Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 486 i Deals On Wheels Australia

The top five results for the month in terms of volume sold were Isuzu (1190), Fuso (430), Hino (360), Volvo (284) and Kenworth (282). The order is slightly different for Year to Date results with Isuzu still to top, followed by Hino, Fuso, Kenworth and then Volvo. Heavy-duty October’s sales figures in the heavy vehicle category show 1,379 vehicles were sold for the month, which is up on the same time last year when 1,313 vehicles made it off the lot. This month saw Kenworth and Volvo tied on the sales front with 282 sales each, followed by Isuzu with 176, Scania with 106 and UD Trucks with 101. As an indication of what a difference 12 months make, Volvo’s 2022 result for October is 125 units better than it…

Half an hour north-east of Bendigo in Victoria, you’ll find the Fosterville Gold Mine. It’s an all-underground mine that runs all year round and it’s also where Hanson’s super-customised Mack Metroliner is playing a key role transporting concrete for the mine. Hanson Concrete plant manager Matthew Bray knew from the start that any truck going into the gold mine needed to be tough. “It’s a harsh, incredibly dusty, environment that often turns to mud and slurry the moment it is exposed to water from the water carts or mining machines,” says Bray. “The temperature down the bottom can get up to 50 degrees centigrade. Truck filters clog up quickly which compound into a vast array of truck faults.” Hanson installed all heavy-duty fittings on the Metroliners, including extra layers of…

The move, announced on October 21, has been welcomed by the tyre industry, the majority of whom are already involved in the National Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme. The Scheme is financed by voluntary contributions by 49 per cent of tyre importers and has almost 1,700 accredited participants, which include tyre retailers, collectors/recyclers, local government, mining and fleet organisations. At the moment, 80 per cent of Australia’s used tyre derived material is shipped overseas, often to developing countries. “Current Scheme contributors and participants are the pioneers and innovators in the sustainable management, recycling and productive use of recovered end-of-life tyres,” says Lina Goodman, CEO of Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) which administers the Scheme. “They do this voluntarily with their investment yielding significant outcomes and benefits for Australia so far. But the…

UGL, a member of the CIMIC Group, announced the partnership to the market last month saying, together, the two businesses would present a strong tender. The company’s joint statement says Penske has an extensive national footprint and is a trusted partner to Defence across a range of propulsion system, power generation and vehicle solutions It says UGL will tender for the delivery of maintenance management and support services, including national vehicle recovery for nominated Defence fleet equipment across Australia. “We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Penske over a number of years,” UGL managing director Doug Moss said. “Their expertise and footprint across Australia complement our own, where we have more than 7,000 employees spread across our regions and cities providing services which keep Australia moving. We look forward to…

With just a few weeks to go until the State Government election in Victoria, Metropolitan East MP Rod Barton has called on the major political parties to make fixing the ride share and taxi industry a priority. Barton, who is the leader of the Transport Matters Party, says the current situation in Victoria cannot be allowed to continue. “I call on Labor, the Coalition and the Greens to commit to fair and just compensation for Victorian licence holders and conduct an independent review of the commercial passenger vehicle industry,” Barton says. Victoria has recently launched a new body, Transport Safety Victoria, charged with oversight of the commercial passenger vehicle sector, however Barton says it has so far been a “mere name change that has failed to alleviate the systematic issues…

The offer is for up to $20,000 towards the upgrading of vehicles as part of a move to improve air quality on inner west Melbourne streets. “No community should have to worry about air quality in their suburb,” Victorian Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio says. The government will spend $15 million on those subsidies if successful at the polls on November 26, and a further $5 million worth of grants would be made available to local councils to seal roads, to reduce dust pollution from trucks, and give communities in the west a breath of fresh air. Neighbourhood lobby group the Maribyrnong Truck Action Group (MTAG) says it welcomes the announcement but also calls for clearer targets, freight moved onto rail and the filtration of the West Gate Tunnel toll road.…

