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State Government recently announced the arrival of the new Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Authority (VIDA) which, going forward, will take care of both Victoria’s transport infrastructure program and healthcare infrastructure projects side by side.
With the Major Transport Infrastructure Authority (MTIA) and the Victorian Health Building Authority (VHBA) joining forces, the new party has created a bigger pool of people that will now work together across a diverse range of big projects.
Having skillsets from both industries under the same umbrella, the Victorian Government said, will allow expertise and experience to be shared while ensuring that operations are streamlined and efficient.
This will include over 200 projects across both industries. For transport, VIDA will undertake the Metro Tunnel and North East Link projects as well as removing level crossings, and for healthcare, it will provide new and upgraded hospitals in Footscray, Frankston and Warrnambool and specialist programs such as the early parenting centres expansion and upgrade program.
VIDA itself will be comprised of four project offices, consisting of Major Road Projects Victoria, the Level Crossing Removal Project, the Metro Tunnel, and the Victorian Health Building Authority, overseen by MTIA
Director-General, Kevin Devlin.
“This is a great opportunity to use our vast expertise and skills to deliver both major transport and health infrastructure projects together for the Victorian community,” said Devlin. “As we continue to deliver an unprecedented infrastructure program and crucial health services, we’re evolving the way we work to best deliver projects that produce the best value and outcomes for Victorians.”
Under the changes, Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) will become the Metro Tunnel Project as it focuses on testing and commissioning ahead of its opening next year, while the Regional Rail Revival and Melbourne Airport Rail will transfer to the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) to focus on project development and delivery.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Danny Pearson, will remain responsible for the delivery of transport infrastructure while Minister for Health Infrastructure, Mary-Anne Thomas, will take care of the projects on the other side of the coin.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how VIDA will deliver on Victoria’s critical transport infrastructure on the healthcare sector’s biggest projects at the same time.
4 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024
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HEAD OFFICE Prime Creative Pty Ltd 379 Docklands Drive Docklands VIC 3008 Australia SUBSCRIPTIONS 03 9690 8766 subscriptions@primecreative.com.au Trailer Magazine is available by subscription from the publisher. Annual rates: AUS $99.00 (inc GST). For overseas subscriptions, airmail postage should be added to the subscription rate. The right of refusal is reserved by the publisher. ARTICLES All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format. COPYRIGHT Trailer Magazine is owned by Prime Creative and published by John Murphy. All material in Trailer 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 will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Trailer Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
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April 2024
8 Industry news
Business partnerships, people movements, developments that bolster freight productivity and more.
26 Economy
A new report has shone a light on the importance of industrial properties, after revealing a staggering $1.2 trillion worth of goods flow through Australia’s ‘big sheds’ every year.
28 Modern road tankers
See the industry’s latest road tanker technology.
44 Trailer builder
Australia’s trailer manufacturing industry is as strong as ever.
48 Trailer building materials/components
A showcase of the products and services that keep trailers on the move.
56 Infrastructure Spotlight
What you need to know about Australia’s biggest road projects this month.
58 World map
The world’s largest climate meeting was held in Dubai at the end of last year.
60 Fleet of the month
AJM Transport is commemorating 20 successful years of operating in the industry.
62 What’s on
Upcoming shows and field days.
6 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024
28 52 30 36 48 44
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Singapore Post acquires Border Express
Singapore Post subsidiary, Freight Management Holdings, has acquired Border Express.
Following the completion of the conditional sale and purchase agreement on 1 March, FMH Group also announced its intention to merge with Singapore Post sister company, CouriersPlease.
company by revenue in Australia,” said FMH Group Group CEO, Simon Slagter.
“These decisions will not only expand our network but importantly, they will facilitate innovation and operational excellence.
it presents for our team and our customers,” he said.
“We look forward to combining forces and leveraging synergies to deliver enhanced value to our customers.”
The moves will increase FMH Group’s revenue to over an estimated $1.3 billion and underscores FMH Group’s strategy of leveraging collaboration and integration to drive economies of scale, optimise operations and enhance the customer experience.
According to FMH Group, this positions the company for continued growth and increased competitiveness in the market.
“With the completion of the acquisition of Border Express and the planned merger with CouriersPlease, we are on a trajectory of significant growth, making the FMH Group a top five largest logistics
“By combining our assets, scale and technology, we will be able to significantly improve efficiency and deliver value.”
Border Express and CouriersPlease will retain their own brand identities and employees under FMH Group, ensuring continuity for their valued team and customers.
Border Express Executive Director, Transformation, Mark Luff, said joining FMH Group is a strategic alignment that builds on Border Express’ success to date and will enable it to achieve the next phase of growth.
“As we embark on this new chapter, we are very positive about the opportunities
NTS donates flat top for cancer research
NTS Transport Engineering Solutions recently built and donated a flat top trailer for the 2024 WA Mack Muster and Truck Show, to raise money for cancer research. The WA Mack Muster and Truck Show, presented by Rentco, is an event in Western Australia which raises funds towards cancer research for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research.
This year, NTS built a 45-foot flat top trailer to be auctioned at the event.
The trailer features Fuwa K Hitch axles and running gear, five-inch coaming with tie rails and 3mm steel chequer plate flooring.
“It was built for our northwest spec, so it’s
a little bit heavier than a normal lightweight trailer,” NTS owner and Director, Nick Bailey, told Trailer
At the inaugural 2020 WA Mack Muster and Truck Show, 140 trucks from across Australia were on display with over 3,500 spectators in attendance, raising a total of $100,000 for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research and the Cancer 200 Ride for Research.
The second show in 2022 saw 214 trucks on display, over 6,500 spectators and $250,000 raised.
NTS donated a tandem dolly for that event which sold at auction for $75,000.
CouriersPlease CEO, Richard Thame, said CouriersPlease’s merge with FMH Group signifies a practical step towards operational efficiency.
“Joining forces will allow us to pool talent and operational capability to deliver even greater value to customers and achieve shared success,” he said.
“We look forward to leveraging our individual strengths and enhancing our collective impact.”
The acquisition was first announced in November last year, when it was revealed that Freight Management Holdings had entered a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Border Express for a maximum purchase consideration of $210 million.
“We weren’t expecting the dolly to go for $75,000 at all, I think that blew everybody away,” Bailey said.
“To raise that amount of money was why we decided to go bigger again.”
According to Bailey, the cause behind the WA Mack Muster and Truck Show is very important to NTS.
“All that money goes to charity, so it’s purely about fundraising towards an important cause and giving back to the community,” he said.
“Nearly everybody is affected by cancer one way or another, so that’s why we’re strongly behind it.”
Image: Border Express.
C M Y CM MY CY CMY K 8 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
Victoria 13-21 Bliss Court, Derrimut VIC, 3026 Tel -(03) 9369 0000 Queensland 1/15 SeeanaPlace, Heathwood QLD, 4110 Tel -(07) 3372 2223 Western Australia 5 Freight Road, Kenwick WA, 6107 Tel -(08) 9350 6470
Capral Aluminium Chairman to retire
Capral Aluminium Chairman, Rex WoodWard, has announced his retirement.
Wood-Ward joined Capral in 2008 as a non-executive Director, with an extensive background of 50 years in various industries across South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
He later became Chairman in 2010, where he assisted the team with recruitment and, with the Board, ultimately helped guide Capral to become the company it is today.
Wood-Ward told Trailer he has enjoyed his time at Capral immensely.
“It’s really been very rewarding from my point of view,” he said.
“I’ve really enjoyed working and watching management take control of the business, while doing intelligent, game-changing things for it.
“They’ve really turned the business around, and we’ve built a solid base going forward.”
During his time as Chairman, Wood-Ward has been heavily involved with some of Capral’s biggest developments and growth strategies.
He oversaw Capral’s acquisition of OneSteel Aluminium in 2013, the company’s expansion into several different market segments, the revitalisation of its Bremer Park facility in Queensland and the recruitment of CEO, Tony Dragicevich.
Wood-Ward said Capral is in a very strong position, and he is confident it will continue to grow going forward.
“The Board and management are totally aligned with a very clear vision of where we’re going.” he said.
“It’s a great business in a tough industry, and I think we’ve come a long way in expanding and diversifying our markets.”
Wood-Ward’s departure will complete Capral’s commitment to Board renewal, following the replacement of three long serving independent non-executive
Directors since 2020.
He will be retiring from the Capral Board at the conclusion the company’s Annual General Meeting on 8 May 2024.
Wood-Ward revealed the company is currently in the process of assessing his potential replacement as Chair of Capral.
“We will be making an announcement once we’ve got that finalised, but I have no doubt that it won’t be an issue.
“I don’t think there will be any hiccups, and I think it will be a very smooth transition. I’ll be helping as much as I am needed in making that happen.”
Red Hawk Mining announces haulage partnership with MGM Bulk
Red Hawk Mining has entered a strategic partnership with MGM Bulk, to haul iron ore from its Blacksmith Iron Ore Project to the Utah Point Bulk Handling Facility in Port Hedland, Western Australia.
The haulage agreement enables Red Hawk and MGM Bulk to work collaboratively through the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) and Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) phases to develop and optimise the transport and logistics strategy, focusing on maximising productivity and reducing unit operating costs.
Following completion of the studies, MGM Bulk has the exclusive right to enter into a Haulage Services Agreement on
terms equivalent to those contained in the DFS.
“We are excited to work with the team at MGM Bulk to establish a haulage strategy optimised for the Blacksmith Project,” said Red Hawk Managing Director, Steven Michael.
“MGM Bulk’s operations in the Pilbara, centred around delivering iron ore into the Utah Point, are second to none.
“Their fleet size, quality, operational performance and safety record are critical factors in ensuring the success of the Blacksmith Project.
“Our PFS team is working closely with MGM Bulk’s commercial and operations
team to deliver operating and capital cost estimates with a high degree of certainty, which can easily be translated into an operational haulage contract.”
MGM Bulk will be responsible for providing a fleet of 150-tonne ultra-quad trucks and drivers plus associated loading and other equipment and infrastructure.
MGM Bulk CEO, Michael Giacci, said the company is pleased to partner with Red Hawk.
“We are immensely proud to be forging a long-term partnership with Red Hawk Mining on the mine-to-port haulage solutions for their Blacksmith Iron Ore Project,” he said.
Images: Capral Aluminium.
Capral Aluminium Chairman, Rex Wood-Ward.
10 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
CEVA Logistics opens new distribution warehouse
CEVA Logistics has announced the opening of its new 34,000-square-metre facility in the Aspect Industrial Estate in Kemps Creek, New South Wales.
The new CEVA site is strategically located in close proximity to the Western Sydney Airport and has access to key transportation routes, including the M4 and M7 motorways.
The warehouse will support Australia’s extensive business growth in the technology and healthcare sectors, particularly in NSW, according to CEVA Logistics.
“With the unveiling of our warehouse in Kemps Creek, CEVA is demonstrating our dedication to investing locally and expanding our footprint of sustainable logistics in Australia,” said Head of Contract Logistics for CEVA Logistics in Australia and New Zealand, Michael Harich.
Together with its existing sites in Orchard Hills, Eastern Creek and two other upcoming facilities in Erskine Park, CEVA
Western Sydney to better serve the region.
“We remain committed to acting for the planet and finding better ways to deliver long-term business benefits for our customers,” Harich said.
“Through using resources sustainably and improving stakeholder relationships, we can reduce the environmental impact of logistics and supply chain operations.”
As part of the CMA CGM Group, CEVA aims to achieve net zero by 2050.
After two years of meticulous preparation, the Kemps Creek distribution warehouse
sustainability and technology in its operations.
Notable features include what CEVA claims is ‘market-leading’ temperature control technologies, state-of-the-art racking and traffic management for seamless flows.
In addition, 1,510 solar panels are installed for a 830kW photovoltaic system with battery, as well as translucent roof sheeting, LED lighting, electric vehicle charging points and rainwater harvesting to help water conservation.
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Austroads celebrates 90th anniversary
Qube opens new $24 million Western Australia facility
Qube recently opened a new $24 million common user supply base for Western Australia’s oil and gas industry in Karratha.
Austroads is celebrating nine decades of contributions to Australia’s transport industry.
Since its inception in 1934, Austroads has been instrumental in developing and applying national standards to enhance transport outcomes across the country.
The organisation’s journey began with a visionary proposal put forward by the New South Wales Minister for Transport in June 1933, leading to the establishment of the Conference of State Road Authorities (COSRA) in 1934.
The inaugural COSRA meeting in Melbourne, Victoria, on 14 February 1934 marked the beginning of a collaborative effort among state road executives to exchange knowledge and improve road administration and practice.
