Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 472 i Deals On Wheels Australia

It seems not even global logistics chaos and semiconductor shortfalls can halt the path to another record year of Australian commercial vehicle sales. As an example, in the US, Paccar reported a 7,000 unit dip for the quarter, laying the blame squarely on the lack the microchips. Other OEMs there are reportedly affected, too. Here, any impact is harder to discern, with Truck Industry Council (TIC) T-Mark figures pushing the upward boundaries further. Total commercial vehicles sales for September was at 3,685, 165 units above August, with year to date (YTD) of 30,421. The previous YTD high was boom year 2018’s 30,506. This is usually a cue to Isuzu showing its leaderboard prowess across the weight ranges but, in fact, it slipped two units from last month to 887. Nor…

This could get messy. The nation is looking forward to vaccination rates allowing borders to open properly and people to resume their existences to something akin to before the first Covid crisis. ‘First’, because the chances of Covid-19 mutations are particularly good. Some of our ‘leaders’ may talk bravely of never going back into lockdown. But if biotechnology fails to keep up in the face of a nasty new strain, we could easily find ourselves ‘back to the future’, as happened with the Delta strain. Something for companies to at least have a plan for, just in case. More immediately, against a backdrop of an entirely disrupted global transport and logistics scene, pent-up demand within our shores is likely to test the industry’s ability to shoulder the transport and distribution…

Vellex Logistics has purchased NSW Freightlines, a family-owned transport and logistics business located in Ingleburn. NSW Frieghtlines notes it started in 1970 as an owner-driver operation, run by the husband-and-wife team of Joe and Elizabeth Vella and now son Michael. The corresponding Vella-family Vellex operation, headed by Road Freight NSW (RFNSW) chair Austin Vella, was established in 1985 and operates facilities along the eastern seaboard and South Australia. The acquisition for an undisclosed sum bolsters its NSW footprint and adds about 30 prime movers and over 50 trailers, according to the NSW Freightlines website. “The current owners, Joe, Elizabeth and Michael, have assisted greatly with the integration and handover and we wish them the very best for the future,” Vellex noted on social media. “The acquisition will provide us with…

Twenty-eight road safety projects have been allocated a share of $5.5 million funding via Round 6 of the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI). The federal government, with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), backed new education, research, training and technology initiatives that aim to deliver improved safety outcomes for the heavy vehicle industry and wider community. The initiatives include education programs for younger drivers on how to share the road with heavy vehicles and field-testing safety chain solutions to prevent heavy vehicle trailer separation incidents. Recipients this year include the: • National Transport Insurance (NTI) crash reduction program for the dairy industry• Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) heavy vehicle rollover prevention program (HVRPP)• Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) best practice load restraint and tyre management• Clearly Brothers young…

Toll Group has clarified its position on New South Wales toll roads following Transport Workers Union NSW (TWU NSW) evidence to the state Legislative Council’s Inquiry Into Road Tolling Regimes. The union presented an image it said came from a toolbox briefing document from its Woolworths site in Minchinbury, dated May 2021 and headed as such. Under the sub-heading ‘Toll/e-tag roads use update’, the document states: “We thank you for your cooperation in reduction toll road use. This is a reminder to ensure you are not using Toll [sic] roads unless you have authorisation to do so. In most cases, the cost of the toll roads outweighs any benefit we receive from using them.” The inquiry heard evidence from a range of state and national freight transport and logistics associations,…

Tasmanian-based transport company SeaRoad has placed an order for the largest freight ship in the company’s history. It has finalised an agreement with German shipbuilding yard Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) to construct the new roll-on/roll-off vessel, using liquid natural gas (LNG) propulsion, worth more than €100 million (A$162 million). The new freight vessel, as yet unnamed, will join Searoad Mersey II and replace charter vessel MV Liekut to operate on Bass Strait between Melbourne and Devonport, scheduled for the last quarter of 2023. Construction on the 210-metre-long vessel will start in late 2021. The ship will feature the latest technology, including LNG power, and have a capacity of 4,227 lane metres and capability to transport heavy cargo with a unit weight of up to 100 tonnes. SeaRoad executive chairman Chas Kelly…

