Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 347 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

Operator licensing is back on the agenda and if the present government won’t touch it, union backing might just possibly get it over the line if there is a change after the next election. But even then, it would have to be a more compelling case for a new Labor government even than the one raised for the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), which needed concerted Transport Workers Union (TWU) heft to come to fruition. That the present federal government has been unable to dispense with it yet is just another political wonder of an age that has plenty. One would have thought it’d have been an easy kill but it’s proving resilient. That there is division in industry ranks on operator licensing could not be less surprising as there…

Toll Group and DP World are planning a new joint venture in a combined effort to take trucks off inner Sydney streets. The proposed joint venture — with equal shares owned by each partner — will connect a dedicated container staging zone at Port Botany to the intermodal freight terminal in Villawood, 25km west of Sydney. Toll’s corporate affairs director Andrew Ethell says the deal has taken a long time to be negotiated but the two parties are now close to inking a final agreement. Most of the rail line and warehousing infrastructure are already in place, but the rail shuttle operation will be run by the joint venture company. Toll managing director Brian Kruger says the facility will take around 100,000 truck movements out of the central Sydney area.…

VicRoads is working harder to engage with small trucking firms on vehicle maintenance issues, as an increasing number of them are popping up on its radar during inspections. The department has a policy of forewarning companies about inspections and it is now intending to step up its activities. VicRoads director of regulatory services Eric Henderson says the department issues letters to owner-operators when it identifies potential maintenance issues, and gives them a period of time to present their trucks for inspection. The move is aimed at giving owners the chance to repair their trucks to a timeline, improve maintenance standards, and avoid penalties for defects. “VicRoads is focused on safety across the industry. We have not targeted companies based on size but in the last six months operators that run…

Western Australia’s new chain of responsibility (COR) laws pose a significant set of challenges to freight transport companies and their insurers, lawyers say. Three months after being enacted, Norton Rose Fulbright partners Jehan-Phillippe Wood and Tom Martin note an increase in the potential for losses, claims and costs arising out of breaches of state road laws. While not covering the same ground as the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) “they significantly extend the potential for criminal prosecutions, alternative enforcement action and civil claims following breaches of statutory obligations to ensure the safety of road transport vehicles on public roads”, the lawyers say. This, along with the push nationally towards aligning the HVNL more closely with work health and safety (WHS) laws, “could further extend the application of these laws, substantially…

Driverless vehicles are set to face their first real testing in Australia, with the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB Group) announcing a month-long series of trials in South Australia. The car-only trial will use a Volvo XC 90 with a number of driver aid systems including lane departure correction, self-parking, and self-driving. It will be tested away from general public traffic. While the vehicle will have a human occupant during the trial, it will rely solely on these aids — with systems designed to keep drivers engaged and alert switched off. “Driver aid systems are the forerunner to driverless vehicles,” ARRB Group managing director Gerard Waldron says. He notes that the Australian-first series of trials will place the country at the forefront of automotive innovation, alongside research taking place in…

Murray Vitlich has been appointed to replace outgoing director of Patrick Terminals and Logistics, Alistair Field, who resigned from the position after four years in charge. The resignation has sparked a management change at Asciano’s stevedoring operator, which has integrated the leadership team of its two Patrick divisions, Terminals and Logistics and Bulk Automotive and Port Services, into a single group. “We are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Murray Vitlich to this position,” Asciano CEO John Mullen says. “He has been with the company for three years and during this time he has made a valuable contribution in both his original role as director of strategy and business development and, more recently, in his role as director of bulk automotive and port services. “I would also like to…

DGL managing director John West is big on promoting prostate cancer awareness. So much so that DGL has become a part of spreading the word by branding some company trailers with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) message. The Big Aussie Barbie aims to aims to spread the word on prostate cancer, a message that is close to West’s heart. “I have experienced prostate cancer and understand what thousands of Australian families go through when they receive a diagnosis and navigate their way through the whole treatment process. “PCFA helps people get through these difficult times and now it is time for our company to give something back to this important cause,” West says. “DGL operates in a very male-dominated sector so this is the perfect campaign for us…