“Austroads’ 90-year journey is a testament to our commitment to driving national transport standards and innovation,” said Austroads Chief Executive, Geoff Allan.
“From our groundbreaking beginnings as COSRA to our current role, we continue to shape Australasia’s transport landscape for the benefit of all.
“Austroads’ expanded role in leading the delivery of complex projects to embed change into transport practice reflects the confidence our members have in capabilities and our ongoing commitment to delivering innovation and excellence.”
From its first meetings, COSRA agreed to join the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) and advocated for better coordinated border road works as well as for uniform route markings, mile posting, road warning
signs and standard nationwide road designs.
In 1959, COSRA evolved into the National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA), reflecting its transition into an organisation rather than an annual meeting.
Focused on delivering a uniform approach to the national road system’s development and improvement, NAASRA’s establishment of the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) in 1960 further emphasised its commitment to research-driven road construction and management practices.
The transformative journey continued in 1989 when NAASRA was renamed Austroads, aligning with member organisations’ efforts to integrate traffic, safety, registration, licensing, design and construction activities.
In 1993, the Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) and Transit New Zealand became members.
Austroads’ commitment to innovation was evident in 1993, when it commenced the development of the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System (NEVDIS) to exchange vehicle and driver licence information across state borders.
NEVDIS began operations in 1998.
Austroads commenced work on a national telematics initiative in 1999, which evolved into Transport Certification Australia (TCA) in 2007.
In 2018, the Transport and Infrastructure Council determined that TCA should be reincorporated into Austroads, formally assuming ownership in January 2019.
The facility will be a major supply base for Tier 1 offshore oil and gas operators in the region, and will provide a range of services including material and inventory management, preservation, transport, quarantine management, and pest control and fumigation services.
Qube Director of Ports, Michael Sousa, officially opened the facility with the North West Supply Base team, customers and partners.
“Our Qube Energy business is an established provider of supply chain and technical support services to the onshore and offshore oil and gas sector in Australia and through this new common user hub, we will provide customers with the industry best practice services and technologies they have come to expect from Qube,” he said.
“Today, Qube Energy supports more than 4,000 onshore wells, and 1,000 rig supply vessels, barges and offshore construction vessels per annum at various locations throughout Australia and this new, common user supply base will further enhance that capability.”
Sousa said it was a privilege to unveil the new facility and to contribute to WA’s growing position in global energy production.
“Western Australia is right at the forefront of global energy production and we’re proud of the role we can play in supporting the continued growth and development of the industry, recognising the important role gas will play in the transition to a lower carbon future,” he said.
“We’re extremely proud to be cutting the ribbon on this new investment today and look forward to continuing to build on our existing commitments to the local community, including through our school partnership programs and other community initiatives.”
12 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
Image: Taras Vyshnya/stock.adobe.com.
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We specialise in multiple facets of transport, including Fuel, Bitumen, Ammonium Nitrate, Mining, Waste Oil, and more. Our capability in recent years has also seen an expansion into specialised applications such as Aviation refuellers and Military grade transport modules.
Holmwood Highgate has also expanded our capability to include the importation and distribution of LPG and Dry Bulk tankers. These new options add to our current repertoire and help us cater to more businesses needs than ever before.
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Australia Post announces new $50M Queensland facility
Australia Post is significantly boosting its investment in Queensland by committing over $50 million to build a cutting-edge parcel facility at the Brisbane Airport Industrial Park.
Expected to open in early 2026, this state-of-the-art StarTrack Premium facility will reportedly be the second largest sorting facility in Queensland.
With South East Queensland’s population expected to increase to over six million by 2032, Australia Post said the strategic investment will ensure it has the right infrastructure in place to meet the projected eCommerce growth across the region.
Australia Post Group CEO and Managing Director, Paul Graham, said the construction of the new facility highlights Australia Post’s commitment to investing in infrastructure that supports the changing needs of its
customers and the growth of its business.
“Queensland continues to experience year-on-year eCommerce growth, with 82 per cent of Queenslanders making an online purchase in the past year,” he said.
“This new parcel facility will help us respond to that demand and deliver parcels to customers’ doors sooner.”
The Brisbane North Parcel Facility will not only increase Australia Post’s operational footprint, but will also complement its modernisation and regional capacity network program, with 39 network operations sites upgraded in the past 12 months.
“Conveniently located adjacent to Brisbane Airport, this new facility will be able to process up to 176,000 parcels per day in addition to improving team member safety by reducing touch points and manual handling thanks to the installation of both
a large and small parcel sorter, each equipped with integrated X-ray screening,” Graham said.
“Our delivery team will also benefit from being closer to delivery catchments, reducing their on-road time and ultimately improving services for our customers throughout South East Queensland.”
Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, said this will be the largest industrial project ever constructed at Brisbane Airport.
“By providing Australia Post with direct airside access, we’re streamlining the delivery of time- sensitive parcels, benefitting millions of Queenslanders in the South East and regional areas of the state,” he said.
“We’re proud to develop projects that enable Queensland to grow and connect to the world.”
$32M Mitchell Highway upgrade now complete
A $32 million project to build new overtaking lanes on the Mitchell Highway between Dubbo and Narromine, New South Wales, has been completed.
The three new overtaking lanes along the 36-kilometre stretch of the Mitchell Highway will provide a safer journey and reduce travel times.
As part of the project, significant intersection upgrades have been made at Wynsley Lane and Lagoon Creek, allowing motorists to turn on and off the highway more safely.
“The Mitchell Highway is an important freight and tourism route,” said NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison.
“It’s great to see the NSW Labor
Government is investing in regions like Dubbo, Narromine and Gilgandra.
why motorists are so excited about these new overtaking lanes that have slashed travel times, increased safety and allowed
Image: Australia Post.
14 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
Image: Ken Griffiths/stock.adobe.com.
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Roads Australia announces new Board Directors
Three national transport leaders have been elected to the Roads Australia Board, marking a historic moment in the industry body’s 70-year history.
Green was appointed Acting Group Executive – Victoria for Transurban in October 2023.
BMD Group CEO, Scott Power, Clayton Utz Partner, Alison Close, and Transurban Acting Group Executive for Victoria, Nicole Green, have been appointed to the RA Board following the first ever electronic ballot for the organisation.
Power boasts 29 years of experience in the civil construction industry, having been an Executive Director at BMD since 2009 and CEO since 2020.
Close has been a construction lawyer for 18 years and is a Partner at Clayton Utz.
She joins the RA Board with a strong understanding of the challenges facing the transport and infrastructure sectors, and has worked closely with the Victorian Government in the delivery of major projects including the West Gate Tunnel Project, the Metro Tunnel Project and the North East Link Project.
She joined the company in January 2022 as Group General Counsel, and has played an integral role in some of the organisation’s biggest projects.
Prior to Transurban, Green spent 24 years at law firm MinterEllison, where she was a Partner in the Projects, Infrastructure and Construction Division.
RA Chair, Aneetha de Silva, welcomed the new Board Directors, saying it marked a significant milestone for the organisation.
“RA is undergoing an ambitious transformation agenda which builds on its strong legacy as an industry leader,” she said.
“The Director election process is the second major chapter in this process of change, following our members’ endorsement of our new Constitution at our recent AGM.
“We were delighted with the level of interest in the Board positions and I thank our members who have engaged in this process, including the candidates who put themselves forward for election.”
The election came after the RA Board sought nominations for three vacant Director positions – one position each from Tier 2 contractors, legal consultants and transport operators.
According to de Silva, the new Directors significantly boost the Board’s industry representation and diversity of views.
“RA has a membership base that represents the full depth and breadth of the transport infrastructure supply chain,” she said.
“We’re delighted to now be able to truly represent all those different voices at the Board table.
“I am also proud to have delivered on our commitment to achieve 50 per cent gender diversity on the Board within 15 months of announcing that ambition.”
Woolworths boss announces retirement, replacement confirmed
Woolworths Managing Director and Group CEO Brad Banducci has announced his intention to retire in September.
Banducci will step aside after 13 years with the Group, and eight and a half years as Group CEO.
His replacement Amanda Bardwell will take the reins as Managing Director and Group CEO, commencing 1 September, following the release of the Group’s 2024 financial year results.
Bardwell has been with the Group for 23 years. For the past seven of those she has acted as the Managing Director of e-commerce division WooliesX.
“On behalf of the Board and all of the Woolworths Group team, I would like to thank Brad for his outstanding leadership and contribution,” said Woolworths Group Chair, Scott Perkins.
“Brad has led a remarkable turnaround and transformation of the Group. He
has engendered a Customer 1st Team 1st culture, worked to strengthen existing businesses and build digital, eCommerce and analytics capabilities that are seen by our peers as world leading.
“Most importantly, he has built a team of amazing calibre. Woolworths Group has been fortunate to have Brad as its leader and he has indeed helped us to be better together.”
Perkins noted the test of any CEO is to leave the business in much better shape than when they started.
“On that simple metric, history will judge Brad to have been one of Woolworths Group’s finest leaders,” he said.
“We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Amanda as the incoming and 13th Managing Director and Group CEO of Woolworths Group, as the Group starts its next century of creating better experiences together for a better tomorrow.
“Amanda is a proven leader, business builder and modern retailer. Most recently, under her leadership, WooliesX has gone from infancy in 2015 to a $7 billion market leading business. Amanda is highly respected throughout the organisation and I know, like Brad, will live our purpose and work hard to achieve Woolworths Group’s full potential.”
Banducci, who was recently subject to a fiery interview on ABC’s Four Corners following allegations of price gouging, made a statement ahead of his departure.
“It has been a privilege to be a member of the Woolies team and one I have never taken for granted,” he said.
“We have a wonderfully talented and passionate team at Woolworths Group, as personified in Amanda Bardwell, and I look forward to working with Amanda and our team over the next few months as we set ourselves up for the next chapter.”
Image: runner77/stock.adobe.com.
16 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
OVER 100 YEARS OF INNOVATION
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New partnership to drive level crossing safety
A new partnership has been formed to enhance heavy vehicle safety at level crossings.
Between 1 July 2014 and 31 December 2022 there were 39 lives lost and 49 serious injuries at Australia’s rail crossings.
As a result, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) in a joint effort have issued a crucial safety notice to help truck drivers to remain vigilant at level crossings.
The National Level Crossing Safety Notice reminds heavy vehicle drivers of the potentially life-saving safety measures they must adhere to around rail lines.
It includes simple do’s and don’ts for drivers to remember, such as reducing speed and checking blind spots before crossing, adhering to any warning signs, boom gates and lights, and assessing the road condition.
ATA CEO, Mathew Munro, said the safety notice was a part of a shared commitment to reducing fatalities and injuries at the more than 20,000 level crossings intersecting with roads and pathways around the country.
“We’re putting out a unified reminder for truck drivers to prioritise not only their own safety, but the safety of their fellow road users and rail workers,” he said.
“There’s no room to take risks when it
comes to trains.”
NHVR CEO, Sal Petroccitto, said level crossings presented unique challenges for heavy vehicles, meaning drivers needed to be aware of their surroundings and avoid any distraction when approaching rail lines.
“Trucks don’t have the same stopping time as lighter vehicles, so it’s critical all heavy vehicle drivers take extra caution around the tracks,” he said.
“Taking a risk at a level crossing is never worth it, and by following the guidelines in the safety alert, we can collectively reduce the likelihood of tragedy occurring and ensure all road users reach their destination safely.”
Image: Bruce/stock.adobe.com.
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Primary Connect opens new Queensland DC
Primary Connect recently celebrated the official opening of its brand-new, stateof-the-art facility in Yatala, Queensland.
The 34,880-square-metre facility has been designed to drive warehouse and distribution efficiencies, with 33 roller shutter doors, an expansive 22-metre cantilevered awning and significant inbuilt forklift and machine technology and programming to enable seamless supply of products.
As an extension of Primary Connect’s ongoing relationship with Endeavour Group, the Yatala distribution centre (DC) will service more than 600 BWS, Dan Murphy’s and ALH venues from northern New South Wales to Far North Queensland.
“We’re delighted to officially open our brand new, state-of-the-art facility in Yatala, Queensland,” said Primary Connect State General Manager, Mattie Ryan.
“We’re proud of our nearly century-long investment in Queensland, and we’re delighted to continue our commitment to future-proofing our networks and
partnerships through this new facility.
“Thank you to Frasers Property Industrial and McNab for developing this state-of the-art facility, and to all our team members for contributing to this exciting new chapter for Primary Connect.”
The development has also been designed as a next-generation industrial and logistics estate with a focus on sustainability and wellbeing and As-Built v1.3 rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.