Wharf carrier ACFS has hailed the appointment of Stephen Gallagher as its new Perth transport and depot manager. The move is seen as significant within the company due to it representing the internal progression of a long-term staff member. The company noted Gallagher joined ACFS as day-shift fleet allocator in August 2016. “Stephen very quickly acquired detailed knowledge of the customer base, drivers and equipment,” it said. “This became invaluable in his growth and success, which has seen him promoted into a new role. Gallagher started his transport career in Glasgow in 1987 as a transport clerk and grew his industry knowledge with companies such as BOC Gas in the UK. After moving to Australia in 2008, he continued his transport career with various Australian players such as P&O, Toll,…

Of all the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) directors, Ray Hassall, as executive director, statutory compliance, has the highest public profile. It would be surprising if it was any other way, given how many of his pronouncements naturally relate to issues that require explanation and action at the interface between the authority and those it regulates. As with the other two senior regulators ATN has spoken to in this series, Hassall comes with long experience and expertise – for him, in policy, including with the National Transport Commission (NTC), and investigations with the Queensland government. Indeed, he was considered a safe enough pair of hands to be NHVR acting CEO at one stage, in 2016. Chain reaction It has taken two decades for the term ‘Chain of Responsibility’ (COR) to…

Western Star has introduced its all-new 47X model, joining the 49X to establish the Western Star X-Series. The company said it is aiming the models at its purpose-built vocational line-up with a focus on pushing into entirely new applications. While the 47X is produced by Daimler Trucks in the US, Penske in Australia will be handling the new model here with an expectation it will hit our shores in late 2022. After launching the 49X a year ago, the 47X is the second truck in Western Star’s entirely new X-Series platform. As the official distributor of Western Star Trucks across Australia and New Zealand, Penske is working closely with DTNA in the adaptation of the new X-Series to local on- and off-highway markets. Building on a “long legacy of manufacturing…

Tragically, almost every injury or death involving a heavy vehicle could have been prevented. Investigators can often trace back how these injuries or deaths occurred, and pinpoint the exact moment where the situation could have ended differently – if only those in charge had stepped in and done the right thing. There is a clear push by many in the heavy vehicle industry for the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to prosecute the decision makers – those higher up the supply chain – and for these offences, where their actions, or their failure to act, exposed a person to serious injury or death. Primary duty legislation under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) exists for such offences, where a risk of illness, serious injury or death occurs. These are the…

DHL Australia’s Supply Chain arm recently unveiled a significant 60-unit order for temperature-controlled trucks for its healthcare logistics task. One of two key Covid-19 vaccination distributors in Australia, DHL’s momentum in the health and pharmaceuticals space continues to grow after signing off on the healthcare-grade vehicles. The fleet features an Australian-made dual temperature cab solution with -8°C and 15–25°C ranges to ensure label claim compliance prescribed by the manufacturer. DHL claimed this solution is a first for the Australian market and ensures healthcare manufacturers can stay ahead of evolving compliance regulations. The trucks will also be the first in the company’s Australian history to steer away from the customary yellow branding, painted white to reflect sunlight as part of a set of specific protocols to ensure compliance while dealing with…

I really did want to focus my opening paragraph on family, because this story is all about family. The star of the show is driven by a family member, the office is run by family members, the truck gets serviced by family members and the company has been family-run since it started in 1965. All of this family involvement during a time where a lot of the country is having forced family time and subsequently driving each other up the wall. The McClintocks, on the other hand, have grown a highly successful business by working for and with family. Originally that was the tone I wanted to take when introducing Jayden and his father, Jeff McClintock, in this opening stanza. Then, I found out the family started in pineapple farming…

“My name is Neil Hughes and, when I was a kid, I always wanted a B-model.” That was the start of my interview with Neil and his son, Patrick. When you repeat it out loud with a little pause after Neil’s name, you can almost picture yourself sitting quietly in the back row of some addiction anonymous meeting, listening to a man opening up on his obsession. All we lacked was some chocolate biscuits and weak coffee. Thankfully, Neil’s addiction has not been as detrimental to his health as those that require meetings. However, his wife, Evelyn, who doubles as the finance manager, may disagree as to the downside of his addiction. The end result is I’m conducting this interview not inside a church’s back office but in the shadow…

We’ve found Freighter to be very reliable Mildura-based James Transport has trusted Freighter trailers since day one, over 55 years ago. Now in its third generation, the family-owned business continues to go from strength to strength, aided by a 50-strong fleet made up of MaxiTRANS’ leading trailer brands: Freighter and Maxi-CUBE. Transport is in the blood for the James family, who have kept the region’s essential citrus industry moving since 1965. During that time, James Transport has maintained a relationship with leading Australian semi-trailer brand Freighter, which flies under the MaxiTRANS banner. In fact, MD Greg James cannot remember a time when the family was not running Freighter trailers. The business specialises in bulk citrus haulage and tautliner dry goods, as well as refrigerated and bulk fertiliser transport throughout Australia.…

