Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 288 i Owner Driver

TRUCKING OPERATORS and customers clearly have a long way to go in getting up to speed on chain of responsibility (COR), with early results from a big survey showing one in five still don’t have proper COR training for managers. National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) compliance executive director Tony Kursius says the survey of 800 transport and logistics businesses found four out of five believe they had all or some systems in place to provide adequate COR training for managers. That leaves one in five who don’t have adequate training for managers. “We will now continue to work with these companies and those who don’t have any systems in place to improve their safety performance,” Kursius says. The full report is due out next year and is part of the…

LEGISLATIVE CHANGE to the Fuel Tax Act to encourage regular maintenance of trucks is key to ensuring vehicles continue to meet emissions standards, regardless of their age. This was the message delivered by Geoff Crouch, MD of Ron Crouch Transport and vice chair of the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), during his presentation at the recent Mercedes-Benz dealer conference. “Trucks need regular maintenance in order to meet emission standards and amending the eligibility for fuel tax credits would provide a powerful incentive for regular maintenance,” Crouch says. “Contained within the Fuel Tax Act are a set of environmental conditions that trucking operators must meet to qualify for fuel tax credits. “A truck has to be manufactured on or after 1 January 1996, or meet one of three maintenance or testing criteria.”…

Transport industry and logistics super fund TWUSuper has appointed Frank Sandy as CEO. Sandy has been acting CEO since the resignation of Bill McMillin in October. Before that, he had been the fund’s chief financial officer for 11 years. Chairman David Galbally says Sandy, as a long-standing employee of TWUSuper, is “respected and well liked by staff, members and other stakeholders, and that his appointment would bring continuity and certainty to the fund and its operations”. “The board is delighted that Frank has accepted our permanent appointment of him to this important role, and is pleased that the extensive experience and expertise he has accrued over many years with TWUSuper, and in the industry, can continue to be utilised,” Galbally adds. “As our previous chief financial officer, and acting CEO…

“What I have heard from the industry is they believe some form of ... standard... around the way someone enters the industry would be worth investigating” TWO CAMPS are forming on the controversial issue of operator licensing for the trucking industry. On one side is the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), which is all for the idea, and points to the British system for inspiration; on the other side is the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), which is dead against the concept and points to the same British experience as a reason not to do it. To operate heavy vehicles in Britain, an applicant has to prove they: are of good repute; have enough money to run the business; have good arrangements for maintaining the vehicles; and can ensure that they and…

 IT IS one thing to have a right and another thing entirely to exercise that right. “DRIVERS … ARE COMING TOGETHER AT PRESENT TO DECIDE THE CLAIMS THEY WILL MAKE ON TOLL, LINFOX AND OTHERS THIS YEAR TO ENSURE THEIR RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED AND THAT SAFETY IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY” Across the country every day we hear of horrific cases of the law being broken where workers are underpaid, threatened with sacking, denied superannuation, and forced to accept massive drops in their rates and conditions. It affects all industries, including transport. But there are also many cases of workers standing together and refusing to have their rights and dignity taken from them. In yards across the country in 2016, truck drivers have exercised their rights and won. A group…

THE VICTORIAN government review into the laws regulating owner-drivers and forestry contractors is unlikely to tell us anything we don’t already know: that road transport is an extremely competitive, low-margin industry in which most operators, especially small and medium-sized, are price takers. What the industry, and individual operators, really need is practical, workable solutions that enable them to survive and thrive in this tough operating environment. The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) debacle showed that regulating rates is not the answer in an industry dominated by independently minded small businesses that by and large want less, not more, government intervention in their enterprises. As Steve Skinner’s story on page 24-25 on the push for an operator licensing or accreditation scheme notes, the 1999 landmark federal parliament report Beyond the Midnight…

