assessment, onboarding and detailed training for drivers,” says Peter.

“Elements of this training are also periodical. We also have guidelines to ensure that risks arising from vehicles and pedestrian interactions in the workplace are managed and minimised.

This includes within stations as well as out on the road.”

As part of its compensation and benefits policy, the company’s PeopleService- Profit philosophy ensures there are various initiatives in place for team members. Specifically, for drivers, the company has productivity incentives. New fleet upgrades take place on a periodic basis to provide better safety, efficiency, reliability and comfort.

An operations team track different parameters including the number of deliveries on different routes and time taken. It’s here FedEx looks to improve efficiencies with regard to the volume of daily deliveries it makes.

“Route optimisation is an ongoing process and we also track run density improvements,” says Peter. “As part of our retail delivery service offerings which have been considerably expanded to benefit our SME consumers – especially B2C ones - we are providing consignees more choices on how they receive their goods and this impacts deliveries as well.”

Globally, FedEx is committed to achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To help reach this goal, FedEx is designating more than USD$2 billion of initial investment in three key areas: vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration.

Vehicle electrification, according to Peter, is a key step toward reaching this carbon neutral goal.

“By 2040, the entire FedEx parcel pickup and delivery fleet will be zeroemission electric vehicles,” he says.

“This will be accomplished through phased programs to replace existing

vehicles. For example, by 2025, 50 per cent of FedEx Express global PUD vehicle purchases will be electric, rising to 100 per cent of all purchases by 2030.”

FedEx will also continue to invest in alternative fuels to reduce vehicle and aircraft emissions. This level of commitment builds on a history of sustainable practices says Peter.

“Since 2009, the company’s efforts have contributed to an approximately 40 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions intensity across the enterprise while package volume increased 99 per cent during that period,” he notes.

In June 2020, FedEx operated 67 flights to and from Australia becoming the number one air cargo operator for the month, as per the Australia International airline activity report.

More tellingly, FedEx is optimising its multi-modal network by leveraging both its air and ground fleet to continue supporting customers in response

to increasing demand. In terms of pandemic-specific shipping volumes, since January last year, FedEx shipped more than 80 kilotons of personal protective equipment, including more than 2.2 billion masks worldwide.

FedEx has transported more than 10,000 COVID-19 humanitarian aid shipments throughout the world since the start of the pandemic.

During the crisis, FedEx has worked with federal and state governments, medical systems, and its customers to help communities across the country access critical supplies.

FedEx internationally is also an integral part of the global vaccine supply chain, delivering COVID-19 vaccines, related ingredients, and supplies to more than 25 countries around the world.

“All of us at FedEx are immensely proud to be a part of this historic relief effort,” says Peter. “This is among the most important work in the history of our company.”

RENAULT

MASTER it’s my business it’s my van

“They look great on the road and they are great for business” “I have a fleet of Renault Masters. I started my business in 2002 with 5 Renault Masters. I now have more than 40 across Australia. They look great on the road and they are great for business. There’s loads of storage throughout and tech keeps us connected. Both rear doors open and you can load a pallet straight in. We love the way our signage looks on the van.

You can’t miss us on the road!”

Peter, Cowan Restoration Services

FINAL MILE

A Fuso eCanter is put through its paces in Melbourne.

SILENT RUNNING

Fuso has tapped into the global resources of its parent Daimler to develop a practical all-electric light-medium duty truck.

T

he Fuso eCanter is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) allelectric truck available in Australia and will be supported by select Fuso eMobility dealers.

Developed using proven in-house engineering and supported by the entire Daimler car and truck manufacturing and design network, the eCanter is a result of this homogenous manufacturing approach, evident in the many noticeable details of the eCanter. That’s to say, the all-electric Fuso presents as a complete and integrated proprietary package rather than various bits and pieces that have been cobbled together by a third party ‘manufacturer’ sometimes without the support or even knowledge of the organisation from which the rolling cab 72

j u n e 2 0 21

chassis is sourced.

The eCanter has a GVM of 7,500kgs, with a payload of at least 4,000kgs dependent upon the type of body

sourced liquid cooled lithium-ion battery packs with two mounted on the outside of each chassis rail and a double deck pack located between the

To complement the acceleration capabilities of the electric driveline, the eCanter is also fitted with a retarder function operated using the same steering column stalk as an exhaust brake on a dieselpowered Canter. fitted. The permanent magnet synchronous electric motor delivers 135kW (181hp) of power and 390Nm of instant torque and drives the rear wheels via a conventional tail shaft and hypoid differential rear axle. Electrical storage is handled by six Daimler-

rails in the space where a transmission would be in a conventional driveline.

The combined storage has a maximum of 82.8kWh, which is enough for more than 100 kilometers of normal driving. The eCanter has a range of more than 100km when fully loaded

and can be recharged to 80 per cent capacity in just an hour using a 50kW rapid charger or fully charged in 90 minutes. This makes it a good solution for set delivery route loops in urban areas where pedestrians and residents will appreciate the truck’s zero local emissions and near-silent operation.

Recharging also occurs when no pressure is applied to the accelerator and the truck is able to go into overrun mode which as well as adding to the stored electrical energy in the batteries, provides a noticeable driveline braking effect. To complement the acceleration capabilities of the electric driveline, the eCanter is also fitted with a retarder function operated using the same steering column stalk as an exhaust brake on a dieselpowered Canter. When activated this function signals the motor to provide even more electro-magnetic retardation. In practice this is so effective that the disc brakes on all four wheels are usually only required when coming to a complete stop. Without a conventional engine or transmission, servicing costs will be low across the lifetime of the truck but will require technicians, with expanded skill sets,

The quiet cabin seats three adults comfortably.

in order to be able to work safely with the high voltage power circuits.