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) says it has commenced legal action against a Brisbane-based road freight transport company and a company director. Facing court is Alpine Fresh Pty Ltd, which transports food and other goods, and company director Mitchel McAlpine. The regulator began an investigation after receiving requests for assistance from two workers who were employed at Alpine Fresh on a casual basis as drivers. One worker was employed from October 2014 to July 2020 and the other was employed from October 2018 to September 2020. The watchdog said a Fair Work inspector issued two compliance notices to Alpine Fresh in March “after forming a belief the two workers had been underpaid the minimum cents-per-kilometre rate owed under the Road Transport and Distribution Award (Long Distance Operations) 2010 and the…

Half of Australia’s jurisdictions announced freight-related vaccine mandates last month. Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia announced specific rules addressing entry for freight workers into their states. Western Australia From 12.01am, October 24, freight, transport and logistics workers must have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to enter WA if they have travelled through ‘high’ or ‘extreme’ risk jurisdictions, based on the latest public health advice. These workers will need to be fully vaccinated within two months of their first dose, which means they must have received their second dose by 12.01am, December 24. Regardless of where a worker lives, the directions will apply to them if they have transited through those risk jurisdictions within 14 days of entering WA. Further, these workers must also wear…

The Victorian transport department has added another 700km of high productivity freight vehicles (HPFV) routes to the pre-approved network. The move streamlines the permit process for certain performance-based standards (PBS) combinations in northern, central and eastern Victoria. The new routes include the Maroondah/Melba Highway, Princes Highway from Bruthen to the New South Wales border, and the Ringwood and Yarra Glen bypasses. “These routes provide more simple, safe and connected journeys by reducing the regulatory burden and red tape for the movement of key commodities such as milk, grain and livestock in regional Victoria,” the department said. “A pre-approved network removes the need for route assessments, simplifies the application process and shortens the timeframe to get a HPFV on the road, making it easier for farmers and rural exporters to move…

Port of Melbourne CEO Brendan Bourke (above) is to retire after five years in the role. His position will then be taken by Toll Group CFO Saul Cannon on November 15, the Port of Melbourne Group (PoM) revealed. Bourke came to the job just after the organisation was awarded of the $9.7 billion 50-year port lease. PoM points out that, since that time, Bourke has: led significant programs and projects including the Port Development Strategy, outlining how the port will adapt to growth over the next 30 years; delivered a port rail strategy that will provide a new on-port rail terminal to grow the volume of containers that move by rail; and managed investments of more $370 million. “Brendan has demonstrated outstanding commitment and leadership to PoM and I want…

Christian Levin’s inexorable rise through the Scania ranks has seen him come out on top as president and CEO of parent entity Traton Group. This is the outcome of a merger of the leading roles at Scania and Traton. Previous Traton head of corporate finance Annette Danielski is the new CFO. “I am honoured to take on the role as CEO of the Traton Group while continuing on as CEO of Scania,” Levin said of the announcement. “The strategy includes a stronger focus on sustainability not the least through e-mobility, digitalisation and connectivity; continued integration of Navistar and growth in the North American market, as well as continued investments in China over the next few years.”…

Salta Properties appears about to realise a dream decades in the making, but at a significant premium on an earlier indication. In August last year, the Salta investment was put at “more than $50 million” in a joint funding of the Dandenong South Intermodal Terminal (DSIT), with construction due to begin early this year. That figure is now put at $155 million and whether it is joint funding is unclear, while work on what is seen as becoming Melbourne’s largest intermodal terminal is now to begin before year’s end and take some 24 months to complete. As before, it is said the Victorian and federal governments will jointly invest $28 million on government-owned land to connect rail to Salta’s terminal site boundary. DSIT is to be located on Salta’s 180ha…

Covid-19 has disrupted every facet of our lives and the corridors of power have not been exempt. A Parliamentary inquiry into how New South Wales runs its toll roads was shut down by the pandemic before it started in July and NatRoad finally got to have its virtual day in front of the committee late last month – via videoconference. Even if you don’t drive in NSW you probably know that all but two tolled roads in Sydney are owned and operated by Transurban. It has a similarly dominant position in Brisbane. In Melbourne, Transurban runs City Link and West Gate, with ConnectEast operating East Link. Last month, NSW announced a Transurban-led consortium had won the bid to own the government’s own share of WestConnex. If that’s not a monopoly,…

