Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 402 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

One of the first big trucking blitzes of the year sees nearly 700 heavy vehicles inspected over five days in New South Wales. According to New South Wales Police, on February 3-7, officers conducted a heavy vehicle compliance operation the Kankool Heavy Vehicle Inspection Station on New England Highway at Willow Tree. It reports the following: • 688 trucks stopped; drivers breath tested with no positive results• 150 drivers drug tested; two positive results• 60 infringements issued for work diary, load restraints and for failing to enter heavy vehicle checking station• 18 charges relating to work diary and fatigue offences drive; contrary to 24hr prohibition notice• 12 engine control module downloads – three non-compliant (capable of 103km/h in all cases)• 11 minor defects issued for brake, engine control module, number…

Global concerns about the disruption coronavirus Covid-19 may have on global supply chains are being highlighted nationally as Chinese container and airfreight volumes plummet. The Western Roads Federation (WRF) reports one major operator observing recently: "[I]t’s like the China container trade has fallen off a cliff in the last week and it will hit WA badly within three weeks". These impacts are expected to hit multiple sectors of the WA economy both import and export in mid-March. "Fresh produce exporters from WA are also expected to feel serious impacts with reports of a shortage of refrigerated containers," WRF says. "A shortage that may continue for some considerable period even when shipping returns to normal.” The group has written to premier Mark McGowan, commending him on his early leadership in addressing…

Driver comfort and safety along with lower emissions are the pitch for Volvo Truck’s new range of heavy-duty trucks, the big Swede emphasises. After another spectacular pre-launch video marketing stunt, the company put the latest iterations of the FH, FH16, FM and FMX officially on display. "We are really proud of this big forward-looking investment," Volvo Trucks president Roger Alm says. "Our aim is to be our customers’ best business partner by making them even more competitive and help them attract the best drivers in an increasingly tough market." The company points to the global shortage of skilled drivers and quotes estimates that around 20 per cent of all driver jobs are vacant – this being the impetus for making the new range safer, more efficient and more attractive working…

It started with an inconspicuous message on Toll’s website about a precautionary shut-down of its IT systems and unfolded into one of the highest-profile cyberattacks in transport and logistics history – let alone the corporate world. It’s brought into sharp relief the vulnerability of an industry ever-reliant on technology to fall victim to cybercrime, especially if a corporate giant with vast resources such as Toll is susceptible. Though it’s still early days in the aftermath, the attack may have a lasting technological and financial impact on Australia’s T&L sector. TIMELINE The warning message appeared on a Friday, January 31, soon after “unusual activity” was detected in some of Toll’s IT systems, a company spokesperson tells ATN. “Based on our early assessment, we moved quickly to disable our servers in order…

Amongst all the bitterness involved in Australia’s owner-driver ‘minimum rates’ drama a few years ago, a couple of uncontroversial things are easily forgotten. One of them is this: trucking companies, owner-drivers, union reps, bureaucrats and a lot of politicians agree that customers should be forced to pay truckies promptly. Both the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Transport Workers Union (TWU) want national rules mandating that customers have to pay owner-operators in 30 days. New guidelines from the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation (ILO) back this up. “Through national regulation, governments should ensure that non-wage-earning CMV [commercial motor vehicle] driver contracts are transparent and that invoices or claims for payment are paid within 30 days,” a recent document says. You can’t get much clearer than that, and as we reported recently,…

Since November 2018, the general manager of DAF Trucks Australia has been an affable executive from Spain named Felipe Rubio. To perhaps state the obvious, it doesn’t take long in his agreeable and educated company to realise he is neither a typical nor traditional Paccar man. At least, not in the Australian context. Here, a tried and true Paccar man is generally someone who lives and breathes Kenworth. Someone burnt to the bone with the KW ‘bug’ and who, for much of the past two decades since DAF first became part of Paccar Australia’s portfolio, has benignly endured rather than boldly embraced the Dutch truck. But as the emergence of executives such as Rubio hints, bug-brained Paccar purists are a diminishing breed as the tide turns and a new reality…

Everybody in the trucking industry has heard the horror stories. Trucks ploughing into other vehicles in the fog, dust, smoke or darkness. Trucks ramming into the back of cars at roadworks, in heavy traffic, at intersections or any old where. Most of these disasters are the other driver’s fault, according to the official statistics. But that’s little consolation to all the traumatised people involved. And the federal government estimates that rear-enders involving heavy vehicles cost the community around $200 million a year. We all like to think we are great drivers, but we only have to delay our reactions to an emergency situation by a second or two and it can be the difference between life or death. That’s where modern technology can help, and it’s why the Australian Trucking…

