Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 282 i Owner Driver

AUSTRALIA HAS become complacent about the road toll, fears a key frontbencher in the previous federal parliament. Darren Chester says there needs to be more emphasis on light vehicle driver education, newer trucks and regional roads. Chester, from Gippsland in Victoria, was delivering a keynote address at the Australian Trucking Association’s 2016 conference on the Gold Coast, held just before the federal election. As Owner//Driver went to press, he was the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport . “I’m worried that we have become a little bit too complacent about the road toll,” Chester says. “I am worried that we have almost become accepting of the fact that there is a price to pay for a modern transport system and that we’re prepared to pay that price in the order…

THE GLENALA State High School’s Trade Skills Centre (TSC) has been officially opened in southeast Queensland, providing high school students the opportunity to add a heavy vehicle stream to their Certificate 2 Automotive Vocational Preparation course. A federally-funded initiative through Trade Training Centres in Schools Project, the Glenala TSC is the result of a long process, with lobbying for both state and federal funding beginning four years ago. As a result of funding being granted last year, the new centre will begin its working life this month. Contributions of the HVIA’s former entity, the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ), acting as a referee for its funding tender and the donation of a 2000 model Iveco Eurocargo from Iveco Trucks Brisbane ensured the centre was realised. HVIA CEO Brett…

THE AUSTRALIAN Road Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC) has found a temporary home and is likely to open its transport museum to the public this month. ARTHC chairperson Kerry Campbell and his team began assembling a collection of historic trucks and exhibits at the shed in Gundagai last month after a weekend of fundraising activities. A truck show, tractor pull, Hume Highway Reunion Dinner and Sylvia’s Gap Road Run were among the fundraising activities held by ARTHC at Gundagai over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend. Funds were still being tallied when Owner//Driver went to print, but organisers estimate $30,000 was raised. About 65 trucks attended the inaugural Gundagai Truck Show at the Gundagai Showgrounds on Saturday, June 11. After a public vote, Paul Eccleston won the Vintage Choice section with his…

WALKING INTO the sun-filled grounds of Penrith’s Museum of Fire on May 29 for the annual Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show was as good a trip back in time you could ever hope for. Vintage truck shows have become increasingly popular over the years, and this year’s show at Penrith — the fifth running of the event — was arguably the most successful to date. The vehicle exhibitors — and there were more than 200 — were full of enthusiasm. For many, the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show is one of many stops along the vintage truck show circuit around the eastern states. Compared to truck shows of the modern variety, there is no pressure and no place for trophy hunters. It’s simply a day out with family…

ALTHOUGH THE Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show is a trophy-free environment, Dave Handley’s name was pulled out of the barrel for the show’s lucky draw prize. Or, more to the point, it was Dave’s early 1950s International Ute. Dave says he spent three years rebuilding the American-based ute, which boasts an Australian-made body. “One thing about utes, they all have the same amount of damage on them,” he says. Dave’s work on the International was complete and ready to shine for the very first Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show in 2011. He’s taken it to every show since, as well as taking it to the Clarendon Classic Rally and trailering it to the Golden Oldies Truck Show in Dubbo. In his working life, Dave owns and drives an…

IN BRIEF Name: Dean Duffield Company: Raymond Scott Truck: 2013 Kenworth K200 Engine: Cummins EGR Transmission: 18-speed Freight carried: General Regular run: Adelaide-Millicent-Sydney DEAN DUFFIELD had a humble beginning to his interstate truck driving career. His first truck was a little Hino FD. Now he’s behind the wheel of a 2013 Kenworth K200, owned by Mount Gambier-based Raymond Scott, which hauls freight for Scotts of Mt Gambier. Living in Adelaide, Dean explains that he regularly does an Adelaide-Millicent-Sydney triangle twice a week. Dean has been in the K200 for 18 months and doesn’t mind the Kenworth. It has a Cummins EGR set at 500hp and an 18-speed gearbox. “She has had a bit of a hard life and did road trains up to Moomba before I got it,” he explains.…

