Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 276 i Owner Driver

TRUCK drivers should mostly be limited to 10-hour workdays and receive longer rest periods, according to one of Australia’s preeminent fatigue experts. Professor Ann Williamson has called for a radical overhaul of current fatigue management laws, including scrapping the basic fatigue management (BFM) module that allows drivers to work 14-hour days. Williamson, who has been at the forefront of work on fatigue for a number of years, says the community is shocked when told how long truck drivers are allowed to work for and that she is worried they are being pushed too hard at the expense of their health and quality of life. “It is time we review what we are allowing these drivers to do,” Williamson tells Owner//Driver. “I can’t see any reason why truck drivers can’t be…

A RECORD amount of funds raised, a first-time lead truck, and a surprising break in the bleak skies were the main talking points following the 2015 i98FM Camp Quality Convoy on November 15. Held in the New South Wales’ Illawarra region, the annual i98FM Camp Quality Convoy has become the benchmark for charity fundraising convoys around Australia. The 2015 convoy raised a staggering $1,725,057, easily surpassing the 2014 record of $1,578,190. Even the threat of rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the convoy participants, with 764 trucks and 960 motorbikes taking part in the 70-kilometre journey from Appin Road to the Croome Road Sporting Complex at Albion Park Rail. Hundreds of spectators lined the route, vying for strategic vantage points to cheer on the convoy. Thousands more waited excitedly…

A number of serious compliance shortcomings at a major Coles distribution centre show retailers are not doing enough to meet their chain of responsibility obligations, according to the Transport Workers Union (TWU). TWU national secretary Tony Sheldon has seized upon the findings of December’s inspection of Coles’ Eastern Creek centre to demand the big end of the supply chain lift its game on heavy vehicle compliance. The Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) and New South Wales Police yesterday uncovered defective trucks, load restraint breaches and drivers with drugs in their systems. “This raid by the NSW RMS shows the scale of the problem in our retail supply chain,” Sheldon says. “Wealthy retailers and other clients need to take responsibility for safety in transport by ensuring the contracts they give out…

“If there is no ramp we don’t go.” ROSS Smith has a simple answer to the question: What’s the key to your success in 50 years of trucking? “It’s just work,” is Ross’s quick reply. “And having a good partner beside you. “We probably never made much money, but we’ve got through. Unless you’ve got someone pulling with you, you can’t do it.” That partner in both marriage and business is wife Maureen, who like Ross, comes from a farming background. “We never had real good beginnings,” Ross says. “We both did it pretty hard in younger life. All we’ve known is work.” Sacrifices made by this truckie father over the years include attending only one of his two daughters’ school concerts. The couple’s humble beginnings were around the Ladysmith…

GRANT Moroney was a Mack man through and through — the Macks of yesteryear, that is. Now he’s the proud owner of a new Kenworth T409 SAR. Grant previously owned an eight-year-old Super-Liner, which he bought off his good mate Matthew Hill, who was running tankers for Mogas Regional. Since selling it and buying the Kenworth, however, Grant says he hasn’t looked back. “The Mack was a beautiful truck, but I didn’t want to go to the ‘new breed’,” he says. “If they still made the old-style Mack I would have stayed with them, but I didn’t want anything to do with Volvo. “I couldn’t fault the old Mack, but it was getting long in the tooth.” NEW WHEELS When it came time to buy the Kenworth, Grant was in…

“THE TITAN WAS TOO GOOD TO REFUSE” IN 2014, Cyclone Marcia carved its way through the Queensland coast, flattening acres of pine plantation around Byfield, an hour or so north of Rockhampton. Today, around 40 trucks run 24 hours a day, five days a week, to salvage the pine before it rots. Andrew Corbet has nine trucks hauling pine, one of which is a 2005 Mack Titan with an enthusiastic Todd Malycha behind the wheel. The Titan has recently been rebuilt and refurbished in Corbet’s own workshops. “They just don’t make trucks like this,” Todd says. “The 600hp Cummins in this Titan is just awesome.” Corbet’s Timber Haulage trucks work double shifts, keeping them running around the clock from Monday to Friday, so Todd shares his Titan with another driver,…