O’Donnell told guests that the major strength of rail during the height of the pandemic was its ability to haul large volumes of freight across state borders safely and efficiently without needing to deploy tens of thousands of drivers across borders. He says despite the clear benefits of rail, the industry’s infrastructure has been in a state of decline and that after decades of government underfunding, many sections of our interstate and regional railways were shown to be lacking resilience. “A resilient rail freight network enables Australian export industries to quickly seize market share in boom times and squeeze out profits in lean times.” O’Donnell says Australia’s rail networks require more duplication, more crossing loops, more staging areas, more and longer rail sidings, not to mention larger culverts to handle…

The awards, run by Brake, the road safety charity and supported by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, acknowledge companies and individuals who have implemented successful initiatives, products or services to tackle fleet safety. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland, and virtual ceremony online, on Thursday October 20. Individual awards were sponsored by Bridgestone, First Rescue, Fleetcoach, Suzuki and Waka Kotahi. The awards are held annually and are part of Brake’s Global Fleet Champions initiative, a global partnership campaign to prevent crashes and reduce pollution by vehicles used for work purposes. As well as categories for organisations, two individual awards were presented to fleet professionals including the prestigious Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety Award, which was awarded to Hamish Piercy from NZI. The 2022 Fleet Champions Award…

NSW Ports presented its plan to expand freight rail capacity and take congestion off roads at the recent Australasian Railway Association (ARA) Freight Rail Conference. The plan seeks to make Australia’s freight industry more efficient by moving road congestion onto updated rail tracks. NSW Ports general manager of Operations and Equipment Jonathan Lafforgue says moving freight by rail at Port Botany, which moves more containers by rail than any other Australian port and has an on-dock rail at each container terminal, has increased remarkably in recent years. The NSW Ports strategy includes: • Expanding Port Botany’s on-dock rail capacity to meet future container growth demand• Increasing the two-way loading of trains, including with empty containers, to improve rail utilisation and efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions• A mode shift incentive scheme,…

Insurance is an important element for an industry sometimes referred to as Australia’s deadliest. With a passion for transport that has flowed down through the generations, family business Midland Insurance Brokers is specialising its total insurance offerings for transport businesses. Starting in 1986, Midland Insurance Brokers developed to become a provider of general insurance to businesses alongside other personal insurance products. It is currently operated by director Damien Lane and his brother Justin, who took over from their father and founder Terry. The family-owned and operated business has grown since the ‘80s, with its three offices in Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and Sydney now narrowing in on the transport industry. “Transport has always been part of our business,” Damien Lane told ATN. “It was a big part of the company…

Gustaf Sundell, who has been with Scania since 2008, will shift jobs from head of Strategy and Corporate Management to become executive vice president and head of Mobility Solutions from November 1. He will join Scania’s executive board and report to Christian Levin, president and CEO Scania and Traton Group. “With his leadership, commercial expertise and solid experience from Scania internationally, he has a good background to continue to develop the area of Mobility Solutions and secure a close connection to the other functions, as well and contribute to our executive management team,” Levin says. The Mobility Solutions arm of the business includes the wholly-owned subsidiary Lots Group. It was formed in the spring of 2021 with the purpose of capturing market opportunities in the future transport ecosystem. Scania says…

Goulburn-based earthmoving and bulk haulage operator Andy Divall has received the prestigious Ted Pickering Memorial Award for his outstanding contribution to the Australian road freight industry. An owner of booming Goulburn business Divall’s Earthmoving, he received the honour at the 2022 National Road Transport Association Conference at Sanctuary Cove in October. “Andy has been an outstanding advocate for the transport industry and an active promoter of truck driving as a career,” says National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) Chairman Paul Fellows. “His company, Divall’s Earthmoving, holds ‘come and try’ days for people to get a feel for trucks and earthmoving machinery to sow the seed of them joining the industry. Andy speaks at schools and conducts a Women Behind the Wheel program in which his business sponsors female driver training and…

