Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 274 i Owner Driver

A PLAN to introduce minimum pay rates for owner-drivers has divided the trucking industry, with critics warning it could spell the end of contractors, while supporters believe it has the potential to improve the industry. The Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) is facing the task of trying to strike a balance between competing viewpoints as it tries to ensure owner-drivers are paid a sustainable rate for the work they do, including time spent waiting, unloading or loading and taking rest breaks. The RSRT wants mandatory hourly and kilometre payments for owner-drivers involved in supermarket distribution and line-haul work in place by January 1, 2016, with rates determined based on driver classification, the equipment being provided and the work being performed. However, well-known transport firm Border Express claims the proposed rates…

Josh Leetham, pictured, brought along an 8x4 DAF slider tilt tray owned by Decentralised Demountables, one of three company trucks at the show. Another DAF, a waste collection truck, and a K200 Kenworth were also on display. John says he enjoys the DAF’s comfort and power. “It’s 460hp [343kW] and they went for a twin steer to be able to carry more weight, like the big forklift we cart around a lot to move our buildings” Josh says. Josh says his first job with the company was a trip up to Katherine. “It was a big eye opener and a chance to get a look at Australia,” he says. Josh went on to win the trophy for Best Rigid and, like many others, believes the truck show can only be…

People’s Choice: Stan Quinn, Shepparton; Kenworth K104 Best Truck 3 years and under: Scott Congram, Finley; Kenworth C509 Best Truck 4-9 years: David Thomas, Wallan; 2008 Kenworth Best Truck 10-25 years: Tim Gray, Finley; 1991 Peterbilt 370 Best Truck 29-39 years: Sonya Kelly, Bamawm; 1985 Kenworth W900 Best Truck 40+ years: Neville Campbell, Cobram; 1956 Ford F500 Best Vintage Truck: Neville Campbell, Cobram; 1956 Ford F500 Best Local Truck: Brad Russell, Moana; 2013 Kenworth T909 Best Small Fleet: Fellows Bulk Transport, Deniliquin Best Rigid: Josh Leetham Deniliquin; 2015 DAF Lights on the Plains Winner: Andrew Dunn, Deniliquin…

Phil Winkless might have been born into the truck sales business, but he started at the bottom and says he’s received “no favours” from his famous father Max Winkless over all these years. Phil, 60, studied accountancy but has done it all in the family truck dealerships, from working behind the spare parts counter to handling warranty claims and workshop administration. (He also ran his own car dealership in Albany for seven years.) A friendly bloke like Max, Phil describes the truck sales and service game as “fantastic”. “You really do make great friends in the industry,” he says. “You sell someone a truck and they become a part of your business for the next five years at least, because that is usually how long they’ve got it, and you…

Letters to the Editor need to be typed or clearly handwritten and be no more than 500 words. Letters should include name, title (e.g. owner-driver, manager) and city for publication, unless otherwise requested. Letters may be edited for clarity or space. Please be concise, so we can offer more people an opportunity to express themselves. Dear Owner//Driver WARNING TO RETIRED DRIVERS RETIRED OR semi-retired drivers need to be careful accepting employment from companies seeking drivers to ferry new and/or used trucks both locally and long distance. Despite advertising for drivers with minimum heavy combination licences, most do not in fact pay drivers rates of pay. Instead they rely on a somewhat bizarre legal loophole to pay minimum wages, i.e., very low hourly rates and no penalties. They have somehow convinced…

IT IS a sunny Saturday afternoon and Dave Schuppan has just finished washing his 2014 Kenworth T909 at his home at Lara Lakes near Table Top, New South Wales. “I give it a wash every night when I get home,” Dave says. “I just debug it all and hose the rest of it off, then give it a half-decent wash on the weekends.” The ‘half decent’ washes usually take him about three hours, and he enjoys every minute of the weekly ritual. The T909 is a highway truck, so it is easy to keep clean in good weather. A last minute decision to have the fuel tanks painted blue before he picked the truck up from Twin City Truck Centre, Wodonga, has saved him countless hours of polishing. Similarly, the…

