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CIRCULATIONS 

AUDIT BOARD 

CIRCULATIONS 

AUDIT BOARD 

CONTENTS ISSUE 

NEWS 

10 Comprehensive news coverage from around 

the industry 

64 April truck sales continue in wrong direction 

DIAGNOSTICS 

6 New dawn or false dawn? 

It could be that as the economy slides the 

industry’s best results are also passing, 

writes Rob McKay 

27 Managing your contracts wisely 

Three useful points to making the document 

work for you, Warren Clark writes 

39 Fuel security: time to take action 

Tapping oil in rented US reserve space is not 

realistic, writes Geoff Crouch 

44 Business as usual 

Getting operations back underway needs 

detailed preparation, writes Denise Zumpe 

43 Being Covid covered 

Coronavirus crisis workers’ compensation 

insurance questions answered, writes 

Roz Shaw 

59 Amazon: opportunity, not threat 

A new reality may look alarming but there’s no 

future in the past, writes Brendan Richards 

OPERATIONS & STRATEGY 

30 Guardian angel 

Monitoring 100 drivers over several months 

using the latest Guardian in-cab technology, 

the Advanced Safe Truck Concept (ASTC) 

project studied driver behaviour with an aim to 

improve road safety and influence a re-think 

of professional driving regulations 

35 Roads to erosion 

It’s great for politicians to cut the ribbons on 

new urban motorways and regional freeways, 

MAY 2020 

404 

Follow us online at Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter #ATN 

30 

54 

but they tend to forget about ongoing 

maintenance of roads, say the experts 

40 Taking the cab-over option 

AllStone Quarries boasts a sparkling 600hp 

Volvo FH16 in its ranks, but have a look in the 

shed and you’ll find a couple of classic Macks 

tucked away as well 

TRUCKS 

46 Hino’s shifting focus 

Hino’s long wheelbase addition to its 

long-serving 700 Series packs plenty of punch 

for a truck essentially designed for three-axle 

rigid work. Best of all, however, is the way ZF’s 

Traxon transmission adds new vim and vigour 

54 Lights, Cameras, Actros 

Nearly four years after the latest Actros 

arrived in Australia, the big Benz is taking 

another step forward 

60 Remote control 

It was a UD Croner view for the corona-bound 

when the PD 6x2 was given a socially distant 

Facebook introduction 

FOR TRANSPORT LOGISTICS MANAGERS 

EDITORIAL 

Managing Editor 

Rob McKay 03 9567 4152 

rob.mckay@bauertrader.com.au 

Technical Editor 

Steve Brooks 

sbrooks.trucktalk@bigpond.com 

National Correspondent 

Ruza Zivkusic-Aftasi 03 9567 4169 

ruza.zivkusic-aftasi@bauertrader.com.au 

Digital Content Manager 

Mark Gojszyk 03 9567 4263 

mark.gojszyk@bauertrader.com.au 

PRODUCTION 

Sub-editor Cat Fitzpatrick 

Designer Bea Barthelson 

ADVERTISING 

Brand Sales Manager 

Matt Alexander 0413 599 669 

matt.alexander@bauertrader.com.au 

Agency Sales Manager (NSW) 

Max Kolomiiets 0415 869 176 

max.kolomiiets@bauertrader.com.au 

NSW Sales 

Antony Bladen 0437 361 097 

antony.bladen@bauertrader.com.au 

QLD Sales 

Hollie Tinker 0466 466 945 

Hollie.Tinker@bauerxcelmedia.com.au 

SA Sales 

Nick Lenthall 0439 485 835 

nick.lenthall@bauertrader.com.au 

WA Sales 

Greg Boase 0438 905 869 

greg.boase@bauertrader.com.au 

MARKETING & EVENTS 

Marketing Manager 

Andrew Amato 03 9567 4145 

andrew.amato@bauertrader.com.au 

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FORWARD VISION 

New dawn or false dawn? 

It could be that as the economy slides the industry’s best results are also passing 

ROB McKAY 

has been a 

journalist for 

more than three 

decades, with 

the last 25 years 

focused on 

national and 

international 

freight transport 

Behold, the power of the trucking lobby! 

It seems like only a few years ago, a 

veritable yesterday, that this column was 

castigating the rail and green lobbies for beating 

the same old boring drum on how the ‘road 

lobby’ – read, traditionally, mostly trucking with 

some big construction firms thrown in – was so 

powerful that it always got whatever it wanted. 

This, while ‘neglected’ rail limped on under the 

weight of unshared cost. Oh, and the cost of 

emissions wasn’t being counted. 

This column said back then that this view was 

sadly self-serving and demonstrably false given 

that trucking, particularly long-haul, had been 

overpaying the actual price of access to the road 

network and was continuing to be hit with ‘road 

tax’ hikes despite impassioned protestations. 

But all it took was an itty bitty coronavirus to 

prove all this wrong. Months and years of making 

the case to ministers and their advisors and 

relevant bureaucrats had come to nothing or had 

the can kicked a bit down the road, always to be 

picked up a little later. 

Back then, no one but the trucking and 

rural press and the occasional transportexposed 

politician gave industry workers any 

public respect, other than the industry lobbies 

People who had just learnt how to spell 

‘supply chain’ were hailing truck drivers 

as road knights in shining steel 

themselves and they were often focused on other 

crucial reforms. 

Suddenly, in the time it takes a pandemic to 

get a grip on a country, the industry bestrides the 

landscape like a colossus. 

It saw governments make moves – sometimes 

slowly – on issues they were quick to agree to, 

including the road tax freeze, keeping roadhouses 

and their facilities open to their drivers and 

recognising the calling as ‘essential’. But move 

they did. 

And all sorts of people who had just learned 

how to spell s-u-p-p-l-y c-h-a-i-n, pronounce 

it and understand what it means – that’s right, 

no toilet paper if it’s messed with – were hailing 

truck drivers as road knights in shining metal – 

to be loved, not feared – and warehouse workers 

as doughty Trojans in the service of civilisation. 

That was until four police were killed by a truck 

beside a Melbourne freeway and controls on 

hoarding were introduced. Things have gone a 

little quiet on that front since. 

Still . . . what a change in emphasis! And it may 

yet have a residual effect, as bad memories fade. 

But the question now will be, is this it? Is this 

the high-water mark? 

“Business as usual” is a term with a powerful 

hold, even when circumstances are utterly 

different. After all, big V8s and tearaway sixes 

have only given way amongst car-lovers to ‘pickups’ 

and certain American brands of greater 

output and weight. 

But the debts governments now carry will mean 

they won’t have the resources to pump-prime 

further what has been in reality a fairly fragile 

recent economy. 

Unless they believe throwing more cheap and 

even free money down a maw that barely burped 

at its last supine gorging, without doing much to 

lift the limpest of inflation, that economic lever 

may have run its course. 

First, though, will be a test of how much of the 

organism died during ‘hibernation’. Bears and 

others of northern climes have been doing it for 

millennia. The economy has never done it. 

Their hearts pump harder through instinct. 

Our economy has been fed just enough fiscal 

adrenaline to keep groceries being bought. But 

will that translate into demand that will boost the 

investing gland of capitalism, thereby allowing 

trucking companies the confidence to renew their 

fleets and the rest to return taxes to pay down the 

mountain of public (and private) debt? 

It looks a long haul, particularly on the 

government side. There can be no doubt, federal 

and state treasury departments will want that 

addressed so we don’t lose as much credit rating 

as less economically fortunate countries. 

That pressure will be passed on to the 

Australian Taxation Office (ATO), though the 

politicians will be loath to allow that agency to 

have its head until there is some momentum 

amongst businesses big and small. 

There has to be a reckoning – the 

ATO’s time will come. And the conclusion is 

difficult to escape that the industry will have 

to pay again. 


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NEWS 

Dogs & Chains 

3 

Happily, there have been a few reports of hoarders left with expensive 

toilet-paper mountains that will last them their lifetimes while leaving their 

wallets and purses much lighter for as long. Antisocial scum like these 

were no doubt operating around many of the 600 main road washrooms, 

thieving the contents and damaging fittings. One of the resultant closures 

raised the Australian Trucking Association’s chagrin and CEO Ben Maguire 

got quite pointed with NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian over it. However, we 

noticed the TfNSW closure notice – a piece of state government property 

– was, arguably, defaced . . . yes, defaced, sir! . . . by a Keep Them Open 

sticker. As we’re very law-abiding at the kennel, we asked TfNSW whether 

this was the sort of behaviour it had been bemoaning and whether action 

would be taken . . . 

3 Of course, we’re making light of what, in the round, is a serious issue. Ben 

Maguire has got points on the board in Dubbo. “Now, the Ollie Robbins [sic] 

toilets and the Elston Park toilets will be available between 7am and 6pm 

every day. They will be cleaned every three hours to ensure public safety,” 

the Daily Liberal newspaper breathlessly reports. Now, for those unfamiliar 

with one of the state’s more central towns, the first toilet block mentioned 

isn’t named after one of Dubbo’s best. It means the block on the Ollie 

Robins Oval. 

3 The Partridge VC Rest Area is, however, named after a person, 

one of our nation’s bravest. Monuments Australia notes: “A rest area 

commemorates Frank Partridge who was awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) 

for his action in Bougainville during World War Two. In July 1945, aged 20, 

and with three bullets in him, he single-handedly destroyed a Japanese 

machine-gun nest and became the youngest Victoria Cross winner of the 

War. Apparently he stormed the enemy position throwing a grenade and 

yelling “Come out and fight” before diving into the bunker and killing a 

Japanese soldier with his knife.” And that’s no joke, either. 

3 Algorithms are funny things. When we looked 

this one up, we got a recruitment ad for the NSW 

Police. And it’s an US story. But we digress. It’s 

an almost universally loved story type – the 

employee pushed too far who takes built-up 

frustrations out on his employer’s beloved 

possession. Funny how, if the roles were reversed, 

empathy would be in short supply. But like many 

such stories – not unlike for Michael Douglas in 

Falling Down or, speaking of whom, his co-star 

Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction – it dawns on 

people that sympathy is being misplaced. It’s a 

story we noticed in our stablemate publication, 

Whichcar, about a newly employed US truck 

driver who used his Chicago freight company 

boss’s Ferrari GTC4 Lusso as a chock for his 

Volvo prime mover. After just one job, it appeared 

that Old Mate was a less-than-stellar employee 

and was also reluctant to submit to a compulsory 

drug test. The trigger, apparently, was that the 

one-year-old rig he was assigned was not the 

2020 model he was promised. He was told to 

go, with pay for the week he worked. Seems that 

algorithm ad was pretty reasonable. 

3 But back to the washroom, um, 

damage. Much to our shock, we got an 

answer from TfNSW along with some 

pictures of the sort of stuff low-life 

types get up to – toilet roll holders 

broken open to access toilet paper 

and in some cases, toilet roll holders 

ripped off the wall, etc. And good news 

for the ATA with confirmation that 

placing of stickers on TfNSW signage 

isn’t considered vandalism. It seems 

Ben Maguire is safe after all! We’re 

sure he is, er, relieved. If, indeed, it was 

he. Only fingerprints could prove that 

either way. 


ATN-FP-5210196-CS-404

NEWS 

Inside the Industry 

POLICE KILLED IN TRUCK CRASH 

The truck-car crash in Melbourne that claimed the lives of four officers has been reported as the 

deadliest single incident involving Victoria Police in the state’s history 

The collision occurred inbound on the 

Eastern Freeway near Chandler Highway 

just after 5.30pm on April 22. 

The exact circumstances surrounding the 

collision are still being probed by detectives 

from the Major Collision Investigation Unit. 

Victoria Police chief commissioner 

Graham Ashton explains that two officers 

intercepted a speeding Porsche and upon 

a positive drug test were going to impound 

the vehicle, requesting two more officers for 

assistance. 

A refrigerated truck for a Melbourne 

commercial poultry company drove into the 

stopped vehicles, killing the four officers. 

The truck driver, believed to be uninjured 

but suffering a ‘medical episode’ involving 

‘blacking out’, was taken to hospital under 

police guard awaiting blood tests. 

Ashon notes he "doesn’t have an 

Driver charges laid as probe turns to company 

The Cranbourne-based truck driver 

allegedly responsible for the fatal 

collision, 47-year-old Mohinder Singh 

Bajwa, is charged with four counts of 

culpable driving. 

Richard Pusey, the 41-year-old driver of the 

Porsche that was intercepted by police before 

the incident, is charged with driving speed 

dangerous, reckless conduct endangering life, 

failure to remain after a drug test, failure to 

render assistance, failure to exchange details, 

possessing drug of dependence, destruction 

of evidence and three counts of committing an 

indictable offence while on bail. 

In a press conference, assistant 

commissioner Libby Murphy said the Major 

Libby Murphy 

extensive criminal history" and was not 

pulled over earlier in the day, as per some 

reports. 

"The driver of the truck has for medical 

reasons been taken to hospital for medical 

tests," Ashton says. 

Ashton noted it was the biggest loss of 

life involving the state’s police force in a 

single incident. 

Federal transport minister Michael 

McCormack and assistant freight and road 

safety minister Scott Buchholz both issued 

short statements on social media after the 

incident. 

"Heartfelt condolences to the families 

and colleagues of the four Victoria Police 

officers killed on the Eastern Freeway in 

Melbourne tonight," McCormack says. 

"This is a tragedy that will be felt across 

the nation. 

Collision Investigation Unit and Heavy 

Vehicle Unit executed two search warrants 

at addresses in Frankston and Croydon 

associated with the trucking firm involved in 

the incident. 

While the truck involved carries Connect 

Logistics livery, Murphy did not reveal the 

specifics of the warrant, only stating that the 

locations are residential addresses connected 

to "people associated with the company". 

Murphy confirms the prime mover was a 

Queensland-registered Volvo with registration 

XV85IE, and trailer registration 84IQWQ. 

She calls upon witnesses that may have any 

information on, or dash cam footage of, the 

heavy vehicle in the lead-up to the collision to 

come forward. 

Further charges are "premature" at this 

stage but still possible, with Murphy explaining 

to the public the role of the Heavy Vehicle 

National Law and Chain of Responsibility 

"that ensure that people have responsibilities 

and companies ensure drivers keep to hours, 

vehicles are roadworthy and that there’s a 

consistent approach to their responsibility 

[towards] road users and transport". 

Graham Ashton 

Buchholz adds: "This is awful. No words 

to describe the loss. 

"My thoughts go to the loved ones and 

colleagues of those officers we lost today, 

as they served to protect the community." 

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) 

CEO Peter Anderson says the association 

was "distraught" to learn of the loss. 

"The loss of any life on our roads is tragic, 

but to lose four Victoria Police officers 

serving their community in a single accident 

is devastating," he says. 

"On behalf of the industry we extend 

our deepest condolences to the family 

and friends of the officers and the entire 

Victoria Police force at this difficult time, 

and offer any assistance and support we 

can provide." 

Australian Trucking Association 

(ATA) chair Geoff Crouch extended his 

condolences on behalf of the Australian 

trucking industry. 

"Our roads and highways are a police 

officer’s workplace," Crouch says. 

"Every day they go to work to do an 

essential job, and they deserve to do it 

safely, and return home to their loved ones 

at the end of the day. 

"Yesterday’s incident was a tragedy 

and one that is simply heartbreaking. I 

cannot begin to imagine the pain and loss 

the officers’ families and loved ones, the 

Victorian police force, and community are 

experiencing following this significant loss. 

"Our sincere thoughts go out to all 

who have been affected by this 

heartbreaking crash." 


TRUCK CRASH COMPANY'S PREMISES RAIDED 

Victoria Police’s investigation 

into the fatal Eastern Freeway 

crash that killed four officers 

has moved to New South Wales, 

with business and residential 

properties linked to Connect 

Logistics raided. 

The effort was assisted by NSW 

Police, with warrants executed at 

three locations, a Victoria Police 

spokesperson says. 

"Victoria Police is currently in 

NSW as part of their continued 

investigations into the fatal crash 

on the Eastern Freeway in Kew, 

on Wednesday 22 April," the 


"Detectives from the Heavy 

Vehicle Unit CIU, supported by 

NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol 

Command Crash investigators, 

executed four warrants this 

morning [May 6]. 

"The warrants were executed 

at one business in Riverstone 

and two residential premises at 

Kenthurst." 

Nine News reported the 

properties were the Connect 

Logistics headquarters along with 

the residences of the company's 

managing director and compliance 

manager, with police seizing a 

number of documents in the raids, 

including logbooks, "trying to 

ascertain if it was compliant with 

heavy vehicle laws". 

Police previously raided two 

residential properties in Frankston 

and Croydon in Victoria in relation 

to the investigations. 

"No one has been arrested and 

the investigation remains ongoing, 

as such, it would be inappropriate 

to comment further at this time," 

Victoria Police adds. 

Connect Logistics operated the 

truck which Mohinder Singh drove 

during the incident. 

He is facing four counts of 

culpable driving and is due to 

return to court on October 1. 

NSW Police acknowledges 

its role in the most recent raids 

but does not reveal further 

information. 

"Traffic & Highway Patrol 

Command Crash Investigators 

are assisting officers from the 

Victoria Police Heavy Vehicle 

Unit with the execution of search 

warrants in Western Sydney," a 


"The warrants relate to 

an ongoing Victoria Police 

investigation." 

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NEWS 


NHVR IN FIRST ENFORCEABLE 

UNDERTAKING 

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 

(NHVR) has accepted an enforceable 

undertaking (EU) from engineering firm 

Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction 

(LORAC), the first agreement of its kind for 

the industry regulator. 

The EU stems from an allegation by 

Transport for New South Wales (TFNSW, 

formally Roads and Maritime Services, or 

RMS) that on October 16, 2018 and May 24, 

2019 registered heavy vehicles belonging 

to the firm breached Heavy Vehicle National 

Law (HVNL) mass requirements. 

It details the contraventions as: 

• on October 16 2018 at 11.04am, a 

registered heavy vehicle operated by 

LORAC was weighed at Mount White on 

the Pacific Highway and it is alleged that 

the weight detected on axle group 1 of 

that vehicle was 7.88 tonne, 21.2 per cent 

in excess of the 6.5 tonne weight allowed. 

