Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 315 i Owner Driver

THE AUSTRALIAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATION (ATA) has named Silverdale Sand & Soil’s Brendon Gilbert as the newest Bridgestone Bandag Highway Guardian for coming to the aid of a motorcyclist who had a medical episode on one of Sydney’s busiest corridors. And, as the association explains, the driver and industry had to overcome adverse social media reaction following incorrect reporting of the incident at the time. Gilbert was travelling on the M4 behind the rider, who began to hang off his bike and then fall to the ground. Gilbert took prompt action, braking suddenly to bring his fully loaded truck to a halt in order to come to the collapsed rider’s aid alongside another motorist until paramedics arrived. ATA chair Geoff Crouch says Gilbert’s actions are another demonstration of truck drivers’ skills…

THEY SAY ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’, or in today’s terms ‘a pixel is worth 1,024 bits’. Either way, you get my drift. However, when it comes to Muscat Haulage, whatever I write here has very little chance of getting read. The truth is, even I’m distracted by the images of the Muscat’s Kenworth Legend 900s as I view them on the screen beside me as I write this story. I completely understand if you haven’t read past the first few paragraphs, but if I can drag your attention off the shiny big trucks for a minute, it’s worth reading up on a family that is so entrenched in trucking, I’m pretty sure they would have diesel-scented air fresheners hanging throughout the house. Before we get too far…

Iveco Australia reports that the upcoming Brisbane Truck Show will provide it with the perfect platform to showcase its latest Euro 6 emission technologies, and to demonstrate the company’s commitment to minimising environmental impact. The Iveco stand will extensively feature vehicles with Euro6 engines across its light, medium and heavy duty weight categories, including several that will be on public display in Australia for the first time. One model making its first public appearance is the recently-launched, locally-made Euro 6 Stralis X-Way, with both a prime mover and rigid model to be displayed. As well as benefiting from a broad range of intelligent active and passive safety features, Iveco states that the Stralis X-Way comes with a number of fuel-saving measures including ‘Ecoroll’, ‘Ecoswitch’ and engine anti-idling. Iveco says, as…

Paccar Parts Australia, distributor of Kenworth, DAF, Paccar Genuine, TRP and multiple vendor brand parts, has announced it will showcase a selection of its extensive range at the Paccar World stand at the Brisbane Truck Show. In addition, show-goers will have the opportunity to customise their own ‘virtual’ T610 SAR in real-time using the Paccar Parts T610 SAR accessories configurator. “We’ve assembled and rendered the original CAD drawings of the T610 SAR to create an interactive experience for Kenworth fans and owners,” says Anthony Kwan, marketing manager for Paccar Parts. “The final result is a T610 accessory configurator that allows you to pick your cab option, colour your truck and fit it out with all the latest chrome accessories currently available through Paccar Parts”. Customers will be able to share…

A comprehensive array of its New Truck Generation will be on display in public for the first time in Australia at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show, says Scania. The range includes the new 650hp V8 Euro 6 engine fitted in an R-series prime mover, complete with 3300Nm of torque, and suited to long-haulage work. There will be two G 500 6-cylinder Euro 6 prime movers on the stand: one in G 500 road freight guise (for example inter-state high cubic capacity B-double work) and the second as a G 500 XT specified for construction duties, complete with steel tipper body. Rounding out the display will be a P 340 Euro 6, 6x2 gas-fuelled rigid truck. According to Scania, this is a specification that will be seen for the first time…

When you’re in the market for a new heavy duty truck, trailer or bus and you’re looking at a wheel upgrade, there are a few things to consider such as strength, durability and weight – as they all play a big part in the decision factor. Recently however, a question that’s frequently being asked by commercial vehicle owners is ‘How do I keep my wheels looking shiny?’ Imagine a wheel with the same qualities customers have come to expect from Alcoa forged aluminium wheels, but with the added features of additional corrosion and chemical protection, as well as having the wheel shine like brand new? CONVENTIONAL COATINGS VS DURA-BRIGHT® EVO TREATMENT Conventional coatings are usually applied as a layer that sits on the surface of the wheel. When scratched, water…

SCANIA’S GLOBAL HEAD CEO Henrik Henriksson is no stranger to Australia. He made the long trip from Sweden at the end of 2011 when holding the position of Scania vice president trucks. However, his flying visit in March this year was his first as president and CEO, a title he has held since 2016. But while the Australian truck market may be miniscule compared to that of Europe and parts of South America, Henriksson believes Scania customers here have a strong stance on safety by comparison. “There is a lot of sophisticated customers both on trucks and on buses. And it’s impressive to see the scale of professionalism,” he says. “I think one of the things that comes through very clear is the focus on safety. It’s world-class. I haven’t…

