Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 418 i Australasian Transport News (ATN)

A common theme in this edition of ATN centres on the importance of attracting new entrants to the ranks of truck drivers. No news there, you would be forgiven for thinking. After all, the generation crunch had been spoken of for most of the previous decade. But there is a difference now, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. And it speaks to an economy-wide issue that the nation blithely ignored until importing workers, skilled or otherwise, as an easy way out failed exist as an option. Make no mistake, this laziness has been endemic to Australia for decades. Part of the Lucky Country syndrome. Don’t put skills into youth, poach it from elsewhere. This column has complained about it all before. It is particularly poignant when an operation of the calibre…

Former director of Crane Trucks R Us, Farmouz Farhaad Mohammed, is disqualified from managing corporations until 2026 after his recent jailing for fraud, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) reported. Also known as Fred Mohammed, the Queensland-based company director was found guilty and convicted of three counts of dishonestly causing detriment to Crane Trucks R Us (ACN 128 496 597). An ASIC investigation found that, in August 2015, on three separate occasions, Mohammed dishonestly withdrew a total of $256,000 from the company account about 10 weeks before it was placed in liquidation and was most likely insolvent. At the time of its liquidation, the company had total liabilities of $6,266,394.69 owed to 198 creditors. Mohammed appeared in the Queensland District Court in June, was found guilty and sentenced to…

ACFS Port Logistics consolidated its Port of Brisbane position by acquiring IPS Logistics Group’s adjoining operation. The addition, for an undisclosed sum, gives ACFS 54,000 square metres of warehousing, 16,000 square metres of container storage, and a transport fleet primarily consisting of higher productivity vehicles (HPVs). IPS has been a strategic operator within the port precinct providing logistical services to national and state-based importers and exporters. "There has been a long-standing relationship between both organisations, resulting in the progression of a binding transaction," ACFS noted. The respective parties expect to complete the transition, subject to regulatory processes and approvals, in mid-July. The acquisition further cements the ACFS service offering within the Port of Brisbane and to the broader import and export market in Queensland. "Demand within warehousing is outgrowing supply…

After years of resisting the falling trend in heavy vehicle fatal crashes and fatalities, heavy rigids have made a solid and all too welcome reversal in the past two years. Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) figures for the first quarter of this year reflect the sort of divergence heavy articulated trucks previously led; the latter now trending slightly upward. Since the June 2019 quarter, heavy rigids quarterly fatalities have fallen from 31 to 10. And on a 12-month-to-March basis from 2018, fatal crashes involving heavy rigid trucks fell from 85 to 54 and deaths in those crashes fell from 93 to 58. Much of the reduction has occurred in New South Wales, which, since 2019, has recorded three quarters in double figures – 12, 14 and 11…

The freight transport and logistics (T&L) sector had a modest but deserving representation in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. Industry luminary the late Ray Scott and present Western Roads Federation chair Craig Smith-Gander are the leading lights and are now members (AM) of the general division of the Order of Australia. Scott, owner and director of the Ray Scott Group, was recognised for "significant service to the road transport industry, and to the community". He was also a sponsor and benefactor to a range of Mr Gambier events and services and the regional community Stand Like Stone Foundation. Smith-Gander was recognised for "significant service to surf lifesaving, to transport logistics, and to the community". The owner and managing director of Kwik Logistics since 2005 has chaired the Western Roads Federation…

The National Transport Commission (NTC) has issued a consultation regulation impact statement (C-RIS) seeking feedback on a range of options for setting heavy vehicle charges that would apply from 2022–23 onwards. "This consultation regulation impact statement (C-RIS) seeks feedback on options for setting future heavy vehicle charges to recover the cost of road construction and maintenance attributed to 27 classes of heavy vehicles that form the basis of the heavy vehicle charges determination," the executive summary noted. "The National Transport Commission (NTC) was directed by transport ministers in November 2019 to conduct a new heavy vehicle charges determination that would form the basis for setting heavy vehicle charges to apply from 2022–23." Heavy vehicle charges consist of a yearly registration charge and a road user charge (RUC) on diesel fuel.…

Linx Cargo Care Group has revealed that its new CEO is global investment giant Brookfi eld’s managing partner and head of Asia, Patrick Boocock. The move comes as Anthony Jones resigns after five years at the helm and 23 years in the company and its previous incarnations. Boocock joined the group from July 1 and is working closely with Jones and the Linx senior leadership team over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.…

Ron Finemore has been in the transport and logistics game for more than 60 years but still likes to keep things simple. Adhering to long-standing basic values has seen regionally-focused Ron Finemore Transport consolidate its footprint across eastern Australia, winning major contracts to serve customers from Rockhampton to Adelaide and everywhere in between. The company leads the way in embracing the latest safety and technological innovations in its incredibly young fleet and is growing faster than the labour market can provide workers. “We do what we do and we try to do it well,” Finemore explained, with trademark simplicity. Finemore got started in 1962, when he launched the transport side of his parent’s farming supplies business. Over the next 40 years, he built up a formidable reputation for excellence and…