• on May 24 2019 at 6.42am, a registered 

heavy vehicle operated by LORAC was 

weighed at Kankool on the New England 

Highway vehicle and weighed 26.92 

tonnes, 34.6 per cent in excess of the 

20-tonne weight allowed. 

The EU will see $249,500 contributed 

to education around Chain of Responsibility 

(COR) and comprises the following: 

• a commitment that the behaviour that led 

to the alleged contravention has ceased 

and will not reoccur 

• a commitment to the on-going effective 

management of public risks associated 

with transport activities 

• the delivery of a COR online training 

course 

• the delivery of face-to-face COR training 

workshops engaging a third-party to 

conduct a transport safety management 

system audit. 

In the event of an alleged contravention 

of the HVNL, the NHVR, as an alternative 

to prosecution, may accept an enforceable 

undertaking by the party alleged to have 

committed the contravention. 

In a statement, NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto 

says the EU is an appropriate alternative to 

prosecution in the circumstances, as, while 

the alleged offences were of the highest risk 

category, there was no manifestation of this 

risk to public safety, road infrastructure or 

the environment. 

"The value of the EU is significantly in 

excess of any penalty a court would impose 

and are likely to achieve significant safety 

improvements to the local heavy vehicle 

industry, the wider supply chain and the 

broader community," Petroccitto says. 

"Proper education and training around 

overmass vehicles lessens the impact on 

infrastructure and make our roads safer 

for everyone. 

"While these offences are always 

concerning we have been able to achieve 

a positive outcome here that will benefit 

all parties." 

LORAC general manager of rail operations 

Conor Hanlon says the firm is pleased with 

the outcome agreed between the parties. 

"We understand the serious nature of 

these alleged offences and appreciate that 

the NHVR worked with us in a collaborative 

way to reach a positive solution. 

"The enforceable undertaking will 

ultimately offer more benefits than an 

imposed penalty and we look forward to 

delivering each element of the agreement to 

the highest standard possible." 

NHVR LAUNCHES DIGITAL TRUCKSTOP ACCESSIBILITY MAP FOR DRIVERS 

The industry response to Covid-19, particularly 

around driver amenity, has been supplemented by 

a new National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) 

online tool that maps service centres, truck stops 

and roadhouses that remain open during the crisis. 

The tool provides information about services 

and trading hours for service centres right across 

the country. 

It was developed following protocols released 

by the government and NHVR recently to allow 

heavy vehicle drivers to continue to access these 

facilities, CEO Sal Petroccitto says. 

"Having access to food, showers, toilets and 

appropriate rest is critical for drivers to properly 

manage their fatigue," he says. 

"This new mapping tool will allow drivers to 

jump online and see quickly which facilities are 

still operational and providing these important 

services, allowing them to plan routes and breaks. 

The map can be accessed via the NHVR website 

(www.nhvr.gov.au) and will also be available 

through the NHVR Route Planner shortly. 

It adds, however, that the information has been 

provided by retailers and heavy vehicle operators 

and may not be comprehensive, and it encourages 

any gaps be filled by the public via contact with 

the regulator. 

In addition, the NHVR’s Daily Checklist was 

relaunched to assist with vehicle inspections 

recently, providing a series of steps to undertake at 

the start of every shift. 

"Drivers are responsible for ensuring that their 

vehicle is roadworthy," Petroccitto says. 

"The latest version of the Daily Checklist has 

been updated following industry feedback to 

include checking engine and drivetrain warnings 

and checking all couplings and connectors are 

correctly attached. 

Additional items and areas to check can 

be obtained from the National Heavy Vehicle 

Inspection Manual, which contains a full list of 

components and their inspection criteria. It can be 

found at www.nhvr.gov.au/nhvim 


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NEWS 


TOLL HIT BY SECOND ATTACK 

Not long after recovering from a 

ransomware attack that impacted 

its IT systems for more than a 

month, Toll Group has fallen foul 

of a second wave. 

The matter surfaced after users 

first noticed an error message on the 

mytoll portal, alongside disrupted 

communications with the firm. 

In a statement, Toll confirms it is 

dealing with a ransomware attack 

and took the precaution on April 4 of 

shutting down certain IT systems, 

after it detected unusual activity on 

some of its servers. 

"As a result of investigations 

undertaken so far, we can confirm 

that this activity is the result of 

a ransomware attack," a spokesperson 

says. 

"Working with IT security experts, 

we have identified the variant to be 

a relatively new form of ransomware 

known as Nefilim. 

"This is unrelated to the 

ransomware incident we experienced 

earlier this year." 

Toll says, as in the first instance, 

it has no intention of engaging with 

any ransom demands, and there is 

no evidence that any data has been 

extracted from its network. 

"We are in regular contact with 

the Australian Cyber Security Centre 

(ACSC) on the progress of the 

incident. 

"Toll’s priority is the safety 

and security of our customers, 

employees and vendor partners 

and, to that end, we have business 

continuity plans and manual 

processes in place to keep services 

moving while we work to resolve 

the issue." 

"We have been in contact from 

the outset with various customers 

impacted by the issue and we 

continue to work with them to 

minimise any disruption." 

It comes amid the recent departure 

of chief information officer (CIO) 

Françoise Russo and appointment 

of King Lee in the position (see boxed 

story on this page). 

“Working with IT security experts, we have 

identified the variant to be a relatively new form 

of ransomware known as Nefilim" 

New CIO for Toll as cybersecurity issues persist 

In a turbulent year for the Toll Group, 

particularly on the cybersecurity front, 

details have emerged on a leadership 

change in its IT department. 

In a move that only came to light 

after gambling entertainment firm 

Tabcorp announced the appointment 

of Françoise Russo, the former Toll 

chief information officer (CIO) has been 

succeeded by King Lee, the company 

tells ATN. 

King Lee 

The transition period reportedly 

ended around March, with Lee arriving 

from General Electric (GE), where 

he spent more than two decades 

at various arms, most recently as 

general manager – global operations 

Asia Pacific. 

Russo joined Toll in 2016 

and oversaw a $400 million IT 

transformation program to modernise 

and standardise Toll's systems after 

years of acquisitions left it with 

"550-600 different IT systems". 

Toll confirmed that program is 

still ongoing and Lee will oversee 

its final completion. 

"Today we welcomed our new Chief 

Information Officer (CIO), Françoise 

Russo, to our executive leadership 

team," Tabcorp said in a short 

statement recently. 

"We’re excited to have Françoise on 

board to lead our technology team." 


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NEWS 


Mark 

LINFOX POINTS TO ‘POP-UP’ DCS 

The changing nature of consumer 

behaviour during the Covid-19 crisis 

sees Linfox report a surge in grocery 

demand but downturns in fuel, cash 

and other industrial services. 

Not long after reporting volume 

increases of 20 per cent in its 

Queensland services with partner 

Aurizon, Linfox noted that all of its 

Australian, New Zealand and Asian 

operations have seen increased 

demand for grocery products as 

a result of the pandemic. 

Thus it has had to utilise several 

pop-up distribution centres (DCs) "to 

address customer challenges and 

ensure our operations and people 

function efficiently during these 

unprecedented times". 

However, sharp declines have followed 

in fuel and industrial operations, as well 

as a drop in BevChain keg deliveries due 

to the closure of hotels and hospitality 

venues, the company notes. 

The Fox Group more broadly has 

experienced "significant reductions" 

in activity in its Essendon and 

Avalon airport properties, Armaguard 

cash-in-transit services and event 

properties including the Phillip Island 

Circuit and Luna Park in Victoria. 

Despite this, Linfox Logistics 

Australia and New Zealand CEO Mark 

Mazurek remains upbeat and says 

Linfox continues to play a crucial role 

delivering essential goods, including 

food, medicine and fuel. 

"We have a strong track record of 

supporting the community and the 

government through challenging 

circumstances, like the recent 

bushfires and past flooding events," 

Mazurek says. 

"Linfox is partnering with various 

state and federal authorities to ensure 

essential equipment reaches frontline 

workers." 

As a result of the pandemic Linfox 

has also created a range of new roles, 

from operations managers to pickers 

and drivers. 

"It’s ‘all hands-on deck’ in our busiest 

operations and we are focusing on 

seconding talent and fleet from parts 

of the business that are experiencing 

downturns," Mazurek says. 

"We thank employees for their 

flexibility as we create ways to keep 

them in jobs. 

"Linfox Logistics has also recruited 

and inducted new team members into 

our Australian business to ensure 

Mazurek 

“It is important that 

Linfox's warehousing, 

road and rail networks 

continue to function 

safely and efficiently" 

continuity of service while the demand 

is there. 

"It is critically important that 

Linfox’s warehousing, road and rail 

networks continue to function safely 

and efficiently and that we can work 

collaboratively to deploy our people 

into new roles." 

COVID-19 CRIMPS AHG REFRIGERATED LOGISTICS'S SALE PRICE 

AP Eagers will receive $25 million less for the 

sale of AHG Refrigerated Logistics (AHG RL) to 

Anchorage Capital Partners (ACP) due to the 

impacts of the Covid-19 crisis. 

The transaction is now expected to be 

completed on June 30, 2020 and is not subject 

to any further conditions within the private 

equity firm’s control. 

"Following broader market impacts as a 

result of Covid-19, AP Eagers and Anchorage 

have agreed a number of steps to facilitate 

completion of the transaction, including 

Anchorage waiving certain conditions 

precedent and the parties agreeing to adjust 

the cash proceeds that AP Eagers would receive 

on completion to $75 million," the company 

states in an announcement to shareholders. 

The original agreed price was $100 million 

for the division comprising all of the transport 

and warehousing operations of Rand, Harris, 

Scott’s and JAT. 

"These steps allow AP Eagers to meet its 

objective to divest the Refrigerated Logistics 

division as soon as commercially possible at a 

reasonable price and provide greater certainty 

about timing of the divestment," it adds. 

The announcement was accompanied by 

its annual report, which, without alluding to 

other trading impacts of the coronavirus, 

notes its merger with AHG gave it the scale 

and competitive advantage to withstand the 

challenging external conditions. 

"The underlying core automotive result for 

January 2020 demonstrated strong profit 

growth on the prior corresponding period, 

representing a good start to the year for the 

combined group particularly in the context 

of a 12.5 per cent decline in the national new 

vehicle market for the same month," it says. 

The company notes, however, RL made 

"a loss after tax of $14.4 million post its 

acquisition". 

"AP Eagers maintains that Anchorage is 

the ideal owner for the Refrigerated Logistics 

business and beliefs the business will have 

a positive future under its new owner," 

AP Eagers says. 


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NEWS 


RCT IN MULTI-STATE EXPANSION 

Details have emerged on Ron Crouch 

Transport’s (RCT’s) warehousing 

expansion moves in New South 

Wales and Queensland throughout 

the year. 

A logistics facility within the First 

Estate, Orchard Hills, area has been 

followed up by a new warehouse in 

Wacol, Brisbane. 

The company secured a 

seven-year lease for the 12,500 

sqare metre Sydney facility, which is 

HACCP (hazard analysis and critical 

control points) food grade and 

dangerous goods licenced. 

This week saw "the first bays 

of racking installed in our Sydney 

warehouse, 1,200 locations 

completed, 17,000+ to go", 

RCT notes. 

The Wacol warehouse spans 6,000 

square metres and will have capacity 

for more than 7,200 pallet spaces of 

food grade, fast-moving consumer 

goods (FMCG) or DG "once pallet 

racking fit out is completed". 

The Brisbane and Sydney 

announcements complement 

existing Melbourne and Wagga 

Wagga warehouses and are set to be 

followed by planned expansion into 

Adelaide later in the year. 

RCT managing director Geoff 

Crouch tells ATN the moves follow 

a company strategy devised about 

two-and-a-half years ago to focus 

on the dangerous goods space as an 

area of specialty. 

"We wanted to become a 

significant force in dangerous 

goods/3PL space and were on the 

lookout for sufficient facilities and 

exposure," he says. 

Crouch notes the DG sector 

had seen a recent uptick due to 

coronavirus (Covid-19) demand for 

sanitary items. 

He also hails the efforts of 

warehousing matchmaker uTenant 

in facilitating the moves. 

"We could not speak highly 

enough of uTenant and their service 

offering; a completely confidential 

and transparent process was 

undertaken, and the level of service 

and attentiveness to our needs 

was truly second to none," Crouch 

says of the Sydney move earlier in 

the year. 

Above: 

The recently 

announced Wacol 

facility 

Hi-Trans in huge Seeing Machines fleet rollout 

South Australian transport firm Hi-Trans 

Express is the latest operator to roll out 

Guardian Seeing Machines across its fleet. 

After a six-week trial in 13 trucks, it 

yesterday agreed to "immediately" fit 

the technology in its entire linehaul fleet, 

comprising 30 vehicles. 

"The trial demonstrated, without doubt, 

this technology will save lives and improve 

the health and wellbeing of our drivers," 

CEO Tony Mellick says. 

The rollout accompanies the unveiling of 

a centralised transport control room in its 

Adelaide headquarters, designed to allow 

it to view and respond to any safety or 

operational issues across the country. 

"This investment is a tangible proof 

point to Hi-Trans’s commitment to 

providing the best possible work 

environment for our drivers and our 

commitment to using technology to provide 

real-time information for our National 

Operations Centre to manage fatigue and 

distraction events to prevent incidents," 

Mellick says. 

In the last three months, the company has 

committed "significant capital investment" 

in new Mercedes Actros Euro 6 prime movers 

and now in the Guardian Seeing Machines 

technology. 

"We all witnessed the terrible tragedy in 

Melbourne [recently] and, as a leader in our 

industry, we will not compromise investing in 

the latest technology that provides the best 

opportunity to ensure a safe workplace for 

our drivers, confidence to our customers that 

we are exceeding expectations in our safety 

culture, and most importantly ensuring a 

proactive real-time management process to 

avoid any incident that we can," Mellick says. 

The topic of safety technology has 

been in sharp relief following a landmark 

study from Monash University’s Accident 

Research Centre (MUARC) that showed 

drivers were twice as likely to crash 

when fatigued, but 11 times more likely to 

crash when fatigued and distracted at the 

same time. 

A participant in that study, Ron Finemore 

Transport hailed the results as vindication 

of its truck-driver safety technology policy. 

See p30 for more information on the 

Seeing Machines technology and trials. 


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NEWS 


Frank 

PEAK BODIES CALL FOR INSTANT 

ASSET WRITE OFF EXTENSION 

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) 

and the Australian Trucking Association 

(ATA) are jointly prosecuting the case for a 

conditional extension to the Instant Asset 

Write Off scheme. 

The two peak bodies emphasise such a 

move will provide a "once in a generation 

opportunity to improve road safety 

outcomes and productivity all whilst 

stimulating the economy and saving jobs". 

They have put the case to the federal 

government in a joint letter, requesting 

an extension to the Instant Asset Write 

Off scheme incentives announced during 

the federal government’s first wave of 

stimulus measures in response to the 

Covid-19 pandemic. 

HVIA chief executive Todd Hacking 

underlines both organisations have strong 

policy positions on improving heavy 

vehicle safety. 

"We believe that any increased asset 

threshold for heavy vehicles should 

only be available to purchases that have 

accompanying safety and productivity 

benefits," Hacking says. 

The temporary changes to the Instant 

Asset Write Off announced in early March 

extended the available instant asset write 

Above: Todd Hacking and Ben Maguire pre-pandemic 

off from $30,000 to $150,000 but is due to 

expire on June 30. 

The letter proposes a revised scheme 

with an extension until December 31 and 

an increased threshold. 

It explains that transport operators are 

continuing to express nervousness to 

spending on capital equipment. 

"More than 90 per cent of purchases 

in our industry are financed, so ensuring 

transport operators can get access to 

capital is an important aspect of equipment 

purchases," ATA chief executive Ben 

Maguire says. 

"This will only be possible once the 

economy is in recovery mode and operators 

are trading as normal. 

"Most of the fleet is held by small 

enterprises – and they were not able to use 

the stimulus before the pandemic hit." 

Hacking says the scheme and the 

accompanying 50 per cent bonus 

depreciation schedule had less than 10 days 

from their announcement to the dramatic 

escalation of the pandemic. 

"In order to kick-start the economy and 

increase business confidence the Instant 

Asset Write Off extension needs to be 

extended until at least December 31, 2020," 

he continues. 

"Our survey results show that operators 

and manufacturers did not have time to 

utilise the stimulus." 

Maguire says that also increasing the 

limit for truck purchases would have the 

dual benefit of positively altering the age of 

the fleet. 

"The ATA has suggested a threshold of 

$450,000 as this would ensure 100 per cent 

deductibility for most, if not all, heavy-duty 

trucks in Australia," he adds. 

HVIA supports the higher threshold 

subject to conditional eligibility. 

INDUSTRY MOURNS THE PASSING OF FRANK JOHNSTON IN APRIL 

Industry bodies and the wider transport community 

are paying tribute to the late Frank Johnston, who 

passed away on April 23 after a battle with illness. 

He was the third-generation director of 

Johnstons Transport, joining the 120-year-old 

family-owned company straight out of high school 

in 1965. 

Johnston was founding chair of Australian 

Trucking Association NSW (ATA NSW), now 

Road Freight NSW (RFNSW), and served as 

an ATA councillor. 

Both the ATA and RFNSW were among those 

to pay tribute to Johnson's industry contribution 

and devotion. 

"Frank and Johnstons are synonymous 

with service and have been in the industry 

over 100 years. Frank was a regular feature 

of the freight industry for over 50 years," 

RFNSW CEO Simon O’Hara says. 

"The Road Freight NSW Board and Policy 

Council, which Frank helped create as chairman, 

mourn his passing and pass on our condolences 

to his family. 

"Jeff Johnston, one of Frank’s sons, took over 

from Frank to manage Johnstons some years ago 

and our thoughts are with him and the rest of the 

family during this time. 

"It is the case that without Frank and Johnstons 

Transport, this association would not exist today. 

"Frank had the rare quality of wanting to put 

back into the industry. Frank was personally very 

supportive and generous. 

"Most of all, Frank was a gentleman." 

ATA chair Geoff Crouch says Johnston was 

always willing to help others and share his 

extensive knowledge of industry. 

Johnston 

"It is with great sadness we say goodbye 

to Frank Johnston, a man well-respected and 

recognised in the transport industry for his passion 

and dedication," Crouch says. 

