Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 349 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

Students of public administration are sometimes told policy is not what governments say they do, it is what they do. When a minister or prospective minister makes an election promise or a party releases a manifesto, that is the ‘say’ bit. If what is said fails to make much sense in the first place, it colours public perception about as much as a lack of later follow-through, or announcement recycling. After all, talking loudly, forming instruments and passing laws are the easy part, but beside the point if implementation and progress fails. Here, the journey is far less important than the destination. Once in the seats of power — that is, with the power to spend our money — and it is “our money”, whether taken from our pockets in…

The Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO) wants the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s (RSRT’s) approach to the driver payments issue to reflect the complexities of the industry. The ARTIO’s message comes as the RSRT released 244 documents relating to KPMG research for a report that informed the draft Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration Order 2016. In a new submission to the RSRT, it has urged the tribunal to conduct more in-depth industry research rather than continue with the less nuanced approach it says is reflected in the draft order. ‘The broad brush simplistic attempt to fix a minimum rate for contractor drivers in the terms of this draft order does not adequately address market variables and the implications for supply chain parties,” the submission, signed by ARTIO national…

Insurance firm Zurich says a collaborative approach to safety is the path to reduce the cost of risk for transport operators, pointing to its initiative with Fortitude Insurance Group and Metropolitan Express Transport Services (METS). Under the partnership, METS has instigated a range of work environment improvements for the company and its drivers, Zurich head of risk engineering Mervyn Rea says. “In collaboration with Zurich’s risk engineering team, METS has introduced a number of innovative practices which have directly improved their risk grading and safety performance,” he says. “METS has firmly ingrained safety into the company’s culture and has improved several key performance areas including driver health, vehicle maintenance and quality assurance.” Rea says the 44 per cent reduction in the number of claims since 2009, and the 12 per…

New South Wales authorities have issued an over-height load warning following two tunnel impact incidents in a single day. Police and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) officers found the combination has travelled for 100m before the driver realised the collision had occurred, at which point he stopped his vehicle. The driver copped a penalty notice for Disobey Low Clearance Sign, which carries a $2,196 penalty as well as the loss of six demerit points. Meanwhile, another heavy vehicle activated the height warning sensors just before the M5 tunnel at Bexley. Police and RMS inspectors later stopped the truck, which was then backed-up and re-directed to an RMS checking station. While the truck and load were found not to be over height, it is believed that debris in the load contributed…

The ATA’s efforts on behalf of the trucking industry are based on three key pillars — safety, professionalism, and viability. While our work on the first two is very well known, our work on improving industry viability sometimes goes under the radar. The ATA lobbies extensively for fair and reasonable heavy vehicle charges, and successfully managed to exempt trucking operators from the carbon tax for two years until it was removed entirely. These and other victories are usually handled in extensive technical submissions and in-depth discussions with government and other bodies. They don’t tend to make for easy reading. However, our latest viability priority is likely to attract more attention, with the ATA Council having agreed that the ATA will start an investigation into the reported attempts to extend terms-of-payment…

Peter McLean is an Australian supply chain consultant with a difference. Many of his clients are competitors trying to work together to improve business outcomes and create new value. McLean has been working in supply chain and alliance building activities and initiatives for well over six years. A few of the companies he has worked with in this time are the Rapid Alliance, a group of detailing companies in Perth; Christian Cole Furniture, Castlemaine Gold and the ForestWorks Industry Skills Council (ISC). Other key clients include the Frame and Truss Manufacturers Association, pulp and paper technical association APPITA, the Tasmanian Creative Industries Council, Wimmera emergency services management and the Department of Industry. “My background and experience has all been about the human side of personal and organisational development,” McLean says.…

It may surprise people to learn just how long Komatsu forklifts have been kicking round Australian workplaces. Victorian sales manager Allan Frith gives me a quick rundown of the family tree, which throws up a few nuggets of information: including that Komatsu’s former owners include none other than Rupert Murdoch. This was back in the 1970s when the company was known as TNT Komatsu. There was no bigger name in the game. From the mid-1990s mergers, acquisitions, sell-offs and rebranding complicated the bloodline a little. Dutch mail company KPN bought TNT after it was broken up. The forklift division was sold to Sumitomo, who rebranded it as Red Australia. Along the way Komatsu and Linde bought stakeholdings in each other, too. It may be no accident that the two brands…

