Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 410 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

ROB McKAY has been a journalist for more than three decades, with the last 25 years focused on national and international freight transport “G’day mate! Long time, no see. What are you having?” “Yeah, g’day, I’ll go one of those craft frothies. It’s easier on the plumbing.” “Um, what’s up?” “Mmm, been thinking…” “The last, you were ‘thinking’, it was about your firm’s delivery subsidiary. How’s that going? It was in transition, last you told me.” “Ahhh, yep, well, it’s actually doing pretty well. Really hard market with plenty of really strong competition both locally and from elsewhere. And it’s lumped with a legacy business that some of the older shareholders like but which has been badly undermined. Messaged anyone lately? They won’t spin anything off because there’s a lot…

Some of Australia’s best minds in freight transport policy and research are tasked with delivering the final stage of Austroads’ National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework review and revision. The project is aimed at producing improvements for heavy vehicle driver training and licensing systems across Australia. The consortium will be led by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Australia (CILTA), in collaboration with the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC), the National Road Safety Partnerships Program and the National Truck Accident Research Centre. The project team will be led by CILTA national chair Kim Hassall and MUARC associate director of the systems safety team Sharon Newnham. "Stage 1 provided a comprehensive review of heavy vehicle licensing in Australia while Stage 2 investigated best practice overseas experience and available research,”…

A fleet-operator director’s application to overturn an order to supply books and records to a liquidator failed recently in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Justice Helen Bowskill found against Bluejays Removals & Storage and its director in a recent decision related to nearly 30 vehicles of the removalist, storage and transport business. Sole company director Malcolm Barry Chicken was ordered in a July hearing to supply company books and records along with a fleet of 29 vehicles and "any other asset requested by" the liquidator. The earlier hearing had gone unattended, with the director saying he had been driving a truck at the time in regional Queensland and had been unaware. But the court rejects the director’s argument that his being "not proficient" in the use of attachments to text…

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims has loosened a broadside on the economic burden of monopoly privatisations. The statements came hot on the heels of Victoria's Essential Services Commission (ESC) criticising the lack of effective controls put in place for the privatisation of the Port of Melbourne. Amongst a slew of issues in Sims’ sights during a National Press Club speech in Canberra on ‘Market power in the Covid-19 era’ was the long-term leasing of a number of the nation’s ports. Sims argues that this has exposed gaps in the law with little or no regulatory restraint on the market power thereby gained. And while noting there are serious flaws with the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), it is the lack…

With industries seeking more heft on issues in common, a new alliance is pushing for container port rail modal share in New South Wales. Some of Australia’s largest freight and logistics industry groups are calling for a customer incentive scheme for exporters and importers to help meet the state government’s 2021 rail mode-share target. The new grouping comprises Freight on Rail Group (FORG) of Australia, Australian Logistics Council (ALC), Freight and Trade Alliance (FTA), the Australasian Railway Association (ARA) and individual port rail freight operators. ALC board member and Qube Holdings MD Maurice James views Port Botany rail mode share as stagnant, largely as a result of government issuing more permits for high productivity vehicles (HPVs) to access the Sydney metropolitan road network, including operating on WestConnex. "By incentivising HPVs,…

It’s time for the truck moving industry, unions and regulators to come together to stop blatant wage theft and exploitation of truck drivers. Because of its reputation as honest and trustworthy operator, and with 30 years of experience in the industry, drivers who work for other truck moving companies contact Truck Moves regularly to complain about wage theft and poor treatment by dodgy business owners. These drivers are being paid less than half the Award, and in some cases 75 per cent under the Award. The rules to protect drivers have been in place for three years, when the Road Transport & Distribution Award took effect on July 1, 2018. Every operator has had plenty of time to adapt, follow the rules and become compliant by paying drivers what they…