Operation Slipper, Australia’s contribution to the war effort in Afghanistan, took place between late 2001 and the end of 2013. It involved all arms of the Australian military, including thousands of personnel and billions of dollars worth of equipment and resources. But when it came time to bring it all back to Australia, it wasn’t the military handling the on-ground logistical exercise. Instead, it tasked Toll Remote Logistics, a division of Toll Holdings, to return the vast array of military equipment and supplies back to their original bases in Australia. Elle Hilton, general manager of Toll Remote Logistics, says it was an exciting project to be involved with, but also an incredibly complex and sensitive one. “It was a really interesting job,” she says. “We engaged local transport providers to…

Wow, toys. Lego and Mercedes-Benz Trucks have teamed up for a second time. After successfully turning the Unimog into small pieces, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has gone back through its truck launches and picked the Arocs 3245 tipper as the next vehicle to be represented in Lego form. “When we looked at all the new products that Mercedes-Benz Trucks had launched, going back to 2011 — there was one particular vehicle that stood out as a potential subject for a further collaborative project: the new Arocs 3245 tipper,” Mercedes-Benz Trucks head of marketing Michael Dietz says. In order to capture the vehicle correctly, Lego developers travelled to the Mercedes-Benz Trucks manufacturing facility in Wörth, Germany to see the production line. The resulting Lego Technic toy ships in 2,753 parts and measures 31cm…

KordaMentha Restructuring has been appointed the administrator of trailer manufacturer Tieman Industries as the 60-year-old family business seeks a buyer. Tieman, which designs and manufacturers bulk road tankers in Campbellfield in Victoria, is presently under the full control of its administrators but will continue to trade as expressions of interest are received. The other two arms of the company, its tail lift business and its repairs and maintenance business, are also up for sale and seeking interested parties. KordaMentha spokesman Michael Smith says the first step of the administrative process has been completed, with the company and KordaMentha formalising a strategy for the business, and a creditors’ meeting has been organised for Thursday, August 20 in Melbourne. Though the company directed inquiries to administrators today, joint-managing director Dale Tieman has…

Articulated truck fatal crashes have continued their downward trend but those involving heavy rigids show a stubborn consistency, the latest Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) figures show. While the totals display a certain volatility, the Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes Quarterly Bulletin for the March quarter shows heavy rigid fatalities hovering around the 20 mark for the past two years after three years of improvement. By contrast and despite an up-tick in 2013-14, such articulated-truck incidents have confirmed their downward trend. Heavy rigid fatal crashes rose 10 per cent compared with last year’s March quarter and 6 per cent over the three years to March. For articulated truck crashes, it was a 5.9 per cent decrease and an 8.5 per cent decrease respectively. On a state basis, New…

Transport and logistics company Lindsay Australia has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Queensland packaging supplies company S&J Pennisi. Under the deal, Lindsay Australia will take over the lease of the S&J Pennisi premises in Ayr, Queensland, and directors Sam and David Pennisi will continue servicing customers and assisting in the rural expansion of the business. “The acquisition expands the business into new regions and aligns with our strategic plan,” Lindsay Australia managing director Kim Lindsay says. “Further, the new business provides an opportunity to enhance the rural service offering and logistics solutions for customers in the region.” Lindsay Australia predicts the assets will be able to provide upwards of a 15 per cent return annually by the third year. S&J Pennisi has operated in the Burdekin…

Temperature-controlled logistics provider Swire Cold Storage has a new managing director. Greg Holt, the former managing director of mining logistics specialist HSE, has moved back to Melbourne to take over leadership of the national network. Holt joined the Swire group in 2010, leading the Kalari agricultural logistics subsidiary until 2013 when he switched to HSE. Prior to Swire, Holt held a range of senior executive positions in the logistics, food services, industrial services, infrastructure and waste management sectors in Australia and the United Kingdom. Swire group chairman Geoff Cundle says Holt’s leadership at both Swire companies focused on safety, leadership and performance, people and talent development, customer engagement, productivity, and financial performance. Cundle says these will be similar priorities for Holt in his tenure with Swire Cold Storage, which took…