Johnston was recognised in 2016 with 

the RFNSW Outstanding Contribution to the 

NSW Transport Industry award for his service 

to the industry. 


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NEWS 


SHIFT IN IMPORT 

COMPLIANCE 

APPROACH 

Paul Zalai 

Australia’s major container ports are 

about to come under unprecedented 

strain and a leading trade body warns that 

existing compliance and logistics systems 

weaknesses may choke them. 

With the container chain long subject to 

policy neglect, the weaknesses face being 

laid bare as a surge of pent-up imports from 

China meets sclerotic customs and landside 

container handling practices exacerbated 

by rigidities enforced by container shipping 

lines and stevedores. 

Now, the Freight and Trade Alliance (FTA) 

and Australian Peak Shippers Association 

(APSA) is saying those bearing much of the 

brunt are withdrawing their exposure to risks 

as liquidity dries up. 

"Customs brokers are no longer accepting 

the cash-flow imposition of making up 

front import statutory charge payments 

and recouping costs from importers on 

a disbursement basis," FTA director Paul 

Zalai says. 

"The ‘new normal’ leaves importers to 

either make up front payments to customs 

brokers or to register via the Integrated 

Cargo System [ICS] to make direct EFT 

payments of import statutory charges. 

"This is already generating early warning 

signs that containers may become stranded 

at our wharves, with importers struggling 

with insufficient cash flow to clear goods 

into home consumption." 

Without action, FTA sees the following 

happening: 

• congestion at the ports, leading to 

increasing delays to all containers that are 

"block stacked" at terminals, jeopardising 

the timely release of essential goods 

• while limited storage may be available 

off port, the goods must be held under 

customs control until they are paid and 

released – limited capacity exists at 

current customs controlled premises 

being gazetted in accordance with Sec15 

or licensed in accordance with Sec 77G of 

the Customs Act 1901 

• as the port congests, trade slows, 

equipment such as shipping containers, 

required for exports, will not be available 

• increased costs across the supply 

chain, with precedent suggesting that 

stevedores and shipping lines would 

give little (if any) reprieve for associated 

storage or late empty container return 

penalties, in turn compounds costs 

faced by importers (including increasing 

infrastructure surcharges administered 

by stevedores) and the cash flow of 

customs brokers 

• delays in returning empty containers 

within required time frames, resulting 

in an equipment shortage within the 

supply chain – as experienced in Europe 

and Asia, relating to reefer containers 

held up in China. A worldwide shortage 

of prescribed equipment attracted 

surcharges of up to $1,000 per container. 

But with the Covid-19 crisis freeing 

up sometimes closed minds, FTA/APSA 

reports federal government movement, 

following a submission to the National 

Office of Fair Trading issues national 

warning on vehicle moving companies 

The couple involved in the sensational Hearts 

United case a decade ago are at the centre of 

a national Queensland Office of Fair Trading 

(QOFT) warning involving three trucking 

companies and another man. 

QOFT issues a formal warning to 

Australian businesses and consumers 

against dealing with the three vehicle 

transport companies, two of which operate 

from the Gold Coast and on one from 

Broadmeadows, Victoria, and is seeking 

more information from the public. 

Auto Transporters Pty Ltd (AAA), MV 

Transporters Pty Ltd and VTrans Pty Ltd, and 

their directors, are the subject of a national 

investigation being led by the QOFT, the 

watchdog reveals. 

"The three traders are vehicle shipping 

Covid-19 Coordination Commission and 

correspondence with the federal Treasury, 

the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and the 

Australian Border Force (ABF) advocating for 

deferral of import statutory charges – duty, 

GST and import processing charges. 

It also follows advice to deputy prime 

minister and transport minister Michael 

McCormack "outlining concerns that in this 

unprecedented economic environment, 

many import businesses face the genuine 

risk of being unable to maintain business 

continuity and that impacts as outlined 

above will be experienced at our national 

container ports". 

"FTA/APSA has received assurances that 

the federal government remains committed 

to ensuring supply chains continue to 

function by avoiding congestion at our 

border," the pairing says. 

and transportation companies that operate 

throughout Australia and have a history of 

taking consumers’ money and not supplying 

the service they guaranteed at the time the 

booking was made," QOFT states. 

"To date, Australians have lost over 

$130,000 to these companies and their 

dodgy practices. 

"This investigation brings together all 

national consumer complaints made against 

these traders over the past two years. 

"This is a complex naming as separate 

companies have been formed and different 

business names and websites used." 

The conduct is said to have begun with 

Auto Transporters trading as All Australia 

Auto Transporters and AAA Transporters, 

"operated by director Snezanna Mladenis". 


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NEWS 


AUSTRALIAN ARM PROVES 

A BOON FOR MAINFREIGHT 

Below: 

Don Braid 

Mainfreight is keeping its 

operational nose in front of the 

Covid-19 pandemic, due largely to 

China and its Australian operations. 

In a trading update on its first 

calendar quarter, the New Zealand 

international transport and 

logistics company, which has a 

strong Australian presence, reports 

it is ahead of this time last year. 

"While we have seen a decline in 

air and sea freight to and from our 

Asian operations, trading across 

other international trade-lanes, and 

domestically within New Zealand, 

Australia and Europe continues at 

reasonable levels," group MD Don 

Braid says. 

"More recently, China volumes 

are re-emerging as factories and 

ports return to normal operations." 

He adds: "Although we 

are heading into a period of 

uncertainty, the world’s freight 

trade-lanes remain open. 

"Our experience in China has 

given us some knowledge of how 

to operate in this new environment. 

"All 275 of Mainfreight’s 

branches worldwide are open, and 

our team is moving freight and 

supporting the flow of supplies on 

behalf of our customers." 

Unlike New Zealand, Australia is 

not in a heavy lockdown, so freight 

volumes remain "reasonable" 

across all divisions here, with 

"a number of new customer 

gains assisting". 

"Performance from Australia 

through late March and into 

April has surprised, and while 

Easter trading may see a decline, 

if Australia’s state of partial 

lockdown remains in place, we 

expect similar trading levels to 

continue after Easter," the company 

reported at the time. 

"The first week of April 

trading saw sales revenues 

up nine per cent." 

Interstate distribution continues 

for its transport division’s 

operations, with volumes ahead 

of the same quarter last year 

due to a high level of exposure 

to supermarket and hardware 

retail sectors. 

For its warehousing operations, 

products related to the retail and 

restaurant sectors are slowing, 

however, food and food-related 

products continue to trade at 

regular levels of activity. 

For the air & ocean division here, 

import sea freight volumes have 

risen on resurgent Chinese exports. 

"How long this demand will 

continue is uncertain," the 

company says. 

"Air freight volume is consistent, 

however charter activity 

disappoints." 

WA'S CENTURION CHALKS UP CONTRACT AND FACILITIES GAINS 

Major Western Australian logistics player 

Centurion has underscored recent company 

moves with a major contract renewal and a 

warehousing development. 

On the former, it has secured a three-year 

extension to provide integrated logistics 

services for Citic Pacific Mining’s Sino Iron 

project in the Pilbara region. 

Centurion has been providing integrated 

logistics services – comprising line haul, 

regional transport services, and offsite 

receipting – to Citic for more than eight years. 

The Sino Iron Project is located at Cape 

Preston in the Pilbara. 

Centurion CEO Justin Cardaci points to 

the firm’s policy of maintaining long-term 

relationships with clients. 

"The extension of this contract is a great 

validation of the current quality and efficiency 

of Centurion’s integrated logistics offering," 

Centurion CEO Justin Cardaci says. 

"We have developed a strong relationship 

with Citic over the past eight years and 

this extension is a tribute to the importance 

of establishing long-term relationships 

with customers." 

Citic’s support enables Centurion to 

continue its economic contribution to the 

Karratha region, including through building 

and sustaining long-term community 

partnerships, which Centurion values at more 

than $800 million over the last three years – 

directly and indirectly. 

"The renewal of the Citic contract is 

of strategic importance as it reaffirms 

Centurion’s position as a leading provider 

of logistics services to the resources 

industry across the west coast of Australia," 

Cardaci says. 

"Our client operations are supported by 

a fleet of more 2,000 owned assets and 

a network of regional branches offering 

receipting and last mile logistic services." 


PACIFIC NATIONAL WINS ACQUISITION CASE 

Pacific National’s acquisition of 

Aurizon’s Acacia Ridge Terminal 

will proceed after the Full Court of 

the Federal Court of Australia gave 

the green light by dismissing the 

Australian Competition and Consumer 

Commission’s (ACCC’s) appeal and 

upheld Pacific National’s cross-appeal. 

The court rules that the acquisition 

will not contravene section 50 of 

the Competition and Consumer 

Act (CCA) even without the access 

undertaking voluntarily offered to the 

ACCC and the court by Pacific National, 

the rail firm notes. 

The decision is likely to spur the 

ACCC to again call for a legislative 

tightening of competition rules after 

recently losing a case to Port of 

Newcastle over monopoly charging. 

In welcoming the judgment, Pacific 

National says it is looking forward to 

adding the Acacia Ridge Terminal to 

its nationwide network of rail freight 

depots, terminals and hubs. 

The company assures that it is 

“working to ensure the many social, 

environmental and economic benefits 

of rail freight are realised throughout 

Australia’s transport supply chain, 

including the future Melbourne-to- 

Brisbane Inland Rail”. 

“More freight on rail helps to improve 

road safety, ease traffic congestion, 

lower vehicle emissions, and reduce 

wear and tear on local and state roads,” 

it says. 

“A 2017 Deloitte Access Economics 

report found for every tonne of freight 

hauled a kilometre, road freight 

produces 14 times greater accident 

costs than rail freight and 16 times as 

much carbon pollution. 

“The coronavirus pandemic has 

shown the innate power of rail in being 

able to move bulk volumes of freight 

over large distances in a safe and 

efficient manner. 

“For example, a single 1,800-metre 

interstate goods train service can 

“Pacific National says 

it is looking forward 

to adding Acacia 

Ridge Terminal to its 

nationwide network” 

haul up to 330 shipping containers, 

helping to reduce the number of 

truck (and people) movements 

across state borders.” 

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NEWS 

Executive appointments 

Ron Crouch 

Transport (RCT) 

is signalling its 

growth intent with 

a management 

Peter Braneley 

restructure 

to complement its recent facilities 

investments. 

As part of the restructure, the company has 

completed three appointments. 

Graham Bailey is welcomed to a 

newly created position of chief executive 

officer. 

Bailey has been involved in transport 

for more than three decades and was 

most recently the general manager 

TRIPLE APPOINTMENT 

IN RCT RESTRUCTURE 

K&S CORPORATION 

ANNOUNCES NEW CFO 

Listed transport firm K&S Corporation has 

appointed Raunak Parikh as its new chief 

financial officer. 

He replaces Wayne Johnston, who 

departed the role in December. 

Parikh had been serving as the acting 

CFO in the meantime, with his role made 

permanent effective April 1. 

Before joining K&S Parikh was at 

‘big-four’ accounting firm KPMG for 

more than 13 years, where held senior 

audit roles. 

K&S’s statement notes Parikh brings 

strong technical accounting skills and a 

sound knowledge of the firm’s operations 

and systems. 

“On behalf of my fellow non-executive 

contract logistics NSW for Ceva Logistics. 

Current general manager Peter Braneley 

has been promoted to chief operating officer. 

He has been at the firm for more than 

13 years and has previous experience in 

operations and business development. 

Dale Bigham joins in another newly created 

role of national 3PL manager. 

Bingham was previously national manager 

for Chemcouriers. 

He has also owned his own company 

specialising in the national transport of 

explosives and other dangerous goods. 

This year, RCT acquired a new Sydney 

site at Orchard Hills and moved into a new 

site in Brisbane. 

Public and private rail entities the Australian 

Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and SCT 

Logistics have both announced leadership 

changes. 

Mark Campbell will lead the ARTC for the 

next five years after his appointment as 

managing director and chief executive officer. 

Campbell was CEO and MD of construction 

materials firm Holcim Australia and New 

Zealand. 

ESTEVES 

MOVE TO NT 

WORKSAFE 

Senior Kings 

Transport 

executive Bill 

Esteves is to 

be the new 

senior director 

of NT WorkSafe, 

the Northern 

Territory government reveals. 

He will arrive at NT WorkSafe 

as the agency works through the 

recommendations from a six-month 

independent best practice review, 

starting his new position on June 10, 

pending successful relocation and 

meeting quarantine requirements. 

“We welcome Mr Esteves to the 

Northern Territory to fill what is an 

important role within the Department 

of Attorney-General and Justice,” NT 

attorney-general Natasha Fyles says. 

“Mr Esteves joins NT WorkSafe at 

an important time as we implement 

the recommendations from last 

year’s review into making the NT a 

safer place to work. 

“Territorians deserve to be able to 

return safely from work each day and 

Mr Esteves will be pivotal in ensuring 

we meet that objective.” 

An extensive national search has 

led to the appointment of Kings’ 

chief transformation officer & group 

general manager HSEQ. 

“Previously, Mr Esteves led 

many milestone projects including 

Queensland’s Greyhound 

Commission of Inquiry, and 

Queensland’s Independent Review 

of the taxi industry,” the NT 

government says. 

NEW LEADERSHIP ANNOUNCED AT ARTC AND SCT 

Mark Campbell and Mark Stone 

directors, I take this opportunity 

to congratulate Mr Parikh on his 

appointment,” K&S chair Tony 

Johnson says. 

“Mr Parikh has proved himself to be 

extremely capable and we look forward 

to his ongoing contribution as chief 

financial officer.” 

Meanwhile, integrated rail and logistics 

provider SCT Logistics has announced that its 

owner and founder, Peter Smith, is stepping 

down as chairman and will remain on the 

board as a non-executive director. 

He is succeeded by Mark Stone, most 

recently the long-term CEO of the Victorian 

Chamber of Commerce. 

Smith chaired the SCT Group for over 

two decades. 


OPEN ROAD 

Managing your contracts wisely 

Three useful points to making the document work for you 

WARREN CLARK 

is NatRoad’s chief 

executive officer 

Below: 

A Kenworth truck 

parked at the 

Cruise Terminal 

in Melbourne. 

Recent changes 

to Victorian law 

have expanded 

obligations 

towards 

owner-drivers 

NatRoad helps members put in place written 

contracts on a fee-for-service basis. We also 

assist in helping members understand the 

contracts that are presented to them as part of a tender 

process or often on a “take it or leave it” basis. 

We also help members where there are disputes 

under contracts, often helping members refer these 

issues to external lawyers. 

Getting contracts in writing has become more 

important now, as from May 1, the Victorian government 

has introduced laws which include set penalties for 

failure to provide an owner-driver with the Victorian 

Owner Drivers’ Information Booklet, the applicable rates 

and cost schedule, a written contract and either the 

minimum period of notice of termination or payment 

in lieu of notice. 

But getting value out of your contracts requires 

more than just a written agreement that is put into a 

bottom drawer and forgotten or only dusted off if there 

is a dispute. Most contracts set out deliverables and 

required service standards. It’s important to put in 

place a monitoring plan that ensures you meet the 

outlined obligations. 

Contract monitoring requires a disciplined approach 

as you should compare actual performance against the 

deliverables set out in the contract, particularly as many 

large companies are now requiring contractors to meet 

ongoing key performance indicators (KPIs). 

There are three ways that we suggest you deal with 

the process of contract management. 

1. Communicate with the people who will perform 

the services 

It is likely that the staff in the best position to monitor 

contract performance are not the same as those 

who were responsible writing or negotiating the 

contract terms. 

The staff who will be performing the services should 

be briefed on the contract. This can be done in a 

number of ways, for example through ‘toolbox’ talks 

where the conditions of the contract are explained in 

simple terms. 

The elements you need to communicate are the 

contract’s contents and requirements, e.g., time slots, 

key dates and milestones, what metrics will be used to 

measure performance during the contract term and how 

frequently these should be assessed and reported and 

in what form those reports should be made. 

2. Make monitoring part of daily activities 

There are a lot of pressures in running a road transport 

business. Contract monitoring may not seem like a 

priority on a day-to-day basis, but it is important given 

the consequences of even small potential breaches in 

many contracts. 

For example, we have seen contracts where if a time 

slot is missed, the subcontractor under the contract is 

required to redeliver the goods at their cost and they 

don’t get paid for the missed delivery. 

Putting contract monitoring into your daily schedule 

helps, even via investment in contract management 

software, where there are a large number of different 

contracts to manage. 

3. What does success look like? 

The way you approach the issue of whether you have 

performed the contract’s terms and met any expressed 

KPIs will give you a good indication of your monetary 

return from undertaking the task. 

Make sure you know what criteria to look at; for 

example, timeliness of invoices. 

Does missing an invoice deadline by one day mean 

that the contractor/customer has a right to shift 

payment to a new payment cycle? What have been the 

time frames for deliveries, for loading and unloading 

and the average waiting time at the delivery point? 

Keeping records about these issues is essential to 

determining whether the contract is a boon or a bane 

for your business. 

For a review of your existing contract, or drafting a 

new standard contract, call one of NatRoad’s member 

services advisers on 02 6295 3000. 


SPONSORED CONTENT 

MaxiTRANS 

A VERSATILE ALL-ROUNDER 

Hayden Bentley is currently using his new purpose-built Freighter Drop Deck 

Semi to haul more than 60 state-of-the-art residential suites to his new cabin park 

in South Australia. The multi-purpose trailer will later find its way around Bentley 

Group’s other business divisions 

Following the success of its Port Pirie 

venture, Bentley’s Cabin Parks will 

be soon opening its new fully selfcontained 

accommodation park at Port 

Augusta. Part of the Bentley Group, the cabin 

park division was first set up in 1995 when 

founder and managing director Hayden 

Bentley set up four cabins inspired by his 

travels around Australia with his family. 

From those humble beginnings, Hayden 

gradually expanded his business to set up 

the Port Pirie Cabin Park with over 100 fully 

self-contained four-star cabins with a range 

of one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, 

including various amenities such as spa 

and basic home and kitchen appliances. 

These days, Hayden is busy finalising the 

arrangements at the new cabin park that is 

set to open later this year. 

Parent company, Bentley Group, is a 

diversified business that is involved in 

farming, hospitality and construction. The 

new cabins for the Port Augusta site are 

being built at Bentley’s own construction 

yards based in South Australia. To transport 

those cabins, Hayden recently bought a 

Freighter Drop Deck Semi with ramps, from 

MaxiTRANS. 

