ATN #416

FOR FLEET OWNERS & MANAGERS 

TRUCK NEWS 

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CONTENTS 

MAY 2021 ISSUE 416 

NEWS 

10 Comprehensive news coverage from around the industry 

96 Truck sales continue at a cracking pace in March 

DIAGNOSTICS 

6 Reach for the resilience 

It’s been a difficult time but the Brisbane Truck Show is our reward 

33 Bad deal doom looms in industry 

Unfair contracts will send many owner-drivers to the wall in 

pandemic’s wake, warns Warren Clark 

49 Fight financial pressures 

Injecting still more cost into trucking is no reward for crucial and 

unstinting work, writes Andrew McKellar 

58 Drivers’ health a workplace risk 

The problems around drivers’ physical and mental health are well 

known and solutions must be deployed, says Roz Shaw 

68 The trucking reality 

Kim Hassall highlights common misunderstandings about the 

trucking industry and the majority ancillary segment within it 

OPERATIONS & STRATEGY 

28 Standard practice 

Getting up their NOS 2: a look at how National Operating Standard 

idea and its predecessors have risen and fallen over decades 

through the prism of four documents 

36 Private push 

Toll Global Express and Bingo Industries are the latest in a 

growing line of private equity takeovers involving fleet-owner and 

transport and logistics players 

40 Father and son 

It was starkly obvious from a very young age that Quinten Mathie 

would follow his father, Phillip, into trucks. Now, the boy is a man 

forging his own future and, despite cruel circumstance, resilience 

and an unfailing work ethic remain the lifelong values of a proud 

and stoic family 

52 Americana classic 

Garry Leeson’s 2006 Peterbilt has done the hard yards, been put 

in the retirement shed and then, after a load of TLC, is back doing 

what it does best – hauling logs in eastern Victoria. ATN catches 

up with the Leesons and Peterbilt devotee Dan ‘Deppo’ Glover 

60 Retro return 

Jon Kelly went from having his own television program and a fleet 

of flashy trucks to being forced to start over. The former Heavy 

Haulage Australia boss chatted about his current resto projects 

and a new TV show 

64 

64 Breaking through the barrier 

The Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls celebrated International 

Women’s Day this year with a visit to a Port Hedland local high 

school, offering encouragement for young women keen to join a 

male-dominated industry 

TRUCKS 

72 Fuso takes charge 

There’s an electric revolution sweeping the automotive world 

and, in the light truck league, Daimler’s exciting Fuso eCanter 

sits at the top of the tree. Now, we now have first details of a bold 

initiative to turn Fuso’s Shogun into the most potent Japanese 

heavyweight on the market 

4 ATN May 2021 FULLYLOADED.COM.AU

CIRCULATIONS 

AUDIT BOARD 

CIRCULATIONS 

AUDIT BOARD 

FOR TRANSPORT LOGISTICS MANAGERS 

80 Paccar notches half-century 

First moves to mark 50-year anniversary of truckmaker’s 

local manufacturing – and 70,000th truck 

82 Volvo eyes fossil-free future 

Volvo Group Australia’s recent press conference coincided 

with the release of an updated range of Volvo Trucks, as well 

as the arrival of the new Mack Anthem 

84 Janus jolts 

The Brisbane Truck Show is to see the debut of an innovative 

Australian EV solution 

LIGHT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES 

88 Looking good 

With tried and tested mechanicals and handsome updates, 

it’s okay to judge the 2021 Nissan Navara by its cover 

92 Ground zero 

Shock zero-star Mitsubishi Express ANCAP rating prompts 

FCAI consistency calls 

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

40 

52 

EDITORIAL 

Editor 

Rob McKay 03 9567 4152 

Rob.McKay@aremedia.com.au 

Technical Editor 

Steve Brooks 

sbrooks.trucktalk@gmail.com 

Senior Journalist 

Mark Gojszyk 03 9567 4263 

Mark.Gojszyk@aremedia.com.au 

PRODUCTION 

Production Co-Ordinator Cat Fitzpatrick 

Art Director Bea Barthelson 

ADVERTISING 

Group Sales Manager – Industry 

Adrian Christian 0423 761 784 

Adrian.Christian@aremedia.com.au 

Group Sales Manager – Transport 

Peter Gatti 0437 895 600 

Peter.Gatti@aremedia.com.au 

VIC Sales 

Matt Alexander 0413 599 669 

Matt.Alexander@aremedia.com.au 

NSW Sales 

Con Zarocostas 0457 594 238 

Con.Zarocostas@aremedia.com.au 

QLD Sales 

Hollie Tinker 0466 466 945 

Hollie.Tinker@aremedia.com.au 

SA/WA Sales 

Nick Lenthall 0439 485 835 

Nick.Lenthall@aremedia.com.au 

Agency Sales Manager (NSW) 

Max Kolomiiets 0415 869 176 

Max.Kolomiiets@aremedia.com.au 

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FULLYLOADED.COM.AU May 2021 ATN 5

FORWARD VISION 

Reach for the resilience 

It’s the one that’s wo rth the effort and reaps rewards 

ROB McKAY 

has been a 

journalist for 

more than three 

decades, with 

the last 25 years 

focused on 

national and 

international 

freight transport 

Welcome back the Brisbane Truck Show. So 

glad you could make it. What’s that you 

say? You didn’t think it had a snowflake’s 

chance in hell of happening just a few months ago? 

You didn’t tell your friends and relations that, did 

you? Well, obviously not because you’ve arrived 

here mob-handed. 

Gee, the little ones look happy as Larry and 

Lizzy with what they’ve picked up from the stands. 

They’re obviously enjoying being at a properly big 

event with all the colours and lights. And the ‘big 

boys’ seem to be on the same wavelength, given 

the smiles on their dials over their sorts of ‘toys’. 

Speaking of which, are you going to check out the 

Civil Construction Field Days? I know it’s not trucks 

but heavy-metal-heads don’t get it any better than 

that. Yeah, this week is truly prodigious. 

So, you and the family are here for a long 

weekend. Excellent that you could swing it. 

Seems a good choice, as you could spend all that 

time just on the attractions a stone’s throw away 

outside the convention centre, once your people 

have their fill of the attractions indoors. 

Can’t wait to get a proper look at the South Bank 

Truck Festival myself. 

Me? Yeah, I’m a fan of all this stuff. Emotionally 

invested, you might say. Yes, I do work for a backer. 

But you’d have to think the industry and the people 

in it deserved a circuit-breaker after the year just 

gone. 

A gamble? You reckon? Well, of 

course there was an element of risk – 

as there is in everything we do 

A gamble? You reckon? Well, of course there 

was an element of risk – as there is in everything 

we do. Cross a city road recently? Anyway, these 

are complex undertakings – so many moving 

parts. 

You can’t underplay the need for serious longterm 

planning and you can’t just be pulling rabbits 

out of hats at the last moment when it all looks 

fine and dandy. 

Certainly the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia 

show organisers would have had their hearts in 

their mouths at certain times. 

But just like you when you’re buying a new 

truck, deciding it’s all too hard before it actually 

turns out that way is not an option if you want 

success. 

What would it say to the industry and the wider 

public, here and in the rest of the country, had 

they pulled the plug prematurely? 

That’s not really the Australian spirit, is it? 

Surely it’s better to live on your feet than die on 

your knees. 

I was thinking back to the soccer world cup in 

South Africa a decade ago. Australia had probably 

its most talented team ever. The choice it faced 

against the sporting behemoth that was Germany 

in the qualifying round was to win and go through 

more easily or survive in the hope of a draw and 

sneak in. The story goes that the players backed 

themselves to win through the pressure of attack. 

But the European coach, who was not a believer, 

directed them accordingly. They lost badly and 

the players went out of the tournament filthy 

about it all. 

So, how would they and we feel today – as we 

see all those exhibitors doing all that business 

with happy punters all around and as the good 

folk of Queensland and beyond lap it all up – had 

the opportunity not been afforded to them due to 

. . . timidity? 

OK, the hotel quarantine solution isn’t virusproof 

and the vaccine rollout has its issues. But 

as a wise American once said, “the only thing we 

have to fear is fear itself”. 

Sure, it would be a mistake to ignore how 

the scene is playing out in less fortunate 

parts of the world, not to mention the hit to 

confidence being felt by executives elsewhere. 

But we’ve bounced back and so can everyone 

here and there. 

That is the point and the example. 


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NEWS 

Dogs & Chains 

3 ‘If you knew Suzie like I knew Suzie, oh, oh, oh what a gal...!’ Thus goes 

the song but what is the right spelling for this coiled cable/lead? Was it 

originally named after a woman and, if so, was she Susie, Suzy, Suzi or some 

other derivation? Well, there’s no official explanation online. So, rather as an 

acolyte ascends a mountain to consult a guru, we asked Australian Trucking 

Association chief engineer Bob Woodward if, just as ships and trucks came 

to be gendered back in the day, the same occurred on the more mundane 

level of cables. Had he been sterner, the answer might have been “don’t be so 

sentimental”. No, ‘suspended insulated electrical’ is his wisdom after decades 

of occasional research. This is supported by a learned post in UK chat room 

trucknetuk.com. On how it came also to be ‘suzi’, Woodward can only surmise 

that it morphed in the US, when the technology moved from trucks to airlines. 

(Not to be confused with air lines.) And then there are trade names. You just 

know that when the marketing types get hold of an idea, things get muddled. 

People end up wondering if some old ear worm is a fact . . . 

3 ‘You say suzi coil and I say susie coil.’ But wait, that’s not all. “Earliest reason could be that the coiled type were first invented by Sir Edward 

Suzenderger, British mother and German father, in the late 1940s,” according to another trucknetuk.com post. But those in the kennel think this is 

a classic British joke. Like the driver who calls his coils ‘Polly’ . . . You know. Polyamide. (Sigh/groan) 

3 Japanese ingenuity 

knows no bounds, as 

anyone travelling in that 

endlessly fascinating 

country can attest. 

Especially after a visit 

to their hotel bathroom. 

Which is why the thought 

“what took you so long?” 

came to mind on reports 

that, in highway rest 

areas, Central Nippon 

Expressway Company 

Limited (Nexco) has toilet seats that measure fatigue. News agency Japan Today 

(JT), whose picture it is, was one of a number to cover the story. This, of course, is 

a natural progression, given the highway operator won the Japan Toilet Award’s 

Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism gong six years ago. The 

fatigue function is one of a number of the device’s services, though you’ll need to 

be honest when choosing the parameters of age and how you feel before sitting 

down for one minute to let the sensors do their stuff. 

3 So how does the “fatigue toilet” work? JT notes its data-filled screen telling 

users: “In a fatigued state, the tension of the sympathetic nervous system 

increases and the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system decreases, so 

this toilet measures the fluctuation in beats and analyses the autonomic nervous 

system.” Not sure why but there’s a good chance truck drivers here would rather 

wear a cap with sensors or have them in the cab and trained on their eyes – but 

you never know. And no, we’re not above toilet humour here. 

3 Speaking of laughs, container line body Shipping Australia Ltd (SAL) is gaining 

quite a reputation for it landside. As the Melbourne Comedy Festival was giving 

way to Sydney’s, it came out with a newsletter item entitled ‘Shipping AND 

trucking companies are both customers of ports’ in defence of stevedores forcing 

container access charges on haulage firms. “The payment of fees in return for 

goods or services is literally the dictionary definition of ‘customer’,” it argues, in 

a way that doubtless caused Chinese Communist Party apparatchiks to head for 

their copyright lawyers. The logical extension is that crime victims are customers 

of muggers who provide the service of leaving them physically unharmed. Oh, 

stop! My aching ribs! 

3 OK, it’s a little old but, in March, it came as 

close to going viral as a National Heavy Vehicle 

Regulator (NHVR) Facebook post is likely to and 

we reckon it’s worth revisiting. As is our wont, we’ll 

let the post itself tell the story: “Load restraint at 

its worst! Our team were assisting down in Mildura 

when they identified that this operator was using 

indirect restraint (a clamping force) for a load 

weighing just over 20 tonnes. Not to mention, 

they were only using 4 straps to secure the load, 

when it required 34 straps! This type of restraint is 

really problematic with the type of load and weight 

and the operator should have been using direct 

restraint (attaching to the vehicle) with chains.” 

