Prime Mover July 2021 by Prime Creative Media

July 2021

PFD Food Services

Cold Comforts

JULY 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Everson’s Food Processors Feature: Booth Transport Showcase: Chain of Responsibility Personality: Velocity Vehicle Group

Innovation Fleet: STG Global Feature: Palm Trans Test Drive: Scania P 280 Delivery: RAM 1500 DT

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 61-69.

MAGAZINE

Anything & everything. Brought to you by Isuzu.

*According to T-Mark industry statistics. FSA/ISZ12934

There’s a simple reason that around one in four trucks on Australia’s roads is an Isuzu*. It’s because they deliver legendary reliability. And that’s why so many businesses trust them to deliver their cargo day-in, day-out, every day of the year. To find the right Isuzu for you, visit isuzu.com.au

July 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.

PFD Food Services

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.

Cold Comforts

JULY 2021 $11.00

ISSN 1838-2320 06

9 771838 232000

Industry Fleet: Everson’s Food Processors Feature: Booth Transport Showcase: Chain of Responsibility Personality: Velocity Vehicle Group

Innovation Fleet: STG Global Feature: Palm Trans Test Drive: Scania P 280 Delivery: RAM 1500

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 61-69.

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

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

design production manager

Michelle Weston michelle.weston@primecreative.com.au

client success manager

Justine Nardone justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au

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

Ashley Blachford | Business Development Manager

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

www.primemovermag.com.au

Kerry Pert, 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.

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 July 2021

52 38

24 66

COVER STORY “Safety is important not only to me as a fleet manager but it’s also of vital importance to the company. You have to be not just seen to be doing the right thing, you have to be actually doing it.”

PRIME CUT

Prime Feature Stories FLEET FOCUS 24 Cold Comforts PFD Food Services ranks safety as a prime criteria in its decision to trial some of the latest Hino trucks. One of the strengths of the operation is its employment of its own transport division utilising company owned vehicles and company employed drivers. 30 Prime Cut Everson’s Food Processors uses the latest in truck technology to deliver fresh cuts of meat across a wide expanse of terrain. The fleet is dominated by the Freightliner brand with the Argosy and Columbia models recently joined by a pair of Cascadia 116 prime movers. 34 Body of Evidence STG Global is a specialist body builder that predominantly uses Isuzu trucks as the basis of its builds. Having very short average build times of three weeks in addition to ready built stock on the floor means customers get their vehicles in record time.

monitoring solution under the criteria it was both cost effective and reliable. They found it through ORBCOMM. TEST DRIVE 52 Pocket Rocket With an intention to provide trucks with the appropriate specifications for the upper levels of the Medium Duty sector traditionally dominated by the Japanese, Scania has set about developing a suitable engine for the maximum of 26 tonne GVW category.

Regular Run 08 From the Editor 10 Prime Mover News 56 Personality 58 Prime Movers & Shakers 61 Delivery 70 Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association Life Members

TRUCK & TECH

72 National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

38 Super Cool Interstate general freight specialist Palm Trans is trialling pumpless versions of Meritor’s popular MT21-165G tandem drive axle developed specifically for linehaul applications.

74 Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds

42 Tanks for the Memories Booth Transport went in search of an asset tracking and

75 Australian Logistics Council 76 Trucking Industry Council 77 Victorian Transport Association 78 Peter Shields’ Number Crunch

FROM THE EDITOR

Community Cards

William Craske Editor Reliability is a term often heard used in the road transport industry. Along with reputation, its conceptual cousin, reliability is not so much a certitude but rather the extent to which something can establish an internal consistency, stability and equivalence. Of course this must be validated by its predictive, concurrent serviceability despite myriad chance factors. The clause is important. In a world of trucks and equipment built to be worked without reprieve under varying conditions and applications there are many unknowns. Engineers and manufacturers try to minimise these while fleet managers and bosses accept the price of these unknowns on the condition they are worth tolerating. Which brings us to the question of electrification. Like the poker player down to a short stack who stands up at the final table, industry, it would seem, has gone all in on electric vehicles. But is the hand that it holds good enough to prevent it being caught with its pants down? Last year electric cars and light trucks, including hybrids, displaced an estimated 50,000 barrels of oil a

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day. The world now uses 100 million barrels of oil a day and China, who will gain the most from the development of electric transport ecosystems, is, at present, its biggest oil importer. Electric vehicles are neither emissions free in the sense that they rely, only if indirectly, on the consumption of fossil fuels. Even when ignoring the industrial consumption of hydrocarbons required to mine the materials needed for EV batteries, the function of charging the battery still burns oil, coal and natural gas. That brings us to the grid. The indices that confer electricity reliability, like load point average failure rate, average outage duration, and the average annual outage time, can be misleading, irrespective of undergrounding, circuit hardening and surge protection and before factoring in summer temperatures, natural disasters and increasing threats of cyberattack. In May, a report by the Australia Institute found the resilience of Australia’s electricity infrastructure continued to be undermined by a chronic pattern of underinvestment in maintenance and upkeep, the result of rent-seeking by private electricity producers and a deeply flawed regulatory system. After a detailed review of empirical and qualitative data on the transmission and distribution system, the industry it was revealed, allocates just 15 per cent of its revenues to capital spending. It’s worth noting the retail market for electricity, at least in the sense of true competition, does not really exist in Australia. When the

availability of a product is no longer attuned to its affordability, predatory, not to mention inflationary, practices abound. Get used to it. Economic regulation of energy for instance, often blurs the line between government and business, turning each into the other’s client. Without dedicated maintenance, reliability is being sacrificed on the altar of administrative objectives that makes it increasingly harder to justify investment in uniformity of power equality. Egalitarianism can be measured in many ways but viewed from this dramatic departure public utilities is no longer one of them. When dependence on network connectivity is reduced by intelligent resources on a smart grid analytics shift to its edge. The highest quality electricity on a decentralised microgrid therefore comes down simply to those who can afford it. Thomas Edison, the so-called ‘Father of Electrification’ knew this. He waged a battle of public opinion designed to impel political action, rather than by selling a superior product. At this moment industry is singing from the same hymn book under supposed threat it risks becoming an orphan of history. For all that, the electrification of road transport at both commercial and consumer levels is seemingly a case of not how but when, regardless of whether it is worthy of our reliance and trust — metrics we profess to put stock in.

THE ALL-NEW 700 SERIES HAS ARRIVED THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

SAFER, CLEANER AND BUILT FOR THE FUTURE

The all-new 700 Series rewrites the rules in safety, emissions, performance and comfort. It’s our safest truck ever, with XAVIER_HINO37908.25

an enhanced Hino SmartSafe package featuring driver assist technologies that take an active focus on protecting all road

users. Designed to meet Euro 6 exhaust emission standards, it’s the cleanest Hino heavy-duty yet. Delivering increased

performance with more engine power ratings, a wider range of axle configurations and the choice of a true automatic or

automated manual transmission. With an eye catching new interior and exterior, offering improved comfort and functionality targeted squarely at the driver. The all-new 700 Series is the truck of the future, here today. Find out more at hino.com.au

PRIME NEWS

> Kenworth debuts 50th Anniversary edition Legend SAR truck New Kenworth Legend SAR launched in Brisbane.

Based on legendary Kenworth models from the past, the third in the series of special edition Kenworths, the Legend SAR, has been unveiled. Following the outstanding response to the Legend 950 in 2015 and the Legend 900 in 2017, the timing of the much-anticipated debut of the Legend SAR is aligned with Kenworth celebrating 50 years of manufacturing trucks in Australia. The 50th Anniversary Edition Legend SAR combines the latest technology for safer, cleaner and more productive operation, with features that embrace Kenworth’s unique heritage. Modelled on the iconic W900SAR, built and sold in Australia from 1975 until 1985 and the first Kenworth model designed, the Legend SAR is engineered and made in Australia specifically for Australian operating requirements. With its sloping bonnet and raised cab position allowing for the first use of 10

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under cab battery and toolboxes, the W900SAR (SAR standing for ‘Shortbonnet Australian Right-hand drive’) is considered an iconic fusion of the W900AR and S2 models. Importantly, it could take the high horsepower engines favoured by Australian transport operators and still carry the maximum legal payload within existing length limits and was lighter than the AR and Kenworth’s cab-over model of the day, the K100. Built to honour the character of the first all-Australian Kenworth truck, the Legend SAR represents the iconic appeal of the much-loved W900SAR. While more than 45 years have passed since it first went into production and other SAR models have ensued, the allure of the original ‘SAR’ still remains and is reignited with the release of the third in the series of Legends, the Legend SAR. “The truck not only commemorates 50 years of proudly manufacturing

Kenworth trucks in Australia, it symbolises what was a turning point for local design and engineering and the custom-build philosophy that Kenworth is still renowned for today,” said Brad May, PACCAR Australia Director Sales and Marketing. “In addition to recognising our long heritage in this country, the Legend SAR pays homage to all those that have stood, and stand today, behind the badge of a Kenworth truck. The ones that have helped make Australian-made Kenworths an integral part of the unique Australian landscape.” Appropriately named ‘Son of Nugget’ as tribute to the iconic W-Series limited edition ‘Gold Nugget’ released in 1984, the Legend SAR was officially unveiled at the Brisbane Truck Show in May. The Legend SAR includes a full suite of heritage style limited edition features that celebrate the journey of Kenworth in Australia’s Road Transport Industry.

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

> Daimler names Dealer of the Year Family-owned Mavin Truck Centre has won the coveted 2020 Daimler Dealer of the Year. Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, presented the award to Mavin Truck Centre Dealer Principal, Dean Mavin, at a special event in Brisbane. The Daimler Dealer of the Year award recognises the best dealership representing the Daimler Truck and Bus portfolio of Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Fuso and Alliance Truck Parts brands. Mavin Truck Centre was, according to Whitehead, a deserved Daimler Dealer of the Year award winner. “Dean Mavin and the team and Mavin Truck Centre look after their customers like they are family,” he said. “This sharp customer-first focus is one of the reasons they are a key regional dealership for the Daimler Truck and Bus network in Australia and makes them a worthy winner of the Daimler Dealer of the Year Award.” The Kempsey-based Mavin Truck Centre has won several Regional Dealer of the Year awards for both Mercedes-Benz

Mavin Truck Centre Dealer Principal, Dean Mavin.

and Freightliner brands during the last five years, including the 2020 Freightliner Regional Dealer of the Year award. It recently added Fuso to its stable and opened a new dealership in Coffs Harbour, further boosting its customer support.

Last year, the dealership also achieved Elite Support certification after implementing a raft of improvements. Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Aftersales and Network Operations Director, Greg Lovrich, said the Mavin Truck Centre team is always looking to improve customer experience. “Mavin Truck Centre is part of the positive transformation we have seen across the Daimler Truck and Bus network in Australia during the last few years,” he said. “They are prepared to invest and commit to improvements that make a big difference to our customers and help keep them on the road getting the job done,” said Lovrich. In order to achieve Elite Support certification dealerships must meet 129 criteria as part of the initiative introduced by Daimler Truck and Bus in partnership with its dealership network. Elite Support certified dealers across the country have, according to Daimler, seen improved customer satisfaction levels since they entered into the initiative.

> Report reveals PBS vehicles involved in fewer major crashes Findings from a new report reveals Performance-Based Standards (PBS) vehicles are involved in 60 per cent fewer major crashes than conventional vehicles. It represents a significant improvement over the results in a 2018 report which found 46 per cent fewer major crashes compared to the conventional fleet. The Review of Major Crash Rates for Australian Higher Productivity Vehicles: 2015 – 2019 report, a joint undertaking from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia (CILTA) and the National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) looked at the reduced crash rates, fewer kilometres driven, and lives saved by using PBS vehicles. PBS vehicles are also forecast to save 12

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143 lives over 20 years. NHVR Chief Engineer Les Bruzsa said PBS vehicles were achieving safety gains beyond what was originally anticipated. “In the last five years, PBS vehicles were involved in 60 per cent fewer major crashes than conventional trucks” he said in a statement. “PBS articulated combinations had the lowest rate of crashes per distance travelled with 5.4 crashes per 100 million kilometres travelled, compared to 17.6 crashes for their conventional counterparts — almost 70 per cent lower,” said Bruzsa. “Not only are these vehicles equipped with the latest in braking and safety technologies to help prevent crashes, but they are also productive – delivering more goods with fewer vehicles in a safe

manner. Over the last five years Bruzsa said PBS vehicles travelled 1.6 billion fewer kilometres on Australian roads compared to conventional vehicles to transport the same freight task. “This huge reduction in distance travelled means improved safety benefits to our drivers, the community and reducing damage to our roads,” he said. Significant acceleration in the uptake of the PBS scheme has delivered a compound annual growth rate close to 43 per cent. “There are now more than 12,000 PBSapproved combinations operating across Australia,” Bruzsa added. “Further growth will deliver greater safety and productivity benefits, supporting a strong and prosperous Australia, and the saving of more lives on our roads.”

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CONNECTING THE WORLD’S ASSETS

NEW IN-CAB CAMERAS

PRIME NEWS

> Rum City Foods lands milestone Scully RSV Hino 500 Refrigerated truck specialist, Scully RSV, has taken delivery of its 100th Hino 500 Series Wide Cab. Widely considered an Australian industry leader, Scully RSV builds approximately 300 trucks a year, approximately half of which are sold to customers with the remainder forming Scully RSV’s rental fleet. According to Cameron Hogg, Scully RSV General Manager producing quality vehicles is at the core of what Scully RSV is about. “The Hino range of trucks has always been one of the market leaders in quality – we have never been disappointed with any Hino trucks, and they continue to get better,” he said in a statement. “The Hino 500 Series Wide Cab is one of the workhorses of the Scully RSV fleet given its high quality build, safety features, comfortable ride and superior drivability,” said Hogg. Over the last ten years, Scully RSV has purchased over 480 Hino trucks, with the Hino 500 Series Standard Cab a chassis favoured by its customers.

Like the 99 before it, the milestone 500 Series Wide Cab is a FL 2628 with a six-speed automatic transmission, and was built for Rum City Foods, a familyowned and operated food and beverage distribution company based in Central Queensland. “Scully RSV have been supplying vehicles to us for more than 25 years, and as a trusted partner to our business, we are proud to be part of this milestone celebration for Hino and Scully RSV,” said Scott McIntyre, Rum City Foods Sales Manager, whose father founded the business in 1978. “It’s always great to bring another reliable and quality vehicle to our fleet,” he said. Brian Wright, General Manager of Sales and Supply Chain for Hino Australia congratulated Scully RSV on the milestone. “We are proud to partner with Scully RSV – both of our organisations are focused on delivering quality products to our customers,” he said. “Since its launch in 2017, we have sold over 3,800

500 Series Wide Cabs – Scully RSV is one of many customers that appreciates the safety, quality and transmission options of the 500 Series Wide Cab. “The 500 Series Wide Cab was a gamechanger for Hino – it boasted the most comprehensive active safety package of any Japanese truck in the mediumduty truck segment at that time,” said Wright. “It was the first truck in its class to feature Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and a microphone-equipped, night vision enabled reverse camera as standard fitment.” The 500 Series Wide Cab’s safety package also includes ABS, Anti Slip Regulator (ASR), ECE R29-rated cab strength, driver SRS airbag, ADR84/00 Front Underrun Protection (FUP), Easy Start, Cruise Control and Fog Lamps. “Transmission options include six speed Allison automatic available across the range, or synchromesh manual in either six speed or nine speed dependent upon the model selected,” Wright said.

Jeff Nicotra, Cameron Hogg, General Manager of Scully RSV, Scott McIntyre, Sales Manager for Rum City Foods, Damien Scully, Craig Andersson, Dealer Principal, Sci-Fleet Hino and Will Gaulton. 14

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MERITOR® MT-160 SERIES

MERITOR® MT-160 SERIES BUILT TO LAST. In Australian applications only the toughest survive. Our axles not only survive, but also thrive from the Hume Highway to the the Tanami Track. Year after year, delivering the performance and the goods with legendary durability, reduced maintenance and operating costs to keep you moving.

meritor.com sales.sunshine@meritor.com

PRIME NEWS

> New Scania G 540 XT primed for construction boom

Scania Euro 6 G 540 XT.

Tipper and dog operators have been given a glimpse of Scania’s new G 540 XT. The commercial vehicle manufacturer expects the market for high demand power applications to take to the new 540 hp six-cylinder SCR-only Euro 6-compliant engine that it claims delivers 2700 Nm of torque — 100 Nm more than its nearest rival. Businesses seeking superior total operating economy from tipper and dog operations are likely to appreciate its elevated chassis for superior ground clearance and its quarry and construction site friendly features that protect the lights and front of the vehicle. These are supported by a 150 mm protruding steel bumper with integrated tow-hook, as well as a front under bumper bash-plate. Introduced in late 2018 as a solution for builders and contractors working in the booming construction, civil engineering and infrastructure sector, the XT range is equipped with the most powerful sixcylinder in the company’s bracket of modular engines. Rated to 75 tonnes GCM and with peak torque available between 1000 and 1300 rpm, Scania can offer even smoother acceleration more than likely to be appreciated by drivers at traffic lights in built up areas. 16

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Where front axle weight is critical, the engine, according to Scania, excels on low-down driveability, with adequate torque to make shifting loads uphill seamless. The inline six-cylinder engine saves around 300 kg over the front axle compared with the Scania V8s which have proven popular with the likes of tipper operators to date. Updates include new friction-reducing coatings on pistons, rings and bores, increased compression rates and higher cylinder pressures, the adoption of smart auxiliary pumps, and modified inlet and exhaust manifolds, all of which work to reduce fuel consumption by up to 2.5 per cent. Paired with a Scania GRSO905R overdrive 14-speed gearbox, the 540 hp derives an extra 40 hp over the previous iteration courtesy of Scania XPI fuel injection, and a new ball-bearing fixed geometry turbocharger which delivers more useable grunt. The G 540 XT tipper is fitted with side curtain roll-over protection airbags and a steering wheel-mounted airbag as standard. Further advanced safety features include advanced emergency braking (AEB), electronic stability program (ESP), lane

departure warning (LDW), adaptive cruise control (ACC), driver and passenger seat belt pretensioners, auto hill hold, and LED head and taillights. “Scania is very pleased to add the 540 hp engine to the very successful XT family for construction and civil engineering tipper work. We expect this combination to be very popular as it offers an excellent mix of performance and economy,” said Dean Dal Santo, Scania Australia Truck Sales Director. “Scania continues to provide greater torque than its rivals at identical horsepower outputs and the new 540 XT is no different, giving our customers an advantage in terms of driveability and fuel efficiency,” he said. “The Scania 540 engine has proven itself to be frugal and powerful on Australian roads in the eight months that it has been available for haulage operations. We know that construction and infrastructure work has equally tough operating environments: high payloads, gruelling city driving in congested streets as well as for the drivers, long hours behind the wheel. That’s why the combination of Scania’s traditional strengths of comfortable and quiet operation will be enhanced further with the addition of this more potent, higher output engine.”