“We have bought aluminium tippers from 

MaxiTRANS previously and in February we 

picked up a new multi-purpose Freighter 

Drop Deck Semi trailer. We had the trailer 

purpose-built to suit our specific needs. The 

cabins we transport with the trailer are oneor 

two-bedroom, with the longest of them 

around 10.3 metres long, so we wanted the 

base of the deck to be 10.5 metres so the 

cabin could fit on it. Its bi-folding ramps 

were made removable to make it easier 

to put the cabins on and off. We even had 

it colour-coded to match our new Scania 

prime mover so it looks nice on the road as 

well,” Hayden says. 

Although this trailer was made to suit 

Bentley’s Cabin Park’s specific purposes, 

it is a general-purpose trailer as well. As 

a result, it will also be used to transport 

various types of loads including heavy 

machinery for Bentley Group’s other farming 

and construction equipment such as 

bulldozers, loaders and graders. 

DESIGN INGENUITY 

The Freighter Drop Deck Semi-Trailer is 

capable of delivering low tare weight and 

carrying high loads, machinery and silage. 

Featuring Freighter’s short, extra strong 

gooseneck, the Drop Deck Semi can be 

engineered to optimise pallet capacity and 

spacing on both upper and lower decks, 

based on specific freight requirements. 

The wide spaced main beams combined 

with low profile frames, deliver complete 

stability and centre of gravity. Meanwhile, 

the use of sturdy cross members provides 

a more durable and reliable trailer. Hayden 

chose to include the optional pull out ramps 

to allow the load to be driven between the 

lower and upper decks. 

“The quality of the workmanship 

is fantastic. Unlike some of the other 

trailers with ramps that we have used 

in the past, the ramps of the new 

Freighter trailer have shown no signs of 

rusting or physical damage,” Hayden says. 

SECOND TO NONE QUALITY 

“We have had good experience with 

MaxiTRANS before – we bought aluminium 

tippers from them and we’ve been very 

happy with them. Given our good experience 

with MaxiTRANS in the past it was an 

obvious choice for us to go to them again. 

We knew we had to stick to what we 

trusted and what we knew, so going 

with the Freighter Drop Deck Semi was 

an easy decision. 

“We have been using MaxiTRANS 

products for nearly 10 years and it was 

good to work with them again. They made 

the trailer exactly like how we wanted. 

The finished product is excellent. They’ve 

thought of everything and finished it on time. 

We trust Australian manufacturing and we 

like quality. We understand that cheap is not 

always the best so we are willing to pay for 

quality,” Hayden says. 

Like all MaxiTRANS products, the Freighter 

Drop Deck Semi is backed by MaxiTRANS’ 

national trailer, parts and service dealer 

network, and a two year manufacturer’s 

warranty. While the new Freighter trailer 

will work across most of Bentley Group’s 

business divisions, it is not planned to 

drive thousands of kilometres in a month 

so Hayden expects less need for servicing. 

However, he says it is good to know that 

they have parts and service support readily 

available if they need. 

For more details, visit the website at 

www.maxitrans.com. 


DELIVER 

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OPERATIONS + STRATEGY 

Driver Safety 

GUARDIAN 

ANGEL 

Monitoring 100 drivers over several 

months using the latest Guardian 

in-cab technology, the Advanced 

Safe Truck Concept (ASTC) project 

studied driver behaviour with an 

aim to improve road safety and 

influence a re-think of professional 

driving regulations 

WORDS 

ANJALI BEHL 

Fatigue and driver distraction 

are two of the most 

notorious contributors 

to road accidents, prompting 

authorities worldwide to implement 

regulations and policies that 

encourage the use of road 

safety and fatigue management 

technologies. 

In Australia, a recent study 

tested the success, sophistication 

and benefits of using an innovative 

driver monitoring system that 

aims to detect driver fatigue 

and distraction. The $6.5 million 

co-operative research centre 

project, titled the ‘Advanced Safe 

Truck Concept’ (ASTC), was funded 

by the Australian Government in 

partnership with Canberra-based 

driver monitoring technology 

company Seeing Machines, the 

Monash University Accident 

Research Centre (MUARC), Ron 

Finemore Transport Services and 

Volvo Trucks Australia. 

The project involved studying 

driver behaviour over many months 

using the latest in-cab driver 

monitoring technology from Seeing 

Machines. The research team fitted 

10 of Ron Finemore Transport’s 

trucks with the Guardian system, 

monitoring 100 drivers over 

a period of nine months. The 

participating drivers collectively 

made 22,215 trips across more 

than 1.7 million kilometres, 

leading to the largest and most 

comprehensive study anywhere in 

the world. 

“The project has resulted in the 

pioneering of advanced technology 

that positions Australia as a leader 


in driver monitoring technology 

innovation,” Seeing Machines 

program lead Dr Mike Lenné says. 

“It will allow Australia to 

influence the global approach 

to the regulation of professional 

driving and improve heavy vehicle 

safety. This is a great example of 

industry working together, with 

the support of our government, 

to enhance safety with a proven 

policy approach and see it put 

into practice.” 

GUARDIAN TECHNOLOGY 

Seeing Machines provides 

industry-leading fatigue prevention 

and driver monitoring technologies 

for the local and international 

commercial transport sector. 

Its Guardian system uses 

advanced computer vision 

technology to observe and 

minimise driver fatigue and 

distraction events, and associated 

accidents in commercial fleet 

applications. The system delivers 

an intelligent driver safety 

technology that uses in-cab 

sensors to monitor the driver’s 

levels of fatigue and distraction, 

in real time. The technology 

system consists of small cameras 

and connected sensors that are 

sensitive enough to detect blinking 

of eyes, head position, and where 

the driver is looking. 

An alarm signals driver fatigue 

or distraction which triggers the 

driver’s seat to vibrate rapidly. 

Meanwhile, an alert is sent by 

satellite to the Seeing Machines 

24/7 monitoring centre, which 

is accessible by the trucking 

company in real time, so they can 

contact the driver and initiate a 

fatigue management plan. 

IMPLEMENTATION 

AND STUDY 

With more than 500 staff and a 

fleet of over 250 prime movers, Ron 

Finemore Transport moves food 

and fuel products across millions 

of kilometres each year. 

The business maintains a strong 

safety culture, which is reflected 

in its safe and modern fleet that 

It will allow Australia to influence 

the global approach to the regulation 

of professional driving and improve 

heavy vehicle safety 

uses the latest driver fatigue and 

safety monitoring technology to 

minimise risks. 

Ron Finemore Transport 

general manager – technology 

and innovation Darren Wood says 

the company has been using the 

Guardian technology in its fleet 

since 2015. At that time, it installed 

the technology into 10 of its 

vehicles and its success over the 

years led the company to make it a 

mandatory feature for all its trucks. 

Many of Ron Finemore Transport 

team’s suggestions have also been 

incorporated in the products today. 

“We’re an innovative business, 

we like to understand how 

new technologies work,” Wood 

says. “As a result of sharing a 

relationship with Seeing Machines 

that is trusting and innovative, and 

being a customer that is a willing 

participant to make the product 

even better, we were asked to 

participate in this study.” 

Through various research 

projects over the years, MUARC, 

Above: (L to R) 

Seeing Machines 

SVP fleet and human 

factors Dr Mike 

Lenné, assistant 

minister for road 

safety & freight 

transport Scott 

Buchholz, Ron 

Finemore Transport 

MD Mark Parry, and 

Monash University 

Accident Research 

Centre associate 

director Michael 

Fitzharris 

Opposite below: 

The study involved 

monitoring 100 

drivers over nine 

months using the 

latest Guardian 

in-cab technology 


“We have had excellent feedback from 

the project. We engaged proactively with 

our drivers all along the process, keeping 

them informed through regular updates 

on the progress of the project. 

“Our participating drivers have been 

very accommodating and understanding 

of what we were asking them to do, 

and very interested in the outcome 

of the project, so there has been 

lots of follow-on discussions and 

communication since it all started. 

Following the completion of the project, 

some of our participating drivers have 

even taken part in media forums at 

various milestone events of 

the project. 

“For us, using this technology in our 

vehicles is a mandatory requirement 

for safety reasons. The way we think of 

safety in our business, the use of this 

technology is compulsory for us. 

“Our long-term view is that this 

technology should be, if not mandatory, 

highly sought after and should provide 

some sort of financial incentives through 

insurance premiums to the industry. 

one of the world’s leading comprehensive 

injury prevention research institutions, 

has contributed to a range of workplace 

and community safety initiatives across 

Victoria. Not unlike other participants, the 

Monash research team involved in this 

project was excited with the prospects of 

this study. 

The team needed to test the sensing 

platform and fine-tune the instrumentation 

process with minimal disruption 

to Ron Finemore Transport’s operations 

during the naturalistic driving study. 

So, the research team used Australia’s 

first research-based truck simulator at 

MUARC. The team conducted tests on 

74 drivers under varying conditions. The 

drivers were sleep-deprived and then 

intentionally distracted during simulation 

for two hours. 

The results indicated drivers were 

twice as likely to crash when fatigued, 

but 11 times more likely to crash 

when fatigued and distracted at the 

same time. The study was enhanced 

by Volvo contributing a truck to serve 

as a development test-bed for the 

driver-sensing platform, which could be 

seamlessly installed in the MUARC truck 

and car simulator, as well as the Ron 

Finemore Transport fleet. 

“We were excited at the prospect 

of being part of a study that aimed to 

put more depth into understanding the 

principles behind fatigue and driver 

distraction management so we could 

coordinate with our workforce in a more 

productive and proactive way in the 

future,” Wood says. 

“Each member of our operations 

team was given full training and, to this 

day, this is one of the most successful 

programs we have implemented in the 

business because, at every stage of the 

project, each process was followed to 

the letter. 

The results indicated 

drivers were … 11 

times more likely to 

crash when fatigued 

and distracted at the 

same time 

Overall, it’s about keeping workers safe 

and getting our drivers back home safe to 

their families. 

“We are looking forward to seeing some 

of the suggestions that our drivers made 

to make the interaction between the driver 

of the vehicle and the in-cab technology 

even better, even more accommodating 

to driver needs and overall less intrusive, 

being implemented into future releases of 

the product.” 

FUTURE BENEFITS AND 

TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS 

It is a general consensus among all 

participating groups that this study 

offers an opportunity for policymakers 

to apply a more personalised approach 

to managing risks linked with fatigue 

and understanding how work hours are 

implemented in practice. 

“Addressing key risk factors such as 


distraction and fatigue will be 

critical in reducing the number of 

people killed and injured on our 

roads. In-vehicle technology will 

play a key role in achieving this,” 

MUARC director Professor 

Judith Charlton says. 

The study was a successful 

platform to test the latest sensor 

technology with an aim to reduce 

heavy vehicle crashes, improve 

driver well-being and help trucking 

companies better manage their 

fatigue in their driving workforce, 

she adds. 

Ron Finemore Transport 

managing director Mark Parry 

says: “Keeping our drivers safe and 

being able to detect fatigue and 

distraction prior to an incident or 

accident will help keep our drivers 

and other road users safe. This will 

support our company’s proactive 

approach to driver safety and 

wellbeing – which is at the centre 

of our business from culture to 

operations. 

“By allowing researchers to work 

with our truck drivers directly, they 

now have a detailed understanding 

of their tasks, needs, and driving 

environments.” 

MUARC associate director 

Michael Fitzharris says 

the research not only has 

major implications for policy 

implementation but it will also 

allow a re-think of current best 

practices in managing driver 

fatigue and distraction levels for 

commercial drivers. 

“With driver distraction and 

drowsiness known to be key 

contributors to road fatalities 

and injuries globally, this research 

will enable the implementation 

of highly advanced and 

sophisticated driver monitoring 

technology that will play a key role 

in reducing the number of people 

killed and injured on our roads in 

the future,” he says. 

For Fitzharris, the benefits of 

this type and sophistication have 

significant road safety benefits for 

all vehicles on the road, not just 

trucks. 

“This is not just for trucks, but 

all passenger vehicles. This will 

improve the safety of all road 

users, including pedestrians and 

cyclists,” he says. 

Above: Participants’ 

feedback will be 

used to improve the 

integration of drivers 

with the technology 

and make it less 

intrusive 

Opposite: The 

Guardian system 

uses advanced 

computer vision 

technology to 

observe driver 

fatigue and 

distraction events 

Below: The 

technology system 

consists of small 

cameras and 

connected sensors 

that can detect 

driver’s head 

position and blinking 

of eyes 



Road Maintenance 

ROADS TO 

EROSION 

WORDS 

STEVE SKINNER 


It’s great for politicians to cut the ribbons on new urban 

motorways and regional freeways, but they tend to forget 

about ongoing maintenance of roads, say the experts 

Many readers will remember 

the dangerous goat track 

between Melbourne and 

Sydney which was much of the 

Hume Highway well into the 1990s. 

A lot of it was single carriageway 

with the occasional passing 

lanes, and it was a bloodbath 

In 1989, 16 people died in eight 

crashes involving trucks between 

Mittagong and Gundagai on one 

stretch in New South Wales alone. 

Who could forget the old Hume 

through the infamous Cullerin 

Range along there? 

It might have taken two decades 

longer than both Coalition and Labor 

Prime Ministers promised, but these 

days the Hume is a completely 

divided dual-lane carriageway and 

fatalities are way down. It’s a similar 

story on the long-awaited, nearly 

re-built Pacific between Sydney 

and Brisbane. There are still plenty 

of run-offs to the side, and trucks 

sometimes come through the middle, 

but head-ons are now rare. 

That’s the good news. The bad 

news is that much of the older 

dual-lane Hume is now incredibly 

rough, with both trucks and drivers 

taking a tremendous pounding on 

the numerous dips, hollows and 

nasty bridge abutments. 

It’s a constant battle for road 

managers for sure, but the recently 

vastly improved ‘Goat Track Hill’ 

north-bound towards Yass shows 

what they can achieve with the 

necessary funds. 

We’re talking here about the 

main link between Australia’s two 

biggest and most prosperous cities, 

so governments should be able 

to imagine how bad many of the 

nation’s other roads are. 

“The cost of maintaining roads in 

Australia is growing and the overall 

maintenance backlog is increasing,” 

Infrastructure Australia (IA) laments. 

“Australia’s road network faces 

increasing demands from a growing 

population,” says the independent 

adviser to Australian governments. 

“The size of the network is also 

growing, with the expansion of 

existing roads and the construction 

of new ones. 

“Meanwhile, there is a limited link 

between funding for road services 

and the actual use of roads. This 

leads to funding challenges for 

ongoing maintenance.” 

These comments are in IA’s latest 

Priority List, which lists a ‘National 

Road Maintenance Strategy’ as one 

of its highest priorities. 

The report says there is an 

underspend on maintenance; short 

budget and funding cycles; a lack of 

data and incentives; and inadequate 

reporting. It’s hard to imagine anyone 

in the trucking industry arguing with 

any of that. 

PROPOSED NATIONAL 

STRATEGY 

IA’s proposed initiative would 

address the road maintenance 

backlog across local, state and 

national roads. But the idea is light 

on detail, and governments haven’t 

agreed to it yet. 

As in so many other areas of 

transport, a key argument is that 

spending money saves money in the 

long run. 

“Early maintenance on assets such 

as pavement can significantly reduce 

Above: The federal government will fund 80 per 

cent of the nearly $13 billion allocated for the 

Bruce Highway 

Far left & left: Cars don’t notice the big hits on 

the Hume, but trucks certainly do; Bug’s eye 

view of a ‘shove-up’ on the fog line on the Hume 

Highway just outside Melbourne 


future costs, if timed correctly,” the 

report says. There is also mention 

of “structural reforms such as 

road-user charging”. 

A Queensland maintenance 

initiative is included separately on 

the Infrastructure Priority List. 

IA says the 5,000km-long road 

component of the National Land 

Transport Network in Queensland 

has a “significant” maintenance 

backlog. 

“The poor condition of roads has 

increased costs to communities and 

the freight industry by increasing 

travel times, creating safety risks and 

reducing network resilience,” the IA 

report says. 

The IA report says about 340km 

of these highway pavements 

and bridges “urgently” require 

programmed maintenance – such 

as replacing road surfaces – with 

another 540km of highway needing 

“rehabilitation”. 

“The Queensland Government 

expects the cost of addressing these 

The poor condition of 

roads has increased costs 

to communities and the 

freight industry 

issues to rise significantly if they are 

not addressed now.” 

The good news is that the Bruce 

Highway, Queensland’s major 

north-south freight corridor and 

a vital part of the National Land 

Transport Network, is getting nearly 

$13 billion worth of work done on it 

over a 15 year period, 80 per cent of it 

funded by the Federal Government. 

An interview was sought with IA 

to flesh out some of the points in its 

report, but the coronavirus put paid 

to that. 

REPAIRING REGIONAL ROADS 

“There has been an historical 

underspend on road maintenance,” 

says Terry Rawnsley, a partner with 

SGS Economics and Planning, in 

welcoming IA’s highlighting of the 

problem. 

Rawnsley produces the annual 

SGS Economic Performance of 

Australia’s Cities and Regions report, 

and says that the road maintenance 

funding backlog is “especially bad” in 

regional Australia. 

“Roads in poor condition 

substantially reduce average 

travel speeds – often to less than 

40km/h – damage transported 

Top: The local 

council has 

had numerous 

attempts at 

fixing this access 

road outside the 

Shell Gundagai 

northbound on 

the Hume, but it 

always reverts 

to a corrugated 

and pot-holed 

dustbowl 

Above left: 

Economist 

Terry Rawnsley 

says the road 

maintenance 

funding backlog 

is “especially 

bad” in regional 

Australia 

Right: Patches on 

top of patches on 

this urban local 

road 

Opposite: What 

happened to the 

shoulder on this 

state road? And 

what happened 

to the fog line on 

this local road? 

livestock and horticulture, and 

increase maintenance costs of heavy 

vehicles,” says Rawnsley, whose 

brother is a truck driver. 

“This creates an economic 

burden for farmers and the 

broader supply chain.” 

Rawnsley points out that regional 

Australia makes up 35 per cent of the 

economy, compared with Sydney’s 

almost 25 per cent and Melbourne’s 

nearly 20 per cent. 