Small 12-volt electric motors provide the power to run the pump and fans for the battery coolant, the power steering, the air conditioning and the electro-hydraulic wheel brakes. Inside the wide cab (which seats three adults comfortably) with the audio system off the only perceptible noise at 60 km/h is a slight hum from the tyres on

the pavement and the whir of the air conditioner’s ventilation fan.

By their very nature, electric trucks operate in high-density urban areas, so active safety systems are very important. As with diesel powered versions of the Fuso Canter, the eCanter features Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start, a reversing camera and driver and passenger airbags, in addition to Advanced Emergency Braking System with pedestrian recognition and Lane Departure Warning System.

The all-electric eCanter had already gone through a substantial global testing program before it was launched in the Northern hemisphere in 2017 and operators in the United States, Europe and Japan have since covered more than three million kilometres of real-world driving. Prior to its Australian market debut earlier in 2021, an updated eCanter was used by key transport operators for the recent Australian test program, which logged important information about the performance of the truck running fully loaded at its 7.5 tonne Gross Vehicle Mass capacity around the clock, as well as data related to its recharging. The eCanter performed strongly in the test, unfazed by tough Australian conditions. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

73

HOME RUN

STARSHIP ENTERPRISE With the embodiment of what Hyundai describes as its ‘insideout’ design methodology, the company has developed an all-new people mover called Staria that will be launched in Australia later this year.

D

espite its futuristic external and internal styling, Hyundai’s new Staria people mover – available in two different trim levels: Staria and Staria Premium – is powered by conventional diesel and petrol engines.

The 2.2-litre diesel is, according to Hyundai, newly improved and mated with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering estimated figures of 130kW and 431Nm of torque. It features a high-efficiency variable geometry turbo (VGT) with intercooler which is said to offer improved compressor and turbine wheel performance for better low speed torque characteristics.

The petrol-powered G6DIII 3.5-litre

V6 is matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering estimated outputs of 200kW and 331Nm of torque.

Its integrated thermal management system has been designed to provide fuel efficiency improvement by optimising control of coolant temperature according to vehicle operating conditions. An integrated roller swing arm helps to further improve fuel efficiency by reducing friction.

Staria’s innovative interior space utilisation is made possible by its 3,273mm wheelbase with an overall length of 5,253mm and width of 1,997mm. Its overall height of 1,990mm enables passengers to conveniently enter and exit the vehicle and is said to be high enough for an average schoolHyndai Staria.

74

j u n e 2 0 21

aged child to stand upright and move with ease.

The cargo space availability varies depending on how the seating configurations are arranged. The two- and three-seater, optimised for business use, offers maximum cargo space of almost 5,000 litres. The cargo space dimensions have also been increased to accommodate three Euro pallets at once.

Staria has reportedly secured the highest level of vehicle safety with the Australian version having seven airbags and all seats come with three-point seat belts and headrests. Safety is further bolstered by smart features such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Blind-Spot CollisionAvoidance Assist (BCA). Other safety systems include Wireless Module Seat Belt Reminder (WM-SBR), said to be the world’s first seat belt reminder system using wireless communications technology.

In a situation where a passenger attempts to open the power sliding door while a vehicle is passing by, Safe Exit Assist (SEA) prevents the door from opening.

Rear Occupant Alert (ROA), available in select markets, uses a radar sensor to detect and alert the driver if a rear passenger is left in the car after exiting the vehicle.

Staria also comes with Hyundai’s smart

Staria Premium offers reclining seats for relaxation.

infotainment system and is equipped with a wide-angle camera that enables the driver and front passenger to view passengers in the rear seats on the display screen.

The infotainment system also enables the driver and front passenger to communicate with rear passengers using a unique speaker function that allows all occupants to clearly hear one another.

According to Hyundai, Staria evokes the streamlined form of a spaceship with a sleek exterior defined by a single stroke running from front to rear — inspired by the curve of light that illuminates the Earth’s horizon at sunrise when viewed from space.

Its front is embellished with horizontal daytime running lights (DRLs) complemented by a bold, wide radiator grille with a unique pattern and low-set headlamps.

Staria Premium features a variantexclusive brass-tinted chrome treatment applied to the Hyundai emblem, grille, headlamp bezels, front and rear bumpers, wheels, side mirrors and door handles.

A lowered beltline and panoramic side windows are said to improve overall visibility and create a feeling of openness.

This design theme carries over to the rear, featuring a wide window framed by elongated vertical tail lamps, with Staria Premium models receiving Hyundai’s unique Parametric Pixel lamp

design and garnish on top. The rear bumper is low to enable easier loading and unloading of cargo.

As the interior applies a simple and modest layout to highlight driver convenience and passenger comfort while staying faithful to its original value as a people mover, the Staria, beyond large families, will have real appeal with serious rideshare drivers, school teachers and regional councils.

The driver’s seat has a futuristic high-tech look with an advanced 10.25-inch front display screen, touchbased centre fascia and a button-type electronic shift lever. The digital cluster is located on top of the dashboard, providing an unobstructed view for the driver.

Storage space is available on top of the overhead console, bottom of the cluster, and top and bottom of the centre fascia. Both driver and

passengers also have access to a centre console equipped with cup holders, USB ports and additional storage space.

Staria Premium offers a variety of additional interior features including ‘Relaxation Seats’ in the second row of the seven-seat version that recline electronically at the touch of a button.

They also have sliding capabilities for easy reach or to maximise cargo space.

Even when the seats are reclined by this mode, Hyundai says, there is enough room for an adult passenger to sit comfortably in the third row, thanks to Staria’s spacious interior layout.

The nine-seat Premium model’s individual seats in the second row can swivel 180 degrees to face passengers in the third row.

Additionally, Staria’s generous legroom is claimed to be among the best in its segment; and can be converted into expansive additional cargo space when all seats are pushed together – made possible by the versatile long sliding seat function.

Moreover, the full-flat mode applied to rear passenger seats of Staria standard model makes this vehicle ideal for activities that require a lot of room and interior flexibility, such as camping and equipment-intensive sports.