Volvo Trucks. Driving Progress

Introducing the revolutionary new range of Volvo heavy duty trucks that’s reshaping our industry to be cleaner, safer and more productive.

These innovative trucks are a result of our unique combination of global vision and local intelligence, and they have been designed to dramatically enhance your business productivity and competitiveness. All four models feature new standards in safety, productivity, fuel efficiency and driver focus as well as each model offering Euro 6 and Euro 5 options. The entire range of Volvo trucks are made right here in Australia, which means they’re built to suit our unique local conditions. So, when you buy a Volvo truck, you’re supporting local jobs, and the local economy. The new Volvo Trucks heavy duty range. The future is being made right here in Australia.

Certified for all Australian-built models.

PRIME NEWS

> Velocity opens Daimler account with huge Goldstar Transport order Perth-based Goldstar Transport has taken delivery of the first batch of commercial vehicles in an order of 50 new Mercedes-Benz units it recently placed. The order marks the first major delivery for Velocity Vehicle Group, the US headquartered dealer group that acquired the Eager’s Daimler Truck business earlier in the month. Part of a metropolitan distribution contract newly awarded to Goldstar Transport in Perth, the Mercedes-Benz Actros vehicles are a combination of Euro 6-rated 2643 and 2646 6x4s for single trailer ambient and refrigerated freight ferrying into non-regional retail sites. Every unit is equipped with brand new JSK42AW fifth wheels supplied and manufactured by JOST. In Australia it represents the first in the books for the Velocity Vehicle Group. Goldstar Transport Managing Director Sean Carren said the MP5 package

Sean Carren.

and the Velocity team’s ability to deliver several dozen units in such a short space of time made it a compelling offer. “Aside from being a solid piece of equipment, it’s a best-in-class vehicle and the driver training package included made it an easy decision to make,” he said. “All of our requirements were

met pertaining to timing, schedules, technology and fuel efficiency,” he said. “The people at Velocity and MercedesBenz involved in this deal were the ones that made it happen. We like the efficiencies and safety benefits these vehicles bring to our fleet, but ultimately we buy trucks from people. They make these partnerships possible.”

> Long-promised Strzelecki Track sealing underway The sealing of the first 50 kilometres of the Strzelecki Track has commenced in South Australia. A vital supply link historically used by outback roadtrains supplying major oil and gas facilities located near Moomba, the Strzelecki Track is also an essential transport corridor for outback communities, tourism and pastoralists. Stage 1 of the project, immediately north of Lyndhurst, has been allocated $10 million by the Marshall Liberal Government with another $125 million already confirmed by the Federal Government for Stage 2. An additional $64 million for sealing of the Strzelecki Track was announced by the Australian Government in the 2020-21 Federal Budget towards completely sealing the full length of the track. All 472 kilometres of the track will eventually be sealed following joint funding announced by the Federal Government and State Government of South Australia. As the Strzelecki Track remains an essential transport corridor for outback 18

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communities, tourism and pastoralists, the project is expected to help increase outback prosperity, productivity and road safety. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Corey Wingard, said unsealed roads contribute to higher direct freight costs, increased supply chain costs and the likelihood of accidents. “It is great that local small and medium companies have been able to partner with us to fix this crucial route,” he said. Pavement rehabilitation works on the first 50 kilometre section have been completed by South Australian company T&J Constructions, with sealing works completed by Downer EDI. Additional pavement widening and shoulder sealing of the previously-sealed 24 kilometre section now means a total of 74 kilometres of sealed road is open to traffic to improve travel reliability and efficiency. Santos Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Kevin Gallagher said the funding commitments from

the Australian and South Australian governments will grow jobs and encourage more development in regional South Australia. “Each year hundreds of trucks with equipment and supplies for the Santos operated Moomba Gas Plant and surrounding gas fields are sent via the Strzelecki Track,” he said. “The conditions of the track can vary widely causing delays and costly maintenance for the operators of the vehicles and damage to the equipment they carry,” said Gallagher. “The sealing of the track will ensure one of Australia’s great inland roadways is safer to travel for freight and logistics, tourists and pastoralists. This will increase productivity and trade and bring benefits to all users and communities in the region.” Pre-construction activities for the next two packages of works, a 10 kilometre section south of Innamincka and a 93 kilometre section south of Moomba to the Strzelecki Creek crossing are now underway.

> NHVR approves fifth EWD for heavy vehicles The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has approved another provider of electronic work diaries (EWD) for use in Australia. The decision to approve Quallogi by Kynection, making it now the fifth EWD option to receive regulatory approval, was announced at the Brisbane Truck Show. “Drivers have been switching over to using an electronic work diary since we approved the first system in December last year and it’s great to see Quallogi

is also available as an alternative to the National Written Work Diary,” said NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto. “The introduction of EWDs means drivers can record their work and rest hours by pressing a button, rather than spending time ruling lines and counting multiple time periods on multiple pieces of paper,” he said. The Quallogi system includes features, such as alerts, to assist drivers to manage their compliance with work and

rest rules. It will be available on selected devices, which are outlined on the NHVR website. Heavy vehicle drivers can confirm via the NHVR website if the EWD they are using has been officially approved by the NHVR. Drivers must continue to carry their written work diary for a transition period, to ensure that they comply with the requirement of carrying 28 days of records.

> Shell launches carbon neutral lubricants range Global lubricant leader Shell has launched a range of carbon neutral products it recently announced. The initiative is the largest and most significant carbon neutral program in the lubricants industry today, aiming to offset the CO² or equivalent (C0²e) emissions of more than 200 million litres of high-quality lubricants. Shell provides approximately five billion litres of finished lubricants annually to customers across the world. The company’s expansive industry reach spans aviation to power generation, marine to mining and both consumer

Workers at the Viva Energy facility in Geelong.

and commercial automotive. As well as helping to avoid or reduce emissions through material choices and operational efficiencies, these products are now carbon neutral in accordance with Shell’s global portfolio of naturebased carbon credits. “These lubricants help to keep the world moving by ensuring machinery can operate consistently and efficiently at the peak of its performance,” Shell said in a statement. To help it meet a target of becoming a net-zero carbon emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner, Shell

acknowledges its lubricants business has a large part to play in achieving the goal. According to the company, there is an ongoing need to balance increased operational output with reduced environmental impact. Shell recognises as demands evolve, expectations also change. “Customers and consumers alike now expect brands to offer sustainable solutions that make it easier for them to make sustainable choices,” it said. “We know our customers are increasingly in need of sustainable solutions. So, to meet this growing industry demand, Shell is exploring a range of initiatives that seek to avoid, reduce and offset emissions while helping consumers and customers to find solutions that benefit both their operational and sustainability goals.” The extended range of carbon neutral lubricants is suitable for heavy duty diesel engine oil, premium passenger car motor oil and industrial portfolios. “Our carbon neutral lubricants provide customers with more sustainable choices without compromising the high performance and engine protection that they expect from Shell,” the company said. “By helping customers manage their sustainability needs, and by avoiding, reducing and offsetting our own emissions, we can help drive change for the better.” p r i m em ove r m a g . c o m . a u

GLOB AL NEWS

> Daimler commences testing fuel cell truck

Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck.

Commercial vehicle manufacturer, Daimler Trucks, has gotten closer to testing fuel cell vehicles on public roads. Recently, the prototype Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck began a rigourous evaluation program. During an extensive series of tests, the vehicle and its components were assessed on continuous operation against different weather and road conditions and according to various driving manoeuvres. Daimler Trucks is focusing on hydrogen-powered fuelcells for the electrification of its vehicles for flexible and demanding long haul transport. The company confirmed it was aiming to achieve ranges of up to 1,000 kilometres and more without any stops for refuelling. Development engineers at Daimler Trucks are at present designing the GenH2 Truck so that the vehicle and its components meet the same durability requirements as a comparable conventional MercedesBenz Actros. In metrics this will look like 1.2 million kilometres on the road over a 20

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period of ten years and a total of 25,000 hours of operation. According to Daimler Trucks, the vehicle has, during the first few weeks of testing, already covered hundreds of kilometres under continuous load on a road-torig test stand and gone through many extreme situations that are based on reallife operating conditions. Further examples of this include emergency braking and kerbstone drives along the test track. According to its development plan, the vehicle will also be tested on public roads before the end of the year with customer trials scheduled to begin as early as 2023. The first series-produced GenH2 Trucks are expected to be handed over to customers starting in 2027. Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler Truck AG said program was currently moving ahead to schedule. “We are consistently pursuing our technology strategy for the electrification

of our trucks. We want to offer our customers the best locally CO2-neutral trucks — powered by either batteries or hydrogen-based fuel-cells, depending on the use case. We’re right on schedule and I’m delighted that the rigorous tests of the GenH2 Truck have started successfully,” he said in a statement. “The hydrogen-powered fuel-cell drive will become indispensable for CO2neutral long haul road transport in the future. This is also confirmed by our many partners with whom we are working together at full steam to put this technology on the road in seriesproduction vehicles. “Moreover, considerable momentum is being generated by the clear commitment of national and European regulators to the use of hydrogen for road freight transport. Political support plays an important role in promoting the creation of an infrastructure for green hydrogen and making an economically viable use of fuel-cell trucks possible for our customers.”

> MAN TGX takes honours at design awards The functionality of the new MAN Truck Generation has impressed an international jury at the iF DESIGN AWARD following its recent Gold award in the German Design Awards. Earning praise for its choice of materials and colours, the MAN TGX particularly impressed for its practical design of the driver’s workplace. The workplace is defined by three systems that can be operated independently of each other. On one hand the instrument cluster can be found, while on the other the media and navigation system which features a display of up to 12.3 inches where the MAN SmartSelect operating element is conveniently located. In long haul cabs, the interior remote control for controlling comfort and entertainment functions from the rest area. Each system has its own truck-specific control logic and is at the same time integrated into what MAN Truck & Bus considers an holistic interaction concept.

Göran Nyberg, Executive Board Member for Sales and Customer Solutions at MAN Truck & Bus said he was delighted by the recognition afforded the MAN TGX amid competition from nearly 10,000 entries from 52 different countries. “We are very proud of this new award. It’s a great recognition of the creativity and passion of our entire design team,” he said. “The new trucks are real MAN and lionstrong companions for every driver,” said Nyberg. The jury of 98 independent judges acknowledged the high-quality and practical materials of the truck with the ergonomically perfected seating and sleeping comfort it offered. In addition to the numerous assistance and safety systems, the future-oriented connectivity of the new truck generation is designed to create a lasting contribution to simplifying the increasingly demanding everyday working lives of truck drivers. The interplay

New truck generation MAN TGX.

of expressiveness and practicality, according to Rudolf Kupitza, Head of Truck Design MAN, to facilitate the unmistakable overall appearance of the new MAN Truck Generation. “On the outside, the dynamic design combines progress, tradition and sustainability and creates a powerful and emotional truck personality with the lion logo. Inside, it is consistently geared to the driver’s need for an intuitive, safe and comfortable workplace and living space, even for long tours,” he said.

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NEW LEGAL POTHOLES IN THE INSURANCE LANDSCAPE Iain Sharples Iain Sharples is National Manager, Marine and Transport Liability at Zurich Financial Services Australia and has been in the insurance industry for the past two decades. He works with freight forwarders, logistics operators, port, terminals, charterers, marina operators and ship repairers to manage their marine liability.

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In this fast changing landscape some transport operators may learn that being considered a small business is as much of an advantage as a hindrance.

magine this: after colliding with a bridge, a transport operator is clearly at fault and probably negligent – but they can deny liability for loss or damage of goods under the terms of the contract. And, as a result, it will be up to the cargo owners or their insurers to try and find a way around that contract term. As it stands, the above scenario is lawful – but that could soon change following amendments to Australian Consumer Law (ACL). In particular, the Unfair Contract Terms (UCT) provisions have now been extended to cover general insurance contracts, potentially increasing liability exposure and insurance claims for transport operators. In the past, domestic transport companies have provided services based on an ‘all care but no responsibility’ approach when it comes to the carriage of a customer’s goods. This means they did their best to carry goods safely but, when failing to do so, they did not accept liability for the loss or damage of goods. Rather, there has been the expectation that the owner of the goods insured the cargo separately. I believe that this has tended to create difficulties for the transport operator, the cargo owner and the insurers involved. This is something we’ve been giving a lot of thought at Zurich in light

of the amended UCT provisions, which remove the transport operator’s power to deny all liability – regardless of whether they are at fault or not. In fact, I anticipate that the strict contractual requirements on the timing of claims may now be deemed unfair, along with any clauses limiting the size of liability payments to small monetary amounts. Furthermore, clauses specifying very short collection periods before goods can be placed under lien and sold, with little or no notice to the customer, may also be deemed unfair. However, this is just the beginning. With more changes to the ACL announced last November, I think all parties in the industry need to consider the consequences of further extensions to the UCT laws. The exact timing of these changes remains unclear, but it’s expected that under the new amendments the small business definition will be widened to include any company with up to 100 employees. The current threshold for a small business is 20 employees. The coverage of small business contracts is also anticipated to be broadened by removing the dollar value threshold on the upfront price payable, currently $300,000 for less than one year’s duration or $1 million

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are properly protected. Cargo owners have relatively low-cost insurance cover available to insure their goods in transit and, considering the low profit margin that transport operators achieve, I expect that the contract terms between the cargo owner and the transport owner should reflect this. On reflection, it is possible that cargo owners may benefit from the changes since transport operators will be forced to accept a greater level of risk transfer. However, I anticipate that the new laws may also favour some transport companies as they will not have to accept the terms and conditions of large customers or those of their subcontractors. This is because the approach of ‘you sign it, or you don’t get the work’ will not be possible under the new UCT provisions. Consequently, I suspect that some transport operators may learn that being considered a small business is as much of an advantage as a hindrance.

More companies are using the existing UCT provisions to attempt to recover damages from transport operators. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

COVER STORY

COLD

COMF 24

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ORTS PFD Food Services ranks safety as a prime criteria in its decision to trial some of the latest Hino trucks.

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

COVER STORY

he PFD Food Services story goes back to 1943 and today the company is a major provider with a broad range of dry goods, frozen and chilled products, fresh seafood and meat, confectionery, paper products and cleaning solutions mostly delivered direct to businesses associated with the food service industry. The clients of PFD are spread across a spectrum of venues where people need to eat, including clubs, pubs and hotels, cafes, airlines, restaurants, mines, aged care and retirement villages, resorts and theme parks, convenience outlets, venue and field caterers, fast food outlets, schools and kindergartens, and sporting, child care and even correctional facilities. One of the strengths of the PFD operation is its employment of its own transport division utilising company owned vehicles and company employed drivers.

Steve Wright is PFD Food Services’ National Fleet Manager and has been with the company for around 25 years. When he started there PFD was still at the time a very much Victorian-based organisation. The company has since grown to be operating at 68 sites with a strong regional presence spread right across Australia. Steve has grown with it, progressing from manually unloading refrigerated containers into warehousing and store roles which also included maintenance work on equipment such as forklifts. Steve has been in charge of the company’s fleet comprising of around 750 light and medium duty trucks for the past decade. When he moved into fleet management Steve found that the fleet at the time was ageing and subject to numerous breakdowns and the resultant expensive repair bills.