“However, given the size of 

regional Australia, it is much more 

difficult to focus on key transport 

problems than in Sydney and 

Melbourne.” 

He points out it’s no good having 

billion-dollar roads if B-doubles can’t 

get on and off them – the common 

“first and last mile access” dilemma. 

“Every local road is a connection to 

major roads which provide a linkage 

to inland freight terminals, ports, and 


domestic and global markets. 

“Last – or depending on your perspective, 

first – mile improvements and upgrading 

roads for higher productivity vehicles mean 

that farmers and producers can get more 

of their product to market in a quicker and 

more productive manner.” 

LOCAL COUNCILS, POOR COUSINS 

This gets on to the issue of local government-controlled 

roads, with access permits 

a common and often lengthy headache for 

the trucking industry. 

But spare a thought for the budgetary 

situation of many of Australia’s more than 

500 local councils, especially in rural areas 

hit by the drought and bushfires and now 

the coronavirus-induced effect on tourism. 

“Inadequately maintained roads and 

bridges, which may have differing or 

inconsistent road surfaces, irregularly or 

poorly maintained road shoulders, poor road 

markings, or poor lighting, can have serious 

road safety outcomes,” the peak body for 

local councils admits. 

“Fifty per cent of road crashes are on 

local roads. This means that driving on a 

BAD BRIDGE 

Check out this increasingly busy 

state-owned infrastructure just over the 

Blue Mountains in NSW. 

The potentially dangerous Glenroy 

Bridge, built in 1901, caters for well over 

100 trucks a day servicing the Sydney 

area with gravel from nearby quarries 

and timber construction products from 

big plants in Oberon. 

Alarmingly, the bridge is also used 

by the many tourist coaches taking 

passengers to and from Jenolan Caves. 

There is no guarantee that either trucks or coaches use CB radios 

to communicate with each other as they approach the bridge from the 

Oberon end. 

As can be seen from the deep rut in the photo featuring the car, trucks 

have to veer off the bitumen into the gravel just before the bridge if they 

want to achieve a full view of oncoming traffic; and/or to make their 

approach to the bridge as straight as possible if there are other vehicles 

already on the bridge which have to be passed. 

It would surely reduce the chances of a serious accident to at least 

widen and seal that approach. That’s aside from considering widening 

the bridge, or building a new one, on what is after all a state road. 

“The width dimensions have been a point of contention, especially 

with the limited vision on the approach to the bridge from the 

Oberon end,” says Oberon Council technical services director Chris 

Schumacher says. 

“Oberon Council continues to advocate for the state government to 

give priority consideration to its upgrade.” 

Above: Luckily 

this truck and 

this coach 

aren’t passing 

each other 

across the 

double lines 

near Glenroy 

Bridge 

Below: How 

hard could it 

be to widen 

and seal this 

blind approach 

to Glenroy 

Bridge? 


Ratepayers are 

often left to 

fund transport 

networks for 

non-ratepayers 

Top: Not much room 

to pass on this local 

road in western NSW 

Above: How’s this 

for a deep rut on a 

state road in Victoria 

Below: Imagine two 

trucks passing on 

this local road in 

rural NSW 

local road involves an increased risk 

of being seriously injured that is 1.5 

times higher than driving on a state 

road. Deaths on rural and regional 

roads far outnumber deaths on 

metropolitan roads.” 

These stark comments are 

contained in the Australian Local 

Government Association’s (ALGA) 

pre-Budget submission to the federal 

government, written before the 

2020-21 Budget was postponed until 

October due to the virus crisis. 

“Of the three levels of government, 

local government has the largest 

relative infrastructure task in terms 

of asset management,” continues the 

ALGA submission. 

“Local roads account for around 

75 per cent of the total road length 

in Australia, or 662,000km. Yet 

local government has the smallest 

revenue base of all the tiers of 

government, raising only 3.4 per cent 

of Australia’s total taxation revenue. 

Unlike other levels of governments, 

local government has no direct 

mechanism to raise funds for road 

construction and maintenance such 

as road user charges, registration 

charges or other road or transport-related 

fees or charges.” 

The ALGA submission says a 2018 

State of the Assets report estimated 

that nine per cent of sealed local 

roads and 16 per cent of unsealed 

local roads were in “poor to very 

poor” condition – along with more 

than 20 per cent of timber bridges. 

“Despite increased investment, 

the condition and function of sealed 

roads and concrete and timber 

bridges is not improving, and the 

condition and function of unsealed 

roads is declining.” 

FEDS ASKED TO STEP UP 

The federal government’s scheme 

for helping local councils with their 

roads is called the Roads to Recovery 

Program. At present it’s running at 

about $600 million a year, and after 

2023/2024 it will continue at about 

$500 million a year. 

The ALGA submission asks the 

federal government to increase 

Roads to Recovery to $800 million 

annually – an extra $300 million 

a year. 

It also proposes a local roads 

investment program of $300 million 

per year over five years to address 

first and last mile issues and 

congestion. 

“Ratepayers are often left to 

fund transport networks for nonratepayers, 

particularly where local 

roads provide for significant arterial 

and through traffic or have economic 

significance beyond the access 

interests and responsibilities of 

the council.” 

That’s a total of $600 million a 

year extra for local roads, and it now 

seems like a remarkably modest 

request considering the massive 

federal spending that’s recently been 

announced to battle the coronavirus’ 

hit to the economy. 

ALGA points out that while its 

councils raise less than 4 per cent 

of Australia’s taxation revenue – 

through property rates – the federal 

government raises more than 80 per 

cent of Australia’s tax revenue. 

Out of this federal revenue, funding 

from the Feds through Financial 

Assistance Grants (FAGs) accounts 

for about seven per cent of local 

government revenue. 

But in relative terms, funding for 

local councils through the FAGs has 

been falling, from one per cent of 

Federal taxation revenue in 1996 to 

just half of one per cent now. 

“The biggest impact has been, and 

continues to be, felt by councils and 

communities in regional and remote 

Australia,” ALGA says. 

ALGA argues further that 

road maintenance provides good 

and rapid stimulus for local 

economies. “Every $1 spent on 

maintenance services could result 

in 3.5 direct jobs compared with 

only two direct jobs for major 

road and bridge infrastructure 

projects.” 


INDUSTRY VOICE 

Fuel security: time to take action 

Tapping oil in rented US reserve space is not realistic 

GEOFF CROUCH 

chairs the 

Australian 

Trucking 

Association 

The move to establish Australia’s emergency 

fuel reserve in the United States is a serious 

strategic error. 

Liquid fuel is critical to trucking and critical for our 

economy. Without trucks and the fuel that powers them, 

Australia stops. 

Last month, Minister for Energy and Emissions 

Reduction Angus Taylor announced that the Australian 

government would spend $94 million to establish 

a strategic fuel reserve in the United States. Also 

included in this figure was $2.5 million to lease 

space in the reserve. 

But the United States is on the other side of a very 

wide ocean. The arrangement to meet Australia’s fuel 

security obligations by tapping into the US reserve is 

simply not realistic. 

Australia has signed an international treaty that says 

we will maintain an emergency stockpile of 90 days of 

liquid fuel. But we don’t do that. 

At the end of 2019, Australia had only 24 

consumption days of petrol and 22 consumption days 

It’s time for government to take 

action on fuel security 

Right: At the end 

of 2019, Australia 

had only 24 

consumption days 

of petrol and 22 

consumption days 

of diesel in stock 

of diesel in stock. Angus Taylor has said himself that it 

could take up to 40 days for fuel to make its way from 

the United States to Australia. 

That means Australia would be brought to a standstill 

for up to 16 days with no access to fuel. No fuel means 

supermarkets would go empty, medicines wouldn’t get 

delivered and rubbish bins wouldn’t get emptied. 

The government has also announced that it will work 

with the private sector to identify the best options for 

further strengthening fuel security in Australia. If we’re 

to bring our fuel security home, this should be the focus 

for government. 

Standing up for trucking and the wider community, in 

2019 the ATA made a detailed submission to the liquid 

fuel security review, calling for domestic fuel security 

as well as the need to address the legal uncertainties 

that trucking businesses would face if expected by 

government to prioritise the delivery of particular goods 

during a fuel emergency. 

The ATA ran a fuel security exercise in 2015 which 

demonstrated that in a fuel shortage emergency 

it cannot be assumed that the trucking industry 

would have the commercial ability to implement the 

government’s priorities. 

The legislation governing a fuel shortage emergency 

needs to be reviewed and amended to include the need 

to ensure that trucking businesses cannot be sued for 

prioritising customers in line with government policy 

during a fuel security emergency. 

It’s time for government to take action on fuel 

security. Not just to ensure the viability of the trucking 

industry, but to ensure the future of the Australian 

community and our economy. 

This issue has been dragging on for far too long. 

Band-Aid measures such as $94 million of fuel being 

kept on the soil of a foreign power, on the other side of 

the world, are just not acceptable. 

The nation’s fuel reserves simply must be kept on 

Australia soil. 

ATA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS 

ATA DIRECT LINE 

Captions: Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

(02) 6253 6900 

NSW ROAD FREIGHT NSW – Simon O’Hara ....................................Ph: (02) 9922 6507 

VIC VTA – Peter Anderson ....................................................Ph: (03) 9646 8590 

QLD QTA – Gary Mahon ......................................................Ph: (07) 3394 4388 

SA SARTA – Steve Shearer ....................................................Ph: (08) 8445 8177 

WA Western Roads Federation – Cam Dumesny ..................................Ph: (08) 9355 3022 

NT NTRTA – Louise Bilato .....................................................Ph: 0400 107 223 

NatRoad (incorporating the Aust Road Train Assoc) – Warren Clark ..................Ph: (02) 6295 3000 

Aust Livestock & Rural Transporters Association .............................Ph: (02) 6247 5434 

Australian Furniture Removers Association – Executive director: Joe Lopino ........Ph: 1800 671 806 

Tasmanian Transport Association – Michelle Harwood ............................ Ph: 0427 366 742 



ASQ 

TAKING THE 

CAB-OVER 

OPTION 

AllStone Quarries boasts a sparkling 600hp 

Volvo FH16 in its ranks, but have a look in 

the shed and you’ll find a couple of classic 

Macks tucked away as well 

WORDS & IMAGES WARREN AITKEN 

The funny thing about doing my job 

is that I can put hours and hours 

of time into researching a story 

and countless days trying to track down 

particular trucks. However, truth be told, I 

just happen to stumble across many of my 

stories and this one is a prime example. 

As it happened, I was working hard in 

the office one day (I was really surfing 

Facebook), scrolling through countless 

motivational memes, a bit of welcomely 

shared food porn and countless cool trucks 

when the name Ricky Jones scrolled by, 

accompanied by an extremely good looking 

Volvo. I scrolled back up, had another look, 

did a bit of Facebook stalking and found 

plenty more shots of this stunning machine 

and figured that I needed to know more. 

So I jumped on the big tin taxi, flew down 

to Melbourne, rented a very fuel-efficient 

excuse for a car and drove out to Bendigo 

to meet Jones and learn more about the 

business he works for – ASQ. 

Like every good success story, let’s 

start at the beginning. While ASQ, which 

stands for AllStone Quarries, now has a 

fleet of more than 20 trucks and employees 

numbering in the triple figures, the family 

owned and operated business actually 

began as a backhoe operation back in 1969. 

Graeme Bird had started his company 

with just a single backhoe in the same 

year he married Lynette. It was a huge year 

when you think about it, with the couple 

organising their wedding before going out 

on their own in a new business venture. It 


Above: It was an early 

start to catch the ASQ 

Volvo before it headed off 

on another run 

Top right: Graeme Bird 

(right) still manages to 

help the boys out around 

the yard. Years of doing it 

are hard to give up 

Right: One of ASQs many 

truck and dog tippers 

waits to be loaded out at 

the company quarry 

was a tough ask but the Birds dived 

in and did it. 

Bird took on all sorts of jobs from 

housing foundations to water mains 

… whatever paid the bills. There 

wasn’t much Bird didn’t 

dig up. As the ’70s progressed, so 

did Bird’s business and he started 

doing more road projects. It was here 

he found a market for decent-sized 

gravel. 

On the jobs he was doing, Bird 

was finding it hard to access the 

finer-sized gravel he required, so he 

built his own crushing plant. Yes, you 

read that right – from a backhoe to a 

crushing plant. 

That first crushing plant became 

very busy and so the structure of the 

business changed. The backhoe was 

gone and crushing became the new 

game. With a new game came a new 

name. 

Rick had no 

qualms jumping 

from his old 

Mack Trident into 

his new ‘Swedish 

Rolls Royce’ 

Bird brought his brother into the 

mix and GR & LP Bird was formed. 

With the crushing plant came a 

quarry, with a quarry came trucks, 

with trucks and a quarry came the 

need for a wholesale yard as well. 

While you’ve got all the materials, 

you might as well get into concrete 

and precast concrete. It was all a 

natural progression for Bird. 

As the new millennium rolled 

around, the business was 

restructured again and ASQ was 

born. By now, both of Bird’s sons, 

Wes and Tim, were heavily involved 

in the running of the business and 

Bird is very quick to credit them with 

the continued growth and success of 

the company. 

In 2017, Bird finally ‘retired’ and 

handed the company over to his 

sons to continue the work. You’ll 

note the quotations around the word 

retired. That’s because Bird is not the 

greatest at retiring. In fact he was 

still hanging around the yard when I 

arrived at the company site. That’s 

why I was lucky enough to meet him. 

CRUSHING IT 

Bird is far from a tea-drinking, crossword-completing 

retiree. Moreover, 

they had to build him his own shed 

at the quarry to house all the tractors 


he’s restoring. It seems he’s simply become 

busier since his retirement. 

Understandable, I guess, because in 

nearly 50 years of operation he built a 

business from a single backhoe to one of 

the area’s largest suppliers of aggregates. 

With three yards and one massive 

quarry, not to mention countless pieces 

of equipment out on mobile crushing 

contracts, ASQ is a household name in 

and around Victoria. 

However, I am sure most of you are here 

to learn a little more about trucks than 

20mm gravel, right? Well let’s get to it. 

I mentioned at the start how I happened 

to fall into this story when I noticed an 

eye-catching Volvo on a Facebook thread. 

Well, after hounding Jones on Facebook 

and perving at all the stunning images, I 

finally managed to pin him down to do a 

shoot. As if that wasn’t enough, Jones also 

let me shoot ASQ’s two classic restored 

Macks. Seriously, I owe that man a beer! 

Jones has been with the Birds for 13 

years now and even though he’s still 

relatively young he is one of their most 

senior drivers. His current role leaves 

him in charge of delivering a lot of ASQ’s 

equipment to its many jobsites. There is 

also a set of bins that Jones will hook up to 

when the low-loader isn’t required. 

The Volvo can be seen all over the 

southern Riverina and north east New South 

Wales, delivering or picking up product. 

The past three 

years have been 

spent restoring it to 

its former glory 

it. Like just about every punter that sits in 

one for a day, he commends the comfort 

and the ride as two massive bonuses. 

Although not a fulltime overnighter, he 

has spent more than enough time on the 

road camped in the big girl and has no 

complaints. Well, no complaints about that, 

but I did push him to find something he 

could whinge about, and the best he could 

come up with was how low the Volvo’s 

bullbar is. 

“I’ve got to angle it out on some of the 

driveways,” he jokingly admits. 

The 600hp (447kW) Volvo engine is also 

more than up to the tasks required of it, and 

Jones had no qualms jumping from his old 

Mack Trident (which for the record he loved) 

into his new ‘Swedish Rolls Royce’ as it’s 

been tagged. 

Talking of old Macks, let’s just focus on 

me ‘falling into stories’ again. 

After I had taken some stunning shots of 

the flagship Volvo, Jones was kind enough 

to take me out to another one of Bird’s 

sheds where I found his two absolutely 

stunning restored Macks. 

“Did you want to grab a shot of these as 

CAB-OVER DECISION 

While the majority of the ASQ fleet sports 

noses, and more precisely ‘Bulldog’ bonnets, 

this was the company’s first foray into the 

big cab-over Volvo option and Jones loves 


well?” Jones asked. Well, I believed 

he asked because I was running off 

to my rental car to grab my other 

camera at the time. 

Although the big girl, the 1982 

Series 1 Super-Liner, was a purchase 

of passion, the 1977 R600 has a lot 

more history to it. Let’s look at the 

Super-Liner first though. 

I’m sure there are a few keen-eyed 

Mack fans scoffing at me when I 

listed it as a Series 1. It is, trust me. 

“The previous owner couldn’t 

find a Series 1 bonnet when he was 

were restoring it,” Jones advises, “so 

he just ended up fitting a Series 2 

instead.” 

The truck was just a day cab 

when Bird’s son Wes found it, yet 

somehow they managed to track 

down the truck’s original sleeper box 

and get that restored and refitted as 

well. Some extra lights and a bit of 

bling was added, the original 440hp 

(328kW) engine was given a tidy up 

and now the Super-Liner is a regular 

at truck shows in the area. 

The 1977 R600 is a different 

story altogether. This truck has 

been with the company since 

the early ’80s and was originally 

purchased second hand to replace 

an old Louisville. GR & LP Bird 

was growing and as such needed 

a ‘bigger truck’ to move their 

crushers around. 

The purchase of the R600 was the 

beginning of the Birds’ long-running 

relationship with the ‘Bulldog’ brand 

that continues today. The loyalty 

to one of Australia’s most-loved 

brands is based on reliability and 

performance. 

The R600 was only officially 

retired a few years before Bird took 

a back seat himself. The past three 

years have been spent restoring it 

to its former glory, with the slight 

alteration of receiving the new ASQ 

colours rather than its original 

scheme. 

For those who have partners 

denoting the amount of time spent 

scrolling Facebook, I think the photos 

of the ASQ trucks are a very solid 

defensive argument. 

I’m glad that I happened to fall into 

this story; I managed to photograph 

one of Australia’s coolest Volvos 

and meet the highly successful ASQ 

team. Thanks guys. 