THE ALBURY Convoy for Kids on October 4 made truckies feel proud to be truckies. Proudest of all was John Oswald, the humble coordinator of the truck convoy. “I’m proud to be involved in the transport industry and to have the opportunity to help out the way we can,” says John, who volunteers for Country Hope which organised the charity fundraiser. “We’re raising money to help children that are very needy. And at the same time we’re helping other families to go out and enjoy themselves at a reasonable cost.” It was John’s suggestion which prompted Country Hope to organise their successful inaugural convoy in 2014. He believes the family atmosphere has contributed to the popularity of the event. Truck drivers are often away from their families because of the…

MORE THAN 100 Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ) members, their staff and invited guests gathered together at the Sky Room, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on October 8 to celebrate the achievements of some of the industry’s most talented apprentices at the annual 2015 CVIAQ Awards Night. The event was sponsored by Bauer Trader Media, publishers of Owner//Driver. The format of a stand up cocktail style function was well supported and well received by those that attended. The less formal style ensured tradesmen, apprentices and management all came together to support their colleagues who were nominated for the awards. The highlight of the evening was the announcement and presentation of the 2015 CVIAQ Apprentice of the Year Award, won by Darrell Bartley from Cummins South Pacific. The awards’…

YOU’LL BE hard-pressed to find a nicer bloke in the Australian trucking industry than Terry Warn. The first time this writer came across Warn, 61, I thought he was a friendly driver. Turned out he was the owner of the company. The company is ABS Transport Industries, based at Carrum Downs in Melbourne’s south-east, with depots all over Australia. With mostly flat top trailers and open drop decks, ABS specialises in prescribed waste, dangerous goods, over-dimensional, general freight, and storage. It’s been around for 40 years this year, quietly and steadily building up to 40 prime movers and 70 trailers along with up to 30 subbies, while watching many others get big quick and then go bust. Warn might seem laid-back, but the former diesel mechanic and owner-driver tries to…

IVECO HAS given buyers in the market for a light commercial vehicle a tempting deal with its new Daily 4x2 coming with two years’ free servicing. The catch is that the Daily must be purchased before December 31 this year. The servicing includes parts and labour at participating Iveco dealerships. Iveco points out that its latest Daily range holds the prestigious International Van of the Year Award and offers Australian buyers an array of features including availability of an 8-speed full automatic transmission, class-leading engines of up to 205hp (150kW) with 347ft-lb (470Nm) of torque. It also lays claim to be the largest of any van in the Australian market. Iveco Trucks Australia Marketing Manager, Darren Swenson, said the free servicing offer would appeal to many prospective buyers. “With Iveco…

HINO AUSTRALIA is the latest manufacturer to alert truck owners to the potential risk of damage to vehicles caused by the use of non-genuine urea AdBlue or diesel exhaust fluid and lubricants that do not meet original equipment manufacturer standards. AdBlue is required in Hino 700 Series trucks that use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control systems to meet the current regulations. Hino says ‘pirate’ AdBlue from non-authorised sources has the potential to damage the AdBlue dosing unit and/or the SCR muffler unit, which leads to expensive repairs. It says failure of the AdBlue dosing unit (and therefore the SCR system) can cause NOx emissions levels to rise. Additionally, SCR system failure can lead to significantly reduced engine power output due to the truck’s engine control unit registering increased emission…

THE BAD news on fatal crashes involving heavy-rigid trucks shows no sign of abating and hopes the trend may have peaked have been dashed. The April-June edition of the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ (BITRE) Fatal Heavy Vehicle Crashes — Quarterly Bulletins shows heavy rigid fatal crashes increased 5.3 per cent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier and increased by an average of 2.8 per cent per year over the three years to June 2015. The outcome is in contrast with fatal crashes involving articulated trucks, which decreased 16.5 per cent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier and decreased by an average of 5.9 per cent per year over the same three years to June. The BITRE report says 213 people died from 182…

