PowerTorque November 2022 by Prime Creative Media

POWERTORQUE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022

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ISSUE 131

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THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE

imply put, there is no alternative to the road transport industry in Australia. We do not have a viable freight railway network, we don’t have a viable shipping network to move freight around the country and the air transport system is not looking any good either, at the moment, and is increasingly expensive. So, there is no alternative to the trucking industry for the Australian economy, there is a link directly between the growth in GDP and the health of the trucking industry. When the trucking industry is working well and functioning efficiently, the economy improves. Unfortunately, the converse is also true. If the road transport industry cannot function efficiently and in a practical manner, then the trucking industry, instead of being a help to the growth of our economy, becomes a hindrance. This is the situation which we may be approaching in the next two years. There’s not one single cause for the lack of real capacity available to the trucking industry at the moment, but some of the things which are holding back the trucking industry could be solved. There is a shortage of skilled drivers and skilled people to work on the ground in the trucking industry at just about every level and in every sector of the industry, the lack of training over the years has created issue after issue. The fact is, that the trucking industry as a whole does not have an attractive image among potential workers in the industry. There are not sufficient numbers, to come int the industry and bring fresh young ideas along with them. At the same time, the government constantly fails to provide adequate infrastructure spending, so the roads the trucks use fail to be better and more efficient, as well as being safer. The situation between states with varying laws, varying regulations and varying enforcement regimes also hampers good productivity. The fact that a truck can cross a border and suddenly becomes illegal is ridiculous. The two roads are built to the same standards, the trucks are built to exactly the same standards. It is simply the fact that somebody in Sydney doesn’t like the way that somebody in Melbourne wrote the rules. So therefore they write a different rule. This happens between every state and the fact that we are here now coming up to 10 years after the formation of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator with WA and the Northern Territory saying they will not have a bar of it, beggars belief. Underlying all of these issues is probably the fact that society as a whole is completely unaware of the value of the road transport industry, to their well being and to the well being of the Australian economy. How do we change the paradigm? What is it that the road transport industry can do? How can we change the way everybody in the nation thinks about trucking?

EDITOR

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

ABN 51 127 239 212 379 Docklands Drive, Docklands VIC 3008 Australia Telephone: 03 9690 8766 Fax: 03 9682 0044 Email: enquiries@primecreative.com.au Publisher and Managing Editor: John Murphy Editor: Tim Giles Contributors: Paul Matthei Correspondent: Will Shiers (UK) Advertising Manager: Trevor Herkess: 0411 411 352, trevor.herkess@primecreative.com.au Client Success Manager: Justine Nardone, justine.nardone@primecreative.com.au Production Manager: Michelle Weston Circulation & Subscriptions Manager: Bobby Yung Designers: Blake Storey, Kerry Pert, Tom Anderson, Louis Romero Official Media Partner:

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DISCLAIMER PowerTorque Magazine is owned and published by Prime Creative Media. All material in PowerTorque 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 PowerTorque Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

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ISSUE 131

Contents

SPECIALISING IN PRODUCE TRANSPORT

It’s not that easy to get it right, and specialising in produce transport does come with its own diverse problems, but Damorange Refrigerated Transport has found a successful formula.

ENTER THE X SERIES

The Penske organisation is launching a complete new range of trucks from Western Star this year. Enter the X Series. PowerTorque’s Editor, Tim Giles, finds out what it’s all about.

Two prizes which form part of the International Truck of the Year Awards have been presented in Hanover, Germany, at the IAA Transportation event. Both awards, the IToY and the IToY Innovation Award were presented to the winners DAF Trucks and Mercedes Benz at the event.

THE NEXT GENERATION MAN APPEARS

The MAN brand has been with us for some time, always a well engineered product, and one which has not had a major impact in Australia, but the next generation MAN appears to bring the range into genuine contention in Australia.

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR AWARDS

CAN OF WORMS, OR A DOG’S BREAKFAST

Investigating the use of on-board mass system in combination with telematics and higher productivity schemes, it is difficult to work out whether it’s opening a can or worms or a dog’s breakfast. It’s probably a combination of both.

THINKING ABOUT FOOT AND MOUTH

The rural trucking sector needs to be ready for and thinking about foot and mouth disease, as it is now close to our borders. A discussion at the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association Conference featured three expert presenters, who laid out the issues.

ISRI SEATS the brand behind the brands • Supporting drivers for more than 50 years • Seating – on a higher level 02 97566199

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Standard Issue 08

NEWS AND VIEWS

Scania Australia’s new Managing Director, NatRoad says restart the stalled law reform process, Glenn Sterle gets a new appointment.

64 CRANK UP ACTION ON DRIVER SHORTAGES NatRoad CEO, Warren Clark, discusses the issues around driver shortages for the the trucking industry.

LAYING OUT A TURF SUPPLY CHAIN

PowerTorque’s European Correspondent, Will Shiers, catches up with the UK’s largest independent distributor of turf.

72 WORLD LAUNCH OF NEXT GENERATION ECANTER TAKES PLACE IN JAPAN The world launch of the Next Generation eCanter took place in Japan, a report from Charleen Clarke, Editor of Focus on Transport and Logistics.

TECH KNOW

The dark arts of truck HVAC systems. How did Susie Coils get their name? Lift Axle Control Valve Inspection & Fault Diagnosis. Refurbishing older trucks rather than trading them in for new units. Unlike their rudimentary ancestors, today’s bullbars are highly sophisticated components.

72 32

ISUZU, ON THE ROAD AGAIN

There are a considerable number of developments within the Isuzu truck range, PowerTorque took the opportunity to test drive the latest models to gauge the number one selling truck brand in Australia’s latest tweaks to the trucks, as well as get some insights into future electric plans from the Japanese truck maker.

ISRI: DEALERS

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ADELAIDE

NEWS & VIEWS

NHVR IN NSW A massive change to roadside enforcement has taken place in New South Wales as the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) logo appears on the uniforms of the heavy vehicle services and compliance officers. The transition from Transport for NSW to the NHVR is an important step toward delivering nationally consistent compliance for all heavy vehicle operators. The NHVR will continue to deliver services in NSW from more

than 200 existing Heavy Vehicle Inspection Stations, safety stations and on-road enforcement sites across NSW. “Scheduled heavy vehicle inspections, investigations, prosecutions and roadside safety checks will transfer to the NHVR,” said NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the transition of heavy vehicle services. “I’m also pleased to welcome 310 Transport for NSW staff who will continue to serve and support the heavy vehicle industry.

Manfred Streit, Scania Australia’s Managing Director.

NEW SCANIA BOSS NAMED Scania Australia’s new Managing Director, will be Manfred Streit, who has arrived in Melbourne, following 15 years working for company in Austria. Manfred, 49, has been involved with trucks since his youth, developing a life-long affinity for Scania early on. “From the start of my career I have been involved with moving people and goods. This is something I am passionate about,” said Manfred. “Scania in Australia has a very solid base, thanks to 12 years of growth, that I plan to build on, assisted by a very experienced executive management team. I can see there is a lot of depth among our local Scania family, and we will work together to develop further innovations and services for the benefit of our customers,” After a short spell at French signalling manufacturer Alcatel, Manfred moved to Renault in Austria, before accepting the role of Dealer Director with Scania near his hometown in north central Austria. He was there for eight years before becoming Country Manager for Scania in Austria, in 2016.

GETTING HVNL REFORM MOVING NatRoad has said that Australian transport Ministers should restart the stalled Heavy Vehicle National Law reform process by taking up a series of relatively quick and practical actions. When NatRoad CEO, Warren Clark, addressed the Infrastructure and Transport Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne, he told them that the history of HVNL reform is “one of glacial pace and epic navel gazing”. NatRoad supports the recommendations of the Kanofski Review because most are focused on changes that are achievable in the near term. “Over the past four years, those charged with driving reform have lost sight of first principles and ignored easy wins to the point that they have lost industry confidence,” said Warren.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

GLENN STERLE’S NEW POST Senator Glenn Sterle has said he is honoured to have been appointed Chair of the Senate’s Rural Regional Affairs and Transport (RRAT) Legislation Committee. “It has been a privilege to have served on this committee and I am looking forward to continuing to work with other Senators on the committee to ensure that the important issues confronting our vital agriculture and transport industries see the light of day and get the attention of our Federal Parliament,” said Glenn.

NEWS & VIEWS

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR ELECTRIC TRUCKS Energy retailer and generator EnergyAustralia has joined with electric truck manufacturer SEA Electric in a strategic partnership. EnergyAustralia will work with SEA Electric clients in tailoring a zero-harm, bespoke solution for their energy needs. As fleets look to move towards green transport solutions, customised advice can be provided on depot development, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, retail contracts, and rooftop solar, batteries and energy management software solutions. By providing future-fuel road maps for e-fleets and transport depots, EnergyAustralia says it has demonstrated that transitioning completely to zero carbon, green energy-driven fleets is achievable today.

SURVEYING DRIVER COMPETENCY NatRoad is making a submission to an Austroads consultation about driver competency and licensing standards and needs to hear from people who have seen the problem. If you’ve experienced a driver who holds a heavy vehicle licence but whose competence to drive a truck is nowhere as good as it should be,

drop them an email here in the next fortnight. NatRoad agrees that strengthening driver competencies, skills assessment and licensing policy needs to be a national priority. You can also participate in a short Austroads online survey here or read a discussion paper.

THE EYE VAN The St John’s Ambulance Eye Van is bringing world-class facilities to rural and remote communities in an effort to substantially reduce blindness and visual impairment amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with diabetes, treating over 5500 people. UD Trucks Australia’s partnership with the Eye Van involves providing and maintaining the prime mover that pulls the mobile ophthalmology clinic. The IDEAS Van was independent before merging with St John’s Ambulance in January this year and becoming known as the Eye Van. “UD Trucks’ mission is ‘to challenge for better life’ so the partnership with the Eye Van is an extremely fitting one for the brand,” says Lauren Pulitano, Vice President, UD Trucks Australia. “UD Trucks have been partners with the Eye Van since its inception in 2013, providing a vehicle for their mission for the past 10 years. A UD Truck has been supplied for the Eye Clinic to utilise since 2019.”

www.powertorque.com.au

NEWS & VIEWS

HYDROGEN TRUCKS FROM HYUNDAI

NATROAD CALLS FOR EV INCENTIVES Almost 90 per cent of NatRoad members responding to an annual survey have no plans to buy an Electric Vehicle (EV). “That will change when governments provide incentives that lower EV prices and provide a regulatory basis for their efficient and safe operation. I believe manufacturers will move in response,” said Scott Davidson, NatRoad Chairman in his weekly column. “Nobody can deny that switching to a fuel that’s 70-80 per cent cheaper than diesel for longhaul journeys and is better for the environment isn’t a good idea. “Australia is substantially behind Europe in its uptake of EVs, with the relatively longer distances, shortage of re-charging stations and the absence of a market presenting major hurdles to anyone wanting to make the switch.”

1. LEFT HAND PAGE

Hyundai has announced the export of its XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks to Germany. Seven German companies in logistics, manufacturing and retail will put 27 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks into fleet service with funding for eco-friendly commercial vehicles from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). The XCIENT Fuel Cell to be delivered is equipped with a 180kW hydrogen fuel cell system with two 90-kW fuel cell stacks. The system’s durability and the vehicle’s overall fuel efficiency are tailored to the demands of commercial fleet customers. The 350kW e-motor has a maximum torque rating of 2,237Nm.

ELECTRIC BENZ ON AUSSIE ROADS Mercedes-Benz Trucks will begin a local evaluation program for the all-electric eActros in Australia and New Zealand early next year. Initially, four eActros trucks will get to work in Australia and one unit will hit the road in New Zealand, with additional units to follow. The eActros, which has just been launched in Europe, produces zero local emissions and operates near silently. Daimler Truck has extensive experience with electric commercial vehicles and was the first manufacturer with an all-electric truck when the Fuso eCanter broke new ground when it was launched locally in 2021.

NEWS & VIEWS

TOP TEAMS COMPETE Penske Truck Rental, Lytton, Queensland.

NEW PENSKE TRUCK RENTAL SITE Penske Truck Rental has opened its sixth location in Australia with the launch of a second Brisbane-area branch in Lytton. Co-located with Penske Australia, the Lytton facility allows for expanded truck rental and leasing services in south-eastern Queensland. “We started the Australian truck rental business back in 2014 with just 20 prime movers, and the Brisbane fleet has quadrupled in size since then,” said Adrian Beach, general manager of Penske Truck Leasing.

“The steady growth we’ve seen across our operations in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth will put us close to 300 trucks before the end of the year. “We’re very excited to set up shop on this side of town, where we can grow our existing relationships and start some new ones as well. Throughout these strange and uncertain times, we’ve been able to access equipment and support fleets both large and small with short-term rental and long-term leasing solutions that do not require capital investment.”

Seven teams from across the Scania network in Australia battled it out to claim the prize of representing Australia at the Bangkok regional finals of Scania’s global tech competition. Every two years Scania offers its 1600 global workshops the opportunity to field teams to compete, with national and regional rounds sifting the 12 best teams who come together in Sweden for the final. Scania Australia has fielded global winning teams from its Prestons NSW branch in 2011 and 2013, with a hotly contested second spot ceding victory by a whisker to the Kiwis in 2015. This year, the Australian National Finals included for the first time a technical challenge involving the very first Battery Electric Scania truck to arrive in Australia, a vehicle not yet released onto the road and a one few even within the business knew was in the country.

NEWS & VIEWS

REFUELLING FIRST FOR SEA The first all-electric aviation refueller in Australia was put into operation this week, a SEA Electric SEA 500 EV which has been designed and engineered in Australia. Built in conjunction with global aviation fuel products and service supplier Air bp and leading aviation specialists Refuel International in Melbourne, the vehicle will be based at Brisbane Airport, uplifting Jet-A1 for business and general aircraft at the busy international airport. The refueller can carry approximately 16,000 litres of aviation fuel, with all onboard pumps and functions fully electrified, with the management of the systems provided by the proprietary SEA-Drive power-system.

The first all-electric aviation refueller in Australia.

FUELLING HYDROGEN TRUCKS IN AUSTRALIA Woodside Energy, BGC and Centurion, with the support of the Western Australian Government, are advancing plans for a proposed self-contained hydrogen production, storage and refuelling station, located in the Rockingham Industry Zone, in WA. The $10 million Hydrogen Fuelled Transport Program aims to

accelerate the uptake of hydrogen fuelled transport, build local skills and capability, and stimulate local hydrogen production. With matched funding from Woodside, the proposal targets delivery of hydrogen fuel at a globally competitive price of A$11 per kilo and subsidises a number of large hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

NUTRITION INITIATIVE Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation (HHTS) has announced a Nutrition Pilot Program, to educate, raise awareness and encourage longer-term healthy eating among truck drivers. The project has been developed in partnership with Nutrition Australia in response to poor health outcomes among drivers. The pilot focuses on heavy vehicle drivers and will run over a period of four months. During this period, HHTS will deliver educational content across social media platforms, the HHTS website and via existing partners who operate in road transport, warehousing and logistics. This content has been designed to raise awareness about healthier choices and the benefits of healthier eating for both physical and mental health outcomes. Also, offering practical tips and suggestions about making small but meaningful changes gradually. To accompany this, 29 bp service centres across Australia are offering freshly cooked healthier meals, 24 hours a day, catering to the needs of those working in the logistics industries.

NEWS & VIEWS

ELECTRIC AND HYDROGEN TRUCK WORKING IN EUROPE

Some new electric and hydrogen powered trucks in heavy trucking tasks are on the road in Europe. A Volvo FMX Electric truck was successfully tested in real traffic, where it had to manage the arctic cold and

RICHERS’ 200TH MACK

temperatures in excess of -30°C. “Our goal is to achieve fossil-free transport by 2025,” says Lars Wallgren, head of logistics at Kaunis Iron in Sweden. “We are working hard right now to solve our transport with electric trucks. If we succeed, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 15,000 tons per year at the current production rate.” Following the Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell introduction in Switzerland, textile transport specialist Mewa has the first 4x2 hydrogen electric truck in northern Germany. The Mewa group of companies has long relied on environmentally friendly materials and processes in its core competence, as well as on the circular economy. It will also rely on an environmentally friendly solution with hydrogenelectric commercial vehicles in the transport sector.

