Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 397 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

It was a hot topic not that long ago and there was robust discussion on it, to say the least, but operator licensing has gone quite quiet of late. Not that it is entirely dead. It still has its fans and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) was moved earlier this year to urge that it be binned as a policy option, as it was by the National Road Transport Commission (NRTC) in 2003 in favour of the Chain of Responsibility (COR) concept. Amazingly, given its relative longevity, COR remains a work in progress. It gets mentioned in passing almost as a reflex by state and federal authorities but we can tell their hearts are yet to be fully in it given the desultory nature of efforts to give it public…

An injury caused by unloading tractor tyres from a trailer has seen a truck driver awarded $1.7 million compensation in Victoria’s Supreme Court. Terry Damon’s employer, Kokoszko Nominees, freight forwarder Asixa Logical Outcomes, and receiver Bronzewing Freighters were all found to have breached their duty of care towards Damon. Asixa contracted Kokoszko to take freight from its Pakenham warehouse to the Horsham depot of Bronzewing, which was contracted to unload freight from Kokoszko’s truck and transport it onwards to other parties. On February 8, 2011, Damon suffered an injury to his lower back when assisting a Bronzewing employee to unload large tractor tyres from the truck trailer at the Bronzewing depot. In claiming damages from the three defendants the total came to $1.7 million, minus $586,936.14 already received via WorkCover…

The Senate has voted to establish an inquiry into the Australian road transport and freight industry in a win for ALP senator and parliamentary industry and union champion Glenn Sterle. In welcoming the ‘Importance of a viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road transport industry’ inquiry, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) flags its intention to continue its campaign against the ‘gig economy’, pointing to recent Californian regulatory action on the sector. Sterle’s office says the inquiry’s terms of reference “were months in the making and came out of sheer desperation from an industry that is severely being squeezed from the top of the supply chain. “Following numerous conversations and meetings with drivers, subcontractors, state and national transport associations, trainers, academia, small, medium and large employers and the TWU, Sterle convened two…

Those in control of the Mt Gambier saleyards, amongst others, could do worse than examine their Chain of Responsibility (COR) exposure in the light of adverse findings related to a SafeWork SA’s (SWSA’s) dealings with the facility. South Australia’s Ombudsman, Wayne Lines, was highly critical of SWSA’s response to Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria’s (LRTAV) complaints last year about serious shortfalls at the Mount Gambier saleyards. The complaint had been spurred by an incident where a livestock truckdriver and LRTAV member was hospitalised after being charged by a bull which could not be held off due to a lack of a loading ramp gate. The gate had been promised months before the incident. Livestock transporter representative bodies around the country have complained long and hard that their members…

Melissa Strong, Tom Richers and Troy Cook have been appointed to the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) board of directors. They replace Allan Thornley, Melanie Cosgrove, Steve Fieldus and Michael Murrell, who have stepped down from their positions. “We are pleased to welcome the new directors to the NatRoad Board,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says. “The knowledge and skills of our new board members will help the association in delivering improvements to efficiency, safety and sustainability within the industry.” Strong is safety, people and culture manager at Lindsay Australia. “Melissa has been working with Lindsay Australia Limited for the past 11 years and currently manages a team of seven women who cover recruitment, quality and auditing, safety and workers compensation, employee relations, reception and marketing. Melissa, together with her team,…

The vulnerability of Australian major-port container logistics systems to unplanned disruption has been placed into sharp relief. A combination of technology glitches and vessel delays due to bad weather in Sydney caused considerable delays in mid-September, with added operational headaches for container transport operators in Melbourne, Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) reports. Patrick Terminals experienced technology issues when transitioning to an upgraded Terminal Management System (TOS) at its East Swanson Terminal. This resulted in considerable truck turnaround delays, with some reports of delays of up to eight hours in processing trucks. “While Patrick has rightly waived any no-show and wrong time zone penalties for last week, many transport operators copped penalties from the other stevedore terminals and other parts of the logistics chain because trucks delayed at Patrick couldn’t make…

