Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 271 i Owner Driver

THE NATIONAL Transport Commission’s (NTC) suggestion that chain of responsibility (COR) penalties under the current Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) are insufficient is worth taking a closer look at. Included in the NTC’s recommendation is that owner-drivers could cop up to $600,000 and five years jail for the harshest of offences. However, owner-drivers may be wondering why those at the top of the tree in large corporations have mostly escaped the wrath of the law in recent years. In contrast, those at the coalface, namely the person behind the wheel, are already being subjected to massive penalties, including lengthy spells in prison. Meanwhile, the boss and his big-end-of-town clients appear to have the clout, and the cash, to appeal against any charges laid in their direction. Owner//Driver’s report on the…

COOTES TRANSPORT’S fleet has been given the all-clear following a vehicle inspection in the wake of a tanker rollover in July. New South Wales road transport agency the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) passed 16 trucks submitted for checks. Cootes parent firm McAleese acted quickly after a Cootes LPG tanker came to grief, badly injuring a female motorist. It offered 15 other Cootes trucks for safety inspections. A NSW Police and RMS survey passed the fleet, including the crashed truck, as fit. RMS director of safety and compliance Peter Wells says no defects were discovered. “Cootes has been under examination by the taskforce since the fatal crash in Mona Vale in October 2013 and the 100 per cent compliance result of these units shows our stringent regime is working,” Wells…

ELECTRONIC WORK diaries (EWD) could lead to exorbitant fines for truck drivers, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has warned. ATA CEO Chris Melham believes the treatment of small breaches of work and rest rules for electronic diaries has not been properly considered. He raised his concerns following the ATA’s submission to a Queensland parliamentary inquiry into the Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Bill 2015, which will allow the use of EWDs. Drivers are currently required to fill out written work diaries and to round time periods to the nearest 15 minutes. “These [electronic] systems would automatically round to the nearest one minute interval, with a maximum work time tolerance of eight minutes in a 24-hour period. There would be no tolerance for errors in rest times,” Melham says. The ATA…

Warwick Ragg has been dumped as NatRoad CEO, only five months after being appointed to the role. NatRoad announced Ragg’s departure on July 10 “effective immediately”, only a month before its annual conference. Ragg came to NatRoad with more than 20 years’ experience in member-based industry associations, including 11 years as CEO of Australian Forest Growers. “Whilst this situation is disappointing, the NatRoad executive firmly believes it is the right decision for the future of the association,” NatRoad president Geoff Crouch says. “It is important to note, the NatRoad secretariat remains committed to providing our members with the advice and ongoing support needed to assist with the running of their businesses.” Ragg’s appointment was only confirmed in January, with Crouch noting that more than 50 candidates had applied for the…

WITH AN impressive line-up including old Dodge, Mercedes-Benz, International and Diamond Reo trucks, plus newer models such as a 2014 25th anniversary Freightliner Coronado, the Yesteryear Truck and Machinery Show at Wauchope was always going to a winner. Among the other attractions on the weekend of July 11 and 12 were B-model Macks, 1960 Ford F600s, a 1972 Acco, a 1968 Bedford, Austins from the 1950s, some vintage Whites and an ex-Army Mack NR9. Market stalls, food and drink outlets, and live music from Port Macquarie band Tools Of The Trade added to the festive atmosphere. Kirby Maxwell organises the truck side of the event and had three of his own trucks on display — a Commer, a Sterling and his well-travelled 1970 Oshkosh. “It’s getting bigger and better than…

SMALL FLEET operator Steve Williams has a fleet of 10 trucks in South Australia. I say he has a fleet of 10 trucks, but he can only afford to run five of them on the road. When I say he’s got five trucks on the road, well, that was eight last Christmas. Williams has been running a transport business since 1984. He’s no rookie. But Williams and his partner Anita Kenyon are struggling to stay afloat. Williams says his business is in decline because of the squeeze on his work. “In 2006 the work for one of my contracts gave me $62 per hour for 10 hours work. “Now the same job has been brought down to $57.60 per hour and only eight hours to get it done,” Williams says.…

Letters to the Editor need to be typed or clearly handwritten and be no more than 500 words. Letters should include name, title (e.g. owner-driver, manager) and city for publication, unless otherwise requested. Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Please be concise, so we can offer more people an opportunity to express themselves. Dear Owner//Driver CLASH OF THE TITANS I HAVE been following the Clash of the Titans and the included fuel test with great interest as it is a subject close to my heart. I have been impressed with the thoroughness shown by all involved, as this is what’s required to get an impartial result. I’m not surprised by the closeness of the results, as the move by Cummins to a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions engine…