It incorporates several sustainability features, including a 500kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system, two 25,000-litre ground water tanks to capture rainwater for reuse and 144 individual charge bays for electric forklifts.
The new Yatala DC is strategically positioned 500 metres from the Pacific Motorway, offering 24/7 B-double access and a signalised intersection from the estate to Staplyton Jacobs Well Road, as well as internal and external road works.
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Qube shows resilience in H1 FY2024 results
Qube has demonstrated a solid performance for H1 FY2024, with improvements in all key underlying financial metrics.
For H1 of FY2024, Qube saw an underlying revenue growth of 8.7 per cent to $11.6 billion flowing through to underlying earnings (EBITA) growth of 8.0 per cent to $156.8 million.
Underlying NPATA increased by 6.5 per cent to $141.2 million for the period, and underlying earnings per share amortisation (EPSA) increased by 6.5 per cent to 8.0 cents per share.
The result reflected a higher earnings contribution from all parts of the group, with both business units in the Operating Division and all of Qube’s associates delivering higher profits in the half compared to the prior corresponding period.
Qube Managing Director, Paul Digney, said the results for the period again demonstrated the value of Qube’s diversification in insulating against macroeconomic challenges and headwinds in some markets.
“This is another pleasing result for Qube, which shows both the strength of the business and our success in leveraging Qube’s extensive asset base and scale to improve productivity and efficiency across our operations,” he said.
“While the high interest rate environment and wider macroeconomic
challenges did create challenges through the half, the combination of our strong financial position, together with our diversification by markets and geography supported continued organic growth as well as further accretive investment, including several complementary acquisitions.”
Patrick Terminals, which is 50 per cent owned by Qube, was the largest driver of Qube’s earnings growth in the period –reflecting a very high market share.
The business unit delivered a 21.1 per cent increase in underlying NPATA to Qube of $44.8 million.
Underlying revenue generated by Patrick increased by 15.6 per cent to $462.2 million year-on-year (YOY) and underlying EBITDA improved by 21.1 per cent to $200.2 million in H1 FY2024.
According to Qube, the high market share of 49 per cent for the period reflected additional service wins secured in late FY2023.
Qube’s Logistics and Infrastructure (L&I) business unit delivered a modest increase in underlying earnings in H1 FY2024 despite a decline in revenue.
Underlying EBITA grew by 2.9 per cent to $121.9 million while underlying revenue declined from $692 million in H1 FY2023 to $667.7 million in H1 FY2024.
The result reflected continued high volumes across most of Qube’s containerised activities including
transport, empty container parks and warehouse activities as well as high volumes of vehicles, roll on-roll off, general and project cargo at Qube’s automotive terminals.
The key weakness in the period, according to Qube, was lower agri (grain) volumes following a very strong contribution in FY2023.
Overall, Qube expects to deliver growth in full year underlying NPATA and EPSA in FY2024 compared to FY2023 although the growth rate is expected to be below the strong growth rate that was achieved in FY2023.
While the extent of earnings growth remains difficult to forecast given the various opportunities, challenges and uncertainty across Qube’s core markets, based on the current outlook, Qube presently expects that FY2024 underlying NPATA and EPSA will be between five to 10 per cent above the FY2023 underlying NPATA and EPSA.
“The actual full year earnings growth will depend on a range of factors including market conditions and volumes in Qube’s key markets, any further adverse weather events, the inflationary and interest rate environment and the labour and industrial relations environment,” the company said.
“Qube remains well placed to deliver sustainable long-term underlying earnings growth.”
smith/stock.adobe.com.
Image: pada
20 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
Rentco, the first Australian Rental Fleet to bring to market the R/H Drive fully electric terminal tractor, the long awaited Terberg TY200-EV.
After testing the first 12 units to be delivered into Australia we are very happy with the results and these have proven to be the most comfortable carbon free emission option we can deliver to market.
The first four units were delivered in July of this year and have been tested by some of the counties largest freight companies in some of the busiest depots we have in Australia, with another 4 arriving this year and the remaining 4 will be delivered in Feb 2024. These 12 full electric terminal tractors will bolster what is already the largest terminal tractor fleet in the country.
Rentco takes its responsibility to a more sustainable future and reducing carbon emissions very seriously and is leading the way by delivering a ready to go true 100% electric terminal tractor to Australia’s transport industry.
For Terberg Rental enquiries, contact Paul Scott: Tel: 0407 456 463 Email: paul.scott@rentco.com.au
Web: www.rentco.com.au
$2.2B Coomera Connector motorway package advances
Another milestone has been achieved for Queensland’s $2.2 billion Coomera Connector Stage 1 North package, with the first year of construction complete.
Since construction started, the project team has completed more than 80 per cent of piling works on both the new Coomera River bridge and Coomera overflow bridge, with 148 piles installed to date.
In that time, the project team has started bridge girder installation with 16 of close to 500 girders installed on the new Coomera River bridge.
Extensive ground improvement works are also underway, including the installation of close to 3,500 controlled
modulus columns across the project to stabilise and reinforce the ground.
Additionally, over two kilometres of new drainage infrastructure is now in place, with more than 2,000 workers inducted to the construction site.
Transport and Main Roads Minister, Bart Mellish, said the project is vital to the region’s future and is one of the largest infrastructure projects the Government has underway.
“It’s one year in for this incredibly important project and I am so pleased to see this wonderful new motorway taking shape,” he said.
“The Coomera Connector, or Second M1, is going to be a game-changer for
commuters to and from the Gold Coast, anticipated to take 60,000 cars a day off the M1.
“It will be a key link in South East Queensland’s future transport network and will not only ease congestion between our two major cities, but will improve how Gold Coast residents move
Image: Department of Transport and Main Roads.
22 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
NSW Government installs more freight monitoring cameras
The New South Wales Government is continuing to install machine learning traffic cameras which use world-first camera technology across the state.
A Transport for NSW trial is using counting and classifying cameras to better understand freight movements to help reduce congestion, improve road safety outcomes and encourage more efficient deliveries.
The new technology is seen as another tool that can be used to help manage increasing freight volumes, which are expected to increase across NSW by 28 per cent by 2036 over a 2018 baseline.
The new cameras have been installed at the following locations:
• Golden Highway/Denman Road, Denman
• Barrier Highway, Nyngan
• Bourke Road/Kidman Way, Cobar
High-definition pictures of heavy vehicles will be taken by the cameras which are then classified into the type of vehicle in transit and the type of cargo being transported.
According to the NSW Government, the cameras are not used for enforcement or monitoring people or private vehicles.
“This heavy vehicle traffic information will enable Transport for NSW to better understand freight movements with the aim of assisting longterm planning for the movement of goods in NSW,” a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
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Image: pascalkphoto/stock.adobe.com.
AusPost segment delivers record $3.8B revenue
A revenue increase of 1.3 per cent to $3.86 billion has been announced by Australia Post in its Parcels and Services business.
While Australia Post’s domestic parcel volumes were largely flat, increasing 0.9 per cent in H1 2024, Australians continued to embrace e-commerce highlighting the two-speed nature of the business.
Letter volumes continued their downward trajectory having decreased 11.9 per cent over the past 12 months just as Letters losses were $182.1 million for the half.
With Australians now receiving on average just two letters per week, Australia Post said the continuing structural decline of the Letters business was unstoppable.
In response, Australia Post launched a new next-day delivery service, Australia Post Metro, to retailers in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
According to the company it reflected changing customer needs and provided greater speed, reliability and convenience.
Australia Post Metro is due to be expanded into other cities during the remainder of FY24.
Overall performance improved, in part, due to a record peak period with almost 100 million parcels delivered across Australia, the company said.
Australia Post reported an interim profit of $33.6 million, an increase of $10 million on the prior corresponding period.
However, losses in the Letters business as well as declining customer visits to post offices as online services replace over-the-counter transactions, continued to impact the long-term viability of the business.
While Australia Post’s Post26 strategy to simplify the business is starting to deliver financial benefits, significant structural headwinds remain.
Australia Post’s Letters revenue declined by 2.7 per cent to $857.9 million compared to H1 23. This result would have been more than $90 million weaker without the
$0.10 increase to the Basic Postal Rate (BPR).
Australia Post has commenced a New Delivery Model trial, which sees Postal Delivery Officers delivering priority mail, express letters and parcels to addresses every day and standard letters and unaddressed mail every second day.
Operationally, this allows posties to deliver more parcels during their rounds, and supports the growing e-commerce sector, while continuing to ensure Australians receive an appropriate letter service aligned with declining volumes.
In August 2023, Australia Post lodged a draft notification with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), proposing an increase in the Basic Postage Rate (BPR) from $1.20 to $1.50 to help address the rising cost of delivering letters and reducing letter losses.
Earlier this year, after carefully assessing the draft notification, the ACCC published a preliminary view proposing not to object to the increase. Australia Post has now lodged its formal price notification, and this change is subject to finalising regulatory processes. The new price will take effect from 3 April 2024.
Through disciplined cost management, $140.8 million in efficiencies was achieved in H1 2024, which included further simplification of the support office, product portfolio and broader network productivity improvements.
Consultation has now been completed on the first phase of the modernisation reforms announced by the Federal Government in December 2023.
While the regulations are yet to be issued, Australia Post expects to see further financial performance improvement once they are implemented. However, further reform is required for Australia Post to become a financially sustainable business.
Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Paul Graham, said while the improved performance in H1 2024 was welcome, he cautioned Australia Post is anticipated to record ongoing full
year losses.
“I am pleased to see green shoots from the Post26 strategy starting to emerge. We have been very disciplined in managing our costs in a high-inflationary environment, we’re focusing on simplifying our operations and making the changes needed to build a sustainable business,” he said in a statement.
“I’m proud that we delivered a record peak period, and I would like to thank the millions of Australians who placed their trust in Australia Post at Christmas to deliver their gifts around Australia and the world.
“On behalf of the Leadership team and the Board of Australia Post, I would like to thank our 63,000 team members for their dedication and hard work over the record peak period, where almost 100 million parcels were delivered.
“We are in the early stages of the modernisation of Australia Post and now more than 18 months into our Post26 business simplification strategy. Post26 is delivering significant benefits to the business and, subject to approval, I am confident the modernisation reforms announced in December will also strongly enhance the business. We look forward to the continuing support of the Government, union partners and community stakeholders.”
Despite the positive early signs of potential, Graham said there were fundamental structural challenges confronting Australia Post as letters use continued to decline with fewer customers utilising its retail network.
“The New Delivery Model we are trialling will help address the decline in our Letters business, but our outsized retail network will need to be addressed,” he said.
“Importantly, Australia Post remains as relevant as ever to the lives of millions of Australians and with our modernisation and simplification journey under way, we are in a stronger position to continue supporting the nation than we were 12
24 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 News
Image: arliftatoz2205/stock.adobe.com.
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Industrial revelations
A new report has shone a light on the importance of industrial properties, after revealing a staggering $1.2 trillion worth of goods flow through Australia’s ‘big sheds’ every year.
Industrial assets, used by a range of industries to store and move goods across Australia, are critical to the Australian economy. According to the Property Council of Australia, the largest tenant in industrial assets is transport, postal and warehousing businesses (31 per cent) followed by retail trade (26 per cent) and wholesale businesses (11 per cent).
A new report, published by Oxford Economics Australia and commissioned by the Property Council of Australia, estimates 38 per cent of household consumption in FY22 – totalling $423 billion – was from goods passing through industrial properties such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities and distribution centres.
This alone, Property Council Group Executive Policy and Advocacy, Matthew Kandelaars, said, not only reveals how important industrial assets are, but how critical it is to ensure there are enough of them to lift productivity and support efficient business activity.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to quantify the value of goods moving in and out of Australia’s industrial facilities, and the number – more than a trillion – is significant,” he said.
“While they don’t always attract the same the attention as other forms of real estate, industrial facilities are critical to not only moving goods into Australian homes, but they are also our gateway to the world, with more than half of the goods moving through our sheds being imported or prepared for export.”
That being said, warehouse vacancy
rates are drastically low. According to Urban Property Australia, the Melbourne industrial vacancy rate as of January 2024 stands at 1.2 per cent, with rates around the country dropping below one per cent.
The lack of supply, Kandelaars said, can have major negative flow on effects on delivery times, logistics and cost. As a result, he said Australia needs more warehouse space near key population centres.
“Considering how important these assets are to our economy, the status quo is not sustainable,” he said.
Of all the goods moving through industrial sites, the Oxford Economics Australia report found 44 per cent are consumed by other businesses locally
or overseas. It also found that 34 per cent made their way into Australian homes, and 54 per cent were imports or exports.