An old Kenworth SAR belonging to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service had its fair share of attention during the show. The Deniliquin branch had already planned to have a display on the day, but the SAR was an added attraction. Laurie Coonan (pictured above), the brigade president in Deniliquin, says the truck can legally haul 25,000 litres of water in three of its five compartments. “It’s an extremely good bit of gear to have,” Laurie says. “The engine had just been done up prior to us taking possession. “It has a 400 Cummins and goes like the proverbial shower; it’s very handy here in the dry times.” Laurie says the tight-knit group of fire service drivers keep the old truck in good order.…

JAMIE WALLACE was busy hosing out crates behind a 6900 series Western Star Constellation at the Gracemere saleyards, but was happy to take a break to chat with Owner//Driver about his 30 years behind the wheel, and the livestock industry in general. The Queensland town of Gracemere is around 9km west of Australia’s beef capital Rockhampton. It’s a regular destination for Jamie, who drives for Willoughby Livestock Transport near Mackay. Jamie has witnessed many changes in the industry over the years, in particular the safety aspects of livestock. “The key thing is to look after your cattle while you are travelling,” he says. “Then you shouldn’t have an issue. “If you aren’t treating a beast right, you never know who’s looking over your shoulder. “It is all about animal welfare…

THIS OLD Mack might not look real flash, but its owner gives it plenty of TLC and says it goes like a train. Brian Shiner has been wanting to send his 1990 workhorse to a paint shop for a decade, but like a lot of owner-drivers he says he hasn’t had both the necessary time and money at once. But he’ll get around to it one day and in the meantime there’s nothing wrong with what counts, which is underneath the skin. And the V8’s note is awesome. The old girl has done just over 2.5 million kilometres, with a reconditioning job at 1.4 million kilometres, despite no major problems “so it’s nearly due to be done again,” Brian says. He bought the Brisbane-built Valueliner — which is the successor…

FOR A long time I was never a very relaxed flyer, though strangely enough it was large airliners that freaked me out more than being packed into a little Cessna. To overcome this sense of unease, I used to sit in my seat and scope out my fellow passengers and try to identify what role they would play in an aviation disaster. Clearly the fat guy would die on impact but would the lady next to him emerge with a tough resilience? Would the stressed out looking bloke in the business suit finally snap and have to be restrained in an emergency? And who would I have to resort to eating if we were stranded in a remote location waiting for a rescue? I’ve always imagined I was alone in…

MACK HAS completed its most expensive build on Australian soil with a customised Super-Liner on its way to Malaysia’s Sultan of Johor. The bespoke truck features a luxury leisure deck, gold-thread embroidery, a golden tiger hood ornament from Wallace Bishop and a specially-designed sleeper unit 80 per cent larger than standard with imported South African leather upholstery. Mack Trucks Australia says the price tag for the extravagant truck is a secret, but “it’s certainly the highest ever for a Mack truck, easily smashing the previous record of $481,000 for a customised United States-built rig.” Built at Mack’s Wacol factory in Brisbane, sultan Ibrahim Ismail’s Super-Liner is designed to lug his private powerboat around Malaysia. The design for the truck began a year ago, Mack says, with its vice-president Dean Bestwick…

SCANIA SAYS it is boosting productivity for distribution operators with the P-series 8x2 Twin Steer curtain-sider that permits an additional 5,000kg of payload to be carried in a 9.1m body, compared with a traditional 6x2 configuration. The 8x2 Twin Steer claims to provide the added benefit of removing worries of front axle overloading or diminishing load imbalances. According to Scania, total payload is now 13,900kg, with space for 14-pallets and a pallet jack on board, which is aimed at enhancing productivity for operators who are often paid by weight delivered, and who may now transport heavier loads per shift. In addition, Scania on-board scales offer a digital read-out on the dashboard so drivers can tell instantly how much weight they have over each of the four axles, reducing the chance…