FEW IN the Australian trucking industry would deny that workshop, parts and customer service staff often don’t get the thanks they deserve. We just want the truck back on the road, now. Techies sometimes don’t even get a warm welcome when they turn up late in the night and in the middle of nowhere to fix a broken down truck. However, Michael Stock certainly feels appreciated by the Volvo Group, with company trips to Thailand and Sweden under his belt this year. Stock was part of the four-person ‘Townsville Barras’ team that made the global finals of Volvo’s ‘Vista’ workshop competition, held in Sweden in the first week of June. “I really enjoyed it,” says Stock, a parts interpreter. “It was quite a learning experience, and it was good fun.”…

THE INAUGURAL Perth Truck Show ’n Shine will take place on September 11 this year, providing a much-needed showpiece for Western Australia’s drivers and owner-drivers. Apart from the biennial industry-based Perth Truck Show held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Perth Truck Show ’n Shine is the first community fundraising event of its type since the last Perth Convoy for Kids in 2009. The venue for the new show is the Kwinana Motorplex, with gates opening at 10am. With BP coming on board as a major sponsor, the Perth Truck Show ’n Shine has also been assisted by KP Fabrication, which has designed mini bull bar trophies to the winning trucks in each category. Truck Centre WA has donated 10 gold Mack bulldogs for the winning truck pull…

“Remember, we’ve been here before with Detroit Diesel” HE’S HARDER to nail down than next week’s winning Lotto numbers. So, honestly, after many months of patient persistence, several false starts and the promise that this would be the day, I really didn’t mean to hit the red button and hang up on Roger Penske before we’d even said ‘G’day’. To his credit, and my immense relief, he rang straight back. “Hi Steve, this is Roger Penske.” Phew! Time was short, and as usual, he’d been traversing Australia for the past six days on one of his infrequent trips to this part of the empire, mixing business with an insatiable, lifelong passion for motor racing. He’d just spent most of the day at Penske Commercial Vehicles headquarters in Brisbane, and now,…

IN KEEPING with Australia’s recent extreme weather conditions along the east coast, Hino says it has worked with a local Australian original equipment manufacturer to design a driving light kit for its 300 and 500 Series vehicles. Furthermore, it claims the lights are produced under the stringent standards of the QDR (Quality, Durability and Reliability) policy. The driving light kits are Hino-approved and now supplied by authorised Hino dealerships. Hino says the LED light kit explores the use of the fast emerging low-power-draw high intensity system that was first introduced into the luxury car market only 15 years ago. It claims to provide spotlight visibility up to 570 metres and a better than 50spread of light up to 329 metres in front of the cab. The compact two-unit light kit…

ALLIANCE TRUCKS Parts has added a range of high-quality truck batteries to its growing model line, claiming that the new batteries have been engineered using cutting-edge technology to provide superior performance and reliability. According to Alliance, the batteries are exceptionally durable in extreme conditions, vibration resistant, and offer superior starting power and reserve capacity. Alliance Truck Parts Gold Plus batteries use EXG technology, which is said to feature special calcium grids that are made using a special manufacturing process with the aim of giving the plates a more compact grain structure. This reportedly makes the batteries inherently stronger, less prone to heat and corrosion, and allows for more efficient production of current conductivity and cranking power. Alliance Truck Parts says the Gold Plus maintenance-free batteries boast superior starting power and…

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN Road Transport Association (SARTA) executive director Steve Shearer has taken another swipe at the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) over its “appalling, misleading scaremongering campaign” that sees a fatigued driver crash into a family-packed car. Reaffirming his disappointment at the campaign, Shearer says it has “disillusioned” its members — shown by “social media comments and from what we are hearing directly within the industry” — resulting in “TWU members … leaving the union and pulling out from its super fund in droves”. “The TWU is in disarray over its false and misleading claims and outrageously manipulative TV and radio campaign,” he says. The SARTA chief was joined by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Kate Carnell in slamming the TWU’s advertisements…

