Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 280 i Owner Driver

WITH THE dust barely settled on Federal Parliament’s vote to scrap the Contractor Driver Minimum Payments Road Safety Remuneration Order (RSRO), Federal Opposition leader Bill Shorten says Labor intends to bring back the minimum rates rule to ensure road safety if his party wins the July elections. The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) was abolished by Federal Parliament on the night of April 18 with a vote of 36 to 32. Passing through both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Road Safety Remuneration Repeal Bill 2016 gained the backing of independent senators Jacqui Lambie, Nick Xenophon, John Madigan, Glenn Lazarus, and minor party members Zhenya (Dio) Wang and Robert (Bob) Day. Holding onto his original opinion from 2014, senator Ricky Muir voted against the repeal. Australian Trucking Association…

WHEN 235 historic trucks travelled the old Hume Highway from Melbourne to Albury last month, the camaraderie was as much a feature of the run as the trucks themselves. Crawlin’ the Hume is a biennial truck run that unites old highway runners and truck enthusiasts of all ages. The trucks left Campbellfield, in Melbourne’s north, early on Saturday morning, April 16. Thousands of people waited along the old highway to greet the Kenworths, Internationals, Macks, Dodges, Whites, Peterbilts, Volvos, Fords, Mercedes, Atkinsons, Reos, Bedfords, Commers, Chevrolets, Diamond Ts, Austins, Studebakers and Fodens. One of the oldest trucks was David Daws’ 1923 Mack AC, which he carried behind his 1961 Mack B61. David says it would have been impractical to drive the AC on the old Hume: “It only does about…

ALL EYES were drawn to D&K Towns’ sparkling 2016 Kenworth T909 when it rolled into the Oaklands Truck Show in the Riverina, New South Wales, on Sunday, March 20. Driver Simon McIntosh was being congratulated on the appearance of the new truck long before he accepted trophies for both Truck of the Show and People’s Choice. The winning T909 was purchased from Hallam Truck Centre. The customisation is the work of Simon’s brother, Luke McIntosh, from Kyzer Kustoms of Shepparton. Simon’s boss Daryl Towns of Wonthaggi will have the honour of driving the prize-winning truck. It will pull a refrigerated single trailer in Victoria and New South Wales. Simon does the same work in a similar six-month-old T909. He was proud to show off the eight-inch Monster stacks, Vortox air…

NATALIE HOPPING is a shining example of how women can play a major role in Australia’s road transport industry, while going some way into solving the driver shortage problem. Not surprisingly, Nat felt right at home in Western Australia’s Pilbara region where she worked for four years. The Pilbara is fast becoming a popular destination for female truckies. These days, Nat drives for Penrith-based JK Williams, where she drives a T359 Kenworth. Nat has been with Williams for close on a year and is enjoying her job and the change of pace that it brings after Western Australia’s mining areas. “I have always had a love of machinery,” Nat explains. “My dad Steve used to drive race cars. I’ve been around speedway my whole life and I sort of got…

Barker Trailers has announced that it is joining forces with CMV Group, with CMV Truck Sales and Kenworth DAF Adelaide home to Barker Trailers in South Australia. “Barker Trailers is currently re-examining our retail sales channel and are delighted CMV has taken us on board,” Baker’s national sales and marketing manager Ned Jeffery says. “Both CMV and Barker Trailers are providers of quality products, we put our customer requirements first and we’re both proudly Australian family owned. “CMV having one of the best parts and service facilities in South Australia was icing on the cake.” Kane Wagnet remains the familiar face of Barker Trailers in the state, having moved his office to the Port Wakefield Road site. This strategy follows on from Barker having already retailing its equipment through the…

ANYONE who has seen the classic Steven Spielberg movie Duel has a fair idea what happens when a fuel tanker careers over a cliff. So it’s great that modern camera technology can detect if a driver is falling asleep while headed for the big drop, then wake them up with the startling combination of a loud buzzer and a vibrating seat. On the other hand, anyone who has read George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 is wary of anything involving cameras that might smack of ‘Big Brother’. Transport giant Toll reckons it has come up with the best of both worlds: camera-based technologies that can save lives, while at the same time maintaining privacy. One of these systems uses ‘driver state sensing machines’, and the other has cab cameras facing both…

“If ever there was an industry that needs a rate rise, it’s trucking” HANDS UP all those who read the 1st Draft Order from the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT). Now hands up all those who read the 2nd RSRT Order? Now we get to the one most of you got stuck into, without making the effort to read it, much less understand it. How many of you are honest enough to admit that you either didn’t read the 3rd Road Safety Order (RSO), and of those of you who like to think that you did, how many of you actually understood the whole damn thing? So how did you find out what it was all about? Who told you about it? Moving right along, how well did the person…