Queensland based Richers Transport has a history stretching back nearly 9 decades; the company started out with just one Model T Ford and has just taken delivery of its 200th Mack. Operationally, Richers Transport covers the entire Australian eastern seaboard from Cairns to Adelaide transporting groceries, particle board, alcohol, and general freight. “We choose to go with Mack for drivability, they’re great for the drivers, for fuel economy, and are equipped with a good safety package. They’re great from a maintenance perspective as well,” says, Tom Richers, Operations Manager Richers Transport. “The service and back up we get from the dealer network is fantastic.”

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FRICTION CLASSIFICATION

MAXIMUM CONTINUOUS WORKING TEMPERATURE 500°C

OPERATOR PROFILE

SPECIALISING IN

PRODUCE TRANSPORT It’s not that easy to get it right, and specialising in produce transport does come with its own diverse problems, but Damorange Refrigerated Transport has found a successful formula.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

OPERATOR PROFILE

www.powertorque.com.au

OPERATOR PROFILE

he Australian trucking industry is full of road transport operators who are not big enough to be truly national players, but with a fleet which is well known in one market sector and has a national reach. One of these is Damorange Refrigerated Transport, based out on the open farmland of south of Werribee, in an area where Melbourne is expanding towards Geelong at a fast rate. Looking at the intensive agriculture in the local area, it is easy to see how this operation developed, with produce needing to get out to the markets, and also, the supermarkets. PowerTorque Editor, Tim Giles sat down for a chat with the founder of Damorange, Shane Splatt, to look back on the development of the business and the obstacles which have been overcome to get the business to where it is today. “I started in 1974, with one truck and I was carting hanging meat ,” says Shane. “l was doing that for around six or eight years, and then sold the truck off with a bit of work, the guy never actually fully paid for it. So he gave it back to me when it was rolled over and smashed. “So that’s when we took it back. And I started running a company right here,

where we are still based today. I was managing this place for a company in Sydney. I brought that one truck and trailer into the the operation, while I was running this gentleman’s fleet. That’s the way it grew. I worked for that guy for about five years.” The business relationship wasn’t balanced and Shane wasn’t making the kind of money he had been promised and the company kept raising expectations. The relationship soured and Shane walked away from the deal. “My son, Scott, was working with me at the time, so when I left, I sent Scott to work for another transport company to get a bit of external knowledge,” says Shane. “They had me under a contract, so that I couldn’t poach any work, my hands were tied. So I served my time, and then it was our business. That was the late eighties.” Since that time, when the main game was hauling produce to the market, the nature of the business has changed a lot. Fresh market produce used to be 85 per cent of the work. The large chains only had about 10 15 per cent of the market. Since those times the supermarkets have come into the business in a major way and are dealing directly with the farms. These days the Damorange fleet is

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

handling 70 per cent of produce for the large supermarket chains. Meanwhile the fresh markets, now only make up 30 per cent of the produce carried. Early on, the likes of Coles, Woolworths etc bought directly out of the markets. They then approached the growers directly and bypassed the market system. When the distribution changed, the current fleet just grew from there, to the point where the company now runs 74 prime movers and around 150 fridge trailers, plus 10 rigids. The company have seven operators who work as tow operators for the operation and another four owner drivers with their own refrigerated trailers. “It used to be that you’d have your subbies for your predominantly seasonal work,” says Shane. “But, we came to tough times, and we needed to change that scenario, so that we had constant revenue all year round. So we changed and broadened our area in Victoria. Then we had that volume on most days. “The people who work for us can work for us all year round. We don’t tell them ‘see you later come back in another five months’. That can’t happen, because most of the owner drivers have gone broke or they’ve just gone out of

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OPERATOR PROFILE

the industry. So the ones that work with us. We pay them weekly, they are paid Monday to Friday. We will fuel them and we look after them and they look after us. So it suits us to have that mix.”

GROWING THE BUSINESS The business grew with its customer base, as the groups the company dealt with grew, their transport needs also grew. “As they grow, you’ve got to grow with them,” says Shane. “You can’t say, just give us seven loads this week and if there’s 10 you can find someone else to do the other three. That doesn’t happen. So you’ve got to grow with them. The Costa Group is now a public company, and we’re still their largest carrier. “Multinationals can’t deliver negative growth. If they do, they don’t keep their job. We have, more or less, grown with our customer bases. We’ve taken a few new ones on, but really it hasn’t changed.” The business has grown with a series of very long relationships, with generational change within those companies and generational change within the Damorange business. A traditional relationship, which, in some case, has lasted over 40 years. This business model, can be found in rural areas all across Australia, it’s all about relationships which are long lasting with a solid base of mutual trust, based on a long association. The fleet covers most of the country, but has relationships with other operators to cover Western Australia, the Northern Territory and North Queensland. “We are still working some smaller growers,” says Shane. “They’re third and fourth generation, they’re fine. I suppose it’s like, transport. If you were going to

get a guy to come in now to try and grow to our size from nothing, it’s not going to happen. “If you were to come in and try and just go buy 30 trucks and trailers overnight, you’re not going to go anywhere. Businesses which have been around for years are even folding. People are getting out of this game, big time, It’s not good, and produce, it’s hard to do.” In Victoria Damorange are probably the largest fleet handling produce. This is a specialised area which does not look attractive to the larger transport businesses. The task requires a lot of inbuilt flexibility and the operation has to think on its feet, at the last minute as the produce comes in and goes out. Time is of the essence. “It needs a hands on approach,” says

Shane. “If you’re not going to have a hands on approach, you’re out. If you’re going to do it from a computer, that’s not going to work. It’s got to be the hands on like we are here, like my son,Scott. If you’re not hands on, forget it. Don’t try it, but I’ll be honest, there is a dollar in it, if you can do it. “We are a big family and the long term relationships have been for 30 or 40 years with a lot of our people. I can tell you that some of the major companies that deal with me, I don’t even have to tender for their work. They know what’s what out there, but they didn’t even tender it out, they’re quite happy with that, and let me tell you, I’m not cheap. “The philosophy was from a great man, and he’s gone now, Frank Costa, and he said, if you don’t make money, you’re bloody no good to me, sonny, because you’re not going to be around. You’ve got to be trading viably to be any good.”

SKILLS SHORTAGE The business now employs 140 people, and of those nearly eighty are drivers. The issues around finding drivers affects this operation as it does most in the industry. “We’ve never had empty seats, never ever had empty seats, but we’ve got empty seats now,” says Shane. “I think the industry is in crisis. It’s over regulated. Until it settles down, you’re still gonna have those problems. It’s the only place you can go to work, make a stupid mistake and it costs you a grand. It’s overregulated and enforcement is too heavy. The way they approach our drivers is bad and the level of training they have

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

FRE1

THE COMFORT, QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE IS WAY OUT IN FRONT OF ANY OTHER TRUCK” MARK RIX

GRAIN AND FERTILISER HAULER

QUALITY TO THE CORE The Cascadia represents a new era for Freightliner. Engineered and built to Daimler Truck’s world-leading manufacturing standards with unprecedented levels of research, development and real-world testing, this is a Freightliner like none before it. With superior comfort, fewer maintenance intervals, better fuel efficiency and improved ride quality,* the Cascadia is a truck you can rely on for optimal performance day in day out, in any application or condition.

CASCADIA 126

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OPERATOR PROFILE is not good enough.” “We lost a driver, who died 12 months ago.We don’t have any idea what happened but he had just had six weeks off. We have cameras on everything. Unfortunately, when he went went over they were just destroyed so we never got anything back. He had only been back six days after his holidays. “He spent two days in a motel and he got back in the truck, on a rainy day, and he’s obviously gone off the side of the road and then rolled, and it was horrible. So we’re not able to get any data to see why because it was pitch black, and the cameras were totally destroyed. “We were talking to the authorities, and okay, they’ve got to do their job. They come in here went through us like a dose of Epsom salts. We had the data which showed when he had worked and everything like that. They went through the truck and I know for a fact, because the report was here, one brake was out of adjustment by eight per cent..What were they trying to prove? “We couldn’t supply the cameras, but common sense prevailed. You could see in the accident where he went off, and then he just made a real common mistake. We believe he’s just gone down to pick something up, he’s got on the mud and it’s just taken it off the road. If there was any hard braking, it would have sent a signal back here.” “That stupid logbook can’t tell you when you’re tired. These aren’t battery chooks, where you turn them on and off.

They’re human beings. And these bozos that predominantly do it in theory, but don’t look at the practical side, they’ve got it wrong.”

THE DYNAMIC DUO: KENWORTH AND CUMMINS The Damorange long term relationship model also applies to their relationships with their suppliers. The trucks are from Kenworth, the engines are from Cummins. As you would expect in a fleet in this sector most of the trucks are K200s, with a sprinkling of T659, T610 and T909. The fleet consists of around 50 K200 cabovers and about 15 bonneted Kenworths, four T6s and the other 11 are T909s, plus one day cab Mack Superliner. There are a further 15 trucks on order, but the waiting time for trucks is extending for everyone at the moment. Some of those on their way are the K220 models. The trucks being ordered are specified with Cummins X15 Euro 5 engines, an engine which predominates throughout the fleet. Shane has used other engine brands in the past, but some time ago came down to the Cummins as the engine of choice, for all trucks. The rear diffs are all rated at the 1:4.11 ratio, a specification which has been used traditionally, but some elsewhere are now moving 1:3.9 or 1:3.7 in the search for better fuel economy. Oil drains are done at 50,000km on the singles and then 40,000 on the doubles. “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” is

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

Shane’s motto. “We’ve got a system, where we do a midlife at 600,000km. Cummins will do the mid-lifes for us, they come over here and we do it religiously and we get extra warranty for doing it.” Shane doesn’t like the standard sized tanks often fitted on trucks as they run along the chassis at different sizes. He prefers to have them changed so that there are two or three tanks all the same size fitted to the chassis of his trucks. They look more evenly spaced along the side of the truck. Damorange also has a long relationship with two trailer manufacturers, Lucar and FTE, and between the two they are able to keep the trailer fleet up to date. “We don’t replace our trailers in four years, we keep our trailers 10 years plus,” says Shane. “We can refurbish them and then keep them going as long as the box is okay. Everything else can be refurbed and we keep them going. We build the business like a pyramid, so we don’t get too highly geared and then fall over.” At the moment the fleet runs a combination of singles and B-doubles, but the plans are to move across to 40 pallet B-doubles, with quad axles on both trailers. These run out to 30 metres in length. All new single trailers are now limited to a 26 pallet length to make the swapping of trailers between traditional B-doubles and the newer longer ones easier to do. “We like to have the uniformity and the option to be able to change them around.

2022

OPERATOR PROFILE The founder of Damorange Refrigerated Transport, Shane Splatt, and his son Scott, who is now taking the business forward.

We used to run road trains, but you look at the cost factor and you have to do dog runs and everything like that. With the 40 palleters you just go straight into the capital cities. We can run them anywhere now. The fleet utilises the Intelligent Access Program to get the kind of productivity gains it is looking for. It uses 26 pallet singles and 40 pallet B-doubles, which can be uniformly loaded and always be at the right mass over each axle group. The operation found that with a 28 pallet trailer in the combination, it meant the loading had to be done more carefully and there was more likelihood of going over mass on an axle.

QUAD QUAD B-DOUBLES DRT’s quad quad B-doubles are allowed to run at 77 tonnes GCM, but they can’t go down a stretch the New England Highway. Empty trucks out of Brisbane need to head south to load in Guyra, which has the largest glass house in the southern hemisphere. However, the New South Wales local shires won’t let the trucks go from Wallangarra on the NSW/Queensland border through to Tenterfield. The alternative route suggested is for the quad quad B-doubles to go up the Gibraltar Range from Grafton to Glen Innes. Anyone familiar with that road will attest to its unsuitability for the task “When you’re trying to be efficient and green, and try and cut a couple of trucks out, this is what we’re trying to do,” says Shane. “They just won’t give us any reason. I like to be cost effective, but I can’t have my trucks going over that range. “It’s people sitting at a desk, saying, ‘Yes, this is what we’re going to do’. They’ve got no idea, working in theory, but do not understand the practical side. This is where the big gap is, from theory to practical. We only run south with those trucks, so we’re empty going there.” It is stories like this which proliferate across the trucking industry. The different levels of government, from federal to state, to local authorities can become frustrating for these operators, who thousands of kilometres away and unable to negotiate with local representatives in other states. Most of the experiences of Shane, as DRT has grown, would be shared by many in the industry, both the strong local relationships, which have been a vital part of the growth and success, and the frustrations with petty limitations to an efficient operation, which constrain it from handling the task efficiently.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

ENTER THE X The Penske organisation is launching a complete new range of trucks from Western Star this year, enter the X Series. PowerTorque’s Editor, Tim Giles, finds out what it’s all about.

t’s very rare for the launch of a new Western Star truck to come along in Australia, but when one does, it arrives like buses, there’s not just one, but three come along together. The arrival of the new X Series is the first complete overhaul of the range for well over twenty years, and marks a major upgrade in the offering from the Western Star brand. It is part of a two pronged initiative, from its distributor, Penske Australia, with stablemate MAN, also launching a new range in 2022. 2023 marks the 40 years anniversary for Western Star in Australia and on this occasion the brand will be launching this new product to market and perhaps bring new exciting times for the brand. This launch, plus the concurrent launch of a new MAN range may rekindle interest in the two

brands, which have, in recent years, flown very much under the radar. “The X Series is a start, it’s going to take our product into the future, we’re very proud of what we’re displaying here at the launch,” says Kurt Dein, Head of Western Star Trucks, Penske Australia. “Across our range, we’ve got the three models, the 47X, 48X and 49X. It’s really covering everything our product has for the last 40 years in this country. In applications, covering off the light end of town all the way through our prime mover, agitator, eight wheelers and to our heavy haul applications up into that 200 tonne plus region. “Choice of engines has been something we’ve had before and we’ve got that here today. We’ve got Cummins in our chassis, a 13 litre Detroit, and the 16 litre. We’re

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

really excited about what we’re displaying here. It is what we’ve been needing on the technology side, and the advanced safety package for driver comfort and ease. and for the fleet operator, like the Detroit Assurance and Assist 5 package is an absolutely groundbreaking technology as part of the whole safety suite.” This launch is going to be a major step change for the brand, bringing the trucks into the 2020s. The transition across to the new trucks will see the Western Star buyer offered a choice . Those with a preference for the more traditional will be able to buy a conventional truck with a manual gearbox and analog dashboard, but fleets looking for the latest and greatest will be able to access a fully integrated driveline with a smart AMT plus a digital interface for the driver and as many safety systems as you

TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

E X SERIES can throw a stick at. Of course, it’s a new model, so it has to have a multi-function steering wheel.

SOPHISTICATED CHOICES The release of these new trucks comes as a major change for the Western Star brand. In the past, the brand’s strength has been its simplicity, a no frills, good solid basic truck. The upcoming legislation around trucks means safety equipment like Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) means that a new level of electronic sophistication must be included in the truck. However, Penske have decided to offer the new trucks as a model designed to include the required safety systems, but as close to a traditional driveline as possible or give truck buyers the option of taking it several steps further, with a fully integrated, highly sophisticated electronic system throughout the truck. “We are going to a integrated safety system truck and integrated power solution in the driveline,” says Kurt. “We’re

offering the new Detroit DT12 AMT and the capabilities that offers on control systems. But we still have that durable legendary truck, you associate with Western Star.” Truck buyers will still be offered drum brakes or disc brakes. There will still be an Eaton RoadRanger manual transmission available. There will still be options of Meritor or Dana drive axles, the Airliner suspension along with multiple other suspension offerings. Many of the package options, familiar from the Constellation Series trucks will also be coming across into the X Series. At the same time truck buyers will also have the option to go for the fully integrated disc brake, AMT DT12 transmission with a DD-13 litre. There is also the safety assurance packages in Detroit Connect and Assist 5, technology now required by many fleets. “One of the key pillars of Western Star is its legendary durability, and we’re not deviating from that and that’s something that our customers expect,” say Craig Lee,

Executive General Manager of On-Highway, Penske Australia. “The durability comes from things like our very capable cooling systems. This is still a heavy duty truck able to work in arduous conditions, and it brings with it the advanced Detroit Connect technology, advanced telematics. “That doesn’t detract from durability, it actually adds to durability, and it adds to simplification of the operation through technology. Durability through componentry, but with advanced safety and and technology features with more suitability to customer need.” The fit and finish for driver comfort in cabin with various sleeper configurations continues as something which has been a strong point for Western Star over the years. It includes the largest bunk in its class with a 72 inch available, all the way down to a 36 inch sleeper.