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has told the National Transport Commission (NTC) that a road freight transport sector already under enormous cost pressure should not be subjected to onerous increases in heavy vehicle charges. NatRoad has asked for a zero increase in heavy vehicle charges for 2023-24 in its submission to the NTC’s Heavy Vehicle Charges consultation. “NatRoad’s position that if governments are going to increase the road user charge (RUC) and registration charges, there should be no increase in the first year and only small percentage rises in the two years following,” says CEO Warren Clark. “The NTC needs to take into account the current industry conditions - particularly record high fuel prices. “Certainty is important, so we agree with the NTC’s recommendation that ministers set heavy vehicle…

The changes will introduce consumer protections for vulnerable road users involved in an accident, along with updating technical standards and inspection requirements for tow trucks. As of November 7, WA tow truck drivers are now required to declare the maximum fees that will be charged for the towing, salvage, and storage of a vehicle before the vehicle is towed. The maximum fee must be displayed on the written statement a tow truck driver provides to the person authorising the tow. The amendments also prohibit the charging of any additional fees other than for the towing, salvage, or storage of a vehicle from the scene of an accident. Drivers are reminded that they have the right to refuse a tow from the scene of an accident if the maximum fees to…

we’re adding additional strength via our new integrated driveline It’s been a long time between launches for Western Star in Australia. However, following the release of the 47X and 49X models in the US, these two new trucks have made their way across the Pacific Ocean with an extra passenger in tow – the purpose-built 48X. The arrival of the three new models comes on the eve of Western Star’s 40th anniversary in Australia, with big celebrations expected in 2023. As the model identifiers imply, 47X, 48X and 49X will replace the current 4700, 4800 and 4900 models here. However, head of Western Star Trucks at Penske Australia, Kurt Dein, points out that as with the 4800, there is no equivalent to the 48X in North America. “The 4800, having…

The IAA commercial vehicle exhibition in Hannover, Germany, is the biggest trucking event in the world and yes, it’s all about Europe. But let’s face it, Europe is increasingly the hub of most major developments impacting the efficiency, safety and ultimately, performance of heavy-duty trucks around the globe. Nor should anyone lose sight of the fact that on the other side of the Atlantic, the great majority of North America’s truck brands are nowadays offshoots of immense European corporations. Indeed, without Europe’s fiscal and managerial lifelines over the past three or four decades, several famous brands would today be little more than headstones: Freightliner and Mack, for example, and most recently, Navistar. The lone wolf in the pack is, of course, Paccar but even this bastion of American pride has…

It’s an easy, uncluttered drive of three hours or so from Gothenburg in Sweden to the Norwegian capital Oslo, on excellent roads that don’t deteriorate at the border. There were some electric cars sharing the highway, but not many. Approaching Oslo’s outskirts though, things changed. Dramatically. It’s late morning on a soft autumn Saturday and Oslo’s residents are on the move, simply doing the things weekends bring. The thing is, many are moving in electric cars or vans of one sort or another and suddenly, Norway’s reputation for carbon neutral conscience becomes palpably plain. Cars and vans are not, however, the only indicators of what appears to be a national fixation for fossil-free transport among the country’s five and a half million residents. Indeed, around 30 percent of trucks grossing…

Rod Hannify is no stranger to long hauls behind the wheel of truck bringing freight from state to state across Australia. Over the years, Hannify says he has found music, radio shows, and more recently, audiobooks, have provided welcome company while driving, keeping his mind active and broadening his interests. He recalls a time when there was really only the ABC, and as he’d pass through each country town he’d find the local version to hear what’s going on around him. There was also a comedy show at about 3am every morning he would tune in for, to have a laugh as dawn edged ever closer. “We can be away for four, five or six days a week and we’re not in contact with a lot of other people really,”…

