Innehållsförteckning för Issue 284 från Owner Driver

THE NEW South Wales’General Carriers Contract Determination (GCCD) has exposed, yet again, the divisions within the road transport industry. What started out as purely a state issue has leaked over borders north and south and involved other trucking bodies, state and national. What was for many years a settled approach to negotiations in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission has been rudely interrupted by a resurgent NatRoad keen to ensure the experience of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) was not visited on state members after being seen off federally. Late on the RSRT scene and under-prepared for the Contractor Driver Minimum Payment Road Safety Remuneration Order (RSRO) hearings, NatRoad, under Warren Clark’s relatively recent leadership, has been determined to inject itself into any developments that echo the previous battle. What…

THE FIRST designated NatRoad Owner-Driver Delegate Forum, held during the association’s recent conference, brought to life the frustrations felt by small fleet operators and owner-drivers in regards to the authorities. Others vented their spleen over the inability to park B-doubles in capital cities after dropping off a load and, according to their work diary, being out of hours. Prior to the conference, NatRoad had formed an Owner-Driver Working Group comprising Fiona Coombs (GK & FL Combs), Maggie Welsh (Welsh Freight Services), Gordon Mackinlay (Mackinlay Transport), Pauline Kearney (Glen Kearney Transport), Wayne Lewis (Wayne Lewis Transport), Glyn Castanelli (G & L Castanelli Trucking), Ken Wilkie (RWS Transport) and Kevin McIntosh (DK McIntosh). NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says the organisation is ultimately based around grassroots people, especially as owner-drivers make up 60…

FLEET OWNER Toxfree has found that signing up to a campaign aimed at saving the lives of the most vulnerable can reinforce a company safety message it sees as crucial to proper internal operations. The waste management firm teamed up with socially conscious truck maker Volvo earlier this year to support its Stop, Look Wave safety campaign that highlights awareness of children and children’s awareness around trucks. With thousands of waste and recycling trucks on the streets every day, 717 Toxfree drivers will now be educated to wave back to kids, Toxfree group marketing manager Joanne Buckingham says. “This campaign will assist our drivers to embrace a stronger safety culture and give a positive message back to the children,” Buckingham says. “One of our core values is safety. Obviously we…

ASTHMATIC ENGINES, questionable brakes, and appalling electrics. Sound familiar? Yep, I’m talking about any old British banger that I’ve had the misfortune to spend more than a couple of minutes in over the years. Commer, Morris, Thames, basically anything clagged together with tack welds, devilled ham and mustard in the British Isles — and of course, how could I leave out Bedford. I learnt to drive in a J3 Bedford at the age of 10, and it was more than five years before I found out that not all trucks jump out of second gear. Driving my Uncle’s Ford F600 tipper a few years later was a revelation! The J series was a hugely popular truck in Oz — apparently both Pakistan and Australia were the biggest markets for the…

IT WAS 2007, and for a bloke usually so decisive and definite, Ken Cowell wasn’t sure what he’d do after 28 years with Volvo. The Swedish brand had been the heart of his professional life, and the decision to leave was anything but easy. He had achieved so much with Volvo, in the process becoming one of the most respected and accomplished truck engineers in the business. But the company had changed, and so had he. It was simply time to move on to other things, whatever they were. Sure, there were certainly opportunities for an engineering executive with his range of skills and experience, and his contacts were extensive, but initially he was content to just sit back for a while and see what turned up. Predictably, it wasn’t…

WHATEVER YOUR opinion of Mercedes-Benz trucks — good, bad or indifferent — prepare yourself for change. A big change. If you think Benz trucks of the past were good, then this truck has the makings to be the best Benz ever. If you think Benz trucks of the past were bad, then this truck has the potential to bury the past in its dust. And if you’re indifferent and don’t really care about Benz trucks one way or the other, this truck could be just the thing to stoke the fires of interest. Sure, they’re big statements, and there’s no doubt I’m sitting out on a limb with the distinct risk of gathering a few sharp splinters, particularly given that full specifications and the exact model range are still under…

