Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 371 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

It’s said the late, great US political satirist Tom Lehrer, on the election of Ronald Regan as president, believed he would have to give up his calling because events were making him redundant. Now we have Donald Trump, it’s to be hoped Lehrer was cremated, lest a disruptor uses what’s in his grave to propel trucks without the need for diesel. Closer to home, Australian’s insistence that they have some of the funniest people in the world was proven yet again – and there wasn’t a professional comedian in sight. Plenty of state and federal politicians and bankers. No professional comedians. Pity the cast of Utopia. One episode of that comedy series saw Sitch’s character, Tony Woodford, a senior bureaucrat at the fictional Nation Building Authority, which looks after infrastructure…

Less than a week after being appointed receivers and managers of the Australian Road Express (ARX) Group, McGrathNicol began a “managed wind down” of all the entities. Having received “no going concern offers” since the start of the business appraisal, administrators Rob Kirman, Rob Smith and Anthony Connelly began the wind-down process of the business in July. All employees of the ARX Group entities will be made redundant by the conclusion of the wind-down process, McGrathNicol says. “Since their appointment early last week, the receivers continued to trade the business, engaged with potential purchasers and conducted an appraisal of the business,” McGrathNicol states. “Since their appointment on 17 July 2017, the receivers have continued to trade the business, engaged with potential purchasers and conducted an appraisal of the business. “Despite…

Interstate road freight operator Redstar Transport has completed the acquisition of Zagami Transport last month. Although Redstar remains tight-lipped about the price of the purchase, it informs us that move was a result of deliberation over the past months, with the takeover concluding on July 3. The purchase has resulted in Redstar gaining more than 250 prime movers and over 700 trailers that were previously operated by Zagami, Redstar director/owner Sean Williams tells ATN. Zagami Transport MD, Frank Zagami, has joined Redstar as a director and senior executive responsible of day-to-day operations as part of the deal. With offices in Melbourne and Brisbane, Zagami operated its fleet across Victoria and Queensland. It was headquartered in Laverton North. While operations in Melbourne have been integrated, Redstar is in no rush to…

With reports of troubling bottom-line performance in the press recently, Toll at least has some promising industrial, if not financial, news. Months of negotiations, punctuated by harsh words from the Transport Workers Union (TWU), has seen the union state that endorsement would be proposed for an agreement that “preserves existing protections on working hours, penalty rates and dispute resolution clauses”. According to the TWU, Toll will enhance superannuation payments to 14.75 per cent over three years and boost pay by seven per cent to 2019. It will also include job security protections, casual permanent conversion and “better utilisation of the existing workforce”. “Toll employees want an effi cient, well-run company that is successful and can provide quality jobs,” TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon says. “This agreement will set the ground…

In what may be a double-edged sword for truck fleet owners, a new study looking into driverless cars has estimated Australia will see one million driverless cars on Australian roads by 2035. While much of the talk is around taking away the human element in the preponderant number of motorist mistakes leading to impacts with trucks, how reliable the technology will be is still an unknown. The National Roads and Motorists’ Association (NRMA) research report speculates that by 2025 people may not need a licence to control the vehicles. The report is based on a six-month study into the implications of driverless cars Down Under, as increasing pressure is placed on governments and ministers to ensure the nation is ready for the age of automation. It is expected that car…

Resources logistics provider and innovator Bis Industries is taking advantage of a lightened debt load to present a revamped face to the market. Fresh from an ownership transfer, privately held Bis has made a series of adjustments to its public profile including an updated logo, new website and streamlined business descriptors. “We’ve greatly appreciated the strong support we’ve received since the recapitalisation announcement and we want to build on this positive momentum with updated branding that better represents the new Bis,” CEO Brad Rogers says. “We’ve also streamlined the way we describe our service offering, focusing on four core business groups: logistics, materials handling, underground services and our new offering, consulting. “We’ve updated the Bis logo, supported by a new tagline – Deliver Every Day – which embodies our strong…

THE DHL EXPORT BAROMETER 2017 shows export confidence is at its highest level since 2011, with overall positivity in international trade evident and with e-commerce to the fore. The 14th annual research study into Australian exporter confidence found that 67 per cent of exporters surveyed expect sales to increase over the next 12 months – just two per cent below the peaks of positivity seen in 2007 and 2010. Furthermore, exporters have reported a growth in actual orders, with 56 per cent of exporters recording an increase in orders over the past 12 months, which is the highest percentage in more than six years. Being active online appears to pay off, DHL researchers find, with 83 per cent of exporters who generate all their orders from online channels expecting an…