Moving forward, Hyundai has flagged plans to launch Special Vehicle lineups of Staria, such as limousines, ambulances and campers. In addition, eco-friendly variants are scheduled to be added in coming years.

Panoramic side windows help to create a feeling of openness.

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

75

FUTURE TENSE

KEEPING CANTER CURRENT

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation holds the view that the aesthetic appeal of its vehicles is of equal importance as the functionality. The company recently held a Design Essentials event at its Kawasaki headquarters to showcase to delegates its latest extensive redesign of the light-duty Canter workhorse, along with its vision for future vehicles.

W

hile design flair is an indisputably vital aspect of passenger car production and sales, its significance for commercial vehicles, particularly heavy trucks, has often been ignored. There’s no escaping the fact that some truck cabs of yore essentially resembled a giant butter box with all the aerodynamic finesse of a house brick. In short, they did what they were supposed to do in providing isolation of the interior from the external elements, but little else.

That style of design, however, couldn’t be further from reality when it comes to the modern product development process at Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC/Mitsubishi Fuso). As one of Japan’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, the company has been quietly shifting industry conventions by incorporating a heavy emphasis on design.

Furthermore, product design for the Fuso brand reaches beyond the pursuit of appearances; marrying form and function to deliver advanced 76

j u n e 2 0 21

comfort and safety while minimising environmental impact. At the Design Essentials event held at its Kawasaki headquarters, Mitsubishi Fuso showcased its pursuit of a clear identity, simplification, and perceived quality through each stage of its design process for products that serve society’s needs, today and into the future.

Design at Mitsubishi Fuso is part of the vast global Daimler network, which allows the team at Kawasaki to exchange ideas with more than 700 counterparts. Representing this exchange are Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Daimler AG and Benoit Tallec, Head of Product Design at MFTBC and Daimler Trucks Asia, both of whom are part of an international, multi-generational team. The crossborder setup has enabled design at Mitsubishi Fuso to integrate global expertise and world-leading technology while safeguarding the uniqueness of Fuso trucks and buses within the Daimler Trucks lineup.

The result is a product range that is at

once a continuation of Fuso’s heritage as a stalwart of Japanese “monozukuri” (the indigenous Japanese term for making or producing things with pride, skill and dedication in the pursuit of innovation and perfection) while also an interpretation of the forward-looking forms and precision foundational to Daimler vehicles. The physical design process at Mitsubishi Fuso relies upon traditional Japanese craftsmanship in clay modelling, as well as more recent technology such as data modelling, 3D printing, and NC (numerically controlled) machine milling. Once given a drawing from their colleagues, clay modelers will begin shaping their real-world interpretation of the paper concept.

Clay modelling for Fuso products is built on a trial-and-error process with ongoing dialogue between the designer and modeler until they arrive at a shared ideal.

The end result of physical modelling is translated into data through a scanning device in preparation for digital finetuning. The latest technologies in 3D printing and NC machine milling come

A future Fuso drone design concept.

into play when higher levels of precision are required for more intricately designed sections such as the grill or the Fuso three-diamond logo.

Clay modelers at Mitsubishi Fuso are also unique in their knowledge of, and involvement in multiple aspects of the design process.

The latest model of the light-duty Canter, features a cab design that was renewed for the first time in 10 years with the Black Belt design motif. Its adoption means the structure of the front grill now enables greater efficiency in the vehicle assembly process while creating a sleeker, unified look. An important aspect is the common LED headlight design – used in the Canter, Aero Ace/Queen coaches and Rosa microbus – which supports a more efficient development process for each vehicle. In addition, by introducing the common headlamp, it became possible to reduce the number of parts from three to two, comprising of only the lamp and the garnish. The integrated headlight design contributes not only to a more efficient development of the entire vehicle, but also to the reduction of total development costs. The importance of Production Design is therefore two-fold: supporting a common family appearance within the Fuso product lineup, while also providing significant time and cost benefits for Mitsubishi Fuso as well as its customers.

At the Design Essentials event, the company exhibited its recent concepts for emergency vehicles, including future forms of drones. With these vehicles, Mitsubishi Fuso aims to explore further optimisations of natural disaster response in societies like Japan, while also examining possible future forms of fully autonomous trucks. A ‘virtual design’ studio also plays an important role in a post-COVID world where international travel has been largely curtailed. With safety a top priority within Mitsubishi Fuso, this technology has helped the design team stay on track with projects without sacrificing employee health. Thanks to the VR platform, employees based in Germany, Japan, the United States, and India are able to

work together simultaneously on projects in the pipeline. With VR glasses and controllers, Daimler Trucks designers can step into the same virtual studio beyond borders. Contributors from various regions around the world are then able to see the images and models from the same angle, leading to more productive discussions and faster decision making.

In the virtual design studio, designers can also see how vehicles run in different environments and estimate how their creations interact with their surroundings. Vehicles often operate in more than one type of setting: In addition to cities, they may traverse mountains, along the coast, or even through deserts. With aid of these technologies, the virtual design studio aims to provide the world with the trucks and buses that serve society in the most seamless manner possible. The Fuso design team envisages its vehicles not just as their own entity, but as part of landscapes and interactions. And, with the increasingly environmentally conscious nature of societies, vehicle design at Mitsubishi Fuso is also evolving into a discipline that explores how trucks and buses can continue to keep the world moving sustainably, many decades down the road.

“Fuso trucks and buses are more than just simple transporters,” says Benoit Tallec. “They’re made to be participants in our world, a world that’s transforming day-by-day. That’s why we didn’t compromise on our design principles for our current product lineup, and why we’re already applying them to our vision of the future.”

ULTIMA L.E.D MK2 HIGH POWERED DRIVING LIGHTS

30% BRIGHTER than the equivalent sized first generation Ultima High Powered Driving Light.

