Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 376 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

This column failed to emerge until the very last day of deadline, for which the writer begs editorial production staff for forgiveness. But could it really have been any other way? For this January was a classic of the so-called ‘silly season’ genre, even if the main subject was deadly serious. All it took was an observation that fatal heavy truck accidents in New South Wales has spiked for plenty of comment and assertions, some worth the newsprint and pixels spent on them and some not so much, to be made. It might be that the public and the mainstream media have not seen such jockeying on trucking matters since the Mona Vale disaster in 2013. But the likelihood is that the outcome will be far less incisive as the…

From February 5, trucks in Melbourne will be banned from the right-hand lane on Monash Freeway. The ban comes as part of a nine-month trial by VicRoads aimed at improving safety and reducing the number of lane changes undertaken by cars and trucks. Restrictions will apply to trucks travelling in both directions between Huntingdale Road, Mount Waverley and Jacksons Road, Noble Park. The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has thrown its support behind the trial. “The Monash Freeway is the most heavily used road in Victoria by trucks travelling between Melbourne’s south east and through to other parts of the state, and it is vital that measures to improve productivity are implemented to keep the freeway safe and efficient for all road users,” VTA CEO Peter Anderson says. The restrictions would…

An alliance of 18 European cities has petitioned the European Commission (EC) to include tighter truck safety developments, along with those aimed at cars and vans. City governments have significant power over the types of vehicles allowed on their roads and European truck makers take their concerns very seriously. The cities acknowledge the importance of trucks and trucking but want designs fit for purpose in their environs and want consistent European Union-wide rules to cover them. The cities note that there is a risk that European countries could adopt different schemes, “potentially imposing costs on hauliers and their customers which could be avoided if basic vehicle design prioritised safety”. The cities want a European direct vision standard that would make safer designs compulsory, at least for trucks most commonly used…

Australian motor vehicle manufacturing is set for a decline of more than 40 per cent this year, with the demise of cars leaving heavy-duty truckmaking the main game, IBISWord says. In a somewhat alarming report, the research firm forecasts the top five “industries to fly” this year growing mostly at a slower rate than the bottom five “industries to fall”. The leading faller is ‘motor vehicle manufacturing’, seen as being down 43.1 per cent as major manufacturers depart, leaving Volvo and Paccar “now the major players in the Australian industry”. “With truck manufacturers now the key players in our domestic motor vehicle manufacturing sector, the industry’s future performance is set to rely more on business confidence than consumer sentiment in years to come,” IBISWorld senior industry analyst William McGregor states.…

A truck driver from Sydney has been awarded the Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian Award for his brave efforts in acting to avoid a major accident on the M5 last year. Darell Wilson, who drives for Suez, was praised by the transport community and general public earlier in 2017 for his actions to avoid a bus full of school children. The bus pulled out in front of his truck on one of Sydney’s busiest arterial roads in June and Wilson responded quickly by turning his semi-trailer towards a concrete barrier, jack-knifing the truck to slow down and to avoid the bus that was entering oncoming traffic. The award recognised and honoured the heroic actions of the Kurrajong resident for preventing what could have been a devastating accident. Bridgestone Australia and New…

 THE NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR (NHVR) released the Policy Framework and Standards for Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs) in December, putting the wheels in motion for an electronic fatigue management alternative. “The EWD policy framework and standards will allow the NHVR to approve electronic recording systems as an alternative to the traditional written work diary” NHVR safety and productivity executive director Geoff Casey says EWDs are now one step closer with the release of the framework, confirming we may see uptake of the systems as early as March. “The EWD policy framework and standards will allow the NHVR to approve electronic recording systems as an alternative to the traditional written work diary, which will be a win for the heavy vehicle industry and a boost for safety,” Casey says. “Under the…

A new National Payment Transparency Register has been set up with an aim to promote best practice in business-to-business transactions. The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) is inviting businesses to sign up to the register to further “their commitment to good payment time practices”. The move is result of findings of ASBFEO’s inquiry into pay times and practices that showed the existing average time to pay ranged between 14-40 days. Ombudsman Kate Carnell says the snapshot compared favourably with some multinational companies, which wrote payment terms of 60-120 days into their contracts. “Cash flow is king to small business; late payments can be the difference between success and insolvency,” Carnell says. “Overseas experience has demonstrated that faster payments through supply chains will free up cash flow and…