Due to this, Kandelaars is calling on governments to rethink zoning and planning laws for industrial assets to support the efficiency of supply chains.
“Finding suitable land for warehouse facilities is a tough task, with land and zoning constraints, delays in utility connections, inadequate public transport and infrastructure and encroachment on industrial corridors putting strain on the market,” he said.
“Meeting the needs of our growing population will require increased industrial assets. The important role these assets play in our economy cannot be understated.”
26 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024
GDP growth rate September 2023 Unemployment rate January 2024 Interest rate February 2024 0.2% 4.1% 4.35% 10 5 0 -5 -10 Oct 2023 Jan 2024 Apr 2023 Jul 2023 -1 -1 -3 -4 1 1 00 -3 -8 1 -1
Economy
Image: 孤飞的鹤 /stock.adobe.com.
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Future-proofing tanker investments
Tieman Tankers has developed a brand-new innovative PerformanceBased Standards tanker design in collaboration with Hills Tankers.
In the ever-evolving landscape of transportation logistics, the recent collaboration between Tieman Tankers and Hills Tankers heralds another new Performance-Based Standards (PBS) innovation with increased efficiency.
Tieman Tankers, with its long history dating back to 1953, has once again demonstrated its pioneering ability with the development of a brand-new quadquad B-double tanker combination. This innovative trailer offers fleets another dependable PBS option for fuel transportation, boasting a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 77.5 tonnes and an estimated payload of 65,000 litres of jet fuel.
Hills Tankers, established in 1960, is renowned for its dedication to reliability and excellence in service in this field. Serving the entire east coast out to the Northern Territory border and Gulf Country in Queensland, it has earned a reputation as a trusted partner in the industry. Now, it adds to all of its abilities with Tieman Tanker’s latest PBS design.
Showcasing the power of collaboration between two family-owned businesses committed to future-proofing their investments and revolutionising tanker
equipment, Hills Tankers Director, Andrew Hill, says the delivery of the Tieman PBS quad-quad jet fuel B-double represents a significant milestone in the industry.
“Tieman Tankers is leading the way in PBS,” he says. “The quad-quad B-double has acted as a major change for our operations in the Sydney area. Tieman’s engineering, and communication daily to get these projects up and running, makes everything so easy to deal with.”
The development of the PBS quad-quad jet fuel B-double between Tieman Tankers and Hills Tankers began 12 months ago. At the time, Hills Tankers was chasing a solution for its B-double and single deliveries to different defence locations in Sydney, and Tieman Tankers was capable of providing it.
“Tieman Tankers walked us through the system with their engineering team and their regulatory advice,” Andrew says. “Most people in the industry would be aware that PBS is quite a complex system, but Tieman has a very good in-house PBS department that deals with the route assessments and applications to the point where it just makes our life easy.
“I was pleased with the way they reacted to our requirements. Tieman Tankers has
77.5T GCM B-double. 28 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers
the tanker operates at its full capacity, maximising efficiency and reducing the number of trips needed.
For destinations where a smaller payload is sufficient or there is tighter access, the rear quad-axle single tanker can be uncoupled from the lead B-double, transforming into a quad-axle single tanker with a GCM of 50.5 tonnes and a payload
similar payload to an A-double and then a higher mass when we split it up and use it as a single.
“That was our rationale behind having this vehicle. It will spend a fair bit of its life as a higher mass single, and then as a higher mass B-double with a reduced payload comparable to that of an A-double.”
Since being deployed in the fleet, the tanker has improved payloads while reducing fuel economy at the same time.
“The extra volume of the combination when used as a B-double or a higher mass single solves the problem of high traffic, especially in cities,” Andrew says. “The
tanker has also given the fleet improved route access, while reducing labour through running costs as well.
“It gives us a lot of flexibility to work as a higher mass single,” he says. “We’ve got access to places with this combination that we can’t get to with a B-double or an A-double. For example, we’ve just launched two Tieman 30m A-doubles on the same task to run to Williamtown and Canberra with 85 tonne out of Parramatta, but obviously we can’t get them in some locations. So, this allows the bigger combinations to run out.
take to solve that issue is to cart more. This
“With a steerable axle on each trailer, it actually has a smaller swept path than a normal 26-metre B-double. It follows closer behind you in metro situations with a higher payload. So, you get better access and payload, which is always a good thing.”
By being able to adapt the tanker configuration based on specific freight tasks, Hills Tankers can optimise resource allocation, minimise costs and enhance operational efficiency, all while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.
As Tieman Tankers looks to the future, Director, Colin Tieman, says the quadquad jet fuel B-double serves as a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and innovation.
“By continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible”, he says, “combining Tieman Tankers’ leading expertise in PBS designs and importantly our one-stop shop for gaining access approval with Hills Tankers’ excellence in delivering fuel safely has paved the way for another first for the road tanker industry.”
Tieman PBS Quad Quad B-double.
Images: Tieman Tankers.
Contact Tieman Tankers 180-186 Northbourne Rd, Campbellfield, VIC 3061 Ph: 03 9469 6700 Web: www.tieman.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 29
History in the making
The brand-new Holmwood Highgate and Hockney & Co ‘FBT Transwest spec’ stainless steel tanker has made its debut with a maiden load to IXOM.
Holmwood Highgate and FBT Transwest brought 2023 to a close with an exciting development. On 7 December, the bulk liquid storage and transportation system specialist hosted a special launch event in Essendon, Victoria, where an elite sample of the transport industry bore witness to the introduction of a new stainless steel tanker in the Hockney & Co and Holmwood Highgate product portfolio.
During his speech on the night, Holmwood Highgate Managing Director, Mark Stables, said the tanker – a testament to Holmwood Highgate’s dedication to excellence – marked a significant milestone for the company.
“Bolstered by this success and driven
by our commitment to innovation, we’ve decided to embark on a new frontier in the world of stainless steel tankers,” he said. “We know the industry has been yearning for an alternative to the incumbent for quite some time.”
The ‘FBT spec’ tanker features a series of components from Fort Vale, Air Brake Systems, Haulmax Tyres (supported by its Haulmax Wingman program), SAF-Holland (with its tyre pressure monitoring system) and Fleetmark, along with access to 3M reflective tape for safety marking, HELLA lighting, WHG telematics and cameras and more.
As FBT Transwest Managing Director, Cameron Dunn, proudly accepted the
new tanker innovation on the night, he emphasised that good businesses are safe businesses, and safe businesses are sustainable businesses. Cameron said this is what the product would bring to the industry, and it has since delivered on that.
“This is an opportunity for Holmwood Highgate to enter the stainless steel tanker market and for us to get in at the base level, but also to share the FBT Transwest spec,” Cameron says. “It’s an opportunity for us to really put our own footprint on the product and spec it up in terms of overall safety but also thinking about the operator as well.”
Cameron and his team worked very closely with Holmwood Highgate
30 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers
Transwest’s company values, and he says it worked seamlessly.
“The beauty of our organisations is we share safety as a core value,” he says. “We work together really well, and we understand each other’s needs. The stainless steel tanker is a major milestone in terms of its price as well as our collaboration with Holmwood Highgate.”
As an accredited Dangerous Goods (DG) and food transporter, FBT Transwest has been reputable for its ongoing commitment to quality and safety since establishing in 1972.
The Holmwood Highgate trailer itself caters to this specifically, being 100-percent Australian designed and manufactured with the industry’s latest and most technologically advanced components.
“Safety is at the core of FBT Transwest,” Cameron says. “With all the things we put on it, in collaboration with Holmwood Highgate, it was all about having safety and the operator in mind. For example, all the valving and braking systems, and how we set the tanker up with the suppliers that we had involved in it – going as far as the rims, tyres, tyre inflation systems, suspension and axles, telematics and camera systems, and with Air Brake as well. All of those products are from key suppliers of ours that we wanted to introduce into this build.”
Since its official launch the stainless steel tanker has joined the FBT Transwest fleet and is tasked with transporting a range of
chemicals such as caustic soda throughout Victoria for IXOM.
Based in Melbourne, IXOM has a history of supplying chemicals for agriculture, mining, life sciences, building and construction, and is regarded as a leader in water treatment and chemical distribution in Australia.
The company, which Cameron says is a major supplier to the industry, will see the new ‘FBT spec’ tanker used for its various operations throughout metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The tanker recently completed its first freight task for IXOM where it transported caustic soda to its chemical plant in Yarraville. Following this, Cameron says the tanker is looking very promising.
“Recently we launched it on its maiden load,” he says. “We wanted to keep it inhouse with one of our key customers, that being IXOM. We loaded at Laverton and then discharged at Yarraville. That was very exciting, and it operated how we expected it to. On that day, the feedback from our customer and also the operator was very positive.”
According to Cameron, the ‘FBT spec’ tanker has provided FBT Transwest with safety gains as well as boosting performance with loading and unloading. “We’ve seen some benefits there,” he says. “Overall, the package and the price point has also been excellent, without reducing safety in any way, shape or form – it’s actually been the opposite. So, we’ve been able to put more safety features on it than the previous spec.”
Having already performed so well in its early stages, Cameron says he is looking forward to seeing the tanker in action in its future operations.
“It’s exactly what we expected, and the feedback from our operators has been excellent,” he says. “It’s good to have a project where things work as expected. We’ll be keen to get some more kilometres under the belt of this one.”
Contact
Holmwood Highgate
Ph: 03 9936 0360 | 07 3440 9000
Web: www.holmwoodhighgate.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 31
Images: Prime Creative Media.
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Mine Haul Logistics invests in top-notch Tristar tankers
Mine Haul Logistics has taken delivery of two new 32,000-litre water tankers from Tristar Industries which were built and spec’d to thrive in the Pilbara.
Mine Haul Logistics, based in Western Australia, specialises in bulk haulage to mine sites, rail sidings and road work locations where it transports a variety of products such as iron ore, large rocks and road base. Since establishing around 20 years ago, the company has accumulated a fleet of about 150 trailers, built up by a range of B-doubles, side tippers and triple road trains. A large portion of these are from Tristar Industries.
More recently, Mine Haul Logistics purchased two 32,000-litre water tanks from Tristar, which, since being put to work, have been very beneficial to the business. The new units are fitted with Tristar’s standard close-coupled hydraulic motor and pump, Fuwa K Hitch axles, spring suspension and an optional extra feature of two additional vertical magnum sprays. In their operations, the water tankers travel off-road through the Pilbara region of WA for road works and the watering of haul roads by Mine Haul Logistics. In these very demanding and remote operating conditions in the north-west, Mine Haul Logistics owner and Director, Paul Donnelly, says they work extremely well and suit the application.
“They’ve been brilliant, they haven’t
missed a beat,” he says. “We’ve had a really good run out of them so far. They don’t crack up or need repairing, and there’s no issues at all.”
Paul believes Tristar’s water tankers are manufactured to perfection, with every possible outcome thought through in the design process of the builds.
“I’ve been around every make you can buy, and I think theirs is the best,” he says. “The way they design them is just great. Whether it be with all the pipework, or how the sprayers are mounted at a few degrees lower so the wind doesn’t carry the water away, they build them right. You couldn’t be happier with them.
“We’ve got ours so we can load share as well. The hydraulic operation is at the rear of the trailer for the load sharing, so you can pump water from one tanker right through to another tank.”
Tristar’s water tankers are available in sizes from 28,000 litres to 38,000 litres and are built specifically to cope with rough conditions. The barrels are made entirely out of a 5mm 350 MPa grade plate with a 8mm 350 MPa grade belly plate, with the chassis being made out of a 700 MPa grade high-tensile steel.
On its water tankers, Tristar uses a nine
leaf spring as opposed to an eight leaf one for increased durability. The bodies are also lined with an epoxy tank liner for potable water, meaning they are quite durable internally as well.
The tankers are manufactured in the Northern Territory to withstand Tristar’s own remote work in Darwin. This, Paul says, is the reason why they have been built so well – because they constantly being tested and proven in real-world applications on a regular basis.
“Everything’s right about them because they use them themselves,” he says. “They see what needs fixing because they’ve got them in their own operations. Tristar improves things on them all the time, so they know what is good and what’s not.”
Due to Tristar developing such a top-tier solution, Paul says Mine Haul Logistics has also attracted extra attention with jobs because of the equipment it uses.
“We get a lot of water cart work because people know we’ve got them,” he says. “They do the job. They’ve got really good paint on them as well which lasts with what we do. When you’re using corrosive water in the goldfields or where it’s worse than ocean area, they withstand.”