Having lived through my own Covid crisis as the then CEO of Virgin Australia, I admired how the freight and logistics sector quickly mobilised to keep moving Australia’s economy. The tragedy in India, and recent transmissions at home, have reminded us of the lightning speed and destructive effects of coronavirus. The links within our national supply chain must remain unbroken to help protect jobs and businesses. Looking into the menacing jaws of a 1-in-100-year global pandemic, Australia’s freight and logistics sector faced an uncertain future this time last year. The speed of Covid-19 transmission tested finely tuned international and domestic supply chains, threatening to derail delivery of household goods and export commodities. With Australians isolating in their homes reliant on supply chains remaining open, the virus started to rapidly eat…

New South Wales amendments to laws governing the Primary Producer Vehicle Registration Scheme look set to change what are seen as a rort harming rural trucking while cashing up the undeserving. Penalties will rise from $2,200 to $11,000 for corporations that attempt to register a vehicle by making a false statement. The Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2021, introduced by state regional transport and roads minister Paul Toole, proposes amendments to the Road Transport Act 2013 and the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act 1988. "The increase is necessary as the value of the primary producer concession can be almost $10,000 for a heavy vehicle, creating a large financial incentive for ineligible customers to seek to exploit the concession,” Tool said in his second reading speech. "A new offence with equivalent penalties…

A smart on-board mass (OBM) system devised in-house by McColl’s Transport is granted Transport Certification Australia (TCA) Category B type-approval. The McColl’s Integrated Mass Management System (MIMMS), developed exclusively for use by the company, uses an innovative combination of technologies, systems and processes to meet the performance requirements of the OBM System Functional and Technical Specification, TCA noted. The product is used to aid McColl’s as a liquid carrier of milk, food and bulk chemicals. "We are very pleased to have received TCA approval for MIMMS," McColl’s CEO Simon Thornton said. "This comes after two years of hard work for our team to deliver this new capability to us. "Safety is at the top of our values list and this system will be another asset to help us to keep…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) is launching an education campaign to highlight health and safety risks caused by illegal engine remapping. The campaign will focus on educating the heavy vehicle industry and public on the harmful effects that engine remapping can have on heavy vehicle drivers and logistics workers, as well as communities and the environment. The campaign will be delivered in two phases, with an initial focus on the exposure that toxic diesel emissions can have due to engine remapping. Research from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) January 2017 Motor Vehicle Census indicates remapped engines can release up to 60 times more pollutants into the atmosphere, which can cause damage to the health and safety of workplaces, communities and the environment. The second stage of the campaign…

“This is a win for farmers, businesses, freight operators and the community by reducing freight costs and encouraging investment in safer trucks” The Victorian government is expanding the state’s High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) network. Around 3,000km of road have been added to the pre-approved HPFV network. The state government spruiked the move as reducing costs and saving farmers and businesses time by eliminating the need for individual route assessments. "This is a win for farmers, businesses, freight operators and the community by reducing freight costs and encouraging investment in safer, cleaner and more efficient trucks," ports and freight minister Melissa Horne said. "Improving access for High Productivity Freight Vehicles is vital to meeting the state’s growing freight industry needs as efficiently as possible while minimising the number of trucks…

The Western Australian freight industry marked the passing of Transafe WA current and founding chair Steve Post. Post succumbed recently following a brave battle with brain cancer. The event is felt keenly by the staff and committee of management of Transafe WA, who extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife, Carole, his children, Matthew, Kate and Louisa, and the extended Post family. They described him as a passionate and dedicated advocate for the road transport industry in WA, who strove for safe and fair outcomes for individuals, industry and the community. As chair of Transafe WA since its incorporation in 2012, his vision was to provide a forum for industry to share information and progress positive change that would ensure personal and industry risk was absolutely minimised. "Steve…

Mick Cronin has been appointed CEO of Linfox Armaguard Group, replacing Annette Carey, who retired from the position. The company noted Carey, the predecessor to Mark Mazurek as Linfox Logistics CEO before he moved into a non-executive director role, deferred retirement to take on the Armaguard leadership role for 12 months. Armaguard Group executive chair Peter Fox described Carey as a true asset to the business who had been a strong and dedicated leader through challenging times and had defined the strategic framework that will enable a sustainable future for the business.…

Agroup of freight brokers made a notification recently to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to collectively negotiate with freight carriers for a term of six years. The ACCC has not objected to this notification, meaning that, instead of having to negotiate one-on-one with freight carriers, the freight brokers can consolidate their bargaining power and negotiate as a bloc. Ordinarily, businesses requiring transport services will negotiate one-on-one with a carrier or logistics provider. How good a deal they get will largely depend on the level of competition in the marketplace and the relative bargaining power of the business vs that of the carrier or logistics provider. It is almost universally true that the more volume you have to ship, the more buying power you have and, therefore, the more…