The Australian rail freight industry is to see a rare instance of battling behemoths as Aurizon seeks damages and declarations in the Supreme Court of New South Wales against Genesee & Wyoming (G&W) over contractual rights going back 14 years. Aurizon states the rights accrued between subsidiaries of the companies under a 2006 rights of first refusal agreement (ROFRA) on certain G&W Australia (GWA) assets, when the then QR National bought the above-rail assets of the Australian Railroad Group (ARG) in Western Australia. ARG at that time was owned by a joint venture of G&W and Wesfarmers. The legal move comes after G&W revealed on August 5 that it had agreed to sell its 51.1 per cent stake in GWA after Brookfield and GIC announced their joint purchase of G&W.…

Norton White has bolstered its transport and logistics stocks with former Toll Group legal boss Adam Martin joining the transport-focused Sydney law firm. Martin leads the firm’s mergers and acquisitions practice and will also contribute to future strategic direction. Martin was responsible for overseeing and managing the legal aspects of Toll Group’s global expansion, including mergers and acquisitions and new-entity establishments. “Norton White act for blue chip clients and Adam’s joining the practice enhances the knowledge and experience we can offer them,” Norton White senior partner Mark Mackrell says.…

Specialist transport and logistics insurer NTI reveals role changes of two members of the executive team, Kerrie Challenor and Janelle Greene (above). Formerly general manager of people and capability, Challenor’s new position of chief people and operations officer adds claims and underwriting operations to her role. According to NTI, Challenor brings a wealth of experience in human resources and general insurance to the role, having held a number of senior executive operational roles over her extensive insurance career, a career which has earnt her an ANZIIF Lifetime Achievement Award. “Going forward, I’m thrilled to be kicking off a significant investment in our end to end claims systems and technologies which will see us advance our market-leading claims value proposition further. It’s an exciting time to be chief of people and…

One of the industry issues crying out for reform is the current industry practice of customers expecting transport operators to accept substandard and unfair contracts. Members are increasingly concerned that contract conditions in the industry are creating unfairness and adding to commercial pressures. These practices add to a culture that does not give safety the primary focus. NatRoad has expanded on these arguments in two submissions. The first submission to the Heavy Vehicle National Law Review outlined the problem and sought a recommendation that there should be a step up in enforcement along the Chain of Responsibility (COR). Customers who create, for example, unrealistic time slot requirements should be prosecuted, especially where the contract says that missing a time slot means the operator doesn’t get paid but still must deliver…

We are seeing more and more big Australian companies – including name brands – being called out for underplaying employees. For big outfits, this might be appropriate. But the Australian economy is built on the back of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and for them, it’s more complicated. SMEs don’t have access to the resources of big business and struggle to update their payroll systems in line with constant changes to law and regulations. What might look like wage theft might actually be a lack of awareness that payroll systems needed to be updated in line with a law change. For SMEs, we need to focus on prevention and support. Punishment should always be a last resort. The term ‘wage theft’ is often used broadly to refer to a range…

A driver hauling an ‘unroadworthy’ trailer, and falsifying his logbook, who was dismissed by his employer not for misconduct but for refusing to deliver another load while in breach of fatigue laws, has won an unfair dismissal case at the Fair Work Commission (FWC). In John Phillips v Lumbars Transport Pty Ltd, the commission heard the matter arose between April 3 and 10, 2019, when the driver undertook an extensive trip from Perth to Queensland and home to Deniliquin, NSW. On return from the Perth leg, at Yunta, SA, the driver noticed smoke from the brakes underneath the second trailer. After contacting his employer who offered no support, Phillips determined the brake booster had failed and needed to be replaced. He did not have a replacement booster kit, and upon…

