Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 399 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

The Transport and Infrastructure Council (TIC) has recommended a heavy vehicle charge increase of 5 per cent over the next two years. TIC’s communique notes: "Council considered the advice of the NTC, and acknowledged that, following recent growth in government investment in roads, there was a growing gap between road expenditure and revenue from charges. "National heavy vehicle charges, which are designed to recover the heavy vehicle share of road expenditure, have essentially been frozen since 2014. "However, in reaching its position Council was very mindful of the challenges faced by transport industry operators, and having sought the views of industry representatives earlier in the day, Council identified a preference for charges to rise by 2.5 per cent in 2020-21 and 2.5 per cent in 2021-22, subject to consideration by…

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has found in favour of intermodal operator SCT Logistics after it dismissed a driver for failing to follow instructions relating to new fleet inductions and pre-trip inspections. Wayne Wissell (62) was dismissed on May 30, 2019 after five and a ha;f years with the company. In March 2019, SCT took possession of 15 prime movers leased from Mercedes on five-year leases. Each carried a warranty for that period and a market value in excess of $200,000. The new Mercedes Benz Actros Prime Movers contained upgraded technology and systems requiring SCT driver inductions. An induction was completed by Wissel. About three weeks after starting using the new prime mover, Wissell mistakenly poured water into the oil sump, believing he was topping up the windscreen washer reservoir.…

Trucking industry concerns around what sort of message authorities are trying to impart with trucking blitzes, and how, has been thrown into sharp relief in Victoria. Critics of such operations question the levels and importance of non-compliance statistics offered and the value of such venerable strategies, arguing authorities are often just going through the motions. ATN had sought clarification of a Victorian multi-agency blitz that stated authorities were "expected to investigate 33 companies in relation to vehicle maintenance and workplace safety". An alarming figure by any interpretation, that number was eventually revised to 30, and a brief explanation provided on the nature of the ‘investigations’, but not before a number of agency deferrals on the operation that took place. On November 19, a Swan Hill Police Service Area social media…

The latest move in unfettered stevedore infrastructure surcharge hikes has spurred the formation of a new grouping of trucking and trade-services organisations to coalesce. Peak industry organisations Road Freight NSW (RFNSW), the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), Western Roads Federation (WRF) and the Customs Brokers and Forwarders Council of Australia (CBFCA) say they have joined forces to fight "the latest round of crippling charges being imposed by stevedores on transport operators across the nation". The new charges, also described as ‘access charges’ have been announced as the 2018-19 Australian Competition and Customer Commission’s (ACCC) annual stevedore monitoring report shows that higher "infrastructure access charges" for port users across the country resulted in revenue for stevedores soaring to $166.6 million – "an exorbitant 63 per cent increase on the previous year", the…

From its humble beginnings in 1934, CMV Group’s founder Sidney Crawford set out to specialise in the sale and service of commercial vehicles to support the transport industry. Since then, the company remains owned and operated by Sidney’s family, and its deep understanding of Australia’s transport and logistics sector has meant that, despite its own growth, the business has never lost sight of what companies need. This deeply embedded customer-centric approach has led to CMV being a nationally renowned and trusted brand for the industry to rely on for quality brands, service and continued support. CMV Truck & Bus, part of the CMV Group and based in Victoria, is a dealer of Mack, UD and Volvo trucks, in addition to Volvo buses. It also offers a large selection of used…

The early stages of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) review saw the majority of industry supporting a shift to risk-based legislation while retaining some prescriptive aspects. Moving on to what is regulated by the law, and how, there has been no shortage of introspection on the internal factors, and critique of external pressures, affecting safety and compliance in transport. A firming position is that a safer and more competent industry starts at the beginning of the journey, which requires a heavy vehicle licensing system that is national and competency-based, as opposed to the current state and graduated one. The freight task also requires realistic expectations from customers and cooperation higher up in the Chain of Responsibility (COR), with proportional enforcement to foster a culture of compliance. LICENSING AND COMPETENCY…