RETIRED TRUCKIE Ian Bartholomew and his wife Nerida are both classic vehicle enthusiasts. In addition to their 1418 Mercedes-Benz and a couple of Diamond Ts, they recently added a 1978 White Road Boss to their growing collection. The couple first eyed the White at last year’s Golden Oldies Truck Show in Dubbo, where the then owner Greg Broughton from Trangie had a ‘for sale’ sign attached to it. “Nerida said she wanted the Road Boss,” Ian says, adding that his wife is the owner of a 1948 Ford Prefect ute. “So we picked it up there, brought it home and cleaned her up, getting all the red dirt out of it. But we’re not going to restore it; we’re just going to leave it as is.” Ian and Nerida, members…

DRIVING A 1969 Bedford, Karl Coggan-Bytheway was another from the Hunter Valley Commercial Vehicle Club to make the trip south to Penrith for the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show. Although not a commercial vehicle driver himself, Karl has developed a keen interest in trucks, mainly through his truck-driving father Kevin. “I’m a heavy fabricator by trade, specialising in aluminium. This is just a hobby for me,” Karl says. Karl bought the Bedford around three years ago after seeing it at the Mangrove Mountain Truck Show. He already had one project on the go at home, a little K5 International, but it wasn’t quite ready for the road. “I came back about a week later and picked her up,” he says. “All we did was put some fuel and batteries…

Dear Owner//Driver IS MOOREBANK SUITABLE? THE AUSTRALIAN Government, together with private enterprise, plan to build Australia’s largest inland container terminal at Moorebank, NSW. For the past seven years, the proponents of the proposal — Moorebank Intermodal Company Ltd (MIC) and Qube Logistics — have continually claimed that Moorebank is the most suitable site for this facility. These people have continually ignored numerous issues relating to its suitability, one being that the local road network is near its capacity and in need of massive upgrades to cater for the increase in both heavy and light vehicles. The weather that hit Sydney on June 4 and 5, in the case of Liverpool, saw horrendous traffic congestion due to flooding of a number of local roads, including Newbridge Road, a major arterial road…

KEEPING THE wheels of industry and agriculture turning can be a challenge in regional Australia. The tyranny of distance and a changeable climate makes for a big job description. Esperance-based South East Petroleum, on the South Coast of Western Australia, is tasked with keeping the fuel flowing to the southern wheatbelt’s farmers and industry. It’s an isolated and sparsely populated area that clings to the granite, sand, scrub and clay of the Esperance Plains sandwiched between the Southern Ocean and the goldfields to the north. The Port of Esperance is the area’s gateway to the world: 50 per cent of Australia’s wheat crop is grown in WA, and more than 95 per cent of that harvest is exported to foreign markets, some of which passes through this port. Yet this…

IVECO AUSTRALIA has continued to expand its dealer network following recent appointments in Western Australia and Queensland. Following the appointment of AV Truck Services earlier this year in Western Australia as a full line dealership, Kalgoorlie-based Goldfields Truck Power has also come on board as a full line Iveco outlet. Iveco has also appointed specialist Daily van and cab chassis dealerships, offering dedicated sales, servicing and parts support for these models. The new Daily dealerships include Perth Iveco Centre (DVG Group) in Victoria Park and Rockingham-based Bergman Auto Group Iveco, to handle the region south of Perth. In Queensland, North Pine Daily Iveco in Petrie has also been appointed as a specialist Daily dealership. Iveco Australia network development manager Matteo Gambaro says the recent expansion of the Daily range —…

I WON’T beat around the bush. Now more than ever, the Volvo FM stands out as one of my all-time favourite trucks. Not because it belts out blistering performance, or provides a lavish ‘office’ with all the bells and whistles, or for its ability to make other drivers envious and deliver an ego trip every time you step into the cab. Nor is entirely fault-free. In fact, if it came to choosing a big banger to run the length and breadth of the country, I would shamelessly prefer something with more cubes, more bunk and a snout out the front. So what is it that makes the ubiquitous FM such a standout attraction? Well, in my estimation — and obviously the estimations of many others — it’s just so right…