For more information visit

ultima

.com.au

Distributed by Brown & Watson International Pty. Ltd. narva.com.au 1800 113 443

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

77

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

PBS: a certifier aspect This important work can be found at http://www.artsa.com.au/assets/pdf/ PBSReportMay2020.pdf

BOB EDWARDS

P

erformance-Based Standards (PBS) has been functioning since the beginning of 2010, initially under the National Transport Commission (NTC) and now the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR). Prior to formal implementation of PBS there were some quasi-PBS certifications being undertaken by Transport Engineering and Management (TEAM) where the SA Transport Department requested reporting on aspects of PBS for some A-B triples and quad axle semi-trailers. PBS certification commenced in earnest for transport operators and TEAM around 2010.

This resulted in significant work in the eastern states, and South Australia where mainly rigid truck and 3- or 4-axle dog trailer tippers were being certified. PBS rapidly expanded to rigid trucks towing 5- and 6-axle dog trailers and other multi-combination vehicles (A-B triples, B-triples, A-doubles, etc) to provide access into areas previously not available. The corridor from Toowoomba to the port of Brisbane was an early PBS route. The most important part of PBS was that there was a standard set of technical requirements rather than the variable approach of each state, all having their own distinctive requirements. PBS resulted in standard specifications across the, now, National Heavy Vehicle Law states and the ACT. PBS has achieved significant traction over the past couple of years. In recent years ARTSA-I in conjunction with the NHVR, has published a review of PBS uptake.

78

jde u ncee mbe 2021r 2018

Important terms The following terms need to be understood. ‘PBS Assessor’ means a person authorised by the NHVR to undertake vehicle performance calculations and submit applications for Design Approvals (DAs). ‘Design Approval’ is an approval issued by NHVR for a specific vehicle or combination layout. The DA specifies the permitted dimensions and vehicle components (engines, transmissions, suspensions, etc). Certification and issue of a Vehicle Approval (VA) is required before a combination can operate. ‘PBS Certifier’ means a person authorised by the NHVR to inspect a vehicle or combination issued with a Design Approval and submit evidence of compliance to the NHVR for issue of a Vehicle Approval.

‘Vehicle Approval is an NHVR approval issued to a vehicle owner specifying the VIN(s) of approved vehicles and the conditions of operation including mass limits and routes. The VA may require the operator to obtain permits. In some cases, operation can be undertaken using a NHVR Notice.

PBS certification requirements The certification process introduced a requirement for inspection of all combinations to verify that they met the Design Approval issued. Certification involves verification of all combination dimensions such as front and rear overhangs, wheelbases, tow coupling and fifth wheel locations, drawbar length, trailer wheelbases (S Dimensions for semi-trailers), truck and trailer rear overhangs, floor, body and top of load heights and track dimensions.

Mechanical specifications for trucks and trailers (engine, transmissions, rear axles, suspensions, tyres) are also required to be certified. The process is well established with certification documentation originally submitted

by email. More recently the NHVR has implemented improved systems of electronic submission of documentation.

Unfortunately, there have been recent delays in finalising approvals being experienced for a range of reasons including current staffing levels, errors in certification documentation and PBS Team requests for additional information.

Over the years there have been many matters that have caused concern and delays in obtaining approvals. In the early days that was often caused by the limited data submitted for obtaining Design Approvals. Therefore, it was common to find dimensions outside of tolerance (lesser of 1 per cent or 20 mm) and engines, transmissions, drive axles, suspensions and tyres not being included in the Design Approvals. These variations either needed correction (some dimensional variations were readily changed) or component replacement (the only practicable component replacement was tyres and that was common). Other components, normally not replaceable, such as engines, transmissions, drive axles ratios and suspensions required related to assessment by the PBS Assessors and updating of Design Approvals or Assessor reports being accepted to the PBS team.

Assessor reports, now called Assessor Sign Off (ASO) are the most expedient method.

Inspection requirements The PBS system relied on personal inspections to gather data. COVID has added a layer of difficulty with personal inspections so at times the use of other reliable sources to complete inspections was necessary. This leaves the certifier at risk if errors occur. We are aware that some certifications have been completed by accepting the manufacturer verification of dimensions. We find this less than ideal as there are occasions where we have been required to inspect certified equipment being added to another approval (typically not complete combinations as there is a process for that), but part of an approved combination being added to a

ARTSA-I LIFE MEMBERS

Powered by new approval. It has not been uncommon to find dimensions that are inconsistent with the previous approval. We find it useful to obtain previously approved data and manufacturer specifications as a backup to our own observations. It also provides a chance to recheck data before leaving the inspection site where prior results differ. It’s certainly better than travelling across the country to recheck something as this adds costs.

Certification of older vehicles Over the last few years there have been more operators with existing equipment wanting to get the advantages of PBS. We have found that ‘reverse engineering’ is the best approach with inspections being undertaken in advance of obtaining a design approval. It is also at this stage where older vehicles may be found to have braking non-conformities (not having anti-lock brake systems). The reverse engineering approach ensures that the Design Approval is correct for the combination from the beginning. It has certainly been found that if reliance is placed on owner supplied data there is a risk of errors requiring potentially costly and time-delaying resubmission including Assessor Sign Offs.

The good • There is a standard set of technical requirements across the National Heavy Vehicle Law States and the ACT. As a result, it is only necessary to work through the NHVR for approval, knowing that the specifications will be accepted.

• The opportunity for higher gross mass

Recently inspected Trailer Sales Brisbane PBS Combination.

and operation on routes previously restricted provides significant payload and economic advantages.

Room for Improvement • Current delays in approval issue result in certifiers being the go-to point for operators waiting for approvals to be issued. This has resulted in an increase in calls to the PBS team who have been protected from our irate customers.

Work is being done by the NHVR that will improve these delays but that will take time.

• Certification submissions are still primarily handled by individual PBS Team members. There seems to be significant potential to move this system to an electronic review process that could enable approvals to be issued automatically once the certifier has provided the data.

• Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not part of the NHVR PBS system but operate their own local schemes. That can mean doubling up for some operators needing to travel in the States and ACT operating under the NHVR PBS system.

• It appears that some certifications are undertaken without inspections. It has been found at times when inspecting previously approved vehicles that our measurements are not consistent with the approved dimensions.

• Tyres remain an on-going problem for some combinations. I have yet to see a proposal that will fully overcome this matter as there are tyres with different characteristics that can improve

news

COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

the PBS characteristics of some combinations. If there is not a process to provide for improved loading, and access in some cases, I would expect a reduction in advantages for PBS combinations could result.

• Some approvals are issued using component and standard specific terminology. As an example, pin type couplings are supplied by several manufacturers, but it is not uncommon to see the term ‘Ringfeder’ used. As this is a specific make, approval is required for other brands. It can also occur occasionally where Euro emission terminology is used instead of the Australian Design Rule number. While Euro emission standards are accepted alternatives, the final ADR approval is issued under an ADR designation and should always be included.

• There are many standard type Design Approvals for a range of combinations now, and it is still necessary to submit to the NHVR and wait for a Vehicle Approval. This is time consuming and seems unnecessary as the team of certifiers have the skills needed to be able to complete the approval documents. Some form of audit would be required but there seems to be no reason that a process providing for Vehicle Approvals to be issued through the NHVR Portal on the basis of certifier submitted documentation that is electronically verified.

Conclusion The implementation of PBS has resulted in far less variation between state and territory requirements and has permitted significant access and payload advantages across the National Heavy Vehicle Law States and the ACT. There are still room for improvements to minimise delays in issuing the final approval and this should be investigated.

A fully electronic system for the issue of VAs has the potential to reduce waiting times to less than one week.

Bob Edwards, Founder of Transport Engineering and Management p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

79

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

SAL PETROCCITTO

Clearing the air over engine remapping

S

afety on our roads is the NHVR’s number one priority.

It leads our decisions and reinforces our actions. Over the past 12 months, the NHVR has conducted several investigations and prosecutions of owners and operators caught undertaking illegal engine remapping. I am pleased to say that by and large, we are an industry that delivers on safety, productivity and efficiency in the right way – but occasionally we see a trend like engine remapping, which needs to be addressed.

Engine remapping is illegal and in breach of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). It is also a direct threat to driver and public safety and the environment, particularly when it comes to harmful pollution.

The NHVR is embarking on a safety campaign focused on the importance of owners and operators running a heavy vehicle with a compliant engine—not one that has been remapped.

Research tells us that remapped engines can release up to 60 times more pollutants into the atmosphere*. When 80

jde u ncee mbe 2021r 2018

The NHVR is ensuring all heavy vehicle engines are compliant with current regulations.

As part of our engine remapping campaign, we will continue to work collaboratively with industry to provide greater education on the risks of engine remapping and the benefits of increased technology within heavy vehicles. you think about the close to half a million heavy vehicles on Australian roads at any given time, we all have a genuine and significant role to play in ensuring heavy vehicles are as clean, efficient and as technology driven as possible – ultimately delivering greater use and productivity of heavy vehicles into the future.

Since 2010, all new trucks sold in Australia must meet Euro V Vehicle Emission Standards. The mandate was

an important development then and it remains so now – but more can be done to deliver cleaner heavy vehicles on our roads in the future. Just a few years after the Emission Standards came into law, another law was developed – the HVNL. A decade on and both laws are being reviewed by Government and industry to meet future growth in business and supply chains requirements across Australia.

The NHVR is committed to improving

NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR | INSIGHT

Powered by

news

COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

DAILY CHECKLIST TO KEEP VEHICLES SAFE

these laws and working collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver safe and productive vehicles and supply chains of the future. Ensuring that all engines are compliant with current regulations (or better) is a significant measure in achieving this commitment and as part of delivering a productive and sustainable heavy vehicle industry.

Ultimately, this is about all of us taking ownership for our actions. My message to those that do the wrong thing is simple – you are risking your livelihood and health.

As part of our engine remapping campaign, we will continue to work collaboratively with industry to provide greater education on the risks of engine remapping and the benefits of increased technology within heavy vehicles. We will also continue to investigate owners

and operators that may be in breach of the HVNL, particularly when it comes to safety.

As a regulator, we can control safety to an extent, but collectively, we can make a positive impact on our vehicles and our lives.

Everyone in the industry can make significant change and progress and play a part in developing a safer and cleaner environment for ourselves and generations to come.

Let’s all continue to clear the air over engine remapping and put a stop to it, once and for all.

Sal Petroccitto CEO, NHVR *Australian Bureau of Statistics January 2017 Motor Vehicle Census

The NHVR is urging heavy vehicle operators to use a Daily Safety Checklist as a regular part of their pre-trip routine. The checklist is a series of simple steps that every driver should undertake daily that align with the National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual. A daily visual inspection should only take a few minutes and gives drivers peace of mind ahead of their journey.

Each checklist should include checking brakes, couplings, wheels, tyres and hubs, structure and body condition, lights and reflectors, mirrors, windscreens and windows, and the engine, driveline and exhaust.

Lists can be expanded and tailored to suit an operator’s business.

For more information on Daily Safety Checklists visit www.nhvr.gov.au/ dailycheck p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

81

INSIGHT | HEALTHY HEADS IN TRUCKS & SHEDS

Using technology to shield our drivers, community MARK PARRY

W

ithin the road transport industry safety is a prominent concern and one that has been paid significant attention. I personally spend a lot of time thinking about how we keep our people at Ron Finemore Transport (RFT) safe, particularly those drivers who are out on the road for prolonged periods. Recognising that safety and wellbeing go hand-in-hand is an important part of this, and where I believe technology comes as a significant benefit. Ensuring drivers are safe in doing their job supports them to ease stress and remove some of the anxieties that are often associated with operating a heavy vehicle and working long hours.

