Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 485 i Deals On Wheels Australia

Heavy-duty The top five performers in the heavy-duty segment for September were Kenworth (230), Volvo (225), Isuzu (173), UD Trucks (110) and Scania (105). Fuso, Hino, DAF, Mercedes-Benz and Mack all sold more than 50 trucks to round out the top 10. A total of 1279 units were delivered for the month. Year on Year it was a great result for UD Trucks which sold 52 units in September 2021 and more than doubled that result for September 2022 with 110 sales. Another climber on the leaderboard was Fuso with 40 more sales this September than the same time last year. On the flip-side, Mercedes-Benz was at number five in September last year, and dropped to ninth this year, recording 64 sales for September 2022 against 118 in September 2021.…

Michelin Tyres Australia has issued a recall for 4,000 affected units over a manufacturing issue affecting owners of the 295/80R22.5 X INCITY XZU3+ TL 152/148J model between 2017 and 2021. The regulator says owners can check if their tyre is included in the recall as the recalled tyres have the following tyre identification numbers on the sidewall: • DOT B8EA, followed by the number (week and year) 4017 (inclusive) to 3120 (inclusive) The recall has been issued due to some aspects of the model not meeting manufacturing specifications. As a result, a small separation may generate along the edge of the radial steel belts which may lead to a larger separation developing. As this separation generates over time, the tyre is safe to use until the end of its first…

The consultation comes in the wake of a tumultuous time for the industry as fuel tax credits were rushed back into action on September 29 at a rate of 18.8 cents per litre on the one hand, while heavy vehicle road user charges jumped by 0.8 cents a litre from midnight on September 28 on the other. Another complicating factor in the cost of fuel for operators came in the form of the return of the fuel excise tax at a rate of 46 cents per litre on September 28. The former federal government had reduced the excise in March to 22.1 cents per litre in a bid to lower the costs for transport. It returned in September at 46 cents per litre. At the time South Australian Road Transport…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has partnered with CEVA Logistics to spread its “Don’t #uck With A Truck” message across three B-double trailers that will travel across Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney. NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says the CEVA trailers will become travelling billboards, informing young drivers of how to remain safe when they need it most – driving behind a truck. “We welcome CEVA Logistics’ support of our campaign and look forward to seeing Don’t #uck With A Truck take to the road and extend this important road safety awareness message,” Petroccitto says. “While the target audience for this campaign is our youngest drivers – especially Learner (L) and Provisional (P) licence holders – it’s important all road users understand what to do when a truck is turning, stopping…

Tyre retreading business Bandag is celebrating 60 years of local manufacturing in Australia. Bandag is Australia’s only producer of pre-cured retread materials, after car manufacturing stopped in 2009, giving the anniversary extra significance for the business. Bridgestone Australia & New Zealand managing director Heath Barclay says Bandag is growing in importance, because retreads play a big role in shaping sustainable trucking. Bandag says its retreads use considerably less raw materials, including rubber, oil and carbon black, to produce, and take significantly less water and energy resources than that of a new tyre. The anniversary celebrations will continue for Bandag over the coming months.…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) officially opened its Parramatta office on September 23 with Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway attending, alongside NHVR Chair Duncan Gay and NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto. The ceremony included speeches by Farraway, Gay and Petroccitto, as well as questions about the new centre. The office opening comes after the NHVR assumed control of the NSW heavy vehicle services from Transport for NSW on August 1 this year. NSW is now the fifth state or territory after South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and Victoria where the NHVR is directly delivering heavy vehicle regulatory services. The headquarters are at Level 11, 32 Smith Street in Parramatta.…

Austroads has released a set of new guidelines related to the charging of low and zero emission vehicles for operators. Austroads has published these in its new Guidelines for Low and Zero Emission Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Installation. Austroads says the guidelines are the first of their kind in Australasia and are designed for use by local government and transport agency staff planning infrastructure to support the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles. “We are seeing a rapid increase in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles on our roads. If we can get ahead of the demand for readily available charging infrastructure, we can support a more seamless transition for users,” says Austroads future vehicles and technology program manager Vibeke Matthews. The guidelines detail lifecycle considerations…

