Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 380 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

What is it with the first two decades of recent centuries? Perhaps it’s all that pent-up expectation of new dawns and progress and advancement in fine fashion has creative juices flowing. It is instructive to note that the first 20 years of the 19th century kicked off with Count Alessandro Volta inventing the battery and putting his name to the measurement of electromotive force. Here we are, 200-plus years later, and its use on highways, promised for so long, is now assured. Ten years later, the first steam locomotive, Richard Trevithick’s, failed due to weight, only for George Stephenson to make the mode happen. A bit further beyond the first two decades, another item to become a feature of logistics undertakings, the electromagnet came into being. Fast-forward a century and,…

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) says almost 93 per cent of the 1,000 truck drivers involved in its survey reported feeling increasing pressure in the course of doing their jobs. The survey was conducted following a series of January police safety actions predominantly in New South Wales in response to a spate of fatal truck accidents there. The TWU says the drivers nominated “the financial squeeze from major supermarkets and manufacturers, bad roads, unsafe truck stops and unrealistic deadlines” as major sources of pressure. “Two years ago, the Federal Government scrapped scrutiny and accountability on the major manufacturers and retailers like Aldi over poor rates in their supply chains,” TWU acting national secretary Michael Kaine says. “This financial pressure means that trucks are not being maintained and drivers are being…

AUSTRALIA’S APPETITE for modern technology that matches heavy vehicles to a specific task has grown to 17 per cent of all new heavy vehicles, according to a new report. National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) CEO Sal Petroccitto says Performance Based Standards – Australia’s PBS Fleet, a joint report by the Australian Road Transport Suppliers Association (ARTSA) and the NHVR into the performance-based standards (PBS) scheme, shows the significant penetration of PBS-approved vehicles into the national market. “The PBS scheme has developed into a world-leading program for which the entire Australian heavy vehicle industry can be very proud,” Petroccitto says. “It’s led to improved safety outcomes such as 46 per cent fewer crashes than conventional vehicles, per kilometres travelled and major productivity gains – saving more than 320 million truck kilometres…

THE HEAVY VEHICLE NATIONAL LAW (HVNL) must be subject to a total revamp in conception and approach if it is to fulfil its promise, according to Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) CEO Gary Mahon. Hard on the heels of giving evidence to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) amendments inquiry, along with other industry bodies, Mahon tells ATN the handling of heavy vehicle regulation is mired in a mindset of the previous century — and the first-half of it at that. “In the world of apps and mobile devices and goodness knows what else, there’s a whole lot of different ways of thinking about giving imprimatur to difference, and just deal with the absolute exceptions at the margin,” he says. He points out that, even by conservative estimates, at least 150,000…

Two roll on/roll off ferries with 2,519 lane metres of freight capacity are to begin Bass Strait sailings in 2021, now that a contract has been signed. Four months after Spirit of Tasmania owner TT-Line and German shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft agreed a letter of intent, TT-Line is looking to the time when the current freight capacity of 1,813 lane metres is history. “The next-generation vessels will be more than 30 per cent larger than the current Spirits, with an even bigger increase in passenger and freight capacity,” Tasmanian premier Will Hodgman says. “Every single sailing of the next generation Spirits will be able to bring an additional 500 visitors, 115 additional passenger vehicles and 85 additional freight trailers.” Hodgman describes the project as “the single biggest infrastructure investment ever by…

Advantia has appointed former VicRoads top staffer Victor Trumper, right, as senior consultant. The consultancy says that following leadership roles in the VicRoads Registration and Licensing section, Trumper joined the VicRoads Heavy Vehicle Policy section in 2011 and was responsible for a range of heavy vehicle policy reform initiatives including the setting of Victorian heavy vehicle registration charges, the management of heavy vehicle registrations under the NHVR and the assessment of the Hume Freeway for HPFV access. Building off the experience of the Hume Freeway HPFV assessment, Trumper took the lead role within VicRoads for the assessment, gap analysis and development of Victoria’s existing and future HPFV High Mass networks. Advantia MD Rob Di Cristoforo sees more than just HPFV access in Trumper’s future with the organisation. “Victor adds considerable…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not new. The term was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy, a Stanford computer science professor who organised an academic conference on the topic at Dartmouth College in the summer of that year. The field of AI has gone through a series of boom-bust cycles since then, characterised by technological breakthroughs that stirred activity and excitement about the topic, followed by subsequent periods of disillusionment and disinterest known as ‘AI Winters’ as technical limitations were discovered. Artificial intelligence can be defined as human intelligence exhibited by machines; systems that approximate, mimic, replicate, automate, and eventually improve on human thinking. Throughout the past half-century, a few key components of AI were established as essential: the ability to perceive, understand, learn, problem solve, and reason. Countless working definitions…