IN RECENT years the growth in and around the Port of Brisbane has called for another truckstop to meet the needs of industry. In 2014 BP heeded the call, and this month the BP Port of Brisbane is celebrating its first birthday. Situated at Export Street, Lytton, just a few metres from the busy Port of Brisbane Motorway, the relatively new BP truckstop is under the same management umbrella as the popular BP Archerfield, one of a strong chain of truckstops around Australia. Site manager Chris Harper is no stranger to truckstops, especially the BP variety. He spent three years at the BP in Parkes, and says it was a no-brainer for the fuel company to spread its wings to the Port of Brisbane. “They obviously spotted the amount of…

IT’S GETTING near the end of 2015, but it’s been an important year in transport so far. There has been much talk about increasing rates and mandating minimum rates for the owner-driver, with the desired view to create safe rates. It has been very heartening to read much that has been written about the subject from both sides. There’s always going to be different points of view on such an important subject. One such person that deserves mention is Border Express boss Grant Luff. It is hard not to admire someone that has the strength of conviction to say it how it is. For Luff to admit his company only pays its owner-drivers per trip, and not by the hours taken to do the job, is not only brave but…

THE SOUTHERN New South Wales town of Deniliquin is well known for its annual Deni Ute Muster. On September 12, however, it was time for the trucks to have their day. Deniliquin relies on road transport to service its produce, public and primary industries. It’s a truck town and this was reflected in the close to 50 rigs turning out for the show. Gary Newman, who drives for O’Sullivans Livestock, was the first to raise the initial concept for the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo. “I checked my Facebook and that was back on November 2 last year when I contacted John Creenaune who is now our president,” Gary says. “He called a meeting and 15 people attended and we got a committee of seven out of that.” “They…

While all the big rigs turned heads, there weren’t many people that walked past Harold Lister’s pint-sized International 190s without taking a second look. Harold, who arrived at the show with Ray Carter, had moved to Moama after retiring from the industry back in 1972. “I was bored and started doing up cars but that was costing us too much money,” Harold says. “Anyway, while down at a fibreglass place I saw a bloke with a little Kenworth cabin and thought, bugger it, I’m going to do up an old Inter.” For further impact Harold added a two-deck crate. His son Rob, a sign-writer in Ararat, added the Lister’s Livestock name to the truck as Harold operated 190s back in the 1960s and ’70s.…

MAX WINKLESS is the classic poor boy done good. A child of the Great Depression and its aftermath, the 87-year-old recalls plenty of Christmas Days when there were not only no presents, but there was not enough food to eat either. His parents had been in vaudeville when they were married, and father Frederick supplemented his passion as a magician with being a jack of all trades including sideshow manager, carpenter and butcher. Max left school at age 13, dyslexic and able to read but not write very well. After being knocked back from the navy due to being colour-blind, and then labouring, the youngster found himself driving a truck around Sydney as a 15-year-old during World War II. He later became a major part of the interstate trucking story…

Tabata method involves exercising single muscle groups for eight sets of 20 seconds work with 10 seconds rest between each set (four minutes). Complete eight rounds before starting the next exercise and so on for the entire workout. As far as metabolic training and conditioning for sport goes, this is the king of all conditioning and fat loss methods. 1. SQUAT WITH FLAT HEEL 2. LUNGE LATERAL 3. LUNGE JUMPS WORKOUT — LEGS LIKE LEGS SHOULD LOOK The exercises I use here to work your legs using the Tabata methods are: a) Start with exercise 1. and complete as many reps as you can in 20 seconds. b) After 20 seconds have a complete rest for 10 seconds. c) Then complete the next seven sets in the same conduct. d)…