Another partial success, professor! 


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RELIED 

ON SINCE 

1969

NEWS 

Inside the Industry 

South 

NHVR PROSECUTES OVER COR BREACH 

A Victorian building supplies 

company has become the 

first consignor prosecuted by 

the National Heavy Vehicle 

Regulator (NHVR) under 

the 2018 Heavy Vehicle 

National Law (HVNL) Chain 

of Responsibility (COR) 

amendments 

The business is charged with serious 

safety offences after a truck toppled 

onto a pedestrian island crossing. 

The heavy vehicle was loaded with a 

shipping container carrying 26 tonnes 

of imported timber plywood products 

when it rolled over in Dandenong on 

November 11, 2019. 

The load’s consignor has been 

charged with exposing drivers, 

unloaders and members of the public 

to the risk of death or serious injury by 

failing to comply with sections 26G and 

26H of the HVNL. 

The NHVR will allege the consignor 

failed to comply with loading and 

restraint requirements, failed to advise 

an overseas supplier of Australian 

safety regulations, failed to have 

any restraint system in place in the 

container, and failed to advise the driver 

and operator how the load was packed. 

It will be further alleged that the 

consignor had failed to take these 

measures since June 2017, during 

which time 189 containers were 

transported without any restraint. 

The case is the first prosecution of 

a consignor by the NHVR following 

the 2018 amendment of the HVNL, 

which made all parties in the supply 

chain part of the COR, with a shared 

duty to ensure the safety of transport 

activities. 

The matter was heard at Melbourne 

Magistrates’ Court on March 22, 2021. 

Court records show the accused is 

Big River Group Pty Ltd. 

NHVR executive director statutory 

compliance Ray Hassall says the 

law is clear that everyone involved in 

heavy vehicle transport had a shared 

“This was a serious incident that the NHVR will 

allege was caused by multiple breaches 

of safety laws" 

responsibility to ensure the safety 

of workers and the public. 

"This was a serious incident 

that the NHVR will allege was 

caused by multiple breaches 

Australian transport owner in 

speed limiter tampering conviction 

A South Australian transport company 

owner has pleaded guilty to possessing 

speed limiter tampering equipment, 

the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 

(NHVR) reports. 

The owner was prosecuted by the 

NHVR after South Australia Police 

(SAPOL) Heavy Vehicle Investigation 

Section conducted an investigation at 

the company’s Mid-North premises in 

August 2020. 

SAPOL located a laptop installed 

with tampering software, as well as 

connecting plugs. 

The company owner initially declined 

to answer questions about the device, 

but pleaded guilty to possessing a 

speed limiter tampering device when 

he appeared at Adelaide Magistrates 

of safety laws," Hassall says. 

No one was injured in the November 

2019 rollover. A committal mention will 

be heard on June 7, 2021 at Melbourne 

Magistrate's Court. 

Court in April, the regulator notes. 

It has not yet named the party involved. 

Speed limiters ensure that specified 

trucks over 12–15 tonnes cannot travel 

above the national 100km/h limit for 

such vehicles. 

Under the Heavy Vehicle National 

Law (HVNL) it is an offence to possess a 

speed limiter tampering device without a 

reasonable excuse. 

NHVR executive director of statutory 

compliance Ray Hassall says speed 

limiter tampering is a serious offence. 

"Speed limits exist to reduce collisions 

and protect road users," Hassall says. 

"The NHVR and SAPOL regard speed 

limiter tampering as a serious public 

safety offence and we won’t hesitate to 

prosecute operators who ignore the law." 


EASTERN FREEWAY CRASH DRIVER GETS 22 YEARS 

One of Victoria’s worst truck 

crashes – and deadliest 

police-related incidents – has 

seen the driver responsible jailed 

for 22 years. 

Truck driver Mohinder Singh 

will be eligible for parole in 

18 years and six months after 

the Eastern Freeway crash in 

Melbourne last year that killed 

constables Glen Humphris 

and Joshua Prestney, senior 

constable Kevin King and leading 

senior constable Lynette Taylor. 

The 48-year-old pleaded 

guilty to eight charges, including 

culpable driving causing four 

deaths and drug trafficking. 

On April 22, 2020, Singh veered 

into the freeway’s emergency 

lane and crashed into the officers, 

who had earlier pulled over 

Porsche driver Richard Pusey 

for speeding. 

The Supreme Court hears 

Singh was fatigued and under the 

influence of drugs, with a mental 

health deterioration manifesting 

in a psychosis and visions of the 

supernatural. 

Justice Paul Coghlan takes 

into account ‘pressure’ from 

supervisor Simiona Tuteru and 

Singh’s ‘reluctance’ to drive but 

notes it was ultimately his choice 

to get behind the wheel. 

"It is clear . . . that you knew 

you should not have been driving 

when under the influence," 

Coghlan says. 

He also gives short shrift to the 

defence claim of Singh driving 

over a fear of losing his job. 

"In the circumstances that 

proposition is somewhat illusory 

– you were simply unfit to do the 

job and had little if any legitimate 

claim to keep your position as a 

truck driver. 

"In the sense that you drove to 

keep your job, that decision was 

selfish. 

"The decision to drive was 

nonetheless yours." 

Singh is acknowledged as 

being wholly remorseful for the 

incident that will have a lasting, 

‘devastating impact’. 

Tuteru, a Victorian manager 

at Connect Logistics, faces 

a hearing for manslaughter 

charges next month for his role 

in the lead-up to the incident. 

Above: 

Singh being led 

to court 

SENTENCE SUSPENDED FOR QUEENSLAND FATAL CRASH TRUCK DRIVER 

The Supreme Court of Queensland has 

suspended a truck driver’s three-year prison 

sentence on appeal. 

This follows a fatal crash case last year, where 

argument over the operation of his trailer’s 

brakes was central to the district court case. 

Ronald Trevor Gallaty was aged 64 five years 

ago when he lost control of his vehicle on a 

bend and struck a bus travelling on the other 

side of the road, killing its driver and injuring 

passengers. 

It was noted at the trial that though the speed 

limit was 80km/h on the stretch of road, the 

advisory for negotiating the bend was 40km/h 

and that the bus had slowed to negotiate it. 

The prosecution’s case at the initial judge-only 

trial was that the Hamelex White tipping trailer’s 

brakes seized after the automatic stability 

control (ASC) mechanism on the Mercedes Benz 

Actros tipping truck activated due to entering the 

bend at excessive speed. 

The defence case was that the prosecution 

could not exclude, beyond reasonable doubt, 

that the trailer brakes locked up when the 

automated brake assist (ABA), activated when 

that system incorrectly identified the bus as an 

obstruction. 

Such a hypothesis was said to arise on the 

evidence as Gallaty had said in a police interview 

and at the subsequent trial that he noticed an 

alarm just before the collision. 

However the court heard from a range of 

expert witnesses on the workings interaction and 

effectiveness of such safety systems as ABA, 

with the conclusion that the braking system was 

working correctly and would not have reacted to 

the bus, so therefore speeding was the cause of 

the crash. 

But the sentencing is where the appeal court 

parts ways with the District Court’s decision. 

It disagrees that Gallaty had a "significant 

history of traffic offences", as the primary judge 

had found, or that he had "developed a habit of 

driving your truck and trailer to and beyond the 

limits of their safe operational capacities", or 

that he had a cavalier attitude to speeding. 

"Such findings evidence a misapplication of 

the sentencing process, warranting a re-exercise 

of the sentencing discretion," the appeal ruling 

reads, changing the prison sentence to a 

three-year driving suspension. 


NEWS 


TWU CALLS FOR 

BROADER REFORMS 

A guilty verdict against Cleanaway 

following the deaths of two people on 

Adelaide’s South Eastern Freeway in 

2014 highlights the need for reform of 

the trucking industry, according to the 

Transport Workers’ Union (TWU). 

The waste company is found guilty 

in the Adelaide Magistrates Court of 

eight breaches of its health and safety 

duty related to such shortfalls as a 

lack of driver training and brake 

maintenance failure. 

The charges relate to workplace safety 

offences with courts over the years 

hearing that the driver of the truck had 

not been adequately trained and that 

the trucking company knew the truck’s 

brakes were faulty. 

Evidence was given that the truck 

driver Darren Hicks, who was in his 

first week of work with the firm and 

who lost a leg in the incident that took 

two lives, had been trained only for 

automatic trucks when the one he 

drove was a manual and that he had 

informed the company of his concerns 

about the route. 

"As the operator of heavy vehicles, 

the defendant ought reasonably to have 

known of the risk to heavy vehicles of 

brake failure on long downhill routes 

and the importance of gear selection in 

a manual vehicle to control the speed of 

the vehicle and also the importance of 

ensuring the competence of drivers to 

undertake such descents," magistrate 

Simon Smart states in his verdict. 

TWU SA/NT branch secretary Ian 

Smith backs the guilty verdict but says 

that the entire supply chain should be 

investigated. 

The union has often been at odds with 

the company, over this issue and others, 

and the regional branch agitated in 2019 

for a new police and WorkSafe SA probe 

into its operations following reports that 

brake issues were known to the firm. 

"We welcome the guilty verdict against 

Cleanaway which has come far too 

many years after this tragedy occurred," 

Smith says. 

"Families and communities have been 

devastated by this crash and it has taken 

over six years for this verdict. 

"While welcome, this guilty verdict will 

not prevent this type of tragedy from 

occurring again. 

"Every day there are similar issues 

occurring on our roads around the 

country, where trucks are not maintained, 

drivers are not adequately trained and 

are pushed to speed, work long hours 

and drive fatigued. 

"If we want to see an end to tragedies 

like this then we need to put in place a 

body which can prevent truck crashes 

and which can investigate risks to safety 

in trucking." 

The union notes that the verdict, that 

is reportedly may be appealed, comes on 

the week of the five-year anniversary of 

the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal 

(RSRT). 

Huge Elgas fine in Samuels Transport 

LPG tanker hose explosion case 

Shortcomings are detailed in Elgas’ 

otherwise comprehensive safety program 

following a 2015 explosion in NSW that 

severely injured a truck and driver and 

resident. 

The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplier 

was investigated by SafeWork NSW and 

pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to 

two WHS Act offences for exposing a worker 

and other persons to the risk of death or 

serious injury. 

Elgas distributes LPG using bulk tanker 

trucks to fill LPG cylinders and tanks kept on 

business and residential premises. 

It engaged Samuels Transport Services to 

provide truck drivers to operate Elgas tankers 

on an hourly rate. 

Its vehicles contain a low-flow hose for 

cylinders and high-flow hose for tanks, with 

the latter hose not suitable for use on the 

former. 

In December 2015, one of the truck drivers 

was filling a cylinder at a Muswellbrook 

Ian Smith 

Though hugely divisive within the 

industry, it states that the independent 

tribunal was investigating risks to safety 

in trucking, including the waste industry. 

"It was looking at training, pay rates 

and the pressure to deliver goods 

without prioritising safety," Smith says. 

"Nothing has been put in its place and 

people are dying as a result." 

home next door to a public school. 

The driver used the high-flow hose 

because of a mechanical issue with the 

low-flow system. 

The drivers previously noted they were 

aware of the instructions but the manual 

retraction of the low-flow hose was 

physically demanding and frustrating and 

"the use of the high flow hose was a method 

of getting the job done, albeit contrary to the 

offender’s written instruction". 

On the day of the incident, while a resident 

of the home was speaking with the driver, 

both noticed the gas was leaking. 

The driver tried to resolve the issue, 

including to "tension the check lock valve 

with a Stillson wrench", a process not 

provided for in the training material, but 

did not use any of the three emergency 

shutdown options as instructed to use in an 

emergency situation, and the gas exploded. 

Elgas was fined $525,000 after a discount 

for its guilty plea. 


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NEWS 


SCT TO PAY WOOLWORTHS 

FOR CARGO LOSSES 

The Supreme Court of New South Wales 

casts greater light on the role of transport 

contracts when goods are damaged due 

to an event beyond a transporter’s control. 

The judgement comes seven years, 

almost to the day, after a derailment 

involving an SCT Logistics train damaged 

Woolworths’ cargo, and the case centres 

on how the transport contract was 

constructed. 