“Safety is important not only to me as a fleet manager but it’s also of vital importance to the company. You have to be not just seen to be doing the right thing, you have to be actually doing it.” Steve Wright National Fleet Manager, PFD Food Services

Hino 300 Series at a PFD depot in Melbourne. 26

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“I recall we had 18 truck engine failures in the six months prior to me taking on this position,” says Steve. “In the ten plus years I’ve been in the role we haven’t lost anywhere near that number in total.” Enthusiastic about the technical and mechanical aspects of his job involving trucks, bodies and refrigeration units, Steve follows through during his own time by tuning drag racing vehicles and

racing motorcycles with his sons. When the new Hino 300 Series was launched in mid-2020 PFD was one of the first fleets to take delivery of them with three currently operating in Tasmania. PFD also has had two Hino 500 Series Standard Cabs operating in Victoria during the past 12 months. Hino lays claim to offering Australia’s safest light-duty Japanese trucks, due mainly to the technology associated

with Hino SmartSafe system. Hino SmartSafe is a comprehensive safety package with a suite of advanced driver assistance technologies which provide an active focus on protecting drivers and passengers as well as other road users. The standard fitting of the extensive suite of safety features were a major contributing factor in the decision to trial the Hino models in the PFD fleet. “Ten years ago I probably would have

fought against buying Hinos but with today’s safety focus there is pressure to change that thinking,” he says. “Part of my own success has been due to people who didn’t want to take on change, or embrace the future, or embrace safety. They’ve made themselves redundant, so to speak. Safety is important not only to me as a fleet manager but it’s also of vital importance to the company. You have to be not just seen to be doing

Steve Wright PFD Food Services National Fleet Manager. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

COVER STORY

The purpose built refrigerated bodies have multiple temperature zones.

the right thing, you have to be actually doing it.” The Hino SmartSafe package integrates features such as the Pre-Collison System (PCS) which detects the possibility of a collision with a vehicle in front by using a combination of radar and image sensors and providing warnings to the driver. If the driver doesn’t react the truck’s brakes are applied autonomously. The system operates in a similar manner if a pedestrian is detected in front of the truck. Steve has become an agent of change and is quick to recognise that certain procedures are no longer appropriate even though they may have been acceptable even just five years ago. “I see the technology, things like the collision avoidance systems and electronic stability control they’ve got in their trucks now, and that can’t be ignored,” he says. Telematics also play an important role in 28

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“We changed our whole driver culture based on our telematics system and essentially rewrote the company policy. Due to constant monitoring, drivers can no longer speed undetected and speeding violations are minimal.” Steve Wright National Fleet Manager, PFD Food Services

the management of the PFD fleet which has resulted in significant improvements in the safety aspects coupled with a measurable rise in fuel savings. “We changed our whole driver culture based on our telematics system and essentially rewrote the company policy,” Steve says. “Due to constant monitoring, drivers can no longer speed undetected and speeding violations are minimal.” Compliance in terms of fatigue management and vehicle maintenance is managed by PFD’s in-house health and safety team who regularly audit all

sites. Food safety is also a vital element in PFD’s business and all branches have an approved HACCP Plan (food safety program) to ensure all of the products supplied to its customers are safe and meet food safety requirements. An indication of the exceptional rigour of PFD’s food safety program has been demonstrated by the company being awarded the National HACCP Award for a Multi-site, Low Risk Company on two occasions. Steve runs the big fleet on principles similar to those applied by vehicle

leasing companies, which sees the majority of servicing carried out by the manufacturer’s dealerships. All work has to be authorised via a formal work order issued by the fleet office which has access to comprehensive vehicle data such as whether the truck is still covered by warranty, and when was the last time a component, such as the clutch, was changed. Because of PFD’s national and regional footprint it is vital that any provider of major equipment such as trucks has a similar operational spread of dealers. Due to the large number of PFD branches and the nature of their operations, most PFD delivery vehicles work mostly in their own local area and do not register high annual kilometres. Consequently, trucks are able to remain active in the fleet for up to ten years due to their rigorous service regimes. “If you asked me what used to motivate me to buy a particular brand of truck I’d

say it was the brand’s service network which was always the first thing because we’ve got so many branches and most are regionally based,” Steve says. “After that was the price and the product. Now it’s probably about safety, which may not have been mentioned ten years ago.” One metric which PFD uses to measure its fleet’s efficiency is the cost per kilometre to run a truck, and with a total of 32 million kilometres driven each year, it’s something which Steve and his team have been able to significantly reduce over the past decade. Steve has an interest in electric vehicles but maintains some reservations about the kind of impact the running of refrigeration units will have on compromising an electric truck’s operational range with current battery technology. There is also consideration of the additional weight of the batteries. Most of the PFD vehicles are fitted

with purpose built refrigerated bodies with multiple temperature zones and incorporate specialised insulation to assist in maintaining stable internal temperatures in an application which involves multiple door openings during each shift. “Our fridge bodies are heavy. Equivalent size curtainsider bodies probably weigh nearly as much as a fridge unit on its own,” he explains. “We typically reach 60 per cent of our Gross Vehicle Mass with the truck still empty.” Other than those reservations concerning the practicality of electric vehicles using the currently available batteries, Steve is an enthusiastic supporter of evolving truck technology. “The more technology that becomes available in terms of things like trucks and telematics, the more I can see what the fleet is doing and how it’s behaving,” he says. “This should always influence how we operate.”

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FLEET FOCUS

PRIM Everson’s Food Processors uses the latest in truck technology to deliver fresh cuts of meat across a wide expanse of terrain.

verson’s Food Processors is a family-owned and managed multi-species abattoir and meat processing facility located in Frederickton, which is just north of Kempsey on the New South Wales mid-north coast. Everson’s supply meat products direct to Sydney, Newcastle, Gold Coast and Brisbane as well as to local butchers and supermarkets. Everson’s run a complete in-house operation from buying livestock, then processing and subsequently transporting the meat products to their customers. Previously the Everson’s operation was what the industry terms ‘service kill’ in that they would process customers’ cattle and lambs and freight the 30

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resulting meat back to them. Currently the business model leads more towards supplying wholesalers and butchers with packaged and dressed meats as well as full meat carcasses. Meat products are sold as far away as Perth and Far North Queensland, as well as into Victoria and South Australia. Everson’s own trucks deliver as far as the Sydney region and western New South Wales as well as to customers located just north of Brisbane. A growing market segment is the supply of mainly Halal broken lamb and carton meat direct to many Muslim butcher shops located in the Sydney region. Everson’s doesn’t export any of its meat products but has won an Excellence in Export award at the prestigious

NSW Business Chamber State Business Awards. The award was in recognition of the sale of sheep skins direct to customers in China and Hong Kong which the Everson’s team negotiate themselves. Cattle hides are transported via an Everson’s tipper truck to Victor Topper at Gunnedah Leather Processors where, after further processing, they can be sold throughout the world. Jason ‘JA’ McKiernan is the transport manager at Everson’s and oversees a fleet dominated by the Freightliner brand with the Argosy and Columbia models recently being joined by a pair of Cascadia 116 prime movers fitted with 36-inch XT sleeper cabs. Both Cascadia’s are powered by Detroit DD13 engines

EC U T with the DT12 automated transmission. The Cascadia’s are the twenty-first and twenty-second trucks that Everson’s have bought from Mavin Truck Centre in Kempsey and the tally includes 17 Freightliners and four Mercedes-Benz. The Cascadias are equipped with the fully-integrated Detroit Assurance 5.0 system which uses radar and high definition camera technology for Active Emergency Braking and to facilitate the Active Cruise Control. The system has the capability to detect a slower or stationary vehicle or even pedestrians, and in an emergency the Autonomous Emergency Braking can quickly bring the truck to a complete stop with no input from the driver. Lane departure warning,

intelligent (self-dipping) high beam and automatic wipers and headlamps are all also standard equipment, as are anti-skid brakes, traction control and Electronic Stability Control. A good relationship with their local truck dealer, recently announced as the Daimler Dealer of the Year, makes good sense to Jason. “We’ve been dealing with Mavin’s for years and they have been really helpful with everything, and always have been,’ says Jason. The introduction to the Cascadias happened in a novel way. “Steve Pinkstone from Mavin’s just turned up in a Cascadia one day and gave me a call and asked me to come

out the front and have a look. We went for a spin and by that afternoon we’d ordered two.” The Cascadias’ safety is further enhanced by the Sideguard Assist system which uses two short-range radars (one aiming forward and one aiming back) on the kerbside to warn the driver if the trailer can collide with objects such as utility poles or street signs when turning left (Trailer Sweep Assist) and also warns the driver if they are about to merge left into a lane already occupied (Turn Assist). This blind spot safety system uses audio warnings as well as a yellow light on the kerbside A pillar to alert the driver of a potential collision. “We started off with Freightliner and p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

FLEET FOCUS

Everson’s have deployed two new Cascadias with 36” sleeper cabs into their Freightliner dominated fleet.

we’ve always had Freightliner prime movers and smaller Freightliners for our rigids,” says Jason. The integration of some Japanese cab over rigids into the fleet has not been the success that was initially hoped for so the decision has been made to go back to bonneted Freightliner models for all rigid applications. The Argosys and the Columbia prime mover have manual transmissions, as do two of the Columbia rigids. The three latest Columbia rigids and both of the new Cascadias are automated manual transmissions. The autos are used mainly on the coast-based routes and Jason prefers to use experienced drivers 32

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in manual transmission trucks on runs up over the steep Walcha Mountain to access the New England area. FTE is the preferred brand of trailer combined with Thermo King refrigeration units. “They’re the best and you won’t get better,” says Jason. “We can use a refrigerated pantech on rigids over life of three or four trucks. We recently sold one that was here when I started 25 years ago.” The onboard truck and Navman telematics provide an insight into the Cascadia’s operational efficiencies and the trucks are usually fuelled out of the onsite bowser without the need to

purchase fuel when out on the highway. “The fuel savings are unreal. Last time I checked we were using 20 per cent less fuel on a trip from here to Sydney than the others,” says Jason. He is also impressed with the reliability and integration of the Detroit engine and gearbox package. The semis carry full loads of meat every night of the week to Sydney where there are large wholesale meat centres in South Strathfield and Blacktown, as well as to Newcastle where Everson’s has its own depot. Jason aims to have the Cascadia drivers leave Frederickton by 3.00pm during the week, with their first drop usually at

New Freightliner Cascadia 116.

the meat hall at South Strathfield. After unloading they can have their break and head home and generally arrive by 9.00am. If there is any meat brought back it is unloaded on the dock at the Frederickton facility and the trailers and rigid bodies head to the hot water wash out bay to be thoroughly cleansed. To ensure driver freshness the trucks are usually driven by different drivers on alternate nights of the week. In recent years the livestock industry has been affected, like most of the agricultural sector, by droughts, fires and the challenges of dealing with COVID. “The industry is hot and cold at the moment and getting livestock in to process and to sell is a big challenge,” explains Everson’s General Manager Shane Webber who has been with the company for 21 years. “Fires and floods lead to shortages so the price goes up. We’ve had a hard couple of years, but we haven’t shut for one day. Currently the supply of sheep and lamb is OK but cattle is a nightmare and the prices are the highest I’ve ever seen. Numbers are low and some abattoirs are only working two to three days per week. We’re multi species so we do lamb, beef and goat and can swap and change but beef-only abattoirs are doing it hard.” In common with many regional industries Everson’s has to deal with a shrinking workforce. “It’s not too bad for us,” says Shane.

“We’ve got two floors going but we just can’t get enough staff so we’ve moved to running one crew on two floors. Upstairs will do the lamb until lunchtime and come down and do cattle until 3.00 or

4.00 in the afternoon. In a perfect world we’d have two crews going at once.” Despite having around 210 employees across the Everson’s group, Jason is constantly on the lookout for more good drivers. “I’ve got a good crew around me at the moment and I could do with another couple,” Jason says. Local drivers, who go in and out of butcher shops, need to be strong to be able to handle the 60-odd kilos of a carcass on their shoulders. “It doesn’t bother our blokes but for some newcomers it does,” says Jason. “I’ve been interviewing blokes for 19 years and the tactic now is to walk up to a truck, pull the ramp out sit it on the ground and ask how they’d go running up and down that 200 times a night with 60 kilograms on their shoulder. That’s when you know straight away if you’ve got another driver or not.”

Truck driver Mark Willard, Steve Pinkstone Mavin Truck Centre Sales Manager, Jason McKiernan Everson’s Transport Manager. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

FLEET FOCUS

An STG Global water truck built on an Isuzu F Series vehicle.

BODY OF

EVIDEN STG Global is a specialist body builder that predominantly uses Isuzu trucks as the basis of its builds. Having very short average build times of three weeks in addition to ready built stock on the floor means customers get their vehicles in record time.

he STG Global story starts in the small country Victorian town of Mansfield over 30 years ago when brothers Ross and Regan Yendle – a couple of young ground-breaking farm boys hit by drought and hard times – are looking for a way to keep the income rolling into the family farm. With the bank pressuring the family to sell, the entrepreneurial lads begin tinkering in the shed and brainstorming ways to save the farm.

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One hot summer’s afternoon, the boys spot a huge cloud of dust drifting off a construction site in town. Sensing an opportunity to make some money, they approach the site foreman and enquire about work. “Nothing here fellas, but if you know anyone with a water truck, let me know,” is the foreman’s somewhat dismissive reply. With equal measures of both desperation and quick wittedness, the boys respond in unison, “We have a water truck at the farm ready to work!”

After negotiations on the rate, a deal is struck and the ‘water truck’ is due to start work the following day. There are only two minor problems: There is no water truck and, furthermore, the boys know next to nothing about water trucks. Within 24 hours, from spare parts rustled up around the farm, a water truck of sorts is created. However, it bears more resemblance to a walking disaster with items falling off and seemingly more water leaking out than held inside.

The modular nature of the bodies means they can be built in advance.

“We are the only manufacturer that hot-dip galvanises our bodies, which ties in with our philosophy of ultimate reliability and durability.” Ashley Joseph Chief Executive Officer STG Global

CE Needless to say, the next couple of days is a huge learning curve for the young Yendles, but they persevere, keep the contract and save the family farm. Such ad hoc beginnings are not normally vindicated in the eyes of history and yet they have flowed on all the same in the formation of what is now a leading Australian water truck and body builder company. From these agricultural beginnings they work their way through the earthmoving industry, and in due course recognise a gaping hole in the market calling for the manufacture and supply of world-class water trucks and other bespoke truck bodies. If you’ll forgive the pun, they see it as a hole that’s crying out to be plugged

and this, ultimately, becomes the basis for the brothers starting STG Global. From that point, 20 years ago, the Yendle brothers have continually refined their manufacturing processes, producing numerous bodies on an array of mostly Isuzu chassis. Then, around four years ago, the twosome became a triumvirate as Chief Executive Officer Ashley Joseph is welcomed to the fold as a partner in the family business. By this stage the company is significantly expanded with several branches located along the eastern seaboard including the Melbourne facility where Ashley is based. “We are a manufacturer of specialised truck bodies including water trucks, vacuum trucks, tilt trays and service vehicles,” Ashley says, “and we are also moving into the waste market with the construction of front loading, side loading and rear loading garbage compactors.” Ashley says while the company has been manufacturing truck bodies for the past 20 years, the last four years since he’s been onboard have seen the company

grow significantly. “At present we are producing over 200 units per annum and our philosophy is to produce bodies that are ultra-reliable and that represent good value for our customers,” he says. “We have a national footprint and are very well represented on the east coast with large manufacturing and servicing facilities at both Dandenong South in Victoria and Ormeau in Queensland. There is also a dedicated service centre in Sydney and agents dotted around the rest of the country.” Up until 20 years ago most water trucks were ex fuel or milk tankers. It’s not an exaggeration to go so far as recognising STG Global as a pioneer of the dedicated water truck. Indeed, a major point of difference between STG and other manufacturers, according to Ashley, is that most of STG’s bodies are hot-dipped galvanised to ensure an extremely long service life. “We are the only manufacturer that hot-dip galvanises our bodies, which ties in with our philosophy of ultimate reliability and durability,” he says. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

FLEET FOCUS

Isuzu F Series ensures there is a model for every style of body STG Global builds.

“We find that many customers don’t want to wait six months to get their equipment, so having the quick turnaround is what gives us the edge over our competitors.” Ashley Joseph Chief Executive Officer STG Global

Another big difference between STG and others is that the company has a stock of pre-built trucks that are basically ready for the customer to drive away the same day. Ashley says while this involves a degree of speculation, the vast experience the company has in the earthmoving sphere enables it to pre-empt which products the market will need and have it ready built and ready to go. “We take an educated punt and build our stock levels which means we have an average build turnaround time of three weeks, which we think is pretty amazing,” Ashley says. “We achieve this by building products for prospective 36

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customers in areas where we see the demand is highest. Understanding what the customers need or will need in the near future is the key. We find that many customers don’t want to wait six months to get their equipment, so having the quick turnaround is what gives us the edge over our competitors.” The modular nature of the bodies means they can be built in advance and held in stock ready to be fitted to a truck in accordance with customer needs. Speaking about the company’s connection with Isuzu trucks, Ashley says the majority of its builds are based on Isuzus because, as Australia’s overall

number one truck brand, this is what the vast majority of customers want. “We’ve had a very long association with Isuzu – they build a great product and they are well priced which explains why they are the market leader,” he says. The comprehensive range of Isuzu’s F Series also ensures there is a model to suit nearly every style of body the company produces. “We’ve picked the models that work for our ranges with chassis lengths that suit most of our products,” he says – adding that the company has the capability to modify chassis lengths if necessary. It produces the shortest wheelbase eightwheeler water truck on the market based on an Isuzu FYH or FYJ 8x4 chassis which it shortens to the same 4.3-metre wheelbase as the agitator spec Isuzu eight-wheeler. Reiterating the benefits of completely built products for customers, Ashley stresses that STG provides an end-to-end solution that encompasses everything from buying the Isuzu chassis to signwriting the finished product. “We’ll do the signwriting and install any custom features the customer wants so that as soon as they pick up the truck it’s

ready to go to work,” he says. At the start of the year the company bought around 70 Isuzu trucks to make certain it had a continual supply of stock in the face of predicted shortages of trucks due to the flow-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have taken the punt there, but we believe if you build the product right, the customers will come, and that’s

exactly what has been happening,” he says. “A lot of it comes down to understanding your customers and what they need across the whole spectrum of products you manufacture. We find this philosophy combines ideally with the winning combination of reliability and value of Isuzu trucks, giving our customers the complete package to best suit their needs.” Water trucks have a hydraulic nozzle situated at the rear.

Most STG steel tankers are hot-dipped galvanised for a long service life.

