Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 476 i Deals On Wheels Australia

In the end, and despite the best efforts of market leader Isuzu and some others, the commercial vehicle market’s 41,404 sales were unable to top 2018’s peak of 41,628. The deeper meaning of these figures are explored in analysis starting on page 152 but the Truck Industry Council (TIC) T-Mark statistics show Isuzu’s total sales across the weight ranges was a record at 10,175, a neat 150 units above the previous high of 1,027, aided by a belting 899 for December. Hino gave able support in the endeavour with 588 for the month and 6,251 for the year against 447/5,642, as did Fuso with 446/4,770 versus 403/4,302. Heavy-duty The simple truth is that the big bangers failed to come to the party. Not that the total figures of 1,266/12,999 were…

OK, that’s enough! Stop it! You crazed interloping designers with your slippery modern truck renderings have lost any semblance of originality and your vehicles, proposed and extant, all look the same. Latest to jump on this groaning bandwagon is Pininfarina. And, in case you are wondering what this Italian design house best known for cute cars is doing in the trucks realm, please be advised that it’s got ones for trains as well. Oh, and coffee machines. Did we mention the furniture and cookware? Pininfarina might “move dreams” but this truck effort, this far down the track, is just sleepmaking to our eyes. A little industry policy bird whispered in our shell-like something really quite surprising. Indeed, even the old dogs at the kennel were shocked. As of 2020, Australia…

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has expressed disappointment that National Cabinet has blocked one option to tackle the industry’s skills shortage but has hopes for others. Off the agenda for the moment is the conditional opening of forklift operator training to 16-year-olds, after prime minister Scott Morrison mentioned it and understanding of the context failing to emerge subsequently. It was one of several ideas industry put forward to governments as the country looks to tackle pandemic-induced transport and logistics disruption in the immediate and longer terms. “National Cabinet considered the trucking industry’s proposals to support the freight and logistics effort including reducing the age of eligibility to apply for a forklift license [sic], recognition of New Zealand truck driver licenses [sic] in Australia and having experience or competency based licencing…

Increasingly acquisitive Wester Australian truck and bus concern Northfleet Transport has revealed its purchase of another trucking concern: JSS Logistics. The news came hard on the heels of hard-pressed Kwik Logistics entering voluntary administration. “Northfleet Transport is delighted to announce the successful acquisition of JSS Logistics,” it said in a social media post. “Combining JSS Logistics and the recently acquired Kwik Logistics together with Northfleet Transport has created one of WA’s largest and most diverse truck, crane, haulage and transport companies.” JSS Logistics is a privately owned transport and logistics company operating out of Karratha and Perth. The value of the deal was not disclosed. Within the WA, it offers specialised transport services throughout the Perth metro, Pilbara and Kimberley regions. Its fleet is said to comprise 35 prime movers…

Hopes that a new year would provide a timely lessening of the enormous strain on the container transport and logistics chain were dashed as the Omicron Covid variant cut a swathe through the sector. Practices and protocols that helped container transport operators keep international container supply chains functioning and their staff and customers safe have, in many cases, been overwhelmed and no part of the chain is unaffected, Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) has noted. “Container transport operators across Australia have reported to CTAA that they are experiencing between a 5% to 20% reduction in available staff, including heavy vehicle drivers, warehouse staff, forklift drivers, container unpack crews and administration, due to Covid infections and isolation requirements,” CTAA director Neil Chambers reported. “In some extreme cases this rises close to…

Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies (ECATT) has released specifications for its new Endurant XD series and announced it will include Endurant XD and Endurant XD Pro models. The Endurant XD series is a purpose-built, high-performance automated transmission designed for on-highway applications with high gross-combined weight ratings (GCWRs), such as double and triple trailer trucks, and severe-duty on/off-highway applications like dump and logging trucks. Series production will begin in the third calendar quarter but truck manufacturers are expected to announce its availability later. The Endurant XD series features a twin-countershaft design with helical gearing and large bearings optimised for higher engine torque. Eaton said a new 18D ratio set with a 20.5:1 overall ratio with small, even steps ensures smooth shifts and excellent performance in all driving conditions. The design is…