Woolworths subsequently sued SCT 

for its $893,399.25 in losses, using 

an indemnity contained in the parties’ 

transport contract involving ‘transport 

terms and conditions’ and ‘prescribed 

procedures’, and the Australian Rail Track 

Corporation Ltd (ARTC) for negligence. 

SCT argued before Justice Patricia 

Henry that, as the derailment was caused 

by extreme weather involving heavy rain 

and flash flooding, this activated a ‘force 

majeure’ exception to its liability. 

Under the force majeure clauses, SCT 

has a duty to consult with Woolworths 

in response to a relevant event and that 

"neither party is liable to the other for 

any delay or failure to fulfil its obligations 

under these terms or the procedures that 

is owing to the force majeure event". 

The indemnity clause specifically 

notes that it relates to "any loss, theft, 

destruction or damage to the goods". 

But the agreement also states the 

indemnity "does not apply to direct losses 

incurred by Woolworths during a force 

majeure event". 

There is also a clause involving 

the need for "insurance, for its full 

replacement value, of the goods against 

damage, theft, destruction or loss in 

transit", which Henry regards as placing 

risk in relation to the goods with SCT. 

In a comment that acts as a signpost 

to the judgement’s findings, Henry notes 

that the parties agree that "SCT’s defence 

to Woolworths’ claim raises a question of 

the proper construction of the transport 

contract". She also mentions in passing 

that 'force majeure’ is undefined in the 

agreement. 

Woolworths argues that there was no 

"failure to fulfil [SCT’s] obligations" due 

to the ‘force majeure’ event and that 

SCT’s position on the agreement that 

the event allowed it to avoid liability 

was "not supported by its text or the 

other provisions of the agreement". 

Henry accepts this, ruling that the 

agreement "obliges SCT to make good 

the losses incurred by Woolworths in 

connection with the damaged goods". 

"In essence, that obligation requires 

SCT to pay money to Woolworths. 

"Even if I were to accept that it caused 

Train 3MP9 to derail and damage the 

goods, an extreme weather event does 

not render SCT unable to fulfill its 

obligation in the sense of making 

it difficult, impossible, illegal or 

impracticable for SCT to indemnify 

Woolworths for its losses. 

"SCT may incur a cost in doing so, but 

its ability to perform that obligation is 

not hindered or prevented owing to the 

alleged force majeure event." 

TRANSTAR LINEHAUL LEGAL COSTS BID AGAINST CCSR FAILS 

A Transtar Linehaul action in the New South 

Wales Supreme Court against the Chief 

Commissioner of State Revenue (CCSR), 

seeking coverage of the firm's legal costs, 

has failed. 

Transtar is one of three companies – Fleet 

Repairs and Maintenance Pty Ltd, Transtar 

Linehaul Pty Ltd and Edgely Pty Ltd – the 

CCSR had grouped for payroll tax purposes 

between 2013 and 2017. 

It was a move that the NSW Civil and 

Administrative Tribunal ruled on a year ago 

after Fleet Repairs and Maintenance’s 2017 

objection. 

The CCSR’s reasoning for the grouping 

was that the late Ronald Searle, a director in 

all three companies, was entitled to exercise 

greater than 50 per cent of the voting power 

at the board meetings of all three companies. 

This was based on a 2004 Transtar deal 

with RJK Logistics through its director, 

Robert Keel, worth $100,000 a year "for 

services including: the generation of 

business, management of client relationships 

and introduction of new clients". 

Exemptions from the state Payroll 

Tax Act’s section 32(2) were sought but 

deemed inapplicable and the "cumulative 

element" of the relationship meant that the 

argument failed. 


PACIFIC NATIONAL AND LINFOX IN SA INTERMODAL DEAL 

Pacific National and Linfox have 

entered into an option agreement for 

a strategic co-location at Adelaide 

Freight Terminal. 

According to Pacific National CEO Dean 

Dalla Valle, with intermodal rail services 

playing a critical role in major national 

supply chain links, the agreement helps 

to accelerate development of co-location 

logistics solutions to ensure efficiency in 

both costs and service delivery. 

"With more than 230 million freight 

TEU-kilometres travelled annually through 

Adelaide Freight Terminal, the intermodal 

site is the ‘freight gateway to the west’," 

Dalla Valle says. 

Pacific National’s Adelaide Freight 

Terminal currently employs 125 staff – 

including train drivers, terminal operators 

and maintenance crew – who operate a 

total of 90 rail services in and out of the site 

each week deploying 1,800-metre interstate 

freight trains. 

Dalla Valle notes that securing more 

opportunities for close-to-client locations 

along Australia’s rail corridors and 

leveraging Pacific National’s network 

of intermodal facilities and services will 

drive greater safety, productivity and 

environmental gains within the national 

supply chain. 

"The coronavirus crisis, and associated 

cross border travel restrictions, has 

highlighted the innate power of rail to haul 

large volumes of freight safely and efficiently 

across our vast continent while helping to 

reduce carbon emissions," he adds. 

Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox sees 

the development as complementing Linfox’s 

recent investments in the intermodal rail 

network for its customers. 

"Linfox has a national footprint of 

strategically located railhead facilities 

and our new Adelaide investment further 

enhances our capabilities throughout 

Australia," Fox says. 

TNT and Fedex integration finalises in Australia 

FedEx has all but closed the TNT Express 

chapter in Australia, with the two integrating 

into one company called FedEx Express 

Australia Pty Ltd. 

The more than four-year process is part of 

a wider global integration between the two 

companies after the American giant bought 

the Dutch-owned TNT Express in 2016. 

FedEx Express Australasia vice president 

Peter Langley says the transformation as a 

new chapter in the story for both FedEx and 

TNT brands. 

"TNT has always had a strong presence 

domestically in Australia and FedEx is well 

known as an international service provider. 

"Customers are already benefitting from 

the strength of the combined entity with 

expanded service offerings and strong 

connectivity to meet both the domestic 

and international needs of Australian 

businesses including small and medium 

enterprises (SMEs)." 

Langley outlines the entity’s objective 

"We are extremely pleased to be making 

this new multi-million dollar investment of 

a world-class intermodal facility in South 

Australia." 

Pacific National and Linfox are recent 

allies, with the pair landing Aurizon’s 

Queensland intermodal business in 

2017 and passing the final legal hurdle 

in March. 

as providing global access and increased 

domestic reach for Australian businesses. 

"This coming together means we can 

continue to provide increased access for 

Australian SMEs, which make up 61 per cent 

of all exporters in the country and support 

them to reach out to new international 

markets. 

"Even with the challenges of Covid-19, the 

number of exporters continues to increase and 

is up 7 per cent year-on-year, driven by an 11 

per cent growth in small exporters. 

"We’re now in a better position than ever 

to support Australian SMEs in their business 

recovery efforts as we move forward post the 

pandemic disruption." 

The product and service portfolios for FedEx 

and TNT will remain unchanged and there 

will also be no change to customers’ existing 

FedEx or TNT accounts, the company notes. 

FedEx also launched a Logistics arm here in 

2019 on the back of its purchase of Mantion 

in 2018. 


NEWS 


CRASH STATS ANALYSIS 

SEES MAINTENANCE VALUE 

While it may seem self-evident that 

good truck maintenance is linked 

to better safety outcomes, insurer 

NTI and the National Heavy Vehicle 

Regulator (NHVR) have crunched the 

numbers to frank the assumption – 

with caveats. 

Also involving the NTI-backed 

National Truck Accident Research 

Centre (NTARC), the report, Are Good 

Trucks the Sign of a Great Operator? 

A Special Report into Heavy Vehicle 

Roadworthiness, brings together 

for the first time de-identified data 

from NTI’s NTARC Major Accident 

Investigation Report (MAIR) and the 

NHVR’s National Roadworthiness 

Baseline Survey (NBRS). 

At the basic level, the answer to 

the question in its title is it is likely 

that ‘good’ operators "are aware 

of the systems which pose the 

greatest safety risk and are ensuring 

that these systems are maintained 

appropriately". 

While report author and NTARC 

analyst Adam Gibson is careful not 

to overstate the case as a ‘causal 

relationship’ between shortfalls and 

accidents – a position repeated in the 

course of the analysis – the report 

finds a "correlation between operators 

with trucks inspected and found to 

be conformant to vehicle standards 

regulations and lower frequency and 

cost of truck crashes”. 

"Conversely, operators with trucks 

with minor defects showed a small 

(2 per cent) increase in the frequency 

of claims, while operators with 

trucks with major defects showed a 

significant increase (14 per cent) in 

the cost and frequency (7 per cent) of 

claims per powered unit per year." 

That said, non-conformity to 

standards for certain vehicle 

systems had the strongest 

correlation to increased truck-crash 

cost and frequency, specifically 

(in alphabetical order): couplings; 

steering and suspension; and wheels 

and tyres. 

Couplings showed a correlation 

with a 29 per cent increase in the 

“Operators with 

trucks with minor 

defects showed a 

small (2 per cent) 

increase in the 

frequency of claims" 

frequency and a 22 per cent increase in 

the cost of claims. 

For wheel and tyre defects the 

frequency was 32 per cent higher 

than the baseline while cost was 

26 per cent higher. 

There was also a lower but notable 

increase in claims for operators where 

one or more of their vehicles had 

defects associated with three other 

vehicle systems: lights; steering and 

suspension; structure. 

One issue the analysis strikes 

involves braking, where the difference 

is very minor – at a 3 per cent higher 

frequency and 4 per cent higher cost 

when compared to the ‘all matched 

units’ baseline. 

Adam Gibson 

LATEST HEAVY VEHICLE HEALTH CHECK LOOMS FOR OPERATORS 

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 

(NHVR) and the federal government are 

urging heavy vehicle operators to use their 

daily safety checklist, ahead of the second 

major health check of Australia’s heavy 

vehicle fleet. 

They are being asked to take a few 

minutes before each trip to check basic 

safety items on their vehicle. 

"A quick visual inspection can identify 

any issues and give you peace of mind 

that the vehicle is safe and ready for the 

journey," federal transport minister Michael 

McCormack says. 

"It is a series of simple steps that 

aligned with the National Heavy Vehicle 

Inspection Manual that every driver should 

undertake daily." 

Assistant minister for road safety 

and freight transport Scott Buchholz 

reinforces the message, insisting this is an 

important initiative for Australia’s heavy 

vehicle operators to take part in this month. 

"From [May], the NHVR will undertake 

the second National Roadworthiness 

Survey, which will check the mechanical 

health of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet," 

Buchholz says. 

"Authorised officers from the NHVR 

and partner agencies across Australia will 

conduct a mechanical inspection of 8,000 

heavy vehicles including trucks, buses and 

other special purpose vehicles." 


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NEWS 


HVIA CALLS FOR INTERIM 

APPROVALS FOR PBS 

Todd Hacking 

“Applications go missing, 

consultation is limited, 

response timeframes are 

not being met..." 

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia 

(HVIA) sees an "interim approval 

mechanism" as a crucial 

short-term measure to tackle an 

immediate performance-based 

standards (PBS) approval crisis 

while longer-term issues are 

worked through. 

Such a solution might see 

steps including engineer and 

the National Heavy Vehicle 

Industry Regulator (NHVR) design 

approval, combination built to that 

approval and certifying engineer 

examination and sign off on it. 

"HVIA is willing to work through 

policy solutions with the NHVR," 

HVIA chief executive Todd Hacking 

tells ATN. 

"There are a whole range of 

solutions that we are looking at. 

"One of them, though, would 

include an interim approval 

mechanism that would allow 

the vehicles to at least operate 

pending a formal approval from 

the NHVR." 

The comments follow an "urgent 

and passionate" plea to the NHVR 

to solve the issue. 

According to HVIA, its demand 

"follows six months of private and 

cooperative negotiations by phone, 

email and face-to-face meetings to 

try and assist the NHVR overcome 

these operational issues". 

"The situation is now dire," 

Hacking says. 

"HVIA has been trying to help 

the NHVR behind the scenes but 

the time has come to make our 

concerns public. 

"Vehicle standards related 

functions like PBS are 

under-resourced across all 

levels of government but the PBS 

situation is out of control. 

"Applications go missing, 

consultation is limited, response 

timeframes are not being met and 

when our members try and find out 

what is going on, they are lucky to 

get a reply. 