For a company to be around for a century, and for customers and staff to stay loyal for decades, it must be doing something right. That might sound like an advertising blurb but there was genuine affection for Cummins at a recent gathering to celebrate 100 years since Clessie Cummins started experimenting with three-horsepower diesel engines in Columbus, Indiana, in early 1919. The event was part of the Australian Trucking Association’s Technology and Maintenance Conference (TMC) held recently in Melbourne. “The Cummins engine has been very good to us over a long period of time,” said Kenworth bulk haulage operator Kel Baxter from Berrigan in southern NSW. “They are so well supported … and they have got a very reliable product at the end of the day,” added Baxter, who…

Founder and CEO Kate Morris was only 21-years-old when she launched the country’s first beauty e-commerce site out of her garage 20 years ago with just $12,000 and two cosmetic companies on board. Today, the company is worth more than $100 million, with plans to triple in size over the next couple of years. It stocks over 250 prestige brands and 13,000 products across skincare, haircare, makeup, fragrance and wellness categories, dispatching some 6,500 orders daily out of its Keilor Park warehouse on the outskirts of Melbourne. The move into the new 4,000 square metre site last October follows the uptake of Zebra’s TC8000 Android touch mobile computers, which has seen productivity increase by 30 per cent across warehouse operations. Not only has it increased safety but improved the company’s…

The comparable numbers three years on are still slightly better, with 3,080 (only a dip of two on October) taking the year to 34,712 deliveries. Context is everything, however, and the enthusiasm of recent times, especially during 2018’s peak (38,173), has eroded. While overall still better than 2017 (33,352), each segment continues to track below that year’s latter months’ figures as this calendar year draws to a close. The results reflect the commentary of MaxiTrans chair Robert Wylie on the state of the market in his recent address to shareholders. “The Australian [trailer] fleet continues to age. This time last year we thought that this trend was about to reverse, however, that has not eventuated. “Overall we put the market conditions down to a lack of confidence in the economy…

■ Pictured here, to those who appreciate such things, is a thing of beauty. It’s the Lawson Sideloader Services fleet at Swanson Dock in Melbourne, posted recently on social media with the message: “Lawsons Sideloaders – Continuously growing. Give Lawsons a call to be part of the action!” Surely this is the only port haulage firm with its own artistic director, such is the balance of the image, with the phalanx of prime movers and skels to the right and sideloaders in massed in serried ranks on the left, all before a heroic backdrop of the port of Melbourne. Sadly, we just can’t make out who is in the crowd . . . ■ We still don’t know how this failed to end up with destroyed lives and houses. Bit…

A recent NatRoad forum highlighted concerns from truck industry operators regarding legislation surrounding the NorthConnex tunnel in New South Wales. Presentations from NorthConnex project director Daniel Banovic and NSW Roads & Maritime Services (RMS) representative Pat Doyle delivered both the benefits of the Pennant Hills Road bypass and the regulations aimed specifically at truck and bus operators. NorthConnex, which will link Sydney’s M2 and M1 next year, is expected to charge trucks and buses $23.03 each way, rising with the CPI each year. However, several trucking operators in attendance felt that the transport industry was being unfairly singled out for the heavy traffic congestion along Pennant Hills Road. According to NSW government predictions, once the tunnel opens it will remove 5,000 trucks from Pennant Hills Road each day. For most…

Industrial manslaughter is now a criminal offence in Victoria under new laws passed by the state’s parliament. The offence will fall under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OHS Act) and will apply to employers, self-employed people and ‘officers’ of a company or organisation. Employers found to have negligently caused a workplace death will face fines of up to $16.5 million and individuals will face up to 20 years in jail. Industrial manslaughter also applies to non-employee fatalities at workplaces. The new laws have been backed by workplace safety minister Jill Hennessy. "We promised we’d make workplace manslaughter a criminal offence and that’s exactly what we’ve done – because there is nothing more important than every worker coming home safe every day," Hennessy says. "I can’t begin to imagine…