Available from this month, the new Staria-Load range is available in either a two-seater van or five-seater crew cab configuration, with the option of a liftback or twin swing tailgate. “With an all-new platform, space age design and cutting-edge standard features, the all new Staria-Load builds on the strong legacy of the long lived iLoad to bring a bold new vision to the van segment,” Hyundai said. “Staria-Load delivers all the dependability of iLoad coupled with a larger, more usable cargo area, greatly improved performance and a vast array of advanced safety and convenience technology not offered by the competition.” The van’s cargo area is larger and more usable, with a cargo length of 2.607m, a width of 1.64m and a height of 1.436m. Access has been improved to load…

Steadily developing Australian electric vehicle-maker ACE EV has launched its flexible X1 Transformer modular platform. The firm, which kicked off with a diminutive ute and van offerings, sees the design as taking electric light commercial vehicles “to the next level”. The X1 Transformer launch was hosted online by the Society of Automotive Engineers – Australasia (SAE-A), the Asia Pacific professional body for automotive and mobility engineering. ACE stated that the Transformer’s modular architecture offers interchangeable modules for long and short wheelbase, high and low roof, van and ute, and can change modules in just 15 minutes. The X1 is aimed at major fleets around the world as an integrated energy, transport and communications system. “We are a focused energy and software company with a Mobile Energy Management System [MEMS] that…

Neil Tieman, founder of the eponymous tanker trailer builder, has passed away aged 95. He started the Tieman business in 1953 in Preston, Victoria, manufacturing stainless steel tanks, vessels and equipment for the dairy industry. The company grew through the 1950s and established a new manufacturing factory in Keon Park in 1961. Through the 1960s, the company diversified into additional food manufacturing equipment, adding interstate service branches to the business to service tankers, materials handling and tail lift equipment in the 1980s. The company’s current Campbellfield manufacturing site was purchased in 1994. Tieman Tankers has manufactured more than 6,000 tankers and currently offers a mix of prescriptive and performance-based standards (PBS) designs for the bulk liquid and dry bulk sectors for the Australian, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand markets.…

It was the spring of 1979 and an unseasonably heavy snowfall had dumped on the Snowy Mountains. Unseasonable or not, the dump was ideal, for two valuable, yet vastly different, reasons. First, as the relatively new staff writer on the formerly formidable Truck & Bus magazine, I was heading to a Department of Main Roads (DMR) depot deep on the New South Wales side of the Snowy to do a story on a batch of MAN off-roaders bought for their versatility to operate as a snow plough, tipper and crane truck. Obviously, the more snow, the better the conditions to see the trucks doing their thing. Second, with absolutely no experience driving cars, trucks or anything else on snow or icy roads, but loaded to the limit with the heavy-footed…

Wrap it as it if were your own truck The great thing about road transport is the variety. There are so many different areas within our industry, from drivers and loaders to allocators and managers, store people and office workers to salespeople and detailers. Therefore, when I’m looking for volunteers for my ‘Woman in Trucking’ profiles, there is a vast array of options.. For my second Woman in Transport feature, I decided to step away from the driver’s seat side of things and look into affiliated businesses. I got very lucky when I met an extremely motivated and driven young woman who has built a successful business that caters to a tremendously important aspect of our industry, making sure our trucks look cool! Maddison Lawrence is the young lady that…

We continue to offer customers the very best service and keep their downtime to a minimum There’s good news for South Australian transport businesses as North East Isuzu unveils a major upgrade to its service centre in Burton, Adelaide. The sleek new centre boasts 36 service bays, including purpose-built ‘express bays’, allowing the dealership to offer unrivalled turnaround time. North East Isuzu dealer principal Tony Emanuele noted the original service centre had served the dealership faithfully for 26 years before its recent revamp, but that customer demand had outpaced capacity. “North East Isuzu has grown significantly over the years and so have the needs of our customers,” he said. “The new facility design was a collaborative effort. We’ve collected input from the senior leadership team at North East and coupled…

it is extremely important to build long term relationships with companies For more than a decade, Western Australian transport specialist Freight Lines Group has relied on Vawdrey Australia for efficient and reliable trailers, which are often set up as pocket road train combinations and re-configured for optimal fleet utility. In the 1960s, a humble freight company commenced operations in Esperance to Perth. By the 1980s, it established a fuel distribution arm along with fresh fruit and vegetable operations. The business collectively known as Freight Lines Group (FLG) has since expanded into mining, bulk commodities, agriculture and specialised freight, boasting a team of about 210 staff. “The fuel business was sold and then Harding Transport was born with the fruit and veg distribution – this evolved over time to the company…