Cummins and Isuzu Motors Limited have agreed to create a prototype medium-duty, battery electric vehicle (BEV) to demonstrate in North America. The truck represents the first zero-emissions solution facilitated by the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership (ICPP) formed in May 2019. The plan is that Cummins will integrate the Cummins PowerDrive6000 into Isuzu’s F-Series truck and will pilot the truck with prominent North American fleets beginning in 2022. Following a successful demonstration and pilot phase, Isuzu will explore opportunities to commercialise medium-duty, battery-electric trucks with Cummins-powered systems across North America. “We are excited to be working with Isuzu to accelerate decarbonization within the partnership,” Cummins VP and president of new power Amy Davis said. “It’s through our joint commitment in innovation that we provide our customers with safe, reliable zero-emissions solutions.”…

Volvo Trucks has launched an enhanced version of its Volvo VNR Electric with up to 85% increased range and faster charging. The Volvo VNR Electric is one of Volvo Trucks six all-electric heavy truck models and is specially designed for the North American market. The first generation of Volvo VNR Electric had an operating range of up to 240km. Now an enhanced version of the Class 8 electric truck is launched, with an estimated operational range of up to 440km and increased energy storage of up to 565kWh. Volvo Trucks explains that the improved performance is due to, among other things, improved battery design and a new six-battery package option. The new Volvo VNR Electric is also said to reduce the required charging time, as the 250kW charging capability provides…

Maryborough-based family business DJ and MA Hose started out like any other, but with a bit of a twist. The initials in the business name are David and wife Meryl Hose but the 55-year history of the enterprise actually began with Meryl’s father, Harry Hyde, who took on a young David, who ended up marrying into the family and business. It was thus rebranded Hyde and Hose before transitioning to the current trading name. While David and Meryl are the proud owners of the truck you see on these pages, and proving that history can indeed repeat, it’s their son-in-law Chris Bull (also a part of the business) who’s basically been the foreman for the resto and is also tasked with the story of the truck along with the driving…

the Bathurst showgrounds were jam packed I’ve never been much of a believer, in religion, destiny, fate or any of that kind of thing. Though, when you’re born with my looks and talents, it does seem obvious something out there has a sense of humour at least. However, the second weekend in December 2021 did get me questioning the whole divine intervention, written-in-the-stars kind of thing. I mean, November had rolled by with enough rain around for Noah to consider leasing out his arc, roads were closed all over inland NSW and the transport industry was busier than a swarm of dancing ants on honey-coated privates. Yet, come December 11, the Bathurst showgrounds were jam-packed with immaculate trucks, outstanding trailer combinations, scores of on-lookers and not a single rain cloud,…

In 1965, family business Doser Freight began operating as a privately-owned long distance transport company based in Adelaide. Now in its 54th year of operation, the company has branched interstate without losing its personal touch with customers. Company founder Brian Doser retired at the end of 2018, with his son, Adam Doser, continuing to operate the family business after making a brief emigration to Western Australia before returning in 2005. Adam said his return to the family business was sparked out of a need for a greater work/life balance. “I just love the flexibility and being able to spend more time with family,” Adam said. Adam cites his working relationship with Vawdrey as the key ingredient The growth of the company has been steady, utilising a range of equipment from…

Global cold-chain operator Lineage Logistics LLC has acquired Auscold Logistics, a major South Australian transport and warehousing company. The international temperature-controlled industrial real estate investment trust (REIT) and logistics solutions provider said the acquisition includes a state-of-the-art warehouse in Adelaide and a fleet of more than 70 GPS tracked, temperature-controlled trucks, providing customers daily with dry, chilled and frozen transport to Australia’s capital cities and major regional centres. Financial terms were not disclosed. The integration will complement Lineage’s regional distribution centre in Adelaide, providing Lineage’s customers with a total of 32,000 sqm of cold storage capacity and 27,700 pallet positions across the two facilities. The Auscold Logistics business offers a full suite of quarantine-approved, multi-temperature storage across more than 11,000 frozen and refrigerated pallets and a 3,600 square metre chilled…