Much has been said and written about the coil-spring Navara dual cab ‘NP300’ (or D23) that arrived here in mid-2015, not all of it complimentary, especially with regards to its heavy load and tow abilities, and much of it about the subsequent suspension revisions for the 2017 and 2018 models. Meanwhile, flying under the radar and among a host of coil-spring Navara models, has been a solitary leaf-spring dual-cab: the RX cab-chassis. This is the base-spec model in the Navara 4x4 dual-cab range and is something that’s pretty obvious given its steel wheels, lack of sidesteps and its work tray. Not that the steel wheels or lack of steps should put you off, and if you did want a smarter-looking and more aerodynamically efficient ute it wouldn’t be hard to…

■ What is it with Volvo Trucks and its divergence from the whole Volvo safety ethos when it comes to its CEOs – and sound recordists and videographers for that matter? Yes, we understand that leadership is about being willing to do what you’d expect anyone else to. But they wouldn’t force their underlings to do such things. The latest video effort has president Roger Alm atop a truck tower of the new heavy-duty range. Some sad souls say it reminds them of the movie Titanic but what on earth is that about? In 2013, it was Claes Nilsson holding a sky hook dangling the then-new FMX over a port. “I’ve learned that when you want to make a YouTube hit, you need a hook at the beginning of the…

Fatigue detection technology is the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR’s) next focus in its ongoing deep dive into ways to combat a scourge of the trucking industry. The regulator is to consult with industry on what safety and productivity role the technology can and does play. According to the NHVR, the latest research it commissioned by shows there are considerable safety and productivity benefits for heavy vehicle businesses using technology to monitor fatigue and distraction. The move follows an earlier finding on the performance of Advanced Fatigue Management (AFM) in boosting safety cultures and productivity. Both are part of a five-phase Fatigue Monitoring Trial to gain a greater understanding of the characteristics, performance and utilisation of a range of fatigue and distraction detection technologies (FDDTs) currently used in the heavy…

Workplace safety authority WorkSafe Victoria issues a reminder about the risks associated with unloading trucks, after two recent incidents involving semi tippers rolling over at mines. The first incident involved a semi tipper rolling onto its side whilst unloading roadbase on a downward sloping roadway. Material that stuck within the trailer while it was being raised contributed to instability, WorkSafe notes. The second incident involved a B-double truck’s front trailer rolling on its side while unloading gypsum on flat ground. The material had consolidated as a result of being in the trailer for an extended period, causing it to stick in the trailer during unloading. In both instances, the operator remained in the cab and was uninjured. "Unloading on a downward slope, with the cabin at the downhill end, increases…

Road building has the lion’s share of Infrastructure Australia’s (IA’s) new priority projects and initiatives, according to its Infrastructure Priority List 2020. The latest edition of the Priority List reveals a project pipeline worth more than $58 billion – including six new ‘high priority projects’ and 17 ‘new priority projects’. ‘Projects’ are advanced proposals that have a fully developed business case that has been positively assessed by the independent IA board. Projects remain on the Priority List until delivery or construction begins. ‘Initiatives’ are proposals that IA has determined have the potential to address a nationally significant problem or opportunity. IA includes them on the Priority List to indicate that further development and rigorous assessment of these proposals is a national priority. Of the new items, Queensland is the biggest…

In the wake of the Toll attack, ACSC added ‘Mailto/Kazakavkovkiz’ to its directory of cyber threats, part of the ‘KoKo’ ransomware family that encrypts victims’ files to demand ransom in exchange for a decryption key. It is distributed by hacking through means such as email spam, malicious attachments, fake updates, and infected installers. Once inside the system, Mailto will target commonly used files (such as .pdf, .zip, .doc, .mp4). Once encrypted, a file is renamed and is no longer accessible. Users may see ransom note (pictured) that claims data recovery is not possible unless they contact a designated email. Cybercriminals will demand a ransom via a digital currency like Bitcoin to recover the key to locked files.…

There are a few things as Tasmanian as scallop pies, huon pine and De Bruyn’s Transport’s (DBT’s) distinct green and red livery. The family business, established in 1965 by Cornelius de Bruyn but with transport roots dating back to the early 20th century, continues to evolve while retaining its strong Tasmanian identity. TRAINING AND CULTURE Last time ATN visited, in 2014, DBT had been recognised by the Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council for its employee training and safety revolution, started in 2011 by compliance and risk manager Ferdie Kroon – who now chairs the TruckSafe industry accreditation program. DBT managing director John De Bruyn says TruckSafe was the catalyst for the program, focusing on the upskilling process to help prepare its staff for both organisational and community change. That…