The New South Wales government says bush fire-battling capability across NSW is set for a major boost with 18 new Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) state-of-the-art tankers rolling out across the state ahead of the peak danger season. Minister for Emergency Services Steph Cooke says the trucks are funded through the NSW government’s response to the independent Bushfire Inquiry. “Replacing Fire and Rescue’s existing 22-year-old fleet of bush fire tankers is a priority for the NSW government, which is why we committed a further $9 million in this year’s budget to take the total number of new appliances to 34,” Cooke says. “The trucks have been locally assembled by Isuzu and are currently being fitted out with equipment before being deployed to some of the state’s most at-risk locations. “They…

The federal government’s productivity commission is calling for Australia’s port system to be reformed in a report on the sector’s current underperformance. The report, titled Lifting productivity at Australia’s container ports: between water, wharf and warehouse, was released after industry members put forth 79 different submissions earlier this year. A primary point made in the report says that Australia’s container port inefficiencies have cost the nation around $605 million each year. After analysing system performance and technology uptake in the sector, commissioner Stephen King says the inquiry proves Australia’s major container ports underperform. “Underperformance on Australia’s ports directly costs business and consumers,” King says. “Any sustained disruptions to imports or exports magnify these costs across the economy because of the critical role of ports to trade and commerce.” The productivity…

As a transport company, Ron Finemore Transport carries a strong legacy. The family-owned and run country-Australian business was established by Ron Finemore in 2004 after he acquired Lewington’s Transport. With a respected reputation in the industry, Finemore then completed the founding of his company when he purchased Smith’s Transport in Orange in 2005. Ron Finemore Transport has been on an upward trajectory ever since, operating in southern NSW and working up and down the eastern seaboard. Shane Tucker is the safety, operational risk and compliance manager at the company and says Ron Finemore’s legacy has been a key reason for the operator’s growth. “Through Ron’s lifetime involvement in transport, he has worked in a number of areas when it comes to various types of deliveries and transport,” Tucker told ATN.…

A WorkSafe safety alert went out this month in the wake of an accident that saw a worker at an East Arm worksite sustain serious crush industries after the compactor he was unloading off the back of a tilt tray truck toppled over, pinning him under the roll-over protection frame. WorkSafe says safety equipment was available, including a winch on the tray, however it wasn’t used. “The compactor, which operates on two metal drums, was being unloaded when it lost traction and toppled onto its side.” WorkSafe says. “The worker was pinned under the roll over protection frame, causing multiple injuries to their lower body.” The WorkSafe alert provides a list of possible contributing factors to the accident including: • No risk assessment conducted prior to the unloading of the…

Global supply chain solutions company AIT Worldwide Logistics has entered into a new Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) partnership with Michigan-based Kalitta Air. AIT says the strategic alliance continues its longstanding designation as a CRAF-sponsored freight forwarder, enabling the company to continue critical supply chain support for United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) missions, while also increasing access to global routes, capacity, and charters for customers. “For more than 10 years, we’ve been proud and always at the ready to support USTRANSCOM through the CRAF program,” says AIT’s chief business officer, Greg Weigel. “As AIT continues to grow our global footprint and scope, securing a CRAF partnership with an airline that has similar global reach, with some of the world’s largest cargo aircraft made perfect sense to our team — and…

After four years one of the biggest truck shows in the world was back – not bigger, but certainly with an exciting new story to tell. The Heavy Vehicle Industry Association (HVIA) has shared its insights from the event. HVIA says virtually every one of the 1400 exhibitors found a way of showcasing their role in a world of sustainable transport solutions and the theme was overwhelming in its application. TCO for ZEV vs ICE HVIA says the quest for an answer to the question of total cost of ownership (TCO) for zero emissions vehicles (ZEV) compared to current internal combustion diesel engines (ICE) was not as succinctly answered as many might have hoped, but almost every major OEM played their hand. The fact that Volvo’s display was all electric…

Admission time! I go from one extreme to the other sometimes. I will sit down to write a story and spend countless glasses of bourbon trying to work out a starting line or I will have an abundance of opening acts and spend countless glasses of bourbon trying to choose which one to use. The lesson being. I probably need to restock my bourbon. However, this month I have a dilemma. I can’t decide which opening stanza best represents the amazingly cool truck on these pages. Option A was starting this cool story on Method Earthworks exquisite Kenworth T909 tipper with a wedding speech cliché, using the dictionary to define ‘method’ purely because it truly does reflect the company that Jeff and Lori Turner have built. ‘Method: a quality of…