US based vehicle company Atlis Motor Vehicles says it is bringing its vertically integrated electric vehicle technology ecosystem products to Australia and New Zealand. Atlis will bring its products down under courtesy of an expanded order from Australia-based AUSEV for 270 pf Atlis’s 1.5 MW charging stations to support AUSEV’s initial order of 19,000 XT all electric pickup trucks announced earlier this year. Once fulfilled, the chargers will be independently distributed throughout territories in Australia where the XT vehicles will be deployed. The parties intend to explore the potential for local battery cell production in Australia. “This is an extremely important milestone for Atlis as it underscores the confidence AUSEV has already placed in the Company fulfilling the initial order for 19,000 XT vehicles,” says Mark Hanchett, Atlis Motor Vehicles’…

In 2025, Volvo Group’s truck plant in Ghent, Belgium will start to produce battery modules in a bid to make the group more self-sufficient in this space. The investment decision to install battery module manufacturing capacity in Ghent is an important step for the Volvo Group to shape its future value chain for battery systems. The battery module manufacturing line will be able to use battery cells both from partners and from the planned battery cell plant in Sweden. “We have started the investment process to establish battery module manufacturing in Ghent. The building is expected to be 12,000 sqm and be located at the Volvo Group manufacturing site,” executive vice president of Volvo Group Trucks operations Jens Holtinger says. “The new high-tech module factory will consist of an almost…

Scania recently released its interim sales report on heavy vehicle data for both the third quarter and for 2022 to date, showing an overall increase of nine per cent to October this year, and a 29 per cent boost in net sales for the third quarter. Scania president and CEO Christian Levin says the third quarter has featured a rise in inflation and interest rate hikes globally. “Demand for Scania’s trucks remains strong globally but in some European markets we can see slightly lower transport activity among our customers. This is however not reflected in the order intake,” Levin says. “The order book for trucks is still large and we are continuing to be restrictive in the placing of orders to ensure the quality of the order book and the…

HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking says the government’s forecast of energy increases as high as 56 per cent over the next two years is dire for big energy consumers, including heavy vehicle manufacturers. “The Treasurer’s commentary implied some sort of intervention mid-next year, but we need to see action sooner rather than later,” Hacking says. “The government has recognised the vital role of Australian manufacturing, however the unrelenting pressures being placed on industry are paralysing. “If the cost of energy is prohibitive, that is not going to protect Australian manufacturing; it will just force more manufacturers offshore, or to just close their doors.” Hacking says Australia’s energy security is already on the table as industry looks to contribute to bringing down emissions in line with the government’s commitment to net…

In October, the future of Australia’s transport industry shifted. Built on decades of diesel-powered heavy vehicles, the federal government’s decision to make Euro VI emissions standard from November 1, 2024, signalled a shift towards a zero-emissions future. The tighter noxious emissions standards for new trucks and buses aim to save lives and prevent toxic air pollution. From November 2024, the new emissions standard will be phased in over a 12-month period. By late 2025, the government will enforce that all new trucks and buses in Australia will follow the cleaner engine emissions rules. What does the transport industry think of this change? With a history in traditional diesel trucks, many heavy vehicles in Australia emit dangerous pollution into the atmosphere. That doesn’t necessarily mean the industry will be receptive to…

Deemed as being critical to the task of reducing congestion and helping to improve freight efficiency and road safety, the Ring Road will duplicate the only remaining two-lane undivided carriageway section of the 22km Townsville Ring Road. Providing an alternative to the old Bruce Highway, it will serve as a bypass for through traffic, a distributor for freight and commuter traffic within the city, and an alternative freight route to the port from locations north of Townsville. It will also include a new interchange at local road, Beck Drive. The Queensland government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is leading the delivery of the $230 million project, funded by the federal government, with the design and construct contract being delivered by Georgiou Group. The project is drawing on Australian…

A common theme at the CILT conference was the lack of skilled labour across the logistics industries – not just in Australia, but on a global scale. Particularly hard-hit has been the trucking sector, with the operations of transport companies consistently being hampered by a dearth of truck drivers. But of course not anyone can be a truck driver: they need to be properly trained, show the right aptitude, and be conversant with rules and regulations. The issue of developing drivers to the required standard was the subject of an engrossing address from Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls chief executive Heather Jones, who said the key to getting the most out of staff was a need for empathy, encouragement and empowerment. Jones spoke from the heart about how she got into…

