Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 335 i Owner Driver

THE HEAVY VEHICLE INDUSTRY AUSTRALIA (HVIA) Industry Awards, which took place in Brisbane on November 20, has praised the winners across several prestigious award categories. Assistant minister for road safety and freight transport, Scott Buchholz, who announced the HVIA’s Safety Innovation Award winner, praised the achievements of the wider transport industry. Buchholz explained the HVIA awards acknowledge and celebrate the industry’s hard-working members, who continue to excel in providing innovative solutions to improve safety and productivity in the road transport sector. “The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on Australia’s freight and logistics sector,” Buchholz said. “Our national economy relies on keeping freight moving. “A lot of work goes into making sure that happens and during the pandemic, the industry rose to the challenge. “Again today, I congratulate the entire…

A short drive from Mack’s Lehigh Valley plant, the company has a bulldog customer centre and test track. As far as test tracks go, it’s nothing special or particularly demanding. But on a cold and snowy Pennsylvania afternoon back in early 2018, it was at least a reasonable venue to climb behind the wheel of Anthem for the first time. Two test units were provided for a few hours – one a day cab, the other a flat-roof sleeper, each powered by a modest 430hp (321kW) version of the MP8 engine coupled to an mDrive transmission, and each towing a loaded flat-top trailer. Anyway, with Anthem now almost certainly on the cusp of an Australian release, but not knowing when or even if we’ll be invited for an official test…

“That truck ticks all the boxes; it has all the right stuff in it.” Chicken parmigiana! Yes you read that correctly, I’ve just started a story on one of Australia’s coolest Kenworth’s with the words ‘chicken parmigiana’. No doubt you’re wondering why? Well, I guess that’s a fair question. It would make a really cool story if I was to BS you and say it’s been done on a dare, however I’m sure my editor would have already rewritten the intro if that was the case. No, I’ve used those two words because I stumbled upon this standout truck while enjoying one of the best chicken parmigianas you could ever have! I know that’s a big call. Australians are pretty serious about many things: their footy, the Melbourne Cup, habitually…

CONCERNED Dubbo residents, Dubbo mayor Ben Shields, association members and key industry personnel, including road safety advocate Rod Hannifey, have reinforced their position against the New South Wales government’s plan for a River St bridge across the Macquarie River. The Stop The River Street Bridge community group claims to have more than 10,000 signatures on its petition to have an alternate bridge build at Troy Bridge Road, which would then create a Dubbo bypass. The NSW state government has been accused of refusing to reconsider or discuss Troy Bridge Road option. In November, Mick Veitch, state shadow minister for industry and trade, rural roads and rural affairs, and western NSW, succeeded in having a motion passed in the upper house to have all documents relating to information on the new…

I HAVE, in the past, had the pleasure of viewing and photographing some splendidly fantastic, big budget truck restorations. Projects years in the making, with quite literally hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to bring a classic truck back to a representation of its former self. It’s always a pleasure to see and appreciate the skill, craftsmanship and love that is put into every nut and bolt. The restoration of old trucks is, to a degree, a personal expression. A vision realised of what the owner wants the truck to be. For some it’s an open cheque book, no holds barred, full re-incarnation of an original truck. Some choose to customise and re-model, to their own individual taste. For Michael Vella, boss of NSW Freightlines, his restoration journeys take on…

DESPITE THE frustrations stemming from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Volvo Group Australia (VGA) has swum against the tide, embarking on what it states as its biggest launch ever with a new range of FM, FMX, FH and FH16 models – just in time for Christmas. VGA states that all new Volvo models will be built at its production facility in Wacol, Queensland. According to Volvo, the new range has been designed with the driver in mind, pointing to “unparalleled levels of comfort, driveability and safety”. “Long haul drivers don’t just drive our trucks; they often live in them, however even in an urban distribution environment drivers also need a safe comfortable workplace,” states VGA vice president of sales, Tony O’Connell. “For some it is the modern office with…

SCANIA WILL be missing from next year’s Brisbane Truck Show (BTS), marking it as the second Swedish-headquartered truckmaker to bow out after Volvo. However, Scania is not pointing the blame at the COVID-19 pandemic for its non-attendance at the event. “Scania has continuously exhibited in Brisbane for more than 30 years, transitioning seamlessly with the move from the showgrounds to the BCEC in 2009,” says Dean Dal Santo, director of truck sales for Scania Australia. “However for 2021 the timing of the show doesn’t fit with some other exciting activities we have planned for the Australian market later in the year. “We nevertheless wish the show well for 2021,” Dal Santo says. “Our decision is unrelated to the impact of COVID-19 on the Australian market. In fact, Scania Australia has…

Small transport operators have many expense commitments that put strain on their cash flow. Factors such as vehicle lease payments or purchase costs, fuel payments, driver wages, rent, regular servicing and vehicle repairs all contribute to relatively higher fixed costs compared to other businesses. It’s a tough market, not just due to the ongoing pandemic. Transport operators face varying daily challenges – uncertainty of income because of long payment terms or late paying customers and fluctuating cash flow that can cause stress in managing day-to-day finance and fixed costs. In some cases, upfront capital expenditure on a new business that might not generate revenue right from the outset can be an issue. For smaller operators, the road can be more challenging as they might not have much margin as a…