"Personally, I am grateful to the 

NHVR for the ongoing service I 

have received, but sadly this is not 

the reality for HVIA members. 

"Whether they are trailer 

manufacturers, assessors or 

certifiers, their pleas are all 

too often ignored, or given the 

run-around; the lack of empathy 

and communication is beyond 

frustrating." 

NHVR PLEDGES TO BOOST PBS PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS 

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) 

has acknowledged personnel issues on top 

of higher demand have crimped its ability to 

carry out performance-based standards (PBS) 

scheme functions in a timely manner. 

"We are currently experiencing some 

operational challenges due to the significant 

increase in application volumes and departure 

of senior PBS team members," NHVR vehicle 

safety and performance director Peter Austin 

explains. 

"This has impacted our ability to assess 

and process applications within acceptable 

timeframes. 

"We understand the impact that increased 

processing times has on all parts of the 

industry, and we are implementing initiatives 

and working with stakeholders to improve our 

service delivery. 

"So far, we have allocated additional 

resources and streamlined our procedures to 

improve data consistency, automate processes 

and remove double handling of vehicle data. 

"We have also been working closely with 

PBS certifiers and assessors to issue approvals 

more quickly. 

"Longer-term, we will continue to transition 

PBS services into the NHVR Portal and 

introduce more efficient processes for low-risk 

applications. 

"While we make these improvements, we 

understand that operators need certainty 

around when applications will be issued. 

"For complete and accurate vehicle approval 

applications, the NHVR’s processing time is 

currently 25 business days. 

"This timeframe will improve as additional 

remediation actions are implemented, and 

we aim to reduce turnaround as quickly as 

possible. 

"Moving forward, we will provide certifiers 

and assessors with a weekly update on 

processing times and volumes, and we have 

asked them to keep their customers advised of 

any changes." 


AUSTROADS IN AGEING TRUCK FLEET IMPACT PROBE 

Peak roads agency Austroads is 

undertaking a study analysing the 

impacts of an ageing heavy vehicle 

fleet in Australia and New Zealand. 

Options for Managing the Impacts 

of aged heavy Vehicles covers heavy 

vehicles above 4.5 tonnes gross 

vehicle mass (GVM) used in freight 

transport, reviewing the main issues 

associated with continued use of 

aged trucks and identifying potential 

policies and other interventions most 

suitable for these two countries. 

It notes trans-Tasman trucks are 

older than in many other countries due 

to low barriers of entry, exacerbated 

by having no secondary disposal 

market, and few restrictions on how 

and where they operate. 

Based on the above criteria, the 

aged truck cohort represents 56 per 

cent of the national fleet, because 

there are few regulatory, policy, or 

market forces to drive fleet renewal, 

Austroads notes. 

The average age of trucks is 15 

years in Australia and 18 years in 

New Zealand. 

Three sub-classes of categorisation 

are based on the vehicle’s compliance 

with exhaust emission standards in 

the Australian Design Rules (ADRs). 

According to Austroads, the 

oldest heavy vehicles impact the 

community in several ways, including 

air pollution, noise, and health but, 

until now, this issue has been hard to 

define and manage. 

"Defining aged heavy vehicles by 

their emissions standard provides the 

clearest definition and will likely result 

in the greatest positive impact of any 

targeted actions," Austroads transport 

network operations program manager 

Richard Delplace says. 

Key findings on the effects of aged 

trucks on health and safety include: 

• pre-1996 trucks cause around $200 

million in annual pollution-related 

health costs in Australia. Replacing 

these trucks could yield a net health 

benefit of $744 million–$1.441 billion 

over seven years 

• the cost of emissions from pre-1996 

trucks operating in urban areas is 

4.5 times higher than in non-urban 

areas. Measures to reduce the health 

cost of aged trucks should focus on 

urban areas 

• newer trucks (less than five years 

old) have the lowest crash frequency 

(casualty crashes/billion km) of all 

age groups. Older trucks have more 

on-road defects. But, contrary to 

expectations, the oldest group of 

trucks (>15 years) has roughly the 

same or lower crash frequency as the 

middle age group (5–15 years) 

• any direct impact that aged trucks 

have on overall large loss claims are 

likely to be minimal. Factors other 

than truck age have an overriding 

influence on the overall crash rate. 

ATA blasts Austroads over ageing truck registration proposal 

Governments must reject an 'outrageous 

proposal' to alter truck registration 

charges, which could see increases by up 

to 220 per cent, the Australian Trucking 

Association (ATA) demands. 

The call is in response to the report by 

Austroads into the impact of an ageing 

truck fleet in Australia and New Zealand. 

Vehicle registration fees differentiated 

by emissions class is one of the policy 

ideas put forth by Austroads, admitting 

the “aged-truck problem is difficult to 

overcome with equitable and effective 

measures”. 

That is not good enough for the ATA, CEO 

Andrew McKellar says. 

"The Austroads report says that those 

operating an older truck could be forced to 

pay up to $20,000 in registration charges per 

truck per year – that's a brutal 220 per cent 

increase from the current registration fee of 

$6,225 for a prime mover and semi-trailer," 

McKellar says. 

"Amidst the challenges of Covid-19 and the 

bushfires, the trucking industry has been on 

the frontline, working hard to get Australians 

back on their feet and communities supplied. 

"And yet here we are, with an increase in 

charges that would hit about 400,000 

heavy vehicles. 147,000 heavy vehicles 

would be hit with the full 220 per cent 

increase. 

"In total, the proposal would affect more 

than half of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet." 

The ATA points to its own ideas as better 

ways of encouraging trucking operators to 

upgrade to newer, safer trucks. 

"Last year, the ATA strongly argued for 

measures to help trucking businesses buy 

new equipment, which ultimately resulted in 

the Instant Asset Write Off and temporary 

full expensing," McKellar says. 


NEWS 


ACCC approval for 

freight brokers 

TIC AGREES 

ON CHARGE HIKE 

Australia’s infrastructure and transport 

ministers propose heavy vehicle charges 

increase by 2.5 per cent in 2021–22. 

The Transport and Infrastructure 

Council’s (TIC’s) latest communique 

notes that, having considered the latest 

estimates from the National Transport 

Commission (NTC), "following recent 

growth in government investment in 

roads, there was a growing gap between 

road expenditure and revenue from 

charges". 

"National heavy vehicle charges are 

designed to recover the heavy vehicle 

share of road expenditure," it reads. 

"Having considered the submissions 

of industry representatives, Ministers 

agreed charges should rise by 2.5 per 

cent in 2021–22, to contribute to the 

construction and maintenance of roads." 

Western Australia and Northern 

Territory will separately consider their 

heavy vehicle registration fees for 

2021-22. 

As part of the response to Covid-19 

in 2020, an increase was deferred "to 

ensure road transport operators could 

continue the vital task of getting freight 

delivered all over Australia despite the 

pandemic", the TIC notes. 

"Ministers noted the charge increase 

for 2021–22 would be significantly 

less than the amount of 13.4 per cent 

estimated by the NTC as necessary 

to recover the heavy vehicle share 

of recent road construction and 

maintenance costs. 

"These are set independently of 

national decisions taken by ministers." 

The 2.5 per cent figure has caused 

some ruptures within industry. 

While initially accepted by the 

Australian Livestock and Rural 

Transporters Association (ALRTA), the 

Australian Trucking Association (ATA) 

rejects TIC’s approach to increase 

charges by more than the rate of 

inflation. 

In a strongly worded response, ATA 

says Australia’s truck charging system 

is "broken and must be fixed". 

"Treasury’s inflation forecast 

for 2021–22 is 1.5 per cent, but 

governments have decided to increase 

the charges paid by Australia’s hard 

working trucking businesses by 2.5 per 

cent," ATA CEO Andrew McKellar says. 

"The decision will increase the 

registration charge for a workhorse 

prime mover and semitrailer by $144 a 

year, and the effective rate of fuel tax by 

0.6 cents per litre. 

"This increase is more than many 

trucking businesses can afford. 

"In a recent survey we ran, more 

than a third of the trucking businesses 

that participated told us their business 

activity was still down compared to 

immediately before the bushfires and 

the start of the pandemic. 

"Trucking businesses also have great 

difficulty passing charge increases on to 

their customers. 

"Only 13 per cent of the businesses 

in the survey said they were able to 

pass on both registration and fuel price 

changes. 

"Small businesses had the greatest 

difficulty passing on charge increases, 

but even larger businesses found it 

difficult to pass on cost increases more 

than the inflation rate.” 

The Australian Competition and 

Consumer Commission (ACCC) has 

granted a group of freight brokers 

permission to collectively bargain 

with select carriers until at least 

December 2026. 

The competition watchdog 

did not object to an application 

lodged by KIS Transport Australia 

"to enable it to collectively bargain 

agreements on behalf of itself, five 

other freight brokers and future 

freight brokers that may become 

members of the group, with freight 

carriers". 

The ACCC also allows the notification 

to remain in force for six years as 

requested by KIS, instead of a default 

three-year period. 

The current members of the 

collective bargaining group are KIS 

Transport, Hydra Logistics Solutions 

Australia, Total Freight Logistic 

Services, Transfreight Solutions 

Australia Pty and KIS Corporate. 

The freight carriers that the group 

intends to collectively negotiate with 

include TNT, Toll Express, Couriers 

Please, Followmont Transport, Hi-Trans 

Express, and Northline. 

"The ACCC considers the collective 

bargaining is likely to result in public 

benefits in the form of transaction 

cost savings and improved input into 

contracts by the members of the 

collective bargaining group, and there is 

likely to be minimal public detriment," 

the watchdog notes. 

"By lodging a notification with 

the ACCC, KIS and the other freight 

brokers gain legal protection to 

participate in collective bargaining 

that may otherwise risk breaching 

competition laws because it involves 

joint action by competitors. 

"Participation in collective 

bargaining will be voluntary for the 

freight brokers and freight carriers." 

The notification remains in force 

until December 20, 2026 unless it is 

withdrawn or revoked. 


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NEWS 


"Governments 

Warren Clark 

NATROAD HAILS 

PASSING OF CASUAL 

EMPLOYMENT REFORM 

The National Road Transport Association 

(NatRoad) is recording its relief at the 

passage through federal Parliament of 

the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting 

Australia’s Jobs and Economic Recovery) 

Bill 2021. 

Commonly referred to as the IR Omnibus 

Bill, it passed Parliament on March 22, in 

what NatRoad describes as "a timely win 

for employers". 

"After the bulk of the Bill was rejected 

by the Senate, the provisions left in the Bill 

are those relating to casual employment, 

the highest priority reform identified by 

NatRoad," the industry body notes. 

"With the passing of the legislation, we 

now have a statutory definition of casual 

employment for the first time. 

"The legislation also clarifies the 

situation regarding ‘double dipping’ by 

casual workers, after courts had ruled that 

they should receive standard employee 

entitlements as well as a casual loading 

where they were engaged on a regular and 

systematic basis." 

The casuals provisions apply to new 

employees and existing casual employees 

engaged before the amendments 

take effect, on a date yet to set, with 

a six-month transitional period for 

conversion provisions. The Bill as passed 

will amend the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) to: 

• define "casual employee" so that the 

employee’s status is determined at 

the beginning of the employment 

relationship 

• require most employers to offer eligible 

casual employees conversion to 

permanent employment after 12 months, 

unless there is a reasonable business 

justification not to do so 

• require employers to give new casual 

employees a Casual Employment 

Information Statement (yet to be 

released) 

• allow a court to offset casual loading 

amounts paid to an employee against 

claimed entitlements during a period 

when that employee was not a casual 

employee but had been so classified 

• allow the Fair Work Commission (FWC) 

to deal with small-claims style disputes 

about casual conversion. 

"Significantly, provisions that would 

have criminalised wage theft, as well 

as those relating to award flexibility, 

greenfields agreements and Fair Work 

Commission procedure, were dropped 

from the Bill as passed," NatRoad 

observes. 

"Regardless of whether you are a small, 

medium or large business, it is essential 

that a well-drafted employment contract 

be in place for every employee. But that 

is especially the case now for casual 

employees. 

"A written employment contract will help 

to ensure that the rights and obligations of 

each party are clearly understood. 