Paul has been purchasing trailers from
34 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers
Tristar for quite some time. He first came across the product many years ago when someone who had hired some trailers from Tristar visited his site. As he explains, the units weren’t compatible with the owner’s trucks due to his hydraulics set up. Paul had some that could work, though, so they both swapped trailer sets.
Fast fact
All of Tristar Industries’ water tankers are manufactured in Darwin, Northern Territory, to withstand the type of work the OEM does in its own operations. Overtime, this has allowed the business to constantly improve on its product to offer a complete solution.
trailers,” he says. “I liked everything about them – the way they tipped, their hydraulics, and how they sat up nice and high. So, I rang them and I got on the bandwagon.”
Since dealing with Tristar for the several different trailer combinations which followed, Paul says the company has always catered to his needs.
“They’re really good to deal with,” he
it’s not too big of a wait time.
“Ricky Jones, the person there that you generally deal with, is really good. He’ll answer the phone on the weekend and talk to you, whereas there’s not many companies that will do that. He has a good knowledge of the product and knows what you’re talking about too, so we find him to be really good.”
As Paul looks at expanding the fleet even
further, he says Tristar will be considered for more durable solutions.
“We offloaded a bit but we’re back buying again this year,” he says. “We’re probably going to buy another 30 trailers.”
Contact Tristar Industries Ph: 08 8932 2600
E: sales@tristarindustries.com.au
Web: www.tristarindustries.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 35
Images: Tristar Industries.
Pave the way
Fulton Hogan has deployed Byford Equipment’s latest innovation, the ‘first ever’ 30m Performance-Based Standards A-double bitumen tanker combination for Victorian operations.
Since its establishment in 1975, Byford Equipment has consistently demonstrated power in crafting tankers utilising stainless steel, duplex metals and aluminium tailored for the food, wine, bitumen and chemical industries. As a specialised manufacturer, the company is committed to exceeding industry standards as well as innovating significant improvements for both its customers and the industry over the years.
Byford Equipment recently reached a ground-breaking milestone – the production of the first-ever 30m A-double Performance-Based Standards (PBS) bitumen combination for operation on Victorian roads. In conjunction with Fulton Hogan, this achievement underscores the collaborative efforts between both companies in the development and
implementation process and highlights their shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of transportation technology.
The combination has joined Fulton Hogan’s fleet where it is being used to cart elevated temperature liquid bitumen in the business’ transport operations. Delivering to fixed sites as well as roadside deliveries for spray sealing activities, the PBS A-double travels right across the country on certified routes from Mildura, Victoria, through to Sydney, New South Wales, and all the way up to Adelaide, South Australia.
Within these freight tasks, Fulton Hogan National Transport Manager, Richard Gillott, says the combination has performed exceptionally, and has led to a plethora of savings and benefits including increased payloads, lighter tare weights
and impressive towing abilities.
“The main thing is we can carry more product,” he says. “The tare weight of the trailer is a lot lighter, so we found that we can get more product on and get better payloads. Rather than doing single semi loads, we can do two loads in one truck movement.”
According to Richard, the A-double combination also gives Fulton Hogan the option to have a road train spec at the full weight of 85.5 tonnes.
“The PBS spec means we can have a road train that can get the full capacity of a product into the trailers,” Richard says. “Under Higher Mass Limits (HML) with PBS, we can now operate a 30-metre road train in Victoria. It will be our spec, and that shorter-spec trailer in the future will give us
36 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers
the option of putting combinations together around the country.”
The Gen II Dolly integrated into the A-double – a rigid drawbar dolly developed by Byford Equipment –features a reduced tow coupling height which aligns tow connection level with the roll centre of the lead tanker. The reduced centre of gravity allows the tanker to sway independently without transferring movement to the dolly and tag trailer, enhancing stability beyond that of other tankers, regardless of the product carried.
In addition to the low-pull rigid drawbar dolly, the tankers have a lower centre of gravity than Byford’s tankers of the past. With a wider and lower barrel shape, the centre of the tank has been reduced by over 150mm which further improves stability and handling. All of these factors add up and contribute to improved safety and performance which is of high importance particularly when transporting liquid products.
The A-double itself is made of extremely
durable 3CR12 stainless steel which gives the barrel great longevity and has also provided great heat retention, resulting in a reduction in heating times and improved savings for Fulton Hogan’s customers.
“The general build quality is of a very high standard,” Richard says. “The sheeting and the heat retention is probably the best we’ve seen. In terms of where Byford Equipment has placed everything, things are very well thought-out. They really do their homework during the design phase, it’s really amazing.”
In addition, the tanker is fitted with a diesel-powered heating system which was developed by Fulton Hogan and Byford Equipment during the design phase of the combination. The heating system is powered autonomously, with batteries charged by solar panels on the roof of each trailer – eliminating the need for a generator.
“This enables each individual trailer to heat autonomously without requiring power from the prime mover, which is a bonus when towing multiple trailers,” Richard says. “Fulton Hogan New Zealand have been using diesel burners for heating bitumen for quite some time now, and Australia has been making the transition across from liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to diesel heating on bitumen road tankers out of necessity due to the rapid decline in availability of LPG at service station outlets across the country.”
An added benefit of the system is the reduction of noise associated with heating. The diesel burners, when set correctly, produce a lot less combustion noise than a LPG burner.
“There is also no mechanical engine noise as a generator is not required,”
Richard says. “You can just about park anywhere and heat without being a nuisance to anyone in the surrounding vicinity.”
With this latest project, Fulton Hogan has been working with Byford Equipment for 10 years. Over the last three years the trailer builder has manufactured a range of specified combinations for Fulton Hogan, but prior to that, Byford Equipment was doing all of the fleet’s trailer repairs in Derrimut, Victoria. When Byford Equipment opened its Melbourne workshop, Fulton Hogan began changing its equipment over with the OEM while continuing the vast majority of its maintenance repairs.
Throughout his dealings with Byford Equipment over the years, Richard says it has always accommodated the national transport requirements of Fulton Hogan. “They cater to what we need,” he says. “We’ll have a design brief of what we’re looking for, and they will come up with a solution. They have specified everything we have wanted.”
With Byford Equipment founder, Gary Byford, at the helm, Richard says the product is a guaranteed success supported by a reliable aftersales service.
“Gary will back the way he warrants his product,” he says. “We find Byford Equipment very good to deal with. We found that they ticked all the boxes in build quality, weight distribution and heat retention – all those things that are important to our industry.”
Contact
Byford Equipment
Ph: 03 5482 0666
Web: www.byfordequipment.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 37
Images: Byford Equipment.
Built to suit
Air and Gas Industries went back to the drawing board with its established vacuum tanker design to develop a custom solution for a major client in the waste management sector.
Air and Gas Industries’ latest tanker build, known as a ‘Panvac’, gets its name by combining a traditional Pantech-style truck body with an industrial liquid waste vacuum tanker.
The model, the first of three units being developed features a series of improvements on Air and Gas Industries’ previous builds to increase safety and offer greater payload.
“We have built these trucks before, but this is a bit of a special one that we did up,” says Air and Gas Industries Manufacturing Group Manager, Michael Fowler. “We’ve included a lot of features to make it very easy to load, easy to use, and to be very versatile.”
The vacuum tanker is made up by a 3,000-litre waste compartment, a 20-metre hydraulically operated vacuum hose reel to assist with speed of operation and a liquid ring vacuum pump system with a flow rate of 320 cubic metres per hour.
The tanker’s vessel is positioned between the front of the truck body and the back of the vehicle cab for optimum payload. To achieve this, Air and Gas Industries completed a weight distribution analysis to determine the vessel position and ensure that operators could use it to its limits.
During the design phase of the build, Air and Gas Industries put a lot of thought into the layout of the vehicle to make it more user friendly for the company’s liquid waste operations. This involved repositioning equipment mounted on the driver’s side of the vehicle to the passenger side, improving access to the top of the vessel and incorporating safety features such as handrail systems, anti-slip material and high visibility ladder treads. The three new units, once they arrive, will be used for the collection of waste oil and transport of oil drums out of workshops and different facilities. In these tasks,
Michael says the vacuum tanker will be a very flexible truck to allow Air and Gas Industries’ customer to support a range of different customers while minimising the number of returns to depots to unload.
“It’s all about giving them the most amount of payload,” he says. “We’re just trying to make sure they can maximise what they transport as much as possible. That’s what we put a lot of focus on, and we do it for all of our equipment.
“While we’re custom, we will always ensure that we size a vessel and position everything to optimise that particular vehicle regardless of what it is. That’s one of the benefits of being a custom builder – we can tweak all of those things locally and make it to suit our customers.”
Image: Air and Gas Industries.
Contact Air and Gas Industries Ph: 07 3271 5899 Web: www.airgas.com.au
38 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers road tankers
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Dixon expands tanker product range
Dixon’s latest product launching in the fuel tanker industry comes in the form of a new detent style API Adaptor, which is scheduled for launch next month at the National Bulk Tanker Association (NBTA) Day.
Dixon has been working on its new detent style API Adaptor with the assistance of its international engineering, design and development team. The API Adaptor, featuring an aluminium body and anodised hard coat aluminium nose ring, is equipped with Baylast seals, stainless steel hardware and a removable aluminium handle with finger grips, ensuring optimal functionality and ease of use. An optional nylon sight glass further adds to its versatility.
Dixon says the design will provide years of trouble-free service in most applications. However, where maintenance is required, the process is simplified as the nose cone and poppet can be serviced without removing the adaptor from the tanker. The detent action design, created to accommodate the preference of the Asia Pacific market, saw the collaboration of Dixon’s United States, Canadian and Australian engineering departments, headed by Troy Wheatland, Engineering and Quality Manager – Australia. According to Dixon, its US and Canadian engineers found great satisfaction in contributing to the development of this detent version, marking their first experience with such a design.
40 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers
Justin says that although collaborating across hemispheres wasn’t easy at times, the use of modern technologies as well as meetings around the clock saw the team get the job done.
“I am excited to see Dixon’s new products reach these markets and hope to see them in person in the future,” he says.
Over the past few years, Dixon has been on a relentless journey to enhance its offerings, introducing several new regionalised products to its already extensive range. These products are not just additions but significant enhancements to its fuel tanker package.
Among the latest releases are Dixon’s TTMA Sightglasses which were designed to provide clear visibility and ensure safe operations. Additionally, Dixon now offers emergency information panels (EIP) tailored for both bitumen and hydrocarbon fuels, prioritising safety and regulatory compliance.
Dixon has also introduced a vapour recovery elbow, straight drop adaptor and actuated TTMA butterfly valves, each engineered to streamline operations and optimise efficiency. These components
relevant industry standards.
“Whether it’s developing new products to enhance safety, efficiency or compliance, or refining existing offerings to better align with customer preferences, our goal is always to provide value-added solutions that help our customers thrive in a competitive market environment,” says Dixon Business Development Manager for tanker products, Peter Larsen. “Through collaboration and our commitment to constant evolution, we ensure that Dixon remains a trusted partner for our customers, capable of meeting their needs today and into the future.”
Dixon places importance on providing value-added services, exceptional customer support, technical assistance and thorough training to ensure that
across the country, Dixon can also ensure swift access to products whenever and wherever they are needed. Its realtime inventory control and extensive experience in demand tracking enhances timely dispatch and delivery, ensuring operations run smoothly and efficiently.
To further complement its comprehensive fuel tanker package, Dixon is currently in the process of developing new products in collaboration with its international divisions which are scheduled for launch in late 2024 and 2025.
Contact
Dixon Valve
Ph: 1300 134 651
Web: www.dixonvalve.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 41
Images: Dixon Asia Pacific.
Liberty Rural delivering fuel swiftly
Liberty Rural has deployed a new 27.5m pocket road train fitted with Liquip’s Swift delivery system in its growing fleet of fuel tankers.
Liquip International has partnered with Liquip Victoria and Tieman Tankers for a cutting-edge fuel tanker build destined for Western Australia, and the end result has arrived at Liberty Rural. The 27.5m pocket road train joins three similar 26m units in the fleet, and is one of the 40-plus trailer combinations integrated with Liquip’s Swift delivery system.
The pocket road train features Liquip’s Swift delivery system with dual underslung hose reels on the lead tanker and a Liquip manifold and transfer line. The follower trailer is also configured with the Swift system.
The unit will carry approximately 79,000 litres of diesel out of the Coogee Terminal in Kwinana and will deliver to Liberty Rural’s depots and customers throughout WA in Merredin, Corrigin, Katanning, Albany and Busselton.
Liberty Rural National Operations and Fleet Manager, Darren Karslake, says the Liquip Swift systems already implemented across the fleet have been working really well, and he is certain this new set-up will be no different.