The new series of DAF heavy vehicles that have pushed the Dutch make into the European top three has been put through an introductory driving course at the Mt Cotton testing facility in southern Queensland. The Euro 6 models that parent Paccar Australia put into the hands of dealers and truck journalists were the XF, CF and LF last month, the first two of which picked up Europe’s International Truck of the Year awards in 2018. “Every part of this truck has been improved in one way or another,” DAF Trucks Australia general manager Felipe Rubio says in emphasising its development. Rubio reveals that Paccar in Australia transitioned assembly from Euro 5 models to Euro 6 last month and he expects the new MX-11 engine to feature in trucks rolling…

What started as a small oyster bar on Melbourne’s Church Street, Richmond Oysters has evolved into a well-respected food distribution and retail business. Although the company operates two restaurants and retail locations in Melbourne, its primary focus is distribution. It started with the distribution of frozen products to restaurants, then going into fresh seafood and eventually large-scale food transport. With close to 90 per cent of its distribution catering for frozen goods now, it is obvious that efficiency and quality were top of the company’s agenda when looking into investing in refrigerated cabs. “Like all businesses, we have our challenges,” Richmond Oysters director Theo Anassis, who runs the business alongside his brother Chris, says. “We have to always be mindful of increasing operational costs. We often get hit by last-minute…

What you see here is an LDV D90 4x4 wagon, complete with low-range gearing, separate chassis and a live axle at the rear. A proper 4x4 if you like, at least with those attributes. LDV is part of SAIC Motor, one of the four large state-owned carmakers in China. In 2018, SAIC sold more than 6.9 million vehicles, so no small fry. Aside from the D90 4x4 wagon, LDV also sells the T60 4x4 dual-cab ute, one variant of which – the TrailRider – is tweaked locally by Walkinshaw Performance. LDV also offers single-cab T60 utes in both 4x4 and 4x2, as well as delivery/service vans and a people mover. This D90, the Executive, is the only 4x4 variant in the D90 range (the others are rear wheel drive) and…

Relative to the panic felt in other markets, domestic and global headwinds haven’t completely crimped Australian commercial vehicle sales just yet. While February’s 2,448 is down nearly 400 on this time last year, it remains some 200 above 2017 levels (2,276), Truck Industry Council (TIC) T-Mark figures show. The seasonal monthly uplift still remains consistent, with that number well above January’s 1,852. And, even if year-to-date figures in the past two years had reached 5,000, combined sales after two months sit at 4,300 in 2020, also above 2017’s 4,196. Market leader Isuzu’s year-to-date total of 1,074 remains close enough to 2018’s peak of 1,189, though it’s a pretty steady drop-off from there, with Hino on 582 after sitting in the 700s the past two years. The numbers are largely dragged…

This first prosecution comes after the NHVR conducted a safety duties investigation into a Victorian trucking company in relation to fatigue management of its drivers. Court documents show the charges are against N Godfrey Haulage and its director, Nathan Godfrey. "We believe the company failed to comply with conditions of its fatigue management accreditation," NHVR executive director statutory compliance Ray Hassall says. "This requirement forms part of the Heavy Vehicle National Law’s (HVNL) primary safety duty and executives are required to exercise due diligence to ensure a company complies with this duty. "As a result of that investigation, NHVR has laid charges against both the company and the company director for failing to meet these duties. "The aim of the HVNL is to ensure that everyone in the Chain of…

Private equity has a new chance to prove it can handle transport and logistics operations with Anchorage Capital Partners (ACP) buying AHG Refrigerated Logistics (AHG RL) from AP Eagers. Refrigerated Logistics comprises all of the transport and warehousing operations of Rand, Harris, Scott’s and JAT and the deal is worth $100 million. "The sale of AHG Refrigerated Logistics is consistent with our strategy to focus on our core automotive retailing business," AP Eagers CEO and MD Martin Ward says. "The transaction follows an extensive sale process to find a buyer for the Refrigerated Logistics business on the optimal price and terms. "Anchorage is the ideal owner for the Refrigerated Logistics business and has indicated a commitment to continue to invest and grow the business. "We believe that the business will…