This year is shaping up to be as disrupted by Covid-19 as the previous two years. With governments no longer implementing lockdowns and borders opening, the spread of Covid-19 throughout Australia has been fast and fierce, resulting in the isolation and quarantine of critical workforces and again disrupting essential supply chains. Many transport businesses in Australia as well as other parts of the world have also had to deal with the AdBlue shortage crisis, with fears that transport operators will have no choice but to ground their fleets if they run out of AdBlue. Accordingly, it is important for transport operators to be aware of mechanisms that may allow them to avoid liability for breaches of contract. Force majeure clauses are one such mechanism which entitle parties to a contract…

The safety of our industry is at the forefront of everything we do and a key element to keeping our drivers safe is ensuring heavy vehicles are roadworthy and safe to be on our roads. Unfortunately, when roadworthiness is discussed outside the heavy vehicle industry, it is usually as a result of a major crash or incident. While there is still a way to go to improve compliance across the industry our 2021 National Roadworthiness Survey (NRS:2021) has demonstrated some real improvement over the past five years. The NHVR is committed to the National Heavy Vehicle Roadworthiness program, which was established in late 2014 to drive safety and efficiency improvements to the mechanical condition of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet. Last year, NRS:2021 inspected 13,325 heavy vehicle units across 8,338 heavy…

An Australian-owned freight marketplace and management system has linked with a local business-to-business funder Butn as the former seeks to expand locally. Freightlancer, a subsidiary of listed firm Freelancer, which runs a global freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace, is looking to gain customised services from listed small to medium enterprise transactional funding provider Butn. “With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic elevating supply-chain issues and freight deliveries, the demands on freight owners and operators have increased significantly,” Freelancer CEO Matt Barrie said. “By integrating Butn’s platform into our leading marketplace and app, we are simplifying the way owners and operators can manage the demands of invoicing, providing them with an easy-to-use solution that offers terms against invoices on job completion.” Under the agreement, Butn is to provide Freightlancer with a customised solution, Butn…

AAA Trailers Pty Ltd offers a wide range of high-quality trailers which comply with the Australian Design Rules (ADR), as set out by Vehicle Safety Standards overseen by the federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport. The company comprises a team of highly skilled and high-spirited individuals, who have a penchant for the work that they do, and have worked for many clients around Australia. Team members and management go all out to earn the trust and respect of customers and receive the sort of accolades that state: “Great service, friendly staff, good trailers and would highly recommend.” AAA Trailers is a family business and Australian owned which manufactures and sells semi-trailers at unbeatable and affordable prices. It has been in the Australian transport industry for more than a decade and…

At a time when markets are stretched and disruption has hit new vehicle and parts supply chains and the industry, thoughts naturally turn to other options. For much of the past two years, the used-truck sector has relished the challenge of providing viable solutions in times of shortages. In such conditions, there is no substitute for experience and Western Sydney firm WTP Pty Ltd has it in abundance. Ray Wehbe has been in the heavy vehicle motor industry for more than 35 years and first established WTP in 1998. Ray, together with his son, Anthony, and their qualified staff, aim to supply trucks and trailers to suit each customer’s needs and requirements. WTP Pty Ltd is a family operated business that thrives on customer satisfaction. “We try our best to…

As 2021 drew to a close, sales numbers were looking exceptionally good for Scania Australia. The strong likelihood was that it would be another record result, eclipsing the previous best performance of 1,140 deliveries achieved just two years earlier. It wasn’t to be, though. Not quite! A poor month in December took a sliver of gloss off an otherwise strong year, with Truck Industry Council (TIC) figures showing Scania finishing 2021 with 1,129 deliveries for 8.7% of the total heavy-duty truck market. Agonisingly, just 11 units shy of the brand’s best ever result but, given all the problematic pandemic-related issues, still an undeniably positive performance in a year of continuing challenges. Or so you’d think. Despite the brand’s resilience after the Covid-constrained results of 2020, there are those in Scania…