AN AUSTRALIAN company says it has tackled the burning issue of safe sunglass storage in vehicles by designing and developing the Vyza Grab Strap. The Vyza Grab Strap began as a simple car visor-mounted storage solution to hold sunglasses. However, during the testing phase the team realised it could also be used to hold a multitude of other items, such as mobile phones, garage door openers, wallets, pens and paper, credit cards, documents and much more. The Vyza Grab Strap is fully adjustable to fit any kind of vehicle and incorporates three innovative silicone ‘grip stips’ on the inner surface. Gold Coast-based developer Jim Richards, who worked alongside Brisbane industrial design firm Involve to create Vyza, says that in his experience sometimes the simplest solution to a problem works the…

DAIMLER TRUCKS has won gold for communications in the ‘Automotive and Transport’ category in December’s presentation of the 2015 European Excellence Awards in Stockholm. The award honours the world premiere of the autonomous driving Freightliner Inspiration Truck at the Hoover Dam in Nevada, which was seen by hundreds of millions of people globally. With the Freightliner Inspiration Truck, Daimler presented the world’s first autonomous driving truck approved for use on public roads. A special show accompanied the premiere in May last year when the 39,000 square-metre Hoover Dam was lit up by 60 high power projectors as the truck embarked on its maiden voyage across the dam. The light output of 1.17 million lumen was the highest value ever measured for a projection, earning Daimler an entry in the Guinness…

TWO OF MAXITRANS’ brands, Freighter and Hamelex White, have collaborated on four PBS A-double combinations for Victorian transport company Porthaul. The combinations were built to maximise payload, while their modular design allows use for a variety of purposes. MaxiTrans says the adventurous approach of Porthaul general manager James Williamson triggered the production of the Performance-Based Standards approved combinations in recent years. Williamson, son of company founder Brian Williamson, says the modular PBS A-double concept is one of the most exciting projects he has been working on with MaxiTrans. It consists of Hamelex White aluminium tubs — similar to those found on a grain tipper — mounted on lightweight skels from Freighter, with Freighter dollies creating a modular combination. “The fact that all parts of the trailer came from MaxiTrans made…

MANDATORY minimum pay rates for many of Australia’s owner-drivers will begin in early 2016, including payment for time spent waiting in queues to load and unload freight. On December 18 the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) issued compulsory hourly and kilometre payments for contractor drivers in supermarket work and line-haul operations, effective April 4 this year. The RSRT’s road safety remuneration order (RSRO) on payments is legally binding on all parties involved in the supermarket and line-haul supply chains, including retailers Coles and Woolworths. It is designed to provide contractors with a safe and sustainable rate to prevent cutting corners — such as foregoing maintenance and working longer — to make ends meet. The ruling will not apply to contractors engaged in operations currently being investigated by the tribunal, namely…

“It was always known in the family as ‘the little Road Boss’ because it was such a short bonnet.” ROGER Marchetti has his heart set on driving his 1974 White Road Boss in the Crawlin’ the Hume classic truck run on Saturday, April 16. The biennial event traces bypassed Victorian sections of the old Hume Highway from Melbourne to Albury. Restoration of the White was still underway when Owner//Driver spoke to Roger recently. “It’s a truck that my uncle had from new, and I drove that truck myself. So it’s a personal attachment,” says Roger, who is organising the third Crawlin’ the Hume with Robert French. “Years ago, even in the 1980s when I was driving it, I always said I’d like to buy it, because it’s unique. “It was…

“Sam’s years in the workshop and on the road have stood him in good stead.” SAM Sali is a qualified mechanic. He spent almost 30 years driving his family’s trucks before moving into the company’s office in Shepparton, Victoria. S Sali & Sons moves building material, food and general freight between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. In peak periods Sam engages up to 25 subcontractors. Boasting 10 trucks and 18 trailers, last year he purchased two new Scania R620s, while the business also has six Kenworths, an S-Line International and an Argosy — all painted in unique New England green livery. Sam’s years in the workshop and on the road have stood him in good stead. “It’s a big thing, having that practice, having that experience and having done the…

EXTERNAL trade repairers who purchase Hino Genuine Parts are set to benefit by signing up to the new Hino Advantage Rewards loyalty program. Part of the Hino Advantage program, Hino has announced that Advantage Rewards members can earn Velocity Frequent Flyer points when purchasing eligible Hino Genuine Parts from a local participating Hino dealer while using their trade account. As an extra incentive, those who join the program before March this year will be eligible for double points on the first $1,000 spent. A wide range of genuine parts — from body panels to engine components and accessories — are eligible for rewards points. Hino Australia’s senior divisional manager of product support, Greg Bleasel, says he expects Hino Advantage Rewards to be a significant incentive for external trade customers. “Our…