THE TRAVELING KIND  Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Warner/Nonesuchwww.warnermusic.com.au Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell have been good friends since the Hot Band days of the 1970s. The Traveling Kind is the follow-up to 2013’s Grammy-winning Old Yellow Moon. Unlike that album, the songs on The Traveling Kind are mostly Crowell originals — and there are many gems among them. The reflective laid-back title track, with its acoustic backing, is a standout, as is the slightly grungy ‘Bring It On Home to Memphis’, with Harris delivering a semi monologue in the middle section. Harris and Crowell combine perfectly on Lucinda Williams’ ‘I Just Wanted to See You So Bad’. Crowell goes it alone on ‘Just Pleasing You’, one of his trademark country waltzes, and Harris is the star on the haunting…

OWNER-DRIVERS may face fines of up to $600,000 and five years in jail under a proposal to significantly increase penalties for chain of responsibility (COR) breaches. The National Transport Commission (NTC) wants jurisdictions operating under national trucking laws to adopt the penalty framework contained in the Work Health Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act). The proposals — contained in a discussion paper — are designed to align COR requirements within the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) with the WHS Act. The NTC claims existing penalties for COR offences are not high enough. “The maximum court-imposable fines under the HVNL ($20,000 for an individual) are significantly lower than the maximum court-imposable fines under the Model WHS Act,” it says. “Significant risks to road safety remain because the way the law is structured…

A trucking firm and its driver have been whacked with fines totalling $12,000 for dangerous goods breaches in New South Wales. The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) fined G & N Costello Freight Lines $10,000 and its driver $2,000 for the unsafe transport of dangerous goods, following a compliance inspection on February 25 at Kooragang. The EPA says a vehicle transporting flammable liquid and organic peroxide was not appropriately placarded and the driver and vehicle were not licensed to transport dangerous goods in bulk. Furthermore, the department says transport documents were not compliant, emergency procedure guides were not carried out, some of the load was not appropriately labelled or restrained and the vehicle did not have required safety equipment and information. “The EPA considered that the dangerous goods were being transported…

I’VE SAID it before — what a nation of bloody idiots and bigoted zealots. The last article I paid out on the double standards as advertised by NatRoad. I make sure the paperwork is correct to minimise delays. Now the Queensland Transport old boys club is at it. Out of 10,000 (their figures, not mine), 1.8 per cent were able to be breached. I deliberately say able as that’s the primary point of the exercise. Oh yes, safety is the justification, but the aim is to get as many scores as is possible to justify the exercise — to justify the bullying and immoral put-down of decent people doing society’s bidding, not undertaking illegal activity as a standard. There has been no demonstrated justification for the persecution of truck drivers.…

HINO TRUCK and Bus Australia has won the prestigious Hino global ‘double victory’ award after being named the 2014 Parts Department of the Year and 2014 Service Department of the Year by Hino Motors Limited Japan. Judged by Hino Japan senior management, the awards are presented in recognition of worldwide distributor performance in parts and service for the Japanese financial year ending March 2015. Hino Australia chairman and CEO Steve Lotter says the awards are given based on a number of criteria. “We’re very pleased with this result, as the awards are a reflection of how well Hino franchises around the globe are meeting a number of criteria in service and parts sales,” Lotter says. “These include vehicle throughput, retention and growth, customer management information and an evaluation of our…

THE FACT some people are more buoyant than others seems completely unfair to me. While some glide through the water with grace and poise, others sink like a stone with bubbles drifting from their ear holes. I unfortunately, fall into the latter category. As far as I know I’m the only person I’m aware of that can turn a pool pony into a submarine. Apparently this is down to bone density, so maybe I’ve got the skeleton of a ‘Terminator’ … or not. It’s probably not surprising I’m a little jealous of people who can swim properly. Watching swimmers glide effortlessly through a pool and tumble turn at the end of the lane makes me green with envy. This may seem a little bizarre but I was thinking of those…

A large chunk of Australia’s truck driving workforce will reach retirement age next year but many are not focused on their superannuation. The Transport Industry Superannuation Fund is urging drivers to pay closer attention to their retirement savings to ensure they have enough to live on. The fund estimates 20 per cent of truck drivers will reach retirement age in 2016. However, fund manager Di Caldwell-Smith says a lack of superannuation knowledge is “a serious issue” among drivers and company owners. “We know that from [Australian] Taxation Office figures that 43 per cent of Australians don’t have any interest in super,” she says. “To counter the disinterest, Transport Super is working closely with the industry to make their offer easier to understand and provide better communication and information so that…

TRUCKS SHOULD be charged based on where they travel and the weight they are carrying, according to South Australia’s premier, who has offered to trial the scheme before it is introduced. Jay Weatherill recently fronted the National Press Club with a bold proposal to reshape heavy vehicle charges to ensure road funding keeps pace with community needs and expectations. Weatherill says it is getting harder for governments to fund projects from general tax revenue and that billing trucks individually based on mass, distance and location could alleviate cost pressures. “I therefore propose that we establish a national heavy vehicle road-user charging system run by the commonwealth,” he says. “Under this plan, state-based registration and federal-based fuel excise charges are replaced by a charging system based on mass, distance and location…