We at Dogs & Chains cede to no man or woman in our admiration of the federal energy leader. Josh Frydenberg is a minister of immense intellect and character (though having bestowed similar comments on Jamie Briggs back in the day, more in hope than anything, we accept our judgement can be less than perfect on occasions). Anyway, like the banking royal commission, it was an unadulterated good thing, eventually, that Frydenberg went ahead with a review of the state of the nation’s transport fuel stocks, now they’ve settled at around the three-week mark for most types for the past four years. The last go the Coalition had at the energy issue had critics squealing ‘white wash’ rather than ‘white paper’. But was it really necessary for Frydenberg to come…

Toll Transport was right to dismiss a worker who breached the company’s drug policies after testing positive for methamphetamine, despite claims of inconsistencies in the testing process, according to the Fair Work Commission. The worker, who had worked for Toll for about nine years in the Express Parcels unit of the company’s Port Melbourne site, tested positive for opiates in a random drug and alcohol test in October 2017, and again in a second test of the same sample. The worker told Toll he had concerns about the integrity of the sample, saying the seal numbers on samples taken had not been recorded – making it unclear whether the samples were his. The FWC heard from the person who collected the samples on the day, who told the FWC she…

Aldi has bitten back at what it views as a dishonest campaign by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU), issuing a line-by-line rebuttal of the common charges the union has made of it. The supermarket chain has been the target of protests at its stores in mainland capital cities, saying it took its commitment to safety seriously. “Aldi utterly refutes all allegations made by the Transport Workers Union that our workplace practices are unsafe and are placing truck drivers at risk,” the company says. “The lives of all Australian road users matter and Aldi fully supports the goal of providing safe working terms and conditions for all transport drivers.” It also notes that it is accredited under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) and “works closely with independent auditors to…

The Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) chief executive, Ben Maguire, featured heavily in a Road Transport Special Report in The Australian newspaper, taking insights on the trucking industry to a mainstream readership. “The bottom line is, trucking generates 8.6 per cent per of Australian GDP and most people in the community don’t know that and their perception of trucking is a bit outdated,” Maguire says, adding that the ATA plans to take outdated public perceptions of the transport industry and align them with reality, while also influencing key decision makers to promote positive change. “We hope to influence decision makers, and legislators around trucking in Australia. Also through mainstream media, we plan to educate everyone around the importance of trucking to their daily lives.” Putting a human face to trucking has…

An independent, world-leading freight body will help to tackle a dearth of policy application in Australia which is biting the economy, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia (IPA) argues in a new report. Speaking at the release of the Fixing Freight: Establishing Freight Performance Australia report, IPA chief executive Adrian Dwyer says the body will use data and information to engage freight industry, political and community stakeholders on key freight policy, regulatory reform and priority projects. “This would be done by using data that is currently held across all levels of government and private companies such as logistics providers, infrastructure companies, and major freight customers such as supermarkets,” he says. “Bringing all this data together will give Australia the visibility needed to drive efficiencies in the system to improve Australia’s trade competitiveness, ultimately…

Officers from NSW Police Traffic & Highway Patrol’s Traffic Task Force have conducted an audit of a landscaping supply company involved in a serious crash, when two trucks collided in Glenhaven in April. The driver of one of the trucks was taken to Westmead Hospital with serious injuries after his truck crashed through a fence following the collision, and remains in hospital. The driver of the second truck was not injured. According to police, a compliance inspection was conducted at a landscape supply company on Windsor Road, Rouse Hill on inspected 25 vehicles. Ten minor defects, two weight mass breaches, and two major defects for hydraulic leaks, engine oil leaks and an insecure steering box were found. Officers conducted 35 breath tests and 10 drug tests, with one driver returning…

Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews has committed to spending $110 million to fast track the completion of the North East Link – ahead of the state election, scheduled for 24 November this year. The link has been the focus of much advocacy over the years, particularly by the Victorian Transport Association (VTA). In an announcement, Andrews says that procurement work on the extension would begin 100 days after the election if his government was returned. Valued at a total of $16.5 billion, the North East Link is to connect Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway at Bulleen with the M80 Ring Road. The North East Link will include a five-kilometre tunnel from Bulleen to Rosanna to protect parkland and residential areas, emerging north of Lower Plenty Road, running alongside the existing Greensborough Highway…

Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) is developing a more rigorous accreditation process for participants in its Tyre Stewardship scheme, and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is seeking submissions on the plan. The scheme aims to increase both the recycling of tyres, including truck tyres, and the use of products made from the recycled material in Australia. TSA has collected a levy from participating tyre importers since it started in 2013, directing $2 million of that into market research for new product development. Aside from changing the accreditation process, TSA is also reviewing its monitoring of industry participants and considering a verification process to track the destination of tyres exported overseas. With recycling one of the problems of the moment due to China’s global waste import ban, the ACCC is…

CBRE AUSTRALIA senior director Christine Miller, left, has been appointed to the board of South Australian private port operator Flinders Port Holdings (FPH). Flinders Ports chairman John Marlay says Miller had an “exceptional background in the logistics industry,” having held roles with logistics organisations AP Moller (Maersk) and XAct Solutions. “Christine has a very strong background in logistics and supply chain solutions, and we are looking forward to welcoming her to the Board and working with Christine for the advancement of the FPH Group,” Marlay says. Miller will replace Chris Langford, who stepped down after first joining the company in July 2012, shortly after FPH acquired the Adelaide Container Terminal from DP World. “Chris was a valued member of the Board who took a collegiate approach and was always very…

Infrastructure is where it’s at. More money than you can count is currently being pumped into major infrastructure projects throughout Australia – in particular the east coast. The 2017-2018 Federal Budget committed more than $70 billion to infrastructure development across Australia. Infrastructure Australia has identified more than $55 billion worth of “nation-shaping projects” in its Infrastructure Priority List. Current mega-projects on the go include the $16.8 billion WestConnex project and the $10.9 billion Melbourne Metro Rail project. Flowing on from the bottomless pit of infrastructure spending is an expected national rise in construction growth and spending. The Australian Industry Group-Australian Constructors Association Construction Outlook Survey predicts major construction project growth through to 2019, driven by non-mining infrastructure and commercial and residential development work. The Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Corridor…

Without trucks, Australia stops. This was the resounding message at the ATA’s annual Trucking Australia conference, held in Canberra in April. This conference was our most engaging and innovative yet, as we welcomed more than 500 delegates to take part in informative sessions, invaluable workshops, the ATA safety summit and networking events. The calibre of speakers was second to none as we welcomed the governor-general Peter Cosgrove and deputy prime minister Michael McCormack, as well as dozens of industry experts delivering the content on the issues that matter most. The engagement and passion demonstrated by delegates in these sessions was a reminder of how important our industry’s viability is to not only individuals and businesses at the coal face, but Australia as a whole. Trucking holds the Australian economy together.…

In 2017, 184 teams from Australia and 31 from New Zealand signed up to enter Vista. Following two theory rounds and a pit-stop challenge, Australia was left with six teams that qualified for the semi-finals in Gothenburg, including ‘Team 1’ from CMV Truck and Bus Derrimut which received a ‘Wild Card’ entry. New Zealand had two teams that qualified for the semi-finals. The Australian semi-finalists were: • Team SCT – South Central Trucks (finalist) • Team 1 – CMV Truck and Bus Derrimut (finalist) • Team Euro – South Central Trucks • Team Invictus – VCV Townsville • Team I-See – VCV Sydney Chullora • Team Mack – Truck Centre WA Kewdale The New Zealand semi-finalists are: • Team Invercargill – Truck Stops Invercargill • Team W.I.P. Rebellion – Truck Stops Whangarei These eight teams were among 56…