"This will help reduce the risk of any 

misinterpretations or misunderstandings 

which could potentially put the business 

at risk." 

Following the commencement of the 

statute, NatRoad aims to circulate a more 

information outlining recommended steps 

for members to take in reviewing their 

casual employment arrangements. 

ATA URGES SENATE INQUIRY TO FOCUS ON DIRECT SAFETY MEASURES 

The Senate road transport industry inquiry 

should focus on direct, practical safety 

measures, ATA CEO Andrew McKellar told 

the Rural and Regional Affairs Committee 

hearing recently. 

It was a central theme of McKellar’s 

evidence before the viable, safe, sustainable 

and efficient road transport industry inquiry in 

Canberra. 

"More than 1,100 people were killed on 

Australia’s roads in 2020, 170 of which were 

killed in crashes involving trucks," McKellar 

says. 

must press on with the safe 

systems approach and its central pillars of 

safe speeds, safe roads, safe vehicles and 

safe people." 

The ATA submission to the inquiry calls 

for changes to the assessment of road 

projects to make safety a priority, as well as 

requiring that truck rest areas meet Austroads 

rest area guidelines. 

"Building better roads does have a profound 

impact on safety," McKellar says. 

"The upgrade of the Pacific Highway, to take 

an example, has seen fatal crashes decline 

from more than 40 a year to around 20 a year." 

The ATA submission highlights the 

importance of mandating advanced emergency 

braking for new trucks, together with 

electronic stability control for new rigid trucks. 

"One of the biggest obstacles to 

accelerating the rollout of new vehicle safety 

technology is the resourcing and capacity of 

the vehicle standards area in the department," 

McKellar says. 

"We urge the committee to recommend 

that funding for the development of vehicle 

standards should be increased." 


SMALLER INDUSTRY UNDERDOGS TAKE ON THE BIG BOYS 

A simmering face-off between 

the biggest and most powerful 

businesses and small to medium 

enterprises (SMEs) has hit full boil 

and trucking is helping put the 

division into sharp focus. 

The heat is turned up in Canberra 

amongst employer bodies, 

where Council of Small Business 

Organisations Australia (COSBOA), 

backed by Australasian Convenience 

and Petroleum Marketers 

Association (ACPMA), lashes the 

federal government for dropping 

measures tackling wage theft 

following pressure from big business, 

The Australian newspaper reports. 

This is met by a counter-strike 

by the "big end of town", in the 

form of the Australian Chamber 

of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), 

Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) 

and, most trenchantly, Australian 

Mines and Metals Association 

(AMMA). 

They argue that higher penalties 

for directors for wage theft must 

be part of wider industrial relations 

reforms, while COSBOA and ACPMA 

argue the wage theft issue is beyond 

industrial relations and should not be 

held hostage to it. 

COSBOA and ACPMA see unfair 

competition being allowed to flourish 

while members who do the right 

thing are financially penalised and 

COSBOA chief executive Peter Strong 

accuses big business bodies such 

as the ACCI and Master Builders’ 

Association (MBA) of sabotaging 

past efforts to protect small business 

from their depredations . 

The context is the failure of the 

federal government to pass its full 

suite of industrial relations reforms 

and shelving of measures that could 

have passed the Senate. 

But the split is being played 

out ideologically through differing 

approaches to dealing with the 

unions, particularly the Australian 

Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), with 

COSBOA seeing more to be gained 

through consultation. 

This leads to the AMMA accusing 

it of acting like "a fully owned 

subsidiary of the ACTU". 

The war of words comes amid 

continuing SME concern that 

progress on shortening payment 

times, a particular issue for the 

Australian Trucking Association 

(ATA), has stalled or is sliding 

backward under the cover of 

Covid-19. 

But with large mining and other 

interests, now including Rio Tinto, 

complaining about the lack of 

particular recruits hurting their 

operations, WRF CEO Cam Dumesny 

sees the shortage of skilled labour, 

especially truck drivers, as the logical 

outcome of the big end of town’s 

own exploitative approach to the 

industry. 

This is due to fleets as the 

traditional path to increasing driver 

skills being unable to afford the 

training, plus also being crimped on 

equipment upgrades. 

"If you’re not making money, 

you can’t invest in training as an 

industry," Dumesny says. 

"The fact is that the big end of 

town is now starting to realise that 

we need truck drivers and we need 

the transport industry . . . well don’t 

keep squeezing us down on rates. 

"Our industry has to make a profit!" 

Industry skills shortage hitting Western Australia's economy 

Above: 

Cam Dumesny 

Western Australian mining and agriculture 

companies are losing business due to transport 

constraints. 

Despite months of warning of the coming 

transport skills crunch, certain businesses in the 

state are caught in a tightening bind involving 

anti-pandemic measures, the latest exports 

boom and chronically insufficient qualified 

labour supply. 

The clamour around a reported 50 per cent 

rise in demand for truck drivers in the state in 

the last four months leads state body Western 

Roads Federation (WRF) to highlight that both 

mining and agriculture companies are reporting 

direct financial impacts. 

It notes reports that, in April: 

• the nation’s largest grain exporter, WA-based 

CBH, missed multiple international orders due 

to supply chain issues caused by a shortage 

of train and truck drivers 

• one of the largest WA mining companies, 

Mineral Resources Ltd (MRL), noted that it had 

only shipped 8.5 million tonnes of the 10.1 

million tonnes it had produced due to road 

haulage constraints "caused by a shortage 

of truck drivers resulting from the unplanned 

sudden state border closures, implemented 

following Covid-19 outbreaks around the 

country”, it states. 

"FY21 guidance of 19.5m wmt to 20.5m 

wmt was based on an expected increase in 

shipments aligning with production," it says. 

"It is not clear when these haulage issues will 

be resolved and, therefore, iron ore shipment 

guidance for FY21 is now expected to be in the 

17.4m to 18.0m wmt range." 

WRF warned last September that skills 

crunch would burden the state’s economy. 

"These impacts are due to shortages of 

skilled truck drivers and mechanics combined 

with delays in the delivery of additional new 

trucks ordered by their road haulage contractors 

to meet increased demand," WRF director Cam 

Dumesny tells ATN. 

"The reports by both of these companies 

are only the tip of the iceberg, as businesses 

in nearly every sector of the WA economy 

are feeling the pain of the road transport 

issues. 

"Whilst we have commenced training 

a 1,000 new truck drivers over the next 18 

months, finding suitable people to do the course 

in a low WA unemployment market will be very 

challenging." 


NEWS 


exported 

PORT BOTANY LOGISTICS STILL IN CRISIS 

Sydney’s empty container congestion 

continues with imports measured by twenty 

foot-equivalent units (TEU) continuing to 

outpace exports, according to Port Botany 

operator NSW Ports’ statistics. 

In the last six months, total imports have 

exceeded total exports by about 12,000 TEU. 

The silver lining is that there has been a 

significant increase in the repatriation of 

empties by containership lines from below 

60,000 TEU a month last July to around 

80,000 in the five months before March. 

Haulage body Container Transport 

Alliance Australia (CTAA) notes that 

December and February see a positive load/ 

discharge ratio – 1.02 and 1.07 respectively 

– meaning that more containers were 

exported through Port Botany than imported 

in those months. 

"In February, full imports were up by 

almost 30 per cent on the same time last 

year (116,569 TEU), and up more than 6 

per cent year to date (YTD)," it notes in an 

advisory. 

"Thankfully though, empty exports were 

up 51 per cent on the same time last year 

(at 78,423 TEU), making up for a lacklustre 

full export performance, down 1.39 per cent 

compared to February 2020, and down 11 

per cent YTD." 

CTAA says it is getting daily reports of 

record level of empty container redirections 

to alternative de-hire facilities, and 

numerous indications to ‘contact the 

shipping line’ for information on where to 

return certain equipment types. 

"A small glimmer of hope came last week 

with major Empty Container Park (ECP) 

provider in Sydney, ACFS Port Logistics, 

announcing that large empty ‘repos’ had 

freed up some capacity – welcome news 

and indicating that empty evacuations will 

continue to be high in March," CTAA says. 

"The level of redirections and scarcity of 

empty container capacity in Sydney is not 

sustainable. Even though the extraordinary 

import surge may dissipate eventually, 

we are still faced with strong year or year 

containerised trade growth. 

"This imbalance of capacity should be 

(and is) occupying the minds of government, 

port operator and industry alike." 

At the same time as the landside system 

is struggling to process the demands 

of the lines, it is being hit financially by 

them through container detention fee 

enforcement, CTAA charges. 

"Unfortunately, disputes between 

shipping lines, importers, forwarders and 

transport operators continue about empty 

container detention invoices, despite the 

high level of redirections, and real difficulties 

in obtaining timely slots to de-hire at 

nominated locations," it says. 

"The hand-to-mouth ability to obtain 

slots for container de-hire at Port Botany 

ECPs, coupled with the high level of 

redirections, leads to time delays for 

transport operators. 

"Shipping lines are demanding ‘proof’ 

that de-hire capacity was unavailable 

to importers and transport operators if 

container detention claims are disputed. 

"This has included transport staff 

keeping ‘screenshots’ of ECP slot booking 

unavailability." 

TFNSW SHEDS LIGHT ON WORK OF EMPTY CONTAINER WORKING GROUP 

Transport for NSW (TfNSW) gives an update 

on Empty Container Working Group (ECWG), 

after its establishment last year in the face of 

unprecedented container logistics congestion in 

Sydney. 

Haulage and trade services organisations 

welcomed the group’s formation, which followed 

the NSW Empty Container Supply Chain Study. 

Port Botany operator NSW Ports’ statistics 

show some minor if promising signs of an easing 

of the near-gridlock in the container logistics 

system, though haulage interests maintain it is 

still in crisis due to imports outstripping exports 

over the past six months by 12,000 twenty-foot 

equivalent units (TEU). 

"We are seeing a return to productive and 

efficiency operations at Port Botany and this 

includes the export of empty containers," a 

TfNSW spokesperson tells ATN. 

"December and January represented record 

months in terms of both total volumes of 

containers moved in and out of the port as well as 

the exports of empty containers. 

"In December, 83,140 empty containers were 

and January 83,078 empties were 

exported. This compares to 50,924 and 53,604 in 

February and March of 2020 respectively. 

"The load discharge ratio, that is the proportion 

of exported containers compared to imports, was 

1.07 in February 2021 meaning we exported more 

containers than we imported. 

"This is encouraging and reflects both the 

impact on operations at the port in 2020 as well 

as the efforts and commitment of all in the supply 

chain to address the empty container supply 

chain issue." 


NEWS 

PAUL GRAHAM NEW CEO OF 

AUSTRALIA POST 

Paul Graham is announced as Christine Holgate’s successor as 

the CEO and managing director of Australia Post. 

Graham, who heads Primary Connect as the chief supply 

chain officer at Woolworths Group, will start in the role in 

September. 

Graham joins Australia Post after an extensive career 

working in eCommerce, and supply chain as well as global 

experience in digital marketing and retail. 

Graham is current chair of transport and logistics mental 

health foundation Healthy Heads in Trucks and Sheds (HHTS). 

Bruce 

Billson 

Executive appointments 

PACIFIC NATIONAL TAPS SCURRAH FOR HEAD 

Paul Scurrah leads rail freight 

enterprise Pacific National (PN) in 

senior executive moves that also see 

experienced Canadian rail executive 

Mike Cory head operations. 

Scurrah, as managing director and 

CEO, took over from Dean Della Valle 

Tom Chapman 

BILLSON TAKES ON ASBFEO ROLE 

The elevation of former federal 

small business minister Bruce 

Billson as the second Australian 

Small Business and Family 

Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) 

has allowed the National Road 

Transport Association (NatRoad) 

to reinforce the meaning of his 

on April 19 after heading airline Virgin 

Australia. 

Cory, as chief operating officer and 

president, took over the role Brett 

Lynch vacated in November to be 

CEO of Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics 

in April. 

Paul Graham 

task for small and medium-sized 

trucking firms. 

Billson take over from inaugural 

ASBFEO Kate Carnell, whose 

five-year term is ending. 

NatRoad supports ASBFEO as 

a champion of the road freight 

industry within government. 

Paul Scurrah 

CHAPMAN GAINS MACK VICE PRESIDENT ROLE 

Volvo Group Australia (VGA) has 

appointed Tom Chapman as Mack 

Trucks Australia vice president. 