Preliminary works are underway to standardise 1000 kilometres of rail track across regional Victoria under Stage 2 of the million Murray Basin Rail Project. Jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments on a 50:50 basis, the $440 million project will result in better rail freight services and improved link between regional industries and Victoria’s major ports at Portland, Geelong and Melbourne. Once complete, the project is expected to take 20,000 trucks off regional roads each year, which is expected to improve road safety and reduce carbon emissions. Upgrade works include standardising the track from Dunolly to Yelta, and Ouyen to Murrayville, and reopening the Maryborough to Ararat line. The works will increase train axle loadings from 19 tonnes to 21 tonnes between Dunolly and Yelta, and Maryborough to Ararat…

RESPECTED TASMANIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION (TTA) executive director Robin Phillips has retired from the role after 11 years, with senior transport industry identity Michelle Harwood taking over. On behalf of the TTA board and directors, chairman John de Bruyn thanked Phillips for his contribution to the industry and welcomed Harwood to the new role. Harwood has more than 25 years working in the transport and logistics industry; coming to the role from her previous duties as director and operations manager of TransTrain. She is regarded as a strong advocate for the industry and was the recipient of the National Transport Insurance award for most valuable contribution to the Tasmanian industry in 2014. A member of the TTA for the past five years, Harwood also chairs the Tasmanian Transport & Logistics Workforce…

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has appointed Neil Burlison as the general manager finance of the new Inland Rail division. Based in the ARTC Brisbane offi ce, Burlison will be responsible for the financial management of the Inland Rail project. ARTC chief executive John Fullerton welcomed Burlison to the new role. “Having worked for companies such as Origin Energy, ITS Energy Services and BP he has sound experience in joint venture negotiations and complex financial models which will be an asset to the program,” Fullerton says. Burlison will report to the new Inland Rail chief executive, a newly-created position that is yet to be filled. Fullerton says that establishing a new Inland Rail division within the ARTC was a priority. “With Inland Rail now fully funded, ARTC is putting…

Why are there so many unique heavy duty engine oil specifications? Many years ago we had only a few options in the list of engine oils often with only a viscosity grade as the notable difference, such as 20W-40, 20W-50, 15W-40 or SAE 40. Now there are so many variations it can be difficult to make the correct choice. So what has changed? As a very general rule the updates to specifications are usually driven by gains in wear protection, emission control, fuel saving and in some cases, all of these. Most Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) spend a great deal of time and effort in development which will give them a competitive edge. As such, the work they do is rarely shared amongst their competitors. This may then lead to…

“A director must keep informed as to the affairs of the company” Company directors are generally familiar with their duty to act with ‘reasonable care and diligence’. This well-known statutory duty finds its home in section 180 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Section 180 is often used as a “catch-all” provision against directors. That is, if a director has breached another duty, then they have almost certainly also breached section 180 of the Act. One example of a breach of this duty of care and diligence can broadly be categorised as a director acting with information deficiency – i.e. the director makes a decision or continues to act in a manner without the requisite information a reasonable person in their circumstances ought to require. In circumstances where a director…

Kenworth says its display at the Brisbane Truck Show of the new T610 and the first of its Legend 900 limited edition trucks simply highlights the brand’s broad appeal to a dedicated market. The T610 is unquestionably the biggest new model development from Kenworth in 30 years, whereas the Legend 900 is the re-creation of a model first introduced 26 years ago. “There is an irony in that,” Paccar Australia sales and marketing director Brad May says. “It’s something we discussed at length, whether or not it was a conflicting message, but we recognised there’s a portion of buyers who are very much attached to the past. They’re possibly, and probably, the same people who will buy T610 for their business but may also buy a Legend 900 as a…