Dogs & Chains usually disdains basking in reflected glory but resistance here is futile. What an excellent advertisement for the trucking industry Nathan Fyfe is proving to be. No media talk beyond on-field exploits is complete without an obligatory mention that he comes from a trucking family. Other parts of ATN count the Fyfe family allowing it to profile their firm as a real coup because, as our September feature and Nat Fyfe’s demeanour on Brownlow Medal night show they are a pretty grounded lot. Which is not to say the medal winner’s feet are always on the ground. Along with his multi-combination licence, we read he can fly helicopters. We wouldn’t want to spoil the young man’s fun but any light aircraft send a shiver up our spines. Despite…

New South Wales-based drivers of dolly and low loader combination vehicles will now need to hold a multi-combination licence. Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) in NSW says it is now enforcing the requirement, with a moratorium on that enforcement expiring at the end of September. “As of October 1, RMS will be issuing penalties to anyone driving a low loader combination without the correct class of licence,” a statement from the regulator says. “If you are driving a combination consisting of a low loader trailer connected to a low loader dolly that is attached to a prime mover, check that you hold a multi-combination licence so that you are not penalised.” Road Freight NSW says it is disappointed the moratorium was not extended as hoped. It says it has been…

Compliance costs and shrinking margins are pushing some transport businesses to dangerously cut corners, Road Freight NSW has warned. General manager Jodie Broadbent says Mills Transport’s closure is one example of the potential impact. “The [Mills] family reached this decision for the reason that the transport industry no longer offers a return on their investment,” she says. “Their decision was, however, influenced by the current operating environment of the transport industry: the cost of regulation and compliance, taxes, insurance and in many instances a non-level playing field.” Broadbent says some operators are ignoring some of their compliance responsibilities and are thus able to offer more competitive rates. “Competing against companies taking shortcuts has been difficult; seeing the awarding of work to these operators has been frustrating.” Road Freight NSW is…

Electronic work diaries (EWD) could potentially expose rural truck drivers to significant fines due to the daily challenges they face, a Queensland Government MP has warned. Jim Pearce believes the diaries may not fit in well with the realities of rural trucking, which can involve flooded roads and long trips between rest areas on a regular basis. The Queensland Government has passed legislation permitting the use of the diaries. The devices record compliance with rest and work requirements in one-minute intervals, which Pearce believes may be a serious problem for rural drivers. “While this technology is important to best practice heavy vehicle movements, I am having trouble working out what the impact will be on heavy vehicle users in regional and rural Queensland where there are long distances between approved…

A recent decision in the South Australia Industrial Relations Court proves it’s rarely too late to address safety issues in the workplace. Scrap metal buyer Trading Metals was fined just 3 per cent of the allowable maximum after an employee lost part of a finger in a forklift accident. Squire Patton Boggs lawyer Emma Dawson says the company was quick to accept responsibility for the incident, and to also address safety deficiencies at its workplace. Before the incident, the company had also made attempts to complete a legislative compliance audit. “Trading Metals entered an early plea of guilty and was found to be co-operative during the investigation and prosecution stage,” Dawson says. The industrial magistrate also noted it was a first offence for Trading Metals. He imposed a fine of…

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has backed minimum pay rates proposal for owner-drivers but wants changes made before it is introduced, including delaying the start date. While some parts of the industry have rejected the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal’s (RSRT’s) plan to fix rates for owner-drivers involved in supermarket chain and long distance work, VTA CEO Peter Anderson says it supports an order being made. However, he adds that the RSRT’s proposed January 1, 2016 start date is not ideal and should be shifted to July 1. “It is the view of the association that the commencement date of 1 January 2016 is a particularly difficult time within the road transport industry,” Anderson says in a submission to the RSRT. “The lead time between the making of any [final] order…