ENGINE MAKER Cummins South Pacific is celebrating the sale of its 5,000th ISXe5 engine, currently in operation with Queensland-based Rocky’s Own Transport. Director of automotive business for Cummins South Pacific Mike Fowler says the ISXe5, which achieves Euro 5 compliance through SCR technology, has been the biggest selling engine in Australia’s heavy-duty market. “The ISXe5 represents Cummins’ most successful ever introduction of a new heavy-duty truck engine in the South Pacific,” Fowler says. “This is due in large part to the extensive field testing of the ISXe5 in Australia before its release. “We began testing 15 engines early in 2012 in single trailer, B-double and roadtrain applications, clocking up millions of kilometres before the release in 2013.” Involved in the field test program, Rocky’s Own Transport is still running the…

Scania Financial Services (SFS) is set for its Australian launch in March, with the initiative being led by Scania Financial Services Australia business development director and country manager Peter Taylor. A second phase is expected to be launched later in 2016 with a dedicated Scania insurance offering. Taylor is an SFS veteran of more than two decades standing, with stints as managing director and finance director in Italy, the UK and Ireland. He has worked with Scania Australia managing director Roger McCarthy for a year and the impetus for the launch was the establishment last year of a company cash-pooling and treasury operation in Kuala Lumpur. McCarthy notes that Taylor had at one time been tasked with reviving Scania Financial in Ireland following the global financial crisis and has experience…

PROJECTA has released the HDBM4000, 8-stage 6/12/24V 3-40A workshop battery manager, assisting workshops maintain a wide array of equipment, including commercial vehicles, passenger cars, farm machines, boats and motorcycles. This single unit provides a complete all-in-one solution for battery testing, charging and maintenance. According to Projecta, unlike conventional 40A workshop chargers, this workshop battery manager is light and compact while still featuring a tough housing to meet the demands of tough service centre environments. Projecta says that once connected to the battery, the HDBM4000 automatically sets an ideal charge rate (3-40A) and is also manually adjustable if required. With multi-chemistry battery selection, including a cold temperature mode, the advanced eight-stage charging program can help rejuvenate sulphated batteries and remove acid stratification from calcium batteries, ensuring a full charge and optimum…

BONNETED trucks should be banned from busy Brisbane streets unless they have blind spot technology fitted, a coroner has recommended, following an inquest into a fatal collision between a truck and a cyclist. Coroner Christine Clements has handed down her findings into the death of Rebekka Tine Lousdal Meyer, who was run over on the morning of September 11, 2014 while turning at a busy city intersection at Woolloongabba, two kilometres south-east of Brisbane. A fully laden bonneted Kenworth truck and dog combination was behind the 22-year-old Meyer when it struck her at the intersection of Stanley Street and Annerley Road, sending her under the vehicle’s wheels and killing her instantly. Clements found that Meyer was about 1.5 to two metres in front of the truck while waiting for the…

THE long-held aim of consistent heavy vehicle inspection standards across Australia has moved closer with the release of a new manual. Launched on December 15 last year, the National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual gives the country’s trucking operators and multiple transport agencies access to a single set of uniform standards to refer to when checking a truck’s roadworthiness. All states and territories have agreed to implement the document into their inspection regimes by July 1 in a move that will be aimed at addressing a long-held industry complaint about inconsistent treatment from officers during inspections. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) developed the manual and says it provides transparency about how heavy vehicles will be inspected nationally. “The manual details practical information about wear, damage or change to important components…

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 CULTURE SHOCK THERE IS a brand new express depot in Arndell Park that was built with no consideration as to where any of their line-haul operators are managing their fatigue. Not only were there no provisions made to accommodate these masters of the highways, but no-one is allowed to park on the premises for safekeeping, low noise area, shade, toilet amenities, medical reasons or mental hygiene. Don’t even dream of asking any of…

ALTHOUGH the Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show is held over a full weekend each November, Saturday has traditionally been quiet, with the majority of trucks arriving in the Victorian town on Sunday morning. Not so for 2015. On Saturday, November 21, 70 trucks arrived at Campbell Creek Recreation Reserve; some even rolled up the night before. By the afternoon, 120 entries were lined up ready to be judged. Michael Bransgrove, one of an increasing number arriving on Friday evening, took the Saturday honours with his immaculately presented 2013 Freightliner Coronado. The prime mover has clocked up 350,000km running throughout rural Victoria. “They do a great show here,” Michael says, “and there’s always a high standard.” This year the AdTrans-sponsored Castlemaine Rotary Club Show made access even easier, while portable showers and…