“The real benefits the Swift system brings are around the safety and environmental
space,” he says. “We can maintain ‘no product to ground’ as a result of not having jumper hoses to continuously connect and disconnect. At the same time, the system creates a very ergonomic benefit for our drivers which considerably reduces the likelihood of injury as well as improving delivery times.”
Liberty Rural operates in all states of Australia except for Tasmania, with over 100 vehicle configurations ranging from rigids to triple road trains. Liberty Rural provides fuel and lubricants solutions to its customers which range from primary producers to equipment transport operators.
The Swift delivery system was designed and manufactured in Australia to suit the country’s harsh environments. When Liquip was designing the system, one of the key objectives was to ensure it would be built in such a way that it is selfintuitive and easy for drivers to operate, whilst being simple for the industry to maintain and service. Taking feedback on board from the industry, Liquip focused on incorporating as many functions as possible into the Swift delivery system for easy driver operation.
Fast fact
A pocket road train is a Western Australian term to describe an A-double designed to operate in the 27.5m length allowed for B-doubles in Western Australia.
Drivers at Liberty Rural who have completed operator training have commented on the user-friendliness of the system. In his experience with the Swift system, Liberty Rural Operator, Clinton McNally, says it is simple to understand and very easy to operate.
“To get familiar with the system, it probably takes about half an hour of playing with it at first,” he says. “It’s pretty selfexplanatory and is a very intuitive system.”
The Swift system has also improved Liberty Rural’s delivery times, as there is far less manual setup and maintenance required when pumping fuel.
“The Swift system is integrated into each of the trailers which all have multi-pinned data cables to talk to each other,” Clinton says. “You can dial up the amount of litres you want to deliver and be accurate within
42 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Modern road tankers
the litre – you don’t have to deliver a bit, stop and check, and then slow down when you get close. So, you’ll be able to pump in as many litres as you need to into a tank or wherever it’s going, and it will stop right on the dot.”
Critical to Liquip’s product sale is also its aftersales support and service.
Petroleum, Aviation and Mining Supplies (PAMS) – also known as Liquip West Coast – has been a distributor for Liquip International’s tanker, terminal, aviation and mine site refuelling products for close to a decade. PAMS understands the WA market and is renowned for its extensive knowledge, exceptional customer service and stockholding to support the region’s requirements.
“Liquip’s simple implementation and aftersales service is second-to-none,” Clinton says. “They’ve always been awesome. If there are any questions, or if you don’t know how to use the system, they’re quick to come and show you. They also have a quick start guide that is really easy to follow and simple to use.”
Tieman Tankers in the region and this extends to offering aftermarket servicing on Liquip International components and systems.
In addition to Liquip West Coast’s distributorship of the Liquip product in WA, Liquip’s aftersales servicing support in the region has been strengthened following a recent partnership between Tieman Tankers and Liquip Victoria (Fuelcraft). Contact
From mechanical servicing, regular hydrostatic and vent testing, and Safe Load Programs (SLPs) for minor and major accident damage repairs, RTR offers onground support to keep tankers on the
available very quickly,” he says. “We have had full support from Liquip for any aftersales service. Liquip’s Swift is a very good system that we will continue to fit to our fleet where the need arises.”
148 Newton Road Wetherill Park,
Liquip
Sydney
www.trailermag.com.au 43
Images: Liquip.
AAA Trailers doubles down with new trailer model
AAA Trailers has released a brand-new 45’ drop deck quad-axle widener trailer designed and built specifically to address customer demand.
AAA Trailers, with more than a decade of transport expertise in the industry, prospers in delivering truck and trailer solutions for the Australian market. The company’s fit to purpose products range from drop decks, flat decks, low loaders, wideners, extendables and tankers, which accommodate length, weight and shape for most freight layouts. Building on range of combinations already proven throughout the country, AAA Trailers has rolled out yet another option.
AAA Trailers’ brand-new 45’ drop deck quad-axle widener offers an impressive payload of 35 tonnes with a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 36 tonnes and an Aggregate Trailer Mass (ATM) of 60 tonnes. The design itself was crafted by AAA Trailers Director, Daniel Bull, for an industry that never stopped asking for it.
“A lot of customers wanted just a standard 45’ drop deck type to cart heavier machinery on a smaller trailer,” he says. “There was a high demand for them, so that’s why I jumped across and made it happen.”
The unit, a completely new trailer to AAA Trailer’s offering, was built with general transport and mining interests involved specifically to give operators the best possible outcome in these freight tasks.
Uptake, according to Daniel, is already through the roof.
“We’ve got ridiculous amounts of back orders, and people haven’t even seen them yet,” he says. “The first ones are in our showroom in Perth, and then the rest of them are all on backorder. So, customers are queueing up to buy them at the moment.”
Some of the quad-axle trailer’s most important features include bifold ramps, a low deck height for overheight and heavy cartage, and a front lift axle and
is a lot easier to be moved around the countryside and performs extremely well in these conditions.
“It’s running SAF-Holland airbag suspension with top-of-the-range Electronic Braking System (EBS) technology controlling the braking system,” he says. “With the axles, they are one of the largest ones you can buy, so it means you can put more payload on it.
“We import the SAF-Holland suspension itself from Europe, just because it’s wellknown and a very good brand. The airbag
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Trailer builder
Fast fact
AAA Trailers purposefully designs its trailers with more tare weight, thus providing a much stronger and chassis for customers.
protects the equipment a bit more.”
Like the new quad-axle, AAA Trailers has many different models which are all fitted with EBS. The system adds an extra level of safety due to its predictive nature, which can detect if the vehicle will roll and in some cases slow down engine speed. With accountability being a driving factor for the company, a warranty system is also included in each sale.
According to Daniel, the new trailer also gives operators more deck space to work with.
“The top deck on this trailer is useable space,” he says. “Some standard conventional quad-axle low loaders have a goose neck type of frame which means you can’t put general cargo on the top deck, whereas with these, can have general cargo on the deck. So, you’ve actually got a whole lot more deck space to utilise.
“They’re small and they’re short, so they’re more flexible as well. They’re basically like a mini quad low loader so it can fit in a lot of easier areas. That’s pretty much the whole point of it. It is able to be set up as a road train too, so it can be as a rear trailer in a road train configuration.”
Built to the Australian Design Rules (ADRs), AAA Trailers’ road transport equipment is constructed by highly skilled
Incorporating rigorous evaluation of each trailer into its work practice, the company produces reliable gear that adheres to the ADRs’ core focus of vehicle safety, antitheft and emissions.
This aspect of AAA Trailers’ operations is evident in the construction of its latest model. During the development stage, Daniel relied on this and the business’ pre-existing knowledge and abilities in the field to deliver the solution.
“We have a pretty big team of engineers, so in that sense, I tell them what I need and they make it happen,” he says. “We already had a widener, and we wanted to turn it into a quad-axle widener instead of a tri-axle. Because they already exist, there weren’t really any huge developments or complications.”
For Daniel, the ultimate goal in creating this trailer, though, was to provide another
an affordable price.
“We’re trying to keep everyone honest, that is our biggest goal,” he says. “For AAA Trailers, this is not really about the trailer. Our goal is to sell high quantities at very good quality, and our quality is at the very highest standard. We don’t plan to make a million dollars off each trailer. We try to sell them as cheap as we can so that we can basically sell more to more customers.
“I believe it will be a best-selling trailers due to its size and what it can do. There’s not too many restrictions. You’ve got a lot more weight that you can load on top these trailers, so it’s more of a universal trailer for everybody.”
Contact AAA Trailers Ph: 1300 333 888 Web: www.aaatrailers.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 45
Images: AAA Trailers.
Drake tackles turnaround times in factory restructure
The Drake Group has undergone a factory restructure to slash lead trailer delivery times by two thirds and improve efficiency across the production process.
Across its multiple platforms and extensive trailer offerings, The Drake Group has always aligned itself with high-quality transport solutions. However, although The Drake Group has over 300 employees working at its Queensland premises, due to high demand for customised trailers, owners and operators can be quoted an average lead time of 18 months to three years.
In order to resolve this issue, The Drake Group’s head office in Queensland recently underwent a factory restructure. Following this restructure, a ‘stock’ spec program for Drake quad full wideners and Drake quad deck wideners was introduced and the company has achieved significant improvements in turnaround times and in
the manufacturing process.
“We decided to introduce two dedicated jigs for stock trailers into our production program,” says The Drake Group Sales Manager, Byron Foss. “It’s something that we’ve come up with to benefit the client, and for those people who are wanting something quickly.
“We know what sells, so we came up with a really good ‘stock’ spec for our full wideners and deck wideners as well. Now, sometimes you might not be able to get exactly what you want because we do limit the options available on these stock trailers, but it just means that you can get a trailer and have it earning money significantly quicker, rather than having to wait for a custom build.”
With the new equipment and stock program in place, The Drake Group can now deliver its customers a trailer more than 60 per cent faster than before.
“It’s been really good for our customers,” Byron says. “For some people, if they’re going to win a contract and have a start date, a three-year wait for a custom-built trailer is obviously too long. But now, they can get in line for a ‘stock’ spec and get it within 12 to 14 months, subject to prior sales. We still have seven other Drake jigs making custom-built trailers too, so we can do anything the client wants.”
As part of the new arrangement, all parts for a stock trailer are pre-cut and left with The Drake Group’s fabricators – ready to go for when they are needed to build a new trailer.
“Every trailer has got its own unique parts to it, but because this is a part of a stock build program, all the parts are pre-cut and sitting beside the boilermakers and welders,” Byron says. “What this does is it enhances productivity. Because the
46 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024
Trailer builder
workers aren’t building something different every time, it creates efficiencies by having the parts readily available on-hand. They’re not waiting for them to come in.”
While the new method of operations has led to some significant savings for the business, more importantly, it is advantageous to the end user.
most out of it are our customers, because they’re not having to wait,” Byron says. “There are some savings to the business when you improve efficiencies, but it’s more about the customer benefitting by being able to get a well-spec’d trailer in quick time.”
This process also plays a role in The Drake Group’s aim to grow all business units, including Drake Trailers, O’Phee Trailers, its Parts and Service Division, and its engineering arm, Dalzell & Bagley.
According to Byron, it has given everyone a different mentality.
“When everyone knows their task, it just automatically creates harmony and competency during the manufacturing process because the boilermakers and fit-out teams know the exact spec and are therefore able to get through their workload quicker,” he says. “It benefits everyone involved.”
Coinciding with the factory upgrade for Drake Trailers, The Drake Group is also feeding its efforts into the O’Phee Trailers business. The company has also introduced a stock program for the O’Phee sideloader range – housing the Swinglift and BoXLoader products – to deliver a
Byron says Sam Drake, who was appointed to Director of the business last year, plays a key role in The Drake Group’s stock trailer programs.
“Sam has changed roles to a Director, but he’s also what we’re calling the Business Unit Manager for new trailers,” he says. “Sam has been instrumental in trying to create these efficiencies in the stock trailer programs, and he’s done very well in finding those areas that can be improved.
“Because of his head for business, and obviously having a strong sales background, he has a great understanding of our customers’ requirements. So, being able to take that outlook and then apply it in the factory to streamline this stock program, he has a really good understanding of what the customers want and what they need, and quite often it’s trailers quicker than our standard threeyear lead times for a custom build.”
Over the past year, Byron says The Drake Group has performed very positively in the market. Order intake has reportedly been fantastic, and due to that, it’s given the team a lot of confidence that the next couple of years will be strong for the business. As The Drake Group advances with its new stock trailer programs, it will continue to offer the market a durable product – now with an even better customer experience.
“Our customers are enjoying our quality lately, they’re enjoying our workmanship and that has put us in a really good position,” Byron says. “Our reputation seems to be improving in the marketplace, and going forward, we’re excited to keep bringing our customers the best service we can possible provide.”
Images: The Drake Group.
Contact The Drake Group 19 Formation Street Wacol, QLD 4076 Ph: 07 3271 5888 Web: www.thedrakegroup.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 47
Safety first
As a people-oriented organisation, the safety of drivers is essential to Goldstar Transport , and is why it fits JOST’s JSK 37C fifth wheels and sensor units across its entire fleet.
For Goldstar Transport, Managing Director, Sean Carren, says 2004 is its signature year. It was the year when the company decided to put itself on the radar by creating a business and beginning to form a fleet to establish a presence in the Australian transport industry.
“That’s when we started,” Sean says. “We had trucks a little bit before that, but 2004 was the year we decided this is what we were going to do. We were going to be very serious about it, and now it’s come up to 20 years.”