An insurmountable cashflow and debt crisis has placed MJ & CM West Transport Services in the hands of receivers. McGrathNicol partner Rob Kirman was appointed on September 16, and says he hopes to sell the Perth-based business as a going concern. “It’s a good business that still generates strong earnings. It has strong customer and employee bases,” Kirman says. “Our strategy will be to maintain the business in its current state.” MJ & CM West Transport had a period of administration from December last year. That ended when a deed of company arrangement was accepted by creditors. Kirman says the family directors took on a significant amount of debt as part of that transaction. Shrinking margins and intense competition for the smaller amount of transport work coming out of Karratha…

Work still needs to be done by the industry and Fremantle Ports to get Containerchain’s eGate initiative up to speed in Perth, including bulk runs after hours. The initiative is viewed as a “major operational change” and Qube reports more testing and consultation is needed before eGate is rolled out to other operators, last month’s WA Port Operations Task Force report shows. Qube is working with Containerchain on the ability to change the container number in its system, an issue in Fremantle more than in the east. Its lack has led to an inability to block-stack empties on bulk runs to parks. Qube expects new machinery and improved yard flow will deal with concerns about the amount of time still involved. The question of whether slot hoarding would increase if…

Western Australian transport minister Dean Nalder is promising red-tape reductions and efficiency gains for the trucking industry as part of a Government-wide an anti-bureaucracy initiative. This aspect of the ‘Shred the Red’ campaign is to come from action driven by Main Roads WA and the Department of Transport. This includes: • a new ‘one stop shop’ for the heavy vehicle industry for the processing of permits and over size, over mass movements, rather than having to deal with four separate agencies • a phone service 138HVO (138 486), which received more than 27,000 calls in its first six months • replacing the two most common permits for restricted access vehicles with a single gazette notice, removing a $50 fee and saving industry $250,000 a year • a new team of…

A new executive team is now in place at the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA). Victorian owner-driver Kevin Keenan has assumed the role of national president. Graeme Hoare, from New South Wales, and Stephen Marley, from Western Australia, have been named joint vice presidents of the association; Queensland’s Ron Pattel is its new treasurer; and John Beer, from Victoria, will handle the role of secretary. David Smith, from South Australia, will continue as the ALRTA’s representative on the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) board. All roles are for one year only, and were elected at the organisation’s recent annual meeting. Immediate past president (now) Grant Robins says Keenan will do an excellent job leading ALRTA. “Being national president of a federated association is a challenging role,” he says. “You…

Gregorys Transport, November 2014 Creditors owed millions move quickly to take control of over 200 trucks and other assets Keeforce, February 2015 Early move into voluntary administration fails to find a buyer for the group of companies offering fresh produce and line-haul transport Maxwell Transport, March 2015 Complex business structure makes for a complicated administration, but creditors accept a deed of company arrangement from director Peter Ferrari Heavy Haulage Australia, June 2015 The star of Foxtel television series Megatruckers was affected by the mining downturn. Voluntary administration did not secure a buyer and the business was wound up Mills Transport, August 2015 Fourth generation of family-owned business voluntarily winds things up, citing razor-thin margins and heavy investment requirements Crane Trucks R Us, September 2015 Limited receivership still playing out, as…

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a nicer bloke in the Australian trucking industry than Terry Warn. The first time this writer came across Warn, 61, I thought he was a friendly driver. Turned out he was the owner of the company. The company is ABS Transport Industries, based at Carrum Downs in Melbourne’s south-east, with depots all over Australia. With mostly flat top trailers and open drop-decks, ABS specialises in prescribed waste, dangerous goods, over-dimensional, general freight, and storage. It’s been around for 40 years this year, quietly and steadily building up to 40 prime movers and 70 trailers along with up to 30 subbies, while watching many others get big quick and then go bust. Warn might seem laid-back, but the former diesel mechanic and owner-driver tries to be…