Two enforceable undertakings accepted by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for company breaches have emerged in Tasmania and Victoria. The first relates to a mass breach by Zezt Pty Ltd on the Bass Highway, Tasmania. On July 1, 2020 a heavy vehicle operated by Zezt Pty Ltd was weighed at the Forest Farm weighbridge. It is alleged that the steer axle weighed 7,920kg, a severe risk breach of 126.46% of the prescribed mass limit. This breached the allowed steer axle limit of 6,500kg. In August 2021, the NHVR accepted an undertaking of a total estimated cost of $23,430. The tasks include: • ensuring greater visibility of Chain of Responsibility (COR) and compliance of contractors through use of the iPRO platform• undertaking COR audits in line with planned schedules• implementing…

The South Australian Road Transport Association (SARTA) is mourning the loss of Tony Kuchel, who died on September 4. Kuchel and wife Anne established the well-known Kuchel Contractors business in the Barossa. The 68-year-old was a “leader and innovator and his rigs always stood out as gleaming examples of the best in the business”, SARTA noted. Kuchel began his career in 1973, joining his late father Max in the family tipper business. The business grew over the years and became Kuchel Contractors, which operates in the Barossa Valley and throughout most of SA and the eastern seaboard. Kuchel took pride in the presentation of the fleet and was responsible for some of the custom paintings over the years, and the additional Kuchel Custom Trucks business. He was a passionate advocate…

New South Wales regional transport and roads minister Paul Toole has won leadership of the state Nationals party and will become deputy premier in due course. Is a period of upheaval for the governing Coalition parties, Bathurst MP Toole reportedly won the ballot against previous state transport minister and current water, property and housing minister Melinda Pavey by 15 votes to three. He takes over from John Barilaro, who resigned from government amidst the fallout of former premier Gladys Brejiklian’s resignation. Barilaro was Minister for Regional NSW, Industry and Trade, with the latter two portfolios having been placed with Liberal MP and deputy premier Stuart Ayres. A formal ministerial reshuffle is expected to finalise ministerial responsibilities. In this new role, Toole is likely to face greater demands on his time…

Road train operators can now access the entire length of the Newell Highway, in a move said to unlock efficiency gains for the movement of freight from border to border. The NSW government announced gazetted access would now be available to all eligible vehicles up to 36.5 metres long along more than 1,000km of highway, including through Parkes, irrespective of the cargo carried. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said providing end-to-end access for all eligible vehicles up to 36.5m long and performance-based standards (PBS) Level 3 vehicles on the Newell was a huge win for the freight industry. “This is a game changer for people moving product along one of our state’s most important freight corridors,” Toole said. “We trialled this expanded road train access through the…

The transport industry has done an amazing job over the last 18 months – a true credit to everyone in this industry. We’ve kept working right through this pandemic and, as essential workers, kept Weetbix on the shelves and the country going. We’ve come across many hurdles along this journey, from changing border requirements to extensive Covid tests and, now, new vaccination requirements. For this, the ATA and the Australian government have come together to celebrate the efforts of our essential industry during the Covid pandemic. To those drivers, mechanics, schedulers, managers and admin staff who are working on the frontline to keep our country supplied – thank you. Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport and longtime industry supporter, Scott Buchholz, has emphasised the tremendous effort we have…

Lindsay Australia’s growing intermodal activity is bolstered by a new rail haulage agreement with Pacific National (PN). Lindsay announced its subsidiary, Lindsay Transport, executed the contract with PN. The deal “underpins the service requirements supporting Lindsay’s expanding rail freight business over the next five years”, the company told the ASX. Under the deal, PN will provide rail freight-related services nationally across key corridors including between Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth and into North Queensland destinations. “The new agreement with PN solidifies and extends our strong relationship with PN, supporting the development and expansion of Lindsay’s rail freight business offering,” Lindsay managing director Kim Lindsay said. PN chief commercial officer Andrew Thomson highlighted the partnership’s mutual benefit. “Pacific National is very pleased to continue our relationship with Lindsay Australia as…