Freeing itself of Western Australian general freight has eased the pressure on K&S Corporation’s shareholders while allowing the company focus on its heavy haulage business in the state, chairman Tony Johnson has told the company’s annual general meeting. The diversified transport and logistics enterprise had seen a strong western exposure earlier in the decade, during the mining and resources boom, as an antidote to weak eastern state performance, and it has not abandoned the state. "After considering various options in relation to Regal General Freight, the Board elected to undertake this transaction [to Centurion] to realise improved shareholder returns and provide ongoing certainty to the Regal General Freight employees and customers," Johnson says. MD and CEO Paul Sarant reiterates the ranges of positives and negatives noted in the annual results,…

Grain handler Viterra has moved quickly on its full transition to road transport, completing a $6 million investment to upgrade its Port Lincoln trucking facilities. The works include the conversion of three sheds to unload trucks, electrical upgrade works, and construction of roadworks to accommodate newer classes of high-productivity vehicles. The move "ensure[s] the site can provide a high level of service to local growers as well as meet shipping demand from export customers", the company notes. Viterra Western region operations manager Nick Pratt says the Port Lincoln site balances being a local delivery site for growers with being a key export terminal in South Australia for multiple exporters shipping a range of commodities. "We can efficiently load vessels larger than panamax vessels in under three days with loading rates…

“It had not provided a 20-minute paid meal break to 245 current and former employees.” Parcels firm CouriersPlease (CP) has admitted to not providing paid meal breaks to freight-handling and depot staff under the Road Transport and Distribution Industry Award, equating to $382,065 over eight years. The significant breach resulted in a court-enforceable undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) at a time when scrutiny on employee pay and conditions has never been more acute and calls to criminalise shortcomings have never been louder. After being prompted by a query from an employee last year, CP conducted an internal audit and found that it had not provided a 20-minute paid meal break to 245 current and former employees performing shift work across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and…

Fuso eCanter: Melbourne test drive In case you haven’t noticed, the world is changing – big time. And while contemptuous politicians might think it clever to carry a lump of coal into parliament, the raw reality is that fossil fuels are increasingly on the nose with urban society. Fortunately, some of the world’s leading automotive corporations are ignoring political ineptitude with giant strides in development of clean energy. None more, perhaps, than Daimler with potential game-changers like Fuso’s remarkable electric eCanter. Here’s our video report after driving the urban specialist in and around Melbourne Freightliner: A brave new world Reporting from Freightliner facilities across the United States, we take a close look at the right-hand drive development work heralding the upcoming launch of Freightliner’s exciting new Cascadia conventional. This is…

On the topic of safe vehicles, the NHVR notes many operators are concerned with the quality of their vehicles and parts, and the consequences if they are not designed or engineered for Australian conditions. It recommends introducing a safety duty for heavy vehicle and componentry manufacturers. “The quality of heavy vehicles and their componentry parts has become a constant issue for heavy vehicle operators across the country,” it says. “Impacts such as fires, breakdowns and resulting crashes were cited as outcomes from poorly manufactured vehicles and parts. “The NHVR notes that there are no current controls in place for unsafe vehicles or componentry. “The NHVR believes that a duty to provide safe plant and componentry should be introduced to ensure vehicles are constructed to the highest safety standards so that…

In one of the more intriguing of recent fleet orders, Linfox in Australia is taking delivery of 95 UD Quon CD 25 360 6x2 rigids initially, with several likely to follow. The official handover event at Linfox’s Laverton Service Centre last month, attended by senior Linfox, UD and Volvo executives, revealed 25 more of the 8-litre trucks are also on order for Linfox’s Thailand operation as prime movers. The Australian fleet will operate in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox states that safety, technology and the three-decade relationship his company has had with the Volvo Group were high among the reasons behind the Bevchain fleet decision and that Linfox has added a park brake alarm to the suite of driver safety and assistance.…