FATIGUE-RELATED complaints are the most common calls to the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR’s) Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line (HVCRL), according to the data. NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto says the reporting line, which has been live since July last year, has answered around 115 calls each month. Following the confidential reports, the regulator has responding to more than 65 reports of non-compliance nationwide every month the line has been active. “The Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line enables drivers and parties in the heavy vehicle supply chain to pass on information about possible breaches of the Heavy Vehicle National Law,” Petroccitto says. “Between October 2018 and January 2019, 505 calls were received which generated 289 new reports. “Almost one-third of these were reporting fatigue concerns, and 25 per cent related to…

THE POSITIVE APPROACH on change in the trucking industry, should there be a change of government after the next federal election, has been recognised on the political and industry fronts. The man who will be tasked making any new approach a reality after such a Labor (ALP) poll win, senator Glenn Sterle, has enjoyed a constructive response from industry organisations following the Transport Industry Standards Forum (TISF) on March 19. The various industry groups have had a difficult past few months on safety and safe rates but it appears they are seeking to come to an accommodation all sides can live with. With the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) having made their less-heated feelings plain, Sterle emphasises the broad nature of the event’s attendance, while…

A NEW FACE has been added and a former representative has returned following the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) general council election. The ATA declared the election results on March 1. Angela Welsh of Blaxland East in New South Wales is the new small fleet representative on the council. Only two candidates nominated for the position, with Welsh edging out livestock hauler Lynley Miners of Miners Transport, gathering 51 percent of votes. Miners had held the small fleet rep position on the council for the past two years. Frank Black, a familiar face on the ATA council, returned to the council’s owner-driver seat with a 61 percent share of the votes, finishing in front of Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association vice president John Beer (18.7 percent), Tim Montague (14.6 percent)…

FORTY FEMALE high school students from Glenala State School in Brisbane were the guests of Scania Australia on International Women’s Day, held on March 8, in a bid to promote career opportunities for women within the truck and bus industry. Under the banner of ‘Women in the Workshop’, the Scania Richlands branch opened its doors for the students, offering insights into truck maintenance, vehicle diagnostics, administration and other career pathways. The girls also had the opportunity to climb into the passenger seat and take a ride around the yard in the latest Scania truck models. Accompanied by Glenala State School teachers, including department head Sharina Gibney, the students were broken up into smaller groups on arrival, attending various sessions around the premises throughout the day. Mark Hughes, who looks after…

EWDs and the RSRT I would like to make comment on two points that are news today. Electronic work diaries (EWDs): to make them mandatory the state governments are encumbered to prove that there are enough parking bays to cover all trucks that may be on the particular road at any given time. Proving that a particular bay’s parking were full on a particular day two or three months after the event and that is why you drove over your hours is impossible and would be unable to be defended. EWDs are computers and only see black and white. You can’t explain or prove to them any mistakes they may record. When EWDs can show all the time for driving, changing a tyre (for those drivers who know how), record…

BRUCE STEUART didn’t really plan on being a truck driver. He grew up on his parent’s dairy farm in Yea, Victoria but by age 13 was driving an old J Model Bedford around the paddocks, hauling feed. He left school when he was old enough and started a carpentry apprenticeship that he never got to finish. However, the builder he was working for wasn’t young and was offered a maintenance job at a Murrindindi homestead. Bruce recalls saying to his boss, “You’re crazy if you don’t take the job because it’s perfect for you.” The builder was concerned about what Bruce would do with himself, but returning to the farm seemed to be the best option for Bruce. Not long after he went to work for Dick Peters in Thornton…

TRANZMILE BURNETT has finally completed its long awaited move into its new 600 square metre location at Kingaroy, Queensland. Tranzmile, headquartered in Brisbane, is a family owned business under the Harvey Black group, which also incorporates Black Truck Sales group. Tranzmile says its new larger Kingaroy location on the Bunya Highway, which officially opened on March 4, has enabled the outlet to expand its product offerings on hand and better service the greater Burnett region. This new store is said to be the first example of Tranzmile’s latest building branding, which it predicts will become a landmark for travellers from Dalby to Gin Gin. Tranzmile says, with one of the largest on-hand stock holdings in rural Queensland, the new premises reaffirms its commitment to keeping trucks on the road, and…