A truck driver has been commended for coming to the aid of an injured cyclist, including providing cover for him from oncoming traffic. Garth Haynes, who was behind the wheel of a Hanson-owned truck and dog, rendered first aid to the cyclist after he collided with another rider and fell onto a lane on Sydney’s M2 motorway. Haynes stopped and rendered assistance until an ambulance arrived. New South Wales Police acting superintendent Phil Brooks thanked the truck driver and presented him with a special torch from NSW Police’s traffic and highway patrol division. “It is not uncommon for truck drivers to be first on the scene of a crash, providing first aid, comfort and support to injured road users, and then calling in emergency services to assist. What Mr Haynes…

Category Best Austin or Morris . . . . . . . . . . . . Best Bedford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Best Commer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Best Dodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Best Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Best Diamond T or Reo. . . . . . . . . . Best Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . .…

ROD PILON Transport has instituted a speed limiter limit of 95km/h. It was done to meet a need to improve driver conformance with speed limits generally towards chain of responsibility (COR) legislation and for those few who simply would not slow down. We’re allowed to run to 100 downhill, still within the speed limit, but it’s shown an improvement in fuel economy and will over time, reduce brake wear. However, I see some problems with it that I have discussed with management, but they’re committed to the benefits first and want us to trial it. I have agreed to do so and report. It has of course had an impact on both our trip times and on how we deal with others on the road. I’ve commented in the past…

VENUS Joy Williams Sony/Columbia www.bandit.fm Formerly one half of the Grammy winning folk-rock duo The Civil Wars, Joy Williams has also released a number of solo spiritual albums since 2001. However, Williams’ new album Venus is a departure from anything she has recorded previously, and is aimed squarely at the pop singer-songwriter market. There’s an element of the dramatic throughout these 11 songs, none more so than the album’s first single ‘Woman (Oh Mama)’ (the striking video is attracting a lot of attention on YouTube). There’s pure inspiration on ‘Until the Levee’, and the subtle lilt in Williams’ strong vocals comes to the fore on ‘Sweet Love of Mine’. The slower ‘Till Forever’ has live theatre overtones, as does the finale, ‘Welcome Home’. Those who enjoyed the music…

TRUCKING JARGON will flow thick and fast when 10,000 people crowd the National Road Transport Hall of Fame at Alice Springs for the 2015 reunion from August 25 to 31. Retired owned-driver, Terry ‘Baker Boy’ Baker, will be among 270 men and women inducted to the Wall of Fame on August 29. With almost 50 years in the industry, he is a worthy recipient of the honour. Terry was preparing his caravan for the long journey to Alice Springs when Owner//Driver visited him and his wife Barb at their home in Lavington near Albury, New South Wales. It will be Terry’s fifth visit to the Hall of Fame. The first was in 1997 when the museum was little more than a collection of worn out trucks. When he returned in…

TEMPER, TEMPER WHO WAS the angry ant who jumped out of his truck, holding up traffic at the lights on Leech Highway in Perth before turning right and heading along Abernethy Road towards High Wycombe just before 2pm on July 24? Our informant tells Owner//Driver that the feisty individual, who was in an SCM Earthmoving Contractors truck, got out of his cab at the lights and walked back to the Toll truck behind to give the driver a gob full. Our spy was not sure what it was all about ’cause there were no signs of a dingle, but ole mate, who was driving a dusty-looking blue Mack Vision, certainly didn’t appear to congratulating the Toll driver on the shine of the company’s near new bright green Scania. With chest…

NATROAD CONFERENCE 2015 AUGUST 13–15, 2015 Brisbane, Qld Held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. This year’s theme is ‘Public perception versus reality in the heavy vehicle industry’. Max Walker is the MC. For more info and to register, visit www.natroad.com.au/conference NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME REUNION 2015 AUGUST 25–31, 2015 Alice Springs, NT Held at the Road Transport Historical Society Museum. Includes the 2015 Shell Rimula Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, August 29, Cummins Cup Truckies Race Day, Shell Rimula Gala Dinner, Cat Trucks Convoy, Meet The Milemaker Lunch and more. For more info, visit www.roadtransporthall.com/ road-transport-hall-of-fame-reunion , e-mail info@roadtransporthall.com  or phone 08 8952 7161. CONVOY FOR KIDS SYDNEY SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 Homebush, NSW Trucks will…

I HAVE been saying this for quite a while now, but I think it needs to be said once more, with feeling — if you are not currently a member of an association or union, then now is definitely the time to rethink your strategy. You may have noticed the arguments being put before Fair Work to reduce penalty rates for weekend and shift work. Make no mistake — this is the thin end of the wedge to bring industrial relations back to the last century. With employers and business groups working at fever pitch behind the scenes to reduce their labour costs, who is representing your best interests? Those drivers who constantly tell me they look after themselves at work are seriously deluded. The power is and has always…