SafeWork NSW and Lindsay Transport have developed a truck safety training tool for the on-boarding and induction of workers in the NSW road freight industry. With an aim of promoting safer practices, the augmented reality phone or online app will guide a driver through processes for entering or exiting the cabin, how to safely couple and uncouple trailers, conducting safety inspections and preventing vehicle rollaway incidents. The new app was produced as part of an enforceable undertaking with Lindsay Transport, which included a three-month radio media campaign targeting driver fatigue, speeding, use of mobile phones and uncontrolled movement of vehicles. SafeWork's director of WHS services regional, Lisa Foley, said the nature of the work in the transport industry makes it a high-risk for workplace fatalities and serious injuries, with major…

Car carrier Autocare Services has been returned to parent company Linx Cargo Care Group, having exited voluntary administration on July 1, the latter announced. It re-joined with a new operating model, leadership team, property footprint and structure that "places the business on sustainable footing into the future", Linx noted in a statemen "The voluntary administration process for Autocare Services has completed following the implementation and effectuation of its creditor-endorsed deed of company arrangement (DOCA) proposed by Linx CCG. "The end of this process means control of Autocare Services has been handed back to the company director by the administrators and the business has re-joined Linx CCG. "The decision to return Autocare Services to Linx CCG was resolved by Autocare Services’ creditors at the second creditors meeting in June, with the…

PACCAR Parts has launched volume one of its new trailer catalogue. The comprehensive reference guide will cover all parts interpretation requirements for leading trailer parts suppliers through four volumes. PACCAR Parts national sales and marketing manager Michael Long says the team is proud to have developed one of the most comprehensive reference tools in the market today for trailer parts needs. “It will be a single point of reference for fleet managers, workshop mechanics, owner-drivers and anyone working with trailers, no matter what the application,” he says. “The easy-to-use format of the catalogue allows customers to quickly access exploded assembly drawings and the component reference table to help them quickly identify the parts they are looking for and get their trailer back on the road. “Not only that, customers can…

About $14 million of major upgrades to 14 heavy vehicle rest areas across regional Western Australia will soon be underway, the state's transport minister, Rita Saffioti, has announced. The locations for the first phase of the program were determined through extensive consultation with industry groups including the Transport Workers Union (TWU) WA, Livestock and Rural Transport Association of WA (LRTAWA) and Western Roads Federation (WRF), Saffioti said. Industry priorities comprised major upgrades at Newman, Auski, Karijini and Leonora, and improvements at 10 key heavy vehicles sites in the Pilbara, Mid-West Gascoyne, Wheatbelt, Goldfields-Esperance and South-West regions. The state and Commonwealth governments have committed $50 million under the Freight Vehicle Productivity Improvements Program (FVPIP) for improvements across the state road network. "Freight drivers provide an essential service and it's important we…

There was a small but important moment in the pandemic when the health experts who determine Australia’s fate acknowledged the importance of the heavy vehicle industry. It was in March 2020 and at the height of business closures. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee recommended to the National Cabinet that it exempt roadhouses, dedicated truck stop facilities and truck driver lounges from having to shut. Of course, National Cabinet gave the idea the green light. It could hardly do otherwise: heavy vehicles were keeping essential goods moving around the country; truck deliveries were ensuring supermarket shelves stayed stocked; they were making sure pharmacies had adequate medicines on hand. Keeping road facilities open was a recognition that drivers need access to showers, restrooms and facilities for their basic human needs as…

Change. It can make us excited and it can make us nervous. Some people embrace change, while others want to turn and run the other way. Whether it be new business processes, modern vehicle technologies or a global pandemic, there will always be change and challenges. It’s how we prepare ourselves and our businesses that can be the difference between whether we succeed or fall behind. So, what is the best way to prepare? Continued learning and professional development are fundamental elements of preparedness and how we can adapt to our changing world. Time and again industry members have told me that learning is not gained solely from structured qualifications and educational material. A primary source of knowledge is our coworkers and those who have been in the industry for…

During the past 18 months, our industry has faced unprecedented change. This is why the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) remains focused on safety and productivity goals. Right now, we’re grappling with the pressures of Covid-19, as well as a rapidly growing national freight task – set to increase by another 80 per cent by 2030. As we progress a safe, efficient, and productive heavy vehicle industry to support a strong and prosperous Australia, a key roadmap is our Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan 2020–25 (HVPP). The HVPP outlines how we will work with industry and government to identify and deliver on noninfrastructure productivity solutions. Close to one year since releasing the HVPP, the NHVR has completed or significantly progressed 30 of our outlined goals. One key initiative is the Strategic…

It was with a sense of déjà vu that I paid my first visit to Iveco’s new dealership in the Brisbane suburb of Wacol. It wasn’t until climbed the stairs to the reception counter that, despite the building’s major modifications, the realisation hit home that I’d been to this address before. Back in 2018, the site was Volvo Commercial Vehicles HQ, before its move to its current location just over 1km away. However, apart from the Iveco signage, there were quite a number of important changes to the facility since the Volvo days. Once Volvo had signalled its intention to move on, Iveco grabbed the opportunity to set about vacating its old dealership at Rocklea, for a number of reasons, not least its close proximity to the flood-prone Brisbane River.…