Patrick Conlon has been appointed to the NHVR board, bringing vast transport and infrastructure experience that will support the regulator’s critical work in ensuring a safe, efficient and productive heavy vehicle industry. Deputy chairperson Julie Russell and fellow board member Catherine Scott have been re-appointed for a second term. The NHVR is governed by a skills-based board, which plays a key role under the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) to ensure the NHVR functions in an effective and efficient way and is accountable to responsible ministers. Responsible ministers from Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and the federal government have voting authority at the Infrastructure and Transport Minister’s Meeting to make board member recommendations. Ministers have unanimously agreed on Conlon’s appointment, which fills the…

For over 40 years, Gorski Engineering has been providing Australians with quality-built tippers that can withstand the most trying conditions. Proud of its past and enjoying a strong present, the company is also looking forward to a bright future with the support of key personnel and its own in-house engineering team. The Gorski story began in 1975 when a father and son team, Walter and Ken Gorski, realised the need for quality tipping bodies in an era when the transport industry was rapidly expanding. Now in its third generation with Ken’s direct family including daughter Amelie and sons Tim and Jeremy well-established within the business in their respective roles, Gorski Engineering remains a family-owned and run company – although it has restructured to accommodate a corporate market with an industry-recognised…

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) will be introducing changes to the Performance Based Standards (PBS) scheme Vehicle Approval (VA) documents from November 14 to reduce the administrative burden for industry and provide a better customer experience. NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says the changes would remove some of the unnecessary complexity in getting a PBS vehicle approved, meaning the industry can get safer, smarter and more productive vehicles on our roads sooner. “The PBS scheme allows heavy vehicle operators to use innovative and optimised vehicle designs – allowing freight to be moved in a safe way with fewer truck movements,” Petroccitto says. “As the sector continues to address the challenges associated with COVID, including driver shortages and the growing freight task, it is critical we improve accessibility to these safer…

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has told Austroads that it’s time to move heavy vehicle driver licensing in Australia to a national competency-based system. NatRoad’s call comes in a submission providing feedback on the Consultation Regulation Impact Statement outlining proposed changes to the National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework. Austroads is the collective of the Australian and New Zealand transport agencies, representing all levels of government and it has been working on needed changes to the heavy vehicle driver licensing system for some time. The current licensing framework has only been implemented in four jurisdictions: New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and the Northern Territory. NatRoad wants Austroads to drop its proposal for post-licence behind-the-wheel supervised training and says its members have also made it clear that they do not…

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has renewed its calls for heavy vehicle transport drivers to be added to Australia’s Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List. The VTA says adding truck drivers to the list will help address the chronic shortage of drivers the transport industry has experienced for years, and particularly in the context of the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic. It come in the wake of the release of the National Skills Commission’s 2022 Skills Priority list which listed truck driver (general) among 129 occupations that weren’t considered to be in shortage is 2021, but are now. “The 2022 Skills Priority List simply confirms what everybody in transport has been saying for years, which is that our industry is desperate for professional heavy vehicle drivers, not just because of…

tthis is more than just a get-together for Kenworth enthusiasts Remember that feeling you used to get as a kid on Christmas Eve? Your whole body is tingling with excitement, your brain feels like it’s bouncing around on three cases of Red Bull, joy is just radiating from every pore of your body. That’s the feeling I was enduring on Friday, September 16 as I sat in my motel room just waiting for the sun to have its Nanna nap and rise again on Saturday morning. Instead of rushing downstairs to see if the festive season red-suited fat man had left me anything on my list, I was racing out the door of my motel to see a gallery of cool Kenworths returning to the Hawkesbury Showgrounds for the 2022…