THE FIRST meeting of the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA)- established National Manufacturers Council has proposed advancing the body’s Performance Based Standards (PBS) Vehicles Policy and outlined an upcoming review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act. The inaugural meeting of the council, established to provide an opportunity for national members to add their voice to policy and technical issues relevant to the industry, took place in Brisbane and is one of three that will occur around the country. A second meeting was held in Melbourne on April 27 as the council unveiled its new PBS policy for open discussion. HVIA says robust discussion on the draft policy from eastern and southern regions has provided it with a range of amendments that will be incorporated into the policy. A third meeting…

ALLEN GENRICH, based in the Queensland city of Gladstone, has five Macks in his fleet under the banner of Surveyor Bulk Haulage. However, his pride and joy is a 1989 model Mk II Super-Liner, which he has owned for the past six years. Allen has a fair idea of the Super-Liner’s background. Originally used for logging work, it was built for Stewart and Rhonda Barlo, working around Canberra and along the New South Wales coast. Back then, its colour scheme was blue and silver. Its next owner, based in Canberra, converted it to a truck and dog combination before it was sold again, ending up in Bathurst. And that’s where Allen spotted it after 12 months on the lookout for a Mk II. Soon after, Allen had the Super-Liner completely…

NOW IN its third official year, it was inevitable that the twin New South Wales towns of Harden-Murrumburrah would host an annual truck show. After all, Harden is the birthplace of Ken Thomas, founder of TNT. Indeed, it was the Harden Historical Society’s commemoration of Thomas’ 100th birthday in 2013, including the launch of David Wilcox’ biography on Thomas — The Truckie Who Loved Trains — that was the catalyst for the first official Harden Truck and Tractor Show in 2014. In conjunction with the celebrations, the Harden Historical Society invited the newly-formed Harden Historic Truck and Tractor Club to organise a truck show. “We did that, and that was such a success we decided we’d have a truck show annually,” club president Kevin Sharp says. The Harden Historic Truck…

IVECO AUSTRALIA has appointed Western Australian dealership group, AV Truck Services, as a full-service dealership for the greater Perth metropolitan area, effective May 1. The announcement follows Skipper Trucks’ cessation as an Iveco franchisee at the end of April, allowing it to pursue other business interests outside of commercial vehicles. Iveco says disruption of sales, service and parts supply to existing Iveco customers and prospective buyers is expected to be minimal, if any. Iveco Australia network development manager Matteo Gambaro says the company is excited to add a professional and high-profile group such as AV Truck Services to the Iveco Dealer Network. “The group operates a large and well-equipped facility, and has strong existing commercial vehicle expertise that will enable a much easier transition to provide high quality sales, service…

TWO AUSTRALIAN teams — VCV Chullora and VCV Townsville — have made it through to the Volvo Vista world finals of 2015-16 to be held at Volvo Trucks’ global training centre in Gothenburg, Sweden on May 31. Peter Voorhoeve, President of Volvo Group Australia, says he is thrilled to have two Australian dealer teams competing in the world final. “This is a testament to the quality of all the Volvo Truck technicians in Australia – who are so proudly committed to providing world-class service to our customers every day,” Voorhoeve says. More than 18,500 participants have been taking part in Volvo Vista 2015-2016, the world’s largest competition for aftermarket personnel. Across Asia Pacific, the current edition had attracted more than 4000 participants – the largest ever contingent in this biennial…

A BREAKTHROUGH for better truck maintenance comes into force in most parts of Australia on July 1. That’s the start date for the first nationally consistent inspection manual for heavy vehicles. The manual is produced by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), which holds sway everywhere except in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. The previous manual had not been updated since 2004, and each state had its own version with variations, so driving across a border could see you being nabbed for something that was OK somewhere else. The sections of the new manual most relevant to the trucking industry are on vehicle identification and dimensions; brakes; couplings; steering and suspension; wheels, tyres and hubs; structure and body condition; seats and seatbelts; lights and reflectors; mirrors; windscreens and windows;…

HIAB, part of the Cargotec Corporation, has announced the release of the Multilift Optima, which it describes as a smart hooklift for customers who need the right performance and value for money for their everyday loading tasks. “There is a strong demand in the market for cost-efficient hooklift solutions featuring the relatively basic functions required for straightforward loading tasks; for example in the waste and recycling segments as well as in general transportation,” Multilift head of sales Hans Ekman says. “That is why we have developed Multilift Optima, the 20-tonne hooklift that will provide the highest performance with exactly the right functions needed when working with repetitive loads. The Multilift Optima was designed for working with predictable loads on three-axle trucks, which the company says offers dependable performance with an…