When you think about the changing face of the modern workforce, it comes as no surprise that employers, across all industries, are being encouraged to change their practices to better accommodate mature-age workers. The transport industry is no stranger to employing mature aged workers. With current statistics showing it has the highest rate of older workers than any other industry, it is simply ‘good for business’ for operators accommodate the needs of older workers. Diversified and flexible work practices can provide a huge boost to the industry. Earlier this year, I had a fantastic conversation with a mature driver who sought my help with a problem he was having in the workplace. The driver felt as though he may have reached his time with his employer as he was finding…

MaxiTRANS Managing Director, Michael Brockhoff, says that the company’s facility further strengthens its commitment to its customers Australia-wide. “The addition of a wholly owned MaxiTRANS dealership in Sydney furthers our ongoing investment into providing high levels of customer service through our industry-leading sales, parts, service and repair network,” he states. “Our Sydney location will offer sales of each of our leading trailer brands and be able to complete all fibreglass, aluminium and steel repairs.” The new facility will measure 20,000m2 , counting as one of MaxiTRANS’ largest dealerships in the country, and will be fully decked out with a number of overhead cranes, service pits, a spray booth, a truck wash, a brake roller tester, shaker and tipper body fitting. “We’ve organised the layout so that any service or repairs…

“The drop deck design increases the volume of the trailer by up to 6 cubic metres per load over a standard Chassis Tipper,” stated Craig Wallace, General Manager of Tippers at manufacturer, MaxiTRANS. “This means operators can carry more bulk product per trip, saving both time and money.” What’s more, by dropping the frame and hence lowering the height of the load, the trailer has a lower centre of gravity, increasing safety and stability on the road. “The innovation is in the chassis main rails,” said Craig. “They are optimally designed to maximise strength and durability. This, combined with the aluminium construction, ensures the trailer maintains a low tare weight capable of carrying the extra load.” The Drop Deck Chassis Tipper on display in Perth had been sold to MIM…

WINNER An ultra low height B-double purpose-built with Freighter’s hay specification for L & J Wake. Sent by: Lachie Wake, L & J Wake Other noteworthy entries We want you to get snap happy! If you send us a photo of any Freighter, Maxi-CUBE, Lusty EMS, Hamelex White, AZMEB or Peki trailer you will go into the running to win the MaxiTRANS Photo Fury competition. Each quarter, the best photo will be chosen and the winner will win a $200 JB Hi-Fi gift voucher and get their photo published in the next edition of MaxiNEWS. How good is that! One quick snap and you could be heading down to JB to pick out the latest music, movies and electronics. How to enter: Simply email your photo to marketing@maxitrans.com.au with the…

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) will conduct an investigation into the extent and consequences of extended terms of payments for transport operators. The ATA council has resolved to be proactive on the issue. State-based member organisations expressed unanimous concerns about freight customers reportedly extending their payment terms to up to 120 days after a transport service is completed. ATA CEO Christopher Melham says extended terms place significant financial pressure on road transport operators, who need to pay their own suppliers and staff, including drivers, in a far shorter window of time. That pressure can cascade down from cashflow problems into road safety concerns. “Trucking operators work on small margins, and most are small businesses,” Melham says. “As price-takers, they are being forced to accept terms of up to 120 days…

A portent has arrived that the Australian economy might be set to turn the corner. Employment service Hays reports transport and logistics firms are moving to hire workers, a push that economists accept as one signal that business generally is starting to roll. Though some of this might be due to the traditional pre-Christmas busy season, Hays says it is not just the shifting of imported goods seeking more hands. “We’re also starting to see more export roles due to our low dollar and free trade agreement,” Hays Quarterly Report researchers says. “From a white collar perspective, we are seeing strong demand for planners, inventory controllers, transport and analysts and warehouse supervisors. “For blue collar staff, demand is high for strong storepersons with fork tickets as well as reliable truck…

Asciano has announced plans for a new intermodal terminal at St Marys in western Sydney. The new terminal will work alongside the existing terminal at Chullora as part of a new ‘constellation hub’ approach to distribution of freight for the Sydney metropolitan market. This will see Port Botany also linked to the planned Inland Rail project connecting Brisbane and Melbourne. Asciano CEO John Mullen says the new strategy offers the best use of existing infrastructure to drive efficiency. “Asciano believes in a multi-intermodal terminal approach to drive more freight onto rail from Port Botany, recognising that different Sydney freight catchments need different logistics solutions,” he says. The strategy will be rolled out in three stages, starting with rail shuttle services between Port Botany and Chullora. Stage two involves the development…