WHEN THE BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW hits town in May there will be over 1100 truck movements just to get everything bumped in to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. Now the neighbourhood is going to be busier still with a new outdoor display announced for the adjacent South Bank Parklands. It’s all part of the new umbrella event – Australian Heavy Vehicle Industry Week – launched to capture the many events and activities going on across Brisbane alongside the Brisbane Truck Show, which runs from May 16 to 19. Australian Heavy Vehicle Industry (AHVI) Week focuses on promoting the heavy vehicle industry’s values around a set of key themes: safety, innovation, sustainability, careers, knowledge and community. One of its goals it to foster broader community awareness about the heavy vehicle…

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it will reveal a spacious new sleeper cab option concept with an innovative interior cab layout for its new generation truck at the Brisbane Truck Show in May. According to Mercedes-Benz, customers currently have the option of a fixed 750mm mattress in its large sleeper cab. However it is looking at further increasing comfort levels with an even larger mattress and a clever lounge-style passenger seat arrangement. The new feature is called the SoloStar Concept and could soon be available for Australian Mercedes-Benz trucks. It is currently undergoing evaluation with a range of Australian customers. Mercedes-Benz says the idea of the feature is to maximise the living space of the cab and create two different spaces, one for resting and another for sleeping. When the bed…

The SAF-Holland Group says it will present the latest technology for intelligent trailers on Stand 69 at the Brisbane Truck Show. The SAF-Holland Group now includes industry brand names such as SAF, Holland, Neway, V.Orlandi and Yor. The latest SAF TRAKe Trailer Axle from Germany with electric drive for recuperation and traction assistance will be on show. According to SAF-Holland, the SAF TRAKe Trailer Axle has been developed for deployment on all types of trailers, catering for different driving conditions. Its high voltage drive module generates electrical energy that can be used to power electrical equipment on the trailer. Stored energy can also be used to support the main drive engine of the tractor providing additional traction on different gradients and unpaved road surfaces. Another product on the SAF-Holland Group…

Brisbane Truck Show visitors will be given an up-close look at Freightliner’s new Cascadia truck. Freightliner says it will show a number of the trucks it is using for the extensive Australian testing program ahead of the local launch of the all-new Cascadia, stating that it will bring new standards of safety and fuel efficiency to the local conventional truck market next year. The Australian Freightliner Cascadia is part of a $100 million investment that has enabled the best-selling truck in the North American market to be developed for right-hand drive for the first time. In order to ensure the trucks are ready for the challenging Australian environment, Freightliner says its engineers in Portland, Oregon and Australia have been working on the largest ever test and development program for a…

AN AUSTRALIAN-FIRST trial using 100 per cent renewable diesel to fuel a Scania test engine is now up and running under the Queensland Labour Government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund. Southern Oil’s Advanced Biofuels Pilot Plant at Yarwun, near Gladstone, is pioneering the refining of renewable diesel fuel made from waste plastic, old vehicle tyres, agriculture and forestry waste, and biosolids. The initiative was announced at Parliament House on Brisbane on Wednesday, February 27. A Scania V8 test engine is being used in its power generation configuration for the testing, allowing assessment of exhaust emissions, performance and response, fuel efficiency, cost and engine lifetime. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said renewable diesel is a much greener alternative to mineral diesel. “Our government is committed to creating a sustainable, export-oriented biofutures industry…

NATIONAL TRANSPORT INSURANCE (NTI) has announced that tickets are now available online at for the next truck in NTI’s Restoration Series for motor neurone disease. Tickets are pitched at one for $10 or 6 for $50, with 100 per cent of proceeds going directly to the MND Research Institute of Australia to award the NTI Research Grant, and the MND & Me Foundation. NTI says this year’s truck, a 1946 Ford Jailbar, nicknamed ‘Roxanne’, promises to deliver a different kind of restoration to the previous project – a 1946 International Model K5, known as the “Green Diamond”. NTI’s chief executive officer Tony Clark says the public reaction to the NTI’s Jailbar promo truck drove the decision to stick with the iconic Jailbar model. “This year’s resto is a truck enthusiast’s…

ENDURING LOVERS of White Motor Company trucks look back on the early 1980s as the sad end of an era. Production of White trucks was phased out soon after Volvo acquired the struggling American company in 1981. Since then, trucks made in Australia and internationally by White and associated brands have become highly collectable. And about 63 of these trucks gathered at Kyabram, Victoria, on March 16 and 17 for the 2019 Australian White Truck Muster. This is the eighth biennial White Truck Muster organised by Ray and Michelle Grima with assistance from a band of supporters. Ray is one of Australia’s most devoted White truck fanatics. He says Super Powers and 3000s were popular with restorers when he first began collecting Whites. “What I’ve noticed is that people are…