In a rare law-enforcement and compliance blitz, a multi-agency intermodal operation has been underway in Victoria’s southwest. More than 25 ships and 400 vehicles were checked recently as part of an operation targeting heavy vehicle and marine safety around Victoria’s port of Portland and Portland’s coastline, Australian Border Force (ABF) reports. Victoria Police, including the Heavy Vehicle Unit, Operations Response Unit, Technology Enforcement Support Unit, Portland and Hamilton Highway Patrols and local Portland police, along with ABF, the Department of Home Affairs, Maritime Safety Victoria, Victorian Fisheries Authority and VicRoads were in involved in Operation Crossway between February 26-27. The operation aims to ensure heavy vehicle operators and associated companies comply with the relevant road safety legislation, and that the dock precinct’s safety and security is maintained through a range…

Qube is wary of the potential impact of domestic and global volatility on its bottom line in 2020, the logistics giant reveals in its half-year update. It comes as mixed results up to December 31 show statutory revenue rose 14.4 per cent to $957.3 million while statutory net profit after tax (NPAT) fell 15.9 per cent to $51.7 million on the previous corresponding period (pcp), attributed to a "new leasing standard which … will adversely affect Qube’s statutory earnings but has no impact on Qube’s cashflow or underlying earnings". Qube’s 50 per cent interest in Patrick also saw $22 million underlying profit, an increase of 15.2 per cent over the pcp. "Growth was achieved despite the continuation of headwinds that adversely impacted volumes in several of Qube’s key markets including…

Cost reduction strategies and the sale of Regal General Freight underscore K&S Corporation’s half-year results, delivering a modest profit but greater optimism for future performance. The half-year ended December 31 results in a statutory profit before tax of $4.2 million from operating revenue of $422.6 million, down 69.7 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively on the prior corresponding period (pcp). While lacklustre on the surface, K&S notes its underlying profit before tax of $5.6 million was actually 31.9 per cent higher than the pcp. "Included in the statutory profit after tax for the current period was $1.0 million (post-tax) of costs relating to the sale of Regal General Freight," the company explains in its report. "The statutory profit after tax in the prior comparable period included a non-recurring benefit…

The latest Transport Workers Union (TWU) protests against Aldi have prompted the supermarket chain to release a fact sheet defending its transport record in Australia. The union links its campaign against Aldi to statistics citing a rise in transport fatalities in the past year – though not explicitly noting the fatalities involved Aldi drivers. The TWU’s claim demands "Aldi raises its transport contract rates and standards in order to end the pressure on drivers and operators to cut corners in safety, by forcing delays to maintenance on trucks and by pushing drivers to speed, drive long hours and skip rest breaks". Aldi has hit back at the TWU’s claims, releasing a fact sheet attributed to Aldi Australia corporate logistics managing director Damien Scheidel that includes the claims: Aldi pays its…

Just when it seemed that Mack’s new Anthem was drifting aimlessly in a mystical ‘Never-Never’ for the Australian market, an avid reader found these images of the new bulldog about to start real world trials with Brisbane-based Followmont Transport. We’ve been writing articles about Anthem for more than two years, including a trip in early 2018 to Mack HQ in the United States. However, other than the appearance of a cut-away version at last year’s Brisbane Truck Show, the new model has been kept under tight wraps. For much of those two years, repeated undertakings from senior Mack executives that we would ‘soon’ be given a closer look at early trial units have failed to materialise. Our information is that there has been no shortage of development difficulties for the…

The previous few days had been particularly busy for Ken Zambonetti. Even busier than usual as a run of stockyard sales arrived in quick succession throughout Western Australia’s southern pocket, creating a spike in calls from farmers and feedlots. Still, it’s not uncommon for the phone to run hot. In these parts, the Zambonetti name and reputation are etched deep in the rural register. Finding the time to just stop and talk about trucks for a while is rare, but right now there’s a break in the scramble. Inland from Albany’s sea breeze on the southern coast, the afternoon brings heavy heat to the Zambonetti property and in the cool of the family dining room with wife Angela alongside, a broad smile comes with a grateful sigh as Ken says…

Automotive parts supplier and retailer Bapcor is to consolidate all of its 12 warehouses into one site currently under construction in Tullamarine, Melbourne, following the acquisition of Truckline and Diesel Drive in December Listed automotive parts and accessories firm Bapcor is on a roll. It has been busy acquiring businesses across the east coast after tapping into the light commercial market for under 20-tonne trucks in December 2018. And the effort has seen the company expand operations overseas. Its new 50,000 square-metre facility will be built in July, with the company moving into the site by December. An opportunity to grow into the heavy commercial sector came about last year, when the company acquired 10 light-commercial businesses – taking the overall number of light commercial branches to 16. The company…