THE NEW South Wales Government is set to trial a technology solution to ease congestion by connecting trucks with traffic lights. The system, which will feature at 100 intersections across Sydney, aims to smooth the flow of traffic and reduce the number of times a truck has to stop at traffic lights throughout the day. NSW Roads, Maritime, and Freight Minister Duncan Gay says trucks take longer to stop and accelerate compared to smaller vehicles, a congestion-creating situation at times, so the trial will see truck drivers receive more green lights. “This trial will detect a heavy vehicle approaching traffic lights and provide more green time, which will hopefully show us how we can ease delays for all motorists across the whole network in the future,” he says. “We could…

FORMER VICTORIAN manager of Allalong Tasmanian Searoads, Betty Morgan, is being remembered as a trailblazer for truck driving women following her death at Rochester Hospital on March 14, aged 75. Born in 1940, Betty learned to drive a Chevrolet during her childhood on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. She worked for the Melbourne Tramways and Railways before managing the North Albury Caltex Roadhouse in 1964. She made life-long friends while working at North Albury and at another roadhouse in Coolac, New South Wales, in the 1960s. Betty obtained a truck licence in 1968 and drove an International around Sydney for Ray Cant. Her nontraditional role attracted the attention of print and television media. She used these opportunities to encourage other women to drive trucks. In the early 1980s, Betty drove a…

IT WAS a Saturday afternoon, and Des McNally and his regular driver Robert ‘Bob’ Findley had rolled up in a Freightliner Coronado at the Gull Port Augusta truck stop for a meal, shower and a break. The Coronado is one of three Freightliners that Des and his wife Carol operate, the other two being a Century Class and an Argosy. Bob generally drives the Century Class, but on this day they were doing two-up, hauling a couple of trailer loads of equipment for the mines around Port Hedland. Their usual run, however, is Brisbane to Adelaide with general freight, then down to Mt Gambier for a load of timber to take back home to Toowoomba. “That run is our normal bread and butter, but once a month we try and…

THE LOCALS call it the “lion of the plains”, a stunning geological formation that rises up from the surrounding grazing and cropping country between Wagga Wagga and Albury in southern NSW. The Rock Hill towers over the small town named after it, which caught global attention in 2014 when legendary Aussie rockers AC/DC launched their 15th studio album Rock or Bust there. Peter Thompson’s fleet of five Thommo’s Express’ trucks is based at The Rock. So it was appropriate that Thommo should enjoy the privilege of towing a trailer full of concert gear for AC/DC’s ‘Rock or Bust’ Australian tour behind his rugged-looking 379 Peterbilt. “I loved it,” says the AC/DC fan, who adds the transport was well organised. “I met some nice blokes there.” Peter is referring to the…

Following another successful event in 2015, the Penrith Museum of Fire will again be hosting the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show. This year’s event takes place on Sunday, May 29. This will be the sixth running of the event, which will again showcase of huge range of classic trucks, buses, fire engines and vehicles of yesteryear. As in previous years, enthusiasts are expected to arrive from the greater Sydney region, as well as those involved in historic vehicle associations from around NSW and beyond. As well as the fascinating nostalgia on display, there will be live entertainment from Beatles tribute band Beatle Magic. Children will be especially enthralled by the Matt Falloon and his Trained Balloons and, of course, the free rides. However, Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show’s…

IT’S THURSDAY morning in Melbourne, and in a few hours Isuzu Australia chief operating officer Phil Taylor will join the rest of the team for the carefully choreographed launch of the 2016 F-series medium-duty range. It’s a big deal for Isuzu, and rightly so! There’s a mountain of new features accompanying the heavily revamped line-up and, more to the point, the medium-duty F-series is one of the two unshakeable platforms — the other being the light-duty N-series – that have welded Isuzu to Australian truck market leadership for 27 years on the trot. An incredible achievement in any industry, anywhere. In the lead-up to the formalities, Taylor is upbeat, and despite the natural caution that keeps a tight lid on any hint of hubris or arrogant ascendancy, he reflects: “……

YOU CAN’T help but notice the infectious smile of site manager Kevin Ratneswaran when he details the truck-friendly amenities at the BP Rockbank Outbound. Kevin came on board as assistant manager in 2010, moved to the BP at Footscray, before returning to Rockbank in 2013. “It’s the best truck stop I’ve seen,” Kevin exclaims. “Land-wise, this is big.” The BP Rockbank Outbound on Victoria’s Western Freeway is part of BP’s national truck stop network. It is also one of the newest, having been built in 2009. The truck stop services the needs of the Adelaide-bound road transport industry. Naturally, most truck traffic originates from Melbourne’s industrial areas, with the BP Rockbank Outbound a regular first stop along the trip. However, Kevin says it’s not uncommon for trucks heading from Sydney…