AN ENORMOUS B-triple combination has just been approved under performance-based standards (PBS), with even more payload than last year’s world-first B-quad! The 42m B-triple owned by Direct Freight Express went on show in Portland, Victoria, on March 21 for the very first time. With a gross combination mass of 82.5 tonnes, this thing is set to run 60 pallets, or 120 pallets with mezzanine decks. A National Heavy Vehicle Regulator spokesperson told Owner//Driver that the truck is set to run as a B-double along the east coast, before hooking up and running as a triple from Adelaide to Perth.…

This business specialises in transporting and erecting portable event infrastructure to the equine industry, at a variety of venues, throughout the East coast of Australia. It has numerous substantial, regular, ongoing bookings year on year. This business would be the ideal addition to any transport company looking to diversify their business and bring guaranteed transport work. The business makes great income from not only transporting the horse stables and yards, but from erecting them and renting them for events. They have virtually no competition, great margins and plenty of room for growth. Add income and surety of ongoing work! This business could easily be incorporated into an existing transport business. Turnover approx. $800K p/a Net profit approx. $360K p/a Assets valued at $1,200,000 Including a prime mover, trailers, trucks, telehandler…

AT THIS YEAR’S National Road Transport Hall of Fame reunion in August, many of the East Coast Transport greats will make the pilgrimage to Alice Springs for an overdue catch-up. Organiser of the East Coast Transport Legends Reunion, Bobby Dale, says the idea was born over a few beers with an old mate. “It was myself and Bobby Swan, we were sitting around having a beer and came up with the idea of it,” Bobby says. “We decided to have East Coast Transport, all the employees and anyone involved, to the reunion at the Hall of Fame for a catch up.” Bobby reached out to Owner//Driver, to try and find many of the drivers out there who may not be aware of the reunion. “We’ve only got a handful going…

The new Hino 500 Series Standard Cab range will headline the Hino stand at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. Currently available in dealerships around the country, the all-new 500 Series Standard Cab is said to offer Australian buyers the most comprehensive active safety package available from a Japanese manufacturer in the medium duty market. The standard safety package features the Hino Pre-Collision System (PCS) which includes Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Pedestrian Detection (PD) and Safety Eye (SE), as well as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Departure Warning (LDWS). There is also the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) function which incorporates Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) and traction control, another first for a Japanese brand in the medium duty market. Hino will also display its 500 Series Wide Cab, which set new…

Isuzu Australia (IAL) is planning to showcase a selection of its comprehensive line-up of truck models which it says possesses the right mix of power, performance, economy and reliability, at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. From waste management and refuse to emergency services and last mile delivery – the extensive range of models effortlessly caters to just about every application, according to Isuzu. Isuzu says, as well as an assortment of its well-loved favourites, there will also be some brand new models which are slated for release later in the year. Visitors to the Isuzu stand will see a new, locally developed medium-duty, factory-backed, dual-control workhorse for waste management and refuse applications. Isuzu says its locally developed concept EV model will also command attention as a practical transport solution and…

PRIDE, STUBBORNNESS and dogged determination are three personality traits that seem to flourish in many Australians. It’s seen this country grow and develop over decades and has been integral in the success of many. Parry Logistics in the rural city of Tamworth, New South Wales, is the living embodiment of those traits. It began because of them and it is still succeeding today because of them. As regal and inspiring as that opening diatribe was, the truth of Parry Logistics’ beginnings couldn’t be more Australian if you tied corks to its hat and handed it a boomerang. Parry Logistics’ origins are traced back to a small railyard in Werris Creek, NSW. Where is Werris you may ask? (You may not ask either but it was fun to write.) Werris Creek…

IN FUSO PARLANCE it’s known as the ‘Black Panther’ project. A comprehensive corporate initiative based in Japan, designed to put more class, more comfort, more corporate componentry and, significantly, more safety into Fuso’s heavy-duty arsenal. But seriously, hauling down the Hume from Albury to Melbourne on a bright and balmy day, this particular ‘panther’ looked more like a speckled rooster on ’roids. Seriously, if you were on the road that day and missed it, you definitely need a labrador. Whatever, if the aim of the marketing minds behind the mottled montage was to attract attention and announce that this was no ordinary Fuso on the fly, then they certainly succeeded. It was, indeed, a Fuso with a difference and as senior manager of product management and engineering Romesh Rodrigo was…