Setting a new benchmark for refrigerated trailers, the new Maxi-CUBE Classic includes significant improvements over the previous design including an optimised tare weight and a leading K-value achieved via a range of thermal efficiency upgrades. “Through the use of composite material and improvements in modern manufacturing techniques, we have been able to further optimise the way we build the trailer, allowing us to increase the amount of insulation, while also reducing the trailer’s tare weight,” said Kevin Manfield, General Manager; Products and Markets at MaxiTRANS. “We’ve been able to reduce the tare weight by up to 250kg on a standard 22 pallet reefer, providing better payload and improved fuel efficiency, further reducing the whole of life cost of the trailer.” “The Classic employs Maxi-CUBE’s unique in-house urethane foam process, this…

Initially available as an option on all Hamelex White® standard width trailers and bodies, Landslide® reduces the tip angle by up to 30% when unloading an end tipper, compared to a tipper with no liner installed, reducing the trailer’s centre of gravity and providing a safer more stable tipping platform. As a further safety benefit, the height of the tipped trailer is also lower, reducing the chance of it making contact with overhead obstacles. The only proprietary tipper liner in Australia sold directly from the trailer manufacturer, MaxiTRANS is able to use its broad tipper experience to engineer the tipper and liner in unison to ensure the ideal tip. Kevin Manfield, General Manager; Products and Markets at MaxiTRANS, said that fitting Landslide® during trailer manufacture improves price and delivery. “Due…

Tighe Newton Trucking won $8,000 in a Federal Circuit Court case in April after a subcontracting arrangement for Crown forklifts went sour last year. Subcontractor NT Hauliers and its managing director, Bruce Meiklejohn, did not appear and had no representation during the hearing, in which Tighe Newton alleged unconscionable conduct. Without contrary evidence, the breakdown in the relationship appears to have begun when Tighe mistakenly assumed two of three invoices for the same amount were duplicates and an invoice was paid late. Tighe had assumed that it had a credit account with NT Hauliers, which advised that, as Tighe had not agreed to NT Hauliers’ credit terms and conditions, it was on 14-day terms. More consignments were transacted but a disconnect between the firms that saw shifting NT Hauliers assertions…

“ I am satisfied that the issues raised have or will be addressed.” THE NATIONAL HEAVY VEHICLE REGULATOR (NHVR) is satisfied Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs) will provide a “sustainable and effective voluntary alternative” to written work diaries (WWDs) in recording work and rest hours for heavy vehicle drivers. Following the release of its final consultation report, NHVR productivity and safety executive director Geoff Casey says the regulator will accept applications for approval for EWDs from May 28. “After reviewing the feedback, I am satisfied that the issues raised have or will be addressed and the development of EWDs as a voluntary option for drivers can begin,” Casey says. “From next month, we will be in a position to start receiving and assessing applications for approval from technology providers and transport…

CANBERRA HAS called for tenders for work on the first stage of the National Heavy Vehicle Charging Pilot amid a backdrop of industry displeasure over its current taxation burden. National and state and territory governments have committed to the reform the current heavy vehicle user charging system from pay-as-you-go, fuel-excise-based charging to direct “user charging”. Part of that reform process will be a series of trials and pilots to test alternative approaches. The step is the first in a two-stage ‘proof of concept’ exercise, involving desk-top studies and then simulated charging, up to 2020. Two live stages will follow, with an opt-on pilot and an implementation effort, to be conducted from 2020. “The National Heavy Vehicle User Pilot will lay a foundation for later on-road trials, which will test if…

FRASERS LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT managing director Ross Fraser has been recognised for his Outstanding Contribution to the Australian trucking industry in the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) National Trucking Industry Awards. A former chair of the ATA, Fraser was also a founding member of the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association and Livestock Transporters Association of Queensland – and has been involved in the transport industry for more than 50 years. The award was one of many handed out by the ATA at its awards showcase, recognising businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond to improve their workplace and contribute to the industry. The following people and organisations were also recognised for their contribution to the industry: R&A Ross Transport co-founder Frances Ross was also recognised for her “conspicuous service…

HER TIRELESS work in establishing a workforce development program has seen All Purpose Transport (APT) project manager Belinda Polglase named the National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year. The second-generation operator, whose parents, Trevor and Pam White, founded the Brisbane-based transport company, was recognised at Australian Trucking Association’s Trucking Australia 2018 Industry Awards for improving the industry. Polglase has led the program since its inception five years ago, establishing a commercial relationship with Queensland TAFE to fund the program and fully qualify its 300 staff, of which 220 are owner-drivers, up to a certificate three level. The company’s turnover continues to increase as it offers staff the opportunity to upskill through training as a way to add value to the company. APT has continued with the program despite the National…