Maersk Line has appointed Anthony Randell as the new country manager for Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). He’ll be based in Sydney and report to regional Asia Pacific CEO Lars Mikael Jensen. Being the first native Australian to take on this role, Randell’s looking to build on the current strong foundation as he leads the organisation to the next level. “My first focus will be putting together a strong leadership team by filing the customer service and operations manager roles. Then as a team, we will intensify our focus on service so customers will recognise and value us as being better than competition,” he says. Randell joined Maersk following the P&O Nedlloyd acquisition. His career spans a range of commercial and operations roles, in the United States, Denmark and…

I was privileged to attend a recent meeting of the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA’s) Industry Technical Council (ITC). Despite having an impressive history of success in its 20 years of existence, many people are surprised to learn about the enormous impact the ITC has had in progressing the road safety agenda. The ITC was established in 1995 to improve trucking equipment, its maintenance and maintenance management. Its priorities are driven by operators and suppliers from across Australia, who join with engineers and specialists to provide robust technical advice to the industry, governments and the ATA. Some of the ITC’s current projects include working on a number of technical issues with the National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual; updating several Australian Design Rules; and a refresh of the industry’s truck impact chart,…

Let’s look at a simple distribution cost model that can help you derive the Cost to Serve. I am constantly surprised at my inability to be surprised anymore. Over the years, I’ve worked with many organisations on transport costing models and I’d like to share this simple, but effective approach with you. So, let’s look at a simple model for those of you that own your own fleet. For those of you who don’t own your own fleet, here’s a method to estimate the difference between the cost, and the price you pay. First things first, if you are doing full loads, this is a bit easier, providing you’re doing the same thing, the same way, to the same place, all of the time. If you’re not doing that, or…

Telematics offerings for fleet managers are becoming standard from truck manufacturers. While telematics companies can tailor solutions for businesses, many of the truck builders’ systems are tackling fleet management issues through internet connectivity and GPS systems. Daimler is making strides to improve its solutions straight from the factory, emphasised by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA)’s minority investment in Zonar Systems in June, the truck maker’s OEM partner for telematics and connectivity services. Zonar and DTNA have been working together for over five years with the technology company providing factory installs of Detroit Connect’s Virtual Technician in Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Thomas Built buses, an integrated remote diagnostic system for Detroit Diesel engines. The partnership means DTNA and Zonar will co-develop new products for OEM and independent solutions, allowing…

McAleese says its full year result for the 2015 financial year will fall within expectations and guidance, despite a major customer falling into arrears. The unnamed customer has not disputed the money owed, but is struggling to transfer the funds because of slow payments by one of its own customers. McAleese says the debt, reported to be worth $10 million, will likely have an impact on its full year earnings report, but won’t push it out of previous guidance to the market. “The company continues to monitor receipts from debtors in light of industry conditions in the major project market, and in particular a significant debtor to the heavy haulage and lifting division,” McAleese informed the Australian Securities Exchange. “The company continues to seek information to determine what, if any,…

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has called on the New South Wales government to investigate the state’s tip truck industry. It says the sector is under-regulated, and rife with small contractors and subcontractors “phoenixing” their company assets into new entities to avoid existing debts and liabilities. President of the union’s tip truck owner-driver section Phil Ramondino says the issues are translating into safety concerns for drivers and other road users. “Subcontractors phoenixing their companies to avoid paying owner-drivers is commonplace and it’s causing chaos in the industry,” he says. “When guys don’t get paid for the work they do, they are forced by intense economic pressure to take jobs at rock bottom rates. “This is leading to unsafe practices like overloading, speeding and trucks not being properly maintained.” TWU state…