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

TRUCK & TECH

SUPER

COOL Interstate general freight specialist Palm Trans is trialling pumpless versions of Meritor’s popular MT21-165G tandem drive axle developed specifically for linehaul applications. The company has realised numerous benefits including lower operating temperatures and reduced parasitic losses.

odern trucking operations demand equipment that is ideally matched to the application in order to derive the utmost in efficiency while minimising operating costs. Interestingly, advancements in technology and processes don’t always equate to the best outcome for all applications. This means that astute operators must be made aware of all

Palm Trans K200 B-double with Meritor pumpless tandem axles suited for linehaul. 38

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options and choose the one that best matches their requirements. For heavy-duty drive axle manufacturing specialist Meritor, the quest to provide its customers with products precisely tailored to their individual requirements is ongoing. This is the reason why its latest line up of MT drive tandems, which supersede the previous RT series, are offered in three distinct versions including the MT21-165G Linehaul Series, MT21-165GP Vocational

Series and MT23-168GP Severe-Duty Vocational Series. Designed in conjunction with PACCAR and it’s Kenworth K200 – which is the most popular linehaul B-double prime mover in Australia at present – Meritor’s pumpless MT21-165G is aimed squarely at long distance interstate operators looking to maximise fuel economy and minimise maintenance costs.

As the name suggests, one of the key differences in this design is the absence of an oil pump and filter in the front diff that are standard features in the other two versions. Before extolling the merits of the pumpless MT21-165G product for linehaul operations typified by Palm Trans, it’s worth taking a peek back through the annals of history at the differentials used in the early days of trucking. Truck differentials of old relied solely on splash lubrication which was effected by the crownwheel (also known as ring gear) teeth as they dipped into the oil like a paddlewheel and distributed it to the farthest reaches of the axle housing. However, for this to happen successfully, the crownwheel must be turning at a decent speed with the oil sufficiently

warmed and fluid to be effectively ‘flung’. A good example of how splash lubrication can be inadequate in some circumstances was borne out in early single-drive trucks such as Austin tippers used to haul coal up the treacherously steep grade out of the Burragorang Valley southwest of Sydney in the 1940s and ‘50s. Having been loaded the previous afternoon and then started up stone cold the next morning, it was discovered that the trucks whose drivers gave them a thrashing up the mountain had no diff problems while those who nursed them thinking they were doing the right thing ended up blowing diffs. It was therefore deduced that the drivers who took it easy on the trucks were unwittingly starving the diff gears and bearings of sufficient splash lubrication

under the high load conditions – largely due to the cold and therefore thicker oil – compared with those who gave them the gun right from the start, thus heating the oil quicker and enabling it to be splashed around sooner and more effectively to protect the moving parts. This scenario was potentially exacerbated further with the proliferation of tandem drive trucks in the ‘60s and ‘70s which feature a power divider located high up in the front differential housing. This transmits drive to the rear diff via a through or interaxle shaft, commonly called a jack shaft. The power divider functions like a ‘third differential’ dividing the torque from the transmission between front and

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TRUCK & TECH

rear axles while also allowing for the slight variations in speed between front and rear axles. Again, in certain applications,, particularly where there was a possibility of one of the axles in the tandem set losing traction and spinning, it was found that splash lubrication was not entirely effective. Under these ‘spin out’ conditions the rapidly turning power divider components could quickly become starved of adequate lubrication and fail. This was a catalyst for the development of the diff oil pump which draws oil from the bowl of the diff, pushes it through a spin-on filter before supplying it under pressure to the bearings and cogs in the power divider gear set. For applications such as logging where low speeds and heavy loads off-road, often in cold conditions, are widely considered the norm, this is an ideal solution. But for operators at the other extreme – operating MT21-165G Linehaul Series drive tandem viewed from below.

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trucks for long distances and maintaining 100km/h as much as possible – the aforementioned oil pump that was touted as a saviour in some applications actually became an impediment to efficiency and oil longevity. Enter Palm Trans, a privately owned family company managed by Darren and Julie Palmer. The company was established in 1989 with the goal of providing local haulage around Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, along with express interstate and container cartage. Today, Palm Trans has around 70 prime movers and 150 trailers operating throughout the eastern seaboard and South Australia. The all-Kenworth fleet is serviced and maintained by the company’s own workshop which is managed by Chris Mifsud who has been with Palm Trans since 2000. Speaking about the latest pumpless Meritor tandem the company has on trial, Chris

says it is the best diff development he has seen in the two decades he has been working for Palm Trans. “We have always found the Meritor front diffs in the Kenworths to run hot due to the large volume of oil that the pump pushes around which generates quite a bit of heat,” he says. “It’s a bit of a doubleedged sword really, because there are also parasitic losses associated with driving the pump at such a high rate at highway speeds which impacts negatively on fuel efficiency.” Somewhat ironically, Chris explains that the issue of high front diff operating temperatures has become more pronounced on the Melbourne-Sydney and Sydney-Brisbane runs in recent times due to the massive upgrading of the freeways between the capital cities. “In earlier times the trucks would periodically slow down to 50 or 60km/h going through towns which allowed the diff oil temp to drop a bit whereas now with virtually all of the towns bypassed they are sitting on 100km/h consistently for much of the journey,” he says. Chris maintains that the sustained high speeds and long cycle times of the company’s linehaul trucks, particularly during the hot summer months, leads to the front diff oil temperature creeping above 100 degrees C, which can be detrimental to oil integrity and the O-rings and seals in the diff. It was for these reasons Palm Trans jumped at the opportunity to test the pumpless unit. “We were keen to jump onboard with this advancement and we’ve definitely seen benefits in increased longevity of the oil and reduced hardening of O-rings and seals caused by excessive operating temperatures,” he says. While acknowledging that the pump was originally incorporated to improve the lubrication of the power divider and upper areas of the differential, Chris says that as part of the pumpless design Meritor has redesigned the housing to create small dams and wells in the casting which help retain and feed oil into the components that need it. “It must be stressed that all of our trucks are on long distance work,” he adds. “For

on-highway applications where there’s good splash lubrication provided by the crownwheel, its fine. We’ve had no issues in terms of longevity of power dividers and through shaft bearings – they seem to be standing up very well.” In fact, not having to drive an oil pump when it isn’t required makes mechanical sense to Chris as it reduces the parasitic loss. “If you’re driving less componentry, you’re wasting less horsepower and fuel and transmitting more power to the rear wheels which is where you want it,” he says. Chris’s comments are backed up by research carried out by Meritor that verifies the lower operating temperatures and reduced parasitic loss. According to Meritor, the parasitic loss attributed to the oil pump equates to 3.16kW (4.2hp) and bench testing has realised a potential improvement in fuel efficiency of up to 1.47 per cent for the pumpless unit compared with its pumped brethren. Potential fuel savings, Meritor

claims, could be up to $3,300 per year, assuming a fuel price of $1.46/L and 250,000km annual distance travelled. These figures are based on a nine-axle B-double combination loaded to 68 tonnes gross combination mass pulled by a prime mover running a 4.3:1 final drive ratio with a cruising speed of 100km/h. Significantly, Meritor says its bench testing has shown that the pumpless carrier operates at up to 20oC lower than the carrier with the pump, while field tests revealed a drop of up to 15oC. In Palm Trans’s case, this suggests that under the most arduous linehaul operating conditions a desirable front diff oil temperature of between 85 and 90 degrees C should be maintained. Interestingly, Chris explains that there was no need to vary the oil change intervals with the pumpless compared with the pump equipped diffs. This is despite the fact that the pumpless units don’t have an oil filter. “We run the same 85W-140 gear oil and

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not having to change a spin-on filter is an added bonus in reducing maintenance costs and time,” he says. When Meritor and Kenworth approached Palm Trans to try the new pumpless diff there was no hesitation as the high front diff oil temperatures had been a concern the whole time Chris has worked for the company. “We are always keen to try new products that we can see will be beneficial to the business,” he says. “I would say this is the biggest advancement I have seen in the Meritor drive axle in the 20 years I’ve been working for Palm Trans.” Given the pumpless Meritor MT21165G drive tandem has been developed specifically to address the issue of excessive front diff oil temperature in on-highway applications, it’s refreshing to see a solution that actually makes the product eminently more fit for purpose while using fewer moving parts, and at the same time removing a parasitic loss and maintenance costs from the equation.

TRUCK & TECH

TANKS MEMORIES FOR THE

Booth Transport went in search of an asset tracking and monitoring solution under the criteria it was both cost-effective and reliable. They found it through ORBCOMM.

ounded with a solo vehicle carrying wine and farm goods south of Adelaide in 1936, Booth Transport is now a leading carrier of bulk food, container transport and logistics. Today the business runs a fleet of nearly 200 commercial vehicles nationwide with depots in every state. The long-standing company is run by the third generation of the Booth family and has been active in dairy transport since the 1990s when it diversified

the business with the purchase of a Deniliquin-based milk transport company with 15 tankers. Operations have since grown considerably and entails linehaul tankers of milk and dairy products moving up and down the east coast of Australia in addition to the handling of interstate containers from the port in Launceston to Melbourne and also from Melbourne via rail into Perth. As it continues to grow regardless

of economic conditions the iconic company also transports dangerous goods with the mixed fleet heavily populated by the Kenworth brand although most major truck OEMs are represented in some capacity. It recently added six new Kenworth T659s to its road transport fleet. Active for many years in new developments and technology related to commercial vehicle transport, Booth Transport sought a better solution for

A Kenworth B-double pulls into a Booth Transport depot.

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handling temperature-sensitive freight and after a fact-finding mission, conducted by General Manager Mitchell Booth in North America in 2016, found it. Mitchell was after a technology solution with extra functionality suitable for multiple asset classes that would be finely tuned to meet customer needs. In order to facilitate complete visibility across its dairy tankers to improve handling and transportation methods he turned to New Jersey industrial Internet of Things specialist ORBCOMM, a foremost provider in solutions that connect businesses to their assets. ORBCOMM hardware allows for wireless connectivity through a single, unified cloud-based analytics platform developed to optimise fleet management. This has enabled asset tracking across Booth Transport’s fleet of ISO tanks, road tankers and commercial chassis. IT Manager, Deanna Booth is part of the fourth generation of the family now leading the way at the company. A film production graduate, who had studied to be a director, she found her way back to the family business after she was engaged to make some instructional videos for customers. In the IT department, she works on application and software development which brings her into close contact with ORBCOMM. “We work alongside ORBCOMM especially with the integration of our tracking for our own application,” she says. “A big key for us was that they offered an extra or second serial port and we could plug in a temperature probe.” This detail was no less important for the reason the ISO operations include milk and cream in tankers making it critical that the temperature and whereabouts are tracked with real-time precision. No matter if the assets are in transit or at the depot, Deanna can access live and scheduled updates and know which of these are empty or loaded enabling improved turnaround times and better yard management while also saving the drivers, where it is applicable, time and fuel. The advanced asset monitoring solution

being used by Booth Transport features a high-sensitivity solar panel and includes some units with a wired temperature sensor. “The device itself doesn’t require you to plug into the power. So there’s no leaching off the truck and trailer,” Deanna explains. “It basically allows you to switch it on, put in the temperature probe on the tanker and away we go.” Booth Transport had previously deployed tracking devices on its fleet. ORBCOMM’s solution, however, proved more stable than past products adding greater value for the scale of what was required across the fleet.

its dairy transport division. The ORBCOMM devices can be installed externally on assets in about ten minutes, even when the asset is loaded, making Booth Transport’s deployments quick and efficient with minimal disruption to their operations. “The temperature probe goes into a metal cylinder device so it isn’t fit directly into the product,” says Deanna. “From there it is activated and a reading can be taken almost immediately.” While the asset tracking and temperature probes are the two key areas of focus, Deanna is looking at expanding it to kilometre-monitoring with Conor Booth Transport has installed over 220 ORBCOMM devices across its tanker fleet.

“We’re getting a consistency in terms of the devices not disappearing or turning off, for example, the power breaking down,” says Deanna. “We’ve used solutions in the past where you have to feed the power from the truck or the trailer. It just doesn’t work. ORBCOMM’s solution with the solar panel is great because it literally is a device that you stick on the trailer. I could go and stick it on my car right now and I’d be able to track its path. That’s the beauty of it.” Booth Transport at present has installed 226 of the ORBCOMM devices into

Halloran, ORBCOMM Account Manager, to get a better handle on how the company can best leverage its use in operations. “We’re currently evaluating how it will work in with our fleet to best utilise its function and how we would use that information,” she says. “We expect it will offer significant gains for us especially given what we do here.” Booth Transport is in the midst of changing all of its tracking on its trailers to the solution because it is much easier to integrate given how their current fleet is set up. They are looking to put it p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

TRUCK & TECH

Booth Transport runs a linehaul dairy tanker fleet up the east coast of Australia.

against everything in the near future. “The plan is to put them on everything,” says Deanna. “It’s definitely helped us for the better. Especially because we’re very customer committed in terms of wanting to do what we can for our customers. Partnering with ORBCOMM has allowed us to do that with our temperature tracking and asset tracking more reliably and also pretty costeffectively. It’s not making it difficult for us to do which is great.” Because costs aren’t preventative ORBCOMM’s asset tracking solutions are set to be installed in every one of the ten depots Booth Transport has throughout Australia “That’s probably one of the key factors and why we’re so gung-ho about getting it all done across our fleet,” Deanna says. ORBCOMM’s telematics solution also provides Booth Transport with the unique ability to see precise data to schedule asset maintenance, inspections and time elapsed for increased utilisation and performance. In addition to simplifying the tracking and monitoring of multiple asset classes through one comprehensive view, the ORBCOMM platform creates an intelligent logistics environment that has also helped Booth Transport grow its customer portfolio and retain business in the highly competitive dairy and bulk 44

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liquids sector. “It gives us a leg up in the game because we can now provide this vital information with up-to-date reports on the product while it is in transit. The customer might not necessarily think they need to have the functionality of accessing this information but it’s something they end up wanting,” she says. “Technology is evolving and we’re trying to move with it and that means if we can be on top of it all we can provide the best service for our customers.” Should they see any deviations in the temperatures they are monitoring, Booth Transport can use the ORBCOMM software to investigate the factors that are the likely cause including prior events, changes in the environment and how it was loaded. “The great thing this solution does is provide us with the knowledge of an exact temperature measurement from the moment a tanker is loaded,” Deanna says. “You can also work out issues with equipment just from that failure which is great. It helps us as much as it helps the customers.” Customers are supplied with all of this information in reports so they, in turn, have full disclosure regarding the condition of their product the entire time it is in transit. “That way everyone has greater

visibility,” Deanna adds. “It increases trust.” Deanna makes mention it wasn’t that long ago that customers had an estimated time of when they could expect a truck to deliver their product. “If you think back 20 odd years ago a truck would leave a depot with a trailer and they wouldn’t see it again until it completed the round trip or arrived at the next depot. Now I can watch it basically travel from the depot for the entire trip.” Deanna, whose two sisters and four cousins are also working at the company, has discovered she has a real passion for operations in the IT department. It’s also worth noting that advances in technology are increasingly prevalent in road transport and in her case have brought her back to an industry which is itself looking to attract more female professionals. “In IT and technology there’s so much new innovation going on it’s an exciting space to be in. Being able to build our own apps and provide that kind of information to customers through portals gives us a sense of pride. I never thought I’d be doing stuff like this in a million years but I have a real passion for it now which is great.” She jokes, “That IT applications class I did in year 12 really paid off.”

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TRUCK & TECH

SAFETY IN

NUMB Going paperless can help a workforce stay compliant and also safe.

t’s not common knowledge that nearly one third of all workplace fatalities in New South Wales are the result of road crashes. For transport operators, ensuring the safety of a workforce can be challenging at best. Following Australia’s first industrial manslaughter convictions last year, vehicles are now legally considered a part of the workplace. This means being proactive in mitigating risks for staff, or risk serious fines and even jail time. Teletrac Navman’s Chief Product Officer, Andrew Rossington has some suggestions to assist decision-makers in keeping out of legal trouble while keeping the people under their care safe. Automated vehicle maintenance according to Andrew is a must. “Maintaining your fleet via paper pretrip checklists and manual maintenance scheduling creates potential hazards if paperwork is misplaced,” he says. “New issues that arise may not be captured or flagged with other staff, opening yourself up for serious trouble.” With integrated fleet management systems, drivers can electronically complete pre-start checklists and the

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back-office team can access up-todate engine and vehicle maintenance data at any point in time. That way a comprehensive history of each asset can be pieced together in addition to having a report generated on engine and driver performance, without always needing to physically be there or having to chase up previous paperwork.

drivers safe while they’re out on the road is creating a road safety policy that’s regularly updated and available to everyone. Ensuring that the technology used within the business is added into and updated constantly in the business’s policy is an important, yet often overlooked, step says Andrew. “Physical policy documents can be

“Maintaining your fleet via paper pre-trip checklists and manual maintenance scheduling creates potential hazards if paperwork is misplaced. New issues that arise may not be captured or flagged with other staff, opening yourself up for serious trouble.” Andrew Rossington Chief Product Officer, Teletrac Navman

“With digital pre-start checklists, drivers can notify maintenance staff of potential issues,” says Andrew. “The workshop team can order parts and schedule proactive repairs instantly, even if the driver is on the road, to be repaired upon return.” Another key area of focus should be road safety policies. Part of keeping

easily misplaced and need to be updated manually, making it tricky for everyone across the fleet to access the required and correct paperwork,” he explains. “Switching over to in-cabin devices means that drivers, contractors, and operators provides a simple yet powerful mechanism to view or access the road safety policy electronically

ERS and be alerted to new or changed documents in real-time.” But policies are, as is often the case, only as good as how well they are practiced. “Encourage your team to keep up to date, voice any confusion and seek advice,” says Andrew. “Keeping these practices in conversation ensures they are always top of mind and it also helps to mitigate risk.” While advanced solutions greatly reduce the risk of incidents, Andrew believes the time taken to talk with each employee and understand any

concerns they may have around driver safety is always beneficial. As some drivers may be more prone to dangerous habits, a fleet-wide policy should be paired with individual reviews of driver behaviours. By integrating telematics into the fleet, driver data can be used to create a safer workplace. Should several members have issues with safe driving practices such as speeding, custom driver training programs can be introduced that are tailored to their needs. “AI-enabled technology is revolutionising how we view fleet

management, from the back office to the truck cabin, all while elevating driver safety and boosting efficiency,” says Andrew. “With vehicle cabins now legally considered part of the workplace, transport operators need to do everything in their power to keep staff safe, or risk serious legal consequences that now include jail time. By digitising your maintenance checklists, creating a road safety policy and using driver scorecards, you’ll be on the right path to mitigate potential risks and ensure the safety of your fleet.”