It was an obscure, unmarked dirt track draped by tall trees, just a few kilometres off a busy German motorway. Deutschland’s version, perhaps, of ‘off the beaten track’ and for a few imaginary moments under a blazing summer sun and drifting dust, Down Under didn’t feel quite so far away. But there was, of course, more to this diversion than just a curious detour through a foreign forest. A few hundred metres further, the track opened up to reveal a man-made torture course of off-road obstacles designed to test, demonstrate and dramatically accentuate the abilities of various all-wheel-drive models from the Mercedes-Benz ‘special trucks’ range. None more dramatic though, than possibly the world’s most adroit and diverse commercial vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog. Initially engineered as part tractor, part truck, purists…

Brendan Hunt, of Tamworth-based Phil Hunt Parts, has had plenty to do since the new and used parts supplier started stocking John Deere construction parts. “We’ve worked very hard at stocking as many John Deere machines as we can. We’ve got a significant number of John Deere graders already dismantled, and just recently we purchased a brand-new John Deere grader for the Dry Hire component of our business. “We believe in the John Deere product so much, we’re prepared to invest our own hard earned on a brand new grader – We’re putting our money where our mouth is.” Hunt says the Hunt Plant Hire division of the business has been a slow burn over the past two years, but adds that the purchase of the new grader is another…

Modern technology and the internet deliver the opportunity for listener-focussed broadcaster Australian Truck Radio to be ideally positioned for the captive niche market of Australian trucking. Founder and manager Simon Smith recognises the need for a connection to trucking community, and also the responsibilities which come with it. “They’re a huge mobile community and they are looking for their own station, and now we have to technology and resources to provide that nationally 24/7. The mobile phone is today’s radio transmitter and receiver,” says Smith, a veteran of radio broadcasting who initiated the successful ‘truckers’ radio’ format at several stations in southern NSW during the late 1980s, mostly on the midnight to dawn shift. An unexpected bonus after the original show was on air for a time, was an anecdotal…

As the first global truck manufacturer to do so, Volvo Trucks is now starting series production of heavy electric 44-tonne trucks. Volvo Trucks is beginning series production of the electric versions of the company’s most important product range in its heavy-duty trucks, including models like the Volvo FH, Volvo FM, and Volvo FMX. These trucks can operate at a total weight of 44 tonnes and the three models represent around two thirds of the company’s sales. With these new additions, Volvo Trucks has six electric truck models in series production globally – the broadest electric truck line up in the industry. “This is a milestone and proves that we are leading the transformation of the industry. It’s less than two years ago since we showcased our heavy electric trucks for…

Due to seasonal patterns, PacLease offers its rental service to assist businesses who require short-term rentals. What transpires, though, if a business needs a longer term for its truck? That’s where PacLease’s Full-Service Leasing comes into play. Lindsay Smith, PacLease Australia’s newly appointed General Manager, says: “When it comes to fullservice leasing, [PacLease] takes care of everything; vehicle specification, preventative maintenance, freeing our customers up to focus on their core competency.” With starting his new role, Smith plans to help expand the opportunities and flexibility that full-service leasing has to offer. PacLease Australia has prepared for this nationally by ensuring it has ordered sufficient stock in order to serve the full-service lease market in 2023. This includes some new additions to the fleet, such as the Kenworth T410 Crane truck…

Austroads says it recently conducted a site inspection of its ongoing testing of polymer modified binder sprayed seal road surfacings on the Stuart Highway in Coober Pedy, South Australia. The trial is designed to gain an in-depth understanding of the performance of different bitumen seals under real-life climatic and traffic loading conditions over the duration of the pavement surface’s life. Austroads says the inspection proved that seal performance is increasing as a method of keeping roads sealed and safe for heavy vehicle users. “This trial was initiated in 2011. We are very keen to look at long-term monitoring sites in addition to the laboratory testing,” Austroads transport infrastructure program manager Ross Guppy says. “We know that in a laboratory you get good results, but they don’t necessarily reflect performance onsite.…