4X2 MEDIUM-DUTY DISTRIBUTION Known as the 1230L and the 1630L, these two lively toilers come with gross vehicle mass (GVM) ratings of 11.99 and 16 tonnes respectively. Power comes from the 7.7-litre engine with 299hp (223kW) and 1200Nm of torque driving into the 8-speed PowerShift automated transmission. Cabs are available in slimline, extended and sleeper configurations. 6X2 HEAVY-DUTY DISTRIBUTION The 2530 and 2535 single-drive six-wheelers have a GVM rating of 26 tonnes and gross combination mass (GCM) of 32 tonnes. Both are powered by the 7.7-litre engine, with the 2530 using the 299hp (223kW) rating whereas the 2535 has the 354hp (264kW) setting with 1400Nm of torque, and driving through the 8-speed PowerShift transmission. The cab is what Benz calls its M-Cab Classic Space. 6X4 HEAVY-DUTY DISTRIBUTION AND VOCATIONAL These…

the global benchmark within the company for specialised and high productivity vehicle solutions. “The lessons we learn in this market, given our arduous operating and far-reaching compliance environment, can benefit other markets in the Scania world.” component suppliers at General Manger level, both locally and across Asia. “I am excited to be joining Scania at this stage in the company’s history,” he says. “Over the past few years, Scania’s rise under Roger McCarthy’s leadership has been resolute and admirable. “Scania is evolving its hardware and software products and services into a new paradigm, whereby we will increasingly play the role of an insightful business partner to our customers, offering them solutions tailored to their exact needs. “We will be looking to bring many more customers to the Scania family, as…

MANDATORY STABILITY control technology in new trucks and trailers can improve road safety, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) assert. The road transport bodies have presented their recommendations to the federal government to mandate this technology and are calling for a mandatory implementation across the trucking sector. ATA chair Geoff Crouch and ALRTA president David Smith say this technology can help prevent truck rollovers by detecting a possibility of such an event and as a result initiate braking. Speaking on behalf of rural transporters, Smith says stability control technology can help even the most experienced drivers. “While running costs are always higher in these environments, there are still net benefits for operators who install the latest generation of stability control systems,” he…

TOMTOM TELEMATICS has put the spotlight on bad employee driving behaviour and its likely impact on company public profiles where they are identified on the vehicles involved. TomTom Telematics commissioned international market research firm Pureprofile to gauge 1000 consumers, who hold a valid driving licence, to identify who they believe are the best and worst drivers on the road, biggest driving gripes and how this is impacting businesses. The survey came a month after rival communications firm Fleetmatics released a survey highlighting fleet manager concerns over the financial costs of misuse and the ability to measure it. The TomTom Telematics survey found 52 per cent of motorists have been put in a dangerous position by commercial drivers, 10 per cent of whom have admitted to driving recklessly in a company…

THE NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR (NHVR) says its key safety and productivity programs saw significant advancement in the 2016-17 financial year. NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says Australia’s heavy-vehicle industry is continuing to develop innovative and optimised vehicle design. He outlines some of the highlights of the past 12 months in the latest edition of NHVR’s On the Road: • There were 1403 PBS combinations approved last year, which is a 23 per cent increase on the previous year • An 8.4 per cent growth in permit applications to the NHVR • Increase in pre-approved routes to 1642 across more than 400 road managers • A total of 6607 operators applying the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) mass module to 36,308 vehicles • And, a total of 99,421 vehicles now…

The Queensland government has published a new guide on the safe use and design of cattle crates for livestock transporters, crate manufacturers and graziers. Published by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, the report was developed in association with the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland (LRTAQ) and industry members. The guide on the safe use and design of cattle crates aims to make loading, unloading and cross loading of cattle safer in Queensland. It includes principles and examples of safe use and design of new or retro-fit of older crates. The guide also includes some innovative and progressive solutions currently in use across the sector. Also published in July is a project report, Improving the design of cattle crates: making it safer for operators, that discusses factors that impact…

DHL Express has extended its Tasmania service partnership with local firm Road Runners. The new partnership bolsters DHL’s coverage in the major metropolitan areas of Hobart, Launceston and Devonport, while extending it across regional areas in Tasmania, including Flinders Island and King Island. DHL Express Oceania CEO and senior vice president Gary Edstein marks the move as signalling the global firm’s commitment to grow service capabilities in regional areas. “Road Runners has been our trusted partner in Tasmania for the past decade,” Edstein says. “This new agreement with Road Runners further solidifies DHL’s commitment in delivering to Tasmanian customers, and reflects our ongoing growth in volumes in the country’s southernmost state. DHL Express Australia notes it has experienced a 20 per cent increase in the number of shipments addressed to…