Martin Daum is chairman of the board of management of Daimler Truck AG. That makes him head of the world’s largest truck maker. Then there’s Roger Neilsen, appointed in April 2017 to fill Daum’s previous role as president and chief executive officer of Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA). That makes him king-pin of North America’s biggest truck brand, Freightliner. Singly, their presence in Australia to headline the official launch of a new model would be extraordinary. Together, it is nothing short of momentous, and made more so by an executive entourage that included several DTNA senior vice-presidents, a director of international sales and the managing director of heavy-duty vocational truck development. For Daimler Truck and Bus Australia boss Daniel Whitehead and Freightliner Australia director Stephen Downes, the coming together of…

Freightliner Cascadia comes in two models: a 116-inch (295cm) BBC (bumper to back-of-cab) version and a 126-inch (320cm) BBC model. The trucks are manufactured in Cleveland, North Carolina, and the Detroit engine and transmission combinations made in Detroit, Michigan. What follows is an edited version of the various specifications and features as supplied by Freightliner at the recent Australian launch of Cascadia in Sydney. ENGINES Cascadia is powered by the latest generation Detroit engines that meet the strict US GHG17 emissions requirement and, subsequently, exceed the Euro 6 standard. The engines are the DD13 and DD16 – technically similar to the 13- and 16-litre Daimler ‘family’ engines in wide use in the popular Mercedes-Benz range – using a combination of selective catalytic reduction (SCR), mild exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and…

In case you haven’t noticed, the world is changing. Fast! Global warming, greenhouse gases, climate change. These are the terms driving the greatest changes of all and it matters little whether you’re a sceptic or a believer, the evolutionary ball is rolling and it won’t be slowing down. Not at all! Certainly, there’s still a long road ahead and no doubt there will be a few bumps, bounces and even economic bruises along the way, but the momentum for change is building and only the naïve and nonsensical can’t or won’t acknowledge it. Ignorance, indifference and vested interests among political powerbrokers and their marketing and media mouthpieces will not quell the fires of public concern. At least, not for long. Funny thing, though, while big business and public opinion aren’t…

A report in The Australian quotes Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) estimates that the hike, ending a three-year rise freeze, would equate to around 4 per cent per year for the next three years – or another 3c on the current 25.8c a litre rate – equating to a $650m shortfall for trucking firms. The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) confirmed to ATN that transport ministers met on November 29 to consider an officials’ paper proposing an increase in the charge on fuel and truck registration, with any increases to come into force on July 1, 2020. ATA chair Geoff Crouch says the association is opposing the proposal vehemently. "There is no justification for increasing the road user charge and registration charges. It’s a tax grab by the state and territory governments,…

Pallet provider Chep Australia has lost a New South Wales District Court case when seeking alleged pallet-hire damages and must pay legal costs. Chep sought damages plus interest of $695,296.53 from Elizabeth Flynn, who with former husband Barry Flynn was a director of Flynn Transport (NSW) Pty Ltd – their former company now in liquidation – and a former trustee of the company through their now dissolved trust. Chep (written as CHEP in the judgement) was seeking to enforce a guarantee entered into between it and Flynn Transport involving, eventually, 5,879 pallets. With Barry Flynn now bankrupt, Chep brought proceeding against Elizabeth Flynn. However, on their divorce in 2015, the trust was ended, though Chep was not informed, and the next year, after a Federal Court family law hearing, she…

“SafeWork inspectors will be visiting workplaces to promote a ‘work from the ground approach'.” SafeWork NSW has flagged it will be visiting businesses in the transport, distribution and warehousing sectors across Sydney/Metropolitan area as part of a Falls from Heights Advisory Program aimed at reducing fall-related injuries. The safety authority observes a large increase in deliveries across the industry during this time of year, with one of the key risks being falling from a vehicle during loading and unloading. Falling from heights is a leading cause of workplace fatalities and serious injuries, and is a key priority in the Transport WHS Sector Plan. SafeWork executive director of operations Tony Williams says the lead up to the Christmas was a peak time for the transport sector and other operators in the…