MODEL CHOICES The 47X is the smallest model in the new X Series range, with the shortest

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT BBC dimension being 111.5 inch and it is fitted with a setback front axle. This will replace the current 4700 as a rigid capable truck, especially in the agitator market. The future will see the opportunity to fit a13 litre 525hp engine in this chassis, with this BBC, making the 47X also suitable for tasks like port and B-double applications, as well as still being suitable down through to the tipper and agitator environment. When it comes to the 48X, which will be available with the larger Detroit DD-16 engine, as well as the DD-13, and it comes with a set forward front axle. This will suit an area where Western Star have been strong, with models like those suited for hauling 26m B-doubles, with a 113.5 inch BBC and multiple cabin configurations with plenty of engine capability. All the way up to the DD16 with 600hp and 2050 ft lb under the hood, with a serious cooling package. The cooling on both the 48X and the 49X are the same. However, the 49X is packaged with an eight inch longer bonnet making it 121.5 inch BBC, which sees it more suited to the heavier and longer applications, especially in rural areas. Western Star in the US have been selling X Series models for the past few years, but this set of models is very different from the range sold in North America. The organisation here is offering a bit of a hybrid between what has been available from Western Star in the past and what the US are doing now. “We will see digital dash from 2023,” says Kurt. “What we’re showing here on our current product for launch, has got a digital four inch driver command centre in the cluster. Through this, we receive messaging for the Detroit Assurance suite, multimedia, and chassis data. As far as a digital dash with a multimedia interface through to the full digital cluster, we will have those offerings, going into 2023 as an option.” The basic cabin itself is direct from the

Craig Lee, Executive General Manager of On-Highway, Penske Australia.

US X Series, and then the bonnet, sleeper configurations and tank packages are customised for the Australian market needs. “There is no 48X released anywhere else in the globe, it is newly developed for our market,” says Kurt. “With a set forward axle and a high mounted cabin to fit the larger engine. The bonnet on our 48X and 49X is different, and exclusive to our market because of the cooling package required for 16 litre high horsepower applications.” The design also caters for Australian customer needs for higher air intakes. There will be square fuel tanks as well as round tanks. There is a US style large 72 inch bunk, but the size options go down to a 36 inch low and a 36 inch mid stand-up integrated sleeper. The Cummins engines, available in the 47X models will come with horsepower ratings from 330 to 380hp. Ratings available for the two Detroit engines available will have options which run from 450 to 525hp with the DD13, meanwhile the DD16 horsepower settings overlap with those ratings at 500, 560 and on up to 600hp. The DD13 and the DD16, both of which are available with the DT-12, but also available with the Eaton RoadRanger manual gearbox as well.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

Kurt Dein, Head of Western Star Trucks, Penske Australia.

The Cummins L9 engines will be available with manual Eaton transmissions or Allison autos. Different Cummins engine options will be looked at later for Western Star, and may be considered as an option for trucks at higher masses for the new X Series range. The new X Series range has got seven different chassis rails configuration options. With a number of choices in terms of thicknesses for each mass/load rating. “We’ve got up to a 200 plus tonne rating on X Series going forward,” says Kurt. “So if you are looking for a top weight, new rails, 72 inch bunk configuration at 600hp with 16 litre, we will absolutely be there.” The new trucks are fitted with the Detroit Connect system, which from a telematics point of view, is diagnosis capable, with live data as far as fuel/gear selection, average vehicle speeds etc, useable as a fleet management tool. This is fitted in the X Series trucks as standard. On the safety side, the Detroit Assurance package come with a set of choice options around what you can include in the package. There’s plenty to choose from with Active Braking when pedestrian’s or stationary vehicles

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

are detected, through to speed and following distance control, blindspot detection, hill hold, adaptive cruise control down to zero km/h and lane keeping, they are all on the list.

TARGET MARKET These innovations in X Series are going to enable Western Star to look at some new target markets. It will also open doors to organisations which would not have necessarily considered the Star as an option. In the world of the urban distribution prime mover these new X Series models with a fully integrated automated driveline, plus a state of the art safety suite will prick up the ears of some of the larger transport operations in Australia. The Penske organisation are working hard on its outlet foot print around the country to ensure the brand looks like a suitable option. “We’re coming up to 40 years in the country and the brand has certainly got that passion and customer base behind it,” says Kurt. “We’ve been strong in that mums and dads business and our market share reflects where our products got us. “It was back in 1998, when we released the Constellation, so it’s the first time in 24 years for a model change, not just an emission engine upgrade. The 13 litre market is a huge growth market in Australia and having this 13 litre with the capabilities

of this engine with 525hp at 1850 ft lb, coupled with this integrated drive line with the DT12 transmission, and with an integrated safety solution, is going to be great. “Going to X Series is going to open up those doors in the marketplace. With the fleets, and the tenders they’re calling, we are going to be able to tick those boxes once more. The safety package coming in is just massive, and we’re really looking forward to what that 13 litre and safety package solution offers in a marketplace that we haven’t been able to tap into previously.” Even though all of this technology is now going to be available, the more traditional Western Star customer is still going to be able to buy a new truck with analog gauges, large manual gearstick, drum brakes, and can untick those boxes, if they don’t want to have a blind spot radar or lane guard assist warning. Diehard customers will be able to option the 72 inch sleeper with all of the little luxuries that it offers like the bar fridge or the upper bunk with a lounge suite solution downstairs, wardrobes etc. All models will come with Isri integrated driver’s and passenger seat. Another plus for the more traditionally minded customer is the fact that the new X Series trucks for Australia are being built in Portland, Oregon. This is where the

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

brand has been building trucks for over twenty years, after the move from the old plant in Kelowna in Canada. The early X Series for the US market were built on the much larger assembly line in the Daimler plant in Cleveland, North Carolina. The Portland line has a slower throughput and is set up for a lot more customisation and adaptation to individual customer needs than the much faster one in Cleveland.

GOING FORWARD One of the big questions from potential truck buyers going forward is all about fuel consumption. In recent years, a number of brands have moved the dial considerably on this front. Any new model needs to be able to demonstrate it will make improvements in fuel consumption figures. “We’re not going to go to print on fuel numbers, at this point, we’ve been we’re running this drive-line through the US and we’re running the drive-line today in three applications in Australia,” says Craig. “The fuel numbers that we’re seeing on both the 13 and the 16 litre are very impressive. I think the best way to say it, is that we are very confident that we will see a measurable improvement over current product. We are confident that our customers will be very happy with fuel performance.

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

DEALERSHIPS AND MAINTENANCE Penske currently runs a hybrid model of independent dealers and company owned stores. The company is expanding and opened another dealership in Brisbane recently. Meanwhile its independent dealer in Victoria is building another new facility. The company is also actively working on eliminating black spots, where it doesn’t have good coverage for the Detroit drive-line. There is a new dealer development team within the business identifying those critical geographical areas where they haven’t had coverage and implementing a program to address those issues. “Now we are absolutely equal to any of our competitive product from a technology and performance perspective,” says Craig. “Our dealer footprint continues to improve, our investment has been good. We’ve been recruiting well, I think it is a defining moment for us in 2023. Like everybody, we will be managing supply chains to the best of our ability, but when we’re head to head, we will absolutely stack up against anyone.” “The beauty of this truck is that it won’t leave anybody behind. There will be the people that are traditional Western Star people, who will still see that the true Western Star DNA is in the truck, but it comes with the most advanced safety

features and telematics available on the market. Plus, it will have a range of selling features. Fuel economy? Absolutely. It is key, but it’s not the only one.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE New trucks from the X Series will be arriving from December, and depending on the global shipping situation increase going forward into 2023. “In the 13 litre market that we haven’t been able to tap into, we’re really looking forward to what this 13 litre Gen5 Detroit is going to bring us,” says Kurt. “It’s really going get us into that game where we’ve been selling, historically, a 15 litre 90 tonne road truck into a 55 tonne single trailer/Bdouble interstate market. It’s just going to really open up those doors. “We’re also being mindful of the current customer base that has put us on the map over the last 40 years, we’re still going to be able to cover their needs and not lose sight of those customers. But we’re really looking forward to what the new engine is going to bring, in terms of opportunities for them.” The X Series is bound to make an impact on the Australian truck market. Western Star have had a strong customer base, but have been limited by gaps in the model lineup and little forward momentum, in terms of truck design and development. The X Series changes all of that. “Some years ago, circa 10 years ago,

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

we saw Western Star doing 1000 trucks a year,” says Craig. “That’s our goal, not only that B-double interstate type truck, but also one segment where Western Star has always performed well, in tipper and dog applications, but we’ve always been in that market with a 15 litre. “So now to have a 13 litre and I think we’ll get into more segments there. What that means, fundamentally, is that we will be a serious player in those critical segments. Our dealer infrastructure is being developed to support 1000 units a year of Western Star, and then we are back to being a serious player. “With the product itself, we’re extremely confident it can do that. We’re developing our dealer network to support that. I see no reason at all, why we won’t be a 1000 truck a year player.” The Penske organisation has also brought Doug Shand back on board for this project as Product Manager for Western Star Trucks. Doug is a well known character and someone with a long association with the Western Star brand. “I was in Portland, Oregon, the home of the brand, just a few weeks ago with Dave Carson, who’s the head of North American Sales and Marketing,” says Craig. “He says the new X Series is the most tested, strongest and best truck they’ve ever built.”

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TRUCKS ON TEST

ISUZU, 32

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

TRUCKS ON TEST

ON THE ROAD AGAIN www.powertorque.com.au

TRUCKS ON TEST

fter well over thirty years as the number one selling truck brand in Australia, the Isuzu organisation has developed one of the most comprehensive model ranges available any where in the world. This result has come from a combination of strengths, the ability to investigate the precise needs of the Australian truck market and then developing a model to suit each task in transport, and then back it up with a solid dealership base. The opportunity to drive a wide sweep of the Isuzu range does give you a better understanding of the spread of trucks the Japanese truck maker sells into the Australian market. The only real gap is at the top end of the market. Since the decision to stop bringing in the Giga model, there is no credible heavy duty prime mover to suit our market. Of course, there is one in the wings, but just what it will look like and when it will appear is a matter for conjecture. The final product which becomes available here will depend on the original conditions within the deal signed when Volvo sold the UD Trucks organisation to Isuzu and how much of that Volvo Group technology comes across to the Isuzu branded trucks in the process. This is the last time the current Isuzu

range will be updated. This range’s basic design has been with us for 15 years, after its launch back in 2007. The models have seen a series of modernisations over the years to keep them up to date with the regulations and industry requirements, but a model change is due, and we should get an inkling of what Isuzu has up its sleeve in 2023, with an expected release in Australia, in several stages over a period of time thereafter. “The overarching approach with these latest product updates is one of lifting the bar and continuing to ensure that Isuzu trucks are unchallenged as the number one choice in the market,” says Andrew Harbison, Isuzu Director and Chief Operating Officer. “We view the market conditions this year as being very positive. In broader economic terms, there are, of course, some headwinds with the cost of living and inflationary pressures affecting everyone from households through to small and medium businesses. “Data released continues to show strong retail spending by consumers. This bodes well for ongoing demand for freight movements and deliveries. So despite some negative messaging, our own intelligence and key indicators continue to point to a positive picture for sustained

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

sales growth in the Australian truck market in the medium to long term.”

DRIVING EXPERIENCE For now the flagship truck of the Isuzu range is the 8x4 model which has made considerable progress in the agitator market and has boosted Isuzu’s truck sales in the heavy duty sector since its introduction. Test driving the FYJ 300-350 Agitator, with a GVM of 30 tonnes and a tare of 11.3 tonnes is to experience just how far basic truck technology has come in recent years. This uses the 9.8 litre 350hp (257kW) 6UZ1 engine, which produces 1,422 Nm ((1049 ft lb) of torque, and drives through an Allison 4430 Series 6 speed. Using the 4000 Series in this model, may have some tare weight penalty attached to it, but it does create a very robust feeling driveline. The system is well on top of the job and makes working hard at high masses a seamless exercise. This models uses Meritor drive axles with the, virtually standard, Hendrickson HAS461 suspension. The truck is standard with Electronic Stability Control\ (ESC). This is very necessary as the model tested had a 7.3 cubic metre agitator bowl, which, when

TRUCKS ON TEST

fully loaded, makes the centre of gravity relatively high. This latest version of the model is now fitted with an Isuzu approved body mounting outrigger system, a series of connection points pre-fitted to the chassis rails where the agitator bowl suppliers can fit the concrete equipment securely without compromising chassis integrity. Something which has been an issue, in some cases, in the past Coming down the range, another strong seller for the Isuzu range has been the FVL 6x2 fitted with the 14 pallet Freightpack curtain sider body, at 8,800 mm in length. This 24 tonner uses the 7.8 Litre 300hp[ (221kW) and 981 Nm 6HK1 engine with the Allison 3500 Series transmission. A first for a Japanese truck in this market sector is the fact it is fitted with EBS. This truck has been a big success for Isuzu. The truck itself is a good performer, but not particularly that remarkable, However, the Freightpack body design has been a hit for the truck maker. The well thought out design of the body with a number of simple but smart solutions make the life of the driver loading and unloading efficient and safe. “It’s this sort of transport solution that’s beginning to gain acceptance in the market. In fact, our 14 pallet FVL Freightpack model has been the main reason for FVL 6x2 volume, tripling since it was added to the lineup,” says Simon Humphries, Isuzu Chief Engineer, Product Strategy. “Our market knowledge and research are telling us that we’re in the midst of a substantive shift not only in buyer behaviour, but in volume trends within the market. “It’s no secret, that product is becoming more standardised. Buyers are increasingly making clever adjustments to their operations, rather than attempting to create a bespoke and complicated transport solution. The days of adjustments

at the time of purchase, such as modifying wheel bases, or adding an axle or a number of other items, for a great many applications and industries, are coming to an end. “The reason for this is a fairly simple cost benefit analysis, the sheer complexity of active and passive safety technology fitted to modern trucks makes modification an expensive and time consuming proposition for a great many operators. “In truth, the most cost effective solution can usually be found at the other end, adding additional logistics collaboration, changing the pallet packing methods or smarter routing. At Isuzu, what we have been able to do really well over the years is identify these segments of the market where we can inject a level of standardisation to maximise efficiencies for our customers.” The F Series ready to work Freightpack range has five models in the range with three power ratings available and all with

two pedal transmissions. Across those five models, there’s a choice of a 10, 12 or a 14 pallet variant with side gates designed at one pallet width and therefore standardised across the range. This set of choices includes the Isuzu FSR with the 7.8 Litre 260hp (191kW) and 761 Nm (561 ft lb) of torque out of the 6HK1 engine. This long wheel base model runs at a 14 tonnes GVM with an optional 12 tonne rating. The body on the model tested had a 12 pallet capacity and is 7,600 mm in length. PowerTorque also drove the smaller model, the FRR, another long wheel base model with a 10 pallet Freightpack body at 6,500 mm in length. With a GVM of 11 tonnes, this truck has 240hp (177kW) on tap driving through the Isuzu torque converter AMT. The transmission proves to be up to the job at these lower masses, where the Allison is required higher up the weight range. The test program also gave PowerTorque the chance to resample

Grant Cooper, Isuzu Chief of Strategy.

www.powertorque.com.au

TRUCKS ON TEST

other stalwarts of the the ‘Ready-towork’ truck models in the current Isuzu range. This includes a number of tipper options from the FVZ 24 tonnes GVM, to the 14 tonnes GVM FSR with a shorter wheelbase. There was also the NNR 45-150 Crew with a Traypack body and featuring a smooth riding independent front suspension. Also on the road, the Isuzu classic, the NPR 45/55-155 fitted with a Tradepack Premium body. At the lightest end of the range was the NLR 45-150, featuring Isuzu’s AMT, which is geting long in the tooth, and fitted with the very successful Servicepack X service body. All of the trucks on test featured an array of the latest safety and entertainment options from Isuzu including the Isuzu Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS), a Stereo camera, Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Distance Warning System (DWS), Traffic Movement Warning (TMW), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Brake System (EBS). Plus the Mylsuzu Co-Pilot with its 10.1 inch screen and Apple Car Play and Android Auto.