Page Tasmanian Freight, an off-shoot of 80-year-old Page Transport, has announced the acquisition of Sydney-based Allalong Tasmanian Searoads. The move follows soon after another consolidation for a Tasmanian interstate market that saw De Bruyn’s buy Bass Strait Transport (BST) in July. Allalong has been a consistent transport operator in the niche state sector and has depots in Sydney, Melbourne, Launceston and Hobart. The acquisition, of undisclosed value, gives Page full ownership of Allalong business Ray Cant formed in the early 1980s. Page Transport chairman Geoff Page hails the Allalong deal saying: “Our decision to acquire Allalong is aligned with our strategic view to provide exceptional customer experience through a blend of professional and family culture, and to gain a footprint into the Sydney-to-Tasmania market. “We are pleased to welcome Allalong…

Amendments to the Victorian Owner Drivers and Forestry Contractors (ODFC) Act have passed Parliament, granting stronger payment and conditions protection for contractors who own and drive their own vehicles. Under the reforms hirers and brokers face significant penalties if they breach their obligations to provide safe and fair conditions for individuals classified as contractors, not legal employees. It comes after a recent review found parties higher in the supply chain were breaching the Act by not providing information about rates and costs to owner-drivers or forestry contractors. “Contractual arrangements were also not being properly recorded, with owner operators left with little recourse to pursue legal action if they wanted to contest issues,” the Victorian government says in a statement. Under the reforms, hirers and brokers face penalties of more than…

Industry and government are looking hard at a livestock loading initiative that aims to boost safety. On trial at Kilcoy Global Foods in South-East Queensland’s Somerset Region is the Parallel Access Landing (PAL) frame, a key project under the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR’s) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative program. “Livestock can be very unpredictable and that can pose a safety risk to any driver or operator, particularly if they are working at heights while loading or unloading,” federal road safety and freight transport assistant minister Scott Buchholz says. “The Coalition Government provided $3.9 million in funding to support Round 2 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative [HVSI] program – $102,000 of that will allow the Australian Livestock Rural Transporters Association [ALRTA] to conduct a feasibility study into user-pay unloading infrastructure…

Although New South Wales has amended passing speed rules for emergency vehicles, there is little indication other relevant states will follow suit in a hurry. NatRoad welcomed the NSW government’s post-trial decision to change the road rule requiring vehicles to slow down to 40km/h when passing stationary emergency vehicles with flashing blue or red lights. “This is a sensible start,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says. “NatRoad has advocated that the sudden reduction in speed from say 100km to 40km has adverse safety consequences, particularly as some vehicles were slowing and other drivers just didn’t know the road rule.” Two states that have instituted a similar rule, Western Australia and Victoria, appear unmoved or even resistant to NSW’s change, presenting the country with four differing regimes for what WA dubs the…

The heavy vehicle industry is divided over the Austroads recommendations to increase the maximum allowable heavy freight vehicle width from 2,500mm to 2,550mm, including attachments, according to Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA). HVIA national policy and government relations manager Greg Forbes says there is a significant divergence of views on changes to vehicle width within the heavy vehicle industry. “Truck manufacturers generally favour the proposed change as it would reduce barriers of entry for internationally designed or manufactured trucks,” Forbes says. “Truck manufacturers also highlight the increased ability to fit safety features and to transition to Euro 6 engine emissions standards if width was to increase.” But Forbes explains that the costs of transitioning would affect more than just the manufacturing side of the industry. “Most component suppliers have global…

With the federal government’s campaign against the ‘black economy’ reaching the road freight industry, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is offering tips for businesses using contractors as part of an awareness campaign. Taxable Payments Reporting System (TPRS) became part of the trucking landscape on July 1, following work undertaken by the Black Economy Taskforce. “The TPRS is a black economy measure – designed to detect contractors who don’t report or under-report their income, and protect the majority of people who do the right thing,” the ATO states. The move relates to industry companies that hold an Australian Business Number (ABN) and pay contractors to provide road freight services on the business’s behalf. Even if it is only part of the services they provide, they will need to complete a Taxable…