The New South Wales trucking industry has bade farewell to one of its strongest advocates, with Mike Moylan passing away. Moylan was the former general manager of Johnstons Transport and was heavily involved in pursuing a better deal for truck operators and drivers, particularly those hauling freight to and from NSW ports. Road Freight NSW general manager Jodie Broadbent says Moylan was a great stalwart of the trucking industry and his presence will be sorely missed. “His knowledge and experience in the transport industry was second to none. While people will remember Mike as a no-nonsense, determined and resolute man, they will also remember his willingness to share his knowledge, helping those who wanted to learn, and giving wherever necessary to improve our industry,” Broadbent says. “There are many in…

Logistics giant Linfox is partnering with Australia Post business StarTrack to handle its line-haul services, allocating 32 new Volvo Euro 5 prime movers to the deal. Linfox says the new partnership will offer “improved visibility and reliability for StarTrack’s Express Service, which delivers more than 200,000 freight items across Australia each day”. Under the commitment, Linfox is running more than 200 interstate hauls each week and nightly freight services between South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Linfox’s line-haul specialist network manager Paul Wilken says Linfox is able to provide StarTrack customers with reliable arrival and departure information because it is “constantly exchanging” information wiht the Australia Post subsidiary.…

One of the country’s most experienced transport association executives has taken on a senior role at the Livestock and Bulk Carriers Association (LBCA). Robert Gunning has joined the association in the new role of executive director and will support incumbent general manager Bianca Brownlow. Gunning was the inaugural executive director of the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) and spent 20 years in the role from 1987 to 2006. LBCA president Jock Carter says the group’s committee had been working the past few months to bring Gunning on board. He says Gunning brings a wealth of experience to the LBCA and builds on the association’s already strong office team. “Robert will be focusing on promoting the policy goals of the association with government and other key players,” Carter says.…

Recently, the courts have shown a willingness to find logistics companies and their directors liable for breaches of the law associated with trucking operations. With changes to chain of responsibility (COR) laws recommended by the National Transport Commission (NTC), this stance looks set to harden in the future. COR LAWS COR laws under the Heavy Vehicle National Law 2014 (HVNL) extend liability for breaches of road transport laws beyond those operating trucking vehicles to those exercising control or influence in a transport task. The policy rationale supporting these laws is to ensure responsibility is dispersed evenly throughout the supply chain. Consequentially, companies and their senior executives and directors are being held liable for breaches of law that occur on the road. SCOTT’S TRANSPORT In June 2014, Scott’s Transport (owned by…

In the last few months, we’ve made a number of announcements. It has been a very busy time at MaxiTRANS. We’ve been very excited to announce the opening date of our new NSW branch, located at Smeaton Grange in Western Sydney. This new wholly owned MaxiTRANS location will give us improved ability to service our customers who operate in that region. We’ve also been pleased to announce the launch of our rental business, TraileRentals. Both of these additions are as a result of feedback and are centred around our customer-first approach, which MaxiTRANS prides itself on. We look forward to continuing to improve our offering into the coming months and years.…

MaxiTRANS Group General Manager – Sales and Distribution, Andrew McKenzie, said that the instigation of a rental division reflects MaxiTRANS’ continuing commitment to providing solutions to customers’ needs. “Increasingly tight contract start-up dates and difficult-to-predict seasonal demands are a reality for our customers,” he said. “TraileRentals is an important addition to the MaxiTRANS portfolio in order to meet these requirements and to enhance our full-service offering.” The TraileRentals fleet comprises a wide range of Maxi-CUBE vans, ranging from dry freight through to chiller, freezer, Hi-CUBE reefer and reefer. Temperature controlled vans are available to carry fruit and vegetables, dairy products, farm produce, frozen food, ice-cream, meat and seafood, while dry freight vans are available for the transport of furniture, electrical, computers and other dry freight items. “TraileRentals has the advantage…