Transport and logistics operations exposed to the retail sector have received some good news in the latest AFGC CHEP Retail Index. Such companies can expect more business in the coming months, as the Index, a collaborative project between the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) and CHEP Australia, produced by Deloitte, indicates strengthening retail spending. It predicts year-on-year growth in Australian retail turnover of 4.6 per cent for the month of June 2017 and 3.6 per cent year-on-year for the June quarter – which is up from a year-on-year rise of 2.6 per cent to March 2017. According to the report, this is projected to continue with year-on-year growth figures for the months of August at 4.2 per cent and September at 4.1 per cent respectively. China and domestic economic…

REFUELLING INFRASTRUCTURE that will help a northern Melbourne council run a new fleet of zero-emission heavy vehicles has received Victorian government funding. Moreland City Council has linked with hydrogen utility company H2U and Iveco owner CNH Industrial (CNHI) in the project that aims to see 12 zero-emission waste collection vehicles operational by early 2020, in a transitionary phase. Funding for the project has been provided through the second round of the Labor Government’s $20 million New Energy Jobs Fund. The $9.37 million project will establish Australia’s first commercial-scale hydrogen refuelling station, which will produce hydrogen from 100 per cent renewable energy using an on-site solar plant and grid-sourced wind power. Energy and environment minister Lily D’Ambrosio hailed the scheme. “We’re investing in new energy technology to reduce greenhouse emissions and…

Jimmy Wilson is the new CEO of the CBH Group, succeeding Andrew Crane who will step down in November after more than eight years in the role. Wilson comes to grain logistics co-operative CBH with extensive experience in complex supply chain management in the resources sector. Most recently, he headed BHP’s iron ore division, managing one of the largest and most integrated resource assets in the world, comprising mines, rail and ports. “The board was seeking a candidate that would drive and shape the next phase of development for our growers’ supply chain, ensuring the organisation is fit to match the fiercely competitive environment of international grain trading and foster the culture required to support this,” CBH chairman Wally Newman says. Wilson will formally take over the role at the…

“We need fair charges for trucks” Trucks are critical to Australia’s supply chains. A significant majority of non-bulk domestic freight is carried on roads, and the Productivity Commission has found that only 10 to 15 per cent of the freight task is contestable across both rail and road. Without trucks there is no supply chain. But governments are building in increasing costs on these supply chains, imposing cost burdens on our ability to export and import goods. Additional cost burdens on trucks are nothing more than a barrier to local jobs. Toll road charges for trucks are growing rapidly. Small trucking businesses simply cannot afford them. These charges are set by state governments and the arrangements for setting them are not transparent. They do not take into account costs across…

One of the biggest assets of a diesel engine is its ability to lug a load. A couple of years ago I had a yarn with Dr Wolfgang Warnecke, the chief scientist for Shell’s global mobility fuels division. Aside from being a Unimog tragic, he also had some interesting things to say about diesel engines. “As far as thermal efficiency under load is concerned, there’s nothing better than a diesel engine,” he said. “Light vehicle fuels may change in the future, but in heavy commercial applications nothing comes close to a diesel.” We then spent a lot of time waffling on about Unimogs and hunting. The Y62 Patrol has a decent 7000kg GCM which makes it a walk-up start for tow applications. However, it would be fair to speculate that,…

The Australian trucking Association (ATA) has announced a name change for its animal welfare TruckSafe module. The ATA TruckSafe animal welfare component, currently known as TruckCare, is being renamed the Animal Welfare Module. Trucksafe national manager Justin Fleming explains that the name change aims to better align with the overall focus of the animal welfare focus of TruckSafe. “This module is all about animal welfare and is a quality and safety management system for livestock transport businesses, big and small alike,” Fleming says. “Accreditation by operators shows their commitment to industry best practice and their clients in all aspects of their business”. The Animal Welfare Module is the voluntary sixth step in the process to gaining full accreditation. To gain accreditation, TruckSafe members must first become accredited in the first…