IVECO HAS announced a more convenient way for owners and prospective buyers of Iveco trucks to access the most up-to-date information on the brand and its products on their smartphones or tablets with the release of the new ‘My Iveco’ app. Iveco says the free app offers an easy-to-use platform with up-to-date content and a host of other useful features. The local version of ‘My Iveco’ contains information specifically designed for Australian and New Zealand customers and all the content is regularly maintained. A ‘Kiosk’ section features a complete library of Iveco product brochures available in the local market, including the Daily and Stralis, along with the Eurocargo, Acco and Powerstar models. According to Iveco, customers and prospects are able to scroll through this material accessing the information on their…

NAVMAN HAS released its new satellite navigation device, the EZY350LMT, which the company says is one of the most comprehensive on the market. “Life’s complicated enough and with the EZY350LMT, we wanted to give customers a straightforward GPS that also has some of the best navigation features to help make life easier for drivers on the roads,” country director of Navman Australia Wendy Hammond says. “Our signature Smart Find lets you type in keywords to search a location even without having the full address. “The device can figure out which route to take before you set off whether it be fastest, easiest, economical or shortest.” “If you by any chance do hit a bit of traffic, well Navman has your back again with Live Traffic Updates, which will recalculate your…

FORMER OWNER-DRIVER Glenn Munn, from Ron Crouch Transport, was all smiles when his name was announced as the winner of the NatRoad Professional Driver of the Year award for 2016. It was one of a series of awards presented during this year’s NatRoad Conference in Cairns on August 19, with Jason Burton from National Tilt Tray Service taking out the 2016 Transport Youth Award. In addition, NatRoad CEO Warren Clark announced Haset Sali as the winner of the Ted Pickering Memorial Trophy for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Road Freight Industry. Clark also recognised 13 companies for continuous membership with NatRoad, including its forerunning associations – the Long Distance Transport Association (1948) and the National Transport Federation (1986). A number of NatRoad members were handed a Foundation Member Award, including…

Volvo Trucks has been focusing on safety since its humble beginnings in 1927. With an ultimate goal of zero accidents with its products, the company is continuously developing systems to make that happen. Its campaign is a guide for transport companies and schools, which includes an interactive 30-minute slideshow starring an animated truck driver named Tim, who also warns about blind spots and trailer sweep on corners. The slideshow is accompanied by an interactive story told by the facilitator, specifically designed to grab the attention of school children. It also doubles as a good general introduction to trucks for kids, and can be presented by trucking company representatives in the presence of class teachers or parents. A truck is also used on-site to help demonstrate the message.…

ALICE MABIN, or Al, as she prefers to be known, had already tasted success with her hardcover photographic book The Drover. Coming from a rural background in New Zealand, Alice travelled the show jumping circuit, worked on New Zealand sheep properties, and later for Pfizer in the animal health industry. All valuable experiences that held her in good stead in preparation for The Drover, which went on to sell 16,000 copies in Australia. For Alice’s second book, The Driver — Australia and New Zealand on the Back of a Truck, she was starting from scratch. A seemingly brave endeavour –—profiling a much-maligned industry. Alice knew a little about the New Zealand road transport, however the vast network of Australia’s trucking industry was a different beast altogether. Ironically, it was an…

“Councils are made up of people that are on an early retirement plans.” Dear Owner//Driver DEFECTIVE ROADS I will get straight to the point. Road condition. I’m so over hearing about the RSRT, logbook hours, defects, rest stops, driverless trucks … blah, blah, blah. It’s about time we got serious about what is the true cause of fatigue, deaths and defects in the transport industry, and that is road condition. Hey, if you’re driving up the Hume from Melbourne to Sydney, trust me, your life is great compared to what we have to put up with west of the Blue Mountains. I hope you print this in Owner// Driver because I think we need to start naming and shaming some councils and the RMS for the road conditions we have…

THE 2016 North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show, held on August 6, was arguably the biggest so far. It was a case of the trucks taking over the town, with a parade through the main streets led by ScuzzTrans and its Ned Kelly-themed Western Star. Other showpieces included the North Coast Petroleum tanker set, the Iveco Triple Eight V8 Supercar transporter, StockTrans B-double, Hernes Freight Service fridge vans, B-double tippers, log trucks and one of the stars of the show, the Bandag Bullet. There were more than 100 prime movers taking part and the town turned out in force to participate, giving the locals a feast of the best-looking trucks from the NSW north coast and southeast Queensland. In addition, there were stalls and kids’ rides, a petting zoo, big…