At RFT safety encompasses a wide range of components from staff training and education to investing in prime movers and trailers with the latest safety improvements, all of which are supplemented with added technology equipment and programs. We know that fatigue is a common risk factor for drivers that often leads to increased stress and anxiety, in response to this we fit our cabins with Guardian By Seeing Machines. This real time device alerts the driver by a seat vibration and alarm in the case of a fatigue event and further sends an alert to our operations team — in turn, allowing them to make immediate contact with the driver to see if they are okay and suggest they take a

82

j u n e 2021

break if necessary. This technology also notifies the operations team when a driver may be distracted, in some cases looking down at paperwork or illegally using their mobile phone. Having this system allows us to have informed conversations with our drivers about unsafe driving behaviours and to make the required improvements to ensure they and the community are safe.

Our vehicles are also fitted with forward and driver facing cameras, these play a significant role in understanding what has occurred in the case of an incident or if a member of the community has notified us of a driver at risk. For our drivers, knowing these systems are in place and the information is available to all parties involved can help remove anxieties that may arise. Similarly, RFT uses telematics systems that enable us to know where a driver and their vehicle is, which ultimately tells us if their trip is going to plan. Through these we can understand if harsh braking events are occurring too frequently, know the amount of time they are using adaptive cruise control and collate information on their speed. Having this information allows us to have informed discussions with our drivers to ensure we are able to maintain quality driving performance, with the intention of keeping them and other road users safe. In my history in the industry and at RFT, more often than not, we use the information received from safety technology to demonstrate that the driver was in fact practicing safe behaviours.

Outside of our vehicle safety equipment,

it is important that our drivers maintain vital safety knowledge. Uncertainty around key safety learnings can cause stress. To manage this, in a workforce that is often disconnected and lacking significant opportunities for face-to-face interactions, RFT delivers training and education campaigns with all drivers via Yarno, a digital remote learning platform. Yarno allows us to deliver burst campaigns to our drivers that are designed to reinforce key learnings and provide us with insights on any gaps that require greater attention. With this information we can adjust our campaigns accordingly and introduce other communications that might be required to rebuild on the driver’s knowledge.

Personally, I have the view that technology should be embraced as a ‘shield’ that protects our drivers and the community. At RFT the next stage of our journey is to have our prime movers fitted with tablets that will have many features to aid the driver including notifications of upcoming hazards as they occur, in real-time, giving them control and confidence to shield them and the community from potential hazards.

As a Director of Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, I am continually seeking new opportunities to embrace technology and to ensure our driver’s health and wellbeing is prioritised while they are away from their homes and families.

Mark Parry, Managing Director, Ron Finemore Transport

AUSTRALIAN LOGISTICS COUNCIL | INSIGHT

Powered by

news

COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

ALC Technology Summit poised to be the industry event of the year

KIRK CONINGHAM

T

he Australian Logistics Council (ALC) invites you to attend its long-awaited Technology Summit in Melbourne, Victoria, on Wednesday 30th June 2021. The 2021 Technology Summit has an impressive lineup of speakers, as well as key policy issues facing industry now and defining its future.

Join more than 100 industry and supply chain leaders, operators, customers, and Governments.

Rachel Smith, Director - Policy & Advocacy says, “This is a really important event. Due to COVID last year we couldn’t have these important conversations. It makes this year all the more important for industry. Some of the biggest supply chain policies to affect change within our industry have been identified at past ALC Tech Summit events.

They are a key forum to drive the futures agenda that is critical in keeping Australia as a global supply chain leader.”

A full day and evening event with an outstanding program and speaker line-up, you won’t want to miss out on are taking part in this important gathering of industry leaders. Key program highlights include: A Single Freight Data Standard For Australia Launch Commonality of data language is key to advancing the traceability of goods down the Australian supply chain. The Standard answers a need recognised by both industry and government. At a meeting held on 7 December, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack

MP said, “The Australian Government acknowledges the need for a single data standard to enable governments and industry to make data driven decisions.”

The Data Standard is designed to provide the framework for the interoperable sharing of information about the movement of freight and vehicles as they travel the supply chain. The Single Freight Data Standard will be one of the industry’s biggest opportunities for productivity and efficiency growth for the year.

National Freight Data Hub The Australian Government has committed $8.5 million to improve national freight data. Access to robust freight data will help industry and governments plan, make better operational and investment decisions and be more resilient and responsive.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications has been working closely with industry, governments and other stakeholders on the Hub prototype, and is now ready to unveil its progress to the Tech Summit audience.

Critical Infrastructure Bill With recent amendments to the Critical Infrastructure Act now passed by parliament, impacted industry sectors are racing to get ready. Representatives from Home Affairs, the cybersecurity sector and industry will discuss the impact of the changes and answer your questions. The Security Legislation Amendment (Critical Infrastructure) Bill seeks to expand the scope of the Critical Infrastructure Act to cover critical infrastructure entities in a wider range of sectors, including health, financial and education services. The Bill further seeks to introduce mandatory cyber incident reporting requirements and

enhanced cybersecurity obligations.

Future of Fuels Electric and hydrogen vehicles are the future of Australia’s supply chain economy.

However, the fledging product technology is currently climbing the apex of what must be considered Australia’s Mt Everest of legislative hurdles to get a foothold in the Australian freight and logistics market.

Australia is a single national economy. Yet so much of the regulatory framework that impacts on businesses is designed and enforced at a State or local level. For those operating businesses in the freight logistics sector, this means daily confrontation with a hodgepodge of legislative and regulatory hurdles that variously confound and complicate the process of transporting freight safely and efficiently.

States have rushed to the finish line determined not to be left behind to establish their own state specific sets of road user pricing. The result is that they are strangling an infant commercial market with excessive unit cost increases before it has even managed to establish its first breaths.