The latest Major Accident Report from the National Truck Accident Research Centre shows our industry is on the right track regarding safety. It has also raised some clear flags for areas of improvement. While the 2022 report shows little overall change on the previous year’s results, historical data confirms a significant reduction in major crashes and deaths involving trucks since publication started in 2003. In “statistician speak”, the incidence of truck-related fatal accidents has declined by 0.04 deaths for every billion-tonne-per-kilometre since the report’s kick-off. To put that in context, there has been a 55 per cent increase in trucks on the road and a 51 per cent rise in road freight volumes. Inappropriate speed was the cause of almost one third of crashes (31.8 per cent) in 2009. It…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has warned heavy vehicle operators to be wary of recent changes made to grain harvest management scheme mass exemption notices. In both New South Wales and Victoria, changes have been introduced to the schemes as part of its renewal this month. The new notice came into effect in NSW last week, with three changes made to the NSW Class 3 Grain Harvest Management Scheme Mass Exemption Notice 2021 (No. 2). This includes removing the requirement to carry the notice in a heavy vehicle compartment, removing the requirement to travel to the nearest grain receiver for vehicles that qualify for access to higher level networks like Higher Mass Limits and Performance Based Standards and clarifying the application of approved intelligent access systems to eligible workers.…

Major construction on the project is set to start in 2023 with the level crossings scheduled to be replaced completely in 2025. Currently, the state government says, 20,000 drivers pass through the two level crossings on the Frankston line every day, and the boom gates are down for more than a third of the morning peak. Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan says the plans will bring new life to the area. “We’re removing dangerous and congested level crossings across the state to improve safety for drivers, train passengers and pedestrians for years to come,” Allan says. “When these level crossings are gone by 2025, Parkdale and Mentone will be safer and less congested – allowing more trains to run more often on the Frankston line when the Metro…

The Queensland Transport and Main Roads (TMR) department has recently made amendments to its B-triple road train combinations. The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA) announced in its weekly newsletter that the TMR changed its Transport Operations (Road Use Management-Road Rules) Regulation 2009 (Queensland Road Rules) for B-triple combinations. The changes include the definition of a B-triple road train combination in the Queensland Road Rules aligning with the Heavy Vehicle National Law while allowing B-triple road train combinations to be permitted to travel at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. The ALRTA warns that all other road train combinations are only permitted to travel at speeds of up to 90 kilometres per hour. Under the new law, B-triple road train combinations are a prime mover towing three…

Only seven months after opening its first wholly owned operation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) city of Dubai, Scan Global Logistics (SGL) has opened a second office in Abu Dhabi. SGL says the move is another step towards enhancing its presence in economically flourishing global regions. Strategically located in the Abu Dhabi Airport Freezone, the new office is equipped with a dual license of a Freezone and a mainland company for offshore and onshore requirements. As the first logistics provider in Abu Dhabi, the new office is operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For customers within verticals such as aid and relief or pharma often requiring urgent handling of shipments, the round-the-clock service hours enable fast customs clearance, even at night. “By having customs close by,…

Followmont Transport now boasts 22 owned and operated depots in Queensland and regional New South Wales. Its trucks travel upward of 39 million kilometres each year, making it one of Queensland’s leading freight operators. It all started in the ‘80s through a strike that had positive repercussionsforthenew business. “Followmont was founded by my father and a business partner in 1984 off the back of a rail strike,” Followmont Transport managing director Mark Tobin told ATN. “They went and bought one truck to start delivering magazines. From that point, for 10 years it was hard work and long hours,” Tobin says. After starting off transporting magazine and other media, like newspapers, Followmont diversified into express freight. The family business has grown, with depots littered around Queensland being specifically designed for certain…

Bruce Forsyth and Dennis Ryan took to the stage at the VTA President’s Dinner at Melbourne’s Atheneum Club at the start of October to receive the prestigious W.F.D. Chalmers Award for their service to the transport industry. Forsyth, is the former general manager of Glen Cameron Group and a long-time VTA vice-president, while Ryan is the founder of the Ryans Group. The dinner, sponsored by Volvo Group Australia and CMV Truck & Bus, was attended by a wide range of industry leaders, including the VTA’s most senior members and associate members. The W.F.D. Chalmers Award was instituted by the VTA in memory of Daryl Chalmers, who was a member of the Executive Council for over 40 years. It is presented annually to recognise individuals who have supported and worked within…