Rail freight will save the Tasmanian economy $159 million over the five years to 2019, a study commissioned by TasRail has revealed. The study, undertaken by infrastructure consultants Pitt&Sherry, believes that by switching freight transport from road to rail, the reduction in road accidents, pollution and road maintenance will see huge financial savings for the state over the long term. On the back of growth in Tasmania’s rail freight system, TasRail CEO Damien White says it sought to quantify the improvements. “The study highlights one of TasRail’s important competitive advantages, which is to help industries strengthen their social licences by moving freight by rail rather than by road, is providing vital social, environmental and economic benefits,” White says. “Over the past five years, the Tasmanian and Australian Governments have provided…

NSW Ports is controlled by Marika Calfas from August 13 as it looks for a new CEO to replace Stephen Cleary. Cleary’s impressive resume, as former StarTrack Express CEO, freight executive manager at Qantas and senior roles with Australian air Express and Elders will bolster his future aspirations. NSW Ports chairman Paul McClintock praised Cleary’s performance. “Stephen’s leadership and successes have been reinforced by the highly capable executive team that he has managed,” McClintock says. Calfas, presently executive general manager — strategy, planning and infrastructure at NSW Ports, is a seasoned ports executive. She was general manager planning for Sydney Ports Corporation, and was involved in the $1 billion Port Botany Expansion development project.…

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia and New Zealand is to gain a new managing director and CEO in a job swap. Juergen Rochert, a Daimler finance veteran of more than three decades standing, takes over from Steven Goodale who becomes the new vice president of Daimler Truck Financial Services United States. Rochert has held several senior posts in North America including DaimlerChrysler Financial Services in Canada and the US and Daimler Financial Services Mexico. Before his taking Australasian post, Goodale has held several positions in the US and Germany. The changes are effective immediately.…

Tony O’Neil says his parents’ company, O’Neil Transport, now managed by he and wife Anne-Maree, will always be a country carrier at heart. Based in the outer suburbs of Ballarat in Victoria, the company prides itself on its ability to offer a full range of transport services for local businesses. But the past few decades have seen O’Neil Transport also achieve great success in interstate line-haul and container transport. O’Neil says it is now effectively three businesses in one, with everything from parcels to specialist building materials carried in its distinctive red-branded trucks and trailers. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve just been progressing and diversifying the business as much as we can,” he tells ATN. “But we’ll always be a country carrier — that’s where we come from.” It…

The Federal Government recently released draft laws which will extend the consumer unfair contract protections to small businesses. If implemented, terms in standard form contracts with small businesses which are found to be unfair will be struck out. The new laws are likely to have a significant impact in the transport sector, where standard form contracts are common and many participants will fall within the definition of ‘small businesses’. Many settled clauses in such contracts may be considered unfair under the new laws. If struck out, road transport and logistics providers may find themselves unable to rely on many of the protections that they presently take for granted. Conversely, embattled small business road transport and logistics providers may be able to apply to strike out unfair terms in their service…

There were times while I was watching the demonstration video of the Moffett M5 where I thought maybe I was being shown outtakes from a monster truck rally. This is a machine that likes to get seriously dirty. The test driver puts it through its paces in a deep, muddy dam, immersing it above the wheels in water, forcing it over walls with a startling gradient, throwing it round like a toy. It’s with some understatement that Hiab product manager Steve Lelean pauses the video and tells me: “This is a 100 per cent outdoors forklift.” THE BASICS The Moffett M5 is a three-wheeled diesel-powered truck-mounted, one-side off-load all-terrain forklift. It is relatively light weight, with no counterbalance other than the body and the engine — a grunty Kubota Diesel…

To quote Warren Buffett: “Chains of habit are too light to be felt — until they are too heavy to be broken”. Talking about money within the family business can be uncomfortable and awkward. What’s worse is that everyone knows about it; financial questions and concerns can be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Few habits are so critical and yet translate so directly to the success of your family business. It is up to the family business leaders to engage their family in these conversations, and to do so with honesty and directly. The early rounds might be difficult, but the end result is a better work environment and easier conversations about other complex issues (such as remuneration or financial agreements). STARTING This is how you prepare your family…