Goldstar Transport is predominantly Western Australia-based, covering most of WA within a focus on essential services. The key lanes the business operates in are fast-moving consumer goods, Dangerous Goods (DGs), container transport and mine site supply. Around these freight tasks, one of the things Goldstar Transport prides itself on is its dedication to its employees.
says. “When I’m asked to talk about the business, I’d rather talk about the people. They’re the key to it.”
Goldstar Transport began with a very diverse fleet two decades ago, but it has over time built the total up to now run 250 trailer combinations consisting of road trains, pocket road trains and B-doubles, 60 rigids and 150 prime movers. All of the new prime movers coming into the business are now being fitted with JSK 37C fifth wheels and Sensor Coupling systems from JOST, the OEM which Sean says became a fundamental supplier in 2020 when Goldstar Transport began to increase the size of its fleet considerably. “When the fleet got over the 100-truck mark, JOST became a really important supplier to us,” he says. “As we tried to make our operations safer, and as we standardised our fleet so that the guys are dealing with the same turntable every
Throughout Goldstar Transport’s frequent and fast-paced operations, such as daily trailer swaps in various distribution centres, Sean says the JOST turntables and sensors are really important because they give operators that extra peace of mind by removing the doubt of whether or not a trailer is hooked up properly.
The Sensor Coupling system does this by detecting irregularities in hook-ups using three sensors fitted to the turntable – one on the plate surface to detect whether or not the skid plate on the trailer is in contact with the fifth wheel plate surface, one in the centre to detect the kingpin and ensure the lock jaws are secured around it, and one on the handle to ensure it is in the fully locked position. If any or all of these sensors detect an irregularity, the system will alert the driver that something is wrong and that the coupling process needs to be revisited.
48 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Trailer building materials/components
Image: Goldstar Transport.
doing all that you can do to help your people do a good job.”
This is why Sean says JOST is at the forefront of safety with its fifth wheel technology and is driving a better result for operators.
“You need all the tools that you can get, and it certainly helps,” he says. “We put a safety chain on our turntables as well, so we add another step to the process. JOST really helps on making that piece.”
When it comes to having a safe outcome, Sean says it is about providing employees with the best resources to do the job and the technology and innovation that is present in that space. With JOST, this is a guarantee.
“JOST is part of that,” he says. “We also run a high level of telematics management systems. Our trucks have got a lot of
cameras on them to protect the driver, and the implementation of cameras across our fleet allows us to better understand what’s happening when something does happen.
“We use technology and innovation as much as we can, and a lot more than most, to make it a better working environment for our people and the public.”
According to Sean, JOST has also always been invested in his company. Whether it’s through supplying what Goldstar Transport needs to do the job or communicating efficiently with the team to bring its requirements to the table, the product support which JOST offers has always been a major contributing factor to the fleet’s continued business with it. When Goldstar Transport accepted a major contract to deliver to over 200 supermarkets across the Perth
metropolitan area, for example, JOST was there to assist.
“JOST was key in giving our vehicles the right level of safety to in order to perform those tasks,” Sean says. “We bought a large amount of new trucks in one hit, all fitted with JOST turntables, for our consumer goods job that we were successful with.”
For this contract, like the rest of Goldstar Transport’s freight tasks, safety is the most important factor. Sean explains that serving 200-plus supermarkets every day requires a lot of trailers, and in this area, it is essential that the business has every safety aspect covered. It can do that alongside JOST.
“You hear about some people who sell you something and then you never see them again,” he says. “JOST has certainly not been like that. They helped us originally with the piece that we needed, and they’ve been there with the training and the backup since. “As we’ve brought on a new fleet, they’ve also been there to help us make sure that there’s a level of consistency so that our guys expect the same thing no matter what truck they drive. “So, from a people perspective, the JOST people are doing the best job to make sure that the Goldstar people get the best result.”
Contact JOST Australia Ph: 1800 811 487 Web: www.jostaustralia.com.au
L-R: JOST National Fleet Manager, Shane Harbridge, Goldstar Transport Managing Director, Sean Carren, and JOST Area Manager WA, Michael Geers. Image: JOST.
www.trailermag.com.au 49
Image: JOST.
Hit the lights
HTE Manufacturing & Modifications approached Lucidity Australia in search of a plug-and-play wiring system for its tilt trays and tow trucks, and it has since fitted over 30 of them onto its builds.
HTE Manufacturing & Modifications services the Australian and international market with quality workmanship which, it promises, will stand the test of time. The company was founded by Managing Director, David Pycke, in 2013, and for operators looking for a tilt tray, power tail body, lazy axle addition, chassis modification, hydraulic fit-ups and much more, it is an ideal choice.
“My background personally is in tow trucks, owning and operating them,” David says. “I started by doing repairs and maintenance, and then began building my own. It kind of grew from there. Now at HTE, we do a lot of dealership work with truck manufacturers. We’re a specialised body builder, so we build tow trucks but
mainly tilt trays, which would probably be 80 per cent of our work.”
Throughout its operation, HTE has used a range of Lucidity products. Just under two years ago, as David recalls, he was looking for a wiring system that wouldn’t require an auto electrician to wire each truck. And, in hopes of finding something that would be user-friendly and generic so that HTE could change bits and pieces without changing the core system itself, he came across Lucidity.
“We went directly to Lucidity around 18 months ago, which was the best thing I ever did,” he says. “They had solutions to make a plug-and-play system for us.”
Lucidity, since establishing in 1981, has become a leading Australian manufacturer
in wiring and lighting products for the transport industry. With over 40 years of experience in supplying the sector, it was the perfect fit for HTE’s requests.
“They came up with a plan, and they’ve got two different systems for us now on our smaller cradle trucks and our larger tilt trays,” David says. “We got it worked out and it’s been great.”
HTE’s plug-and-play wiring system is made up by the Lucidity Link series of marker lamps and tail lamps and the Lucidity Integrated Distribution Module (IDM) series.
The Lucidity Link series brings an unmatched level of cohesion for wiring and lighting. This series of lamps coupled with the wiring technologies from Lucidity
50 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 Trailer building materials/components
single junction on a trailer we have two big junctions – one at the headboard and one down the back of the truck. So, their IDM series that they designed works for that, with the custom loom as well to make it work.”
been a real game changer to OEMs, fleet owners and operators as it really simplifies installation, add-ons and replacement.
On the other hand, Lucidity’s IDM series is designed and manufactured in Australia for the country’s harsh transport environment. The core engineering principle driving the development of the IDM was to enhance reliability with flexibility and functionality, and it has demonstrated that with HTE’s fitment of it across the board.
HTE also imports an American truck body as part of its operations. For these units, Lucidity was able to provide a solution as well – a modified loom for the truck, similar to the tilt tray.
When David initially approached Lucidity, he was very impressed with what it could offer, says Lucidity Australia President, Mathew Jenkins.
“Out of the blue, we got a call from HTE who was looking for lighting stock,” Mathew says. “I started talking to David to let him know about some of the other things we do that he wasn’t aware of. They came and visited, and they spent pretty much a whole day with us.
Since applying the Lucidity system on its units, David says HTE has gained exactly what Lucidity set out to do with the innovation – savings in time, labour and overall costs.
“Anyone can plug it in, so I don’t need an auto electrician to do it,” he says. “When there’s a shortage of labour at the moment, it’s just made everything so much easier. It’s a much more professional finish as well, it’s very neat.”
According to David, his customers are big fans of the plug-and-play solution too.
“The dealerships and end users love it,” he says. It’s just fantastic. If there’s a problem and they want to change their system, it’s easy because they can do it themselves.
“So, dealing with Lucidity has been great for HTE. They’re very helpful and they have a really high-quality product.”
“We’ve used 30 to 35 of the new Lucidity plug-and-play systems on tilt trays for trucks now,” David says. “Because a tilt tray is different to a sliding body, everything needs to move. So, instead of a traditional Contact
“They couldn’t believe that you could do what we did so quickly and so accurately. It was a really good discussion and a really good way to start the relationship that I think we’ve been able to maintain.”
Images: HTE Manufacturing & Modifications.
Lucidity Australia
Paraweena Drive, Truganina VIC 3029
www.lucidityaustralia.com.au
03 9219 4074
37
Web:
Ph:
www.trailermag.com.au 51
The perfect fit
NTS Transport Engineering Solutions specifies a complete offering of Fuwa K Hitch running gear as standard across all of its trailer builds.
Since forming in 2019, NTS Transport Engineering Solutions, which specialises in the manufacturing of flat tops, dollies, drop decks, skel trailers and much more in Forrestdale, Western Australia, has transitioned from a one-man operation into a larger entity.
Under the leadership of owner and Director, Nick Bailey, and his wife, Tanya Bailey, the business has continuously built
itself from the ground up – and it has no end in sight.
“Since our inception, we’ve gone from a husband-and-wife team to now employing around 25 employees,” Nick says. “We didn’t grow as much as we would have liked to within the last year. We just didn’t have the room, which is why we chose to expand by building a new facility around the corner.
“We realised that space was our bottleneck. During the build of the second factory, a great opportunity arose where the building across the road from us went up for sale. We made the decision that for further growth and convenience, it would be a wise move for us to dive in and purchase it before the opportunity passed us by.”
Last year, NTS rolled out just over 220 trailers. Now, after opening up the new facility which completes all of the company’s assemblies, fit-outs and final inspections, NTS is expecting to build up to 300 items this year.
NTS chose Fuwa K Hitch to be the supplier of its trailer components from the get-go in 2019, due to the product’s value for money. Now, 80 per cent of NTS’ builds have Fuwa K Hitch running gear on them. Nick says this is because the OEM is the most suitable choice for his business’ operations.
“We do a lot for the north-west, and Fuwa K Hitch is cost-effective, low-maintenance and it can withstand the harshest conditions,” he says. “So, Fuwa K Hitch drum brake axles, suspension, turntables and kingpins are always specified as they are well-favoured by the end user, unless the customer requires something different. We use a range of their mechanical suspensions, airbag suspensions and twist locks too.”
Images: NTS Transport Engineering Solutions.
52 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024
building materials/components
Trailer
trailer builds. The main components are made from cast steel and can be fitted to a wide range of axles and applications. In WA, Nick says they are second-to-none.
“We use a lot of their mechanical spring suspensions,” he says. “There’s always dollies and flat tops coming through the factory that run Fuwa K Hitch mechanical suspensions and drum brake axles. We’re also seeing a lot of drop skels coming through the factory at the moment which are all on Fuwa K Hitch airbag suspensions with the parallel bearing axles.”
Fuwa K Hitch holds a dominant presence at NTS, and for good reason. Last month, the trailer builder displayed its confidence in the OEM’s product yet again when it carried the Fuwa K Hitch fitment onto a trailer donated for cancer research.
The WA Mack Muster and Truck Show is an event in WA which raises funds towards cancer research, for the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. For this year’s event, the team at NTS built a flat top trailer for the cause which was fitted with its standard specification of Fuwa K Hitch axles and running gear.
Nick says the various Fuwa K Hitch products are tried, tested and made for the WA market, which is why they perform tirelessly on his trailer builds.
“What you receive is hard to go by,” he says. “Fuwa K Hitch is a very popular choice. The customers love it. In the maintenance side of things, it’s costeffective and it just works out great.”
stock availability are also factors which continue to play a part in Nick’s day-today operations. He says its maintenance and repair side is not only cost-effective but easily accessible due to the fact that parts are available in a large number or reputable stockists throughout WA.
“You can visit any of these stockists and they will carry their spare parts, so it makes it really easy for the end user to get their hands on the product and have minimal down-time which is the main goal for our industry,” he says.
Reflecting on the business’ growth since coming to fruition, Nick says aligning with Fuwa K Hitch has contributed to NTS’ success to a large degree.
“We didn’t have the means to carry the running gear needed to start off with, and they were able to support us with this from the start with the help of Fuwa K Hitch State Manager, Ryan Ussher, here in Perth,” he says. “The communication from Fuwa K Hitch is great. They’ve helped us grow from nothing to using the large amount of equipment we use today. They are extremely easy to deal with and
accommodating, they have a great backup service when needed and they are able to deliver the amount of equipment we need in a short period of time.”
For Nick and Tanya, the focus ahead is to further build on NTS’ presence in the transport industry. With Fuwa K Hitch across its production process, Nick is confident that the business will continue to achieve unbounded success.
“We’d like to establish a proficient name in the market,” he says. “Not purely through the quantity of equipment we do, but with the quality of our equipment. We believe that continuing to work with Fuwa K Hitch is a great start to achieving our goals as their products are wellrecognised and trusted that continue to deliver with their quality control and testing.