NTI has just released the 2022 Major Accident Report from its National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) and has analysed trends since 2005. It found while there’s been a 55 per cent increase in the number of trucks on the road and a 51 percent rise in road freight volumes, the rate of serious truck accidents has not followed this trend. Report author since 2019, Adam Gibson, said the data shows a combination of tighter government regulation and industry investment in safety, technology, professional development and leadership has improved road safety. “We saw, for example, fatigue-related crashes fall by a massive 50 per cent in the year after driving hours reforms and standardised logbooks were introduced,” Mr Gibson said. “They dropped from a high of 27.3 per cent in 2008…

Volvo Trucks will deliver fully electric heavy-duty trucks to Amazon in Germany by year end. The 20 Volvo FH Electric are expected to drive more than one million road kilometres annually, fuelled with electricity instead of diesel. Volvo says heavy goods vehicles and other commercial vehicles make up around 36 per cent of Germany’s domestic transport emissions, which makes road transport decarbonization an important issue to address. “Big actors in the transport business play a key role in leading the industry’s efforts to lower its carbon footprint. Therefore I´m glad that Amazon is working with us to help reduce their emissions in longer and heavier transport assignments,” says Jessica Sandström, senior vice president of Product Management at Volvo Trucks. Volvo Trucks started the series production of heavy-duty electric trucks in…

Energy sources are being constantly developed evaluated and refined To the benignly uninformed, the blatantly uninterested and especially the belligerently unimpressed, advanced new technologies can be confronting, confusing and ponderously difficult to decipher. A mental minefield, easier undermined than understood. Quite often, and particularly in the early stages of development, there can be so much that just doesn’t compute in the cerebral cavern of most minds – this one included – when something appears a very long way outside the square of ‘normal’. Much depends, I guess, on how advanced, complex or different the new technology is and the product or component it affects. At its most extreme, radical technology can appear to the average layman as a world of unnecessary intrusion, a dark art, inhabited by tedious technocrats, staid…

Purchasing your first major commercial vehicle is always a big decision. The question of what brand and model to choose to suit particular needs can take time and a lot of research. So, when Cairns-based Rick Morgan wanted to upgrade from his 4WD ute and trailer setup to take his painting business to the next level, he sought advice from his father, Scott Morgan. With around 30 years’ experience in road transport, Scott has worked for QRX and is now the Laos country manager for Linfox. He also spent time in the mining logistics sector in Laos and Papua New Guinea. “I didn’t know anything else about trucks,” Rick admits. “But my father said he would personally go for a Hino if he had the choice.” Rick’s new 300 Series…

Scan with your Smartphone camera to check out this deal! ’12 Kenworth T409 SAR 410hp Paccar engine 18 speed Road Ranger trans 1,139,232km $154,000 Laverton North, Victoria 03 8547 8785 This red beauty had a new Paccar engine installed at 740,000km and has only just clocked over 1, 139,232km all up. With an 18-speed Road Ranger gearbox there’s plenty to like about this Short-bonnet Australian Right-hand drive truck. For more information call Cahill Transport on 03 8547 8785.…

Complete Builders and Contractors operate in Sydney and around the Central West of New South Wales, undertaking renovations, putting up new house frames or adding gazebos or pergolas for clients looking to upgrade their homes. Owner Tim Johns recently took over the business when his father retired, and continued the family’s association with Isuzu trucks, upgrading from the NQR model to the NPR when it came time to refresh the fleet. Johns grew up on residential constructions sites with his father, counting down to the moment he could jump into the trade as well. “Building houses is all I know. I have been on construction sites since I was five years old,” Johns says. “The job I do for my customers it’s extremely important and it’s all I’ve ever done.…

The federal government says working with the likes of the ATA and other Australian diesel exhaust industry stakeholders had helped it to understand the issues surrounding the AdBlue shortage. In response to industry lobbying, the federal government devised a $49.5 million package over four years to secure supplies of AdBlue by stockpiling technical grade urea, the key ingredient in AdBlue production. Natroad CEO Warren Clark says the package was important for the transport and manufacturing sector in Australia. Clark says the funding would support manufacturing of AdBlue locally with a grants program to encourage local manufacturers to start producing the product here. “The government needs to keep engaging with industry, and that includes road transport operators who are at the coal-face,” Clark says. “The government’s commitment to collection of voluntary…

