Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 409 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

A busy period for Ron Finemore Transport (RFT) sees it win a contract with German supermarket giant Aldi and secure a new facility in Goulburn, New South Wales. On the latter, RFT says the facility cements its commitment to regional Australia and complements its other regional Australian facilities in Wodonga, Wagga Wagga and Orange. Located just off the Hume Highway, it is said to provide excellent access for heavy vehicles without impacting on the local community, fleet parking and state-of-the-art office. It incorporates the operations and driver trainer teams while offering 24/7 on-site refuelling for the RFT fleet passing through Goulburn onto other destinations. "The new Ron Finemore Transport site in Goulburn is further testament to ensuring we provide a safe and reliable service to all our customers and has…

So how are the heavy vehicle manufacturers giving the hydrogen story impetus, particularly over the past 12 months? Leaving aside Nikola for the moment, the dark horse in this race has been Hyundai. HYUNDAI It seems a marque can’t make waves in this space without an utterly futuristic design concept and, 12 months ago, the South Korean giant unveiled its one – the HDC-6 Neptune – at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) Show. The jury is out on how many of these slick futurist prime movers will hit the market, but even Nikola has become more conventional when linking with traditional truckmakers. So it is that the first 50 prime movers and rigids Hyundai is sending to Switzerland, on its way to a promised 1,600 FCEVs in Europe are…

During a recent ‘virtual’ media event from Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) headquarters in Portland, Oregon, president and chief executive officer Roger Nielsen was eager to report that DTNA is now building as many trucks as it did before the Covid-19 pandemic struck the US in March. In a wide-ranging address, Nielsen also outlined DTNA’s commitment to offering battery-electric vehicles in every US market segment it contests and commented on the social unrest that has dogged the streets of Portland in recent times. The pandemic has caused much hardship on Freightliner production lines, he explained. “We went through quite a tough period on the sales side and the production side. At one moment in April, we had nearly 15,000 people furloughed out of 23,000. It was quite an impact for…

Scania continues to provide diesel productivity gains, boosting performance of its flagship V8 even as it eyes EVs Scania has unveiled a more powerful Euro 6 V8 engine and gearboxes that are lighter in weight and thirst in a major propulsion technology move. With increasingly clean and efficient internal combustion engines remaining necessary for particular heavy-duty functions for a long while yet, Scania hails the lifting of the DC16 123 V8’s on-road output to 770hp (574kW). It states that with the new G33 gearbox, “total savings can reach six per cent – or more – under the right conditions”. “While shifting to fossil-free transport, we must do everything to improve our current solutions,” Scania executive vice president and head of sales and marketing Alexander Vlaskamp says. “You cannot let your…

Twenty-five years ago, a van that would go on to lend its name to an entire vehicle segment was launched on the market: the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Today, a quarter of a century later, the current generation still represents the benchmark for the competition. Alongside its timeless values such as quality, reliability, economy and comfort, the current Sprinter also stands for networking and connectivity and – with the recent launch of the eSprinter variant – for emission-free transportation too. VAN EXPERTISE SINCE 1955 Even the first Sprinter generation was nothing less but the result of 40 years of van expertise at Mercedes-Benz, as the L319 celebrated its debut in 1955. As the first transporter with the star on its radiator grille, it had a gross vehicle weight of 3.6 tons, which…

■ To the Port of Brisbane, where there’s an election looming and kissing babies is of another simpler time. Now it’s all bumping elbows with female forkies, as Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk shows, with ACFS boss Arthur Tzaneros keeping an amused, if watchful, eye on proceedings and TWU honchos in attendance, natch. This pic comes courtesy of Palaszczuk’s Facebook page, so it was hard to resist finding out what the interested denizens of social media made of it all. Would they, perhaps, note the crucial place transport and logistics has in supporting civilisation and how apt it was for a premier to recognise that? Perhaps someone might have mentioned the desperate need for states to support container logistics reform before it becomes more expensive to live in Brisbane than New…

Once again, Patrick is holding its ground in the face of the Maritime Union of Australia’s (MUA’s) long industrial relations experience. Following talks at the Fair Work Commission (FWA) over two days, the MUA announced it would immediately end industrial action at Patrick terminals in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Fremantle. It then extended the offered rollover period for the existing enterprise agreement to two years from one while seeking "industry-standard" 2.5 per cent a year pay rises, down from the 6.5 per cent it admits is an ambit claim. But Patrick said the MUA rejected an offer of 1.5 per cent pay increases for each of the next four years with no changes to their current conditions or rosters. Saying he was "amazed the MUA had rejected the offer", Patrick…