South Australia Police (Sapol) and allied authorities conducted a vehicle compliance operation on Eyre Peninsula as part of an ongoing road safety operation in the region. Operation Eyre Safe, "which has twin objectives of education and enforcement", began in May in the wake of the cessation of the rail transport of grain in the lower Eyre Peninsula. "The end of the rail service is expected to increase the volume of heavy vehicle traffic on roads within the Eyre Peninsula and into the mid-north of the state," Sapol adds. The operation, assisted by Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) vehicle inspection officers, members of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and specialist Sapol sections, took place at The Tanks, a rest area on the Eyre Peninsula at Lincoln Gap, south…

Trailer-maker MaxiTrans will stay the course despite the country’s intense drought hitting grain-trailer demand and softening general economic conditions, chairman Robert Wylie pledges. And Wylie uses the annual general meeting’s chairman’s address to paint troubling picture of the economy in general. With the last annual results underlining "a difficult year", Wylie detects an unwillingness to invest amongst many customers until their positions become clearer. "The severe drought conditions clearly impacted our agricultural products and, while there is a lot of talk about infrastructure, our customers in this segment are not purchasing capital equipment either, as they wait for activity in these projects to increase. "Overall, we put the market conditions down to a lack of confidence in the economy and our customers – particularly the smaller ones – are not…

Listed fertiliser development firm Agrimin and WA bulk logistics operator Newhaul have formed a joint venture, Newhaul Bulk, to service Agrimin's Mackay Potash Project. The venture – comprising an initial 20-year span – involves extracting sulphate of potash (SOP) from WA’s Lake Mackay and transporting it about 800km to Wyndham Port, where Agrimin’s proposed shiploading facility will be located. Newhaul Bulk will be led by Craig Mitchell, the founder and former owner of WA mining haul firm Mitchell Corp, which was acquired by Toll for $110 million in 2011. The operation would require a fleet of about 24 road trains to move 426,000 tonnes per annum of SOP from Lake Mackay to Wyndham Port. "I look forward to working with the Agrimin team to establish a world-class logistics capability," Mitchell…

For those who may remember, Isuzu teased us at the Brisbane Truck Show with a nifty off-the-shelf freight body F-Series as well as some other new medium-duty model updates. Well, we got the first drive of the range of trucks in November and they’re a winning combination. Isuzu Trucks changed the game when it introduced the Ready To Work range back in 2003, offering Tradepacks as they were coined. Fast forward to 2019 and just about every manufacturer has an equivalent pre-built range, but Isuzu is still market leader in the light end of the game and, with more than 40 options now within its Ready to Work range, there’s something for nearly every application. One missing piece of the puzzle was a pre-built curtainsider F-Series option, which is where…

Eats utes for breakfast, drinks fuel like a sailor? Well, not quite, because when we tested the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 that exclusively powered the RAM 1500 pick-up until now, it proved surprisingly frugal … for a for a huge petrol donk, that is. But with the recent release of the RAM 1500 Laramie V6 EcoDiesel to the Australian market, you can now have your big slice of American pie and eat it too. Sure, some of the charm of driving around in a Ram 1500 is the fact it has a stonking great V8 under the ‘hood’ that pumps out a more-than-handy 291kW (395hp in the old language). But for those who can live without that top-end poke and the sweet V8 soundtrack, the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine is…

The charm of utes was always a bit lost on me. Growing up in Australia, an indifference to the humble utility was – and still is – sacrilege, so this is the first and last time you’ll hear me admitting I wasn’t always a fan. Things changed when, about five years ago (and many cars into my wallet-sapping motoring obsession), I succumbed to the allure of a ute as a budget tow rig. The steed of choice? A BA Falcon ute which – across many years of trouble free daily driving – saw more abuse than your average drift car and less maintenance than a uni student’s first set of wheels. Basically, I just couldn’t kill it. On top of its inexplainable reliability, it was handy. Very handy. I was…