Transport and construction equipment firm TRT has appointed Marc Baumback as its Australia country manager. Based at the NZ-Australia business’s Brisbane operation, he will continue to lead business growth and product development plans throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea. Baumback’s appointment supports TRT’s continued focus on growth within Australia through further expansion into key industry sectors, including construction, transport, resource and defence. “This is a critical leadership role for TRT. Marc’s depth of experience in leading businesses through growth and change, in challenging environments with a global perspective, is aligned to accelerate the delivery of our strategic objectives and to enhance the growing reputation TRT has as a quality OEM manufacturer and leader of industry innovation,” TRT director of innovation and sales Bruce Carden says.…

WARREN CLARK is CEO of the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) The NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian recently announced the opening of the NorthConnex tunnel to traffic, even though there remain many issues about the the treatment of heavy vehicles relating to the tunnel. NatRoad is of the opinion that the whole business model for this toll road’s operation needs to be reconsidered by the NSW government. The controversial and long-foreshadowed NorthConnex is a 9km-long twin tunnel linking the M1 Pacific Motorway at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at West Pennant Hills in Sydney’s north. It is compulsory for most heavy vehicles to use this tunnel, with no alternative untolled routes available. This creates a government monopoly on the collection of the toll fees and has raised the anger of…

BOB WOODWARD is chief engineer at the Australian Trucking Association Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is a technology that provides truck drivers with a warning and then applies emergency braking if it detects an impending collision with a car, bus, truck or trailer in the same lane. It is available on many new truck models, but is not mandatory. The Australian government released figures last year suggesting that mandating AEB for new trucks, together with the extension of mandatory stability control to new rigid trucks, would save 102 lives, prevent 2,564 serious injuries and prevent 7,017 minor injuries. Those figures confirm the importance of the ATA’s long campaign for the technology. There is no substitute for an experienced and competent driver behind the wheel, but this sort of technology can mean…

BRENDAN RICHARDS is a partner and national sector leader, transport & logistics at KPMG Around the world, there is hope that a vaccine will soon be developed to combat the global pandemic caused by Covid-19. It’s no easy task. The fastest the world has ever produced a vaccine in the past is four years. That was for mumps. I don’t pretend to know what goes into developing a vaccine – I’m not a biochemist or epidemiologist, or any other kind of scientist that needs to be involved. However, what I do know is that once a vaccine is developed, the problems don’t end there. As important as creating a vaccine may be, it’s just as essential to distribute it, and that requires a very specialised form of logistics that has…

A road maintenance company and its director have been convicted and fined more than $466,000 after the death of a young truck driver in West Gippsland in 2017, WorkSafe Victoria reports. The workplace safety authority notes Valley Sweep Pty Ltd and Anton Zakic both pleaded guilty in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates' Court to a single charge each under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of failing to provide and maintain safe plant. The company was fined $388,650 while Zakic was fined $77,730 – the maximum penalties available. The court was told Valley Sweep had entered into a hire agreement to provide another company with a water cart truck and a driver in April 2017. Less than a month later, the 21-year-old driver was killed when the truck rolled while travelling…

In a national first, the leaders of nine state and federal trucking and logistics associations have united behind the country’s competition watchdog, to call for port policy reform. The trigger is Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair Rod Sims’ National Press Club speech decrying the privatisation of monopolies, particularly ports. But this crescendo is the culmination of growing concern at state and federal policy neglect for safeguards that have led ultimately to significant negative financial outcomes for container transport and trade, particularly in the form of stevedores imposing unilateral unregulated and unconstrained ‘container access charges’ and other operational imposts. The group says port infrastructure and access surcharges and empty yard fees, as a percentage of total operating costs, had risen exorbitantly over the past three years, but had failed…

Northline’s sales team has been boosted with the promotion of two team members into senior leadership roles. Rob Baigent becomes head of sales while Ed Milham is the new national sales manager. “These appointments will strengthen our resources and provide additional support for our sales team and customers,” the company says. “Rob Baigent started with Northline two years ago. “He will join the executive team as head of sales and will oversee major account managers, state sales managers and the international freight management team. “Ed Milham takes up the role of national sales manager with responsibility for customer service, internal sales, contract coordination, specialised quotes, tenders and regional sales managers. “Ed began his journey with Northline as part of the graduate program and just recently celebrated 10 years of service.”…

