Australasian Transport News (ATN) Issue 401

ROB McKAY has been a journalist for more than three decades, with the last 25 years focused on national and international freight transport In journalism, plagiarism is a sin. Well, Forward Vision will avoid sinning by the application of attribution. The following is Ron Finemore Transport’s position on the issues besetting the industry, as presented by general manager Scott Finemore to the Senate transport committee’s ongoing trucking probe. Why run it, in what is a vanishingly rare occurrence for this column? Because it’s as succinct and incisive a summing up of major challenges to the industry as we’ve seen recently. We fervently hope the powers that be read it. “My list of challenges: to take a next step in improving safety we need to get some broader settings right to…

Transport for NSW gained widespread plaudits for trialling a ban on recreational travellers hogging truck rest-stops. And so they should. Better (very, very, very) late than never but we believe it is a national first. It was also one of ATN’s best read online news items. But just as we were about to lambast the department for images showing utterly unviable, small and seemingly perfunctory signage, it came through with something that should be impossible for caravanners to miss. And as if to prove the point, was there a cheeky so-and-so doing their parking in precisely the wrong spot? You be the judge. Here’s a rare breed – a young US democratic socialist truck-driver using TikTok (pictured, ask the kids) and other social media few over the age of 30…

The New South Wales road authority will trial changes to parking in two Pacific Highway rest areas in the state’s north, to ensure spaces are available for all drivers to rest and manage their fatigue. Changes, starting February 8 and to last six months, will include the enforcement of fines for light vehicles parked in heavy vehicle spaces and four-hour timed restrictions for light vehicle drivers. "Heavy vehicle drivers are required by law to take mandatory rest breaks, and because of their size are limited to where they can travel, so it is important that heavy vehicle drivers are able to access dedicated parking spaces to manage their fatigue," TFNSW acting director northern Vicky Sisson says. Rest area parking restrictions have been introduced in two locations on the Pacific Highway…

Early concern that caravanners and other large recreational vehicle drivers would fail to appreciate new rules at northern New South Wales truck stops has been soothed by Transport for NSW (TFNSW). Initial images showed small warnings signs but TFNSW has now provided an image of larger additional signage. It has also opened a page on its website with more details about the northern NSW trial. The web page includes a frequently asked questions section that confirms there is to be four-hour parking restrictions for light and recreational vehicles in the general parking areas, aimed at deterring those camping in rest areas. There is no parking in heavy vehicle spaces for vehicles weighing in at less than 12 tonnes and the current penalty is $114. "Roads are a heavy vehicle driver’s…

Telematics has been a buzzword in the transport industry for some time. But as pressure mounts from compliance officers and safety regulators to provide improved transport services, companies are turning to telematics as a must-have to bring about broader business success. MANAGING WHAT YOU MEASURE Telematics provides real-time data on specific driver behaviours such as speeding, hard braking, hard acceleration, hard turning and idling. Using this data, managers are able to pinpoint areas where drivers can improve their services. They can then ensure the areas that need improvement are imminently addressed, while also encouraging awareness about the importance of safety. BETTER FUEL EFFICIENCY Improving driver habits has a significant impact on fuel efficiency, as less speeding, braking and acceleration reduces fuel consumption. Smoother rides also increase safety and passenger comfort,…

Toll Group shut down a number of its IT systems recently following a suspected cyber security incident. It had reportedly faced issues since Friday January 31, with group web pages displaying a warning message. "As a precautionary measure, Toll has made the decision to shut down a number of systems in response to a suspected cyber security incident," the statement said. "We are investigating the root cause to resolve the issue. "We expect several Toll customer-facing applications to be impacted as a result. "Our immediate priority is to resume services to impacted customers as soon as possible. "We will continue to provide regular updates." Some Toll Online services were unavailable "due to an unexpected outage", including Track n Trace/POD/Finance Images (Toll Contract Logistics) and Track and Trace (Toll Contract Logistics).…