AN INDICATION OF CONTAINER terminal automation’s effect on truck turnaround times can be gauged by the advent of Victoria international Container Terminal (VICT). Waterline 61, the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ (BITRE’s) 61st edition of its quarterly survey of container port-related efficiency, shows a significant reduction for Melbourne and therefore Australian turnaround results. “Average truck turnaround times decreased by 4.8 per cent across the five ports in January-June 2017,” the report states. “Melbourne posted a decrease of 22.3 per cent, driven in part by commencement of operations at VICT.” However, Adelaide and Sydney recorded increases of 10.6 per cent and 8.3 per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, container turnaround times decreased by 23.6 per cent in Melbourne and 6.2 per cent in Fremantle. The total number of truck timeslots used…

Cashed-up and aggressive Australian logistics IT firm WiseTech Global has mopped up two European customs solutions providers based in Dublin. They are ABM Data Systems, a developer and provider of customs clearance solutions accredited for the UK, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany, and Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland customs solution provider CustomsMatters. ABM Data provides advanced solutions across customs clearance, bonded warehouse and point of delivery management. ABM Data customers include Expeditors, UPS, DSV, Yusen, JAS, Tigers, Heavey RF, and many other exporters, customs brokers, freight forwarders, distributors and logistics service providers. CustomsMatters provides e-customs solutions through its cloud-hosted customs compliance platform, myCustoms, and customs brokerage and consulting services to customers including DHL, UPS, OAG Cargo, SwissPort, WFS, Aramex, Sisk Healthcare, G&J Distillers, Dairygold, Geodis and…

Fleet controllers, export/ import coordinators, and store persons with inventory management software experience will be in high demand in 2018, a new study states. The latest Hays Jobs Report, covering January to June 2018, notes that transport and supply chain companies will be looking for candidates “who have a strong knowledge of systems and processes, combined with a proven track record in reducing costs and achieving demanding KPIs”. Export/import coordinators with cargo software knowledge will be sought after,” the report notes. “Fleet controllers with wharf experience are in high demand, especially for night shifts where the ability to work autonomously, at pace and manage a large number of drivers within a reactive environment is crucial to success. “Demand and supply planners with FMCG experience are highly sought after given the…

 TOLL GROUP is demanding a nationwide overhaul of trucking industry operations to improve road safety across Australia. “Have one rule book for heavy vehicles and heavy vehicle drivers across the country” In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Toll Group MD Michael Byrne recommends six key points that can help reduce the road toll, including: • One rule book for heavy vehicles and drivers across all states and territories • Introduction of a national operator licensing system • Community education campaigns to help improve understanding of road behaviour around heavy vehicles • Incentives/rewards for operators with sound safety records, and mandatory investment in modern, safer fleets • Mandatory application of telematics for regulatory purposes • Draw on private sector expertise in all discussions related to heavy vehicles and…

Todd Hacking, right, steps into the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia’s (HVIA) CEO position this month. The former senior Cement Concrete & Aggregates Australia (CC&AA) director replaces Brett Wright, who is stepping down after 21 years in the role. According to acting president Nathan Usher, the HVIA board had undertaken a rigorous search and selection process to find the right person. “Todd brings a set of skills and experience to the table that will enable HVIA to elevate our influence and profile across the industry and into government,” Usher says. Hacking joins HVIA after spending six years at CC&AA, advocating for the heavy construction materials industry.…

Industry bodies were quick to welcome federal infrastructure minister Barnaby Joyce to his new portfolio following a cabinet reshuffle that saw Darren Chester dropped from portfolio and cabinet. The Victorian Transport Association (VTA), the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad), and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) congratulated Joyce, who returned to cabinet after having to recontest his seat during the dual-citizenship debacle. “As well as being a highly regarded local member, as evidenced by winning re-election recently with an improved majority, Barnaby Joyce has been a very effective minister in the Turnbull Government, and we congratulate him on his appointment as Minister for Infrastructure and Transport,” VTA CEO Peter Anderson says. “The VTA looks forward to working closely with Minister Joyce in his new portfolios, and…

 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is seeking a collaborative approach with the trucking industry as it seeks to advance heavy vehicle charging reforms. “The national economic benefits of Heavy Vehicle Road Reform are considerable” The effort sees urban infrastructure minister Paul Fletcher unveiling its National Heavy Vehicle Charging Pilot program to test the replacement of registration fees and the fuel-based Road User Charge, with a national direct user charge for the participating vehicles. The pilot trials include three main objectives: • Demonstrate that direct user charging for heavy vehicles is feasible and has benefits for users and governments • Build stakeholder confidence in and practical engagement with Heavy Vehicle Road Reform. • Provide opportunities to identify and address operational issues to inform future implementation decisions. “The program will run initially through to…