“There are some things you miss out on, but that’s life.” IF EVER a young kid was destined to be a truckie, it’s got to be seven-year-old Brock Gladman. In September, Brock and his family — parents Teresa and Brett, and brother Chase — were enjoying the entertainment at the Riverina Truck Show on the shores of Lake Albert at Wagga, a major trucking hub for south-eastern Australia. Brett ‘Gladdo’ Gladman parked his shiny big blue rig among the 200 trucks on display after the kids’ convoy. The 43-year-old is an owner-driver and was just about to take his sons away for a week each during the school holidays. Chase, 11, is a cars man and wants to be a race driver when he grows up. On trucks he happily…

IN WHAT will be a first for southeast Queensland’s Glenala State High School, Year 12 students will soon have the opportunity to add a heavy vehicle stream to their Certificate 2 Automotive Vocational Preparation course. Thanks to the efforts of Iveco Trucks Brisbane and Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), students will be able to gain practical experience on a working truck, in this case a 2000-model Iveco Eurocargo. It has been close to four years since Glenala first sought funding from both state and federal governments for the construction of its new Trade and Skills Centre (TSC). Changes of government at both state and federal level stalled the process; however the funding has now been granted. The HVIA’s previous guise, the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ), had a…

“It won’t be long before Scania is the last man standing to offer a big bent-eight on the truck market” IT’S a typically Australian rural idyll: rolling hills wear the golden mantle of harvest and stretch to the horizon, while hordes of blowflies flit through the air looking to settle on anything with a pulse. In the distance a prime mover towing multiple trailers rumbles down a red dirt track, the sound of its big diesel engine steadily growing in volume. You may expect that truck to be sporting a towering radiator grille, a massive bonnet, bullbar, exhaust stacks, air cleaners and attitude. Yet it’s a European cab-over that steadily rumbles closer; a twin-steer Scania R730 hauling a West Australian C-train combination. Sixteen litres, 730hp, 3500Nm, 16 axles, 60 tyres,…

ISUZU TRUCKS has announced that it is looking into locally developed research to address the increasing congestion and pollution on Australian roads. Software and programming researchers at Monash University have been analysing a unique method of optimising Australia’s city road networks through a system of shared delivery transfer stations for collaborating freight organisations. Isuzu Australia (IAL) says the research shows a huge anticipated cost saving in excess of 25 per cent for freight operators. Isuzu Australia’s director and chief operating officer Phil Taylor says the research is likely to attract keen government attention. “With federal funding for major road projects becoming restricted to certain strategic initiatives, alongside requests for State Governments to engage in ‘asset recycling’ and privately funded user-pays approaches, the research is especially timely,” Taylor says. Monash University’s…

INDUSTRY-FOCUSED camera manufacturer Orlaco has launched CornerEye, a monitor system for heavy vehicle blind spots. Combining a HD monitor and an external camera, the company says the CornerEye system provides drivers with a 270 degree field of vision. Due to its high level of light sensitivity, the camera works in poor light and cold and volatile environments. “The system has been specially designed for trucks and heavy machinery and boasts a robust design that conforms to strict automotive requirements,” Orlaco says. “It is produced in accordance with the approved quality standards ISO/TS 16949:2009 and ISO 9001:2008 and in line with CE marking standards. “The system does not interfere with driver concentration and cannot be affected by electromagnetic fields.” Orlaco adds that the camera is also shock and vibration-resistant, and waterproof…

THE small town of Freemans Waterhole, just off the Sydney to Newcastle F3, is a reminder of a bygone era. A quaint tree-lined area, it was once a popular rest stop for those heading to and from the New England Highway. These days it’s still a popular stopover for tourists en route to the Hunter Valley. However, the refurbished Shell service station and adjoining Oak restaurant is attracting a steady flow of trucks, whether taking a short detour off the F3, or following the shorter route north to Branxton on the New England. Jag Singh has managed the independently operated Shell site since 2010. Shortly after that date around $1 million was spent on the premises, including expanding the Shell shop, building new shower facilities for the truckies, adding fast-flow…