AN ELECTRIC ISUZU Isuzu will be bringing in electric trucks for a full evaluation on our roads in the next year or so. In Japan, Isuzu is already

mass producing electric trucks for the domestic market. “First and foremost is Isuzu’s continued focus on innovation, with two resolving goals of improving logistics optimisation, and the implementation of Isuzu’s carbon neutral strategy,” says Grant Cooper, Isuzu Chief of Strategy. “This global approach to achieving net zero is clearly laid out, with achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions in global operations by 2050 remaining the ultimate goal. There are some stepping stones or a roadmap, that has recently been set up to 2030. A key component is delivering a carbon neutral vehicle lineup that meets the diverse needs of our customer base.” Isuzu has become part of the CJPT Alliance, alongside DENSO and Toyota, a program to be based in Japan to promote the widespread uptake of commercial altpower trucks. The program will see almost 600 trucks consisting of a wide range of alt-power vehicles operating with an energy management system, integrating charging, hydrogen fuelling infrastructure. “We’ll start to see the benefits from such programs trickle down to us here in 2023,” says Grant. “As we start to commence customer pilots for the factory sourced, light duty, battery electric truck. It will have some form of adaptation for Australia. For example, different areas of

the world like the US, EU, or Japan, have different plug types, so we will end up with some customisation, but at its core, the truck will be very much standardised. “We’ve got the early adopters, so for our bigger fleets that demand is absolutely there. It’s just you’ve got this bit of a standoff at the moment on the commercial side and on the performance, making sure it meets their requirements. We need to ensure that it is fit for purpose in those given applications. So logistics last mile with those shorter runs in urban locations is the obvious first cab off the rank. “Then, we need to ensure that it starts to make some commercial sense as well. Everyone across the world, at the moment, is having that issue of just the sheer cost of this introduction, as we don’t have those economies of scale that are coming out of manufacturing, etc. We haven’t seen, and the industry at large hasn’t seen, moves towards lower costs to start to take effect just yet because of the supply chain difficulties.” Isuzu, as apart of the CJPT, is also investigating swappable batteries, which could be used across brands. This may alleviate some of the concerns about range and replacement batteries, which is evident from some potential customers.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

THE NEXT GENERATION

MAN

APPEARS

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

s the introduction of Euro 6 exhaust emission rules and the rapidly increasing level of sophisticated technology available comes on stream, all of the European truck makers are updating their offering. This time around it is the the MAN range which is getting an upgrade. Dubbed TG3, these trucks are the third generation of MAN models to come through this century. Although the Euro 6 regulations are not yet in place, the high level electronic systems which come along with the technology involved, also enable the introduction of a higher level of electronic control and, more sophisticated safety systems. It is these safety systems and their requirement by many fleets and large corporate customers which is driving the transition across to Euro 6, and not the emission rule changes which will follow. There is also the fact that Autonomous Emergency Braking has been mandated for trucks in the near future. This model change allows MAN to bring its offering to the Australian truck market bang up to date and compete directly with its rivals for the big fleet contracts. This development comes at a time of a major renewal for the Penske offering to the Australian market, with a new, much more modern Western Star waiting in the wings. “There’s four main pillars MAN are talking about with the new model, the first one is driver fit,” says Randall Seymore, Executive Vice President, Global Commercial Vehicles and Power Systems at Penske Automotive Group. “Ergonomically, how is this truck to drive? Is it comfortable, does it have all the safety features? Is the driver going to come out of that truck feeling comfortable? The economy and efficiency of the truck, it’s all about total cost of ownership, and it has migrated a bit, what’s important in the Australian market. “Big trucks with bling and chrome are still part of the part of the culture, but Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is becoming more and more apparent, you can see that in the shift to European truck brands as evidence of that.We are optimising our uptime, and, being a strong partner.” MAN in Australia is hoping this new range will be a game-changer. There’s

been over 167,000 hours of design work alone. That’s reflected in the new aggressive grille, which extends all the way down to the front fascia. This has a two fold effect, one from an aerodynamics point of view and cooling the engine, but it also looks good. “The last three years have shown or proven to us that the development and the work we put into the truck has really been beneficial for drivers and customers,” says Thomas Hemmerich, Head of Cluster, MAN Australasia and MD MAN Truck and Bus Korea. “We’ve won lots of awards, we won the International Truck of the Year Award 2021 with the truck. Just two months ago, we won a fuel competition in South Africa, for the most efficient truck in a competitive field. “Most importantly, we did set up an expert advisory board. This means that in the development phase, we’ve got customers, we’ve got drivers, we’ve got our partners in from Australia, for a proper trial with specialists, to get the feedback on what needs to improve for this new truck generation in comparison to the previous one, in order to develop and build the truck. We hope it will prove the point that we have a highly competitive product in the market. “Over the last two years since the truck was launched, MAN has grown its market share and sales volume considerably against the competitors in Europe. The driver feedback is really excellent. I’m convinced that the Australian drivers will say the same, because I think it’s the ultimate working environment. It’s a very demanding, very exhausting job. So we need to do our utmost as a producer of trucks to create this ultimate workplace for them.”

10 litre D20 engines.There’s a choice of 360, 400, 440, 480 and 540 horsepower available. The TGS only comes with a standard cab height with a sleeper or day cab option both narrower than the TGX, at 2.44m. These cabins sit lower, with a smaller front grille, as they only have to accomodate the smaller engines. At the lower end of the scale, we come onto the TGL and TGM with the engine options here being 250, 290 and 320 horsepower, with a 6.9 litre engine. “MAN and Penske are committed to the long haul here in Australia,” says Craig Lee, Executive General Manager of On Highway Penske Australia. “We’ve set about, over these last number of years, building a very strong foundation to support our customers. There are two very important foundations, which is the new generation truck and the dealer footprint that will continue to keep our customers mobile and well supported, as we go forward. “There’s a few key attributes to this truck and one is the excellent driver fit. This is through our streamlined cabins, intuitive dash layout, and absolutely luxurious rest and sleep areas, ensuring that the drivers are well rested and enjoy that experience. Helping fleet operators to actually attract and retain the best calibre of driver available in the market. “Increased efficiency and economy and new generation engines delivering

NEW PRODUCT LINE-UP This new TG3 range includes the TGX which is available in 6x4 with a 540hp 12.4 litre engine option or the 580 and 640 horsepower settings of the 15.1 litre . There’s a choice of three cab options, the GX, which is the biggest one, that’s a full height, full width cabin. Then there’s the GM which is the medium height still also full width, and the GN, which is standard height. Going down the range, we get to the TGS which is available as a 4x2 and a 6x4 There’s more engine options with all of the 12.4 litre D26 engines plus one of the

Thomas Hemmerich, Head of Cluster, MAN Australasia and MD MAN Truck and Bus Korea.

www.powertorque.com.au

TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

CABIN MAKEOVER

There’s a choice of three cab options, the GX, which is the biggest one, that’s a full height, full width cabin.

optimised fuel economy, ensuring that the profitability of our customers remains the best it can be. Also importantly, MAN’s reliability, and intuitive technology, ensuring optimised up-time. It’s very important that our customers can keep these trucks on the road operating. The technology in these trucks and the integrated drive line, ensuring that uptime is maximised where possible.” In recent years, Penske has invested heavily in its dealer network, and company-owned stores in Australia, in Sydney, Perth, Far North Queensland and Brisbane, with the recent addition of a second site on the east side of Brisbane. “Our intention, over the next 18 to

24 months, is to more than double the market share that we enjoy today,” says Craig. “We are going to actively take it to our competitors, Kenworth, Scania, Volvo, and Mercedes with this new truck. “We are expressly confident in the performance and the delivery of the product. We’ve seen exceptional results in Europe, we’ve worked very closely with MAN to ensure those results are repeatable here in Australia. We’ve invested heavily in our dealer development and in our dealer network, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to give our customers a product that will give them economical, reliable, and effective transport solutions.”

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

The phrase which MAN use to describe the idea behind the TG3 truck range is ‘driver fit’. This is the aspect which the brand emphasised at the initial launch two years ago in Europe, and which has seen the truck maker increase market share there. The designers have clearly asked drivers and operators about what they are looking for in a truck and have also clearly listened to the answers they got back. The cabin design is full of smarts which make sense to the the truck driving community. The first real smart you come across comes into view as you open the driver’s door up to 89 degrees wide. The EasyControl system sits on the lower part of the inside of the door and has four reconfigurable buttons. These allow the operator to select various functions which the driver can then access from the ground standing outside the cabin. The most obvious choices could be things like turning the working light on the back of the cabin on and off, PTO controls, engine start, passenger door lock and hazard flashers. Climbing up into the cabin, the set back staircase takes you up into a space which is striking in the quality of the fit and finish, and of the material used. Settling down into the driver’s seat and turning on the ignition, you can see the optional digital dash lighting up, both for the instrument panel and the infotainment system. Down low, to the driver’s left hand is the Smart Select control module. This appears as an unusual triangular shaped fitting on the dash. However, simply fold down the triangle and its function becomes much clearer. The folded down section forms a hand rest, giving the driver steady access to all of the gizmos in the truck through a well-designed, knob/joystick controller. This allows you to toggle through all the menus, and go through all the innovations that this truck brings. These higher level controls augment the large array of control buttons on the steering wheel for all of the systems the driver can play with whilst driving on the road. When it comes to the myriad of safety systems which are now being fitted to modern trucks, MAN are up there with the rest of the pack offering a full menu of abbreviations and acronyms. The baseline telematics solution, known as MAN Opti-Connect is a version of the

TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

system sold by the company in the UK truck market and adapted for Australian tastes and conditions. There are also a number of smart storage solutions in the central binnacle with an array drawers and and other storage ideas, plus a couple of sturdy drinks holders. “The TGX range has got the longest bunk in the class at over 2.1 meters long,” says Sergio Carboni, Product Manager at Penske Australia.. “The co-driver seat both rotates and also folds down to create a table. There are more storage compartments in his truck than you’ll find in an IKEA superstore, and along with that you’ve got this really great fridge. “The cabin also includes a safety cell, which is a unique part of the MAN safety features, where, after a severe frontal impact, the whole cab moves rearwards up to 750mm, ensuring integrity is maintained with the doors, so that the driver and passenger and/or essential services can get in and out of the vehicle in a safe manner.”

As you would expect on any European prime mover, there are nice bunks, well designed fridges. One neat idea can be seen when you lift the bunk up and there’s the access through to the the side lockers. Covering the access are trays. So, when you lift the bunk you’ve got the central storage which can be fridges or lockers, and then behind the two seats are two decent sized storage trays. If you want to access to the side-lockers, simply lift the tray up and out of the way

DRIVELINE TECHNOLOGY The transmission available in the TG3 range is the Tipmatic, MAN’s version of the ZF Traxon AMT, this latest version includes some key functions like load and slow protection, idle speed driving in heavy traffic, Smartshift to pick shift patterns as efficiently as possible, and efficient roll, which kicks in when there’s an opportunity for the engine to idle and open the clutch to get the maximum in regards to fuel economy. “We’ve seen some pretty impressive

fuel economy results in Europe, but we’ve got to be cognisant that the European driving conditions and environment is a little bit different than in Australia,” says Sergio. “We’re very confident that the powertrains that we’ve got here will deliver fuel consumption improvements. We will do some trials in the next few months here.” The MAN range of engines goes from the 250hp fitted in the TGL, all the

END OF

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

Dubbed TG3, these trucks are the third generation of MAN models to come through this century.

way to the 640hp in the TGX range. One innovation in these new trucks is fitted in the 15 litre engines. MAN claims it to be a class leading engine brake with 840hp engine braking (630kW), reckoned to be around 20 per cent more than the competition’s. In the past, MAN have included an intarder in the truck specification as the the previous engine braking was not seen as adequate for Australian roads, in many cases. However, with this engine brake, available on the 15 litre engine, MAN promises a whacking 840hp of retardation from the enhanced engine brake. As in most engine brakes it uses the pressures in the engine to hold the back the drivetrain by opening and closing valves to get the retardation required. The enhancement MAN have come up with has the exhaust flap on the turbo positioned upstream of the turbocharger. It can therefore build up more back pressure when braking. A high flow nozzle increases the speed of exhaust gases hitting the turbo blades, this, in turn, increases pressure held within the engine, enhancing the retardation effect.

In the drive for improved fuel economy there have been powertrain improvements in clutches, alternators and work ensuring filtration systems are efficient. On the TGS models MAN has been working hard, in regards to the tare weights. This will make the model more attractive for tipper and dog, and container work, by enabling higher payloads and the return on investment to the customer. The standard TGX comes out with 1200 litres of fuel, and the 13 litre gets 1080 litres of fuel. For more local applications like container work, the TGS can be fitted with 590 litre fuel tanks.

CAN MAN CRACK THE MARKET? “I think it’s fair to say that this product will be present in the industry with both 15 and 13 litre engines,” says Craig. “Our 13 litre product ,we know is an exceptionally reliable and well regarded truck and where it goes into fleets today, it performs extremely well. “That 13 litre interstate market is a huge market, and that is a key focus market for us. We see that we’re probably

underrepresented in that space. So that’s a market that we will be very aggressively chasing, I would expect that we would see in our on highway 6x4 market, we’re going to be somewhere in the vicinity of 70 per cent 13 litre and 30 per cent 15 litre.” MAN has come up with a good looking new range with the TG3 with some smart ideas included in the package. The design tells us that they actually did talk to drivers and listen to them, and then acted accordingly. Ergonomically, this is an excellent cab. Everything is really handy. The design of MAN trucks is not the problem that the truck maker has had in this country. However, the problems have grown from the level of adaptation to Australian conditions which MAN in Germany feel comfortable in doing. Whereas their rivals in the European prime mover space have been more willing to spend development dollars here for things which are purely for the Australian market. We can only wait and see if this latest generation of trucks can really let the brand crack this tough truck market.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVER AND ANIMAL WELFARE, THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT Livestock transport is like no other part of the road freight sector. The interaction of animal welfare laws, workplace safety laws and road transport laws can create challenges in balancing the equally important elements of driver welfare and animal welfare.

he recent tabling in the Australian Senate of animal welfare incident reports occurring at export abattoirs over a two-year period has highlighted industry performance in the domestic livestock supply chain. It shows we are doing well, but there remains room for improvement. Compiled between January 1 2020 and December 31 2021, there were 70.6 million animals transported to export abattoirs, with 631 welfare incidents recorded involving 4,083 individual animals. This represents a non-compliance rate of 0.0058 percent. More than 99.99 percent of livestock arrived without incident. According to the CSIRO, there are more than 600,000 semi-trailer equivalent movements of livestock annually in Australia. Ensuring that these animals are ‘fit-to-load’ and subsequently loaded, unloaded and carried with care is a central tenant of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Land Transport of Livestock (Land Transport Standards). The Land Transport Standards are nationally agreed and legislated in all States and Territories. All persons in charge of livestock, at all points in the supply chain, must abide by these rules. The vast majority of the 631 recorded incidents relate to the carriage of animals that were not ‘fit-to-load’, or to injuries that may have occurred during the transport task. There was also a handful of reports indicating cruelty or mistreatment. There simply is no place in the livestock production chain for persons who deliberately mistreat animals. All of those cases have been reported to authorities and will be investigated. If proven, the persons responsible must be identified and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. While recognising that our drivers must play a role in identifying and removing animals that are not fit-to-load, the

reality is that this can be difficult in some circumstances. Sometimes drivers are unable to inspect animals because on-site loading or biosecurity protocols completely removes the driver from this process. At other times, the driver’s observational vantage point may not allow full viewing of each individual animal. For example, the driver may only be able to view from an elevated and/or single-side position. In other cases, on-site lighting may be poor or side infill sheets on yards and ramps can restrict inspection opportunities. This is not to say that drivers do not inspect animals and refuse to load unfit individuals. In fact, the rate of rejection during the loading process is orders of magnitude higher than the 0.0058 percent non-compliance rate. We absolutely play our role to the fullest extent possible. Rejected animals should never have been presented for loading in the first place. It is the person with possession of the livestock prior to loading who has the best opportunity to inspect and remove unfit animals from the herd. They understand their production system and they should be trained to recognise the warning signs. In 2017, ALRTA wrote to Meat and Livestock Australia requesting that published guidance material on ‘fit-to-load’ requirements be revised to provide better information about relatively common animal conditions such as hernia, uncut claws, blindness, broken horns and expression of pain. It has since been revised with input from transporters helping to improve content and visual presentation. Awareness of the guide is generally high, but there are still some producers, like hobby farmers or those who do not engage with industry associations, who remain difficult to reach. Our association has also spearheaded the development of AS 5340:2020, an Australian Standard for Livestock Loading/Unloading Ramps and Forcing Pens, published in

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

November 2020 following an application to Standards Australia by ALRTA and a thorough consultation phase. Unsafe ramp facilities are dangerous both to people and to animals. A 2021 ALRTA survey found that 87 per cent of respondents involved in loading livestock had experienced an injury in the past five years and almost 70 per cent continue to experience near misses regularly or often. Some of the reported 631 animal welfare incidents were caused by sub-standard ramps and loading facilities. ALRTA is campaigning to mandate the ramp standard at all livestock facilities. To help reduce injuries that may occur during the transport task from slips, trips and falls within a livestock crate, ALRTA is leading the development of an industry code of practice for managing livestock effluent. We have engaged with producers, agents, saleyards, transporters, processors, enforcement authorities and community representatives to identify practical control measures that reduce effluent production in transit, provide better information and improve options for capture and disposal. This code will be registered under the Heavy Vehicle National Law during 2022. The TruckSafe Animal Welfare quality assurance system covers animal welfare, food safety and traceability. It is fully auditable and is built around the quality assurance principles contained in international standards and also uses hazard analysis of critical control points. ALRTA members that adopt the TruckSafe system are not just compliant with all animal welfare laws, they can readily demonstrate it to customers, governments and the community. So, while a 99.99 percent compliance rate isn’t bad, we won’t be resting on our laurels. ALRTA will continue to push for improvements in education, infrastructure and practice until we reach 100 percent.