 UC LOGISTICS AUSTRALIA MD URSZULA KELLY has returned fire at professor Ann Williamson’s take on safety in trucking in a Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) column. “We put a lot of time, effort and money into compliance” Raising her ire in particular was what Kelly casts as Williamson’s “unshakable assumption that vehicle maintenance and fatigue management are secondary to the industry”, a stance she describes as “offensive”. “On the contrary, they are paramount and we put a lot of time, effort and money into compliance. I find Williamson’s sensationalist generalisation ‘that the way the industry runs its operation is a formula for death’ baseless and revolting,” Kelly says in a letter to the editor seen by ATN. “Secondly, in making such a radical statement that long hours cause truck crashes, I…

The ‘electronic logging device’ (ELD), America’s electronic work diary (EWD), is now an enforceable fact on that country’s roads and highways. Starting December, in accordance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) congressionally mandated ELD compliance deadline, inspectors and roadside enforcement personnel began documenting violations and tackle drivers operating vehicles without a compliant device. Peak body the American Trucking Associations (ATA), which backed and fought for the move, welcomed the milestone. “We firmly believe that America’s truck drivers – if they were operating legally within the hours-of-service rules before today – will see tremendous benefits in using an ELD,” ATA president and CEO Chris Spear says. ELD implementation has faced industry and trucking company customer concern, particularly from livestock and agriculture quarters, particularly where waiting times to load are…

The Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel project will use the latest heavy vehicle safety technology on heavy vehicles interacting with vulnerable road users in the Melbourne CBD, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) reports. HVIA national manager policy and government relations Greg Forbes sees the move as an opportunity for HVIA members to showcase the very best technologies the industry has to offer. “The major inner city rail project, managed by the Cross Yarra Partnership, will involve thousands of contractor’s truck movements where heavy vehicles will have to interact with pedestrians and cyclists,” Forbes says. “The Cross Yarra Partnership have approached HVIA to assist it in meeting road safety targets and are seeking participation from HVIA members with information about best-practice technology and safety features which can be applied.” “HVIA has been…

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Trucksafe have joined the National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) in a bid to develop and implement effective road safety strategies. ATA CEO Ben Maguire says the partnership with NRSPP will also result in the trucking body participating in the 2018 Re-Act campaign. “The focus of the campaign being – improving the safety of young road users when interacting with trucks,” Maguire says. “Over the next 12 months, NRSPP will also feature case studies and webinars of leading ATA members. We thank NRSPP for the opportunity to join the program and contribute to improving safety for all road users.” NRSPP is funded by a range of state governments and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) and delivered by ARRB. The program aims to “break…

Integrated logistics services provider DB Schenker has won a five-year contract to provide international freight forwarding and customs clearance services to Shell Australia. “The operations team in Brisbane, Darwin and Perth will be supported by our state of the art DB Schenker iTeams software solution that allows for full visibility and tracking through all stages of the logistics cycle,” the company notes. “We are proud to continue our global relationship with Shell in Australia to supply both QGC [Queensland Gas Company] in Queensland and the Prelude FLNG [floating liquified natural gas] facility in Western Australia with international freight and customs clearance services,” DB Schenker director projects – oil & gas Australia and New Zealand Frank Vogel says.…

Owner-Driver Alby Twyford accompanied his truck-driving father and grandfather when he was a kid, so it seemed like a natural progression when he began driving trucks for a living. Years later, history repeated itself. His son, Adam Twyford, has also gone on to work in the trucking industry. “Adam was with me in the truck all the time. He grew up in them,” Twyford says. “But now with the OH&S rules there’s no kids allowed. My grandsons love trucks but they’re not allowed in them. “It’s not like the olden days. We grew up with them. You’d just hop in [a truck] and away you went. You just knew what to do.” To meet the anticipated fright task, retaining experienced drivers like Twyford will be as important as recruiting new…

A 2014 accident that saw three fatalities and the temporary grounding of BP’s Victorian tanker fleet has seen Magistrates court action in Wodonga. BP faced the greatest scrutiny immediately after the tragedy, in Victoria and New South Wales, but now Wodonga company Heavy Mechanics is facing one charge under the 2004 OHS Act of failing to ensure that people other than its employees were not exposed to risks to their health and safety. The charge is against the business rather than an individual. The maximum penalty that can be imposed by the courts in such a case is $1.33 million. The incident occurred on August 7, 2014, at Staghorn Flat, where a trailer detached from the truck as it travelled around a bend. The trailer drifted across the road into…

TruckSafe-accredited operators should be ready to meet the upcoming changes to the chain of responsibility (COR) laws, TruckSafe chair Ferdie Kroon says. Trucksafe member operators have worked “very hard” in the past two years to upgrade business practices, training methodology, safety systems and review processes to be in a position to meet the new requirements, he says. The board met in December to look at how the reforms would affect TruckSafe’s standards. “The board has reviewed the new chain of responsibility provisions and the consultation draft of the master registered code of practice being developed by the Australian Trucking Association and Australian Logistics Council,” Kroon says. “We worked through the provisions in detail, and the good news is that TruckSafe-accredited operators are well positioned to meet the new requirements of…