Workshop teams can order parts and schedule proactive repairs instantly following pre-start checklists.

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INDUSTRY

GOOD Understanding obligations across inspections, maintenance standards and defect management is a key means of bridging gaps in the task of compliance.

eriodic transitional phases are not uncommon in industry. In commercial road transport these shifts within the sector are often essential to keeping it viable and functional. A seismic shift occurred in 2018 when the primary safety duty on all parties under chain of responsibility legislation was applied at once to trucking businesses, the consignor or consignees. As it now imposes due diligence obligation on company directors and executives, the legislation has evolved

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past the point of penalising truck drivers for driving with undue care. As one of the most dangerous industries in Australia the necessity to weed out lax or negligent practices as it pertained to compliance have been viewed as a must to enforce regulations and improve safety. This has resulted in an industry wide onus on parties in the supply chain being responsible for proactively managing the risks associated with their transport activities. Fines of up to $3 million dollars for businesses who fail to do so, have made it imperative that all parties involved in the COR identify and manage risks rather than reacting when there is a

possible breach of law. COR is now the legal foundation upon which supply chain safety is maintained and strengthened including vehicle maintenance, repair and fatigue management. While failures in the area of compliance might be minor, more often than not the penalties are not. In the worst case scenarios, where breaches are not only common but flagrant, it can deeply impact the wider community and is sadly, the stuff of national headlines. Indeed, no amount of image rehabilitation for companies and industry will suffice for compliance failures when collective professionalism is treated as the exception rather than the rule.

TO GO Widespread industry consultation by the likes of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and SafeWork is helping to identify the highest priority risks and assisting with responses to the issues. Safety Around Your Vehicle Compliance Project is one recent undertaking in which SafeWork inspectors are speaking to operators on the requirement to have safe systems of work in place when carrying out activities around heavy vehicles. It goes without saying that operators who effectively maintain their vehicles are less likely to be involved in an incident. This is now supported unequivocally by critical road crash data shared earlier this year in a report by insurer NTI and the NHVR. The report studied the relationship between vehicle standards and safety performance. In finding clear links in two categories the report noted that the frequency for poorly maintained wheel and tyre defects increased by 32

per cent and was 26 per cent higher in cost claims for commercial road transport businesses. Poorly maintained couplings accounted for a 29 per cent increase in frequency. While the report was careful not to suggest causation between crashes and defects it did confirm a distinct correlation between operators involved in a greater number of claims with trucks in which couplings, wheels and tyres were not well maintained. Although the task to monitor and stay on top of all areas that can affect commercial road compliance can appear daunting it needn’t be. Companies that specialise in fleet management software have developed new product offerings that promise solutions to the challenge inherent in actioning everyone across the chain of responsibility in real-time. Having consulted with former members of the NHVR to better understand the expectations of inspectors, SG Fleet developed Inspect365 as a tool that

mitigates risks for fleets via an entirely digital process so that a record is lodged and kept for access should it be required later on. Anyone using Inspect365 can log a defect the moment it is recognised. At that point, an electronic record identifies the issue and the workshop manager, for example, is then able to access the record from the time it was logged. This real-time visibility is particularly practical for drivers who, in the event they encounter an issue with the vehicle, can immediately pull over and make note of a fault by entering it into the system. NHVR Director Vehicle Safety and Performance, Peter Austin has acknowledged the importance of regular and effective maintenance regimes across the heavy vehicle fleet. “Well maintained vehicles operating on our road network are essential to the safety of all road users,” he says. “The NHVR has a long-standing commitment to evidence-based enforcement, which

Well maintained vehicles operating on the road network are essential to the safety of all road users. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

INDUSTRY

is why we take a national, risk-based approach to checking whether heavy vehicles in the fleet are maintained. “If we see a history of non-compliance, we intervene early and investigate further to prevent a potential accident from occurring.” By adopting agreed standards to ensure quality and consistency, operators not only remain fully compliant with safety and regulatory standards but ensure their partners can reduce costs and turnaround times. This means check lists and critical maintenance must be adhered to, tested and re-certified. The ability to start a job straight away reduces time off road by days and sometimes weeks. Before a heavy vehicle driver embarks on a journey, Inspect365 will take the driver through a sequence of checks and the faults are then logged and registered so they are prioritised. While compliance seems to be steadily increasing during national operations conducted by the NHVR, breaches of mechanical safety are going to be present given the average age of the national fleet is now closing in on 15 years. Having a documented outcome for work performed by a qualified repairer therefor remains crucial so that sign-off can be validated. This way drivers who are asked to take equipment out that might not be

Check lists and critical maintenance must be adhered to, tested and re-certified. 50

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Inspect365 can help action everyone across the supply chain in real time.

safe can be immediately identified. As a result everyone understands their part in the process in accordance to where and how accurately it has been reported. In short, by formalising such a process, reports become a trail of proof as to whether a driver knows if a vehicle is not safe to take out and alerts a workshop manager that a service is required. As a fleet management tool, Inspect365 automates the manual process of daily checking and fault reporting. This way, everyone in the decision-making chain

from management, the workshop and inside the cabin of the truck, is kept in the loop. Under COR the freedom to prosecute all the way up the top of the decisionmaking tree might mean exposure for those who aren’t yet aware of where their organisation is vulnerable. Having line management correctly understand their roles and responsibilities is part of the challenge. Implementing the policies to ensure they are looking after mobile assets and the safety and welfare of their team is the other. The right fleet management technology can provide total visibility when it comes to the suitability of commercial vehicles based on each individual requirement. Standardising inspections across maintenance and repair, especially as it pertains to faults and scheduled servicing, also empowers the personnel in place to meet the obligations of the business. “In a post-COVID-19 world, fleet managers can add sanitisation to the checklist for commercial vehicles using our Inspect365 system,” says Andy Mulcaster, Managing Director of SG Fleet. “Everyone from the truck driver to the fleet manager will have confidence knowing that everything has been done to ensure the safety of the workforce and that the vehicle has been properly disinfected for each new driver.”

TEST DRIVE

POCKET

ROCKET Scania’s latest engine targets the upper levels of the Medium Duty market.

cania has a strong reputation for building ‘big’ engines including the 16-litre V8 which is currently available in Australia rated up to 730hp, with an even higher rating on the horizon for later in 2021. In addition to the V8, Scania’s six- and five-cylinder

Scania P 280 7-litre is put through its paces. 52

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offerings provide a comprehensive range of engines suitable for heavy duty applications. With an obvious intention to provide trucks with the appropriate specifications for the upper levels of the Medium Duty sector traditionally

dominated by Japanese brands in this country, Scania has set about developing a suitable engine for the maximum of 26 tonne GVW category. Logic would have operators using Scania Heavy Duty models with their big loads being suitable potential targets for trucks

from the same brand to handle their requirements such as urban and even regional distribution activities. Scania’s solution involves the availability of a new 7.0-litre (actually 6.7-litres) six cylinder engine in a P cab configuration. Our test model has 280hp at 1,900rpm although the 7.0-litre is also available in ratings of 220hp and 250hp. The engine has been developed in conjunction with Cummins which has been a partner in engine development with Scania for some time. Cummins is mainly responsible for the ‘long’ engine while the monitoring and control systems have been developed by Scania as well as components such as manifolds and the turbocharger, which is an uncomplicated fixed geometry unit. The result is a quiet running, fuel efficient and well performing engine seamlessly integrated into the Scania trucks’ mechanical and electronic architecture which includes the Scania Opticruise automated transmission. Scania’s version of the engine has avoided the need for Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and the perceived problems which accompany that particular emissions technology. The 7.0-litre uses Supplementary Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) as exhaust after-treatments to meet the Euro VI emission standards. The 7.0 litre has now been available in Australia for more than a year and only recently has the truck trade media had the opportunity to experience an extended drive. The route selected contains the infamous Mt Ousley section of highway between Sydney and Wollongong which provides excellent tests for engine power and the truck’s braking abilities. The truck provided for the road test is a Scania P280 6x2 fitted with a 14-pallet curtainside body from Austruck and loaded to a gross weight of 19.2 tonnes according to the on-board weighing system, with 5.6 tonnes on the steer axle. The 7.0-litre engine weighs 360kgs less than the larger 9.0-litre five cylinder Scania engine which adds to the payload capacity.

The reduction in weight also makes its own contribution to fuel efficiency. The Opticruise transmission in this truck has 12 speeds plus two crawler settings which operate in forward and reverse and make manoeuvring easy and reduce the component wear on the automated clutch. The driver has the choice of Economy, Standard and Power modes for the transmission operation. The rear axle ratio of 3.07:1 translates to 100 km/h at around 1600 rpm in top gear. Holding down the column mounted

Series which provides a very low engine tunnel and also permits the inclusion of similar storage compartments to the larger G Series cabs. A refrigerator and lidded storage compartments are located behind the seats and other functional features include a fold out desk fitted above the glovebox. The full air suspension system provides the truck with a smooth and well-damped ride with none of the pitch and yaw that can sometimes be associated with airbagged front axles. The airbag control for

The on board weighing system verifies a gross vehicle weight of 19.2 tonnes.

transmission control stalk will select the Opticruise’s ‘automatic manoeuvring’ mode which isn’t a crawler gear as such, but feathers the clutch to produce a very smooth operation in circumstances such as backing up to a loading dock. The maximum torque of 1,200Nm from the 280hp rating is delivered between 1,050 and 1,600 rpm and the Opticruise makes good use of it in urban situations and also on the punishing climb back up Mt Ousley. The wide torque spread contributes to the truck’s excellent driveability and under load there is no temptation to interfere with the operation of the transmission, other than sampling the three modes. The interior of the Scania P Series low roof day cab has an impression of spaciousness due in part to the use of the floor from the G

the rear suspension has three memory settings therefore enabling the operator to adjust the truck height to suit specific, frequently used, loading docks. The front airbags can lift the truck up to 100mm above normal ride height which can be a benefit when negotiating obstacles such as deep spoon drains. The suspension system is configured to return to the normal ride height automatically once the vehicle reaches 20 km/h. Both driver and passenger are treated with air suspended seats with integrated seat belts. The steering wheel and column have an extensive range of tilt and reach adjustments. This test drive takes place on a day when the East Coast is being lashed by very heavy rain, yet the wipers, demisters, heated mirrors and cab air conditioning combine to provide a p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

TEST DRIVE

The 7-litre engine has been seamlessly integrated into the Scania trucks’ mechanical and electronic architecture.

comfortable and, very importantly, a safe working environment. Scania’s level of active and passive safety features is second to none and this is the only truck in the Medium Duty sector which is equipped with standard side curtain airbags on both sides of the cab in addition to the driver’s airbag located in the centre of the steering wheel. It shares in common with other trucks in the current Scania range Lane Departure Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking that provides visual and audible warnings of imminent crash situations in which the braking system is autonomously activated if the driver doesn’t respond to the warnings. This P Series is equipped with Scania’s 360-degree aerial view camera system which uses input from four cameras and some cunning software to deliver a drone-like overhead view of the truck and its surrounds displayed on the dashmounted tablet screen. When reverse gear is engaged the rear-mounted camera’s display is augmented by guidelines on the screen and another camera aimed 54

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Scania’s level of active and passive safety features is second to none and this is the only truck in the Medium Duty sector which is equipped with standard side curtain airbags on both sides of the cab in addition to the driver’s airbag located in the centre of the steering wheel. down the kerbside is activated by the turn signal lever and minimises blind spots especially when merging or turning left. The rules of physics determine that smaller engines will have a reduced ability to provide engine braking compared with larger capacity engines. The two-stage exhaust brake is still reasonably effective and the Opticruise transmission automatically downshifts to maximise the level of available engine braking. A small slide switch on the transmission/exhaust brake lever selects the Scania’s brake blending function which in turn activates the exhaust brake when light pressure is applied to the

brake pedal and progressively engages the four wheel disc brakes as additional pressure is applied. The ergonomics and driveability of the Scania range are well known and the 7.0-litre engine now expands Scania’s range into market segments overwhelmingly inhabited by Japanese trucks. In addition to its extensive suite of safety benefits and driver conveniences, the Scania P Series with the 7.0 litre engine retains Scania’s heavy-duty engineering and driveline features, which are optimised for lighter duty functions such as urban and regional distribution as well as infrastructure and maintenance applications.

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REAL DEAL Velocity Vehicle Group is one of North America’s largest Daimler Trucks dealership networks with more than 50 dealer locations. It’s local mission is to bring Speed, Value and Trust for all of its Australian customers.

t was major news late last year when word spread that Velocity Vehicle Group was planning to take over all 15 Daimler Truck and Bus dealerships formerly operated by the Eagers Automotive Group. With the deal formerly completed in May, Prime Mover sat down with Velocity’s Executive Vice President Richard Higgins and Senior Vice President Dan Stevens to discuss how such a major investment will help it deliver world-class service to the Australian truck market. PM: Was it an approach from Australia or an approach from Daimler Trucks North America for this relationship to develop or did the circumstances all just come together anyway? DS: The short version is I was a truck dealer in the States and Velocity Vehicle Group Co-President Brad Fauvre and I served together for many years on the Dealer Council and as chairmen at different times. I sold out my interest in the business which was the Lone Star Truck Group and Tag Truck Centres which were Freightliner and Western Star dealerships. I knew Greg Lovrich at Daimler Truck and Bus in Melbourne because he would bring Australian dealers over to the States and we would tour facilities, so Greg asked me to come to Australia in a consultancy role which I did in 2019 and 2020 until COVID ran us out. It looked like the truck part of the Eagers business wasn’t the most attractive to them and so we talked with Brad Fauvre and one thing led to another. 56

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Richard Higgins and Dan Stevens at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show.

PM: Is the overall plan as straightforward as replicating the US business model in Australia? RH: The challenge for us is to look at what works well in the US, what works well in Australia and figuring out the right combination. It’s by no means a case of simply employing everything as they do in the US. In my experience with Velocity, they are relentlessly focused on the customer experience, and are very transparent internally about performance against the sort of metrics customers care about. The business we bought (Eagers’ truck and bus dealerships) is not a bad business

and there’s lots of good stuff there along with lots of great people. We’ve got a different brand portfolio here, the geography’s a bit different, and so is the customer base. So there are lots of things we need to work through before we make any radical changes. PM: How important is the relationship between OEM and dealer? DS: Ten or 12 years ago in the US we got the Freightliner Cascadia and we got a jump in market share, not unlike the Mercedes-Benz product out here. We had a better product which meant we sold more trucks. But some customers

came to us and said: “hey we’ve got more tucks on the road and now we’re having trouble getting them serviced. It takes too long to get in, the truck is there too long, and your people sometimes forget to call back. You’ve got to do a better job or we can’t keep adding trucks.” Those complaints went to DTNA and the dealers and we realised we had to do something. That’s where this whole Elite support initiative got launched. It started this long journey of trying to improve processes first between DTNA and us, and we ironed out a lot of those differences. The benefit of that is it automatically flows through to the customer. We had the situation where we couldn’t get weekend technical support because they work Monday to Friday 8 to 5 and we work seven days a week. We’d have arguments about what’s warrantable and what’s not. We quickly got technical support over weekends and expanded parts distribution centres. We got to call warranty decisions on the spot and then settle later so we don’t inconvenience the customer. It was a whole series of things like that and over the following ten years we improved the customers’ experience a lot. PM: In the US we’ve seen a satellite workshop run by dealer within fleet customer’s own premises. Is that unique or typical? DS: It’s actually becoming more typical all the time. We have technicians domiciled in customers’ premises where they are doing all of the warranty work and services. We do some of that here in Australia already and it would be a goal to expand that. Having said that, as in North America, technicians don’t grow on trees. I actually think your apprentice program here is superior to anything we have in America. You have a very structured apprentice program, you can show the people a path forward, and you have subsidies to help. In the US we really don’t have that and kids are pretty much on their own. A dealer may come up with a plan on his own but there’s not a real apprentice structure. When I

walk through our workshops in Australia the average age of the technicians here is younger than the average age of technicians in the States and I think that bodes well for Australia. PM: How do we counter the skills shortage? RH: It’s a similar challenge here and we need to do a better job of bringing young people into apprenticeships. DS: I think we do a lousy job of letting young people know what a great industry we are to work in. They still think we’re dirty old nasty workshops and the truth is we have modern facilities where safety is the primary concern. We’re more electronic-driven which the younger people like and are really good at, but they also need to know they can make a really good living in our industry. We’ve just done a poor job in the States of attracting people. PM: Do you look for salespeople who have a good understanding of the underlying mechanics of the vehicles or do you look for someone who is more focused on selling? DS: Daimler spends literally billions of dollars on research and development and they bring out these extremely technologically advanced products. In the beginning we’d give the owner the keys and he’d put a driver in the truck, who hadn’t been properly trained in how to extract the value in the technology, and he’d come back and say this isn’t what you said it could do. It’s because the driver is driving the truck as if it was the old technology. What we learned is we have to introduce the product and there has to be a training segment that is every bit as important as the sales process. It’s the familiarisation and orientation process – this is how this machine works, this is how you attract the best fuel economy, this is how you prevent downtime. It’s a process and it takes a lot of planning. I think we’ve got a lot of that to do here because the Cascadia in particular is still pretty fresh. The Mercedes-Benz has all

Dan Stevens, Velocity Vehicle Group Senior Vice President.

that sophistication too, so we’re a little bit ahead of it. PM: Is it a case of the market expecting a high level of technology in a Mercedes-Benz but maybe they don’t expect as much from American style trucks? DS: The Cascadia is an extremely sophisticated piece of equipment and there will certainly be an early effort to ensure that level of training is available. PM: In the US Velocity is essentially exclusive to the Daimler brands. Will it be the same here? DS: We are absolutely Daimler-only here and it’s our total intention to be Daimler- only. RH: We have a slightly different truck mix in Australia because they don’t sell Mercedes-Benz in the US. DS: We don’t sell cab overs. We haven’t sold a cab over in the States since 1982. RH: And they don’t do nearly as much with Fuso in the US, but they do have Western Star which is the other Daimler brand. So it’s a bit of a different mix. PM: Without pre-empting your business plan, does it stop at Eagers? RH: Right now we’ve got our hands full and we’ve got a lot to deal with. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

PRIME MOVERS & SHAKERS

Mathew Benseman.