It’s an odd thing, but long experience drawn from many moments of corporate claptrap and executive evasion have caused me to quietly believe that in the trucking business, there are two types of Swede. The Volvo Swede and the Scania Swede, the Volvo variety almost always more conservative, guarded, reticent and dare I say, cynical than their competitive countrymen. Why that is, well, perhaps it’s a mystery mired in mindsets dating back to each brand’s founding fathers. Whatever, from a perspective gathered over the past 40 years and more, it has never ceased to amaze and at times confound how two great and hugely successful companies from the same Scandinavian country of just 10 million steely souls can produce highly advanced, top-shelf trucks yet give the marked impression of being…

Based in Rylstone in central New South Wales, BlackLab Solar specialises in high-quality solar installation and maintenance. Owner Paul Deegan handles all the company’s installation, maintenance and ordering himself, and made the decision to buy a new forklift for indoor operation, storing his equipment in an old hangar during a period of heavy rain. After looking at a couple of options, he quickly settled on a Toyota 8FBE20 electric forklift, with the material quality of Toyota products a big reason for purchase. “Every time I get on it, I just think ‘how good is this’, because, in the old days starting the business, I was in Sydney and I had my kids hand-loading the solar panels, and now I’ll lift six pallets off a truck and it’s done in 15…

“Quick, quiet and efficient.” That’s how Fuso eCanter driver Lance Valentine describes the fully-electric BevChain truck he uses to deliver Toohey’s beer kegs to Sydney suburbs. Each day, Valentine completes three to four loops out from Linfox subsidiary BevChain’s Lidcombe base, delivering fresh Toohey’s kegs to pubs in a radius of 40km. Valentine plugs the truck into a fast charger when he returns to the BevChain base in order to briefly top up the batteries, and heads out again. Depending on traffic conditions and route, total mileage for Valentine’s daily deliveries could be up to 150km. “When I get back to the yard after the first run, the battery still has decent range thanks to some regenerative braking,” he says. “With the fast charger, I easily top it up in…

As part of a series of tests, the eActros 300, which recently premiered at the IAA Transportation 2022 in Hanover, was hooked up to a fully loaded 40 tonne trailer and sent on a 111km journey in Tyrol, via Bludenz, Stuben, St. Anton and Lech, and at times at an elevation of more than 1,800 m. The experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks subjected the tractor and trailer to tests to validate its performance and durability. A special focus was put on energy recovery through recuperation, which can be used extensively in the alpine topography of Tyrol. During recuperation, energy gained during braking is returned to the eActros’ batteries and is then made available to the drive unit. In this way, the electric tractor unit was able to recover a total of…

Scania says it has joined forces with mining company Rio Tinto to develop autonomous haul trucks at a mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region as it pursues environmental and productivity benefits. The two companies have established a long-term research and development collaboration agreement for the continuous advancement of this autonomous technology, under which Rio Tinto’s Channar mine has become the first active partner site for Scania’s autonomous mining solution. The partnership also includes options for the future transition to electric-powered vehicles. Rio Tinto and Scania launched new trials on Scania’s 40-tonne-payload autonomous mining trucks in April 2022 and quickly reached a key milestone of driverless operation in a simulated load and haul cycle environment. “Rio Tinto is excited to partner with Scania to develop a mining solution which will create…

A $55 billion total investment in transport infrastructure in every state and territory formed a key element of the recent Budget. Investment in NSW: • $300 million for the Western Sydney Roads Package• $5.25 billion for the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport• $1.6 billion for the M12 Motorway Investment in Victoria includes:• $2.2 billion for the Suburban Rail Loop• $5 billion to the Melbourne Airport Rail Link• $447.7 million to the Gippsland Rail Line Upgrade Investment in Queensland: • $586.4 million for a major upgrade of the Bruce Highway through Brisbane’s outer northern suburbs• $1.07 billion for the Coomera Connector Stage 1 (Coomera to Nerang)• $395.6 million for Gold Coast Light Rail – Stage 3 Investment in Tasmania: • $540 million to upgrade the Bass Highway, the Tasman Highway…