Big Red came along with technology only 20 years old at the time Progress. Besides being a ripper Midnight Oil song it’s an ideal praised and despised in equal measure because of the doubled-edged nature of this man-made concept. Progress in a transformative sense has given us every technological marvel we use today, including the internal combustion engine, but while these labour-saving devices have made our lives more convenient, the cost is only now being felt. Back in 1964, the phrase ‘climate change’ hadn’t been coined, and Ford, with its Big Red experimental truck (powered by an engine more at home in aviation circles than on the road), wanted to see what the future could look like when trucks and the relatively new technology of turbine engines were put together.…

Right now, it’s a lot easier to take an order for a new truck than it is to actually deliver a new truck Charles Dickens said it best in his 19th century classic A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Absolutely, and it’s a fair bet that more than a couple of corporate leaders might now be thinking along those exact lines. Take Paccar Australia boss Andrew Hadjikakou, for example. A few months back, he willingly acknowledged that with Covid constraints unrelenting, 2021 was proving to be tougher than the year before. On the other hand, as the Truck Industry Council’s (TIC) end-of-year figures attest, Kenworth’s domination of the heavy-duty class in 2021 was not only vastly more entrenched, but…

OK, this column is focused on giving thanks to those who are trying their best to help everyone involved in this most crucial of industries. They will be acknowledged in due course. But first, an observation. One of the most crucial issues this industry faces and must overcome is an underlying historic truth, and that is: the broad legal conception and framework that it operates under is at least a century old. Personal responsibility has its place but it sits in and is but one part of a matrix of factors and complications. If the rules are complex and detailed enough and enforcement more of a ‘black type’ affair, the system becomes oppressive. Put all the responsibility on the powerless and you have a ready-made patsy who has no option…

The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) have released policies necessary to drive Australian trucking into an electric future. The initiative comes four months after the two organisations formed a partnership to drive down electric freight vehicle barriers in Australia. Electrification would assist trucking businesses and supply chains by ending volatile diesel costs, reducing maintenance costs, improving urban efficiency, and delivering better conditions for truck drivers, they note. However, they point out that Australia currently lags most of the world in the electrification of trucks making the need for reform urgent, saying that of the 58 electric truck models available in North America, Europe, and China only 14 are available to the Australian market. Key recommendations from the new EVC/ATA policy agreement include exempting electric trucks…

Integrated logistics firm Wiseway has reported strong December quarter revenue gains in its most important lines. The listed firm’s Airtruck Road Transportation arm led the way in percentage terms, up 89% on previous corresponding period (pcp), from $900,000 to $1.7 million. This was followed by a 68% rise for its imports and distribution business, from $2.5 million to $4.2 million and perishables income, up 62% from $6.9 million to $11.2 million. It’s most valuable operation, airfreight, gained 6%, from $23.5 million to $25 million, while sea freight was up 7% to $1.5 million. “We saw solid performance across our key business segments amid challenging market conditions,” CEO Roger Tong said. “Revenue continued to increase in our growth business segments including road transportation, imports and distribution and perishables which demonstrates Wiseway’s…

They failed to quite make victory speeches but January comments from Incitec Pivot Ltd (IPL) MD and CEO Jeanne Johns and federal industry minister Angus Taylor in the last week of last month were close to jubilant. Certainly there was self-interest involved but that was forgivable given the crisis that was averted. Following limited AdBlue supply from overseas markets and federal government investment, the company’s Gibson Island plant in Brisbane has boosted production eight-fold. “Our expert teams have been working non-stop throughout the holiday period to expand our domestic AdBlue manufacturing and distribution capability,” IPL MD and CEO Jeanne Johns said. “We are pleased to have reached the milestone of producing and distributing just over three million litres of AdBlue in the seven days ending on Sunday January 23, a…

Pacific National has pointed to the risk advantage of using long-haul rail freight as trucking struggles with the pandemic’s evolving impacts. The intervention is timely for the mode as long-distance road freight battles to fix an ageing driver profile, opposition to vaccine mandates, a lack of skills and fewer young entrants and imported labour, with reforms such as the new apprenticeship scheme very much a longer-term fix. “The Omicron outbreak has again highlighted the innate benefits of hauling large volumes of goods and commodities over large distances by rail,” Pacific National CEO Paul Scurrah, who is also a member of the Freight on Rail Group (FORG), said. “A typical 1,500-metre interstate freight train operating between Melbourne and Sydney hauls 215 containers and is equivalent to 90 cross-border truck trips. “Where…