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

THINKING ABOUT

FOOT AND MOUTH

s Australia comes out of the human pandemic, albeit slowly, other epidemics are on our doorstep and may pose a threat to the livestock industry. These include Foot Mouth Disease (FMD), Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), and African

Swine Fever (ASF). A large outbreak of FMD in Australia, for example, could have significant economic social impacts and potentially cost of up to $80 billion over 10 years, with immediate and ongoing impacts on livestock transport. The stakes are high, there’s a lot of information and misinformation sweeping around the livestock transport industry. Australian Border Security is working to keep these diseases out. There are nationally agreed response plans in place and states are actively preparing to control and to eradicate any outbreak. The question is, what is the risk level and how well prepared is the livestock transport industry? What would happen on the ground in the event of an outbreak? How might it impact business? What can we do to be even better prepared? In a bid to help livestockers understand this complex issue, the ALRTA brought together a panel including experts in animal science, biosecurity and disease control, and also the people responsible for preparing and for dealing with major outbreaks at both the national and state levels.

NATIONAL PREVENTION Dr. Chris Parker, National Animal Disease Preparedness Coordinator, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Dr. Chris Parker works as the National Animal Disease Preparedness Coordinator with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. “My role in the department is to

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

look at how we might coordinate and work through what the response is, across government”, said Dr. Chris Parker. “We’re dealing with probably the spread of exotic animal diseases. These have spread around the world in the last 10 to 15 years. The three we’re most concerned about are LSD, which is a disease in cattle and in buffalo, ASF a disease of pigs as the name would indicate and we’re also particularly concerned about FMD. “They’ve all been spreading through Europe and Asia for some time, a number of these diseases originated in Africa. What’s going to be the effect of these particular diseases, for us in Australia? These are trade diseases, particularly LSD, and FMD. These two diseases are high morbidity, low mortality. High morbidity means a lot of animals are going to get it, and low mortality means not that many die from it. “A disease like ASF, has a low morbidity, and has a high mortality. So it just depends, in essence, what those diseases will look like and what they’ll do, but their effect for us is in trade. If we get an outbreak of FMD, every single market will close to a lot of livestock products. “Given we export 70 per cent of our livestock production in this country, and it won’t just be meat, or milk, it’ll be wool, or live animals. Everything that we produce, will be shut out of markets to start with. Then we’ll have to go through

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

a very long process of getting ourselves back into those marketplaces.” The estimated $80 billion cost is for FMD. LSD, in the first year, will have trade effects costing $7 billion. In response to the spread of these diseases, government’s got a three pronged approach. They’re looking at pre border, at border and post border. Pre border, the focus is on Indonesia, because they have an active outbreak. It’s close to us, and a lot of people travel between Indonesia, particularly Bali, and Australia. So that presents a unique set of risks for us as a country. “We’re paying for vaccine for both LSD and FMD in Indonesia,” said Chris. “We’re paying for technical support for them around the diagnostics and advisories around how they might do the vaccination around the epidemiology of the disease, expertise in vaccine production. The government’s announced significant amounts of money to go towards that recently with another $10 million out of the aid budget. “There has been a step up of activity at the borders, both in numbers of officers, and in the manner in which

“WE’RE DEALING WITH PROBABLY THE SPREAD OF EXOTIC ANIMAL DISEASES. THESE HAVE SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD IN THE LAST 10 TO 15 YEARS. THE THREE WE’RE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT ARE LSD, WHICH IS A DISEASE IN CATTLE AND IN BUFFALO, ASF A DISEASE OF PIGS AS THE NAME WOULD INDICATE AND WE’RE ALSO PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT FMD.” we profile people. Also in the manner in which we look at inspections of both product of people and their baggage. We’ve also had the implementation of foot mats that people need to walk over at every international airport that has direct flights from Bali, or direct flights from Indonesia “My department’s been doing assurance work, we’ve been going into supermarkets looking at product, buying, testing it, to see whether it is what it says it is and to see whether it poses a disease risk. The other thing we do is testing the product we find at the border and we do find exotic diseases. When we see these

we destroy it, we assume it is infected.” The system to detect issues has ben well designed, but not so effective is how the agencies interact across government, and with all the other services. The creation of the task force that involves the Department of Agriculture and Emergency Management Australia, has been formed to bring the two arms of the disease response together.

INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER Dr. Peter Dagg is a veterinarian, with experience in both the government and private sectors in the areas of national

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

Dr. Peter Dagg, Veterinarian with Animal Health Australia.

animal health and welfare, biosecurity, import risk analysis, food safety and veterinary public health. He’s also been involved in emergency animal disease preparedness and response for more than 15 years “I want to talk about what happens if the worst happens, if one of these things do get in here into Australia,” said Peter. “With Animal Health Australia (AHA), we’re not government, and we’re not industry. We’re an independent company, but we have funding members from both government and industry. What we’re all about is being ready, being prepared and ready to respond when needed, and the worst happens. “Our job is biosecurity, making sure people and farms are prepared if something does happen, so that we can keep diseases either out of certain areas or out of certain premises. We are also about bringing Governments and industries together. Australia is unique in that position, in that we actually bring Governments and industries together to consult on this stuff, before anything happens. “The response plan is called the Australian Medical Emergency Plan. It’s a series of plans. You can actually go to our website and see them. We prepare

specifically for each of these major diseases, and have response strategies for them.” Overarching these documents is the Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement, a legally binding document, to which funding members of AHA sign up. This response agreement, which was developed back in 2002, is reviewed every five years, and it is currently under review. This review will be informed by the current situation in Indonesia. The agreement sets out the roles and responsibilities when governments and industries come together at the same table during an outbreak situation and they share the decision making in that process. The process comes into action when a farmer or a vet, or a saleyard manager sees something that’s a bit unusual, and reports it through to a veterinarian. There is an animal watch hotline, and then the government becomes involved. “These reports come through everyday, which is really important, because it means that, people are actually looking for something that’s a bit unusual,” says Peter. “This is our early warning system to get on top of these things as quickly as we possibly can, if we’ve got any chance of eradicating them, which is our primary role. “Samples are sent to labs, tested, and then it can go either way. So if they’re negative, nothing happens, but if there’s a positive, that’s when the formal systems come into play.There’s a Consultative Committee on animal diseases, and then at a higher level there’s the National Management Group, which makes decisions on what we actually do based on the manual.” FMD is highly infectious, and effects a huge part of our livestock industry, cattle, buffalo, pigs, sheep, goats, deer, every cloven hoofed animal. It is highly contagious, making it vitally important to the livestock transport industry. The virus can hang around in the environment, and can actually get on trucks and be transmitted or transported around. It doesn’t infect people. There is a vaccine bank available, so we can respond to it very quickly, if the worst happens. The plan sets out the response that will happen from day one of an outbreak. It doesn’t cover valuation and compensation, that’s covered by state and territory

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

legislation. The system of declared areas and movement controls, will be an important aspect for livestock transport. “If the worst happens, and it gets into Australia, I am working to ensure we’ve got our best possible response, ready to go,” said Peter. “We are all about eradicating the disease, minimising social and economic impacts, but the bottom line is that there are going to be social and economic impacts for industries across the board. “Obviously, livestock industries are going to be affected, but what we’re about is disease control and eradication, getting Australia back to normal as quickly as possible. There will be quarantine of premises, and destruction of animals on infected premises or tthose highly suspicious of being infected. There will be a National Livestock Standstill.” This standstill will be in place for 72 hours as a minimum. At this point, the authorities will be trying to identify exactly where the disease is, where it has spread to, where it’s come from, trying to get all the epidemiological information together. Then it will be possible to narrow the focus down to exactly where the disease is most likely to be. The published plan talks about what will happen to livestock and livestock vehicles in transit, at the time that the National Livestock Standstill is called. A consultation is currently taking place between the government and the ALRTA to make sure that the plan is practically correct and doable. After the livestock standstill itself has been completed, the focus moves down to where the infected properties are. There’ll be restricted areas set up and there will be certain movement restrictions between and within these areas. On livestock vehicles, there will be other restrictions, based on decontamination procedures to keep things moving. Movements of vehicles will still be able to happen. The rules are about decontaminating them before they move from higher risk areas.

THE LOCAL RESPONSE Dr. Megan Scott is the Principal Officer Emergency Animal Disease, Agriculture Victoria. She has been a district Veterinary Officer based in Bendigo, and worked in private practice in the UK during the 2001 FMD outbreak. Since working at the department, she has been involved

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

in outbreak responses associated with avian influenza, anthrax, equine influenza, and FMD investigations in Canada and Thailand. “One of the most critical things that no single organisation is going to be capable of responding to, is an FMD incursion,” said Megan. ’It’s going to require the expertise, the experience and the cooperation of all of us. From the farmer at the farm gate, through to the transporters, to the governments and through to a whole lot of other agencies. “Any sort of effective response relies on a whole lot of complex factors. Right down to early detection, someone who’s prepared to actually report a case when it Dr. Megan Scott, Principal Officer Emergency Animal Disease, Agriculture Victoria.

comes through. Effective control measures, where movement restrictions come into play. Any transport movement could be one that is carrying FMD, which has got an incubation period around 14 days. The challenge we’ve got is the fact that you can actually have animals which are not unwell shedding virus four days before they start to show clinical signs. “You could be traveling transporting animals around that look perfectly fine, but actually, they’re virus factories pumping around the state. Movement restrictions are so important. If you can stop any one of those movements, potentially you can make a big impact on where the disease goes and how quickly it

spreads around.” FMD spreads easily through those species that happen to be our key commercial livestock species. The signs which transporters might spot will be lameness and salivation, if those animals are drooling, or lame. That should be a trigger, to go and have a closer look. The National Livestock Standstill will be triggered by the detection of the disease or a high suspicion of the disease anywhere in Australia. So for Victoria, it doesn’t matter if that detection is somewhere up in the Northern Territory, or Queensland, or WA, the whole country stops live movements. Every state, every jurisdiction uses the legislation within their state to stop the movement of of livestock. There might be some subtle timing differences in how it’s applied. Stock in transit, will be allowed to continue through to its destination, as long as it’s not crossing a state border. No new movements can commence. “One of the key things to think about is this, that it is a disease,” said Megan. “It’s not like a bushfire. It’s not like a flood that will come and go over a couple of weeks. This is a response that requires a sustained effort and a sustained commitment. We’re talking at least three to six months, more likely longer. So this is going to be wearing for the long haul if we get it. “There will be border closures, there will be emergency warnings, there’ll be a whole lot of things happening in that very first 24 hours. As we move forward, there will be some other movement restrictions in terms of control areas and restricted areas. “As we move further into time, you start to see some of those relief and recovery packages in the compensation arrangement. This is where industry can play a really important role, to be thinking about what what will work, what can we be doing that will make a difference rather than leave it up to bureaucrats to decide.” The next stage after an outbreak is known as the three Ds, destruction, disposal and decontamination. This process is critical in terms of removing the virus out of the system and protecting the healthy animals. The next stage is the proof of freedom phase. A wide range of testing takes place, proving to ourselves and to our international partners that Australia has no longer got FMD.

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INTERNATIONAL

TRUCK OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Two prizes which form part of the International Truck of the Year Awards have been presented in Hanover, Germany, at the IAA Transportation event. Both awards, the IToY and the IToY Innovation Award were present to the winners, DAF Trucks and Mercedes Benz, at the event.

AF’s XD series has been elected International Truck of the Year 2023 by a jury of 24 commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists representing 24 major trucking magazines throughout Europe. Harald Seidel, President of DAF Trucks, was presented with the prestigious award during the IAA Transportation’s press day. With a winning score of 134 votes, the Dutch truck manufacturer’s distribution series fought off tough challenges from Scania’s new Super long-haul driveline range and Mercedes-Benz’s heavy-duty Actros, equipped with the 3rd-generation OM 471 engine. Based on the International Truck of the Year (IToY) rules, the annual award goes to the truck introduced into the market in the previous 12 months, making the most significant contribution to road transport efficiency. This judgment relies on several critical criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint,’ and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). With the same DNA as the new generation heavy-duty XF, XG, and XG+ models, DAF’s XD has taken full advantage of the EU’s new mass and dimensions regulations. The result is a truck range that

dramatically improves direct visibility (a key factor for distribution vehicles), internal cab space, aerodynamics, fuel efficiency, active and passive safety, and driver comfort. During test drives in the Netherlands, the IToY journalists appreciated the driving position and the all-round enhanced visibility provided by a large, curved windscreen, side windows with low belt-lines, and the kerb-view window. These features, along with the optional digital vision system that replaces the traditional rear view mirrors and the corner view mirror, improve the safety of vulnerable road users along congested urban roads. The IToY journalists also praised the performance of the new, highly efficient powertrain, which is based on the inlinesix Paccar MX-11 engine, coupled with the ZF TraXon automated gearbox with advanced predictive features. “With the introduction of the new XD series, DAF has delivered a stateof-the-art distribution truck family that sets a new benchmark in the automotive industry,” said Gianenrico Griffini, International Truck of the Year Chairman, summing up the jury vote. “Moreover, the new XD is also a suitable platform for the coming generation of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), to be introduced at the IAA Transportation”.

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TRUCK OF THE YEAR

Harald Seidel, President of DAF Trucks with the prestigious award.

A GONG FOR THE eACTROS Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ eActros LongHaul a concept prototype for heavy-duty longdistance transport, has won the 2023 Truck Innovation Award. The prestigious award was handed over to Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks, during the IAA Transportation’s press day in Hanover, Germany. The Truck Innovation Award which acknowledges the enormous technological changes and energy transition within the automotive sector, has been awarded by the IToY jury. With a winning score of 112 votes, Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ battery-electric truck (BEV) fought off the competition from ZF eTrailer, the full-electric Volta Trucks Zero range, and Faun Enginius fuelcell powered vehicles for municipal tasks. The IToY journalists praised the advanced characteristics of the eActros LongHaul, which employs fast-charging long-service life lithium-iron phosphate cell technology (LFP), and the speed of Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ R&D process. Indeed, announced for the first time in 2020, the eActros LongHaul is already undergoing intensive testing, will hit public roads this year, and near-production prototypes will go to customers for real-world use testing in 2023. The ITOY journalists also appreciated the compact dimensions of the prime mover, which, within a wheelbase of 4 metres, accommodates three battery packs with a total installed capacity of over 600 kWh and two electric motors,

Members of the IToY Jury.

as part of a new e-axle, with a continuous output of 400 kW. “The Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul opens a new chapter towards e-mobility,” said Gianenrico. “It’s proof that the transition to CO2-neutral long-haul transport is an achievable target, relying on hi-tech solutions and continuous R&D efforts.” According to IToY rules, a Truck Innovation Award nominee must be an advanced-technology vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of over 3.5-tonnes fitted with an alternative driveline or fuel system. Otherwise, it must feature specific high-tech solutions concerning connectivity (semi- or fully autonomous driving systems), platooning capability, or advanced support services such as

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

remote diagnostics. The International Truck of the Year (IToY) award was initially launched in 1977 by the British journalist and legendary editor of TRUCK magazine Pat Kennett. Today, the 24 jury members represent leading commercial vehicle magazines throughout Europe. Moreover, in the last few years, the IToY Group has extended its sphere of influence by appointing ‘associate members in the growing truck markets of China, India, South Africa, Australia (PowerTorque Editor, Tim Giles), Brazil, Japan, Iran, New Zealand, Israel, and Malaysia. Altogether, the combined truck operator readership of the 24 IToY full-jury members’ magazines and those of its 10 associate members exceeds 1,100,000.