Zinc and other metals manufacturer Nyrstar Australia says it welcomes the federal government’s budget commitment to fund a new electrolysis plant in Hobart. Nyrstar Australia vice-president Dale Webb says Nyrstar welcomes the announcement from the federal government that confirms $50 million in Commonwealth funding towards construction of a new $400 million Electrolysis Plant in the federal budget. “The announcement by the federal government demonstrates again the value of what we do in Australia and the importance of this new electrolysis plant to our sector and Tasmania,” Webb says. “This ensures that the next generation of employees and businesses in Tasmania will continue to play an important role in the manufacturing of zinc, a mineral critical for the transition to a low carbon world. “This secures the long-term sustainability of 1,300…

The biggest player in Australian rail freight had some interesting things to say about our sector at the inaugural Australasian Rail Association (ARA) Rail Freight conference in Brisbane in October. Pacific National COO Patrick O’Donnell delivered the keynote address and made some points strongly in favour of rail over road. Patrick said that a major strength of rail at the height of the pandemic was its ability to haul large volumes of freight across state borders safely and efficiently “without needing thousands of drivers”. He added that despite rail’s clear benefits, its infrastructure is in a state of decline after decades of government underfunding, blaming sections of the network for creating freight bottlenecks and poor connectivity to ports. It wasn’t a shock to hear him make the case for more…

Based in Augsburg, Quantron AG already supplies European customers with battery and hydrogen-electric commercial vehicles. The company is aiming to generate half of its annual turnover in the North American market by 2025. Quantron CEO Michael Perschke says demand for the technology in North America was high. “The foundation of a subsidiary in the US is an important step towards our goal of putting zero-emission vehicles on the roads globally,” Perschke says. “In Europe, close to 100 vehicles converted by Quantron are already successfully in use. “We see potential for the US in the early years of a triple-digit volume annually. “I am very pleased that Richard Haas, with his more than 40 years of multicultural experience in the mobility industry, will be joining us as president and CEO for…

The federal government says motorists and truck drivers who live in and travel through Victoria will benefit from new government-funded projects targeting heavy vehicle safety and productivity. The funding is part of the federal government’s nationwide investment of more than $34.8 million in 18 projects under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program (HVSPP). In Horsham, the federal government says it is investing $772,500 into improvements for the Riverside Road and the Gross Bridge. The government says residents of the Horsham Rural City Council area know these transport links are heavily used by both heavy vehicles and other road users alike. Construction is expected to start before the end of 2022. The HVSPP provides funding to state, territory and local governments for projects that increase safety and productivity for the…

Port of Newcastle’s sustainability efforts have received top marks in the 2022 Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), with the Port receiving its highest score to date of 95 out of a possible 100 points. GRESB is a world-leading leading environmental, social and governance (ESG) benchmarking tool, which provides insight into an organisation’s ESG performance over time and compared to its industry peers. The 2022 assessment saw Port of Newcastle achieve its second straight 5-star GRESB rating, which is reserved for the top 20 per cent of surveyed companies and formally recognises them as industry leaders in sustainability. The Port also ranked first out of 26 participating global ports for its Management Score and fourth for its overall GRESB score. Port of Newcastle CEO Craig Carmody says the result is…

Addressing delegates at the CILT conference in Perth in October Armstrong drew many parallels between his country’s problems and those experienced in Australia. Emphasising the need for greater resilience in the network, he said Canada’s transportation supply chain was nearing its breaking point. “The major disruptions seen over the last two years have brought to light longstanding and newly emerging issues that must be addressed now — before our country’s reputation as a reliable trading partner is further tarnished,” he said. “Wild swings in supply and demand due to the COVID pandemic, as well as climate shocks (such as wildfires, floods) and growing geopolitical uncertainty, have put trade norms and flows at risk. “These challenges come at a time when Canada’s natural resources, such as critical minerals, potash, energy and…

The Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) says chief technical officer Paul Caus is departing this week after six and a half years providing high quality technical and regulatory advice to HVIA members. Caus joined HVIA as the organisation transitioned from the state based CVIAQ to fulfil a national mandate as a national member organisation in alignment with the advent of Heavy Vehicle National Law. In an organisation whose heritage was based around the strength of its technical capability, the HVIA says Caus filled those big shoes with aplomb. His own back-story was laden with all the right foundational engineering experience, having come straight from the Federal Department of Infrastructure, and before that the NSW RMS. HVIA CEO Todd Hacking says he wishes Caus well in his new role, where he…

Whether it’s the east coast or the west coast of Australia, AAA Trailers, with its team of 18 highly skilled professionals, is offering top quality semi-trailers to the transport sector. The business, opened by Jeffrey Wang in 2015, is in expansion mode, looking to add more staff to the roster to sustain the quality it’s renowned for and shorten lead times for its customers. AAA Trailers offers a wide variety of styles and shapes of trailers to suit many transport needs, with its Drop Deck, Bi-Fold Ramps and Side Tippers among the biggest sellers, with Curtain Side trailers now creeping up the list. “We are excited to have our newly designed and very sought-after curtain side trailers, both drop deck with an adjustable mezzanine level and the flat top trailers…

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has released its submission on the current National Transport Commission’s (NTC) heavy vehicle charge consultation papers for 22-23-24 and beyond. The ATA, in its weekly newsletter, says the changes are “broken” and more changes must be made. “Nearly everyone accepts that the NTC charges model, PAYGO, no longer works,” the ATA says. “This means the road charges recommended to ministers are made up, fictional and without any of the expected rigour.” In its summary of its submission, the ATA says the PAYGO model “is dead”, as it says the federal government can’t tell the industry what the charges will pay for. The ATA recommends that transport ministers adopt a charging trajectory of zero per cent in 2023-24 and then 2.75 per cent in both 2024-25…

The annual Skills Priority List is designed to provide a detailed view of occupations in shortage nationally, and by state and territory. It defines an occupation as being in shortage when an “estimated fill rate shows that employees are unable to fill or have considerable difficulty filling vacancies”. Other factors that can affect the ability to fill jobs include the skill level required, and labour market ratings in terms of a role’s desirability with prospective employees. The list this year highlighted shortages in 286 occupations, compared to 153 in 2021. In a statement released on October 6, the National Skills Commission said there were 309,900 jobs advertised in August 2022 which represented a 42 per cent increase on jobs advertised in August 2021. “Employees that are in high demand are…

It’s not too often that the opportunity arises to drive 10 different truck models in one day. However, that’s exactly what happened on a recent Isuzu Trucks drive from its Truganina headquarters in Melbourne to the wet, wild and picturesque coastline around Torquay. It also provided an opportunity to catch up with the Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) team and hear about their new and upcoming developments. The truck line-up on the overcast day ranged from the half-tonne GVM NLR 45-150 Service Pack X through to the 30 tonne FYJ 300-350 auto agitator. Not that Isuzu Australia is feeling pressure to promote its range; it’s perennially and comfortably entrenched in top spot in both light and medium duty sales segments, only falling short in the heavy duty market due to the…

Hare & Forbes is currently accepting pre-orders for a December shipment of the ArcDroid CNC portable plasma robot, after products from the first sold out earlier this year. The company says the ArcDroid will appeal to anyone who needs to cut custom shapes and plates – ideal for onsite structural work, agricultural repairs and automotive restoration workshops. “Even small fabricators with limited workshop space or home hobby workshops will benefit from this compact and versatile portable plasma robot,” Hare & Forbes says. Weighing just 16 kilograms and having a convenient cut envelope of 660mm x 380mm, the ArcDroid operates from a 10-amp 240v supply and is easy to transport and store. It features a glove-friendly intuitive touchscreen interface and comes standard with quick change holders that allow the operator to…