BRAZIL HAS been making the headlines in recent weeks for all the wrong reasons. In response, private security company Prosegur has brought in special armoured Scania trucks to carry out its transport. Prosegur has operated in Brazil since 1981, providing cash transport services and solutions for security and alarms for homes and small and medium-sized businesses. According to Alessandro Abraham, director-general of Prosegur in Brazil, there are a couple of key reasons for the increase in the demand for transport of special cargo. One is the significant and growing share of road transport in cargo transportation in Brazil, which grew by 59 per cent in 2014. Another reason is the increasing theft of cargo in the country, which amounts to BRL 1 billion per year (approximately EUR 250 million). In…

RENAULT’S LIGHT Commercial Vehicle sales continue on an upward trajectory, with sales year-to-date up 50 per cent according to figures issued by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries’ VFACTS. In line with Renault’s 18 straight years of European LCV market leadership, Renault says it is making significant strides towards the same objective in Australia. At the end of May, deliveries of 1876 Renault LCVs year-to-date were up from 1253 in the same period last year. In May 2016, Kangoo finished second in class for sales — year-to-date sales total 408 vans (and 29.5 per cent market share), which is up 8.2 per cent in a segment down 15 per cent compared with the first five months of 2015. Trafic sales of 146 vans in May took 7.9 per cent market…

CONTINENTAL HAS recently released its 2016 VDO catalogue alongside a host of new accessories. VDO Radios are now included, and the eight models are said to suit a wide range of applications in 12V and 24V with practical modern functionality. The audio range boasts 4x12V and 4x24V radios with different features for on-road and off-road uses in utes, 4WDs, commercial vehicles and industrial applications, including contractors’ equipment, graders, heavy commercial vehicles, bobcats, forklifts and farm machinery. The basic range of radios come with a front auxiliary input and USB port for iPhones and MP3 players. Other models come with a front auxiliary input and USB port, plus the added benefit of Bluetooth. There are radios featuring CD tuners, USB port and rear auxiliary input, radios with CD tuner, USB port,…

THE ALLEGED actions of one truck driver flaunting the law has sparked the New South Wales arm of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to call upon its state government to take action against “dodgy operators in dodgy trucks”. The call for action comes after a Queensland-registered truck was allegedly discovered last month with a range of defects and an engine module download that suggested the vehicle had allegedly travelled at speeds of up to 134km/h. The vehicle was intercepted at the Pine Creek Heavy Vehicle Safety Station as part of Operation Impact, a joint initiative from the police, highway authorities, and Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) inspectors. NSW police suggested the vehicle and attached trailer suffered problems including “oil leaks, exhaust system leaks, and braking issues related to excessive travel.”…

NIGEL FELTON from All Purpose Transport in south-east Queensland was honoured at last month’s Trucking Australia 2016 conference on the Gold Coast, winning the National Professional Driver of the Year award. Felton’s award was one of six announced during the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) Foundation Sponsors Gala Dinner. Bryan Smith from Rocky’s Own Transport was given the nod for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry. Another Queensland company, Berrinba-based All Purpose Transport, won the National Training Excellence Award. Melissa Taylor, from Taylor’s Removals and Storage in Toowoomba, was voted Trucking Industry Woman of the Year. The TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award went to Fellows Bulk Transport of Deniliquin, NSW, and ATA stalwart Doug McMillan received the the Don Watson Memorial Award.…

AT FIRST, Scott Montgomery’s plan was to keep his restored 1981 Mack Cruise-Liner as a showpiece. After all, he puts his ’94 Ultra-Liner to work most days. However, the Cruise-Liner that Scott had on display at the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show is on full rego, mostly operating out of Banksmeadow wharf. Scott bought it in October 2012, but it wasn’t his first option. He drove up to Grafton to take a look at another truck belonging to Brian Taylor of Banana Coast Heavy Towing. “It was in nine million bits … too big a project for me,” he says. “But he had the Cruise-Liner up there, and I’ve always been interested in these.” Scott returned to Grafton two weeks later, floated the Cat-powered Mack back on a drop-deck…