There is something special about a field day. Whether it’s the variety of exhibits or the fun atmosphere, field days always draw a crowd. The National Diesel Dirt & Turf Expo is no different, with visitors enjoying the relaxed, family-friendly experience. In April 2021, this annual Expo continues at the recently refurbished Sydney Dragway at Eastern Creek. This new home for the Expo provides all the facilities and security for a great all-weather exhibition area. Not only is the new site excellent for exhibitors; the new Expo layout makes it easy to access all sites. The variety of products and solutions at Diesel Dirt & Turf is far ranging; from site preparation, earthmoving equipment and attachments, GPS tracking and environmental solutions to public space management, farm implements and much more.…

The following is an abridged version of a Steve Brooks feature story titled ‘Compounding the Interest’ published in November 2019. It may help to understand how turbo-compounding works and Volvo’s motives for resurrecting the technology despite the negligible success of earlier attempts. EVERY TWO YEARS on the eve of the Brisbane Truck Show, Volvo Group Australia (VGA) holds a media conference to discuss, among other things, the state of play of each of its three brands and more broadly, deliver an overview of the business and fiscal factors affecting Australian road transport. After the presentations comes the Q&A session where the media mass breaks into small groups for a few minutes of question time with the leader of each brand as well as a face-to-face chat with the boss. These…

IVECO’S LOCAL arm has introduced its own telematics system for the Australian and New Zealand markets. Following what it calls an extensive local development phase, the new platform is designed and manufactured in its Melbourne plant specifically for local and New Zealand markets. It is now fitted as standard equipment on every heavy duty Euro 6 ACCO, Euro 6 X-Way and Euro 5 Stralis model in the Iveco range built from September 2020, and also comes with a 12-month complimentary subscription. It can be retrofitted on applicable models. On the telematics features, Iveco notes it provides live GPS tracking, geo-fencing of operating areas and/or restricted zones, and trip information including trip details and trip reports. The system’s driver monitoring capabilities include harsh braking and acceleration alerts, moving and stationary over-revving…

THE FIRST Electronic Work Diaries (EWD) have been approved in Australia. The rollout commenced on December 1, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) reports. The EWD Policy Framework and Standards were developed in association with technology providers, transport operators, police and transport authorities in 2018 and were subject to comprehensive review and consultation. Australian heavy vehicle drivers will now have a choice in how they record their work and rest hours, with NHVR-approved electronic recording systems providing an alternative to written work diaries. “The work diary has been a requirement for fatigue-related heavy vehicles for more than half a century, and today more than 200,000 written work diaries are used by heavy vehicle drivers each year,” minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development Michael McCormack says. “This announcement will cut…

IT HAS BEEN a long time coming, but if the whispers are correct and Mack’s new Anthem does actually debut on the Australian market in early 2021, it will be an incredibly momentous occasion for the bulldog breed in this country. A milestone for true celebration. Not because of its unique Tonka toy looks or the fact that Mack will finally boast a high-rise stand-up cab and ‘crawler gear’ transmission option. No, the real celebration will come from the fact that it’s now 20 years since Volvo bought Mack and, at long last, after endless hard questions and weak answers, the Swedish corporation’s megaphone mantra on the vital importance of safety will finally extend to Mack’s Australian operation. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly apparent that Anthem will be the first…

The 2020 Valvoline Truck of the Year Award marks the culmination of the third year of the highly-popular Truck of the Month feature in Owner//Driver. The team here at Owner//Driver has chosen the 12 finalists, but the responsibility of selecting the winner is now turned over to you – our valued readers. Among the nominees are some amazing trucks – so we don’t envy the job ahead of you! Read on to find out how to vote, and what you can win for your efforts! HOW IT WORKS To be eligible, trucks must have appeared as a Truck of the Month in Owner//Driver magazine over the past 12 months. The outright winner will be decided by popular vote – with the winner featured in the March 2021 issue of Owner//Driver…

The latest announcement about the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show was not about the truck show at all. Yet it was greeted with overwhelming enthusiasm by stalwarts from across the industry. The last show to feature heavy equipment and machinery was also the last show at the RNA – Brisbane Showgrounds – back in 2009. The show’s hand was forced by the redevelopment of the Showgrounds, however the move to Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre has been well rewarded. Exhibitors have been able to really step it up with the quality of their displays in one of the world’s greatest venues. The Brisbane Truck Show is the only event that takes over the whole centre, with fantastic displays filling all three floors. The proximity to South Bank and the CBD has…

IT IS A brutally long way from Uluru to Dandenong, especially via Chicago and the big Cat-house in Peoria. That, however, is the decade-long mental excursion that needs to be made to gain any sense of the circumstances leading to the recent announcement that International ProStar will soon join Cat trucks on the scrapheap of arguably the most poorly conceived and overtly cynical corporate attempt to become part of the Australian trucking landscape. It all starts at Uluru, in the ageless expanse of Central Australia, with the big budget debut of Cat Trucks in late 2010. As far as new truck introductions go in our part of the world, they don’t come much grander than this. And the blunt reality is that it needed to be something special. Very special!…

VOLVO GROUP and Isuzu Motors have offered further detail on the commercial vehicle strategic alliance recently finalised by both parties. The deal cements the memorandum of understanding signed in December 2019 “to capture the opportunities in the ongoing industry transformation”. Isuzu will pay JPY 243 billion (A$3.3 billion), subject to regulatory approval, to buy subsidiary UD Trucks from Volvo to “create the best long-term conditions for a stronger heavy-duty truck business for UD Trucks and Isuzu Motors in Japan and across international markets”. Further, Isuzu and UD are “discussing the conditions for the supply of certain truck variants” from UD to Isuzu from 2022 onwards. For seamless business continuation in the meantime, Volvo will provide transitional services and supply components to UD. Volvo and Isuzu will establish a joint alliance…