YOUNG

BLOOD The industry needs more young drivers like Mat Benseman, a young gun driver with a vision.

sk most fleet managers what their biggest challenge is and the almost universal answer is the scarcity of good drivers. The industry suffers from having an ageing workforce and the lack of qualified heavy vehicle operators will require a number of initiatives in terms of addressing the early steps in the career paths of people interested in becoming drivers. Since 2015, the NSW-based Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) has been encouraging young professional truck drivers through the 58

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Young Driver of the Year award, which is being supported by the state government agency SafeWork NSW, with the underlying purpose to attract and retain new drivers to the livestock and bulk transport industries. The winner of the 2021 Young Driver Award is 33 years old Mathew Benseman who lives in the Tamworth suburb of Westdale. Originally from New Zealand, Mat came to Australia on a working holiday and was attracted to the agricultural sector. “I started out working on a farm and doing a bit of casual truck driving, and

eventually I thought I’d give it a go full time,” he says. Mat was initially driving for Stockmaster and in 2018 he commenced working for Maloney Livestock Transport, a Tamworth outfit who moves sheep and cattle around various areas of Australia. “I didn’t know what to expect when I started carting livestock but I enjoy going to work with my dogs and I enjoy carting sheep,” says Mat. “You get to take a bit of responsibility in running your own show and being on the road, meeting new people and going new places. From the cab of a truck it’s a

pretty good way to see Australia.” Mat owes a great deal to Mick and Carolyn Maloney for whom he says have both contributed a large amount of their own personal effort and trust to get him where he is today, including the handing over of a brand new Kenworth late in 2020. “Maloney’s is a really good company to work for,” says Mat. “They encourage young drivers and don’t mind teaching you things. They have experienced drivers there who are happy to give us advice and help when necessary.” Mathew is well-respected for understanding the value of maintaining safety standards relating to the wellbeing of stock he is carrying. Director of Maloney Livestock Transport ,Mick Maloney says Mathew has a good habit of looking at the big picture. “He is an excellent employee with a no fuss approach to his work,” he says. The LBRCA/SafeWork Young Driver of the Year award includes a $5,000 study tour and Mat has been selected to visit New Zealand in August this year where he will tour the Waikato region to view their innovative stock truck effluent roadside disposal program as well as visiting a processing plant and a saleyard. Mat had hoped to visit the United States but at least the AustraliaNew Zealand travel bubble will permit him to revisit his country of origin and to view its livestock transport industry from a different perspective. Mat acknowledges there are certain barriers for young people wanting to enter the industry. “It can be difficult to get a start because everyone wants someone with experience,” he says. He also feels that the level of red tape in relation to compliance can be daunting for the uninitiated, especially in relation to logbooks. “I know they have to enforce it, but there’s not too many jobs in the world where you get fined for minor clerical errors,” he says, “A bit more flexibility would help where it’s a genuine mistake and not intended to cheat the system.” The LBRCA has developed a cadetship

initiative aimed at attracting and retaining young people in the heavy vehicle industry. President Paul Pulver says the drift of young people to the cities has a negative effect not just on the pool of available transport workers, but also on the wider communities. “Something like TAFE isn’t going to teach them what they need to know,” says Paul. “We need people who are job ready and the only way we can achieve that is to lower the age to 18 to obtain a B-double licence.” This seemingly radical proposal includes a number of restrictions including mandating the latest in truck safety technology such as driver facial monitoring and electronic braking systems. The licence would only be valid for the specific employer and employee combination and would only

be applicable to operations in the rural space and not for general freight. It would involve a minimum of 200 hours for the driver-applicant accompanied by an experienced driver before they can be granted a licence for single trailer operations. After a period and another 100 hours of accompanied supervision they would be able to apply for a B-double licence under the proposed cadetship. At 33 years of age Mat has much to look forward to, including his wedding early in 2022, and he hopes to one day own a prime mover himself — towing someone else’s trailers he’s quick to add. The LBRCA/SafeWork NSW award means a lot to Mat. “It was an honour to be nominated and I’m thrilled to be recognised,” says Matt with his typical modesty.

Mick Maloney, Maloney Livestock Transport with Mat. p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

INSURANCE, REPAIRS & WORKSHOPS ADVERTISE IN OUR SEPTEMBER 2021 PRODUCT SHOWCASE FEATURING FUTURE FUELS REPORT. Roadside inspections not only identify unsafe BOOKING DEADLINE carriers but can have ramifications up and down the supply chain, impacting senior management, insurance premiums, customers and reputations. It’s critically important to have a contingency plan in place on how to handle damage-related downtime. Every day a truck is not on the road, it costs a business money. For fleet management to improve its culture of safety it must have a dependable repairer and be able to centralise its maintenance and safety management for its insurers. More than ever it’s vital to have complete records of driver coaching, maintenance both performed and scheduled, and claims made to expedite insurance renewals. It’s no coincidence a strong workshop culture incorporating practical and theoretical heavy vehicle safety and management is increasingly being associated with best practice risk-management. If your business is contributing to safety culture through insurance, repairs or workshops our September edition is the platform for you.

23 JULY 2021

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Innovation Fleet: STG Global Feature: Palm Trans Test Drive: Scania P 280 Delivery: RAM 1500

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 61-69.

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TO BOOK IN PRIME MOVER CONTACT ASHLEY BLACHFORD NOW ASHLEY.BLACHFORD@PRIMECREATIVE.COM.AU | 0425 699 819

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

www.deliverymagazine.com.au ISSUE 99 JULY 2021

RAM 1500

THE RIGHT

STUFF PLUS: EC11 | FORD F-150 LIGHTNING

JULY

CONTENTS

Welcome to Delivery…

66 DELIVERY NEWS

LATEST FROM THE INDUSTRY

ON SITE

THE RIGHT STUFF

New design modifications supported by a rigorous testing regime credential the latest DT models of the RAM 1500 series as much more than a luxury item in Australia’s burgeoning full-size pickup truck segment.

FUTURE TENSE

PICK UP ARTIST

Ford has revealed its 2022 all-electric F-150 pick up. Using the ‘all new’ 2021 model F-150 as a base, the 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro is purpose-built for commercial customers and joins the E-Transit van in the growing line up of Ford work-ready electric vehicles.

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Rapid changes in consumer behaviour frequently precipitated by government responses to environmental conditions and further accelerated by digitisation has led to a booming logistics sector, with industry revenues for parcel delivery at all time highs. Penetration in the US and China has reached 10 per cent. Meanwhile in India, where overall e-commerce shipments have grown from 817 shipments in 2018 to 1.364 million last year, is expected to hit the same mark by 2024. The revolution of traditional commerce continues to impact the way last mile delivery specialists cope with demand as they secure warehouse and distribution space to house their inventory as close as possible to their customer base. For many last mile specialists the task of dispatching packages now goes well beyond a courier network. Market trends are increasingly making it necessary for companies to provide both consumers and merchants a complete last mile delivery solution such as home delivery, parcel locker delivery, label-free returns, and flexibility to change destination during the delivery. To cope with e-commerce sales growth of 92 per cent in July-December 2020, Woolworths has announced plans to build its first automated Customer Fulfilment Centre in Auburn, New South Wales. With e-commerce sales now accounting for around 8.0 per cent of total sales, Woolworths’ personal shoppers pick and dispatch up to 50,000 home deliveries a week just in Western Sydney alone. A new report from last mile logistics provider Bringg, in which 200 logistics leaders across companies ranging in size from 200 to 50,000 employees in eight countries in North America and Western Europe, saw 64 per cent of respondents confirm they were in the process of planning new premium services and service plans to increase business. According to the report nearly 54 per cent of logistics providers were at present focused on adding automation and 41 per cent have already done so. The report also found approaches to sustainability differed based on resources and company size. Larger logistics firms are looking for electric vehicles to play a key role, while those with 500 people or fewer were more likely to incentivise customers to pick a sustainable shipping option. As governments persist with a zero-tolerance coronavirus strategy in Australia, e-commerce and last mile delivery have evinced under these difficult operating conditions a resilience coveted by many other industries.

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BRISBANE COMPANY UNVEILS NEW ELECTRIC VAN Transport startup EV Automotive has launched the EC11 electric van range. To complement the burgeoning last mile delivery sector, the Brisbane-based company announced it would enter the commercial fleet space as an EV van supplier at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. In partnership with Skywell Industries, a predominantly Electric Bus manufacturer, they have created products to enhance the Australian and New Zealand logistics industry and meet growing corporate sustainability initiatives. With full volume ADR certification and compliance now approved, the EC11 E-CARGO is explicitly designed as an off the shelf solution. As it features 12.3 cubic metres of cargo space and a 1.7 tonne payload, the van is suitable for the largest of loads. The ECARGO is joined in the lineup by the E-CREW minibus. With a 12-seat capacity, its particularly suited for ondemand operators such as pubs, clubs, NDIS providers, aged care and shuttle transfer industries. Equipped with a 73.6 kWh battery, CCS Type 2 DC charging and a 22kw

EC11 ECARGO.

capacity AC onboard charger, the EC11 boasts a range of between 200-300km, contingent upon onboard load, giving it sufficient route coverage for daily use especially for companies that perform last mile deliveries within a fixed and limited radius. EV Automotive claims the EC11 possesses 70kW of power with 350Nm of torque that develops into 100kW and 750Nm, nearly twice the output of a comparably sized diesel competitor. “Over the past few years, there has been significant growth in the e-commerce industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has further escalated it, causing significant shifts in consumer buying behaviours and establishing online shopping as

another new normal for all of us,” said Peter Benardos, EV Automotive General Manager Sales. “As convenience, delivery speed, and efficiency continue to define customer experience, businesses researching the suitability of Electric Vehicles’ to carry out last mile operations has also increased. With convenience taking centre stage, so does the demand for fast, efficient, and consistent last mile operations. EVs are ideally suited to the task. They are eco-friendly and offer significant cost-saving benefits to the logistic industry,” he said. “The logistics industry relies heavily on transportation, which translates into excessive fuel consumption throughout the whole supply chain journey. Using EVs to carry out last-mile deliveries, supply chain enterprises can instantly reduce their fuel consumption significantly. “EV’s also have fewer moving parts and consumables when compared to regular vehicles. Components such as spark plugs, oil filters, gaskets, fuel pumps, injectors and engine oil are items just not found on an EV.”

QUANTRON AG PRESENTS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ALL-ROUNDER Q-ELION E-mobility specialist Quantron AG has launched an all-electric all-rounder. Known as Q-ELION it will be available in two variants as an equipment carrier (M series) and as a van (T-series). Both are registered as class N1, the European Union’s light commercial vehicle classification, having a maximum permissible gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes. The Q-ELION from Quantron targets modern municipalities and transport services that rely on environmentally friendly and effective operation. The emission-reducing Q-ELION is characterised by the installation of high-quality, partially maintenancefree components. Operating costs are significantly lower compared with a diesel vehicle in the same class. Both 64

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series of the Q-ELION can be utilised flexibly thanks to a wide range of attachments and can also negotiate narrow alleys and sidewalks thanks to their compact size of just 1.60 metres in width. The T-series of the Q-ELION is ideal for use in municipalities, delivery services or garden centres. With its compact design and a high payload of up to 1.4 tonnes it is well suited also to in-house transport operations and logistics hubs. Quantron claims the vehicle has a range of up to 205 kilometres and a top speed of 65 km/h, which means that city highways can also be used to shorten journey times. The M-series of the Q-ELION is also designed for extensive use in a wide range of work areas, such as building

yards or municipal service providers. With a top speed of 65 km/h, it offers individual equipment options such as being fitted with a watering arm and water tank or a mower for green maintenance. The maneuverable equipment carrier is also suitable for cleaning work or road maintenance. “With MUP technologies, we have a valuable partner for electric commercial vehicles and implement carriers at our side,” said Christoph Wede Head of Sales BU Truck & Bus EMEA at Quantron AG. “The all-electric Q-ELION is not only pleasantly quiet on the road, but also sends an important signal for a more environmentally conscious future thanks to its emission-free drive.”

AUSPOST PREPARES FOR ONLINE WINTER E-COMMERCE FRENZY Online shopping is expected to hit record levels for Australia Post over the following months. With more than 1.1 million consumers buying online each month compared to just two years ago, Australian e-commerce continues to surge as one in two households are now shopping online each month in 2021. As life slowly returns to normal and with physical retail almost back to pre-COVID levels, online shopping participation rates

remain steady, with a similar number of households buying online regularly now as there were at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown last year according to Ben Franzi Australia Post General Manager Parcel and Express Services. “e-commerce growth for the 12-months to the end of March topped 56 per cent, and throughout the month over 5.1 million households bought online – a significant increase from the pre-pandemic level,”

he said. “At the same time, our people continue to work incredibly hard to deliver unprecedented volumes of parcels for the community, including the more than 2000 posties who have moved into vans.” Australian e-commerce online sales initiative Click Frenzy was anticipated to drive up demand with its latest of six scheduled events for the year having launched in May.

VICTORIAN POLICE FORCE ADDS 200 FORD RANGER VANS Victoria Police has renewed its divisional fleet by confirming the first of an annual delivery of Ford Ranger vans. Plans to have 200 vehicles supplied each year as part of its divisional van fleet renewal program will see Victoria Police continue its six decade association with Ford Australia for the supply of emergency vehicles. Ford Australia’s growing Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) team were enlisted to design and develop the new fleet of divisional vans having worked with several large fleet businesses to tailor Ford vehicles to suit operational needs from telecommunications to forestry and other emergency services around Australia. “Our 2,500-strong team of designers, engineers and auto specialists have the expertise to not only lead the development of global vehicles like Ranger, but also tailor them to meet the unique requirements of organisations like Victoria Police,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand. The initial order of 200 vehicles in 2021 consists of general duties divisional vans, with the majority of units based on the Ford Ranger XLT Super Cab. Ford Ranger XLT Super Cab combines impressive ride height (237 mm of ground clearance) for improved visibility, as well as key safety features, including Pre-Collision Assist – AEB with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Keeping Aid, and six airbags.

Victoria Police Ford Ranger.

This combination provides Victoria Police with a stable and safe vehicle with which to patrol Victorian streets. The Ford Ranger XLT Dual Cab will also be utilised as a Divisional Van with a modified prisoner transfer capsule for some areas of the state. The rear prisoner transfer capsule is a pre-existing self-contained and secure two-person transport module which features both air-conditioning and a video camera, allowing Victoria Police officers to record and monitor persons in custody, as well as transport them safely and comfortably. With a shelf life of more than ten years, Ford SVE collaborated with Centaur to redesign the capsule to match the lines of the Ford Ranger, showcasing the design capability and expertise of Ford Australia. The Ford SVE team also conducted climate testing to verify the effectiveness of the capsule’s auxiliary air-conditioning

system. Extensive electrical work, what’s more, was carried out by Ford SVE, to provide optimal connectivity for Victoria Police’s operational equipment mounted where the rear seats of the Ford XLT would typically be. Once the design work was complete, Ford SVE subjected the new divisional vans to physical testing at its You Yangs Proving Ground near Geelong to ensure it was fit for purpose, including both brake and handling tests. “Ford has a long history of working with emergency services and fleet customers,” said Simone Crankshaw, SVE Ranger and Everest Program Management Supervisor. “Our relationship with Victoria Police stretches all the way back to the 1959 Ford Mainline divisional van, and Ford Australia is honoured to have been selected by Victoria Police to supply its new fleet of divisional vans,” he said. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

ON SITE

RAM 1500 DT.