Chapman has worked within Volvo 

Group Australia since 2015 in a variety 

of roles, ranging from marketing and 

communications to more recently 

supporting the VGA retail network 

working in branded commercial 

support roles. 

The move comes after predecessor 

Gary Bone became Volvo Trucks VP. 

BRIEFS 

Prolific road transport advocate Rod 

Hannifey has added the National 

Road Freighters Association (NRFA) 

presidency to his repertoire. The 

well-known trucking figure will 

head the grassroots association 

whose board members are active 

participants in freight distribution 

operations. Hannifey is known for 

his involvement in myriad initiatives 

to raise the industry’s profile and 

standards. 

All Purpose Transport (APT) director 

Paul Kahlert has been elected 

Queensland Trucking Association 

(QTA) president, succeeding the 

outgoing Julie Russell. Kahlert has 

been at APT for more than three 

decades, rising through the ranks 

to be the company’s CEO, a role he 

has held for the past 17 years, and 

notably becoming an early adopter 

of electric trucks in Australia. 

Russell had been elected in 2017 

as the association’s first female 

president. 

Vellex managing director Austin 

Vella is the new chair of NSW 

peak body Road Freight NSW 

(RFNSW). Vella, who replaces Leigh 

Smart, is a long-term member of 

the RFNSW board and is also vice 

chair of the Australian Trucking 

Association (ATA). He has more than 

35 years’ experience in the trucking 

industry, with his family-owned and 

operated Vellex entity focusing on 

freight distribution and logistics 

solutions across Australia. 

Laurie D’Apice is to assume the 

role of secretary/treasurer of the 

Australian Road Transport Industrial 

Organisation NSW Branch. D’Apice 

succeeds Hugh McMaster who 

steps down from that role after 13 

years. No changes to the day-to-day 

management and administration of 

ARTIO NSW are proposed. 

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A LEGACY BUILT O 

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VER 75 YEARS 


OPERATIONS + STRATEGY 

NOS 2 

STANDARD 

PRACTICE 

Getting up their 

NOS 2: a look 

at how National 

Operating 

Standard idea and 

its predecessors 

have risen and 

fallen over 

decades through 

the prism of four 

documents 

WORDS 

ROB Mc KAY 

This month, the still rather new 

Infrastructure and Transport 

Ministers’ Meeting (ITMM) is due to 

consider Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) 

reform proposals. 

This is a crucial time for the trucking industry 

and the transport & logistics (T&L) sector as 

a whole, as what is defined now could remain 

unchanged for a decade or two. 

Amongst the ideas put forward for 

consideration is the Australian Logistics 

Council’s (ALC’s) National Operating Standard 

(NOS) idea, which, it says, is different in 

conception to the ‘operator licensing’ proposal 

it has championed. 

In its March edition, ATN looked at the 

NOS, as the ALC explains it, while noting the 

challenges it faces getting any sort of trucking 

industry backing for it. 

Since then, the ALC has appeared before 

the Senate’s April Rural and Regional Affairs 

Committee meeting in Canberra seeking 

its backing for the planks of the NOS – 

creating a list of operators, making safety 

management systems mandatory, ensuring an 

operator has the capital to maintain a heavy 

vehicle, mandatory collection of data – to be 

incorporated in the reformed HVNL. 

What may be less obvious to many is that 

NOS and its predecessors, sometimes under 

slightly different names, have been part of T&L 

policy discourse for more than four decades. 

Indeed, industry observers note with a sort 

of resigned dismay that any archive of trucking 

news will show debates on a range of issues 

of yesteryear are endlessly recycled with little 

progress to show for the effort. 

A quick look at two documents from the 

neglected history of freight transport policy 

formulation seems to bear this out. 

And while the detail may differ, the urge for 

regulatory intrusion into the market is constant 

amongst licensing proponents. 

1984 

If you were born in 1964, you would have 


een 20 years old when the federal 

government released its National 

Road Freight Industry Inquiry Report. 

Written by just three people, 

inquiry chairman Thomas May and 

members Professor Gordon Mills and 

Jim Scully, for newly minted federal 

transport minister Peter Morris, it 

was a broad and intermodal look at 

the industry and its task. 

And it did support operator 

licensing, of a particular sort and 

with a wealth of detail, but rejected 

other related proposals. 

Among other things that still 

resonate today, the report examined 

two approaches to linehaul trucking. 

The first was termed ‘capacity 

licensing’. The second was that there 

should be legislation to control rates, 

especially for subcontractors. 

It should come as little surprise 

that, even back then, the latter was a 

goal of the Transport Workers’ Union 

(TWU) and that the outcome should 

be “sufficient to cover cost of running 

a vehicle and a wage component”. 

But it may or may not raise the 

eyebrows of some that the TWU was 

also in favour of the former. 

“Those who propose entry 

restrictions aim to increase the 

financial return to people working 

in the industry,” the report states with 

admirable brevity. 

“The method is to control the 

amount of trucking capacity. 

“The mechanism requires licensing 

of truck operators, with limitation on 

the number of licences issued.” 

It is possible to discern some 

frustration from the report’s authors 

that proponents provided little clues 

to practicalities, such as to how any 

such system should be designed. 

For instance: “Transfer of 

licences was rarely discussed in the 

submissions, and the system for 

allocating additional licences (if any) 

was also neglected.” 

As with later analyses, the inquiry 

looked at how licensing schemes 

performed in other countries. 

It noted a US scheme that 

restricted holders to a particular 

cargo on a single route was later 

dismantled. 

The evidence from Canada 

“suggests that regulation often leads 

to operating inefficiencies”. 

The Canadians found “empty miles 

difficult to reduce” and costs tending 

to rise. 

Though precient in some ways, 

the report was also a document of 

its time. 

But while the ALC is not 

advocating anything like, say, route 

restrictions, a reduction in company 

numbers seems unavoidable 

under NOS, with resultant impacts 

on specific sectors due to the 

dislocation. 

The 1984 report pointed to 

unintended consequences for brick 

and concreate sectors due to abrupt 

changes affecting related haulage 

structures and cheaper outside 

solutions sought causing dislocation 

for those who invested under the 

status quo previously prevailing. 

In the end, the report supported 

neither option. 

“The analysis undertaken by the 

Inquiry reveals that any effective 

scheme for rate regulation and/or 

capacity licensing in linehaul work 

would need to be very complex, 

and is likely to be particularly difficult 

and costly to enforce,” it finds. 

“The Inquiry believes that the 

introduction of such schemes: 

• would lead to an overall decline 

in the economic efficiency of the 

industry, and hence to an increase 

in charges to the customers 

• may lead to some improvement 

in road safety, but the amount of 

such improvement is likely to be 

small. 

“In the Inquiry’s judgement, the 

introduction of capacity licensing: 

• would not bring immediate 

financial benefit to existing 

NOS and its predecessors 

have been part of T&L 

policy discourse for more 

than four decades 

subcontractors, but should bring 

some benefit after a few years 

• would not bring financial benefit 

to subcontractors entering the 

industry in future, and is likely to 

make their position more difficult. 

“Regulation by law of owner-driver 

rates: 

• would be particularly difficult to 

enforce 

• would be especially damaging to 

the economic performance of 

the industry 

• may yield some financial benefit 

to existing owner drivers, and 

rather greater benefits in terms of 

reduced hours of work, etc 

• is likely to bring major benefits to 

employed drivers (and possibly, the 

railways) rather than to the existing 

owner-drivers. 

Opposite: The 

NHVR would 

likely control 

the NOS if it was 

agreed to 

Top: In March 

2016, truck 

drivers protested 

against the 

introduction 

of minimum 

pay rates for 

owner-drivers 

Above: Peter 

Morris was 

transport 

minister when 

the 1984 report 

was written 


“After weighing the arguments, the 

Inquiry concludes that there is no case 

on economic grounds for the introduction 

of rate regulation or capacity licensing.” 

It also believes that, “for line-haul 

owner-drivers, the improved working 

conditions which are desirable on social 

grounds can be more effectively secured by 

other means...” 

So far, so plain – at least, for those 

two concepts. But the wisdom of the ages 

does give support to the premise that NOS 

and operator licensing had earlier been 

based on. 

That is, that the lack of training, 

understanding and acumen at the smaller 

end of the market is a safety issue that 

would be addressed by an operator 

management-training program. 

Though this would be non-compulsory, 

it would be open to all. 

But it goes further, and in ways that look 

progressive even now. 

For, if there is to be one for owner-drivers 

and fleet operators, it has to extend to 

freight-forwarders agents and brokers “to 

ensure that all the major participants in the 

road freight industry are brought within the 

ambit of the safety regulations”. 

Even back then, the ability of customers 

to over-demand to the detriment of safety, 

particularly on speed and over-loading, was 

a serious concern. 

The solution was about accountability, in 

this case to an operator licensing authority. 

2003 

Fast-forward two decades and, while 

The Road Transport Reform (Compliance 

and Enforcement) Bill Regulatory 

Impact Statement (RIS) has not a cast 

of thousands, there are 30 names 

representing 17 organisation or government 

departments, plus five consultants and 

three project people. 

Put together by Jaguar Consulting, it 

noted that while the 1984 report backing 

operator licensing was enacted, it was 

never implemented. It also noted that 

the report of an inquiry into safety in the 

industry conducted for the NSW Motor 

Accidents Authority also recommended the 

implementation of a licensing scheme. 

For operator licensing proponents, the 

RIS starts promisingly enough, recognising 

other countries and industries have 

something similar – with the US, the UK and 

Finland displaying lower fatality rates – and 

that European Union countries demand 

licence applicants must demonstrate they, 

for example, are of good repute and have 

appropriate financial standing. 

The ALC has backed away from some of 

these but, in language similar to that which 

it uses for the NOS, the RIS notes that “it can 

be argued that the presence of a licensing 

scheme would constitute an effective 

substitute for some of the complex array of 

sanctions contained in the proposed Bill. 

“That is, if the option of suspension or 

cancellation of a licence were available, 

there may not be a need for other penalties 

such as commercial benefits penalties. 

“Thus, licensing could be seen as 

a means of simplifying the regulatory 

system.” 

Yet, the overseas experience shows devils 

in its details. 

In the US, a 1999 audit of the Office 

of Motor Carrier Safety program by the 

Inspector General raised considerable doubt 

about the effectiveness of the program and 

its enforcement, and major reforms were 

subsequently advised. 

Certainly that and research from 1992 

found safety outcomes were small and gaps 

in coverage, data, audit and enforcement 

were wide. 

In the UK, seen then as a stricter 

jurisdiction, a survey found 25 per cent of 

vehicles surveyed had faults that would 

warrant prohibition of the vehicles’ use 

if repairs were not carried out and 12 per 

cent of trucks checked had faults that were 

sufficiently serious to justify immediate 

removal from the road. 

“In sum, the experience of jurisdictions 

that have long experience of licensing 

schemes appears to cast doubt on their 

efficacy in practice,” the RIS stated. 

There were devils in Australia, too, such 

as conflict with competition rules. 

“The fundamental concern with the use 

of business licensing is that of its anticompetitive 

potential. In the Australian 

context, any licensing scheme would 

necessarily need to be subjected to the 

public benefit test as per the National 

Competition Policy Agreements,” it 

continues. 

“The anti-competitive impact of a 

licensing scheme derives from its tendency 

to limit entry to a market.” 

It points to issues of regulatory capture 

of licensing authorities, resulting in fewer 

sanctions for those regulated, and holds up 

the situation at the time with taxi regulation, 

which saw taxi numbers declining, to the 

detriment of the public. 

The RIS authors observe objections that 

licensing schemes’ tendency whereby “the 

qualifications required are often either 

of limited relevance to the regulatory 

objective, or are by nature susceptible 

only to subjective analysis and so tend, in 

practice, to lead to arbitrary and ineffective 

decision-making by regulators, with limited 

benefits”. 

Regarding the skill-sets concern, it was, 

again, the regulatory flaw was identified as 

a weakness. 

“Such requirements have the obvious 

difficulty that they can lead to a regulatory 

official being in a position of having to 

assess the business skills of a professional 

business person,” the RIS said. 