A key livestock freight route has been upgraded in Northern Australia with the completion of the $5.8 million Carpentaria Highway project. Part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program, the works improved a 3.8km stretch of the major access route for the Borroloola and Gulf Region. Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion says the highway services up to 15 pastoral stations and is vital to the local economy. “The Carpentaria Highway is the major access route for Borroloola and the Gulf Region, especially for services provided out of Katherine and Darwin,” Scullion says. “These works have made the highway flatter through the dangerously steep Borroloola Jump Up section. It also provides better sight distance to oncoming traffic reducing the risk of crashes.” Northern Territory deputy chief minister Nicole Manison says…

Waiting around is not just a legal issue. As a well-known driver points out, it’s hitting driver recruitment. Glenn ‘Yogi’ Kendall, winner of the 2016 Scania Driver Competition, believes loading and unloading delays are a factor in the current driver shortage. Kendall has been driving interstate for almost 20 years, and sees the time spent away from home as being a massive issue in the industry. This time is amplified due to the lengthy delays at depots. “I believe to get people into trucks and to get younger people into transport, you’ve got to sort out middle management,” he says. Kendall says it’s unacceptable for a driver to arrive to at a depot and be told, “Well, you’re loading … sometime today”. “That doesn’t cut it, because they, the driver,…

“There is not enough money or the will to build sufficient truck bays this year, let alone in the next five years” GOODAYE ALL. We all know trying to do too many things at once often means you don’t do them all well. My humble apologies for not wishing you all merry Christmas in my last column. Here we are at the start of another year, so I can at least wish you a happy new year and hope you had a good Christmas. We all want things to change, but few things will if no one does anything about it. I will start off on a positive note with some thank yous for things on the road. VicRoads will be doing all weighbridges as they are upgraded as they…

KOROIT TRUCK SHOW JANUARY 21, 2017 Koroit, Victoria Held at the Koroit Showgrounds, the event includes truck show and shine (prime movers only), live music, camping, bar, food, market stalls, truckie 50m sprint, car/bike show and kids entertainment. $10,000 in trophies and prizes on offer, including $1000 cash plus $2500 in goods for Rig of the Show. For more info email koroittruckshow@gmail.com  or phone Shirl on 0429 812 464, Graeme on 0408 528 939 or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Koroit-Truck-Show-727176294021720. TOORADIN TRUCK SHOW & TRACTOR PULL JANUARY 21, 2017 Rutter Reserve, Tooradin, Victoria The Tooradin Tractor Pull & Truck Show has been a annual event since 1998 and has grown into a fabulous family day. It is a non-profit event run by a committee of local community…

HYUNDAI’S COMMERCIAL Vehicle’s global expansion is making inroads on Australian shores, with the keenly priced EX Mighty range of light trucks launched locally, and the near-new heavy-duty Xcient prime mover unveiled. The move comes 20 months after the group announced a A$2.4 billion, six-year investment in a global commercial vehicles expansion effort. Allied to this, it is increasing production capacity of the Jeonju plant from 65,000 units to 100,000 units by 2020. The local push is being driven by Peninsula Motor Group boss Dilip Kumar as president and CEO of a reborn Hyundai Commercial Vehicles Australia (HCVA) offering trucks and buses. The plan is for a progressive rollout of the Mighty in various configurations this year, Xcient next year, a 10-tonne Mighty Medium in 2018, and an all-new medium-duty offering…

THE FEDERAL government has committed $828,000 to fund a new Heavy Vehicle Driver Fatigue Research Project to better inform policy makers. Announcing the news, federal transport minister Darren Chester says the funding will go to better understanding truck driver fatigue and to find solutions to its involvement in heavy vehicle road accidents. “Driver fatigue is one of the main causes of road accidents involving heavy vehicles, contributing to approximately 22 per cent of all recorded incidents across the country,” he says. “The annual economic cost of road crashes in Australia is estimated to be around $27 billion, and that doesn’t even begin to touch on the grief and pain suffered by families. I cannot, and will not accept, this situation. Research such as this will ensure we have the right…