Parcel delivery operator CouriersPlease (CP) has re-appointed Phil Reid as chief operating officer from StarTrack. Reid returns to the role after three years, and brings more than 25 years of experience in logistics and transport. Having worked with CP since 1998, his role evolved from courier to national fleet manager and national operations manager – before being appointed COO in 2016. CP lists his achievements as reducing lost time injuries by 70 per cent through a targeted safety approach and leading the largest franchisee conversion in Australia, with 650 contracted drivers converting to a franchise model. In his role as COO at CP, Reid will direct operations across every part of the organisation, leading a team of more than 1,200 people across the franchisee network and support staff.…

Colin Beer has always had driver comfort in mind. Hence the inclusion of the Kenworth’s ‘King Cab’ K200 to his Detour Logistics fleet, much to the appreciation of long-haul drivers such as Brisbane-based Mal Whiley. However, contrary to what you may think, Detour Logistics did not get its name from a comically amusing story of owner Beer getting lost and encountering a wild adventure. I would also love to be able to tell you an amusing tale aligning Beer with the phrase ‘alternative route’ – yeah, I childishly sniggered at that one a little too much. Nope, truth be told, the Detour in Detour Logistics came from the side of the family ski boat. The bonus of the less exciting origin story is it’s a much easier name to fit…

A Queensland heavy vehicle blitz on the NSW border uncovered one stowaway from Victoria and nearly 50 other offences from 184 intercepts. Operation Sierra Angle was the moniker given to the "major Covid-19 compliance operation targeting freight vehicles in Queensland" organised by the Road Policing Command’s Heavy Vehicle Enforcement Team, officers from Taskforce Sierra Linnet and local police in key state border control sites. More than 180 heavy vehicles were intercepted and roadside breath and drug testing also formed part of the operation. Three truck drivers returned a positive drug test. The operation gained mainstream attention when police intercepted a prime mover on Dumaresq Crossing Road, where a 51-year-old Victorian woman was found hiding behind the driver’s seat. The woman and the 61-year-old male driver were each issued a $4,003…

Brisbane’s Doboy Cold Stores will become American giant Americold’s newest Australian asset after the latter purchased the former’s parent firm, Agro Merchants Group. The acquisition of Agro from Oaktree Capital Management is worth about US$1.74 billion (A$2.43 billion) and is expected to be finalised late 2020 or early 2021, subject to regulatory reviews. Agro is described as the fourth-largest temperature-controlled warehouse company globally, the third largest in Europe, and the fourth largest in the US, and serves more than 2,900 customers across a diverse spectrum of commodities. Agro’s portfolio consists of 46 facilities in 10 countries, including Doboy’s two facilities near the Port of Brisbane, which Agro acquired in 2016. Americold mentions the Australian consolidation aspect to this acquisition in a statement. "We are very excited to welcome the Agro…

Exchanging goods and services for a fee, preferably paid within 30 days, seems a straightforward exercise. However, for the sake of big business cashflow, invoice payment has become increasingly calculated and, in some cases, pernicious. For example, in debt factoring, suppliers can sell a portion of the invoice before the due date to a bank or financier, known as the ‘factor’, which later collects the payment from the client. More recently, big companies are offering supply chain finance, also called reverse factoring, where a client intentionally extends payment terms and then proposes a discount to a supplier if it wants to be paid earlier. “Supply chain finance is a legitimate and effective tool that can be used to free-up cash flow for small and family businesses,” Carnell says after a…

A short drive from Mack’s Lehigh Valley plant, the company has a bulldog customer centre and test track. As far as test tracks go, it’s nothing special or particularly demanding. But on a cold and snowy Pennsylvania afternoon back in early 2018, it was at least a reasonable venue to climb behind the wheel of Anthem for the first time. Two test units were provided for a few hours – one a day cab, the other a flat-roof sleeper, each powered by a modest 430hp (321kW) version of the MP8 engine coupled to an mDrive transmission, and each towing a loaded flat-top trailer. Anyway, with Anthem now almost certainly on the cusp of an Australian release, but not knowing when or even if we’ll be invited for an official test…