The Queensland Trucking Association greeted Mark Bailey’s return as state transport and main roads minister with a five-point plan to generate efficiencies in trucking. Bailey has been freed of non-transport portfolios, such as energy, biofuels and water supply, now that Labor has formed a government and instituted a cabinet reshuffle. “The association has established strong foundations with Minister Bailey over the past few years and look forward to continuing to work with him,” QTA CEO Gary Mahon says. “We will urge the minister to deliver on our Five Key Road Freight Priorities to ensure the safe and efficient carriage of goods which is fundamental to us all and the energy of our economy. “The road freight networks, within states, across states and to our shipping ports, remains a focus for…

A heavy vehicle blitz saw hundreds of truck drivers spoken to by South Australia Police, with more than 500 either reported or fined, according to South Australia police (Sapol). Compliance-focused Operation Austrans, which came in two stages last year, ended on December 9. The operation is nationally coordinated and has been conducted annually since 1989. During Phase 2 of the operation, a total of 2753 vehicles were pulled over during a series of road stops conducted by police and National Heavy Vehicle Regulator-authorised officers across South Australia. From November 27 to December 9, police and NHVR-authorised officers issued: • 287 formal warnings • 515 expiations/reports • 312 defect notices (123 major defect notices and 189 minor defect notices). A total of 4449 vehicles pulled over in the first two weeks…

Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) continued to see local success after recording its 29th consecutive year as Australia’s highest-selling truck brand in 2017. IAL director and COO Phil Taylor congratulated everyone throughout the dealer network for their efforts. “These figures are testament to the hard work everyone within the broader Isuzu organisation puts in day in, day out,” Taylor says. “Our 2017 performance also indicates that Isuzu trucks are continuing to meet the needs of Australian businesses – especially in the rapidly growing heavy truck market, where our tough and reliable offering saw sales grow by nine per cent over the year. “To be able to sell 8,898 trucks over the course of 2017 is a real vindication that we’re delivering for customers.” Taylor says he is proud of the company’s…

CAROLYN WALSH, above, has taken over as the new chair of the National Transport Commission (NTC) following David Anderson’s exit after four years in the role. Meanwhile, commissioner Nola Bransgrove took over Walsh’s position as deputy chair. The announcement was made following formal ministerial ratification in December, with the changes coming into effect on January 1. Commissioner Neil Scales, who is the current director-general of the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, has been reappointed for a further three years. NTC chief executive Paul Retter thanked Walsh, Bransgrove and Scales for their strong commitment to the national land transport reform agenda. Retter also welcomed new commissioners, Steven Kennedy, the newly appointed secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, and Reece Waldock, former director-general of the West Australian…

“The urban task is ever growing, especially with the explosion in home shopping” In 25 years’ time I will reflect on the following predictions. I suspect that reality will go much further than any of these predictions and they will all come to pass within 12 to 15 years. Let’s see what happens after that! URBAN PERFORMANCE-BASED STANDARDS Since the inception of the Australian brand of performance-based standards (PBS) emerged, whose initial concepts were borrowed from Canada in 1997, some 99.9 per cent of PBS vehicles have been trailered or multi-trailer combinations. This will change. The urban task is ever growing, especially with the explosion in home shopping, and newer configurations are needed, as much of the e-commerce task is volumetric in nature. Manufacturers will also need to work with…

RM: How real is the threat of artificial intelligence and what impact do you see it having on the Australian transport industry? BR: It’s easy to get swept away by the hype surrounding artificial intelligence, and it’s fair to say that things are nowhere near as developed as many of the tech evangelists would have you believe. But it is equally fair to say that artificial intelligence and personalisation are behind several transformational trends in the world of logistics, and intelligent supply chains that use self-learning systems are likely to make an impact in under five years. Logistics is a data-driven function. Data is at the core of all of the logistics challenges – managing inventory, tracking supply and demand, streamlining operations and customer service, adjusting pricing and…

Trucking is one of many industries competing to attract the attention of school-based career advisors. Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) executive director David Carney says career advisors often work part-time and are under-resourced. “That’s a significant issue for industries like transport and logistics trying to get information to students about career opportunities such as truck driving,” Carney says. He suggests a career advisor who meets a student who wants to be a truck driver will probably need to do some research to find an appropriate pathway. “Then it comes back to the industry that looks after the truck drivers, and how well they provide the information.” The advisor will refer to industry websites and information available at the school. Although the situation varies from state to state and school…