Uptake of alternatively powered vehicles is the future of Australia’s commercial and consumer economies. Consistent taxation mechanisms for road access is key to supporting Australia to remain competitive in the global market.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of our partners Telstra and MTData.

Don’t miss out on this key event for the year, spaces are limited and filling up fast.

Registrations are now open – go to https:// www.austlogistics.com.au/events/ to secure your place.

Kirk Coningham CEO, ALC p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

83

INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

Powered by

news

COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

Global parts shortages are impacting Australian truck sales

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

I

n my March column this year, I detailed that Australian new truck sales were tracking better than expected. Given the ravages of COVID-19 globally and here in Australia, I was pleased to report that our government’s ‘once in a lifetime’ economic policy incentives appear to be helping to steer our nation and truck sales, through the most disruptive period that most of us have ever witnessed.

These solid truck sales will ensure that Australia’s truck fleet age will remain relative constant, despite the current turbulent times.

As I have detailed on previous occasions, Australia has one of the oldest truck fleets in the Western world, with an average age of 14.8 years as of January 2020, the latest figures that are available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Such an old truck fleet is not good for road safety outcomes, environmental and public health results, whilst road freight productivity could be improved with a younger truck park. So, while sales are nowhere near record levels, they have been tracking at, or about, the five-year average for the later part of 2020 and the first few months of 2021.

However, sales have been disrupted somewhat in the second quarter of 2021, almost solely due to material, component and system shortages in overseas markets, where a large portion of Australia’s trucks are manufactured.

And the local truck manufacturers are

84

j u n e 2021

also feeling the pinch, being hit by these global supply issues too. Many key parts and systems for these Australian manufactured trucks are made in the global manufacturing hubs of Asia, Europe and the Americas.

Truck Industry Council (TIC) members are reporting strong customer enquiries, however, fulfilling those requests for new trucks is proving somewhat tricky for the Australian truck manufacturers and importers. The relationship between demand and supply is becoming tight.

Heading the component supply issues appears to be the global shortage of electronic semi-conductors; the ‘chips’ that make up the plethora of electronic control units (ECUs) in modern vehicles. These ECUs control engine, transmission, braking and even the heating and cooling systems in cars and trucks, without these control modules modern vehicles simply will not operate.

So what factor, or factors, have led to the current situation? COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the demand for semi-conductors, with a noticeable shift in their use. The COVID caused global recession of mid-2020 led automotive manufacturers to cut back their production and hence their orders for components, including semiconductors. That ‘slack’ was more than taken up by producers of consumer electronics, such as games, smart phones, laptops and TVs, in direct response to a market driven by more people staying and/or working from home. When the demand for new cars and trucks began to rise, late in 2020, automakers found themselves unable to procure sufficient volumes of semi-conductors, forcing them to, once again, curtail production.

Ninety per cent of the world’s semiconductors are produced in Asia; the

majority, approximately sixty per cent, in China. The disruption of supply caused by factory closures in this region has further contributed to the current supply shortage, as has the Trump-era USAChina trade tensions. It is believed that many Chinese companies have wound back production, began stockpiling product, or both, so there were less semiconductors available for export.

When are we likely to see an easing of these supply constraints? That is a much more difficult question to answer. Certainly, the COVID demand in consumer electronics is slowing, with many industry experts believing that peak has now passed. There is also some hope that with the new Biden Administration working quickly to repair stressed trading relationships, a possible thawing of US-China relations would assist in addressing some of the current supply chain problems. COVID-19 vaccinations are reducing the effects of the pandemic on global workforces, with many companies returning to, or close to, full manufacturing capacity.

The combination of all these factors will hopefully eventuate in global manufacturing and supply channels returning to pre-COVID capacities in the second half of 2021, with a resultant return of truck manufacturing capacity over the same period. So, if you are thinking of purchasing a new truck, or two, now would be a good time to place that order. Not only are there significant financial incentives still on offer by the Australian government through to mid-2022, manufacturing and supply of trucks should witness a resurgence over that same period.

Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

Powered by

news

COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

Loading zone shortage undermines COVID recovery PETER ANDERSON

T

ransport operators and their peak representative groups for years have been confronted with the important issue of maintaining reliable and safe access for drivers to deliver and collect goods from customers, as a key element in keeping supply chains moving, shelves stocked and customers satisfied.

Without reliable access, supply chains don’t work and become dysfunctional, with the flow on effects being lost business and revenue for transport operators and their customers, and frustration from consumers who don’t have reliable access to goods they regularly consume.

Left unchecked, local, state and national economies bear the brunt of supply chain disruptions, as we learned all too well during the peak of COVID when supermarkets couldn’t keep pace with consumer demand for key goods. Easing access restrictions on the transport network was one of the reasons supply chains recovered relatively quickly, with operators able to deliver goods 24/7 so that shelves could be restocked.

In Melbourne, we are seeing regrettable signs of supply chains potentially being disrupted again, but this time not in response to a pandemic, but due to a knee-jerk ‘solution’ to attract people back into the city.

Anticipating more people would ride their bicycles into the city for work to avoid public transport and potential exposure to COVID, the City of Melbourne and the

Victorian Government decided to build more dedicated bike lanes to create a safer environment for cycling.

Nearly 40 kilometres of kerbside protected bike lanes were built, but regrettably the transport industry is suffering through a reduction in transport infrastructure. Without any consultation with industry, the bike lanes were built in Swanston Street, William Street, Bourke Street, Exhibition Street, Flinders Street, La Trobe Street and elsewhere in the city, with lanes and protection medians encroaching on loading zones and other parking and delivery infrastructure.

While we appreciate the need to protect cyclists, a consequence of these decisions has been a blowout in delivery times, which increases the number of trucks and delivery vehicles in the city.