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) says heavy vehicle drivers should prepare to see monitoring cameras and new road signage communicating important information about restrictions. The VTA says it has been working closely with Freight Victoria and the Department of Transport to ensure a sensible balance is maintained between operator productivity and community amenity with respect to heavy vehicle movement in the inner west Port of Melbourne precinct. The new cameras and road signage are now in place, with the VTA wanting to update operators about curfews and restrictions in the inner west that have caused recent confusion. The VTA says curfews have been in place on many roads in the inner west for nearly 20 years, with the re-defining of these curfews having taken access one step closer to the…

Sydney-based logistics start-up Ofload has announced the acquisition of Melbourne freight specialist CIA Logistics, as part of an ambitious growth strategy aimed at expanding its offering and national footprint. Ofload’s first acquisition has increased the start-up’s headcount to more than 120 employees across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with CIA Logistics’ founder and director Tony Couttie stepping into a general manager position at Ofload. A phased, post-merger integration and growth strategy is underway, during which the CIA Logistics brand will be retained as its operations, sales and finance teams continue to report to Couttie. “We are thrilled to welcome CIA Logistics into the Ofload family as our first acquisition. Tony has built an incredible business, and the natural synergy between our teams was clear as they worked together to digitise analogue…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) says it has joined forces with the federal government to issue $3.5 million in industry projects to improve heavy vehicle safety. Fifteen industry-led projects will receive crucial funding as part of the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), supported by the federal government. $3.5 million will be invested into the projects through round seven of the HVSI program to improve heavy vehicle safety. These heavy vehicle projects are created for industry, by industry, to make their workplace safer. The federal government has invested in 132 HVSI projects over six years to progress a safer, more productive heavy vehicle industry. The federal government has also committed a further $1.7 million to the NHVR to fund targeted projects to improve heavy vehicle safety, taking total commitment…

In an announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange on September 30, Pure Hydrogen Corporation Limited shared the news of its partnership with PepsiCo Australia which will see the truck deliver goods for about six months to assess its potential value as a commercial option. PepsiCo ANZ sustainability manager Brent Gapes says the group is looking forward to seeing the results of the trial. “We are incredibly excited to partner with Pure Hydrogen on what is a first for the FMCG industry,” says Gapes. “This trial demonstrates our commitment to net zero emissions across our value chain by 2040 – a goal that forms an integral component of PepsiCo Positive, a sustainability framework for how we operate within the planetary boundaries and inspire positive change for the planet and people. “As…

The Australian Logistics Courastructure.” The government of South Australia (SA) reports that a tender has recently been released to market for a package of improvements along the highway, with works expected to commence in 2023. The Barrier Highway’s junctions with Main Street and Whyte Road, in Yunta and Whyte Yarcowie respectively, will be upgraded to enable future provision for use by Performance Based Standards Level 3B heavy vehicles (up to 42-metre-long double road trains). The state government says three new rest areas will be constructed along the highway; one located 17 kilometres west of Cockburn, and two near Yunta (one 25 kilometres east of the township and another 11 kilometres west), while an existing rest area 32 kilometres west of Cockburn will be upgraded. Three culverts will also be replaced.…

Aurizon says its confidence in the continued growth of import and export trade through the Port of Townsville is the reason the national freight and logistics company has invested a further $5 million to develop the Port’s first multi-modal rail terminal. The project involves investing in a direct rail corridor into Aurizon Port Services’ (APS) container and handling park, with almost two kilometres of track across three rail lines. This means APS customers in North Queensland will have access to the full range of multi-modal solutions – road, rail and port – for their logistics requirements. Aurizon says it is creating efficient pathways for export commodities in North Queensland, helping unlock development opportunities for customers, as well as income and jobs for regional economies. A key focus for Aurizon is…