Linfox has taken delivery of the first Euro 6 FM prime mover from Volvo Group Australia’s (VGA’s) Wacol plant – and then some. More than 100 trucks comprise the order, which include the 11- and 13-litre engine capacities as well as horsepower ratings from 460hp to 500hp (336kW–373kW). The trucks are also fitted with a full complement of active and passive safety equipment as well as meeting criteria of the stringent Swedish BOF10 crash test. Linfox chair Peter Fox, VGA president and CEO Martin Merrick, and federal assistant freight transport minister Scott Buchholz marked the event. "We are working together to drive a safer, cleaner, more productive transport industry here in this country," Merrick says. Linfox chalks this order alongside other Queensland milestones, including the construction of its new distribution…

The management revelations engulfing waste handling and transport firm Cleanaway have put a cloud over its safety culture. Led by the Australian Financial Review, mainstream media reports focusing on CEO Vik Bansal have elicited an “independent investigation” and a stern public warning from the company’s board on any "unacceptable conduct” and an acknowledgement of the “feedback" from Bansal. The board says it has implemented a range of measures including executive leadership mentoring, enhanced reporting, and monitoring of the CEO’s conduct. Despite a huge improvement in injury reduction, the conduct so far has reportedly led to a culture of fear that hindered bad news being passed up the management chain, experienced managers leaving, pressure on truck drivers to perform other duties when vehicles were awaiting maintenance and cost-cutting impinging on upgrades…

Welcome students to a wondrous journey delving into what some would believe is the dark arts of truck HVAC systems. Our first lesson: what is HVAC? Easy – it stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. That makes sense – so let’s see what else we can make sense of. Heating for vehicles is achieved by sourcing hot coolant from the engine and running it through a heater core (think small radiator) inside the cab. Coupled with controllable taps for coolant flow and blower fans, we can control the amount of heat output for comfort. Ventilation is purely our means of moving heated, cooled, internal or external ‘fresh’ air around a cab. This is done with ducts but also mechanisms to control the direction of flow, so we can choose…

Amidst the madness of 2020, sometimes it is difficult to know if we are heading in the right direction; at times it feels like the pace of things is slowing down to a cautious crawl at the expense of our businesses, our economy and maybe even our sanity. Then, that speck of light in the distance provides us with everything we need to pick up our pace again and start heading forward, with the surety that everything is going to be alright. Naturally there have been some nerves about whether everything will be good to go by 2021. Well, five months into 2021 actually: the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show will run from May 13 to 16. But, there are some actions that have added to the level of confidence that…

Every year in Australia, around one in five people will experience the effects of mental health issues. While events like R U OK? Day and World Mental Health Day shine a light on the prevalence of anxiety and depression in our communities, it’s critical that we talk openly about these issues all year round. In recent years, much has been done to highlight the mental wellbeing of truck drivers in Australia’s transport industry. Tasked with meeting strict deadlines in some of the most remote areas of the country, truck drivers often feel isolated and alone. Speaking to your friends, employer, doctor or mental health professional is important. Yet, there are some small, simple things you can incorporate into your day to lessen the load, improve your mental wellbeing while out…

Truck Industry Council (TIC) monthly T-Mark figures show September’s total at 2,858, up from August’s 2,616 but down on July’s 2,891. Those keen on the historic level will note that this year’s September is desperately close to 2016’s 2,863 but well-below 2017’s 3,304. It may be worth keeping in mind that though July is traditionally a quiet month, federal government instant asset write-off incentives are in the sales mix and are held responsible for a spike in all sorts of vehicle sales, including cars and commercial vans, along with used trucks. In trucks of all sizes, market leader Isuzu has been gliding down in the past three months, from 724 in July to 661 in September, while bridesmaid Hino slid from 456 to 382, but then ticked up last month…