Gianenrico Griffini, International Truck of the Year Chairman presents the IToY Innovation Award to Karin Rådström, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

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CONVERGENCE

HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN HELP TRUCKING BUSINESSES REDUCE COSTS AND STAY COMPETITIVE Shannon Kyle, Solution Specialist at Teletrac Navman dicusses the challenges ahead. improve the longevity of parts, reduce costly breakdowns, and keep your fleet moving. Telematics and fleet management software can gather and collate data across your fleet, automating the analysis process.

REDUCING FUEL USAGE

he trucking industry has weathered its fair share of challenges recently, with “the S big four” – staff, skills, safety, and the supply chain – putting pressure on businesses. Money is tight, but the situation offers a unique opportunity for businesses to reassess workflows – because the best way to stay competitive in this tough market is to optimise your operation and reduce costs wherever possible. Here’s how technology can help you get a hold of your businesses’ spending, so you can funnel it into retaining your staff, building their skills, and improving your service instead.

Telematics platforms allow you to review each stop a driver makes on a route to reduce detours or avoid poor road conditions. Fuel consumption isn’t just about the kilometres. Telematics also show if a vehicle is consistently idling, you can assess why and plan drop-off times accordingly to avoid excess fuel usage and damage to the engine. If drivers exhibit habits like aggressive acceleration, harsh braking, or driving faster than necessary, you’ll use fuel more quickly, and your drivers’ safety will be at risk. The good news is this is a simple fix once you know the cause. For example, reducing a truck’s average speed from 100 km per hour to 95 can reduce fuel consumption while also improving driver safety. AI-enabled technology like the Smart Dashcam can help by providing realtime alerts to drivers and collecting data on their driving habits. The alerts allow drivers to correct their driving instantly. You can create training programs based on this data to reduce fuel consumption while upskilling your employees – which addresses both the skills and the safety factors in the “S big four” affecting the industry.

DATA-BASED ASSESSMENT IS KEY With the end of the fuel excise, assessing your business’s fuel usage is critical. Consider if you’re calculating your off-road travel and auxiliary fuel use correctly for accurate Fuel Tax Credit (FTC) rebates. Maintenance of your vehicles and equipment is vital to

CLAIM AND MAINTAIN It’s important to ensure an accurate FTC rebate. ATO product-ruling-based solutions, like Teletrac Navman’s FTC Manager, can automate the process, ensuring you can claim what you’re entitled to while staying compliant.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

A poorly maintained vehicle can burn through excessive fuel, reduce the longevity of parts, and you’ll experience more breakdowns – that could have been avoided. Not only are you wasting dollars replacing parts, but you also aren’t making the most of your drivers and vehicles. Proactively keeping essential vehicle parts like tyres, lubricants and oils, engine components, electrics and sensors in good condition can put a dent in your fuel bill while extending their lifespan. Automating the maintenance process rather than relying on manual paperwork can take the hassle out of the process. Predictive maintenance tools are your best bet, using historical data to identify what parts need maintenance and when with custom schedules and real-time access to equipment diagnostics and inspection reports. You’ll receive alerts when something needs attention, so you can keep your trucks moving, protect your staff, and ensure your business maximises its resources and operates effectively.

INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS The challenges faced by the transport industry aren’t one-dimensional – there are numerous factors, including “the S big four”, impacting businesses. Similarly, a single solution won’t cut it to ease the pressure. A range of technology applications can help tackle individual problems but integrating these solutions with fleet management software is key to delivering big-picture insights. With these insights, you’ll have the knowledge to reduce your spending so you can invest it where it counts. By introducing technology to your business, you can be part of the solution by providing a more reliable service to your customers to reduce supply chain challenges.

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CONVERGENCE

A CAN OF WORMS, OR A DOG’S BREAKFAST Investigating the use of on-board mass systems, in combination with telematics and higher productivity schemes, it is difficult to work out whether it’s opening a can or worms or a dog’s breakfast. It’s probably a combination of both.

nterested in making your fleet more productive and efficient, looking to make some real gains? The answer to this question from just about any fleet will be yes,. The imperative is to make every kilometre count and also to maximise payload on every trip. It’s not just about getting paid more for a load, it’s also about getting the task done with less of those things which are becoming scarce, skilled drivers and new rolling stock. One of the vital tools in the drive to improve productivity is the onboard mass monitoring system. The process from the operator of the truck’s point of view is relatively simple. An OBM system will verify the masses on each axle group and this can be recorded or reported in a way which the local authorities stipulate for routes they have jurisdiction over.

THE COMPLIANCE ISSUE In most cases the OBM is used as part of a scheme which in theory will work but has not been very well rolled out by the government’s and is not understood by the suppliers of some of the onboard mass equipment In other cases, the authorities are not

checking to ensure that the entire system is completed all the way through, from the OBM, to the telematics recording and broadcasting the mass on board the truck in a consistent manner. One of the strengths of OBM is that it provides a trucking operator with precise recorded undeniable mass data for each axle. In chain of responsibility (CoR) actions, or if an accident were to occur, the fact that that data is correct and compliant means that anyone investigating such an accident would automatically look elsewhere for a cause. However, if the mass data was unrecorded or not accessible, then there is often an assumption by any investigator that there may have been a breach of the mass rules involved in any incident. There is also an issue around whether roadside enforcement actually fully understand exactly what is going on in each individual vehicle. This may well be because the rules around the use of OBM and higher productivity vehicles is so complex, and also varies widely from area to area. Some of the OBM Systems do connect universally and others don’t. It is quite often difficult for an operator to work

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

out exactly which systems they can and cannot connect to. The information available online, on websites like those in each state and Transport Certification Australia (TCA), are not very clear and it is not easy to drill down and find the information you would need in order to ensure you are absolutely watertight in compliance terms, in the fitting of an OBM. People are buying systems and they are being fitted in trucks, and they are individually compliant, but if they do not connect with each other, they may actually be non-compliant. It is often difficult for law enforcement officers, and the police, to understand whether a particular truck. or a particular system is, or is not, compliant. The most important aspect of the value of OBM is the logging and record keeping of each individual vehicle on each individual journey. It is clear that the communication between disparate aspects of the systems on a truck are just as important as actually having the equipment itself fitted. The larger companies are trying to work according to CoR rules, but for smaller companies it’s a lot more difficult. They do need help and

CONVERGENCE

the communication from both states and national organisations is not good. The issues will probably only get sorted out if there is a major prosecution using chain of responsibility legislation. Something like that would be an opportunity to wake up the industry and to create an impetus to make sure operators can genuinely be assured of being compliant, using OBM.

GETTING COMPLIANCE RIGHT Schemes like IAP are designed so that the authorities who are in control of the roads get precise information about each individual truck within the scheme, on their mass, position, distance travelled, with full data on the journey. However, because of its limitations and the expense involved, a relatively low proportion of the industry has taken it up. Different states are taking up the idea of Telematics Monitoring Applications (TMA). These are a halfway house between no monitoring and the strict levels of regulations around the IAP. These

function in a similar way to the Road Infrastructure Management (RIM) system in New South Wales. Mass is required to be recorded by the telematics system, but is not sent directly to the authorities. Instead it passes through the conduit of the TCA, at which point all of the data on a particular route is anonymised and aggregated so that the state authority can

get a picture of exactly what is going on, on each road. The states do need the road use data, and it is so valuable to them, in terms of research results, to such an extent, that they are willing to allow these high mass vehicles on certain routes. The road use data coming from these anonymised reports, which enable them to better manage their roads, is actually a

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CONVERGENCE

win/win situation. The operators get to use higher productivity vehicles and the state gets to get a full range of strong data on its road network.

ONGOING CONFUSION Even the authorities themselves can get confused about what is allowed, at what point. If an A-double is operating, and it meets the interim IAP requirements in Queensland, that vehicle will be legal everywhere in Australia, where A-doubles are allowed to go. The same cannot be said for an A-double fully compliant in New South Wales, Victoria or South Australia. There are also difficulties for individual operators to properly calibrate their vehicles, especially A-doubles, because not many weigh-bridges are set up to correctly weigh an A-double. As a result, there are plenty of trucks running around with an OBM system which, either hasn’t been calibrated, or hasn’t been calibrated for a long time. All of which creates more problems, more inconsistency and less compliance on our roads. It genuinely is a dog’s breakfast and there are a lot of failures of communication at virtually every level. The states all have an interface, but it is sometimes difficult for an operator to understand exactly how the system works, when looking at the individual state websites. At the same time, trying to get a clearer idea of what was going on from the TCA website can also be confusing. Queensland have gone through a program of training their enforcement officers to better understand the rules around OBM and higher productivity vehicles, but other states do not appear

to have a effective training regime in this area. Quite often an enforcement officer will look at a system and if it’s got a particular certification from TCA, but they will not then investigate as to whether that particular OBM system will connect to the telematics fitted into the truck. From the point of view of many in the industry, the Queensland system is probably the most rational, using both telematics and OBM in an ordered manner and the state sets out quite specific conditions for an operator in order to access more productive mass allowances on vehicles. For an operator of an A-double the rules are completely different in each state. Although New South Wales currently will state that it doesn’t use smart OBM, however, it is about to start using smart OBM in the near future. Quite often New South Wales will be quoted as saying that you don’t need OBM or smart OBM for their higher productivity routes, but many operators who are trying to be responsible under

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

chain of responsibility regulations, still use smart OBM to ensure they meet the level of compliance required when CoR raises its head. In the Victorian system for high productivity freight vehicles, an OBM must be able to connect to the telematics system fitted into the truck. However, most of the time the telematics system fitted will be able to pick up the feed from the smart OBM and then record and communicate it back to wherever the records are being kept. However, there is not much knowledge either in the industry or amongst enforcement and compliance officers about this. This creates a problem when an OBM is fitted in a truck, and a telematics system is fitted, but the data from the OBM system is not being either recorded or communicated in a compliant way. This stems from a failure of communication on the part of both the state regulatory authorities and those regulating the higher productivity vehicle systems in some states.

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AN EWD THAT WORKS FOR YOU! They say that technology makes life easier. How is this true when it comes to EWDs? An EWD can only make life easier if it works alongside you – not against you. With an EWD you want something as simple to use as your written work diary, but with a host of other benefits. The technology must be easy to use, accurate, reliable, and well supported. Smart eDriver embraces that concept in full – we didn’t just set out to make a product that just complied to the NHVR rules. Instead, we looked at the entire end-to-end fatigue management requirements so that it would provide a benefit to all stakeholders – drivers, businesses, compliance officers and transport customers. Smart eDriver was the very first EWD approved by the NHVR in 2020. Having been used in the market for almost 2 years has demonstrated its reliability, accuracy and performance. It has also provided valuable feedback so that we could implement many enhancements. Smart eDriver EWD was developed to make sure that it was flexible and scalable so that it could address the large number of variations that exist around heavy vehicle driving. We support all the fatigue plans; Standard Solo, Standard Bus/Coach, Standard Two-Up, BFM Solo, BFM Two-Up, plus AFM plans which can be accommodated with some simple additions to the fatigue calculation engine.

An EWD must be accurate and reliable, to achieve this you need a very capable fatigue calculation engine. That’s why we had our mathematician develop the algorithms required. It’s been tested by drivers for 2 years now, accurately reporting both potential and actual breaches, and saving the drivers a heavy potential fine. Other products on the market do not have the same accuracy and reliability.

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Standalone App running on either Apple and Android Smartphones and Tablets Same layout as the written work diary so very easy to use Reporting time is reduced by more than 50% Has compliance mode for privacy when handing over to compliance officer Simple click of a button for real time compliance data Fatigue plans are programmed in the App and selected for the driver The App notifies the driver of pending rest times Supports drivers who drive for multiple businesses No more having to submit paper diary sheets to the business as this is done automatically through the App The App continues to operate normally when it does not have internet connection and then synchronises with the server when it comes back into the coverage area

The Smart eDriver Cloud Platform has been designed for businesses to make scheduling of drivers simple and accurate. It tells you in advance if a driver is going to run out of work hours over the next 7 days. The business analytics and reporting portal is by far the most powerful tool in the EWD toolbox for businesses. It offers so many insights and reports such as breach reports, depot functions, potential non-compliance notifications, pre-start driver checklists, driver statistics, driver edit notifications, breach lists, breach report comments and driver location functionality. We also have API capability for those businesses that want to integrate with their own systems such as job scheduling and dispatch platforms. Our entire solution is locally developed and hosted. We host on an Australian based Amazon Web Services data centre, which is a fully redundant system with ultimate security and reliability. It’s scalable and able to add additional resources at zero impact to daily operations. The Smart eDriver platform is not a static product. We continue to invest heavily in its development and have an extensive roadmap for added functionality so that it can provide further benefits to drivers and businesses in the coming years. Use Smart eDriver for Accuracy, Reliability, Functionality, Scalability, Future Proof, but most of all – Easy to Use for both driver and business. Visit smartedriver.com to learn more! or contact StepGlobal today e: sales@stepglobal.com p: +613 9551 7334

CONVERGENCE

GETTING

MASS

RIGHT

Compliance in the trucking industry has become a top priority for operators, but so has maximising loading capacity, it’s all about getting mass right

s on board mass measurement (OBM) becomes ever more important, getting the right information and knowing what to do with it has become key. Different operations require different systems to suit their applications. Smart Truck Solutions provide a wide range to suit most freight tasks with the Right Weigh system, which is designed and engineered by an experienced team with first-hand industry knowledge. The Right Weigh commitment is to provide affordable, reliable scales and product backup. Right Weigh began in the US in 1998, when Sid Campbell developed his first onboard load scale. As a fleet owner and operator in Alaska, Sid used his load scales on his own trucks and trailers. He recognised that many of his fellow operators were also in search for the same solution.

The basic principle of the system is simple, a T-fitting and an extra air line to enable the system to monitor the fluctuation in air pressure of the air suspension system to display axleweight. “With our product, RightWeigh, we’ve got two or three different lines,” says Leigh Noske, Smart Truck Solutions owner. “Some come as a digital solution with a Bluetooth application, but we also supply analog gauges, which are just a basic weight gauge. It still does everything they want, but it’s just a cheaper and simpler option. “Digital is becoming more popular, and this is especially the case for system which use Bluetooth with which drivers can read axle weights through an app on their phones. They don’t have to be up on top of their vehicles. They can stand back and and watch what’s going on. In a lot of places, they have to because they are not allowed anywhere near the trucks.