“Moreover, they necessarily constitute 

a very indirect approach to the problem 

of improving safety performance, being 

based on the limited and not entirely 

established correlation between business 

skills, subsequent financial status of the 


usiness and the tendency to adopt 

or encourage unsafe practices.” 

And it warns of the risk of 

‘grandfathering’, where exemptions 

protect existing industry players to 

the detriment of new ones. 

On financial-stability requirements, 

the RIS authors identified the 

setting of a financial threshold as 

impractical, citing the disconnect 

in the UK in 2000 between the 

government requirement of £3,600 

and a parliamentary committee 

review that put it at more like 

£20,000. 

On the proposal that a business 

plan and proof of OHS knowledge, 

the RIS went back to the 

regulatory hitch: of “the need for a 

businessman’s proposed modus 

operandi to be scrutinised and 

approved by a regulatory official, 

whose claim on superior expertise 

in the subject area is likely to be 

slender. 

“The latter provision, of requiring 

demonstrated knowledge of OHS 

issues, might be regarded as being 

little more than a codification of the 

general duties of employers under 

occupational health and safety 

legislation in most jurisdictions. 

“However, it would appear to 

have the potential to be used in a 

highly restrictive manner, given the 

complexity of such legislation.” 

The RIS allowed that there may 

be value, theoretically, in licensing 

schemes and left open the possibility 

of its use in the future. 

But, as the new millennium began, 

more traditional approaches were 

seen as desirable and likely to 

provide the similar outcomes. 

2020 

Significant federal government 

positions on trucking regulation 

seem to come every two decades. 

The latest examinations on the 

issue come courtesy of last June’s 

National Transport Commission 

(NTC) Consultation Regulation 

Impact Statement, also called an 

RIS, written by Frontier Economics, 

and the Deloitte Access Economics’ 

assessment of the aspect of it 

relating to operator licensing, on 

behalf of the Australian Trucking 

Association (ATA) and the National 

Road Transport Association 

(NatRoad). 

Unlike others, the latter is focused 

on what this layer may cost the 

industry and, to a lesser extent, the 

federal government 

As a consultation document, the 

NTC’s effort admitted to a lack of 

clarity on the NHVR’s powers, its 

ability to further identify high-risk 

operators through licensing and how 

effective early regulatory intervention 

might be. 

“The effectiveness of such 

intervention is particularly unclear 

when there is uncertainty about 

what risk management actions are 

appropriate to effectively manage 

risk in a particular operational 

context,” it says. 

“A key difference between the 

sub-options is that, unlike enrolment, 

licensing would enable the regulator 

to cancel or withdraw an operator’s 

licence. 

“It is unclear whether the ability 

to cancel an operator’s licence 

would be more effective in driving 

compliance compared to relying on 

penalties currently enabled through 

the HVNL.” 

It offered four options which 

Deloitte costed in its HVNL Reform 

Assurance and accreditation Models 

report, which is unreleased but which 

ATN has seen. 

Those were: 

• 7.1(a) voluntary enrolment of 

operators 

• 7.1(b) mandatory enrolment 

• 7.1(c) operator licensing of all 

operators 

• 7.1(d) operator licensing of 

operators that the RIS assumes to 

be high risk 

Crucially, Deloitte examined costs 

both for the hire and reward (H&R) 

and the ancillary sector – the issue 

of ignoring the latter’s fleets is raised 

elsewhere in this edition by T&L 

expert Professor Kim Hassall. 

Opposite top: The 

ALC sees NOS 

providing a much 

lighter policing 

burden on compliant 

operators 

Opposite: bottom: 

Government reports 

wonder if operator 

licensing outcomes 

would be any 

different to those 

existing under OHS 

Top: Safety 

management 

systems would 

cover risks such as 

fatigue 


Above: Compliance 

costs are seen as 

heavy 

Below: ATA CEO 

Andrew McKellar 

Nationally, the voluntary option 

between 2021 and 2050 was 

estimated at $18.8 million a year 

for operators, $7.1 million for 

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator 

(NHVR) and $25.9 million in total, 

while the mandatory option came in 

at $6.4614 billion and $38.9 million, 

totalling $6.5003 billion. 

For HVNL states, the cost of each 

option was $16.7 million, $7 million, 

$23.7 million and $5.7630 billion, 

$35.5 million, $5.7985 billion. 

Restricted access vehicles 

(RAVs) would bear the brunt of costs 

at $3.2005 billion, $19.5 million 

$3.2200 billion 

“The compulsory options under 

7.1(c)-(d) involve significantly 

higher compliance costs due to the 

need for auditing and inspections,” 

Deloitte said. 

“It has been assumed that 

operators are responsible for 

paying these additional auditing 

costs directly and so this creates 

significant costs for the industry. 

“The costs for the regulator are 

also higher due to the increased need 

for administrative management. 

“An important finding of this 

analysis is that, although the options 

give the appearance of covering 

significantly different parts of the 

industry (all vehicles, >8t vehicles 

and restricted access vehicles), it 

is likely that most operators will, at 

some point, operate a vehicle >8t 

or a RAV and so there is little 

distinction between these proposed 

classifications.” 

The voluntary/mandatory division 

between the three sizes of fleet were 

put at: 

• small – $556 million/$39.538 

billion 

• medium – $1.112 billion/$10.170 

billion 

• large – $2.224 billion/$656.512 

billion. 

But Deloitte saw more costs to be 

added. 

“The impact on registration here 

is just for the proposed regulatory 

changes specifically analysed,” the 

report stated. 

“These are just one component of 

the regulatory changes proposed in 

the consultation RIS. 

“In practice, the changes 

discussed in this report would be 

accompanied by other changes 

that would also likely increase 

registration charges.” 

The ALC insists the relevant 

NOS technology costs would be 

in the range of as little as $2,500, 

including $360 initially and $30 

monthly per truck, while the ATA 

CEO Andrew McKellar states the true 

figure is more like $12,000. 

Deloitte, writing four months 

before the ALC costing emerged, 

could not be in this particular debate 

but did note that the RIS saw a 

Safety Management System (SMS) 

– an item central to the NOS – as 

part of an ‘enhanced’ National 

Heavy Vehicle Accreditation System 

(NHVAS), as a required under its 

licensing options. 

“Advice from the Deloitte Risk 

Advisory team, who manage 

implementation of SMSs for many 

clients, indicated that the cost of an 

SMS is typically between $10,000 

and $15,000,” it said. 

“These figures were tested and 

verified against other publicly 

available information. In particular, 

Frontier Economics estimated the 

one-off compliance cost related 

to ‘developing and implementing 

compliant vehicle maintenance 

processes and procedures’ to be 

$25,000, noting that this would vary 

based on operator size and other 

factors.” 

Under those estimates the cost of 

a new SMS for small, medium and 

large operators was put $10,000, 

$15,000 and $25,000 respectively, 

with audit costs at $2,500, $5,000 

and $6,000. 

The no-end game 

This examination is by no means 

academic or comprehensive. 

Rather it aims to open a window 

on what has been and continues 

to be part of a debate that mostly 

failed to gain political and therefore 

regulatory traction. 

The only time such an initiative 

was made a reality, it resulted in the 

Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal 

(RSRT), spurned by many of those 

it was hoped it would help and the 

memory of which eventually became 

mourned only by the TWU. 

No wonder a sense of futility 

emerges in minds when thoughts 

turn to industry reform, when even 

the effort in the 1980s was enacted 

but not implemented. 

There was not space here to reveal 

all the Deloitte findings and costings 

and the ALC failed to supply even a 

modicum of such analysis beyond a 

couple of figures. 

Despite the Deloitte report being 

commercial in confidence, it seems 

a pity ATA and NatRoad were unable 

to find some way to make it public 

to further the debate. Still, on past 

performance, there should be an 

opportunity to do so in another two 

decade’s time. 


OPEN ROAD 

Bad deal doom looms in industry 

Unfair contracts will send many owner-drivers to the wall in pandemic’s wake 

WARREN CLARK 

is CEO of the 

National Road 

Transport 

Association 

(NatRoad) 

The National Road Transport Association is 

warning that large numbers of owner-drivers 

in the road transport industry face going out of 

business without urgent federal government action on 

unfair contract terms. 

Last month, I addressed the Senate, Rural & 

Regional Affairs & Transport References Committee, 

asking it to pressure the federal government to 

urgently re-vamp legislation for small business 

contracts. 

The committee is examining the importance 

of a viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road 

transport industry in a series of hearings interrupted 

by Covid-19. 

While small business has had protection from 

unfair contract terms since 2016, the current law is 

inadequate in defining those terms for businesses 

that were required to invest capital up-front to 

secure work. 

Under the current law, a large corporation can 

decide a contract is void after 30 days and take its 

business elsewhere. 

Examining the importance of 

a viable, safe, sustainable and 

efficient road transport industry 

The reality is that a small owner-operator of heavy 

vehicles may have to spend hundreds of thousands of 

dollars on a truck or a trailer to secure that contract. 

Termination clauses are so heavily in favour of the 

big customer that they can make onerous demands on 

a small operator knowing that it’s easy to walk away 

and contract someone else. 

Penalties can’t be imposed against a customer 

for including or relying on an unfair contract term 

without a court order, which involves more time and 

potentially a big legal bill. The average NatRoad 

member is a small business operating on a profit 

margin of about three per cent. 

Many of those truckies have been slugged 

an estimated $100,000 in extra permits and 

administration charges through the Covid-19 

pandemic just to operate across state borders. 

These small operators transport 60 per cent of all 

road freight – they’re an essential industry that kept 

Australia moving at the height of the pandemic. 

Yet, the system of border passes and permits 

in place has made it seem like we are eight 

different countries, and has added massively 

to their business costs. 

We hope the inquiry will urge the federal 

government to introduce a mandatory code to define 

unfair contract terms and address harsh payment 

terms without resolution to court action. 

We have already had discussions with the Treasury 

and it’s now time for the government to act. 

NatRoad has a proud history dating back to 1948. 

It operates to represent its members and as 

advocates for the $96 billion road freight industry. 

With more than 45,000 trucking companies 

employing more than 140,000 people across the 

country, the road transport industry is one of 

Australia’s biggest economic drivers. 

NatRoad is a not-for-profit Association that is 100 

per cent funded via its membership fees and business 

partnerships. No funding is provided by government 

or unions. 

Our board is made up of individuals who run 

transport businesses and have members from ownerdrivers 

to road freight and large fleet operators, 

representing all aspects of the industry. 

General freight, road trains, livestock, tippers, 

express, car carriers, as well as tankers and 

refrigerated operators. 

We know the road transport industry and this issue 

cannot be downplayed. 


SPECIAL EVENTS 

Brisbane Truck Show 

QUEENSLAND MINISTERS 

PRAISE INDUSTRY FESTIVAL 

Mark Bailey and Stirling Hinchliffe underline the importance of Australian 

Heavy Vehicle Industry Week 

The Queensland government has rolled 

out some big guns in support of one 

of its biggest and most sustained 

industry events – the 2021 Australian Heavy 

Vehicle Industry Week (AHVIW) and the 

events under its umbrella. 

Two ministers have put the state 

government’s weight behind the initiative, 

which is facilitated by industry body Heavy 

Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), owners 

and organisers of the Brisbane Truck Show, 

and now the accompanying South Bank 

Truck Festival. 

The heavy-duty showing is a tribute to 

the importance officially attached to it and 

HVIA chief executive Todd Hacking states 

that the Queensland government’s support 

enabled the expansion of the iconic industry 

event into South Bank Parklands and across 

the city. 

“We are extremely grateful to the 

Queensland government and the City of 

Brisbane for coming on board to enable this 

initiative to come to life,” Hacking says. 

“This is such an important occasion for 

our industry to get together. The business 

that is done at the show is incredibly 

important but this year, more than ever, it is 

an important reunion.” 

Tourism minister Stirling Hinchliffe 

welcomes the return of Queensland’s big 

wheels to Brisbane. 

“Whenever big rigs and heavy machinery 

are on show in one location, they draw a 

crowd,” Hinchliffe says. 

“AHVIW brings together an industry 

that’s vitally important to all Queenslanders, 

whether its delivering food to supermarket 

distribution centres or building the 

infrastructure our growing state needs. 