Few periods in history have offered quite so many challenges for heavy-vehicle fleets and operators of industrial machinery in keeping their assets operational. These times have demanded the utmost flexibility in operations, maintenance and upkeep – not least with diesel engine needs; the backbone that keeps many businesses moving! Over its 25-plus years of experience and after helping tens of thousands of Australians and Australian businesses keep their operations running, second generation family-owned business Alldiesels Australia is well placed to be an authority to both the good and the bad of buying a new, used or rebuilt diesel engines, and shares insight into challenges. Here, Alldiesels general manager Byron Ansiewicz shares their insight into some common pitfalls they see fleet-owners and managers making when keeping on top of their diesel…

Scania Australia has launched its OnScene application with a view to facilitating safety during roadside assistance operations. The truckmaker underlines that the app provides a start-to-finish health and safety guide, in real time, that not only provides protection for technicians but allows greater transparency for operators and vehicle owners, understanding the cause and nature of the problem as well as the solution to getting the vehicle back into service. It requires the technician to undertake a risk assessment before starting work on the vehicle, to ensure they are not putting themselves in undue danger at the side of the road, at night or in times of poor visibility. “We operate a team of dedicated and experienced, highly-skilled Scania Assistance technicians from our eight company-owned branches located in capital cities who…

In the big scheme of things, trucks with 700hp (522kW) and more are a tiny portion of the global heavy-duty truck market. Even in our country, where there’s probably the greatest requirement and possibly the most justification for 700hp-plus than any other region in the world, sales are scant. Nonetheless, Swedish giants Scania and Volvo have historically hammered each other for power primacy. Whether it’s driven by the desire for a marketing edge, or a haughty case of corporate idealism, or simply bragging rights as the maker of the world’s most powerful production truck, the pursuit of power has been for many decades a defining factor in each brand’s battle for supremacy. The Swedes are, after all, the only two truck makers in the world to offer models with 700hp…

Who has heard of Rett Syndrome? Honestly, up until a couple of months ago I hadn’t. As ignorant as it sounds, I’d never been aware of it. In fairness there are a lot of debilitating illnesses that I’m completely unaware of. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there like that. Sometimes, we just need to be made aware of some of these medical afflictions because if the general public isn’t aware of these things, you can bet money that researchers aren’t getting the funding needed to study them. If studies aren’t being undertaken, then cures and medicines aren’t being discovered. So, what’s the best way to make the general public aware of something? Don’t you dare say TikTok! In the case of the Kelly family from Toowoomba, they…

Vanderlande has signed a new contract with Australia’s largest food and grocery retailer, Woolworths, to deliver Storepick, a robotised, end-to-end automated case picking (ACP) warehouse solution. The system will be installed in a new distribution centre (DC) in Moorebank Logistics Park in Sydney and will supply over 200 stores in New South Wales from 2025. Woolworths Group’s supply chain arm, Primary Connect, will build and operate the state-of-the-art DC, with the aim of enhancing customer shopping experiences, as well as improving efficiency in stores. Storepick allows for the optimisation of all processes in the entire value chain. Storepick has been designed using the latest technologies in material handling, including the Vanderlande Adapto shuttle system with flexible in-rack shuttles, free-roaming automated guiding vehicles, intelligent robots for case picking and goods-to-picker workstations.…

Built for ease of transport and with flexible options available, the mobile concrete batching plants produced by Thomas Manufacturing are in hot demand, both in Australia and overseas. Established in 1997, the company is dedicated to building custom-made equipment for the crushing, mining and recycling industries. In doing so, it develops everything from bagging plants to feed hoppers, conveyors, pre-coating plants, screening plants, stackers and trommels. But the company’s batching plants have enjoyed steady popularity, with company owner Errol Thomas telling Plant & Equipment the company has recently taken an order for unit 145 after 20 years of building them. “It’s a bit of a niche market – we build them robust enough to handle pretty severe conditions, and we build them so they are very simple plants to operate……