THE RIGHT STUFF New design modifications supported by a rigorous testing regime credential the latest DT models of the RAM 1500 series as much more than a luxury item in Australia’s burgeoning full-size pickup truck segment.

ince it launched in 2013, the RAM 1500 has carved out a market for American style luxury pickup trucks in Australia, which to judge by the newcomers in the segment and voracious consumer appetite, is fast approaching a tipping point. Along with the Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler nameplates, RAM now officially sits under the Stellantis North America corporate stable. AM Trucks Australia converts the vehicles to right-hand drive for the local market with over 400

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locally-sourced new parts involved in that process. The DT versions of the Laramie and Limited bring the growing 1500 range to five models including the Express Quad, Crew Cab and Warlock II. It’s worth noting that all RAM Trucks Australia vehicles are internationalspec vehicles, uniquely coded for the Australian market and the local build process. The next generation 1500 marks a culimation of detailed planning, development, remanufacturing and a global testing program that saw a test

fleet of the new RAM 1500 DTs embark on an epic multi-terrain validation trip spanning Melbourne to Broome and then onto Townville and back down to Melbourne via Alice Springs, with one of the test vehicles undertaking a maximum tow rating exercise for the duration of the 30,000km journey. Over 50,000 hours went into prebuild development with more than 80,000kms and 10,000 hours of rolling road testing. RAM Trucks Australia also invested in over 50,000km and 7,000plus hours of real-world road driving in

addition to a final 20,000km full vehicle durability test conducted at Anglesea Proving Ground in Victoria. Boasting an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.357, the RAM 1500 benefits from a design optimised around effectuating reductions in resistance and features active aerodynamics such as grille shutters and active air dams, Active-Level Four Corner air suspension, including the option of retractable sidesteps on Laramie editions. DT Laramie and Limited models come with an eTorque ‘mild’ hybrid system utlising an electric motor in conjunction with the petrol engine. This system combines a belt-drive motor generator unit with a 48-volt battery pack to enable start/stop function, short-term torque assist, and brake energy regeneration. Power and torque outputs are 291kW @ 5600rpm and 556Nm at 3,950rpm respectively. Every petrol 1500 features a 5.7-litre HEMI V8 engine with fuel-saver technology featuring the MultiDisplacement System, also known as cylinder deactivation. The engine, which is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, reduces emissions in part through its three-way catalytic converters. For tradies and site bosses who are looking to upgrade on a 4x4 vehicle they may have gone to great pains to get the most out of over the last decade, the convoluted electronic architecture will prove confrontational for any DIY mechanic. RAM Trucks Australia claims the 1500 offers more than 90 safety and security features. Limited versions of the DT model come equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Pedestrian Detection, Ready Alert Braking and Trailer-sway Damping control, Lane Departure Warning, Hill-start Assist and LED SmartBeam Intelligent Headlamps. ParkSense Parallel/ Perpendicular Park, an increasingly prevalent guidance system using ultrasonic bumper sensors that can feel like an unnecessary mechanism of encroaching automation for more

accomplished drivers already in possession of sidemirrors and a reversing camera, is also available. It’s likely going to be welcomed by owners of a luxury vehicle this size when negotiating hazards offsite like the ever-shrinking domain of the suburban shopping centre carpark. There’s plenty of creature comforts to improve time spent waiting out rain interruptions and the commute to site on bitterly cold early mornings. RAM has completely redesigned the RAM 1500 crew cab. Overall cab length has been increased by 8cm making it longer and wider than its predecessor. With a 150 litres of internal storage capacity, the leather-lined cabin invites more natural light thanks to a fulllength dual-pane panoramic sunroof. A Harman Kardon audio system, with 900-watt surround sound amplifier and 10-inch subwoofer can be enjoyed in heated and ventilated leather seats. What’s more, a fourth generation Uconnect 4 system and class-exclusive, 12-inch fully configurable touchscreen with split-screen display functionality furthers the sense one gets of being fully immersed in a hitech environment. The new RAM 1500 also comes with a 360-degree Surround View Camera with bird’s-eye perspective of vehicle, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality, voice-controlled satellite navigation, multifunction USB ports and an integrated wireless charging pad. An electronic park brake is standard on the Laramie and Limited models. With a gross vehicle mass of 3,450 kg, the Ram 1500 payload capacity on the Limited edition is 700kg while the Laramie tops out at 833kg or 779kg with a

RamBox cargo management system. An optional Driver Assist package is available at additional cost. Refinement, a word not commonly associated in the pickup truck space, is apt here. Extra consideration has in equal parts been devoted to the convenience of entry and exit while the handling especially in off-road environs is assured, benefiting from a suspension that can be lowered or raised by 51mm from the standard ride height. The top of the range 1500 Laramie Crew Cab RamBox starts at $139,950 before onroad costs. Working through the large local backorder of its DS Series, RAM Trucks Australia, having withstood delays on the highly anticipated RAM DT version, as a result of a global semiconductor chip shortage, will be looking to capitalise on historic new vehicle sales that are enegising the industry. With new RAM 2500 and 3500 vehicles scheduled to arrive later in the year 2021 is poised to become a significant sales marker for the company. 360-degree Surround View Camera with bird’s-eye perspective of vehicle.

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

FUTURE TENSE

Dual electric in-board motors are located in the front and rear.

PICK UP ARTIST

Ford has revealed its 2022 all-electric F-150 pick up.

s electric vehicle technology rapidly advances, the category is no longer thought of as a collection of mostly impractical novelties, and the motoring world has certainly taken notice since Ford revealed in the USA in May 2021 its perennial top selling F-150 will be produced in all-electric form and available early to the North American markets in 2022. Using the ‘all new’ 2021 model F-150 as a base, the 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro is purpose-built for commercial customers and joins the E-Transit van in the growing line up of Ford workready electric vehicles. The F-150 Lightning Pro uses the same fully boxed high-strength steel frame and

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military-grade aluminium alloy body as the latest petrol, diesel and hybrid powered F-150 models. Independent rear suspension and a low centre of gravity help improve isolation from the road and provide a stable ride. Advanced cooling systems help ensure the truck can handle the toughest of conditions, while steel underbody shields have been added for extra protection of the battery and dual electric in-board motors are located in the front and rear. Ford charging systems simplify EV integration into North American fleets with available 48-amp and 80-amp chargers. Under the bonnet, where an internal combustion engine normally resides, is a practical waterproof and lockable

cargo compartment area complete with four United States standard 120volt AC electrical outlets and two USB ports. The truck’s predicted range is adjusted automatically according to the amount of power taken by operating items such as power tools. Ford’s Pro Power Onboard system guards against depleting the battery charge level to the point the truck cannot reach a charge location, by shutting down automatically, or can be based on a pre-determined customer setting to prevent the truck from becoming stranded. The F-150 Lightning Pro will have an affordable price starting at under USD$40,000 with a standard range lithium ion battery and dual electric motors with constant 4x4 drive

‘targeting’ 426 horsepower and 775 lb/ft of torque aimed at an EPAestimated 230 miles (370km) range. An extended-range version targeting 563 horsepower (but with similar 775 lbs/ft of torque) and an EPA-estimated range of 300 miles (482 km) will be available for under USD$50,000. The base truck will have a typical 2,000 pound (900kgs) maximum payload capacity and up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kgs) of towing capability which can be increased up to 7,700 pounds (3,500 kgs) with the optional Max Trailer Tow package Where more power, towing and range are needed. The F-150 Lightning Pro extended-range version includes an 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro, which, when combined with the included onboard dual chargers, enables affordable Level 2 overnight charging using battery-friendly AC power negating the need for expensive DC power installation. The truck’s Intelligent Range feature reduces range anxiety through an adaptive monitoring system that calculates battery range needed to complete a trip, factoring in terrain, weather, cargo and trailer load, as well as distance to destination. That data is shared with the cloud-based Ford ‘Power My Trip’ feature and the on-dash ‘SYNC 4’ 12-inch colour LCD touch screen, so customers can plan their routes and monitor charge use while driving. Should range

Ford have continued with the boxed high-strength steel frame and military-grade aluminium alloy body.

become low, the system maps the nearest available charging station from America’s largest public charging network of more than 63,000 plugs, including DC Fast Charging locations, to help ensure drivers are not left stranded. Onboard weight scales are available to monitor payload for even more accurate range calculations, while the standard intelligent vehicle ‘preconditioning’ function can manage cabin temperatures while plugged in to further optimise range. Acceleration and speed limiters come standard to further aid with range and safety. The F-150 Lightning Pro comes with a variety of standard and optional smart charging hardware accessories, while multiple available software technologies manage charging data and charge transactions for turnkey fleet operation. This includes mapping, driver status and location, and fleet expenses.

Payload on the base package tops out at 900kg.

Charging hardware starts with the 32-amp Ford Mobile Charger — a 120/240-volt AC charger that’s included with the standard-range F-150 Lightning Pro. An optional highercapacity 48-amp Ford Connected Charge Station runs on 240 volts while the available 240-volt, 80-amp Ford Charge Station Pro further speeds up charge times for maximum AC home and fleet charging. Ford is currently the only automaker to offer an 80-amp charge station as standard equipment with the extendedrange model, helping customers easily charge at home. It takes advantage of the only dual onboard charging system in the industry to cut the 15 per cent charge to 100 per cent charge time to around eight hours to enable the 300-mile range battery for reliable AC overnight charging which can dramatically reduce charging infrastructure investments and battery wear. When rapid charging is needed on the road, customers can leverage the Ford Charging Network’s 150-kilowatt Level 3 DC fast charging locations which can deliver a 15 per cent to 80 per cent charge in less than 45 minutes. Ford is initially targeting commercial customers such as fleets which have committed to achieve carbon neutrality and who are actively integrating zero emissions vehicles. There has been no indication yet from the local ‘boutique’ importers and conversion specialists on when we can expect to see a RHD version on Australian roads. d el i ver ym aga z ine . c o m . a u

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE

A local manufacturer’s lament

GERARD WALDRON

have been retired from ARRB for a few years now and so my knowledge of the heavy vehicle industry isn’t up to date, but I think I have spent my time wisely in the related field of RV manufacture, at TRACK.com.au. The insights I will share are that international competitiveness is not only based on, clever design, cost of materials and productive labour, but also relies on taxes and regulation being applied without disadvantage to local manufacturers. This article is based on a letter I sent to Victorian treasurer, Tim Pallas, some weeks before the recent budget. Subsequently, the budget has demonstrated that my letter had no influence! Nonetheless I will make the case here again, because I believe all Australian manufacturing has some issues in common with RV manufacture, that really need a policy and taxation response. COVID has given us insights into the fundamentals of internationally competitive manufacturing and as they say, ‘you should never waste a crises’. Like many businesses TRACK is enormously grateful for Job Keeper and the State Government reimbursement of Payroll Tax, which helped us through nearly three months of nil production in 2020. Competitive Taxation One of the telling insights came to us simply because of the payroll tax reimbursement. TRACK was paying

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>$1000/unit manufactured, in payroll tax!!! The second insight came as we were renegotiating our factory lease, when the landlord pointed to the significant increases in land tax and similar charges over the previous five years which would have to be recovered going forward and so our rent has increased by around $400/unit manufactured. This $1400/unit is based on production levels we hope to exceed in 2021, but in common with many other manufacturers we have supply chain constraints, despite a pleasingly full forward order book, so the net outcome will likely be incrementally lower State Government charges/unit, as we incrementally increase production. Meanwhile The recent history of the RV industry in Australia demonstrates why these taxes are so important. Firstly, around 90 per cent of Australian RV production is in Victoria, so state taxes, regulations and lockdowns impacted most Australianmade product. The RV market until 2015 was roughly 40 per cent Jayco, 40 per cent all other Australian manufacturers and 20 per cent imports including EU, UK, USA and China. In 2015 Australia signed a free trade agreement with China. By pre-COVID 2020 the market was in thirds, with equal shares from Jayco, all other Australian manufacturers and China. Notable also, the volumes in the 2/3 Australian share were unaltered, but Chinese imports had grown to >10,000/year, so all the growth in the sector had been taken up by imported product! As the Victorian manufacturing lockdowns were coming to an end in October 2020, the Chinese manufacturers had already been out of lockdown for some months and in the last quarter of 2020 their Australian RV market share

rose to >40 per cent. Significantly Australian manufacturers returned to work with depleted supply chains, parts shortages, and increased lead times, especially on the many Chinese made parts that go into a locally built RV. So even with buoyant sales, ramping up production in response is a ‘difficult opportunity’. While we can easily see the lower production costs of Chinese manufacturing creates a competitive advantage, it is probably less obvious that Australian taxation further enhances the competitiveness of imports, relative to Australian manufactured RVs. Compared with local manufacturers, generally, importers have a much smaller local footprint and so attract much lower payroll tax and land tax per unit. Indeed, for many, these charges ($1400/unit at TRACK) would be nearer zero. This is a perverse outcome when COVID so recently demonstrated that retaining and reinvigorating Australian manufacturing was critical to our economy and security. In some cases this is compounded by business structures, where an importer might be an Australian Pty Ltd company, which is wholly owned by the overseas manufacturer. Clearly in addition to its other advantages, it can decide the import (transfer) pricing and ensure any income tax paid is ‘modest’, in the time-honoured traditions of larger multinationals. In reality the only tax area where local and imports are on an equal footing, is GST. Local manufacturers would be far more competitive with imports if we raised GST and deleted the abovementioned state taxes. Simple and as difficult as that! State Regulation The light trailer industry (up to 4.5t) has not been included in the federal regulatory system that has historically

ARTSA-I LIFE MEMBERS

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The light trailer industry is not included in the federal regulatory system that applies to cars, trucks and heavy trailers.

applied to cars, trucks, and heavy trailers. It will be included with the introduction of the RVSA on 1 July 2021 with all manufacturers required to be in the system by July 2022. This will substantially level the playing field between those who have always been compliant (or at least tried) and those who haven’t, except in those areas where States regulate such as in plumbing, gas and electrical. The state-regulated aspects, plumbing, gas and electrical are subject to interpretations that vary not only state to state, but also inspector to inspector, within states. Noting again that the majority of our national RV manufacturers are based in Victoria, while the majority of imports come into Queensland and so obtain local approvals under a different regime to the majority of Australian-made RVs. Examples abound but here’s a couple: Watermark - a classic example Watermark certifies water plumbing fittings, to performance standards in domestic situations. Watermark is only called up in Victorian and South Australian legislation, but it is only enforced in Victoria for RVs. In my opinion (and so are the authorities

in all states but VIC) that it adds no value to RV customers. What it does do is restrict the RV manufacturer’s options for supply of hot water plumbing fittings, to fittings that are not designed for RVs. RVs generally use, lighter and more compact components than those used in houses. In TRACK’s case the enforcement of watermark required significant redesign and added parts cost, that applied to none of our competitors. So, we were not only immediately disadvantaged in comparison to other Australian manufacturers in our segment, but also the lion’s share of imports, which do not land in Victoria! Gas Ventilation - another specific issue TRACK sells into the ‘serious off-road’ market segment. We have interstate competitors, whose RVs are sold into all states including Victoria. The ability to keep dust out of these RVs is a significant customer requirement, but the gas regulations demand permanent ventilation. Despite the market disadvantage, TRACK complies, while competitors close the permanent vents, while the RV is in travel mode. TRACK has asked Energy Safe Vic to approve a similar arrangement for us, but they have emphatically disallowed this strategy. By

the way, we agree with the Victorian rules, but the lack of national consistency is costing us business. Levelling the regulatory playing field, starts with recognition that RV manufacture is a national industry and should be nationally regulated. The easiest option would be to have the Commonwealth include all the relevant parts of Plumbing, Gas and Electrical standards in its RVSA type approval process. As manufacturers we are required to produce and have approved compliant designs and we are then subject to audit — which carries significant penalties for failure and provides for national recall of defective product. This could be a policy decision of national cabinet and I’m sure its principles would be welcome in other national industries. Australian RV manufacture is a national industry that is subject to serious international competition. It needs to be in an environment of regulation and taxation that levels rather than tilts the playing field against it. With imports growing rapidly there isn’t a lot of time to fix this, but it should be fixed for all manufacturing in any case. Gerard Waldron Life Member, ARTSA-i p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

INSIGHT | VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

Reflections point to positive future SAL PETROCCITTO

s we pass the half-way mark of what has been another challenging year, it’s important to reflect on what we’ve collectively achieved and prepare for the opportunities that are ahead of us. When reflecting, I’m immediately drawn to the strong safety and productivity performance that the industry and supply chain has displayed as we’ve continued to navigate throughout COVID-19. I’m proud to be part of an industry that has played an integral role in keeping Australia connected during tough times and the NHVR is committed to playing its part in helping shape a positive future out of the pandemic. As we look ahead, it’s important that we take stock of the lessons learnt over the past 18 months and ensure they are embedded in our thinking and delivery

moving forward. For me, it was the opportunity to participate in regular and effective dialogue and forums between government and industry, enabling practical policy decisions to be made and implemented in a timely fashion, benefiting owners, drivers and supply chains. Continuing to adopt this approach is critical as we guide and inform policy makers to ensure delivery of an outcome focused and responsive Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) that enables flexible and responsive regulation to ensure a viable future for our growing freight task. Our focus is to deliver recommendations and bring about change to those who want to innovate to do so and move the safety and productivity agenda forward via a collaborative approach. While we seek improvements to the law, the NHVR continues to implement risk-based and innovative approaches to deliver improved safety and productivity

NHVR compliance check at a regional truck stop.