Loading zones in the Melbourne CBD have significantly declined over the past two years, prompting complaints from members that deliver goods to retailers and fresh food, groceries and beverages to city bars and cafes. The fewer CBD loading zones are also creating traffic congestion and threatening Melbourne’s economic recovery from forced business closures.

After 12 months of lost business and revenue, CBD businesses are finally getting back on their feet and servicing a steadily growing market of consumers as more people return to the city for work, yet we are hearing about deliveries having to be rescheduled or taking longer because there are fewer loading zones.

This is creating a dangerous environment where drivers are having to wait to make deliveries or drive around the city until a

loading zone becomes available, which increases traffic congestion and associated delays for everyone.

Dozens of transport companies make thousands of trips in and out of the CBD for deliveries every day with any delay inconveniencing customers and consumers and contributing to lost productivity. We have one member that currently has around 200 drivers a day entering the CBD to make deliveries, saying that the time for them to do this has doubled in the last five years.

The issue is being compounded every year with loading zones being reduced, forcing drivers to wait around longer to get a loading zone or park further away, which means that they are having to cart freight on trolleys a further distance, risking an incident or injury to a pedestrian or driver.

The other unintended consequence is a reduction in our living standards, which go hand in glove with reliable supply chains. When we don’t have access to the goods and services we have come to expect, our quality of life suffers. And whilst short disruptions are manageable, government policy that erodes living standards is something we must avoid.

Local governments are responsible for maintaining heavy vehicle access to their localities and designating and enforcing loading zones. If they really want to support business recovery it is essential that more zones – not less – be set aside for transport operators to service their customers safely, quickly and efficiently.

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

85

PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Back in the Black to announce some large fleet orders that may have been in negotiation for some time. Commemorative vehicles and truck show special models and packages also make their own contribution to the sales results during the months following these types of events. The industry demand for new trucks and vans, obviously fuelled in part by government financial incentives and record low finance costs, means the word ‘discount’ has probably been lost for a while from the truck salesmen’s collective vocabularies.

The Australian road transport industry’s voracious appetite for new trucks continues to be satisfied by OEMs whose likely biggest challenges during 2021 appear to be related to supply, rather than demand, which for most is a nice problem to have.

The April statistics compiled by the Truck Industry Council show 2,606 new trucks joining the national fleet during the month which, while slightly down on March’s 2868 (-9.1 per cent), shows an almost exponential growth of 34.9 per cent (+674 units) over the April 2020 result. The year-to-date accrual of 9,476 units for the first four months of 2021 is 1,821 units more than for the same period last year (+23.8 per cent).

The Light Duty category smashed the 1,000-unit barrier for the month with 1,113 new units, 407 more than in April 2020 (+57.6 per cent). The year-to-date total of 4,084 pushes the monthly average thus far for the year to more than 1,000 and adds 1,311 light trucks to the 2021 total (+47.3 per cent).

Sales in the Medium Duty category were very solid with 564 during April, 147 more than for April 2020 (+35.2 per cent) and the accrual at the end of April reached 2,026 units, up 9.3 per cent compared with last year (+173 trucks). Heavy Duty cabchassis and prime movers also returned an impressive result for April of 929 trucks which, while less than the 1,035 during the previous month of March (-10.2 per cent) helped push the yearto-date total to 3,336, which is 337 more units than for the same period in 2020 (+11.1 per cent).

Sales of new heavy vans are not showing any signs of abating with 609 during April which takes the total for the year so far to 2,064, which is 33.0 per cent more than for the same four months in 2020 (+512 units).

There are numerous anecdotal reports that the truck bodybuilding and trailer manufacturing industries are also inundated with orders, with delivery lead times being constantly stretched further and further out. Major industry events such as the Brisbane Truck Show in mid-May are renowned for creating sales spikes as some manufacturers use shows as a platform 86

j u n e 2 0 21

Apr-21

YTD

% Change YOY

ISUZU

788

2822

29.9%

HINO

520

1846

32.9%

FUSO

318

1243

45.4%

KENWORTH

200

697

32.8%

MERCEDES-BENZ

152

539

51.8%

VOLVO

111

436

-25.1%

IVECO

78

371

-7.5%

SCANIA

131

349

27.8%

FIAT

51

179

20.1%

MACK

48

167

-24.4%

UD TRUCKS

40

165

10.7%

DAF

43

138

-3.5%

FREIGHTLINER

29

119

67.6%

WESTERN STAR

23

86

30.3%

MAN

23

84

-41.7%

HYUNDAI

15

75

127.3%

FORD

20

56

700.0%

RENAULT

9

51

-36.3%

DENNIS EAGLE

1

28

115.4%

VOLKSWAGEN

3

13

0.0%

INTERNATIONAL

3

12

-14.3%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2606

9476

23.8%

M-B VANS

239

648

-5.0%

FORD VANS

167

581

98.3%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

119

400

99.0%

RENAULT VANS

35

189

-24.4%

FIAT VANS

35

148

72.1%

IVECO VANS

14

98

38.0%

VANS

609

2064

33%

TOTAL

3215

11540

Behind the people who keep Australia moving Everything we do, every day, relies on the people who literally keep Australia moving. From the fresh food in our supermarkets and the petrol in our cars, to delivering our online shopping purchases and keeping our essential services stocked. None of this would happen without transport workers.

And behind them is TWUSUPER, the industry super fund for the people who look after you.

1800 222 071 twusuper.com.au

TWU Nominees Pty Ltd, ABN 67 002 835 412, AFSL 239163, is the trustee of TWUSUPER ABN 77 343 563 307 and the issuer of interests in it. 56934

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, TRUCKIES KEEP EVERYONE GOING. Transport operators across Australia rely on Shell Rimula oils to protect their equipment operating in Australia’s tough conditions.

Contact us on 1300 134 205 or visit Shell.com.au/Rimula to find out more about Shell Rimula and the range of transport lubricants to ensure your fleet keeps going when the going gets tough.