“They can put a whole B-double or road train on and have all the axle groups measured on the one app. They can watch the whole loading process going on from their app.” The Right Weigh Bluetooth-enabled spring suspension load sensor for the Exterior Digital gauge is designed to measure the axle group weight of spring suspension trailers. A precision sensor attached to the centre of the axle detects the strain in the axle. This strain is then measured and converted to kilograms by the Right Weigh digital scale system. Right Weigh’s Bluetooth-enabled spring and air suspension Exterior Digital gauges are designed for truck or trailer applications with an air suspension or steel spring suspension. There is also a hybrid gauge which can monitor an air suspended drive axle group and a spring suspension steer axle.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

PT-A

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29/9/2022 11:01 pm

INDUSTRY ISSUE

TIME TO CRANK UP THE ACTION ON DRIVER SHORTAGES NatRoad CEO, Warren Clark, discusses the issues around driver shortages for the the trucking industry.

e all know there’s an acute labour shortage in our industry. The vexing question is what to do about it, in a hurry. Let’s boil the issue down to its basics. Firstly, road transport has been hit hard by labour shortages, but so have so many other occupations. In fact, the five hardest hit sectors are trades, hospitality and tourism, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. Australia is still recovering from two years of international travel restrictions. In 2020-21, overseas migration was a net outflow of 88,800 people, the largest number of people leaving Australia since World War One. According to the National Australia Bank, more than half of all businesses had trouble finding suitable labour during the April to June quarter. The Albanese Government has moved to fast-track skilled visa approvals, opening the gates to a record migration intake. Economists say it’s as much a labour shortage as a skills one. As far as road transport goes, it’s not just drivers that are a scarce commodity. Diesel mechanics another specialised occupation that nobody can find enough of. Now, I like a good coffee as much as anyone, but when you see baristas being put by bureaucrats in the same skills category as truck drivers, you have to wonder. Our industry’s driver shortage went

“THE TALENT FLOW WILL SLOW WHEN WE HAVE A SYSTEM WHERE PENALTIES FOR BEHAVIOUR ARE RISK-BASED AND COMMENSURATE WITH THE OFFENCE.” under the government microscope in August, and NatRoad was grateful to have a place at the table. Transport Minister Catherine King brought a group of sectors together in the lead-up to the Albanese Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit. A large number of solutions were put forward. Changing the migration settings was close to the top of the list. NatRoad made the point that driver accreditation and consistent national standards must go hand-in-hand with bringing in overseas drivers. You can’t have a safe and efficient industry if driver competency is compromised. Of course, we’ve raised this as an issue consistently down the years, so nobody can say they didn’t see it coming. You’d think the National Heavy Vehicle Law reform process would have been a good catalyst to make it happen, but alas. Minister King’s meeting also showed strong support for national accreditation in transport generally. Delivering high-quality training and a competency-based licensing system was prominently mentioned. If you’re getting the feeling that these things will take time, you’re not alone. But

there are a few things that should happen sooner and not later. It’s hard to get a handle on how many older drivers have left our ranks during the bureaucratic nightmare of the pandemic. Rising costs have played a part in forcing out drivers, as well as the ham-fisted penalties system. The talent flow will slow when we have a system where penalties for behaviour are risk-based and commensurate with the offence. Not being able to draw a straight line in a work diary should not attract a monetary penalty. We do need regulators, legislators and enforcement agencies alike to treat us as an essential service, as a matter of urgency. There’s no doubt that our industry can’t grow substantially and reverse the talent outflow unless it attracts more women. NatRoad is right behind the push for more and better, female-friendly rest stops. Most Australians hold our industry in high regard if you ask them. NatRoad’s research shows as much. But a targeted campaign to publicise the good things about being a driver that isn’t funded solely by industry would be a welcome initiative.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

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5/9/2022 14:17

INDUSTRY ISSUE

A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS The Australian Trucking Association engaged government at the Jobs and Skills Summit on a topic, skilled worker shortages, which the road transport industry understands well.

quick scan of the news headlines reveals that staff shortages are plaguing businesses across the country. It seems most businesses, no matter how big, are affected as they struggle to find enough employees.

THIS IS NOT NEWS TO THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY Operators have been finding it difficult to attract good drivers at the best of times. And these are clearly not the best of times. The trucking industry faces a critical shortage of skilled workers, especially in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, including— · truck drivers, where there are some 21,400 vacancies advertised on Seek. Many of those advertisements are for multiple vacancies · heavy diesel mechanics and technicians

· supervisors and managers. The ATA and member associations discussed these issues with the Australian Government at a recent roundtable ahead of the Jobs and Skills Summit and recommended that the Government — · redesignate truck driving as skill level 3 under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) rather than skill level 4. ANZSCO skill level 3 is equivalent to a certificate III including two years of on-the-job training and would be consistent with the creation of the new truck driver apprenticeship · add truck driving to the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List (which determines eligibility for training support payments) and the Trade Support Loans Priority List. Research by the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business has found that

financial support would greatly assist in attracting new entrants to the industry · add truck driving to the skilled migration visa system, with the requirement that truck drivers migrating to Australia undertake driver training here and hold an Australian driving licence of the required class.

THERE ARE SEVERAL REGULATORY ROADBLOCKS TO OVERCOMING THE SKILLS SHORTAGE The existing heavy vehicle driver licensing system is not fit for purpose. Drivers graduate without the skills employers needed, and the system imposes a mandatory waiting period between each driver licence class.

IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT MANY POTENTIAL OCCUPATIONAL DRIVERS CHOOSE TO WORK ELSEWHERE In addition, the Heavy Vehicle National Law expects drivers to fill in complex work diaries and imposes unreasonable penalties for paperwork errors and minor fatigue breaches. It is known that the complexity of the fatigue rules and the seemingly random penalties discourage people from working as drivers. The ATA is confident that if the trucking industry and the federal government work together, they can get more people driving trucks and delivering for Australia.

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POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

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GOING GLOBAL

LAYING OUT

George Davies.

A TURF SUPPLY CHAIN Will Shiers catches up with the UK’s largest independent distributor of turf, and discovers he doesn’t sod about when it comes to speccing his trucks.

eorge Davies Turf is the UK’s largest independent supplier of turf, its fleet of immaculate red trucks delivering an impressive 1.4 million rolls of turf per annum. In the UK, whenever we want to put an area into perspective, we have a habit of using the country of Wales as a comparison. So, keeping with tradition, that’s enough to cover 190 Welsh rugby pitches! Based in the county of Buckinghamshire, about 50 miles north west of London, George Davies Turf’s headquarters is based on his family’s 350-acre family farm. However, despite this, none of the turf the company sells is actually grown here. “That’s simply because the soil isn’t suitable,” says company founder George Davies, who has an agricultural degree. He explains that in order to grow the perfect turf, you need particular conditions, namely the sandy soil found in the coastal areas of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

”Most turf is grown in rotation with carrots and potatoes,” says George. George Davies Turf supplies to 3,000 customers, who vary in size considerably. While some only place an order once a year, others require a daily delivery. But one thing they all have in common is that they want the turf delivered on time, and invariably at 8am. “Because turf is the last piece of the project, timing is critical,” says Davies. “If you’ve got lads sitting around on site, and you’re paying them good money, and they have to wait there for six or seven hours until the turf turns up, then they’ll lose a lot of money. “Also, what if it doesn’t turn up until 4pm? It might take four hours to lay it, so do they pay them overtime, or do they send them home and hope the turf will still be okay the following morning? “We try our hardest to meet our customers’ needs, but when you’re doing up to 300 timed deliveries a week within a twohour slot, it can be a logistical nightmare.”

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

Not helping the situation is turf’s very short shelf life. Unless it goes into the company’s purpose-built chiller, which keeps it fresh for a few days, it ideally needs to be laid within 36 hours of being cut. “It’s the same when you cut your grass and you leave the cuttings in the lawnmower,” says George. “They get smelly and black very quickly. Well a pallet of turf is basically a load of grass clippings with soil around it. And this is why we need a very reliable fleet.” The fleet he’s referring to are its seven Scania 32-tonners. Although George knows exactly what spec of truck works for him, it was a very different story 20 years ago when the company was in its infancy. He started out with a Peugeot 306 passenger car towing a trailer, before upgrading to a used 7.5-tonne Mercedes-Benz 811D. At this time, and indeed for several years following, George was a one-man-band, making

GOING GLOBAL

all the deliveries himself. “By 2003 we were shifting 25 tonnes per day, and quite often I’d have to handball it off,” he recalls. “I was as fit as a fiddle and as strong as an ox. But I was aware that my back and body would not withstand this punishment for years.” The solution to his problems came in the shape of a used Volvo FL10 with 450,000km on the clock, which was equipped with a truck-mounted Moffett forklift on the rear. Suddenly a huge amount of time and manual labour could be saved. But there was one small problem, despite buying the truck George didn’t have the required licence to drive it. “I bought it before I had my licence because it came at the right money,” he says. George passed his test in January 2004, and the very next day was driving it to London in what he describes as a ‘baptism of fire’. It was kept for five years, clocking up a further 500,000km, and helping to grow the business. The first new truck was a Scania R-series, which was bought with cash in March 2008. “It looked amazing, and was my pride and joy,” he remembers fondly. By this stage George knew he needed to take on a driver. But being a selfconfessed control-freak, this wasn’t an easy step to make. “I was doing everything myself, and was still heavily involved in the family

All of the drivers, George included, are experts at operating the Manitous.

farm,’ says George. “I thought I’d kill myself or somebody else, because I was doing stupid hours. I was petrified that I’d never find anyone who could do the job as well as me, and be as good with customers. I wasn’t prepared to hand over the customer service to someone. And I needed someone to look after the truck as well as I did.” Two years later he finally took the plunge, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. It freed up a considerable amount of his time, allowing him to concentrate on other areas of the business.

One driver was quickly followed by others, and with them came more trucks. Although a mix of new and used Volvo and Scanias, all had one thing in common, they had either a Moffett or Manitou forklift attached to the rear. Having had extensive experience with both makes, George soon decided he preferred the latter, and they now form part of the spec of all new trucks purchased. In 2020 the first new generation Scania entered the fleet. The P410 8x2 rigid was an instant success, and over the next two years would be joined by three more. “The new generation Scanias are

George specifies rear-steer, and with the first, second and fourth axles all steering.

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GOING GLOBAL

fantastic,” declares George, who was invited to Sweden for the truck’s launch. He particularly praises the visibility, making them ideal for urban deliveries. George specifies rear-steer, and with the first, second and fourth axles all steering, manoeuvrability is superb. This is vital, seeing as a great number of the dozen or so deliveries the trucks make each day, are to residential areas. Standard spec includes a day cab, and a Roco Truck Bodies curtain-sided body. Seeing as the trucks make frequent journeys into London, they are spec’d to comply with the Direct Vision Standard safety scheme, which is designed to protect vulnerable road users. This means numerous cameras around the truck, plus an additional window in the bottom the passenger door to give the driver a kerbside view. They are specified with a 19-tonne rear bogie in order to accommodate the Manitou, and have a 17.5-tonne payload potential. George can’t speak highly enough about his Manitous, in particular the reach awarded by their telescopic booms. He says it’s not always possible

to access both sides of the truck during a delivery, and for this reason they’re invaluable. He also praises the machines’ reliability. The firm currently has eight of them on its fleet (the eighth being on the back of a Volvo FH semi), all TMT 25S models. These have a maximum lifting capacity of 2,500kg, and a lifting height of 3,380mm. All of the drivers, George included, are experts at operating the Manitous, which is no surprise considering how many times they use them each day. All of the P-series are likely to cover 900,000km during their 10 to 12 years on the George Davies Turf fleet. Davies is toying with the idea of aiding manoeuvrability and rear weight capacity even further by opting for a tridem next time, but so far isn’t convinced by the axle configuration. “Although there are definite advantages, I think they look a bit strange, whereas mine just look perfectly balanced,” George tells us. He is also contemplating a low-entry Scania L-series next time, which will be even better suited to urban deliveries.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS Fourth generation farmer George Davies intended to work on the family farm when he returned from university with an agricultural degree in 2000, but he knew he needed to supplement his salary with other incomes. Initially he looked into growing alternative high value crops, like lavender, sage, peppermint and chamomile. “But I soon realised that growing alternative crops involved a lot of investment, and it was high risk too,” explains George. “So I thought what have we got here? Well, we have Milton Keynes on our doorstep, and we’re right in the middle of Bedford, Northampton and Wellingborough. I thought what do these guys want? They’re going to want trees, shrubs, plants and turf. Can we grow turf?” He quickly discovered that the answer to this question was ‘no’, due to the soil type and unsuitable irrigation on the farm, but there was no reason why he couldn’t buy it from other parts of the UK and distribute it from the farm. And so George Davies Turf was formed. It sold 18,000 rolls in the first year. Davies explains that in those early days, when he was out on the road all the time, he had a wooden honesty box back in the farmyard for customers who preferred to collect. He estimates that in the 10 years it took for him to stop driving and concentrate on developing the business, a total of £1m was placed in this box. Today George Davies Turf is a far slicker operation, employing 19 people. Since coming off the road, Davies, surrounded by a strong and trusted team, have taken it to the next level. At the time of writing it has already sold 850,000 rolls of turf to its satisfied customers this year. It has also expanded into other related products, like top soil, bark and compost, having sold 8,100 bulk bags this year so far as well as endless amounts of decking and artificial grass. “People say don’t diversify too much from your core product, but in a way our core product is our service,” says George. “And as long as that service remains at the forefront of what we’re doing, it doesn’t matter whether it’s topsoil, turf or decking.

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GOING GLOBAL

WORLD LAUNCH OF NEXT GENERATION ECANTER The world launch of the Next Generation eCanter, produced by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, has taken place in Japan. Significantly, the new truck now comes with a modular battery concept, meaning a variety of ranges are up for grabs, reports Charleen Clarke, Editor of Focus on Transport and Logistics.

perators can choose between one, two or three batteries in the new Fuso eCanter, recently launched in Japan. The eCanter with one battery with a rated capacity of 41 kWh can drive approximately 80 km on one charge. eCanters with two batteries can be driven for approximately 140 km, and those with three can complete around 200 km. The other big news is a new eAxle, a new electric power take-off (PTO) unit, new safety features and a number of new interior and exterior features. First some background. Since its launch in 2017 as the first series-produced allelectric light-duty truck in Japan, eCanters operating around the world have covered over six million kilometres. Speaking at the world premiere, Karl Deppen, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, pointed out that this meant that the truck has had ample time to reach maturity.

Accordingly, the Next Generation eCanter comes in multiple guises, with a range of tonnages, multiple wheelbases and various battery sizes. In fact, there are 28 variants for the Japanese market and approximately 80 variants for overseas markets. Sales of the Next Generation eCanter in the Japanese market are scheduled for spring 2023. The new vehicle will be launched in additional overseas markets ‘in the coming years’. An eAxle has been adopted in the Next Generation eCanter, integrating the motor with the rear axle and allowing for a more compact drivetrain structure. In addition to the current 7.5-tonne GVM model, the new vehicle comes in weight classes ranging from five to eight tonnes for Japanese customers, and starts from a four tonne truck for overseas models. The cab range has also been expanded; there’s a wide cab (2,130mm) that can accommodate more cargo, in addition to the

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

standard cab width (1,700mm) that brings more flexibility to routes on narrow roads. The variety of wheelbases has also been expanded, from 2,500 mm up to 4,750 mm. The fitment of a new electric PTO enables special-purpose applications for customers wishing to operate their eCanter with a tipper, rear crane, or climate-controlled van body, among various other options. The regenerative braking function has been vastly improved, and it now can be controlled at four levels, greatly contributing to power savings and improving drive-ability. It is reportedly easy to drive the vehicle only using the accelerator (and never touching the brake pedal). New safety features include Active Sideguard Assist, Active Brake Assist 5, Active Attention Assist (which reduces fatigue-related accidents), Intelligent Headlight Control and Traffic Sign Recognition (displays traffic signs recognised by the camera on the dashboard). These features won’t necessarily be available in all markets; more information in this regard will become available at launch in individual countries. “As one of the world’s largest commercial manufacturers, we can make a difference (when it comes to climate change). That is why we are so committed to supporting the transition to sustainable mobility. There is no reason to put off the transition to electric vehicles any longer,” concluded Deppen.

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LIFT AXLE CONTROL VALVE INSPECTION & FAULT DIAGNOSIS

here are no regular maintenance procedures required for Hendrickson lift axle control valves other than to check operation and serviceability. The fine valve tolerances require an air supply that is free of any moisture, dust, or other contaminants. Therefore, it is important that, along with daily air tank draining, the air supply dryer is inspected and replaced at regular recommended intervals. Lift axle control valves (LACV) rely on atmospheric air vents for correct operation of the internal valving. It is therefore vital to valve operation that the enclosures be free of water, dust, and dirt.

5. 6.