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outcomes. The release of the draft NHVR Safety Strategy 2021-2025 in April is underpinned by our commitment to ensure strong partnerships and recognise that human behaviours and mental health and wellbeing is central to delivering better safety outcomes on our roads. This approach is also at the heart of our partnership with the Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds (HHTS) Foundation and the recent release of our joint mental wellbeing roadmap that delivers a customer and industry approach to tackling mental health. The roadmap focuses on both mental health and wellbeing aspects while also implementing practical measures such as delivering consistent processes and systems between logistics facilities to de-stress the work environment for our drivers. When it comes to taking care of those on the road, our focus is also about educating other road users how to drive safely around trucks. Our We Need Space campaign, which was a key highlight at the Brisbane Truck Show, has refreshed truck messaging to deliver clear and practical guidance to other road users not to overtake a turning truck, keep out of blind spots and overtake safely. Our risk-based approach to regulation is most apparent in how we undertake our compliance and enforcement functions by ensuring our interactions are focused on operators and supply chains that pose a high safety risk and adopting interventions that contribute to behavioural change. We know the traditional system of sanctions isn’t an effective compliance approach and we

NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR | INSIGHT

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NHVR enforcement officer.

are committed to ensuring the adoption of alternative and tailored approaches suitable to the individual and the circumstance. I’m hoping our drivers are experiencing more borderless regulation and a positive on-road culture in the states that have transitioned regulatory services to the NHVR, with the most recent transition being Victoria just over a year ago. I look forward to New South Wales transitioning and Queensland to follow soon after. Over the past year, we have also delivered three Enforceable Undertakings, contributing more than $420,000 back into improving road safety, rather than financial collection. Further, we recently issued our first sentencing order, requiring a driver to take measures to target the actual risk that need to be controlled. Our prosecution and compliance teams will continue to strengthen, with a focus on sentencing orders that deter and detract. Our priority will always be focused on keeping people safe on our roads, together with ensuring off-road parties are aware of their obligations. We are also pleased to be moving the agenda forward with respect to road networks and delivering a modern access regime that is premised on a shared responsibility model by transport operators and local governments. Through our work on the Strategic Local Government Asset Assessment Project (SLGAAP), we will work with road managers to assess up to 1,000 local government assets over the coming years, with a view to opening more key heavy

vehicle routes. The Federal Government’s May budget provided an additional $12 million in grant funding for the program, which is critical to delivering this outcome. This also includes the creation of a national infrastructure dataset, which will feed into the NHVR’s national spatial map (geospatial map) and provide a transparent and single source of approved networks and infrastructure capability. Essential to pursuing our risk-based approach is also removing the ‘high risk’ perception around safer and more productive vehicles to increase their access availability. We released a report last month which identified that Performance-Based Standard (PBS) vehicles are involved in 60 per cent fewer crashes compared with their conventional equivalents – this is forecast to save 143 lives over 20 years. We are committed to reducing the barriers for operators to access the PBS scheme and ensuring it remains relevant and effective for the future. While we continue to implement improvements to our processes and systems to reduce turnaround times and get these vehicles on the road sooner, we are also undertaking work to deliver a revamped

PBS 2.0 which will, among other things, enable the scheme to focus on innovation while moving mature designs into the prescriptive fleet. Safer and more productive vehicles are also cleaner, and we are committed to contributing to the health and safety of our communities by promoting the importance of ensuring we clean the air and reduce the incidence of engine remapping – which we are targeting through our new awareness and compliance campaign released this month. Key to everything we do is improving our interaction with industry and we are continually investing in automation and taking advantage of significant technology advances and improved data capabilities. We want to share information with industry to ensure together we can find common solutions to improve safety and productivity outcomes. We have faced much adversity, particularly in the past year. But we are an industry that has kept going, crucial to the success of our nation. Let’s continue the momentum as Australia starts to gather pace again. Sal Petroccitto CEO, NHVR p r i m em over m a g . c o m . a u

INSIGHT | HEALTHY HEADS IN TRUCKS & SHEDS

Mental wellbeing does not discriminate PAUL GRAHAM

ack in November 2016, our CEO Brad Banducci shared news with the company that was incredibly confronting. It talked about the recent death by suicide of two Woolworths team members, one from our supermarket team and one who worked in our distribution centres. In his note, Brad said he had chosen to share the tragic news with everyone for two reasons. First, we were heading into one of our busiest times of the year – Christmas – and it was critical to look out for each other through this period. The second reason was that mental health in its various forms was, according to Brad, “probably the single biggest health challenge facing our business (and corporate Australia in general) and we need to prioritise it and work hard to put preventative measures in place to help our teammates with seeking assistance”. Brad’s openness about our own team members being here one day and gone the next was both confronting and cathartic. People didn’t openly talk about suicide let alone large corporations like Woolworths. Four and a half years on, Brad and Woolworths Group have not stopped talking about mental health. In fact, the conversation has only grown. In 2016, we offered team members access to five free counselling sessions as part of our Employee Assist Program. This program was set up to give team members confidential and independent assistance through access to short-term counselling

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and coaching for personal and work-related issues. Shortly after, the five free counselling sessions changed to unlimited counselling sessions, recognising that supporting someone’s wellbeing was not finite. Woolworths has always been a workplace where team members genuinely care about one another. You’ll often hear team members call it a family, but family members don’t always know what to do when someone they care for isn’t themself. So, in 2017 Woolworths Group launched a new wellbeing program called ‘I am Here’. The aim of the program was to provide general mental health awareness and training to anyone who wanted it. A major component of the program was a 20-minute online training course. It was designed to empower team members to better recognise what to do if they saw a team member who wasn’t themself or needed support. This taught team members three simple skills: Show you care. If you see someone in need of support, let them know you’re there to help. Ask the question — are you ok? Know where to get help, whether it’s reaching out to our Employee Assist Program, Lifeline or talking to your GP. Today around 38,000 team members across the Woolworths Group have completed the training course and are now ‘tribe’ members. That’s around 1 in 5 team members who were now more empowered than they were the day before to save a life. The program has since evolved with a two-hour ambassador course. This course increases a team member’s skill, confidence and courage to help people get the support

they need. I’m so proud to see how far Woolworths has come with its commitment to mental wellbeing. Today, our team members get on-demand mental wellbeing support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is accessed through an app called Sonder. In November 2020, Woolworths partnered with Sonder, a free 24/7 safety and wellbeing service that connects team members to the support they need at the touch of a button. In our DCs the app is often referred to as ‘an angel in your pocket’. If a team member is in an emergency situation, simply looking for information or is keen to chat with a real person, Sonder’s on-demand network of nurses, emergency responders and mental health first aiders provides them with a private and confidential response. Since its launch, Sonder has since been extended to immediate family members, recognising that families deserve the same wellbeing support as our team members. We all have good and bad days. There may be days where something doesn’t feel quite right, something is on your mind or things just seem too much. Mental wellbeing does not discriminate. For some people, those thoughts pass and life goes back to normal. For others those thoughts linger, sometimes for years. Sharing the load with someone else can really help. No matter who you are or how you are feeling, you can talk it through. It’s ok not to feel ok and it’s absolutely ok to ask for help. Paul Graham Managing Director, Primary Connect

AUSTRALIAN LOGISTICS COUNCIL | INSIGHT

RACHEL SMITH

The third annual Inland Rail Conference was held on 2527 May 2021. The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) and the Australasian Railways Association (ARA) welcomed leaders from across the industry to Albury-Wodonga, which was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. The Inland Rail project, which is now well and truly in the construction phase, will create a corridor of commerce, bringing to regional Australia sustainable quality jobs whilst removing freight from the road network to alleviate congestion. The conference heard that the promise of the ability of moving freight from Melbourne to Brisbane in one day could change the way freight is moved in Australia from a ratio of 30 per cent movement by rail, to 62 per cent by 2050. Attendees also heard that growth occurs around transport routes, with research indicating that complementary market driven investments made along the rail line could support 2500 full time jobs after ten years of Inland Rail’s operation and boost gross regional product by up to $13.3 billion in the first 50 years. The importance of the development of intermodal capacity was also recognised. The conference discussed the importance of the role intermodals play to ensure that Australia’s transport network works as a complete system. The establishment of special activation

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Port linkage integral to success of Inland Rail precincts designed to facilitate the establishment of businesses that will support the efficient operation of Inland Rail in places such as Wagga, Parkes and Narrabri have assisted this outcome, as have the development of intermodals in places such as St Marys and Moorebank in NSW and Toowoomba in Queensland. The conference was told the development of the Parkes hub is particularly important as its position at the juncture of Inland Rail and the East-West rail line will permit the cost effective movement of goods to all States of mainland Australia. However, industry and government needs to work together so that both consumer choice of transport mode for freight and investments in road and rail networks can be optimised. Industry needs to ensure that the information is shared so efficient decisions as to how freight can be moved are made. In the long term, this could be done through the Freight Data Hub being developed as part of Australia’s National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, which is the Federal framework that considers issues that cross state borders, on a whole of network process. Governments need to ensure that planning decisions such as restricting residential encroachment on industrial precincts enable the continuous movement of freight. Attendees urged the NSW Government

to take urgent action to deliver its rail productivity strategy so that its missed target of rail having a 28 per cent share of freight movement in 2021 is realised. “The Queensland Government must advance the next stage of analysis for a link to the Port of Brisbane to confirm the preferred alignment and begin the planning and approval process,” said then ALC CEO Kirk Coningham. “This needs to include all necessary corridor and land acquisitions. “The outcome needs to be a dedicated freight corridor not mixing with passenger freight. A dedicated freight rail corridor linking terminal and container linking terminals and container ports exists in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.” Finally, the approval pathways for the development of the Kagaru to Acacia Ridge link should be prioritised, as should any work being performed to facilitate the movement of freight by rail from the Port of Brisbane. Rachel Smith Interim CEO, ALC

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

INSIGHT | TRUCK VICTORIAN INDUSTRY TRANSPORT COUNCIL ASSOCIATION

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Where is the plan?

TONY MCMULLAN PETER ANDERSON

n my April column this year, I discussed the much used term and concept of, ‘Net Zero Emissions’. The idea is relatively straight forward, ‘Net Zero Emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions produced and greenhouse gas emissions taken out of the atmosphere. I gave the analogy of a set of balance scales, on one side you have all the greenhouse gas producing sources, including: burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas in power generation, transport, etc, cement production, methane generated from animals and landfill, and many, many more. On the other side of the scales there are processes that remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, these include: forests, plants, crops, etc. At the moment those scales globally and in Australia, are very much weighted to greenhouse gas production and scientists tell us, that we need to get those scales back into balance. I explained that importantly, moving to Net Zero means we can still produce some emissions, as long as they are offset by means that reduce, or remove, excess greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere. I also detailed that Australian governments need to develop an all-encompassing Net Zero Emissions greenhouse gas strategy, a plan that details by industry sector, by State and Territory, how Australia will meet its international responsibilities to rein in our carbon emissions and the

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timetable for this action. So why is a national Net Zero Emissions greenhouse gas action plan so important? One of the hopes of many media commentators, is that Australia’s, in fact the world’s, transport systems will be able to be quickly converted to electric vehicles, however to change, large amounts of electricity will be required. The Global Energy Transformation (GET) Institute in Sweden recently released some information that puts the task of transitioning Europe’s vehicle fleets from fossil-based fuels, to electricity, into perspective. Their findings show there are currently 48 million fossil fuel powered cars in Germany, that if converted to electric, would require approximately 120 TWh of electricity, necessitating the production of 24 new nuclear reactors. While approximately the same amount of electricity would be required to operate truck transports and buses if they were electrified. The total equivalent to 48 new nuclear reactors. That being a 40 per cent increase in electricity generation requirements over the current level of 600 TWh for Germany to support vehicle electrification. Similarly, for the United Kingdom, an additional 200 TWh would be required, that is the equivalent of 40 new nuclear reactors. A 60 per cent increase over current UK electricity production of 325 TWh. Italy currently has an electrical production of 275 TWh and has almost as many vehicles as the UK, which would require Italy to increase its electricity generation by more than 70 percent over current production, to switch to e-mobility. Australia’s situation is similar, with transport in Australia being the second largest consumer of fossil fuels, after electricity generation. If Australians were to embrace electric cars, trucks and buses,

our country would need an additional 140 TWh of electricity, that would require a 54 per cent increase over our current electrical generation of 260TWh. To put that into renewable energy perspective, that would be approximately 31 new Snowy hydro schemes, some 1,023 new hydro turbines based on the existing Snowy scheme numbers. Or more than 250,000 new wind turbines, currently Australia has just over 2,500 operational wind turbines. Of course, the purpose of moving from fossil transport fuels, to electrical power, would be to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions, however at this point in time over 80 per cent of our electricity is generated from fossil fuels, particularly coal, so any increase in Australia’s e-mobility would have minimal effect on reducing our CO2 emissions in the short term, if current grid electricity was used to charge those new electric vehicles. I hope that you, the reader, can now better visualise some of the problems and challenges, associated with this very complex issue, a situation that no one industry, or jurisdiction, can tackle on its own. This requires a well thought through, strategic, government plan. So Australian governments, where is the Plan? How much longer must we wait for an all-encompassing ‘Net Zero’ greenhouse gas strategy, one that outlines a pathway forward for each industry and for each State and Territory? Any such plan must include an effective structural adjustment package for our sector, road transport, backed by ongoing financial and regulative incentives, to allow a smooth transition from fossil fuels to a ‘Net Zero’ future. Tony McMullan CEO, Truck Industry Council

VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION | INSIGHT

PETER ANDERSON

he last month has been a tale of two budgets, with the Federal and Victorian state budgets released within days of each other. Yet, despite their proximity on the calendar, they were about as similar as chalk and cheese. Victoria sits at a pivotal moment in its history. We are emerging from the pandemic battered and bruised, but optimistic (although, as this recent lockdown has proven, we are by no means out of the woods yet). Snap lockdowns aside, recent forecasting suggests Victoria is on track to experience the strongest economic rebound of all states and territories during the next financial year. The optimism felt by many in Victoria was echoed in the Federal budget. Released early in May, it invested heavily in a range of major infrastructure projects designed to create jobs and kickstart the economy. But even more importantly, these projects represent a $15.2 billion investment in our nation and its future freight needs. Victoria received $4 billion of that spend to ensure its infrastructure grows alongside its population. In addition to a number of significant road upgrades to reduce congestion, the Federal budget allocated $2 billion towards creating a new Melbourne Intermodal Terminal. Capable of accommodating the Inland Rail Project and its double stacked, 1800-metre trains, this will play an

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COMMERCIAL ROAD TRANSPORT

A tale of two budgets integral role in connecting the state’s port, road and rail networks. All in all, it was a forward-thinking and prudent budget that gave freight and logistics operators confidence that they’ll be able to operate safely and efficiently into the future as they deliver an invaluable service to Australians. And so, when the Victorian budget launched just over a week later, many of these operators were wondering what it would have in store to build on the optimism and momentum of the Federal budget. And what did we get? A budget that was more shrug than shout, and that left many in the transport and logistics industry feeling deflated. This in not to say the Victorian budget was irredeemable. In fact, it contained some very welcome items for road users – namely $386 million to reduce the state’s road toll through a new Road Safety Strategy. With Victoria’s freight needs predicted to double over the next 30 years, now is the time to prepare and invest in our future. With roads already congested, we need to ensure we’re getting on with projects designed to address key choke points, streamline freight movements, and ensure our precious supply chains are protected from disruption. Let me be clear here; we’ve seen some significant and very-welcome investment in Victoria’s road, rail, and freight networks over recent years and I commend the State Government for

their commitment to these various projects. But now is not the time to take the foot off the gas. The Victorian Transport Association will continue to advocate for smart, sensible and infrastructure projects that will not only benefit freight and logistics operators, but every Victorian. After all we have been through, we cannot afford to go backwards. Peter Anderson CEO, VTA

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

PETER SHIELDS’ NUMBER CRUNCH

Sale Away players large and small who visited the event. Most industry people concede that while not a lot of trucks are sold at shows, many are subsequently sold because of shows. Interruptions to local production lines due to COVID in mid2020 are apparently still a factor in the comparative market shares particularly around the upper level of the Heavy Duty scoreboard and there is widespread expectation that most players will assume their traditional places in the pecking order, albeit with significantly boosted individual sales scores.

Amid the angst associated with COVID across the nation as well as the rest of the world, and recently, more specifically, in the Victorian community (again), key economy metrics such as business confidence and consumer confidence reached ten year highs during May. Coupled with healthy consumer demand and improved disposable household incomes, the Morrison Government’s decision to permit the full expensing of investments in new commercial vehicles through until June 2023 is reflected in the sales figures for new trucks and vans which are compiled by the Truck Industry Council. During May, 2,893 new trucks and 746 new heavy vans were sold, respectively showing 25.9 per cent and 40.3 per cent increases compared with the same month in 2020. The Heavy Duty truck category crashed through the 1,000 trucks a month barrier with 1,050 new big trucks for May, 121 more than in April (13.0 per cent improvement from month-tomonth) and an impressive 294 more than in May 2020 (+38.9 per cent). After the first five months the accrued total of 4,416 stands at 16.7 per cent above the same time last year. Similar strong results show for the Medium Duty category with 677 units (+31.5 per cent on May 2020) and the year-to-date total of 2,703 being 677 trucks more than for the same period on 2020 (+28.5 per cent). Light Duty trucks accounted for 1,166 units during May, up 29.7 per cent on last May and the year-to-date total of 5,250 is a resounding 43.0 per cent more than for the first five months of 2020. Heavy vans were not immune from the buying frenzy during May either, registering 746 sales for the month, an impressive 295 more than for the corresponding month in 2020 (+65.4 per cent). The year-to-date total of 2,810 shows an additional 807 big vans joined mainly the tradie and courier industries in the first five months of this year (+40.3 per cent). For OEMs attending the Brisbane Truck Show during May there was a palpable ‘vibe’ of positiveness in the feedback from market 78

j u ly 2 0 21

May-21

YTD

% Change YOY

ISUZU

861

3683

27.8%

HINO

596

2442

34.5%

FUSO

368

1611

42.9%

KENWORTH

181

878

38.7%

MERCEDES-BENZ

136

675

57.7%

VOLVO

152

588

-20.4%

IVECO

104

475

-0.2%

SCANIA

105

454

38.4%

FIAT

242

32.2%

MACK

228

-23.5%

UD TRUCKS

224

22.4%

DAF

188

0.5%

FREIGHTLINER

142

67.1%

WESTERN STAR

120

27.7%

MAN

101

-42.9%

HYUNDAI

120.9%

FORD

862.5%

RENAULT

-26.4%

DENNIS EAGLE

250.0%

VOLKSWAGEN

-5.3%

INTERNATIONAL

-16.7%

CAB CHASSIS/PRIME

2893

12369

25.9%

M-B VANS

241

889

7.6%

FORD VANS

188

769

92.3%

VOLKSWAGEN VANS

133

533

87.7%

FIAT VANS

185

92.7%

RENAULT VANS

122

311

-0.3%

IVECO VANS

123

44.7%

VANS

746

2810

40.3%

TOTAL

3639

15179

28.3%

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, to the petrol in our cars, from the school bus, to the train you catch to work, even your holiday travel. None of it 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 SUPERRATINGS GOLD 2019 MYCHOICE SUPER

SUPERRATINGS GOLD 2019 PENSION

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. 55621

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Prime Mover July 2021

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