“NTS is looking forward to continuing our working relationship with the team at Fuwa K Hitch for the foreseeable future.”
Contact Fuwa K Hitch Ph: (03) 9369 0000 Web: www.khitch.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 53
CQE gets increased durability with Capral
Custom Quip Engineering uses Capral Aluminium products throughout the in-house manufacturing of its trailers to give customers a quality build they can rely on.
Custom Quip Engineering (CQE) is a trusted manufacturer of custom-built transport equipment. The business was founded by Managing Director, Chris Jenzen, in the Wheatbelt town of Cunderdin, Western Australia. Initially specialising in agricultural and farming equipment, CQE has diversified into a much larger coverage of heavy vehicles for transport and mining conditions.
“We’ve been in the industry manufacturing transport equipment for 26 years,” Chris says. “We started in the Wheatbelt, and as our business has grown, we’ve moved into Perth. We’ll continue to grow the business going forward.”
The business’ move into Perth allowed CQE to establish a presence in Maddington, and led to further opportunities and expansion. In 2008, the company relocated to Welshpool where it remained until 2020, when it invested in its own office and purpose-built workshop in Kenwick.
The new facility meant CQE would be able to provide state-of-the-art equipment
and facilities for all staff and clients. Today, the business remains at this location with future rail facilities planned.
Throughout its several stages of growth, CQE has been using Capral’s aluminium rolled products and large transport extrusions extensively for its grain trailers and general-purpose tipper combinations.
“Over the years we’ve built a lot of grain trailers, and in recent years, the market has actually changed their view on the importance of tare weight and high-volume trailers,” Chris says. “That’s where the aluminium product has come into play. The market has driven that change, and then we aligned with Capral as a preferred supplier due to their capacity and willingness to work alongside us.”
CQE has become a top-tier manufacturer in WA and stands by the quality and design of its equipment. The company prides itself on a high standard of personalised customer service and ability to deliver products, and with a series of additional services up its sleeve, it amplifies that. As well as designing and building
transport and agriculture equipment in-house, CQE also offers repair and maintenance services. And, in the case where customers may be waiting for equipment to be built, repaired, or serviced, it has a fleet of rental trailers to keep businesses operating.
Widely reputable for its high-quality material, Capral’s aluminium was the right fit for CQE’s operations.
“We have been using Capral for eight to 10 years,” Chris says. “They were costeffective in the market, and they’ve always been able to stock products. They have a good quality product.”
Capral’s wide distribution network across Australia ensures all of its aluminium extrusions and rolled materials are supplied in quick time to customers. It also offers an impressive next day delivery service that helps customers reduce stock inventory, warehouse space and manufacturing time. The service extends to custom pieces in various lengths and sizes, and even full kits ready for manufacturing refrigerated trailers, tippers,
Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 54
building materials/components
Trailer
capabilities have come into play in several instances throughout CQE’s dealings with the aluminium provider.
“They have a great product capacity,” he says. “Their ability to hold stock as required has helped us in a turbulent market. So, it makes our day a little bit easier.”
Over more than three quarters of a century, Capral has mastered its ability to service and support the transport sector. It now acts as a one-stop shop for extrusions, in-house finishing solutions, comprehensive rolled products and prefabrication and machining solutions.
As well as offering a remarkable product range, Chris says Capral’s aluminium processing facility comes in handy. Capral’s processing solutions can provide slotting, routing, drilling, punching, mitre cutting, knurling, deburring, sheet and plate routing, cutting and bending to streamline customer manufacturing processes. Building on that, it has its own development team of engineers that can work with customers to develop shapes
conjunction with us to develop our own exclusive extrusions works well,” Chris says. “We’re building trailers that are fit for purpose, so Capral supplies the relevant grade material and it withstands.
“Capral has catered well to
with their product availability and ability to work with us.”
Contact
Capral Aluminium
Ph: 1800 258 646
Web: www.capral.com.au
www.trailermag.com.au 55
Images: Custom Quip Engineering.
Road upgrades & new developments
What you need to know about Australia’s biggest road projects this month
Key Tasmanian freight link set for massive upgrade
One of Tasmania’s key freight links on the west coast is getting a major upgrade. Work has started on improvements to the Zeehan Highway from its junction with the Murchison Highway to Henty Road in Zeehan.
The upgrade is the next stage of a near $44 million initiative to improve the Murchison and Zeehan Highways, jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian governments.
It has been revealed that a $10.6 million contract has been awarded to Tasmanian company, Shaw Contracting, for the Zeehan Highway stage.
This project will involve upgrading 4.5 kilometres of the highway to meet modern heavy vehicle standards.
The upgrade will also improve safety by delivering two three-metre-wide sealed lanes, with one-metre-wide sealed shoulders and 0.5-metre-wide gravel verges.
According to the Tasmanian Government, heavy vehicles make up a high percentage of traffic on the Zeehan Highway with nearly 18 per cent of the average 1,055 vehicles a day being trucks.
“This work is welcome news for the west coast region as heavy vehicles are a large amount of the traffic using that section of road,” said Senator for Tasmania, Anne Urquhart.
“This proves the Australian Government is committed to safety, efficiency and capacity of vital infrastructure which is crucial to local industries constantly reliant on this part of the highway.”
Construction is expected to be completed in May 2025.
‘Mammoth’ project to improve resilience along key corridors
A record amount of slope remediation and stabilisation work will take place along major roads in New South Wales this year.
In an effort to increase road safety, work will begin with remediation at Mount Tomah and will be followed by remediation of two slope failures at Kurrajong Heights.
NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison, said the primary area of focus will be Bells Line of Road, which is an important transport link for communities in the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Central West.
“This latest work kicking off will further remediate separate slopes at Mt Tomah and Kurrajong Heights — and with work beginning to address another slope failure at Victoria Pass in mid-2024, we are really improving safety at multiple locations and enhancing the overall resilience of the corridors,” she said.
Other areas to be worked on this year include Putty Road, which is another vital transport link for Blue Mountains and Lower Hunter communities, the Great Western Highway and Hawkesbury Road.
Remediation methods such as rock bolting, shotcreting and steel mesh installation will ensure the slopes are less likely to pose a hazard for road users.
The NSW Government said that while this work is essential for improving resilience and safety, and will be coordinated to minimise inconvenience wherever possible, it will mean that localised traffic delays will be unavoidable for much of the year.
$50M Great Northern Highway freight upgrade advances
The delivery of 11 overtaking lanes on the Great Northern Highway between Newman and Port Hedland in Western Australia is now underway.
The lanes will help support the Pilbara region’s booming mining industry, foster economic development and improve road safety for heavy vehicle drivers and other road users.
With more than 60 per cent of traffic between Newman and Port Hedland comprising of heavy vehicles, the new lanes are expected to enhance the existing freight network, increasing transport efficiency and improving road safety.
WA Transport Minister, Rita Saffioti, said the WA Government is focused on ensuring the movement of freight across the state is as safe and efficient as possible.
“We have a significant number of heavy vehicles moving on the Great Northern Highway and the installation of overtaking lanes in strategic locations will reduce travel times, improve efficiency, and enhance safety by ensuring drivers don’t take unnecessary risks,” she said.
“We remain committed to improving regional road safety and the wider State road network for both heavy vehicle operators and local commuters.”
The overtaking lanes will be delivered in two stages, with the first to see five new overtaking lanes built between Newman and Auski.
These will include three southbound overtaking lanes and two northbound overtaking lanes.
All 11 overtaking lanes are scheduled to be completed by mid-2025.
Infrastructure Spotlight
Image: Harley Kingston/stock.adobe.com.
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Captain planet
The world’s largest climate meeting was held in Dubai at the end of last year with the goal of developing a new plan to address the mounting crisis of human driven climate change.
Many observers were calling the COP28 event – the United Nations Climate Conference – the most important meeting in 28 years of international climate negotiations. Others proclaimed it didn’t go far enough, falling short of delivering the decisive action that the science says is required.
As the biggest gathering of its kind, the global event attracted 85,000 participants, including more than 150 heads of state and government, as well as representatives from industry, business, Indigenous groups, youth sectors and philanthropy.
It was, even more importantly, the first chance to conduct what was dubbed a ‘global stocktake’ of the world’s efforts to address climate change since the creation of the Paris Agreement – a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2015.
In fact, the global stocktake was arguably the most scrutinised text at COP28 and influenced both the direction and agenda of the event, thanks in part by the concern that progress since the
Paris Agreement was too slow across all areas of climate action, whether it was supporting vulnerable nations or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
subsequent summaries of the outcome, suggest there was a clear and unified desire to transition away from fossil fuels. But there was consistent concern that the steps put forward, as to how to address the transition, were too incremental, especially considering the urgency at that moment – the gathering taking place during what scientist had found to be the globe’s hottest year on record.
of the conference weren’t so bold as to declare the complete end of fossil fuels, but that significant progress had been made.
fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, in his closing speech. “Now all governments and businesses need to turn these pledges into real-economy
58 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024 World Map
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AJM Transport celebrates milestone anniversary
AJM Transport , a dominant player in the field of express freight and refrigerated transport, is commemorating 20 successful years of operating in the industry.
On the back of several expansion phases, countless trailer purchases and new contracts obtained, AJM Transport, based in New South Wales, has transformed itself time and time again since establishing in 2004. Over the last two decades the fleet has consistently built on its capabilities to now offer a wide coverage along the eastern seaboard with locations in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
As AJM Transport Managing Director, Anthony Mansell, reflects on the highlights over the last 20 years, he says it is a very proud moment for the family business.
“There’s been a little bit of talk about it leading up to this year, but I guess now that it’s here you sort of go, ‘gee whiz’,” he says. “It feels like it’s gone really quick, but we have achieved a lot. Twenty years ago, my wife and I bought one truck and the rest is history. It was about trying to do something for ourselves and it’s evolved
overtime, so it is a bit of a pinch-me moment when you say it like that.”
Looking ahead, Anthony says the focus is to further grow AJM Transport.
“I’ve had some years where I’m happy to just have a bit of natural growth, but in terms of the plan for this year to go forward, I do want to grow the business,” he says. “We’re probably more on the front foot than we’ve ever been, and we want to keep going forward with that.”
For the first step of this objective, AJM Transport recently moved into a new Melbourne facility.
“We had a big handbrake on where we were in Melbourne before,” Anthony says. “That has almost held the business back a little bit because we haven’t been able to grow in that space. It sounds silly, but we need to do that to go forward as well.”
To keep up with the expected increased demand of AJM Transport’s services, Anthony reveals there are also several
new trailer deliveries planned.
“We’ve got another half-a-dozen sets of refrigerated trailers to add to the fleet,” he says. “We’re looking to actively grow the refrigeration side of the business, which has sort of always been in the background. We’ve always done it, but we’re just getting something a bit more consistent happening in that space, which is probably slightly different for express overnight.”
Ultimately, though, a new express overnight contract and the business’ plan for another purpose-built Queensland location will set AJM Transport up for the future.
“We will keep expanding on what we already do in our network and what we have on the eastern seaboard,” Anthony says. “We want to draw down on our infrastructure. We’ve got it in place, we’ve had it in place, so we want to take advantage of our position and our runs on the board.”
Image:
Transport.
AJM
Powered by Fleet of the month 60 Trailer Magazine APRIL 2024
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Truck Shows & Field Days
Pencil in some information on dates and venues of various truck shows, field days and road transport industry conferences both locally and internationally.
Got an upcoming event? Then let us know about it – email editor@trailermag.com.au
April
New South Wales
National Diesel Dirt and Turf Expo
12-14 April
Sydney, NSW
Visit: www.dieseldirtandturf.com.au
AMW Sydney 2024 17-19 April
Sydney, NSW
Visit: www.australianmanufacturingweek.com.au
Canberra
Trucking Australia
17-19 April
Canberra, ACT
Visit: www.new.truck.net.au/ta
May
ALC Supply Chain Summit
22 May
Melbourne, VIC
Visit: www.austlogistics.com.au/events
TWAL Living the Dream Conference
30 May-1 June
Essendon Fields, VIC
Visit: www.transportwomen.com.au/events
July
Victoria
CeMAT Australia
23-25 July
Melbourne, VIC
Visit: www.cemat.com.au
August
Victoria
Germany
IAA Transportation
Hanover, Germany
17-22 September
Visit: www.iaa-transportation.com/en
Victoria
MEGATRANS 18-19 September
Melbourne, VIC
Visit: www.megatrans.com.au
October
Victoria
Elmore Field days 1-3 October
Elmore, VIC
Visit: www.elmorefielddays.com.au
62
What’s on
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