A RARE Leyland Albion belonging to Geoff Martin attracted plenty of attention at the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show. For Geoff, however, the tilt-cab Albion is more than simply a showpiece; it’s also a reminder of a past life. Geoff started working for coal haulage company S&M Fox, owned by Stan and Millie Fox, in 1970. Stan Fox, also a prominent racehorse owner, passed away in 1974. The company was bought out by Clutha and Geoff drove for them until 1984, running to the mines at Nattai, Oakdale and the Top Wash. Although he was a qualified mechanic, he began driving trucks because it was a better paid job. “A Mack was the last truck I drove there. I had a Mercedes and two Leylands, the half door one…

“I’M JUST a Kenworth man,” says Ray Marshall, 73, when asked to explain what he likes about the brand. “I don’t buy anything else but Kenworths.” Ray has been buying Kenworths since he founded Ray Marshall Transport in 1993, and has been impressed with the resale value and ease of maintenance. He owns 13 of them. The T950s are his favourites. A 2000 T950 is the oldest truck in his fleet: “I wouldn’t sell that. I wouldn’t part with it.” Two 2015 limited edition Legend T950s are his newest trucks. “They are on a par with everything else,” Ray says. “You won’t get any better.” The popular T950s were produced at Bayswater between 1992 and 2007 and were offered again as a limited edition series last year. “I just needed…

IN BRIEF NAME: Mat Duff COMPANY: Neil Mansell Transport TRUCK: 2013 Kenworth T909 ENGINE: Cummins EGR TRANSMISSION: 18-speed FREIGHT CARRIED: Heavy haulage REGULAR RUN: Most of Australia NEIL MANSELL Transport’s distinctive mustard and red trucks have been working hard across Australia for many years, providing transport services for the oil and gas industry. Mat Duff drives one of Mansell’s Kenworth T909s pulling a five-axle Lusty Low Loader float. It’s Mat’s second stint with the company. He left after 12 months, went cattle carting, and has been back with Mansell’s for the past two years. According to Mat, one of the advantages over doing heavy haulage work over livestock is the variety. “With livestock, depending on who you are working for, you generally cover a certain area, whereas with this outfit…

IN BRIEF DRIVER’S NAME: Rod Watson COMPANY: Rod Watson Heavy Haulage TRUCK: Western Star 4900 ENGINE: Cat 600hp TRANSMISSION: 18-speed FREIGHT CARRIED: Machinery REGULAR RUN: All over Tasmania TASMANIAN ROD WATSON, together with his wife Tanya, operates Rod Watson Heavy Haulage. The couple have known both good and tough times in the industry and currently operate a C16 Cat-powered 2007 Western Star 4900. Rod has had thoughts about updating, but others have advised him to stick with the tried and true. The Western Star has AirLiner rear suspension, and he says the 600hp Cat engine goes like a train. “I’ve put a bigger non-wastegated turbo on it and polished the manifold,” he says. “With 70 to 80 tonne on, you can pull away from other trucks carrying 50 to 60…

TO CELEBRATE its partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering, Iveco Australia is releasing a limited run of 560hp Stralis AS-L prime movers. Made in Melbourne using 55 per cent local componentry, the Stralis AS-L is the official team transporter of TeamVortex and Red Bull Racing Australia. Iveco says each unit is offered with a $5000/month (inc. GST) operating lease, five year or 1,000,000km Iveco new vehicle warranty; five year or 1,000,000km Iveco engine warranty; five year or 1,000,000km of free scheduled servicing; $5000 TeamVortex fuel card, and $5000 (inc. GST) rebate on the first monthly lease payment. Those who purchase before the five-week build date start will be offered a factory tour to see their vehicle leave the production line. The units feature custom Red Bull Racing Australia/TeamVortex livery, a…