Lindsay Australia has placed its national compliance responsibilities in the experienced hands of Trevor Edyvean. Edyvean takes the reins as the company’s new national compliance manager, having extensive history in transport inspection, compliance and training. He was previously with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), where he was most recently the regulatory compliance officer, and also held roles as a senior trainer and stakeholder specialist. Before that, Edyvean was the compliance officer at Energy Drilling Australia for almost four years. He spent the bulk of his career at Transport and Main Roads (TMR) as a transport inspector and training coordinator. “We are delighted to announce Lindsay Australia’s new national compliance manager, Trevor Edyvean,” the company says in a short statement. “Trevor brings over 20 years’ experience in transport, vehicle maintenance…

Mark ten Broeke has returned to Scania Australia after seven years, enlisted as the brand’s national fleet sales manager. Part of the national fleet sales management team, he joins managers Steven Alberse and Phillip Mayfield, reporting to sales director Dean Dal Santo, based in Brisbane but will cover the east coast. Ten Broeke worked for Scania for 15 years in new truck sales and mining services roles before departing in 2013, with stints at Isuzu and Penske Commercial Vehicles. “I am looking forward to catching up with a few familiar faces, but also taking the Scania story out to fleet operators who have not yet had the chance to sample the complete Scania package, or appreciate exactly what we can offer in terms of improved uptime and total operating economy,”…

Fleet management provider Orix Australia has expanded its presence in South Australia, with Alex Alvarez appointed its new business development manager for the state. In a boom for the company’s commercial vehicle division, Orix identifies the state’s construction growth, ongoing space works, mining infrastructure and a rise in residential investments as delivering a need amongst South Australian businesses for a more flexible tool for trade vehicle solutions. “A flexible commercial fleet is vital for servicing the construction industry,” Alvarez notes. “We know construction projects have limited or changing timelines, so they need a fleet that can flex to suit the project needs with mini- or seasonal leases for tool of trade vehicles. “I’m excited about getting to know local executives and businesses, and talking to them about their fleet needs.…

Any changes to fatigue management in the national truck laws must treat drivers like humans – not machines. Drivers have told us that the current system simply does not work. It’s complex, confusing and inflexible. I’ve been on the road with some of the amazing men and women who keep our country running and have seen first-hand the ridiculousness of these laws. Not only are the laws frustrating, they do not support good safety management. For these reasons, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) is calling for the new truck laws to deliver more flexible fatigue management, simplified rules and record-keeping, and a reduction in the penalties for work and rest hour record-keeping offences. Truck drivers are human. They are not machines. Their fatigue should be treated to suit each individual’s…

There’s nothing ordinary about Jaskirt Singh’s situation. While most 19-year-olds are taking their first steps into employment or further education, he is the national operations manager at Honey Transport, overseeing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and contracts – with six years’ experience already behind him. A family business, which started as a single-vehicle operation in Sydney’s west by Jaskirt’s father, Jaspal, in 2012, Honey Transport has grown to a 12-strong fleet with aspirations for further diversification and expansion. BEGINNINGS Jaspal migrated to Australia about 25 years ago, working various roles in manufacturing and security before moving to truck driving over a decade ago. He operated an eight-tonne, 1997 Hino GH for DSE Transport over a couple of years, which eventually became Honey Transport’s first truck. “The owner…

Operating a family business has many challenges, from deciding on legacy issues to managing the complex interdependence of the family unit with the commercial world. Tom McCullough and Keith Whitaker have recently released an excellent book and accompanying podcast “The Wealth of Wisdom”. In it, they offer essential guidance and tools to answer the “Top 50 questions wealthy families ask”. It inspired my team to compile and address the top three questions family businesses ask, gathered from our 20 years working closely with many family groups. Here they are: 1. How do I hand over this business and who to? Deciding how to hand over a family business and to whom is a critical question. Two essential things to know are that there is never a “right” time and it…