Top: The show 

ponies of the fleet, 

the R600 and 

‘Macknificent’ 

Super-Liner 

Opposite, top & 

below: The boys 

work hard to position 

the load perfectly, 

ensuring compliance 

is top priority for the 

ASQ team; The ASQ 

yard in Bendigo is 

always a busy scene 


COR COMPETENCY 

Business as usual 

Getting operations back underway needs detailed preparation 

DENISE ZUMPE 

is a qualified 

and experienced 

consultant with 

practical industry 

knowledge in 

work health and 

safety and heavy 

vehicle safety 

and compliance, 

establishing 

SafeSense 

Workplace 

Safety in 2010 

As we now emerge from pandemic lockdown, the 

ongoing risks of virus transmission must be 

addressed and managed. For businesses that 

are re-opening and those that worked through, Covid-19 

must be recognised as a workplace health and safety 

(WH&S) issue and managed in accordance with WH&S 

legislation, just like any other workplace hazard. 

This is now ‘safety 101’. Just as we look at a forklift 

and know it has the potential to seriously injure or kill, so 

does this hazard we can’t see – Covid-19. 

And the challenge in significant. 

Take manual container unpacks – two people in a 

restrictive space for two hours. It’s very hard to social 

distance and a big impact on productivity to do it any 

other than the standard way it’s been done for years. 

To date, the emphasis on minimising the risk of 

transmission has centred on working from home and 

individual behaviour change to maintain physical 

distance, handwashing and hygiene and signage. 

These are all at the lower end of effectiveness for 

risk-control measures. 

Working from home isn’t an option for frontline 

transport and logistics workers, so what should 

businesses be doing to manage this workplace risk? 

THE IMMEDIATE IMPACT 

Let’s consider the implications of a worker contracting 

the virus and being at work. The Department of Health 

must be notified and all staff must be advised. 

Using a risk matrix ‘likelihood’ scale, the risk of other 

The financial and psychological 

impact of coronavirus transmission 

could be enormous 

staff being exposed, if not infected, would be highly likely, 

if not almost certain. We know there is a broad spectrum 

of consequence if contracted by a high-risk individual and 

this could already be occurring. 

The area of the workplace where the infected person/ 

persons have been needs to be defined and affected 

people notified, the area needs to be isolated and an 

environmental clean done, as per government guidelines. 

Staff need to go into quarantine. 

The financial and psychological impact of coronavirus 

transmission could be enormous, including complete 

shut-down of the business until the environmental clean 

has been completed and how do operations continue with 

your staff in 14-day quarantine? 

Workers who contract the virus at work are entitled 

to lodge a worker’s compensation claim. This is already 

happening with workers compensation claims for Covid- 

19 having been lodged in all Australian jurisdictions for 

suspected workplace transmission. 

SAFE WORKPLACE PRINCIPLES 

Through Safe Work Australia, the National Cabinet 

has developed 10 National Covid-19 Safe Workplace 

Principles. These 10 principles clearly layout the 

requirements of all businesses at this time. There are 

also protocols around reporting and communicating if 

transmission is detected. 

BUSINESS CHECKLIST 

1. Identify transmission hot spots 

The highest risk of transmission has been identified 

through face-to-face contact of 15 minutes or longer 

and contact with infected surfaces, so identifying work 

practices where this may occur is a good place to start. 

As we have seen in supermarkets where shields have 

been installed to change contact between customers 

and staff, businesses need to reduce the likelihood of 

transmission and be able to evidence how this has been 

done. In addition to the six business-as-usual risk control 

measures, other risk controls will need to be considered. 

2. Don’t just rely on your workers to do the right thing 

with social distancing and hygiene 

Cleaning is an important defence against the spread. 

Visibility and validation of cleaning protocols, traceability 

of where and when cleaning occurs provide assurances 

this is being done and quality is maintained. 

Temperature checking is widely used in some countries 

(China and South Korea). And thermal cameras with this 

capability are readily available in Australia. Expect to see 

more of this, not just in workplaces, but anywhere large 

numbers of people gather – e.g., shopping centres and 

sporting venues. 

This would seem to be a viable method of preventing 

anyone potentially infected with the virus having an 

elevated temperature from entering the workplace. 

Whilst there are protocols that need to be followed and 

this is certainly not foolproof, it does present one way 

of reducing exposure at work with far more reliability 

than having employees and visitors complete a selfdeclaration. 

There is extensive guidance material published by Safe 

Work Australia and all state safety regulators. It’s time to 

put this into action, to benefit your business, workers and 

the community as a whole. 


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TRUCK REVIEWS 

Hino 700 

Hino’s long wheelbase addition to its long-serving 700-series 

heavy-duty range certainly packs plenty of punch for a truck essentially 

designed for three-axle rigid work. It also packs enough extras to soften 

the view – at least for now – that time is starting to catch up with this 

stalwart of the Hino stable. Best of all, however, is the way ZF’s Traxon 

transmission adds new vim and vigour to a true toiler, uphill and down 

WORDS 

STEVE BROOKS 


HINO’S 

SHIFTING 

FOCUS 

Even before the truck turned a wheel, 

there was not an ounce of doubt 

that Hino’s long wheelbase 2848 

six-wheeler rigid would make light work of 

just about anything thrown at it. 

And to be blunt, we threw plenty, but we’ll 

get to that shortly. 

The simple basics are that the FS 2848 

is a new addition to Hino’s 700-series 

heavy-duty line-up, based on a typical 

‘Swiss cheese’ chassis stretched to a 

wheelbase just shy of 6.3 metres for 

body lengths up to almost 9.2 metres. 

So, why the extra-long chassis now? 

It’s a reasonable question given that the 

700-series has been around for 12 years 

or more and for the most part, has been 

largely configured for prime mover duties 

and shorter rigid work in, say, truck and dog 

trailer roles. There’s also an eight-wheeler 

version of the 700-series but even its 

wheelbase is more than 300mm shorter 

than the latest new six-wheeler. 

The answer lies in a piece of clever 

marketing and niche engineering principally 

targeting the rural sector and specifically, 

cattle carriers with concessional approval 

in some areas which allow full use of the 

model’s 28.3 tonne gross vehicle mass 

(GVM) rating. 

Yet while rural roles are the main reason 

for the longer model’s creation, Hino has 

no intention of limiting the truck’s appeal 

to farming folk alone. Not for a moment! 

As Hino Australia’s manager of product 

strategy, Daniel Petrovski, states in a press 


Hino has no intention of 

limiting the truck’s appeal 

to farming folk alone 

Above: The ZF 

Traxon 16-speeder 

offers exceptional 

shift quality and 

brilliant intuition 

while standard 

Intarder hydraulic 

retarder is 

exceptional 

Opposite: The Hino 

FS 2848 wheelbase 

is almost 6.3 

metres. The test 

truck was fitted 

with an 8.8 metre 

tray but according 

to Hino, body 

lengths can be up to 

almost 9.2 metres 

release: “We have developed this 

truck at the specific request of our 

customers – it is suitable for any 

number of applications from general 

farm duties or cattle trucks to a 

14-pallet rigid freight truck or a flat 

tray with a rear-mounted crane.” 

In effect, anything requiring a 

long wheelbase, tandem-drive 

rigid truck with plenty of punch, 

a proven durability pedigree, and 

most impressively, a silky smooth 

and incredibly intuitive automated 

transmission equipped with a hugely 

effective in-built retarder. 

Again, we’ll get to the details 

shortly but in the interim, don’t go 

thinking Hino’s stretched workhorse 

doesn’t have at least some capacity 

for towing a trailer. For instance, a 

generous and somewhat optimistic 

gross combination mass (GCM) 

rating of 72 tonnes, the 16-speed 

version of ZF’s latest Traxon 

automated shifter rather than its 

12-speed counterpart, plus the 

retention of a rather over-sized trailer 

brake handpiece and associated air 

plumbing, all blatantly suggest a pig 

trailer full of cows, sheep or indeed 

pigs, is one of several possible trailer 

options. Or maybe a turf truck pulling 

an earthmoving machine. Whatever, 

you get the picture. 

But before we get off air plumbing, 

the site of a small air tank low-slung 

halfway down the driver’s side 

chassis rail appears odd in the 

extreme. Surely there’s a less 

susceptible position somewhere on 

such a long chassis. 

Anyway, down to the nitty gritty. 

While the prospect of a 700-series 

model working at a GCM of 72 

tonnes would be more than a tad 

ambitious, the same truck working 

as a long wheelbase, three-axle rigid 

flat-top is an entirely different and 

somewhat inviting proposition. 

Take our road test unit, for 

example. Befitting its rural 

aspirations, the 8.8 metre long tray 

body was stacked with large fodder 

bales to produce an all-up weight of 

21 tonnes which, of course, wasn’t 

particularly heavy work for a truck 

punched with an engine displacing 

almost 13 litres, pumping 480hp 

(353kW) and almost 1,600ft-lb 

(2,157Nm) of torque through the 

super-slick and incredibly intuitive 

ZF Traxon 16-speed automated 

shifter. 

Consequently, given a truck so 

amply equipped for such a relatively 

light weight, it seemed only fair 

and reasonable to tackle a test 

route tough enough to produce at 

least some semblance of sweat 

for the Hino heavy. Besides, hard 

RETARDATION OUTPUTS OF HINO WITH ZF INTARDER 

STAGE 

MAX ENGINE JAKE 

PERFORMANCE 

MAX ZF INTARDER 

PERFORMANCE 

MAX BRAKING 

POWER OVERALL 

1 ON 184KW OFF 0KW 184KW 

2 ON 184KW 33% 165KW 349KW 

3 ON 184KW 66% 330KW 514KW 

4 ON 184KW 100% 500KW 684KW 

hills became almost mandatory 

after the enthusiasm of Hino 

insiders extolling the merits of the 

Traxon transmission, not least a 

retardation system sporting the 

truck’s standard engine compression 

(Jake) brake working in concert with 

the ZF shifter’s three-stage Intarder 

hydraulic retarder. 

It didn’t take long to think of a 

track which would ask plenty of the 

truck, uphill and down, despite its 

modest bulk. Starting from Hino 

headquarters at Taren Point on 

Sydney’s southern rim and with 

almost 5,000km under its belt, the 

test unit was steered south down 

the long descent of Mt Ousley before 

reaching the outskirts of the regional 

centre of Nowra. From there, a right 

turn took the Hino up and over the 

steep, sharply twisting turns of 

the Cambewarra climb, along the 

undulating floor of Kangaroo Valley 

before the long, snaking assault of 

Barrengarry Mountain and eventually 

popping out atop the Southern 

Highlands. Then, through Bowral 

and Mittagong, and a relatively easy 


jaunt along the Hume Freeway before hitting 

suburban snarls and finally, back to Hino 

headquarters. 

All up, almost 350km of hugely diverse 

and at times, highly demanding road work, 

even for a truck so well-endowed for such a 

modest weight. 

OLD AND NEW 

With typical Japanese detail, the long 

wheelbase model’s full title is ‘FS 2848 

AMT AIR 6267’ which, simply explained, 

means it’s a 480hp (358kW) forward-control 

truck with a GVM of 28 tonnes, using 

an automated manual transmission (AMT) 

and riding on an air-sprung Hendrickson 

HAS 460 rear suspension. And if you must 

know, 6267 is the exact wheelbase length in 

millimetres, measured from the centre of the 

steer axle to the mid-way point between the 

drive wheels. 

Across the board, however, all Hino 

700-series models have much in common, 

starting with a tall but increasingly bland 

and aging cab. Mounted on a four-point 

air suspension layout and with the driver 

sitting on a quality Isri air-suspended seat, 

there’s no denying it’s a sturdy, well-built 

and, from behind the wheel, comfortable 

cab. Moreover, there are a number of 

worthwhile additions to the cab’s standard 

appointments. 

As Hino’s Daniel Petrovski states in 

reference to the new long wheelbase 

version: “Adding to the truck’s appeal 

is the all-new Hino smart multimedia 

system, which includes standard reversing 

camera, and an unprecedented level of 

vehicle connectivity and entertainment 

possibilities.” 

The multi-media system uses an 

Android-based 6.5-inch multi-touch 

digital screen with enhanced radio, Wi-Fi 

and Bluetooth functions, while other 

features include what Hino calls ‘a curated’ 

application store and optional truck-specific 

GPS navigation system. 

In addition to the standard reverse 

camera, Hino’s statement continues, other 

safety and comfort features on the FS 2848 

are an anti-lock braking system (ABS), 

a driver’s SRS airbag, mandatory front 

under-run protection system (FUPS) and 

electrically operated and heated rear-view 

mirrors. 

Yet even with these features, the overall 

design and interior layout lack the finesse 

and appeal of more modern Japanese 

designs, most notably UD’s Quon and 

Fuso’s Shogun. 

Funny thing, Hino and Isuzu are the two 

biggest selling truck brands in Australia 

yet in the heavy end of the business with 

their current 700-series and Giga ranges 

respectively, both sit well adrift of UD and 

Fuso in terms of ergonomic style and overall 

appointments. 

LIGHT DUTY MOERNISATION 

Word has it, however, that Hino has big 

plans in play. With its medium-duty 

500-series range having already undergone 

a thorough and highly successful upgrade, 

the light-duty 300-series is probably next in 

line for a major modernisation program, with 

the possibility of an official launch later this 

year providing the world doesn’t fall further 

into Covid-19 contraction. 

After that, it’s a fair bet there will 

be a dramatic revitalisation of the 

flagship 700-series family when many of 

the safety and operational enhancements 

delivered in the reborn 500-series are 

likely to be carried over to its bigger 

brother. Hino isn’t giving any clues 

about when a rejuvenated heavy-duty 

line-up might make an appearance, 


ut our guess is late next year or soon after. 

Vitally, it remains to be seen if this 

generational update will include a significant 

performance boost to Hino’s current 

12.9-litre E13C six-cylinder engine, but it 

would certainly be surprising if bigger grunt 

wasn’t part of a substantially upgraded 

package. After all, European competitors 

are now comfortably pulling substantially 

bigger performance peaks from similar 

displacements. DAF’s latest MX-13 engine, 

for instance, now pulls up to 530hp (395kW) 

and more than 1,900ft-lb of torque from its 

12.9-litre displacement while Volvo extracts 

540hp (403kW) and a touch over 1,900ft-lb 

from its evergreen D13C engine. Not to be 

outdone, Mercedes-Benz and Scania boast 

similar outputs from similarly sized engines. 

Yet perhaps the biggest influence for Hino 

to jump to higher levels of power and torque 

will be the fact that no other Japanese 

heavy-duty brand currently offers a 13-litre 

displacement. Not Fuso, not UD and 

critically, not market leader Isuzu. 

Sure, with its flagship GigaMax model, 

Isuzu is the only Japanese maker to 

currently offer a 500-something rating but 

it comes from a lumpy and largely outdated 

15.7-litre engine limited to a relatively tame 

torque peak of 1,663ft-lb. In the modern 

world, engines of this displacement are 

dispensing at least 550 to 600hp (410 to 

447kW) and a minimum 1,850ft-lb of torque. 

To offer less in this day and age is a distinct 

case of too much metal and not enough 

muscle. Or, simply inefficient. 

It’s no secret, however, that Isuzu is in 

close contact with Cummins for a high 

performance engine in the 12- to 13-litre 

class but so far, and much to Isuzu 

Australia’s frustration, there’s nothing on 

the horizon to suggest a tangible example 

from this relationship will appear anytime 

soon. (We are, however, now starting to 

hear reports – very quiet reports – that 

a prominent Brisbane fleet operator is 

heavily involved in development and trials 

of a heavy-duty Isuzu model powered by a 

Cummins ISG 12-litre engine. Stay tuned, 

but right now that remains another story for 

another day.) 

As for Fuso and UD, there’s no sign of 

their corporate master – Daimler and Volvo 

respectively – approving the use of ‘family’ 

engines in the 13-litre class for fear the 

Japanese brands would impact on sales of 

their European brethren. 

All this points to a rare opportunity 

for Hino. After all, with no corporate 

commercial clash deriving from its place as 

an offshoot of global car giant Toyota, Hino 

appears to have the potential to not only 

take a significant performance leap over its 

Japanese competitors in the heavy-duty 

class, but become more of a challenger to 

the Europeans than ever before. 

Right now, the door is wide open for 

Hino but only time will tell if a new range 

of heavies will go far enough to turn what 

appears to be obvious potential into 

commercial reality. One thing’s for sure, it 

already has a great transmission to start the 

ball rolling. 

ACROSS THE RANGE 

In the meantime, the current 700-series crop 

will endure as it is, with the turbocharged, 

intercooled and overhead cam E13C 


That retardation 

effort hits a 

stunningly high 

level 

common-rail engine continuing to 

comply with the Euro 5 emissions 

standard through a combination of 

exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and 

selective catalytic reduction (SCR) 

(AdBlue) systems. 

Coupled to the engine in the 

majority of 700-series models, ZF’s 

Traxon was added to the Hino range 

mid-way through last year, replacing 

the previous generation of AS-Tronic 

automated shifters. First in the stable 

to offer Traxon was the FY 3248 

eight-wheeler, which unfortunately 

is also the only model in the 

heavy-duty range which does not 

offer Traxon’s Intarder. Put simply, 

the reason there is no Intarder on FY 

is because the second steer axle is in 

the way of where Intarder hardware 

is located on the transmission. 

Next with Traxon was the new long 

wheelbase FS 2848 and gradually, 

the remainder of single-drive and 

tandem-drive models in the range. 

It’s worth noting that of the seven 

models in the 700-series line-up, 

four offer both Traxon and an 

Eaton 18-speed manual option. 

However, the long wheelbase 

2848 is Traxon-only. 

Hino certainly wasn’t the first 

truck brand in the country to offer 

ZF’s latest and unquestionably 

greatest transmission development, 

but Traxon nonetheless delivers a 

potent boost to overall performance 

and operational efficiency in the 

700-series. 

Whereas the AS-Tronic used, for 

example, a relatively standard clutch 

fork mechanism, Traxon employs a 

concentric slave cylinder for clutch 

actuation, which, according to ZF, 

provides faster and significantly 

more seamless shifts. 

The ratio spread is also slightly 

broader, with a deeper first gear ratio 

of 14.682:1 and marginally taller 

overdrive top gear of 0.82:1. 

Yet as slick and seamless as 

Traxon’s shifts are – remembering 

that there was nothing slow or 

sloppy in the shift performance 

of the previous AS-Tronic – and 

as impressive the transmission’s 

intuition is on steep climbs and sharp 

descents, it is the improved braking 

performance of the water-cooled 

(using the engine cooling system) 

Intarder hydraulic retarder which 

best demonstrates the new 

shifter’s gains. 