“The costs were scary and the whole process was daunting” AT A QUICK glance, there’s a lot to make you think life has been very good for Steve Tyquin for a very long time. The meticulously restored homestead on rolling farmland, the small but perfectly preserved collection of iconic Aussie cars, and the immaculate trucks and trailers. It’s all mightily impressive, and there’s no question pride pervades. Even the workshop and driver’s room are more museum than truckie’s hangout. Meet this big, burly bloke for the first time, though, and it’s soon apparent that the showpieces of success have not come without long labour or harsh lessons in the raw realities of commercial life. There are no silver spoons in this story. In fact, it’s an abrupt Steve Tyquin who…

TRUCK OF THE MONTH DUBBO’S GOLDEN Oldies Truck Club’s motto is ‘preserving history on big wheels’. And that’s exactly what happened on August 13 when it organised the 2016 Dubbo Vintage Truck and Tractor Show. It was a big occasion, with the club celebrating 10 years of existence. As well as trucks, the show featured a wide variety of machinery, including vintage trucks and trailers, vintage tractors, vintage and classic cars, vintage motor bikes, stationary engines and steam traction engines. Brian Musgrave, head teacher of manufacturing, engineering, construction and transport at TAFE Western Dubbo College, added another audible dimension to the event with a number of static diesel engines, including an old two-stroke Detroit and a V8 Cummins. “We used them as teaching aids for many years, but their days…

VOLVO TRUCKS is claiming that its custom creation ‘The Iron Knight’ is the world’s fastest truck after breaking two speed records in August. From a standing start, the truck broke the existing international records for the 500m and 1000m distances at a closed-off test track in the north of the company’s home country Sweden. With Swedish racing driver Boije Ovebrink behind the wheel, The Iron Knight reached an average speed of 169km/h in the one-kilometre trial, besting the distance in 21.29 seconds. For the shorter record, the custom truck averaged 131.29km/h over the 500m, completing it in 13.71 seconds. Monitored by international motor sport association FIA, the attempts were made at the Skellefteå Drive Center, a former airfield. The truck was tasked to make two runs, one in each direction,…

WITH MOST industries under the pump in the modern era, saving a few seconds or minutes in any process has become almost an obsession. It’s no different for the road transport industry. Deadlines need to be met, while at the same time maintaining a safe working regime. Freighter, a part of the MaxiTrans group, has come up with a product to meet both needs in the form of the T-Liner Mark II. Aimed at customers who are looking for a more cost-effective trailer, the T-Liner Mark II’s major talking point is the reduction from 22 buckles to six. And that, according to Freighter general manager Mario Colosimo, equates to a saving of roughly 10 minutes per drop. Freighter has combined the technologies from new and existing innovations. One is EziLiner’s…

VAWDREY AUSTRALIA has launched what it says is a revolutionary patented LatchLiner buckle-less curtain system designed to speed up delivery times and improve work, health and safety for operators. Exclusive to Vawdrey’s semi-trailer portfolio, the trailer manufacturer says the simplicity of the LatchLiner system means fleet operators can eliminate traditional curtain buckles. “It’s a very quick and user-friendly system, and operates with the same ease as using the hand brake in your car,” national sales manager Paul Vawdrey says. From a finish perspective, the LatchLiner’s sleek design will also result in more visible branding for the fleet operator. “The LatchLiner tightens the curtain so that when the trailer is out on the road, bellowing and curtain flapping is eliminated,” he explains. According to Vawdrey, the LatchLiner, which has been in…

A FAIR Work Commission (FWC) four-yearly modern awards review and other agreed changes look set to keep transport and logistics company managers on their toes. Some changes, such as the national minimum wage increase to $672.70 per week or $17.70 per hour on July 1, are already a reality and are general. “Failure to implement the minimum wage increases [and back date if necessary] may result in underpayments to employees, which can result in prosecutions and the imposition of civil penalties by the Fair Work Ombudsman,” lawyer and Cooper Grace Ward partner Annie Smeaton says. But Smeaton notes others under the review are specifically altering the Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2010 and the Road Transport and Distribution Award 2010. For instance, on July 29, both the long distance…