Serious about reducing waste, former transport and logistics operator and founder and CEO of Frank Green, Benjamin Young, wants to manufacture his stainless steel products in Australia but says it’s hard without the government’s support. Frank Green’s reusable plastic products are made by former automotive manufacturer Socobell, which was forced to switch up its business after Toyota ceased its local manufacturing operations two years ago. Born and bred in Melbourne, Frank Green’s plastic parts are made in Altona North. The fast-growing $20 million company was established five years ago and has expanded into the US, UK and Hong Kong. The business develops stylish and functional products – up to four million a year. However, the cup’s vacuum-sealed stainless steel body is assembled internationally. Young hopes to keep as many jobs…

ENGINE I4 turbo-diesel CAPACITY 2.0L MAX POWER 177kW@4,000rpm MAX TORQUE 430Nm@1,500rpm GEARBOX Eight-speed auto 4X4 SYSTEM Full-time with low range CONSTRUCTION Alloy monocoque; five-door wagon FRONT SUSPENSION IFS with height adjustable struts REAR SUSPENSION IRS with height adjustable struts WHEEL AND TYRE SPEC 20-inch alloys/255/55R20 tyres KERB WEIGHT 2,109kg GVM 2,949kg PAYLOAD 921kg TOWING CAPACITY 3,500kg SEATING CAPACITY Five (seven-seat optional) FUEL TANK CAPACITY 77 litres CONSUMPTION ADR FUEL * 6.3L/100km ON-TEST FUEL CONSUMPTION 9.9L/100km *Australian Design Rule ‘combined-cycle’ claim…

Tasmania, now working under the same sort of heavy vehicle inspection regime as much of the mainland, has seen two firms subject to joint regulator and police safety and compliance probes. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has begun investigations into two significant Tasmanian trucking companies in relation to possible maintenance and mass breaches under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) relating to trucks and trailers. Details are sketchy as the NHVR is seeking to avoid identifying the companies involved unless and until any possible prosecution is successful, though further information has been sought. It is understood previous defects, combined with recent incidents involving the company’s transport activities, led to the actions. NHVR director investigations Steve Underwood says NHVR officers recently entered the companies’ premises in relation to alleged breaches…

Integrated logistics provider Wiseway is to extend China-based Xiamen Airlines’ cargo services to other major Australian cities from next month through its national road transport network. The two companies already share a long-term strategic partnership, with Wiseway acting as cargo sales agent (CSA) for the Chinese air carrier since July 2016. Xiamen Airlines currently operates seven flights weekly to Sydney and five flights per week to Melbourne. With this new deal, Wiseway’s interstate truck fleet will extend Xiamen Airlines’ existing international cargo services to cities including Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. The deal is in line with Wiseway’s operational plan to provide air freight clients improved transport services and to utilise air space capacity of different origin airports. “This agreement further extends our long-term strategic partnership with Xiamen Airlines,” Wiseway CEO…

An Australia-wide operation by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) saw more than 3,500 heavy vehicles inspected, with a very high level of compliance found across the national fleet. NHVR chief operations officer Paul Salvati explains this was the third Operation Kingsize, turning out a 93 per cent compliance rate. “This year, officers inspected 3,533 heavy vehicles which showed that 93.1 per cent were compliant with their permit or notice conditions,” Salvati says. “Importantly, we saw over the course of the operation, the compliance rate increased as word spread about the operation. “This year’s operation was also designed to better educate drivers on compliance with 25.9 per cent of intercepts resulting in a warning and information for operators.” Officers from 10 agencies including police, state transport branches and the NHVR…