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has emphasised its position on the Kanofski Report and the current Heavy Vehicle National Law. The report is public and delves into the reform process being undertaken to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL). While some in the transport industry are keen to go back to square one on the reform process, NatRoad says it attended August’s Australian transport ministers meeting with the view that some reform was better than none. NatRoad says most of the Kanofski recommendations are focused on practical changes that can be achieved in the near term. NatRoad believes improving access for heavy vehicle (and thus boosting national productivity) while reforming fatigue and enforcement are priorities. The association says it likes the idea of a national approach to access, using…

Moore Trailers joint managing director Shayne Moore says demand is through the roof right now for tippers, with farmers in particular keen to add this style of trailer to their collection as more of them opt to store their grain on-farm and sell it when the price is right, rather than ship it all out in one hit at harvest time. “Our motto is every farm in Australia needs a tipper,” Shayne jokes. The business, based just outside of Toowoomba at Pittsworth in Queensland, has continued to expand this year, opening Stage 2 of its 15,000sqm factory on the nearly 285ha of land the company owns. Shayne says Stage 1, the office and drafting side of the factory, is pretty well ready to go too, however issues with bringing high…

The task of driving truck sales for Scania in Australia now sits firmly in the hands of newly appointing acting director of sales Benjamin (Ben) Nye. Nye moved into his new role at the end of October in the wake of a decision by former sales director Dean Dal Santo to take a break from the industry after more than 20 years with Scania. Nye, 39, joined Scania in 2010 as a retail account manager with substantial truck industry experience that began with a spare parts traineeship at 18, sales experience in workshop machinery, and at a large Victorian multi-franchise truck dealership, and later with a trailer maker. Scania says Nye progressed to key retail accounts manager for Scania in Victoria, during which time he was Scania’s Truck Salesman of…

Richard Emery, vice president Brand and Franchise Development for Hino Australia says he is excited to announce the opening of the company’s newest Victorian branch. “We warmly welcome Gippsland automotive stalwart David Turnbull and his family-led team to Hino. In addition to running a successful Toyota dealership for over 30 years in Yarram and Sale, David hails from a family with a rich automotive heritage spanning four generations over 70 years in the Gippsland region,” Emery says. “Gippsland is a region best known for its primary production such as mining, power generation and farming, which are industries that our Hino range of light, medium and heavy-duty trucks are particularly suited to.” Dealer principal David Turnbull is enthusiastic about joining the Hino network. “Having owned and operated Hino trucks and buses…

Engineers from UNSW Sydney say they have successfully converted a diesel engine to run as a hydrogen-diesel hybrid engine – reducing CO2 emissions by more than 85 per cent in the process. The team, led by Professor Shawn Kook from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, spent around 18 months developing the Hydrogen-Diesel Direct Injection Dual-Fuel System that means existing diesel engines can run using 90 per cent hydrogen as fuel. The researchers say that any diesel engine used in trucks and power equipment in the transportation, agriculture and mining industries could ultimately be retrofitted to the new hybrid system in just a couple of months. They say green hydrogen, which is produced using clean renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, is much more environmentally friendly than…

As I slowly attempt to revive my wedding photography business, I have discovered a secret that will guarantee my clients perfect weather on their big day. The secret, book your wedding for the same time as the Lowood Truck show. I am serious, contact Rob Liston and the team that organise the Lowood event, find out the dates they are proposing for the following year’s convoy and show, and book your wedding for that weekend. It’s a sure-fire winner. Without fail, every single Lowood Truck Show I have been too has blasted me with nothing but sunshine and sparkles. Consequently, the ensuing day normally has me regretting not wearing my hat more and not drowning myself in sunscreen. But that’s on me. The point I want to emphasis is that,…

Anyone regularly travelling Queensland’s Warrego Highway will, at some point over the past six months, caught a glimpse of Martin Rieck’s new Mack Super-Liner hauling B-double livestock trailers. However, Reick has been on the road for much longer than that. His association with trucks goes back to his family’s property in north-east South Australia which he says was “nearly one million acres in the desert”. The property, south of Innamincka and west of Cameron’s Corner, ran cattle. Out of necessity Reick bought his first livestock truck and more trucks were upgraded over the years. “Dad always had trucks, not livestock trucks, but he had an earthmoving business, so we always had trucks to shift around and supply the fuel,” Reick explains. “Working with the stock was first and foremost, so…