RUSSELL BARRIE arrived in the trucking industry through peanuts. Not the peanuts that drivers and subbies often believe they’re being paid, but through the family peanut farm at Kumbia, just outside of Kingaroy in Queensland. Russell’s dad Doug Barrie grew peanuts for 30 years and, although that part of Russell’s life is now history, the company name of Barrie Farming and his 2013 Freightliner Argosy are reminders of those times. Nowadays, Russell is based on the Sunshine Coast, hauling general goods between Brisbane and Townsville. The two-year-old Argosy has a 110-inch (279cm) cab, powered by a Detroit DD15 Diesel. Russell added a few extras, bumping up the prime mover’s original price, although he countered that somewhat by opting for an 18-speed manual over the more expensive automatic. “Bullbar, light bar,…

BLESSING FOR BENZ MERCEDES-BENZ received spiritual attention on October 13 when Pope Francis was on hand to bless the first Mercedes-Benz Vito to be produced in his home country of Argentina. At the ceremony held in the Vatican, the head of the Roman Catholic Church also affixed his signature to the white Vito Tourer (see photo below). Mercedes-Benz Argentina, the national subsidiary of Daimler Group, is donating this very special Vito — a seven-seater model featuring front-wheel drive and petrol engine — to Scholas Occurrentes, an aid organisation supported by Pope Francis. The van will be auctioned at a later date. The proceeds will benefit sports, art and technology projects of the organisation. These aim at enhancing the integration of socially disadvantaged children and teenagers into society. VISY COY ON…

COMPLAINTS FROM operators about modern truck engines are nothing new — concerns around reliability or running costs are commonplace. The drive for cleaner-running diesel engines that has been under way since before the turn of the century has spawned some of the biggest jumps in engine technology that trucking has seen for decades. Such a radical change in the way big bore engines burn fuel and put power to the ground has not been without some teething issues, especially in a demanding transport environment such as Australia’s. Interestingly, much of this has taken place against the backdrop of getting more from less. Engine downsizing continues to be a global trend and in many markets power plants of 12 to 13 litres are becoming the norm as fuel economy and emissions…

HERE’S A question that will be a bit tricky for a lot of truck drivers and fleet managers. What’s the difference between a power divider and a diff lock? The answer is that the power divider locks the front axle to the rear axle on a tandem axle set; and the differential lock locks both wheels on the same axle, ensuring that they spin at the same speed. In the cab of a truck you might have three switches for extra traction in the rough stuff: one for the power divider — which is also called an ‘inter-axle differential’; and two for the diff locks on each drive axle. Knowing when to use each of them properly could prevent a driver getting bogged in a paddock or on the dirt;…

FOLLOWING WHAT is says was extensive research involving several operators, lubrication equipment specialist Macnaught has unveiled its new grease gun, aptly titled the Powergun. Not surprising, Macnaught says the results of this research revealed that a majority of operators view greasing as the worst part of servicing machinery. In short, this came down to effort, mess, awkward positions of many grease nipples, and the time it takes to grease all points. Then there’s the issue of air-operated grease guns leaving tangled airlines across workshop floors creating a trip hazard. Hence, the Macnaught Powergun high performance Li Ion grease gun. While battery operated grease guns are nothing new, Macnaught says the Powergun features the latest in Li Ion technology for longer battery life; ergonomic design for safe ease of use and…

TOMAZOS TRANSPORT has praised the Navman Wireless GPS fleet tracking system for being instrumental in its winning of the Institute of Quarrying Australia’s 2015 Caterpillar Continuous Improvement Award. Announced on October 16, the award recognises the improvement and evolution of an Australian business through structured and measured continuous improvements. Tomazos’ transport and logistics operations manager Keith Joy says the Navman Wireless system has resulted in significant costs savings for the transport company. “Since the installation we have utilised the programmes to cut costs, increase fleet efficiency, communicate with drivers, prolong the life of vehicle parts, promote good driver behaviour, and track [workplace health and safety] and fatigue management,” Joy says. “Not only have we reduced our insurance premiums by 52 per cent, we also have cut our fuel usage by…