Container logistics in the biggest cities has gained greater clarity, with Port of Melbourne Container Logistics Chain Study (CLCS) the latest report off the presses. And the fundamental role container haulage firms play in keeping the nation’s biggest port from seizing up has been placed in sharp relief by the study’s findings. The Victorian Transport Association (VTA), Freight and Trade Alliance, International Forwarders & Customs Brokers of Australia, BDO and national body Container Trade Alliance Australia (CTAA) all added insight into how the Melbourne system works. CTAA director Neil Chambers notes that the study “certainly highlights the vital role that container transport operators play as the ‘glue’ in the container logistics chain”. “Without the level of investments and operational practices adopted by transport operators the chain would not really function…

Linfox, Volvo and Woolworths have hailed the entry of an FL Electric refrigerated truck into an operation role. The Volvo FL Electric will transport fresh produce daily from the Melbourne fresh food distribution centre (DC) operated by the Woolworths Group’s supply chain arm, Primary Connect. Just one of two Volvo FL Electrics in Australia and 75 released globally, it is the only Volvo FL electric vehicle in Australia to be fitted with refrigeration. Along with a lack of emissions, the jointly branded vehicle can deliver up to eight pallets of produce to Woolworths supermarkets at a time in near silence. Launched in 2020, Linfox’s Leading the Way 2025 business strategy identifies ‘act sustainably’ as a key strategic driver, the company notes. Linfox’s GreenFox sustainability program targets cleaner transport and mitigation…

Paccar has linked with autonomous tech firm Aurora and FedEx to launch a commercial pilot of self-driving trucks in linehaul operations. This is the first collaboration of its kind between a truck manufacturer, an autonomous technology developer and a logistics provider, according to Paccar. Its autonomously-enabled trucks configured with the Aurora autonomous ‘Driver’ will haul FedEx loads between Dallas and Houston, a 500-mile (805km) round trip, along the I-45 corridor. The trucks will operate autonomously with a backup driver for additional safety. “Paccar is pleased to partner with industry leaders FedEx and Aurora on this innovative project,” Paccar chief technology officer John Rich said. Aurora chief product officer Sterling Anderson said this collaboration allows for the creation of a cohesive and integrated product and service. “As leaders in our respective…

The Australian Capital Territory government has made good on a hybrid electric fire truck pledge. The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) has formally signed an agreement with Austrian emergency EV firm Rosenbauer to take delivery of what it said is Australia’s first plug-in hybrid electric fire truck in the first half of next year. In August 2019, the ACT government announced it would work with Rosenbauer to pioneer the engineering of its Concept Fire Truck (CFT) to suit Australian fire services. Ten months later, Rosenbauer went into series mode, with the then renamed Revolutionary Technology (RT) vehicles put in production. This year, RTs were tested with Berliner Feuerwehr, Brandweer Amsterdam Amstelland and Dubai Civil Defense. “In signing an agreement to take delivery of this plug-in hybrid electric fire truck, the…

The importance of good winter tyres certainly isn’t lost on companies such as Stadelmann Enterprises. Trucks, like cars and four-wheel-drives, need the right winter tyres for safe driving in low ambient temperatures on the snow and ice risk sections of Australia’s alpine roads. "It is the tyres that make a vehicle grip the road in these snow and icy conditions, not the vehicle drive system," Richard Townley of Snow Drive Solutions said. Accordingly, Townley said the tread compounds of Nokian winter tyres used by both the Stadelmann and Transport for NSW snow-clearing operations are designed to remain flexible in extremely cold temperatures so the tyre tread ‘keys’ into the road surface. Normal drive and steer tyres are less effective when temperatures drop below 7 degrees C, as the tread compound…

“It isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle; if you like your job, it’s easy.” While he admits this is a bit of a cliché, Brayden Abbaticchio of BMA Truckin’ lives by this axiom. Abbaticchio has just received his Kenworth T908 after four months off the road following an unfortunate incident with a car on Sydney’s M7 motorway, which resulted in a considerable repair job. While he, once again, sits up high in the 908, grinning like a rat with a gold tooth, it didn’t start out this glamorous for a young kid destined to become a long-distance truckie. Role models can play a significant part in the direction of youthful career selection. Abbaticchio’s dad was a carpenter. However, growing up with his stepdad, who was a truckie, and having the…