Volvo Trucks has been teaching school kids about traffic safety since 2004. With their attention span limited, many kids have no fear of larger vehicles and overall traffic, Volvo’s global head of safety Carl-Johan Almqvist says. “Nothing is really strange about children being vulnerable in traffic. It’s a complex environment with a lot of distractions,” Almqvist notes. But children don’t necessarily see the situation as dangerous; very few children are afraid of traffic. “We don’t want them to be afraid of road traffic, but the attention of a child is very limited. “They need responsible grown-ups around them to tell them how to behave safely, that’s what we can do something about. “What children need is an easy way to remember how to guard themselves in traffic; we want them…

“I watched him roll in front of me and he took me out” DAF SALES may be modest compared to other makes, but the Paccar brand is enjoying a steady rise in numbers purchased over the past few years. One of the new DAFs, an XF105, has found its way into the small Kampman Transport fleet, based in the south-east New South Wales town of Bega. Dave Inskip, the DAF’s driver, admits it took him a while to become accustomed to the truck after driving a Kenworth T401 for the company. “The old Kenworth was as solid as a rock, but it just took some getting used to the DAF’s cab moving around a bit,” Dave says. “Don’t get me wrong, it is a comfortable truck. It’s just a different…

“I think we los t 14 trucks and a lot of it wasn’t insured” DEBBIE MENZ’S 2004 Western Star 4900 stands out from the other trucks in the M&D Menz Transport fleet. Most of the Brisbane company’s trucks are painted in the light blue livery her husband Mark chose when he bought his first truck — an Atkinson — back in 1981. But Debbie’s truck is an eye-catching purple. “It’s my favourite colour,” says Debbie, who drives the Western Star five days a week. Recently, she has been carting two loads of containerised pavers daily from Dinmore near Ipswich to Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast. M&D Menz Transport specialises in containers and has eight trucks operating from a yard in Wacol, a Brisbane suburb. They have invested in two…

BROMPTON ROAD is a small, family-owned and operated company based in Bullsbrook, 25km north of Perth on the Great Northern Highway. Charlie Berne and his wife Julie started Brompton Road in the early 1970s. Today, the couple’s two sons Jason and Tim are an integral part of the business. Owner//Driver recently caught up with Charlie and Jason at the BP Kewdale truck stop. The boys had just grabbed some breakfast and were about to head off to unload. “Except for a brief time offshore, I have been with dad since the day I left school in ’95,” Jason says. “That’s over 20 years now.” Like many operators, Brompton Road saw the advantages of specialising. The company has been working for rail companies for the past 30 years. “I should call…

THE SYDNEY Truckies’ Reunion is on again with a dinner at the Campbelltown Catholic Club on October 15. It will mark 37 years ago when a group of like-minded Sydney truckies came to the realisation that they would only get together as a group at their fellow truckies’ funerals. So they decided to change that by coming together for happier times at a reunion every year. The first reunion, organised by Ron Bush and Kevin Love, was held at the Homebush Markets Club NSW, where it stayed for many years. Janet and Kevin Daws then took over for several years, moving it to the Regent’s Park Bowling Club NSW. Ron Bush and his daughter Rhonda once again organised the event, moving it to Campbelltown Catholic Club NSW, where it is…

IT DOES an Aussie heart good to visit places like Hercules Engineering. It restores faith. Faith in Australian manufacturing. Faith in Australian workmanship. Faith that while local car making is on the brink of extinction, Australian-made trucks and trailers remain viable and equal to any in the world. In effect, faith in the future. Still, it’s not always easy to keep the faith. Recurring reports about the demise of Australian industry, particularly steelmaking and car manufacturing, and political and economic commentaries focused more on foreign events than our own, make it easy to feel that local success stories are of little or no interest to the broader community and mainstream media. It’s a shame. A great shame, because companies like Hercules — and there are plenty of them in the…

SWEDISH MANUFACTURER Scania launched its next-generation truck range in Paris on September 24, headlined by a new cab design and new integrated technology. The result of 10 years of development, SEK 20 billion (A$3.13 billion) and 10 million kilometres of test driving, Scania says the new truck range has a “strong focus on customer profitability” and “delivers five per cent lower fuel consumption on average”. Unveiling the new generation to 1500 guests at the Grand Palais, Scania president and CEO Henrik Henriksson declared it “undoubtedly the biggest investment in Scania’s 125 year history”. “Today we are not just launching a new truck range but also a unique, ingenious toolbox of sustainable solutions in the form of products and services that Scania is first in the industry to be able to…