According to ZF, Intarder 

performance has jumped from a 

highly respectable 3,200Nm of peak 

braking effect in AS-Tronic to a fierce 

4,000Nm in Traxon. 

But it’s when the braking power of 

Hino’s standard engine compression 

brake is added to the three stages of 

Intarder that retardation effort hits a 

stunningly high level. 

At the first click of the four-stage 

wand on the steering column, Hino’s 

engine brake delivers a reasonable 

184kW of braking power. 

The next click adds the first stage 

of Intarder, taking combined braking 

power to 349kW. 

The next stage adds 330kW to 

take overall braking power to a lusty 

514kW while the final click on the 

wand pulls 500kW from Intarder 

to push total braking effect to a 

remarkable 684kW. 

Furthermore, there are two ways 

to use the retardation system. One, 

obviously enough, is the wand on 

the steering column and two is to 

engage a dash-mounted switch 

that allows the various levels of 

retardation to be delivered by 

pressure on the footbrake. The 

more pressure, the higher the 

level of retardation until, of course, 

there’s enough pressure to bring the 

service brakes on. 

It’s not difficult to come to grips 

with the foot-operated system and 

older folk may recall that Scania once 

used a similar system to engage its 

sadly ineffective exhaust brake in 

earlier generations. 

There is, however, nothing 

ineffective about Intarder. In fact, so 

effective was the combined effort 

of engine brake and Intarder in the 

relatively light test truck, it was easy 

to apply a tad too much pressure on 

the brake pedal which, in auto mode, 

occasionally caused an unwanted 

and unwarranted downshift. 

Personally, the wand was a far 

simpler and smoother way to tailor 

such a powerful and responsive 

Opposite: On the 

inside. Hino cab is 

comfortable and 

reasonably practical 

but the design is 

aging fast 


It’ll be way too much 

metal and muscle for jobs 

like metro distribution 

retardation effort. Yet, no matter how 

it’s applied, this level of retardation 

in a six-wheeler truck grossing 21 

tonnes is phenomenally effective. 

Mt Ousley, for example, where the 

40km/h descent speed for trucks 

was met with almost ridiculous ease. 

Indeed, starting the run down with 

the shifter in 10th gear and second 

stage on the retarder wand quickly 

proved to be too much effort. A 

happy medium was soon found with 

the first stage of the retarder and 

11th gear, plus an occasional shift 

up to 12th when the grade eased 

slightly, comfortably keeping the 

truck slightly under the 40km/h 

limit. Easy! 

Cruising contentedly down to 

Nowra, the next big test was the 

Cambewarra climb and, again, the 

long wheelbase meant Hino made 

easy work of what is normally a 

formidable route for any truck. 

In fact, the transmission’s ability to 

basically ‘read’ the hill and make full 

use of the engine’s torque reserves 

was no less evident and impressive 

Top & left: Hino’s 

12.9 litre E13C 

engine uses EGR 

and SCR to meet 

Euro 5 emissions 

standards. 

Strange, 

however, was a 

small air tank 

slung low under 

the centre of the 

chassis. 

Below: It’s a 

relatively high 

climb into the 

cab but on the 

road, vision and 

handling of the 

long wheelbase 

Hino were 

extremely good. 

than the control and safety 

demonstrated by the retardation 

system on the steeply twisting 

descent into Kangaroo Valley. 

Likewise on the testing Barrengarry 

assault, where the handling and 

vision of the Hino were pronounced 

and almost as impressive as the 

transmission’s ability in full auto 

mode to again make maximum use 

of the engine’s torque reserves. 

What’s more, when shifts were 

needed, they came sweet and smooth 

with almost no discernible delay, 

while on those very few occasions 

when a shift to manual mode seemed 

appropriate, it was only to hold the 

transmission in a particular gear 

rather than shift up or down. 

Over the last of the long climbs and 

with 200km of diverse and regularly 

demanding work under its belt by the 

time the truck hauled into Mittagong, 

Hino’s ‘unprecedented level of vehicle 

connectivity’ was allowing boffins at 

HQ in Taren Point to see a fuel return 

of 2.6km/litre, or 7.3 mpg, for the trip 

to that point. 

From then on, with the truck 

notching 100km/h around 1,600rpm, 

it was an easy dawdle down the 

Hume Freeway back to Hino head 

office where, through relatively light 

traffic, the final 150km or so revealed 

a thrifty 3.38km/litre (9.55mpg). 

According to Hino, the overall fuel 

figure for the trip was 2.88km/litre, or 

8.1mpg, which, to my mind seemed 

entirely acceptable given the size and 

output of the engine and demands of 

the route. 

As a six-wheeler rigid, the long 

wheelbase Hino is a lot of truck and, 

to some minds, it’ll be way too much 

metal and muscle for jobs like metro 

distribution. 

To others, not least cow cockies 

looking to maximise axle allowances 

over a long wheelbase, yet with the 

capacity for a generous tray body 

and the performance and drivetrain 

to tow a trailer of sorts, the FS 2848 

looks the goods. 

Just as Hino intended, no doubt. 


RISK MANAGER 

Being Covid covered 

Coronavirus crisis workers’ compensation insurance questions answered 

ROZ SHAW 

after a 30-year 

career in running 

her family’s 

transport business 

Gallagher National 

Head of Transport 

Roz Shaw moved 

into an equally 

high-level role in 

insurance, drawing 

on her industry 

experience and 

knowledge of 

family business 

dynamics. 

As the Australian business community faces the 

disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, 

business owners are also tackling the ongoing 

responsibilities to workers and protecting our workplaces. 

Even with new arrangements to work off-site, 

employers must still comply with relevant work, 

health and safety (WHS) and workers compensation 

(WC) legislation. 

For transport operators, this means making 

adjustments to how operations, such as warehousing 

and loading or unloading, are managed to comply with 

social distancing requirements, as well as site hygiene, 

particularly in regard to shared equipment, such as 

forklifts (steering and controls). 

TRUCK DRIVERS ON THE ROAD 

While heavy vehicle drivers can make essential deliveries 

long distance or interstate with their cabs designated 

personal isolation spaces, and to make rest stops, 

these Department of Health exemptions are subject 

to conditions. 

Drivers must observe the following safety measures: 

• Washing or sanitising hands at all appropriate times, 

but especially before sitting and prior to leaving 

• Maintain appropriate social distancing while in the 

truck driver lounge 

• Truck drivers must not remain in the truck driver 

lounge/facilities for more than one hour and this 

includes showering and using the toilet facilities 

• If using the shower facilities, advise a truck driver 

COVID-19%20FAQ_workers%20compensation.pdf 

Here is a summary of the key questions and answers: 

Can a worker lodge a compensation claim for Covid-19? 

Yes, in a similar way to any other workplace injury or 

illness, a worker can lodge a Covid-19 compensation 

claim via a completed lodgement form and a valid 

Workers Compensation Certificate of Capacity to the 

insurer or relevant authority. If your people are working 

remotely you need to ensure they know how to report 

work-related incidents, lodge a new claim or manage 

existing claims. 

How can a worker prove Covid-19 was work related? 

Unless there has been a sustained outbreak at a specific 

work location, it’s likely to be difficult for a worker to 

prove they caught the virus as a result of their working 

conditions. With Covid-19, the time, date and place that 

the disease was contracted are frequently unknown or 

unclear, unless there is a strongly established link. 

What stay at work/return to work strategies are important 

to assist injured workers during the response to Covid-19? 

As an employer, you still have an obligation to provide 

safe work duties. So, you need a management plan 

that enables this in terms of working from home and 

performing appropriate tasks. Flexible solutions could 

include online work, training or job sharing, and your plan 

needs to include practical measures and communications 

with your people to facilitate this. 

Employers must still comply with 

relevant work, health and safety 

and workers’ compensation 

legislation 

lounge employee after showering to allow time for 

cleaning 

• Follow all Covid-19 related instructions from 

employees in the truck driver lounge 

• If displaying symptoms of illness such as a fever, 

cough or sore throat do not enter the truck driver 

lounge and instead seek medical assistance. 

YOUR DUTY OF CARE 

To help employers fulfil their obligations to protect 

their workers the Gallagher Workplace Risk team has 

put together answers to frequently asked questions at 

https://info.ajg.com.au/hubfs/Gallagher%20Australia%20 

How does Covid-19 impact a worker with a currently 

approved claim? 

Workers with approved claims will still receive their 

entitled benefits while they are unable to perform work 

duties. Any return to work arrangements need to be 

amended to provide for work from home or safe location 

options, as outlined above. 

What are good business practices related to managing ill/ 

sick workers and personal leave? 

You need to provide clear and transparent 

communications about how your people can claim their 

entitlements, and instructions for applying for leave. 

While your business is operating with employees 

working remotely, this information should be both 

distributed individually as well as saved in a location 

with easy access for everyone in your organisation. 

Maintain your workers’ compensation insurance 

cover as this still applies to all your employees wherever 

they’re working. 


54 ATN May 2020 FULLYLOADED.COM.AU 

TRUCKS 

Mercedes-Benz

LIGHTS, 

CAMERAS, 

ACTROS 

Nearly four years after the latest Actros arrived in Australia, 

the big Benz is taking another step forward 

Mercedes-Benz has launched the 

new Actros; the first ever truck in 

Australia with cameras for mirrors. 

Of course, those lucky enough to have 

attended last year’s Brisbane Truck Show 

were given a view of this marvel. 

But the fact remains, the new Actros is the 

first vehicle on Australian roads to replace 

traditional outside mirrors with cameras – 

full stop. 

No carmaker has yet managed this 

technological feat, not Tesla, not Rolls Royce 

and not even . . . Mercedes-Benz. So much for 

the idea that truck technology has to lag behind 

that of cars. 

The MirrorCam feature, which is not standard 

but an option on the Benz heavy hauler, is 

the headline grabber for the updated version 

of a truck the manufacturer continues to put 

through its paces on the open road. 

That said, there are plenty of other 

improvements Mercedes-Benz says will 

‘markedly’ reduce fuel consumption on a truck 

that was already seen to be pretty good on that 

score after its 2016 Australian introduction. 

And it’s not all in the mechanics. 

One key fuel saver is the Predictive 

Powertrain Control system that uses 

topographic map data to anticipate terrain and 

select the optimum shift pattern and engine 

response for maximum fuel economy. 

The brains behind the brawn have been 

improved, but the Actros engine HDEP 

hardware remains largely unchanged. All 

Actros models are Euro 6-rated and the heavy 

versions run 13-litre or 16-litre with output 

peaks of 530hp (395kW) and 630hp (470kW) 

linked to fully automated transmissions with 12 

or 16 gears. 

Above & right: 

MirrorCam is a 

marvel. It opens 

the driver’s 

window to 

unencumbered 

forward and 

side view, 

while placing 

the screen on 

the A-pillar 

means the eye 

loses less time 

glancing at the 

rear view 

Opposite: The 

new Actros on 

a roll in the 

outback 

READY TO RUMBLE 

The newly-appointed Mercedes-Benz Trucks 

Australia Pacific director, Andrew Assimo, says 

the company is ready to roll out the new Actros 

after an extensive local validation program 

focused on the new fuel-saving technology and 

safety features. 

“We’re excited about bringing our Australian 

customers the world’s best heavy truck 

innovations to give them an edge by driving 


down costs and helping increase their 

profitability,” Assimo says. 

“The existing Actros has been great on 

fuel, but the new one is even better. That’s 

certainly the message we’ve been receiving 

from our validation fleet participants; with 

and without MirrorCam.” 

Mercedes-Benz is adding more bait 

for the bean-counters by introducing 

the new Actros with an offer of five 

years/500,000km of free Best Basic 

servicing. It’s banking on that keeping 

them on their toes. 

But according to insiders, Mercedes-Benz 

doesn’t want the appeal of the new Actros 

to be determined by an abacus alone. 

The Stuttgart engineers have done a lot 

of work to make the interior of the Actros a 

nicer place to work. 

SCREEN GENIE 

The biggest change in here is a new driver 

information display system featuring 

two large flat panel screens replacing the 

traditional instrument cluster – one above 

the steering wheel and one to the left. 

The high-resolution iPad-like screens 

come standard and Mercedes-Benz says 

drivers have responded well to the feature 

during the validation program it has been 

running in the lead up to the local Actros 

launch. Even with the advanced average 

age of the truck-driving workforce, this 

shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, 

smartphone use is near universal and 

newer industry entrants will accept them 

as a matter of course. 

The left display is a touchscreen unit. 

Perhaps sensing that some truck drivers 

might not want to tap and swipe all day 

long, the Mercedes-Benz engineers also 

included a row of traditional touch buttons 

below the screen, including high-use 

controls such a volume, temperature control 

and climate controls. Not a bad idea when 

you hop in a truck in a hurry and just want 

turn down the volume or turn down the heat 

without having to swipe through a bunch 

of menus. 

This centre screen has been designed 

to also run third-party apps that 

customers may wish to use, such as 

non-manufacturer telemetry systems, 

which would be certified through MB Trucks 

App Portal. Local validation for this function 

is currently underway. 

The display above the steering wheel is 

not a touch screen. It’s a more traditional 

screen with drive-related data including 

speed, engine rpm and cruise control 

settings. Both screens can be controlled 

through the simple steering wheel buttons. 

These have a small sensitive pad that can 

be controlled with your thumbs, just like the 

latest Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. 

The Predictive Powertrain Control data 

can be viewed on the centre control screen, 

which also indicates when the Automated 

Manual Transmission flicks into neutral as it 

coasts in order to save fuel. 

The idea behind PPC is that the truck’s 


control unit taps into topographical 

information, including pre-mapped 

three-dimensional GPS data. 

Mercedes-Benz says Australia’s 

A and B roads and many more are 

already in the system and the truck 

additionally learns the routes it 

travels on. 

This data is then used to inform 

the truck of the best point to make 

a shift or, in many cases, to not shift 

and hang on to a gear just a little 

longer in order to crest a hill. PPC 

can be used in conjunction with 

cruise control at speeds between 

25km/h and 100km/h. 

The new Actros retains its 

adaptive cruise control function that 

can modulate the speed of the truck 

in heavy traffic, even when the traffic 

grinds to a halt. 

ON THE SAFE SIDE 

It also sees the introduction of 

the latest generation of standard 

safety technology with Active Brake 

Assist 5. 

This system uses a radar and 

camera that work together to try to 

prevent avoidable collisions. 

The news with ABA 5 is that 

it can now bring the truck to a 

complete halt when it detects 

moving pedestrians. It can also stop 

completely for moving or stationary 

vehicles when the driver may be 

distracted, something that is proven 

to save lives and reduce road trauma. 

Given the title Autonomous 

Emergency Braking (AEB) by safety 

authorities, this technology is the 

easiest way to avoid or reduce 

the impact of collisions including 

heavy vehicles. 

While you can’t put a price on a 

human life, or reducing road trauma, 

you can put a price on crash repairs. 

Importantly for those bean 

We’re excited about bringing our Australian 

customers the world’s best heavy truck 

innovations 

Above: Predictive 

Powertrain 

Control taps into 

topographical 

information to 

inform the truck of 

the best point to 

make or not make 

a gear shift 

Below: The 

new Actros 

has undergone 

extensive testing 

on all terrains 

Opposite, top: 

Anything fingers 

are need for are 

close at hand on 

the bent dash; The 

driver is faced with 

two screens – one 

for instrumentation 

and a touch 

screen on the left 

that controls the 

vehicles various 

information media 

counters, AEB technology has also 

seen repair costs for frontal damage 

to trucks drop remarkably. Last year, 

a massive fleet based in Salt Lake 

City, Utah, had a graph representing 

crash costs over the last few years. 

Benz insiders insist the drop when 

AEB was introduced across the fleet 

was striking. “It was less of a drop 

and more of a plummet,” they say. 

VISION THING 

While it is undeniable that AEB is a 

crucial element for modern fleets, 

the new MirrorCam system does not 

have such universal acceptance at 

this stage. 

Mercedes-Benz has decided 

to make it an option rather than 

standard. Why? It has been a big 

hit in Europe so far, after all. 

Some drivers in the local validation 

fleet disliked the slightly convex 

vision displayed on the screens when 

reversing into a loading bay. Other 

test drivers got used to them straight 

away and wouldn’t ever go back to 

traditional mirrors. 

Mercedes-Benz listened 

and decided to take the 

horses-for-courses approach; 

the customer can decide which 

horse they’d like to ride. 

The case for MirrorCam can be 

broken down into two elements; 

safety and economy. 

You don’t have to be a SpaceX 

aerodynamicist to realise that 

removing the huge mirrors from the 

Actros cab is going to reduce drag 

and save some fuel. How much will 

it save? 

According to Mercedes-Benz 

Australia, the European numbers 

suggest a decent improvement, but 

we run heavier loads in Australia 

and at higher speeds, so Benz really 

needs to do some long-distance 

local testing before there is a 

definitive answer. 

The amount of fuel the MirrorCams 

save could certainly help the case 

for the technology, especially as 

fleet operators look for ways to save 

money, it adds. 

What is clear is that there is a 

visible safety advantage by removing 


A test Actros B-double 

ambles into town 

the large mirrors from the driver’s field 

of view. Come up to an intersection or 

roundabout in a standard truck and you can 

easily lose the view of a car or motorcyclist 

behind the mirror. Approach in the 

MirrorCam truck and there is no blocking 

of vision with the mirrors as the screens 

that show the rear-view are placed on the 

A-pillar. 

Mercedes-Benz will also point to the 

MirrorCam’s improved rear vision at night 

and in the rain. 

So what about complexity and cost of 

repair of the camera wings? Benz says that 

it has tested the units extensively and have 

not had any issues. It also points to the 

simplicity of automotive camera/display 

technology, which has worked for years in 

millions of cars around the world in the form 

of reversing camera systems. 

As for the issue of repair, it says that 

drivers are less likely to damage the mirrors 

because they don’t extend as far out from 

the cab as traditional mirrors, they are also 

higher up and can bend to an extent. 

But it’s only to be expected that someone, 

somewhere will smash one on an awning or 

tree branch. 