AN ALLIANCE of state transport and logistics industry organisations is calling for a Senate inquiry into the heavy vehicle Oversize Overmass (OSOM) permit system. The system’s performance and delays in access to routes trucking companies need to fulfil their contracts has led to growing unease in the industry, particularly where the boosted power of local councils is concerned. “Billions of dollars of projects are being held up because we can’t get equipment to site,” the alliance of the Northern Territory Road Transport Association (NTRTA), Tasmanian Transport Association and the Western Roads Federation (WRF) tell senators in a document complied in March that has just come to light. “The hidden cost though is the financial and emotional pressure placed on SME businesses, their staff and families, as they routinely face financial…

FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE minister Michael McCormack has made public his support for the proposed Queensland intermodal transport and logistics hub InterLinkSQ. McCormack made what the hub firm describes as a surprise visit to the site, 13km west of Toowoomba, when visiting the region with federal regional development minister and local MP John McVeigh. “We only had short notice that the acting prime minister was coming to the region and we are thrilled that he chose to visit out site,” InterLinkSQ general manager Blair Batts says. “To have him say that it was an exciting project is a real boost to us with so much else going on as we prepare for the completion of the tunnel-lowering between Toowoomba and Brisbane. “The recognition of the Minister for Regional Development, John McVeigh, of…

TRANSPORT JOURNALIST and trucking operator David Whyte, left, has been welcomed to Scania Australia’s team of driver trainers. Back in 2007, Whyte won the inaugural Scania Young Australian Truck Driver of the Year Competition, and in recent years he’s worked as a truck journalist while also running his transport business. He will work to provide customers and drivers with highly-qualified, expert advice regarding the safest and most efficient ways to operate existing Scania models as well as the New Truck Generation. “I am really excited to be joining Scania and the driver training team,” Whyte says. “I know the brand very well from the competition and also driving a Scania P-series for many years.” Driver services manager Richard Bain says Whyte brings a wealth of knowledge to an already high-calibre…

Daimler Truck and Bus has appointed North American Matt Smedley, right, as its head of network development in Australia — working with the Freightliner, Fuso and Mercedes-Benz brands. Smedley has served with Daimler Trucks North America since 2000, most recently in business development, before accepting the offer to move down under. Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president Daniel Whitehead says securing Smedley for the role was a “real coup’. Smedley’s role is a new one, built out of a company restructure.…

Core technological advances are central to the continued development of AI. Significant progress has been made with all core AI technologies, and the levels of investment and demand for ongoing improvement give good reason to expect this growth will continue well into the future. Technological advances can be classified into three broad categories: improving computer processing speed and power, increasing AI system access to big data, and using algorithmic improvements to enable more complex AI applications. • Computing Power & Speed: AI is a computer processing intensive technology – breakthroughs in computing power and efficiency have enabled the expansion and complexity of AI applications. In the technology industry, Moore’s Law is used to show the relationship between the cost and speed of computer processing power over time, the trajectory of which…

In another year, or maybe a little more, Mack will introduce a new model to the Australian market. It will be the Mack Anthem and, on the surface, it’ll simply step into the shoes of the current Granite model. Have no doubt, though, this radically restyled replacement means much more to Mack in Australia than the supplanting of one model for another. Far more than a bold new look and an intriguing new name, it comes with attributes that will flow to almost every model in the current Mack range. In part or in full, Anthem represents a redrawn line in the sand for Mack – both here and in its US heartland. Evolutionary more than revolutionary, it is nonetheless a milestone model that marks the point where the status…

Dual-cab 4x4 Tritons come in four models. The GXL is the entry-level work model complete vinyl floor coverings and 16-inch steel wheels. The GXL+ ups the ante with 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control and some cosmetic interior enhancement. The popular GLS model then adds Super Select 4x4, 17-inch alloys, HID headlights, LED daytime-running lights, dual-zone climate control, carpet floor coverings, a chrome sports bar, smartphone connectivity and an up-spec audio system complete with a digital radio. The top-spec Exceed model, which is auto only, then adds smart-key entry and start, leather seat trim, power adjust for the driver’s seat, a rear differential lock and automatic headlights and wipers.…