A SENATE committee has been left “shocked” by a lack of information available on the state of truck driver licensing across Australia. The ‘Aspects of road safety in Australia’ inquiry, chaired by Senator Glenn Sterle, was sparked by a Sydney incident where unskilled but licensed truck drivers on visas caused chaos on the M5 nearly two years ago. It emerged that troubled registered training organisation (RTO) ACT Training furnished B-double licences to the offending drivers, one of whom was on a student visa and the other on a dependent spouse 457 visa. Though it was brought in by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) to audit the RTO over the M5 issue, the Australian Skills and Quality Authority (ASQA) regulatory operations general manager David Garner admitted its…

RIG OF THE DAY Kenworth T908, TJ & JJ McLean Transport BEST RIG UNDER 2 YEARS Kenworth T409 SAR, Paul Moloney Bulk (below) BEST RIG 2-7 YEARS Freightliner Coronado, Bransgrove Trucking BEST RIG 7-14 YEARS Kenworth K104, Summit Transport BEST RIG OVER 14 YEARS Kenworth T601, PJA Haulage BEST FLEET (3 OR MORE) Gattuso Transport BEST TOW RECOVERY Kenworth T909, Truckworks Australia BEST TILT TRAY Nissan UD 250 MII, Kaos Towing BEST TIPPER Kenworth T909, RJ & CK Trezise BEST CLASSIC TRUCK Mack B75, Barcrem BEST CUSTOM Peterbilt 388, NGH Express…

Broadford Victoria will host the inaugural Spirit of the Hume Truck Display on February 18 and 19, 2017. The Historic Commercial Vehicle Club (HCVC) is organising the event with support from Mitchell Shire Council and assistance from local residents including Archie Baines, Annette Chapman and Ashley Chapman. Archie encourages owners of classic trucks, cars, motorbikes, tractors and other vehicles to exhibit their machines at the static display. Exhibits must be at least 25 years old. A dinner dance at Broadford Shire Hall on Saturday night, February 18, will be a highlight of the new event. The truck show will take place at The Common, on the corner of Murchison and Piper Streets, Broadford. People wishing to display their vehicles do not have to book. For safety reasons, Archie urges owners…

“NO WONDER DRIVERS ARE SO FRUSTRATED WHEN PEOPLE SUCH AS J. STEWART AND THE FOOL MAGISTRATE IN KEMPSEY ARE SO BLINDED BY FOLLOWING THE LAW IN SUCH MINUTE AND FRIVOLOUS DETAIL” THIS IS the story of two ‘P’ described drivers: one a provisional licence holder, maybe 20 years of age; the other a professional driver who has been engaged for 20 years with at least a reasonable record for one constantly on the road. The provisional driver was detected driving unlicensed, under the influence of drugs, with his younger sibling on board. He got a $700 fine and several months’ disqualification, which amounts to merely an inconvenience as he does not rely on his licence for his livelihood. In stark contrast, ‘John’, the professional driver, appeared in court at Kempsey,…

AFTER MANY months putting the final touches to well-publicised plans for the launch of a dedicated tandem-drive rigid truck, UD has now revealed its new Condor PW model. First impressions from short stints behind the wheel of several versions on sealed and unsealed roads at Brisbane’s Mt Cotton Driver Training Centre were highly positive, revealing a simple yet smart specification designed to satisfy a broad range of largely metro roles. In fact, so good was the truck’s performance around Mt Cotton that we asked UD for a re-run, this time in the real world. We’ll get to that shortly. There is, however, more to the arrival of the PW than first meets the eye, and, despite the blatant absence of Volvo Group Australia (VGA) executives from this important new model’s…

PACLEASE AUSTRALIA has expanded its presence in Queensland with the addition of three franchises at Brown & Hurley dealerships in the state. The three locations at Brown & Hurley PacLease Caboolture, Brown & Hurley PacLease Darra, and Brown & Hurley PacLease Yatala will open in the first quarter of 2017. According to PacLease Australia director Olen Hunter, the company is using Paccar Australia’s dealership network to respond to a growing demand for its leasing service. “As a result of increased demand for our truck rental, full service lease and contract maintenance services, we are pleased to announce our expansion into the greater Brisbane market,” Hunter says. “Paccar Australia has the strongest dealer network in the country and we’re pleased to be opening three new franchise locations at Brown & Hurley…