THE TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION (TWU) has seen its push to criminalise deliberate non-payment endorsed by New South Wales opposition leader Luke Foley. The Australian Labor Party (ALP) move marks progress in the nation’s most populous state and is likely to resonate in other states. And though a specific link with tackling ‘phoenix’ company practices has not been made, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) is sensitive to that path to avoiding entitlements and points to recent ALP work on the issue. “It hasn’t been specifically mentioned in our motions but the legal changes would cover the underlying phoenixing issue,” a union spokespersontells ATN. Foley announced the move in the ALP NSW/ACT conference address as the first item of a general five-point plan “to eliminate the exploitation of vulnerable workers”. A future…

Victoria is one step closer to getting the North East Link built, Victorian Transport Association (VTA) CEO Peter Anderson says. The North East Link Authority’s (NELA’s) North East Link Technical Summary has published four ‘most practical’ potential options for the project (see above story). A long-time supporter of the project, VTA says the “much needed” project will bring about productivity benefits and improve road safety. “This much-needed infrastructure project will ease congestion, improve safety and community amenity, boost economic productivity and will provide a safer, cleaner environment for those living in the North East of Melbourne,” Anderson says. “The VTA looks forward to continuing to contribute further to this vital project over the months to come.” The North East Link will connect the Metropolitan Ring Road at Greensborough to the…

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners might still be the ultimate owners of Brookfield Rail but its subsidiary will no longer share the name. The rail path owner and access provider will henceforth be known as Arc Infrastructure. “While we remain a Brookfield company, we’re looking forward to creating our own unique identity as Arc Infrastructure,” Arc CEO Paul Larsen says. “As Arc Infrastructure, our new name reflects our commitment to making an even greater contribution to the growth of Western Australia’s economy.” The firm insists employees were heavily involved in the development of the new brand and the chosen name embodies the aspirations for the company’s future, while being true to the heart of the core business. The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) says it looks forward to working with Arc on development…

The US states of Nevada and California have been linked with Elon Musk’s Tesla regarding on-roads Semi Truck testing, news outlets in the US report. According to Reuters, Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has received an approach for testing the Semi and that DMV volunteered that talks were to take place between the government of California and Tesla. According to the report, details of which were carried in a number of other news outlets in the US and internationally, the DMV was asked about platooning tests along with autonomous driving tests of the vehicles involving both the neighbouring states. The Nevada approach makes sense as the state has form in the area, with Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) testing an autonomous Freightliner Cascadia, dubbed the Inspiration, in the state…

Ben Stapleton was appointed the new MD infrastructure of international engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Aurecon in June. Stapleton was the lead associate of advisory firm BRS until June this year, before starting his new role at Aurecon in the same month. He has held senior leadership roles at both Jacobs and Sinclair Knight Merz in the past. Aurecon says Stapleton’s appointment reflects the firm’s commitment to provide user-focused, innovative systems to governments and private sector clients as they tackle current and future infrastructure challenges. Over a month later, the company appointed Mieszko Iwaskow as its transport planning leader. While being based in New Zealand, Iwaskow will lead Aurecon’s team of transport planners across the globe. Iwaskow has industry experience in transport planning, project delivery, team leadership and management. Mieszko…

Incoming Scania Australia MD, Mikael Jansson, promises his company’s ‘New Truck Generation’ range will arrive on Australian soil within the term of his tenure, though much preparatory work still needs to be done. In his first meeting with the national trucking press, Jansson, who was global head of parts and service from 2013 before taking up the Australian position, signalled that his role would build on the work of predecessor Roger McCarthy. But Jansson will focus on strengths and strategies developed while in the Swedish company’s head office as senior vice president and member of the Top Management Team. “I’ve been in different management positions, so I can bring with me experience on how to run an organisation,” he says. On the sales side, he sees that role broadening in…

It’s a sunny, late winter’s day when ATN visits Wallara Logistics in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburb of Keysborough. But the sun is also shining inside the warehouse for a unique group of workers who are getting more out of their employment than just a pay cheque at the end of the week. Wallara Logistics is an arm of Wallara, a not-for-profit organisation set up in 1959 that now provides meaningful employment to people with intellectual disabilities. But don’t jump to conclusions. General manager Garry Baker is quick to point out he doesn’t want people to get the wrong idea about what the organisation is about. While it might be all heart, their real heart lies in providing a top-quality, measureable 3PL service. “We’re not standing out front holding a ‘Please help…