The road freight industry in New South Wales has enjoyed recent wins but still faces significant hurdles into the future around safety and viability, delegates at the Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) conference have heard. The occasion was also marked by a changing of the guard as Formula Chemicals boss Leigh Smart succeeds current chair and Border Express director Jonathan Luff. RFNSW CEO Simon O’Hara hails both and outlines what issues his organisation – and by extension operators in the state – have been dealing with and have enjoyed positive results from in the past 12 months. Of the important developments was the increase of mass limits for the container freight sector, while another was the change of speed limit laws around emergency vehicles where drivers don’t need to slow down…

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims has skewered the glacial pace of Australian transport reform in a speech to the Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF). Sims kicked off with pointed comments on road funding reform, including charging for heavy vehicles, before moving on to shipping and ports issues while touching on mergers in the transport and logistics space. Sims views road funding as low-hanging reform fruit that would unlock “billions of dollars of benefits to Australians” if chronic political neglect could be overcome. The continuing funding problems he identifies include: • state road agencies manage assets with long lives, yet have to wait for budget night each year to find out how much funding they will get for the next year • revenues collected from road users…

The Australasian Railway Association (ARA) will see Caroline Wilkie take on CEO responsibilities in mid-February 2020. Wilkie will join the ARA from the Australian Airports Association (AAA), where she has been the CEO since 2010. The ARA observes that she brings “extensive policy experience to the role, with a strong understanding of the nation-building impact of infrastructure investment and how critical transport networks are to connecting urban and regional communities”. Outgoing ARA CEO Danny Broad remains at the association, taking up the position of chairman. He replaces current chairman Bob Herbert, who is to will step down from the board at the end of this year.…

I often get asked what I consider to be the biggest threat to the transport industry and the answer is pretty simple – technology. More than anything else, the advances in technology are putting enormous pressure on the traditional modes of transport – road, rail, sea and air. The interesting thing is, when I say technology is the biggest threat, most people nod knowingly and start talking about autonomous vehicles. Autonomous vehicles may well be the ‘it’ technology of the moment but, as cool as they are, they are not the technology threat I tend to think of. Autonomous vehicles offer an opportunity as much as they present a threat to the transport industry. What I consider a threat, however, is a threat pure and simple. That threat is 3D…

For Brent Henry, age has no limits. The 32-year-old has been running his own business for seven years in the west of Melbourne. With a fleet of 18 trucks, he’s grown the business substantially, from a three-man show to a company of 19 staff. What’s made more of an impact was the recruitment of his operations manager, Tyson Beckwith, who has helped transform the company from a warehousing distribution business to a heavy haulage company. The decision to invest in the development of a driver organising network (DON) app has set the business up for the long run. Looking for a mobile application to track its vehicles and access driver information, the company designed a multi-platform transport management app that’s setting it apart from their competitors. It alerts drivers and…

Despite Jaskirt’s key role in the company, Honey Transport is actually named after – and is a play of words on – his younger brother, Haneep. He is also taking his first steps into the company, juggling that with high school. It was a nickname that formed over time and, well, stuck, Jaskirt explains. “Honey Transport … that’s a long story. It was a big fight between us,” he says. “My dad, because he didn’t have much knowledge on how to apply for a business, got a call asking the name he wanted to choose. He’s just sitting there and he goes, ‘Honey’. “I was upset about it. Hold on a sec, you’re choosing my brother’s name. That’s not fair. Maybe H&J or something like that, make it even. “But…

I was recently tasked with getting a little Komatsu mini digger out to X-Games gold medallist Jackson Strong’s training facility a few months back, and the D-MAX was my tow rig of choice. The aim here – get that little digger to Strong’s place, and give Mighty Machines viewers a rundown on how to tow safely. I wanted to clear up some of the do’s and don’ts, as well as put some common myths to bed. The D-MAX can tow 3.5 tonnes legally, but what a lot of people that own vehicles like this don’t understand are things like GCM, GVM, towball weight and how the maximum towing capacity really ties in. So I can hook up 3.5 tonnes to this, and off I go, right? Well, kind of. If…