INSPECTION Caution: Appropriate PPE, including safety glasses, hearing protection and gloves must be worn when working on or operating the LACV. 1. Ensuring the trailer is unladen, wheels chocked, connected to a suitable air supply and clear of any people or equipment that could be impacted by axle movement. 2. The lift axle should be in its raised position with the trailer unladen. Open enclosure door and pull out the manual override valve. The axle should lower Caution: Pull out manual override valve, even if the axle is already down due

to an LACV system fault, to prevent inadvertent movement during repair. Check that the enclosure is clear of dirt and moisture. If necessary, vacuum or blow out dirt. Check the door seal, enclosure condition, and LACV apertures to ensure they are clean and in good condition. Refer points shown in LACV Enclosure Image 01. Check hose connections for air leaks in both raised and lowered conditions. Inspect axle lift air springs for secure mounting, bellows condition and dirt build up. Check suspension mounting, connections and pivot components to ensure they are stable and in good condition. Repair or replace any issues or components as necessary to return system to correct operating condition. When check is complete, push in manual override, lock LACV enclosure and return truck/trailer to operating condition.

LACV FAULT DIAGNOSIS The most common issue faced by LACV are contamination, either from internal or external sources. 1. Check for signs of fine dust, dirt, mud, or moisture build up in and around the LACV. Damage caused by

Image 01: ACV & Enclosure Check Points.

2. 3.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

contamination is irreparable. The cause of the contamination will need to be identified and rectified, and the LACV will need to be replaced. Release pressure to the LACV. Install a pressure gauge into the line coming from brake pressure protection valve to ensure it is getting at least 620 kPa (90 psi). Air supply after the brake pressure protection valve will not necessarily be the same as system pressure. Refer Pressure Gauge Image 02. Release pressure and remove hoses from LACV and inspect for signs of moisture, dirt, dust, or sludge. Damage caused by internal contamination is irreparable. Identify and rectify the cause of the contamination before replacing the LACV. If the LACV is operating at the wrong time, there are no signs of contamination and the pressure is above minimum, then the valve may need recalibration. Determine the required pressures by referring to the trailer manufacturer or to Hendrickson 97117-187 LACV technical manual. Carry out calibration by referring to 97117-187. If the valve is still not operating as expected, then replace the LACV. Ensure the new unit is calibrated to suit the trailer before restoring vehicle to active service.

Image 02: Minimum Pressure from Pressure Protection Valve.

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TECH KNOW

Reflecting the lines of modern European prime movers, AJ’s bullbars feature an array of interesting angles and curves.

Unlike their rudimentary ancestors, today’s bullbars are highly sophisticated components that are designed, built and tested as an integral part of the vehicle. Paul Matthei speaks with a manufacturer specialising in prime mover bars.

ong gone are the days when bullbars were cobbled together as an ad hoc way to fend off damage to vehicles from the likes of animal strikes and minor collisions. While they ostensibly did the job for which they were intended, often they had all the visual appeal of a cattle grid. While the primary purpose of protecting the vehicle from damage remains, the truck bullbar must now be compatible with other vehicle systems and safeguards including airbags, and front under-run protection (FUPS). And it must

also look good and integrate with the lines of the vehicle. One manufacturer which is constantly pushing the envelope of bullbar manufacturing is AJ’s Total Truck Gear at Toowoomba. The company supplies bars as dealerfitted accessories for most of the European makes as well as Kenworth, Freightliner and Western Star. It also builds one-off bespoke designs for customers such as the owner of a 30-year-old Marmon prime mover. AJ’s Sales Manager, Steve Toms, has a

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

passion for perfection and his knowledge of bullbar manufacturing has grown exponentially since he started his first role with AJ’s as a polisher in 2006. At that stage bullbar repairs and polishing made up the core business. “We were doing repairs and polishing and someone asked us to build some Sterling bullbars which we did,” says Steve. “Then people started seeing our work and asked us to build bars for other brands and we also bought some design plans from an engineering firm that had stopped making bullbars. That gave us

TECH KNOW

Final steps. Bars are polished to a mirror finish before LED light bars are installed.

a quick leg-in and helped us with the background of building the bars. “Our big break came in 2007 when Western Star commissioned us to build all the front bumpers initially and, later, bullbars for their trucks. Our products are Original Equipment (OE) for Australian spec Western Stars which are shipped from the US factory with no front bumper. “This gave us a good kick-start and we proceeded to evolve the products as we went along. It’s a philosophy we adhere to with all of our products.”

STARTING FROM SCRATCH As with any quality product, the high standard of the raw materials used is what sets the scene for every AJ’s bullbar. A tour of the factory reveals quality at every turn, starting with the flat sheets of hightensile marine grade aluminium that are folded to form the foundation of the bar. “We find it holds up the best but it is really rigid and hard to bend,” says Steve. “That’s why our bars have larger radius bends, if you try to do 90 degree bends it will crack.” Next up is the backing plate division, which is the steel frame behind the bar that connects it to the truck’s chassis. While it’s unseen from the outside, this component is critical to the performance of the bullbar in providing a rigid mount and absorbing energy from an impact. The various pieces are precisely laser cut using a CNC machine before being manually welded together using specifically designed jigs which ensure the finished product is dimensionally accurate. As with the bars, the backing plates for the European brands are quite complex in design with multi-facetted bracing which ensures maximum strength with minimum weight. As such, it takes a skilled welder around two hours to fabricate each

High-tensile aluminium is heated to enable bending into compact radii.

backing plate. Keeping the weight down is critical due to the fact that the European brands tend to be heavier on the steer axle. Therefore, it’s imperative that the all-up weight of the bullbar doesn’t tip the axle weight over the 6.5 tonne limit.

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS As we finish the workshop tour, Steve is keen to reveal an innovation that is the brainchild of AJ’s owner, Anthony Thrush. Known as Wedge Lock, the system does away with the two heavy-duty eyebolts that must be unscrewed in order to tilt the bar. Instead, there are steel wedges, one each side, connected to air actuators that slide the wedges into pockets in the backing plate. As such, locking and unlocking the bar for tilting is achieved by the flick of a switch rather than the laborious and time-consuming task of turning eyebolts out and in. As previously mentioned, Steve points out that the ever-present spectre of steer axle weight limits means the Wedge Lock system has been engineered to add minimal weight to the bar. “These guys are usually already pressed for weight,” he says. “So we are always mindful of this when designing accessories for the bullbars.” He goes on to say that research and development is extremely important, with the company continually striving to improve its products to meet the everchanging requirements of the truck manufacturers and their customers. “The basic designs of the bars carry over but there are elements that need to be modified when a new model truck is released,” says Steve. “We use 3D modelling extensively and the truck manufacturers give us 3D images of the

fronts of their trucks so we can work out exactly what needs to change on the computer rather than having to physically change things by trial and error.” In regards to building FUPS-compatible bullbars, Steve says it’s a matter of following the guidelines including making sure the bar is the same height off the ground as the truck’s existing FUPS. Completed units are then sent to an engineer who checks them for compliance and issues a certificate. A recent technology-related challenge has been to successfully protect the radar units used for adaptive cruise and auto emergency braking on the newer trucks. They have specific mounting and location requirements to ensure correct operation. “They are worth about $5,000 so we’re working with a plastic supplier to come up with a grid pattern mesh cover that will protect the unit while still allowing airflow to keep it cool,” says Steve. As bullbar repair makes up a significant part of the business, Steve acknowledges that this provides the ideal scenario to analyse the damage and work out ways to improve the designs. That said, he points out that the bars and backing plates are designed to deform a certain amount under high impact in order to absorb the energy and minimise driver and passenger injury while still protecting the front of the truck. Seeing first-hand the precise techniques that combine to produce an AJ’s bullbar makes it easier to appreciate just how technically advanced this industry is. In the never-ending pursuit of excellence, the AJ’s team is turning out products that serve the dual purpose of enhancing the vehicle’s looks while providing protection from damage. When all’s said and done, it’s the ultimate win-win for the customer.

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TECH KNOW

THE HVAC SCHOOL OF

WITCHCRAFT & WIZARDRY Phil Reynolds works in the Product Marketing Department at PACCAR Parts. Here he puts his spin on the operation of HVAC.

elcome students to a wondrous journey delving into what some would believe is the dark arts of truck HVAC systems. Our first lesson: What is HVAC? Easy, it stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. That makes sense, so let’s see what else we can make sense of. Heating for vehicles is achieved by sourcing hot coolant from the engine and running it through a heater core (think small radiator) inside the cab. Coupled with controllable taps for coolant flow, and blower fans we can control the amount of heat output for comfort. Ventilation is purely our means of moving our heated, cooled, internal or external ‘fresh’ air around a cab. This is done with ducts but also mechanisms to control the direction of flow, so we can choose between feet, head, screen or a combination. This control is also available for either recirculating the air inside the cab, or taking fresh air from outside to pass through our HVAC system. These mechanisms have changed over time from simple cables, to vacuum lines coupled between servos electrically controlled for ease of operation. And so we come to the Air Conditioning system, yes the most intricate of our HVAC ingredients but one that once mastered in understanding will have you cooler than

Ron Weasley after winning the affections of Hermione Granger. Let’s start at the heart. The compressor – our only mechanically driven part in the whole system and commonly the part that packs up when issues are present elsewhere in the system (ever had a compressor claim knocked back citing it was a consequence of another issue?). The compressor is basically a high pressure pump taking low pressure refrigerant gas from the evaporator (we’ll get to that bit) compressing it and delivering it as a high pressure hot gas to the condenser (that part on the front of your truck that looks like a thin radiator). The condenser cools the hot gas reducing the pressure and returning the gas to a liquid state. Next it’s on to the receiver dryer taking the liquid refrigerant filtering it and removing moisture, the arch nemesis of the AC system. Now, we have filtered and moisture free liquid refrigerant heading toward your cab, ready to work its magic through the Thermal Expansion valve (TX valve). High pressure liquid refrigerant is forced through the TX valve where it expands, dropping in pressure and temperature and evaporates (think of turning on your BBQ gas bottle and as the gas comes out from the high pressure liquid state within the bottle it expands to its gas state cooling as it does). It enters the evaporator core (like your heater core) and blower fans push air across the surface area of the core to exchange that cool refrigerant into cool air for your cab. Once through the evaporator core the low pressure refrigerant heads back to the compressor to start its journey again. There are hoses and pressure switches along the way to keep everything contained and in check. And that, for those still following, is the way an air conditioning system works! Now that you are a little more knowledgeable on the HVAC system, you must take that knowledge and use it for good. If you do experience an

Phil Reynolds from Paccar Parts Product Marketing Department.

air conditioning compressor failure, think about the impact on the rest of the components in the system. Whenever you experience a compressor failure, or you are doing preventative maintenance on your system, it is always good practice to change the receiver dryer and the TX valve, which has low tolerance for foreign material. The amount of refrigerant and lubricating oil is also critical, so make sure you get, repairs done from your authorised dealership such as the PACCAR dealer network which supplies quality, warranty–backed HVAC parts and technical wizards trained in the art of HVAC!

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TECH KNOW

TO REFURB OR NOT TO REFURB, THAT IS THE QUESTION For various reasons some operators are choosing to refurbish older trucks rather than trading them in for new units. While this can be a viable exercise, there are pitfalls for the unwary.

t’s no secret that the waiting time for new trucks has blown out significantly in recent years. Much of the blame for this has been levelled squarely at Covid-19, with the pandemic having caused supply shortages of various components used to build trucks. However, there are some operators who do not wish to purchase new trucks, regardless of how long they might have to wait. They simply deem the latest models to be too complex, with multiple electronic systems that can only be serviced by the dealer or a qualified technician with access to the necessary service tools and equipment. The manufacturers of these new trucks will argue that the electronic systems they use are state-of-the-art and ultra-reliable, but still there will be sceptics. Another significant influencing factor in the decision to refurb older trucks is brand loyalty. In this country Kenworth trucks enjoy a cult following, particularly among the long distance, livestock and heavy haulage sectors, and many of these

The stunning T650 complete with ‘HOT 650’ number plates.

operators would not readily entertain the idea of using any other brand. One of these operators is Wickham Freight Lines, a company that has remained steadfastly loyal to the Kenworth brand since purchasing its first new unit in 1972. It’s not hard to see where the company’s loyalty lies when visiting its head office at Warwick: The building has been cleverly designed to resemble a cab-over Kenworth pulling a refrigerated trailer, all painted in Wickham’s colours. Within the various workshop buildings are a number of dedicated areas where some of the company’s Kenworths are refurbished and given a second life. This includes everything from re-powering older units originally fitted with EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) Cummins engines, with the later SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) ISXe5 power plants, to complete ground-up restorations. One of these is a stunning T650 complete with ‘HOT 650’ number plates. Of course, refurbishing older trucks is fine as long as you have drivers willing to drive them. This isn’t a problem for Wickhams, with Workshop Manager, Steve Lord, explaining that most of the company’s drivers are more than happy to drive

Kenworths that have been given a second or even third life. Steve says that the company has a few drivers who prefer the comfort of European trucks, but the majority only want to drive Kenworths. He explains that the company is well placed to refurb its older Kenworths, having the necessary equipment and the skilled personnel to complete the work efficiently and cost effectively. Furthermore, the company is keen to improve the functionality of its older Kenworths to make them more userfriendly. A good example of this is the cab suspension the company’s skilled tradespeople designed and fitted to its K200 Big Cab prime movers. The resultant ride improvement was dramatic, prompting PACCAR to borrow a unit from Wickhams for evaluation. The recently released K220 features cab suspension that’s very similar to that designed by Wickhams. The successful refurbishment of many older Kenworths by Wickham Freight Lines shows that having the skilled tradespeople and suitably equipped workshop for the task makes this a viable alternative to buying new.

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COLD CHAIN

THE EIGHT FUNDAMENTALS OF COLD CHAIN ASSET COMPLIANCE The Australian Food Cold Chain Council’s reason for being is to encourage every company working in the cold chain space to reach total cold chain compliance, writes Mark Mitchell, Chairman of the Australian Food Cold Chain Council (AFCCC). But as we know only too well, compliance means different things to different people, and the assets used in the cold chain are often forgotten about.

any companies believe their assets are compliant because they have invested in the latest monitoring systems, and they’ve got the latest and best refrigeration unit. A complete cold chain process is a collection of systems and steps, bound together by collaboration throughout the cold chain journey as the goods are passed from one entity to the next. Some produce, harvested huge distances away from markets could go through up to 14 transfers, 14 opportunities for temperature abuse unless collaborative processes are in place at the beginning and end of each transfer. The cold chain is called a chain for good reason. It is a continuous collection of processes and reporting that begins at the source, and runs through the entire journey until it reaches the domestic refrigerator.

locking and unlocking procedures at the beginning and end of every journey. Too many transport assets running on Australian highways are open to the public. Anyone can enter the asset and that means the way is open for abuse of the cargo, abuse of the refrigeration system and must call into question the security of the entire shipment.

In the most compliant cold chain, all door openings are monitored and the length of the openings are recorded.

MONITORED TEMPERATURES

HACCP COMPLIANT PROCESS

Most serious players realise they have to monitor temperatures, moreso as the senders and the receivers of the goods in the transport are rapidly upgrading their pre- and post-transport processes to prevent food loss and wastage through temperature abuse in transit.

The seven fundamentals listed above are essential to achieve HACCP compliance. HACCP means hazard analysis critical control points, and is a food safety and risk assessment plan initially developed for the NASA space program to protect crews from disease-producing microorganisms. This is the process that recognises the critical control points in the journey where all of these attributes of compliant assets come into play. If you have ticked these off, you will have compliant cold chain transport assets.

ALERTS ISSUED WHEN EXCEPTION OCCURS An exception must trigger an alert to a responsible entity so that immediate action can be taken to fix the problem. If air

CORRECT TEMPERATURE Temperatures that meet specification for the produce being carried are critical requirements of cold chain assets and measurement accuracy is vital for effective asset management and compliance. Transports carrying frozen and chilled goods must have refrigeration units capable of maintaining the cargo at the correct temperature.

LOCKED AND SECURE In a compliant cold chain, there must be

RECORD OF JOURNEY AND EVENTS If there is an audit, a cargo rejection or question over the temperature of goods carried, having good digital records of the journey and its events can be a saving grace.

MONITORED DOOR OPENINGS

REFRIGERATED TO ISO STANDARDS ISO standards are an internationally recognised and proven formula that sets out the best way of doing something. In our experience, when chilled or frozen cargoes are lost, or things don’t work as well as they should it often means that standards don’t exist in the process being used. Cold chain enterprises should be wary of ‘backyard technologies’.

temperature or product temperature is out of specification, it is good to know in real time when that occurs. While some think it is acceptable to receive an exception report at the end of the journey, by then it is probably too late.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2022

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ISSUE 131

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