The company confirms the replacement 

cost of the mirror is actually a smidgeon 

less than the traditional mirror it replaces, 

which will surprise many. 

INTERNAL FLEXIBILITY 

Mercedes-Benz is also making available 

its new SoloStar cabin concept that was 

first presented at last year’s Brisbane Truck 

Show and subsequently introduced for the 

final run of the soon-to-be-replaced Actros. 

This concept introduces a new way for 

the driver to rest in the cab. By moving to a 

fold-down bed instead of a permanent bed, 

there is ample space to spread out during 

rest breaks or before sleeping using the 

café-style lounge seat, which is positioned 

at the back of the cab on the passenger side. 

The idea is to create more useable space 

for the driver during the day. 

When it is time to sleep, the driver seat 

pushes forward and the passenger seat 

back folds forward to allow for the drop 

down bed, which has a decent 850mmwide 

mattress. 

The chrome-coloured camera wings are 

the biggest external visual indicator of the 

new Actros, but they aren’t the only ones. 

You would have to be a truck-spotter to 

notice, but the new Actros also has new 

LED daytime running lamps for increased 

visibility. 

An adaptive headlight function, which 

automatically drops the high-beam to 

low-beam for other vehicles, is also 

available as an option. 

The interior is more obviously different, 

thanks to the mirror displays and the two 

information screens, but there are other 

changes too. 

There is a new electronic park brake 

system, which features a chrome-look lever 

and sits in the middle of the dashboard. 

There is also an engine push-start 

button to the left of the steering wheel. 

The driver doesn’t need to insert the 

key into the ignition; just have it on your 

person, or in the cab, and all the driver 

needs do is hit the button to stat the ignition 

and engine. The key itself is a smart and 

compact unit that includes a feature to test 

the lights outside the vehicle as part of a 

pre-drive check. 

Mercedes-Benz has fitted out the interior 

with neat LED ambient lighting, like an 

airline. There is a combination of blue 

ambient lighting in the working part of 

the cab and dimmable amber background 

lighting. More adventurous customers 

What is clear is that there is a visible 

safety advantage by removing the large 

mirrors out of the driver’s field of view 

can also choose an option to change the 

ambient lighting colour, to red, white or 

green. Each to their own. 

Customers can also choose to upgrade 

with brushed alloy trim sections that 

come with the StyleLine option for a 

more upmarket look. 

The big StreamSpace cab comes 

standard with two draws that slide out 

between the seats, with one containing a 

36-litre fridge. It’s standard, so there is no 

need to head off and buy an after-market 

unit to bolt in. 

Stayed tuned for more on the new Actros, 

with ATN planning an extended drive to see 

how this exciting new technology translates 

out on the open road. 


MACRO VIEW 

Amazon: opportunity, not threat 

A new reality may look alarming but there’s no future in the past 

BRENDAN 

RICHARDS 

is KPMG national 

sector leader, 

transport & 

logistics 

Below: As 

Amazon invests 

in partners, this 

could provide 

opportunities for 

smaller operators 

in particular 

Transport operators in Australia have been warned 

by analysts that Amazon is a potential threat 

to their businesses. People have noticed that 

Amazon is moving into the transportation market to cut 

costs and is investing heavily in autonomous vehicles 

and delivery services. 

In the words of New York-based Morgan Stanley 

analyst Ravi Shanker: “The entire transportation space 

should prepare for a future where Amazon and other 

giant shippers are potentially competitors.” 

Now this is obviously distressing news to anyone 

who has been living under a rock and was unaware that 

Amazon is, first and foremost, a logistics company. But 

is it really as simple as that? 

My view is that, far from being a threat to transport 

operators, Amazon and others of its ilk might actually 

be saviours. 

For some time now, margins have been falling for 

transport operators. The difference between profit and 

loss is getting ever smaller, and the ability for operators 

to invest in themselves has suffered as a result. 

That investment is very much needed because, as 

we have discussed before, there is a massive skills 

shortage in the transport industry. The average age of a 

truck driver in Australia is pushing 50. 

In the US, it’s 55. The existing drivers are moving on 

and the industry is not attractive to young people. As 

They are moving onto 

your turf, but they are not 

setting up from scratch 

an industry, transport needs help. That help may come 

in the form of the likes of Amazon. 

What the analysts haven’t said much about is 

that Amazon is investing. Amazon is actively looking 

for partners. 

It is apparently in talks to take a stake in a Chinese 

autonomous truck maker, for example. Amazon’s stated 

goal is to bring the first self-driving truck to market. 

Amazon has already taken a stake in Aurora, which is 

a US developer of technology for autonomous vehicles. 

Things like autonomous driving, electrification, 

last-mile and digital brokerage services are all of huge 

interest to Amazon and all of them require a large 

amount of capital to bring to fruition. 

These are also exactly the kind of things you need 

if you are a trucking company with a workforce that is 

three steps away from a rest home. 

The point is you can’t develop any of it yourself 

and, in most cases, can’t afford to buy it either as a 

transport operator. But what you can do is partner 

with the people who can afford it – and here is the 

opportunity. 

If you are a large transport operator looking for 

an exit strategy, Amazon and other players like it are 

probably the answer. They are moving onto your turf, 

but they are not setting up from scratch; they are 

investing; they are looking for partners to take a stake 

in and grow. 

If you are a smaller transport operator, Amazon still 

needs you. 

The solution to the last mile question remains a long 

way from being solved, and it’s an area where a little 

firm can do really well. 

Last year, Amazon started a delivery service partner 

program targeting the small operators who wanted 

to lease Amazon-branded vans to help deliver its 

packages in the US. 

That approach allows those companies to compete 

with the bigger transport operators in smaller markets. 

It’s only a matter of time before Amazon expands that 

concept internationally. Moves by Amazon into freight 

brokerage also provide the smaller firms with exposure 

to more consumers and a wider market. 

The reality is that transport in Australia is not only 

changing but needs to change in order to prosper. 

The investment needed for that change is enormous 

and unlikely to come from the cash-constrained 

existing players. 

Rather than threatening those players, Amazon and 

the newcomers they represent might just be the shot in 

the arm the industry needs to survive and thrive. 


TRUCK REVIEWS 

UD Croner 

REMOTE 

CONTROL 

It was a UD 

Croner view for 

the corona-bound 

when the PD 

6x2 was given a 

socially distant 

Facebook 

introduction 

WORDS 

ROB Mc KAY 

In keeping with Covid-19 pandemic strictures at 

the time, UD Trucks and parent Volvo conducted 

a virtual walkaround of a new UD Croner PD 

earlier this month. 

Hosted by recently elevated Volvo Group 

Australia strategic projects and communication 

manager Matt Wood, the Facebook initiative took 

a closer look at the 6x2 PD model with a 14-pallet 

curtainsider body. 

Though the 4x2 PK gets a mention or two, it was 

very much in a supporting role for this exercise. 

“The big news for Croner is under the skin, the 

things you can’t necessarily see at first glance,” 

Woods averred. 

“For a start, the Croner offers more grunt than its 

medium-duty predecessor. 

“While it still puts out 280 horsepower [209kW], the 

eight-litre GH8E makes 1,050Nm of torque, up from 

883Nm from the original Condor seven-litre. 

“But importantly, it makes this torque from just 

1,100 rpm, which, from behind the wheel, adds quite a 

bit more flexibility to the engine. 

Above: An 

official 

introduction to 

the UD Croner 

6x2 PD was 

given live on 

social media 

Left: 

Transmission 

is via a 

six-speed 3000 

Series Allison 

automatic and 

the media unit 

can handle 

five cameras 

along with the 

standard sat-nav 

Opposite below: 

Matt Wood struts 

his stuff on 

camera 


“Of course, this also 

contributes to fuel efficiency, 

as well.” 

Woods, a former ATN/Owner// 

Driver technical journalist and 

something of a video pioneer, 

then switched on the vaudeville 

when addressing gears. 

“As far as gearboxes go, you 

can have any transmission you 

like, as long as it’s a six-speed 

3000 Series Allison automatic,” 

he said, adding that it is 

PDO-capable. 

WEIGHTY MATTERS 

More seriously, Woods noted 

improved GVM and GCM, with 

the former at 24.5-tonne and 

the latter 32-tonne. 

The PK comes in at 17.5-tonne 

and 32-tonne. 

The big news for Croner is under the skin, the 

things you can’t necessarily see at first glance 

Both models come either in 

multileaf or air suspension, the 

latter at four bags for the PD and 

two for the PK. 

Woods is a fan of the trucks 

having a ride-control set-up, an 

addition to Japanese vehicles 

more commonly seen on 

European counterparts. 

He was also keen to highlight 

the 18 wheel-base options, 

allowing for a range of work 

applications. 

SAFETY MEASURES 

Before getting to the in-cab 


This torque from just 1,100 rpm… adds quite 

a bit more flexibility to the engine 

SPECS 

MODEL 

Croner PD 25 280 6x2 

ENGINE 

GH8E 7.7-litre, six-cylinder, 

four-stroke diesel 

POWER 

206kW (280 PS) at 2,200 rpm 

TORQUE 

1,050Nm (774 lb-ft) at 1,100 rpm 

TRANSMISSION 

Allison 3000 Series 

SUSPENSION 

Electronically controlled four-bag air 

suspension with optional lift axle system 

EMISSIONS 

Euro 5 emission, Selective Catalytic 

Reduction (SCR) 

ADBLUE 

50 litres 

safety programs, daylight running lights to 

enhance on-road visibility were noted. 

Meanwhile, the cab meets ECE 29 

strength requirements, and electronic 

brake force distribution and self-adjusting 

S-cam brakes are standard. 

The steering wheel houses an SRS 

airbag, while the driver’s knees are looked 

after by an impact-absorbing area beneath 

the dash – a carry-over from the Condor 

predecessor. 

The media unit has capability for five 

cameras along with the standard sat-nav. 

The otherwise simple instruments have 

the capability to alert the drivers that they 

are “driving like a wally”. 

Wireless mobile phone charging is 

optional. 

CLOSE CONTACT 

A soft touch on information technology, 

Woods, pointing to a slot next to the door 

marked ‘For Driver ID’, happily explained 

how connected the vehicle can be. 

“This truck can talk to the rest of the 

Volvo Group family,” he says. 

“So, if you are an operator with a 

Mack or a Volvo, and you’re hooked up 

to our telematics system, which is Mack 

Telematics or Volvo’s Dynafleet or in this 

case UD Telematics, this truck can talk to 

the rest of the group product. 

“And this little driver ID fob means we can 

load a driver profile on to a USB and that 

driver profile can log into the telematics 

system regardless of which one of our 

branded trucks he’s driving. 

“It also means the customer gets all his 

trucks in the one telematics portal, which is 

a first for us.” 

While Croner is available locally and is 

suited for presently hot-button duties, 

such as last-mile and parcel/ecommerce 

delivery, Woods notes it was in limited 

supply so early in the piece. 

Top: The new 4x2 PK is also around but the focus was on 

its bigger sibling 

Above left: The slot that links the truck with the wider 

Volvo stable 


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NEWS Inside the Industry close to being reinforced, with that April 

APRIL TRUCK SALES 

CONTINUE IN WRONG DIRECTION 

NOW THE MARKET HAS THE FIRST CALENDAR QUARTER AND THE FIRST FULL MONTH COVID-19 PANDEMIC 

IMPACT OUT OF THE WAY, CLUES TO THE OUTCOME FOR THE YEAR START TO COME INTO FOCUS 

Immediately obvious is the continued 

fall in commercial vehicle sales totals, 

month on month (MOM). 

April saw 2,303 sales, down from 

March’s 2,605 and February’s 2,448, 

according to Truck Industry Council 

T-Mark figures. 

Observers would have to go back to 

2014’s 2,214 to find a lower figure for the 

month, one beaten in 2015 by 87 units. 

The year to date (YTD) figure is not 

quite so bad, due to the reasonable, 

if softening, start. At 9,207, it is 

significantly up from 2014’s 8,758 and 

a comfortably up on 2015’s 9,005, but 

below 2016’s 9,297. 

With recent comparable performances 

this year echoing 2016, it seems 

comparable years are slipping 

backwards almost every month towards 

the post-global financial crisis doldrums. 

HEAVY-DUTY 

There was no solid silver lining in the 

heavy-duty segment, which failed to 

buck the MOM total, with April’s 809 

down from March’s 852, though up on 

780 in February, the month when sales 

start to gain momentum for the calendar 

year. The YTD figure was 3,029. 

Here, the comparison with 2014 is 

at 797 and YTD 3,178. That said, the 

figures for April 2016 were below both 

of them. 

This year’s heavyweight 

championship, over 12 rounds, has been 

a seesawing affair, with Kenworth having 

the edge on points at 160/398 but Volvo 

staying on terms at 150/372 in March. 

April, however, sees Volvo move to break 

the contest wide open, scoring 186/558, 

with the champ at 127/525. 

But the undercards tell the story of this 

month’s event, with the higher makes 

slipping back between two and 12 per 

cent and the minor ones adding a few 

units. Notable was MAN, which doubled 

March’s total to 18. 

MEDIUM-DUTY 

Things are somewhat uglier in the 

medium-duty segment, which has lost 20 

per cent MOM to hit 417, from April’s 526 

and February’s 475, with YTD at 1,853. 

Again, it’s 2014 territory, with that 

year at 430/1,793 and the otherwise 

somewhat soft 2016 at 550/1,922. 

This year, the top trio bore the brunt in 

sheer numbers, with Isuzu down to 169 

from 210, Hino down to 151 from 192 and 

Fuso down to 63 from 83. 

And a muted cheer may have been 

heard from UD, up to eight from five in 

March and five in February. 

LIGHT-DUTY 

It was similar, if less painful, in the 

light-duty segment, but with Hino 

providing a huge upset for the month, 

heading out Isuzu by three units. 

“Things are somewhat uglier in the 

medium-duty segment, which has lost 20 per 

cent MOM to hit 417” 

That 206 total came after March’s 178, 

while Isuzu slumped from 332 to 203, or 

more than a third. 

The segment’s monthly total of 706 is 

down on March’s 811 and February’s 746 

and the YTD is 2,773. 

Here, the comparable year is 2015’s 

688/2,706 and it is possible to mark 2016 

and its 873/3,015 as the year light-duty 

went on a four-year tear. 


HEAVY VEHICLES – MONTHLY SALES 

VOLVO 

186/23% 

WESTERN STAR 

23/2.8% 

DAF 

43/5.3% 

DENNIS EAGLE 

4/0.5% 

FREIGHTLINER 

23/2.8% 

FUSO 

26/3.2% 

HINO 

36/4.4% 

INTERNATIONAL 

4/0.5% 

UD TRUCKS 

32/4% 

APRIL 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

86/10.6% 

IVECO 

22/2.7% 

SCANIA 

60/7.4% 

KENWORTH 

127/15.7% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

50/6.2% 

MAN 

18/2.2% 

MACK 

69/8.5% 

MEDIUM VEHICLES – MONTHLY SALES 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

5/1.2% 

IVECO 

4/1% 

MAN 

14/3.4% 

UD TRUCKS 

8/1.9% 

VOLVO 

2/0.5% 

DAF 

1/0.2% 

FUSO 

63/15.1% 

ISUZU 

169/40.5% 

APRIL 

MARKET 

SHARE 

HINO 

151/36.2% 

LIGHT VEHICLES – MONTHLY SALES 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

26/3.7% 

RENAULT 

44/6.2% 

VW 

4/0.6% 

FIAT 

23/3.3% 

FORD 

1/0.1% 

IVECO 

89/12.6% 

FUSO 

104/14.7% 

APRIL 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

203/28.8% 

HINO 

206/29.2% 

HYUNDAI 

6/0.8% 


HEAVY VEHICLES – YEAR TO DATE 

DENNIS EAGLE 

13/0.4% 

DAF 

140/4.6% 

FREIGHTLINER 

WESTERN STAR 

71/2.3% 

66/2.2% 

FUSO 

109/3.6% 

VOLVO 

558/18.4% 

HINO 

139/4.6% 

INTERNATIONAL 

14/0.5% 

UD TRUCKS 

128/4.2% 

SCANIA 

270/8.9% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

222/7.3% 

MAN 

40/1.3% 

YEAR TO DATE 

MARKET 

SHARE 

MACK 

221/7.3% 

KENWORTH 

525/17.3% 

ISUZU 

387/12.8% 

IVECO 

126/4.2% 

MEDIUM VEHICLES – YEAR TO DATE 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

13/0.7% 

104/5.6% 

IVECO 

39/2.1% 

MAN 

UD TRUCKS 

21/1.1% 

VOLVO 

SCANIA 24/1.3% 

3/0.2% 

DAF 

3/0.2% 

FUSO 

616/33.2% 

YEAR TO DATE 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

749/40.4% 

HINO 

616/33.2% 

LIGHT VEHICLES – YEAR TO DATE 

IVECO 

236/8.5% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

120/4.3% 

RENAULT 

80/2.9% 

VW 

13/0.5% 

FIAT 

149/5.4% 

FORD 

7/0.3% 

FUSO 

465/16.8% 

YEAR TO DATE 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

1036/37.4% 

HINO 

634/22.9% 

HYUNDAI 

33/1.2% 


In times like these, it is important to acknowledge 

our dependency on the men and women in 

Australia’s road freight industry, who continue to 

go above and beyond to get much needed supplies 

across the country and into our homes. 

So to all the truckies, long haulers, last milers, 

loaders, couriers, packers, their families and 

everyone behind the scenes in the supply chain, 

we at NatRoad thank you for helping Australian 

families in our everyday lives and in our moment 

of need. 

Share the recognition #thanktruck 

NatRoad is the only national member organisation for the road 

transport industry. Whether you’re large, small, or somewhere in 

between, our expert team has the knowledge, advice and support 

you need to keep your business moving. 

For more information: 

Call 1800 272 144 

Lorem ipsum 

Visit www.natroad.com.au 

Email info@natroad.com.au

The Renewed Renault 

TRAFIC 

READY TO WORK 

Now Available in Auto. 

Every TRAFIC includes: 

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• MediaNav with 7” touchscreen, Apple CarPlay ® and Android ® Auto 

• Dual sliding side doors & rear barn doors 

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~Subject to complying with statutory conditions. Eligibility for instant asset write-off depends on your specific circumstances. For more information on accessing the instant asset write-off, 

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