Maersk said it sought to avoid the port altogether, rather than simply impose congestion charges as others had done. In an update on September 29, Maersk said there would in fact be a Port Congestion Surcharge of US$350 (A$492) per TEU applied due to the delays experienced at the port. The development comes as trade, shipping, land-transport transport concern keeps ratcheting up. Stevedore DP World Australia (DPWA) reached a deal with MUA regarding the six per cent increase in wages over four years that the union was demanding, but Patrick was seeking Fair Work Commission (FWC) relief from the union’s protected industrial action (PIA) on the grounds of severe damage to the NSW and national economies. A two-day conciliation hearing between MUA and Patrick before the FWC at the end…

The entity formerly known as AHG Refrigerated Logistics (AHGRL) is no more, with the company now owned by private equity firm Anchorage Capital Partners (ACP) announcing its rebranding. In it describes as "a new and exciting chapter for our business", it will now be known as ‘Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics’ or ‘ScottsRL’ in short form. As part of the new ownership’s move away from the AHG Refrigerated Logistics/AHGRL identity, it "will also begin to retire the current SRF, Rand and JAT brands", it states. "Under our new name, we will be retaining the three legal entities that we currently trade with; Scotts Refrigerated Freightways Pty Ltd, Rand Transport (1986) Pty Ltd and JAT Road Transport Pty LTD," the company explains. "What you will see over the course of the next few…

Les and Judy Blennerhassett of Blenners Transport have been recognised as the 2020 Kenworth Legends. Revealed during the Australian Trucking Association’s ATA Live broadcast recently, the Blennerhassetts were honoured for their achievements before sharing an insight into how they have grown their business to become the success it is today. "Their journey to becoming one of North Queensland’s largest family owned rail and road transport operators started on a banana farm," the ATA says. In 1988, as a solution to their own transportation issues, the Blennerhassetts began operating a small fleet of vehicles that predominantly transported its own produce to market. "Quickly, a broader need for reliable and efficient transport in the Far North was identified and in 1991, under the new name of Blenners Transport, the business began to…

Qube has reached an agreement to acquire the business assets of Agrigrain, thereby strengthening its presence in north-central New South Wales. Agrigrain, gained for an undisclosed sum, brings with it logistics facilities in Narromine and Coonamble. The grain handling business also has a road transport arm in Castlemac Traders (CMT), which runs road train, B-double and truck and dog combinations delivering grain, pulses, seed and fertiliser nationwide. Between the Narromine and Coonamble sites, Agrigrain's business offers onsite services including seed and fertiliser management, silo and bulker storage, grain drying, grading and bagging and container packing, as well as road and rail transport options. "Agrigrain offers services above and beyond large bulk handlers, maintaining a storing local presence," Qube notes. "This, combined with Qube's market-leading integrated logistics solutions, provides regional exporters…

The federal Productivity Commission (PC) releases its National Transport Regulatory Reform inquiry report, with issues with the states front and centre. Though harmonisation reforms are given a broad tick, albeit with more to be done, the PC is concerned that, after a decade, Western Australia’s and the Northern Territory’s absence makes reform less than national and that states continue to undermined them through unnecessary derogations from the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and Rail Safety National Law (RSNL). That said, the report makes the point that harmonisation "is a means not an end" and should only be pursued with due regard to benefits and costs. However, any derogations from national law should either be justified by evidence or removed. It is also critical on the lack of progress for industry…

Have you ever gone into a lolly store with your mind set on one particular lolly, then by the time you get down to where that lolly is you’ve seen a half dozen more lollies that you just have to have? You know that feeling, right? How about I put it in a way that you can probably relate to a little easier. Have you ever gone into the bottle store to pick up a carton and then by the time you get to the cool store at the back you’ve ended up with a trolley full of scotch, rum and some ciders that just looked too good to pass by? Now you are with me, aren’t you! Well, metaphorically speaking, that was the sticky situation I found myself in…

Safety is paramount, but of all the factors set to determine the future success or otherwise of Freightliner’s much anticipated Cascadia range, perhaps none will be more critical, nor more measured, than build quality. It is the single strand upon which all else pales in comparison, and on which all else must be mounted. Without it, Cascadia will almost certainly suffer the fate of numerous forebears, squeaking and rattling its way to mediocrity and generally failing to achieve the high expectations of corporate cohorts and customers alike. With it, Cascadia will succeed like no other Freightliner ever to call Australia ‘home’, finally building on the legacy of the original FLC112 model, which, with rock-solid reliability and enduring strength, created the potential for a great future. Sure, it is a potential…