“The 2019 Brisbane Truck Festival 

brought almost 40,000 visitors to the capital 

and contributed more than $21 million to 

our overnight visitor economy. 

“This is great opportunity to attract 

interstate business visitors to Brisbane and 

support local jobs in the tourism, conference 

and logistics industries.” 

State transport and main roads minister 

Mark Bailey says his government’s support 

reflects all Queenslanders’ gratitude for the 

efforts of freight operators, businesses and 

industry, in keeping the economy moving. 

“The heavy vehicle industry’s role in that 

effort, working with our government to 

establish dedicated freight lanes at border 

controls, was critical and helped ensure our 

state is today the place to be,” Bailey says. 

Bailey points out that freight volumes in 

Queensland are expected to grow more than 

20 per cent over the next decade. 

“That is why we are delivering our fifth 

record roads and transport program: a 

$26.9 billion pipeline of work over the next 

four years to support freight efficiency and 

safety,” he says. 

“We look forward to continuing to work 

closely with heavy vehicle industry to support 

its growth in Queensland and beyond, and 

to meet the challenges and opportunities 

ahead. 

“I would like to welcome you all to this 

year’s Brisbane Truck Show – an event we’ve 

been able to host because of your efforts 

to manage the Covid-19 pandemic – and 

congratulate the organisers for bringing 

together this industry despite the challenges 

of the pandemic.” 

Among the AHVIW attractions are: 

• a new Future Fuels and Sustainability Hub 

at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show 

• an expanded Technology and Innovation 

Centre 

• the South Bank Truck Festival featuring 

a truck and trailer display along Little 

Stanley Street and Stanley Street Plaza 

• the National Apprentice Challenge, staged 

live at the South Bank Piazza including 

Jobs Hub and innovation masterclass 

series 

• Laservision water projection spectacular 

at Streets Beach 

• family-friendly Rainforest Play Zone and 

TruckFest Outdoor Cinema plus other live 

free entertainment 

• Civil Construction Field Days heavy 

equipment and machinery show. 

HVIA notes that AHVIW is underpinned 

by a set of themes that exhibitors chose to 

represent the values of the heavy vehicle 

industry: safety, innovation, sustainability, 

knowledge, careers and community. 

“Those themes really do a great job of 

capturing our capability and our aspirations 

in just a few keywords,” Hacking says. 

“The opportunity to showcase our industry 

in this spectacular location provides the 

perfect opportunity to share our story with 

the community in a tangible and lasting way.” 

Beyond the walls of the BCEC, the Jobs 

Hub and the HVIA National Apprentice 

Challenge, will showcase career 

opportunities to the broader community 

with free entry at the South Bank Piazza 

amphitheatre. 

“We encourage every participant to 

fully embrace the opportunities that the 

Australian Heavy Vehicle Industry Week,” he 

adds. 

For more information, visit: 

www.brisbanetruckshow.com.au 


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Private equity 

Toll Global 

Express and 

Bingo Industries 

are the latest in a 

new line of private 

equity takeovers 

involving 

fleet-owner and 

transport and 

logistics players 

WORDS ROB Mc KAY 

PRIVATE PUSH 

The chase for Toll Global Express 

appears to have ended, with 

Toll Group agreeing to sell the 

operation to private equity fund manager 

Allegro Funds. 

Allegro says it has raised $500 million 

in funding to complete the separation and 

transformation of the business, with the 

deal’s completion expected on June 30. 

Other national and international private 

equity players were reportedly interested the 

business, along with logistics firms, but the 

sheer size of an operation that scored $3.2 

billion in revenue seems to have tipped the 

balance towards the former. 

Toll chairman John Mullen notes the 

agreement is consistent with Toll’s strategy 

to focus on its Asia-Pacific logistics 

strengths and fits with Allegro’s “investment 

thesis” of investing in Australian and New 

Zealand companies to realise their potential. 

“We have spent the last three years 

transforming and strengthening Global 

Express and, today, the business is a market 

leader,” Mullen says. 

“I am confident that under Allegro’s 

ownership, Global Express will have the 

support and focus it needs to reach its full 

potential. 

“The divestment is consistent with 

Toll’s strategy to focus on being a 

pre-eminent Asia-Pacific logistics 

provider through its core businesses in 

contract logistics and freight forwarding.” 

The Global Express business provides 

express parcel, freight delivery and domestic 

forwarding services in Australia, and 

transport and contract logistics services in 

New Zealand. 

Allegro has appointed Adrian Loader, one 

of Allegro’s founding partners, to chair “the 

new company”. 

“The business has faced challenges, 

but we are excited by the opportunity 

ahead and have great confidence that Toll 

Global Express can realise its full potential,” 

Loader says. 

“Allegro is committed to a transformation 

program, underpinned by $500 million in 

funding to support and grow the business. 

“The business has high quality assets, 

is number one or two in its core market 

segments and will be supported by strong 

local management.” 

Allegro says its plan to continue to 

transform Toll Global Express will begin 

by “listening to the company’s customers, 

employees and partners”. 

“We are acutely aware that the business 

plays a vitally important role for its 

stakeholders across both sides of the 

Tasman, and on both sides of Bass Strait,” 

Loader says. 

“We are confident that, with strong localfocused 

management, the business can 


achieve operational and financial 

improvement at the same time 

as enhancing the experience for 

customers.” 

In the weeks up to completion, 

Allegro will focus on satisfying the 

remaining sale conditions, and 

then meeting key stakeholders to 

understand their insights on the 

business. 

Toll and Allegro say they are 

committed to ensuring that the 

transition is seamless for customers 

and that service standards are 

upheld throughout the transition. 

After completion, Toll Global 

Express will be renamed. 

“Under the terms of the sale, 

Allegro will operate the Global 

Express business under the Toll 

brand for a two-year transitional 

period,” Toll says. 

I am confident that under Allegro’s ownership, 

Global Express will have the support and focus 

it needs to reach its full potential 

“Toll’s Global Logistics and Global 

Forwarding businesses are not 

impacted by today’s announcement.” 

Allegro says the transaction is 

fully funded through a combination 

of its own funds and debt backed 

by Commonwealth Bank, Scottish 

Pacific and Gordon Brothers. 

BINGO 

Meanwhile, waste-management firm 

Bingo has revealed it has entered 

into a scheme implementation deed 

(SID) with Macquarie Infrastructure 

and Real Assets (MIRA) and its 

managed funds to all its shares 

by way of scheme of arrangement 

(SOA). 

“The proposal recognises 

Bingo’s achievements and 

position in the marketplace, with 

a strong asset base and highly 

capable management team,” MIRA 

Asia-Pacific head Frank Kwok says. 

“With MIRA’s significant 

experience investing in and operating 

recycling and waste management 

businesses around the world, we 

look forward to bringing our expertise 

to support the team in delivering 

Bingo’s next phase of growth.” 

The deal is valued at $2.8 

billion and is backed by Bingo’s 

independent board committee (IBC) 

and directors, including MD and CEO 

Daniel Tartak. 

“The IBC has explored a number 

of alternatives, including standalone 

value creation opportunities and 

alternative bidder interest,” IBC chair 

Elizabeth Crouch says. 

“After considering future 

opportunities for the business, 

along with economic, regulatory 

and execution risks, the IBC has 

unanimously concluded that the 

scheme is a compelling option, 

which realises attractive value for 

our shareholders.” 

Top: Toll Group has 

sold Toll Global 

Express to private 

equity fund manager 

Allegro Funds 

Above: Adrian 

Loader is chairing 

the Global Express 

business 

Left: MIRA 

Asia-Pacific head 

Frank Kwok 

Opposite bottom: 

Bingo has entered 

into a scheme 

implementation 

deed with Macquarie 

Infrastructure and 

Real Assets 


RECENT HISTORY 

The series of transactions over the past 

18 months are reminiscent of private equity 

acquisition action a decade ago. 

Allegro and Macquarie steal the mantle 

previously held by Anchorage Capital 

Partners (ACP) with last year’s purchase of 

AHG Refrigerated Logistics (AHGRL) from 

AP Eagers. 

Now known as Scott’s Refrigerated 

Logistics (ScottsRL), the new ownership 

moved away from the AHGRL identity and 

“retired the current Scotts Refrigerated 

Freightways, Rand and JAT brands”, 

before nabbing Pacific National chief 

operating officer Brett Lynch to lead the 

refreshed entity. 

The ScottsRL history ties to bulk liquid 

carrier McColl’s, which was also swooped 

on by private equity group ABN AMRO 

Capital when the McColl family sold out 

of the business in 2005, combining with 

Scott’s under the banner of Pure Logistics. 

It was a failed partnership, however, when 

the cold chain division largely made up of 

the former Scott’s Refrigerated business 

went into administration in 2008. 

The McColl’s name returned to the 

market as an independent entity, before 

being bought by private equity firm KKR in 

2012, while Scott’s was bought back from 

administrators. 

Simon Thornton, who steered the 

McColl’s ship through troubled waters, 

returned to head up the operation in 2018 

after leading an investment group, Fresian, 

to acquire the company for $52.5 million 

from KKR and Allegro. 

Some of the recent deals are 

through companies private equity 

players already own. 

Thus, Next Capital-controlled 

TM Insight opened its wallet for 

privately-held XAct Solutions, while The 

Growth Fund (TGF) is using truck and 

trailer accident repair firm Royan for a 

consolidation spree through that sector 

here and with an eye to New Zealand. 

In the past year alone it has swallowed 

Grafton Truck and Trailer Repairs (NSW), 

O’Brien Smash Repairs (ACT), Nathans 

Truck and Trailer Smash Repairs (NSW), 

Coachworks (Qld), Shepparton Motor 

Panels (Vic), Transvisual Spraypainters 

(NZ), NQ Truck Bake (Qld), and BT Ryan 

Smash Repairs (NSW). 

TGF’s broader transport and logistics 

sphere includes buying a stake in 

specialised container equipment firm 

SCF Containers in 2007, before selling it 

in 2012 to a management buyout vehicle 

funded and underwritten by Intermediate 

Capital Group. 

TGF also has an interest in the portable 

fuel tank firm Fuelfix since December 2010, 

while its managing partner for Queensland 

and South Australia, Scott Greck, is an 

alumnus of TNT Express. 

BACK IN THE DAY 

These moves compare with others around 

the time and during the aftermath of the 

Global Financial Crisis (GFC). 


After considering future opportunities 

for the business, along with economic, 

regulatory and execution risks, the IBC 

has unanimously concluded that the 

scheme is a compelling option 

That period also saw Yarra 

Capital Partners, AEA Investors 

and Teachers’ Private Capital 

nab Dematic. 

Forward Capital Partners (FCP) 

was formed to facilitate similar 

acquisitions. 

In 2008, Gresham Partners 

bought out five family-owned 

transport and logistics businesses 

– Doolan’s Heavy Haulage, 

Hoffmann Transport, Bunker Freight 

Lines, Kagan Logistics and WA 

Freight Group – and placed them 

under the Silk Logistics banner. 

Silk’s management team, 

led by Brendan Boyd, linked 

with Gandel Invest in 2014 to 

buy the business from Gresham, 

and subsequently bought out 

Gandel Invest. 

Silk would go on in 2019 to 

purchase Rocke Brothers, previously 

owned by Peter Gunn’s PGA Group 

of companies, which also counts 

dangerous goods specialist FBT 

Transwest in its portfolio. 

Rumours persist that Silk now 

eyes an initial public offering (IPO). 

The waste transport sector 

was not immune during the last 

spate, with the then Transpacific 

gaining $800 million from WP 

Holdings in return for an 18 per 

cent stake in 2009. 

While private-equity involvement 

often came at times of stress for 

some transport fleets, it faced 

criticism for a lack of understanding 

of the industry and its needs, given 

that margins can be very tight and 

capital expenditure. 

In 2008, refrigerated logistics 

player Pure Logistics collapsed, 

despite the involvement of ABN 

AMRO and ANZ Bank’s backing. 

One trenchant critic was then-Toll 

Group MD Paul Little. 

“I don’t believe the private equity 

sector has succeeded – it has moved 

into our industry and pushed the 

prices and expectations up,” Little 

observed at the Australian Logistics 

Council Forum in 2011. 

“Do they add value to our industry? 

I don’t think so. 

“I’m concerned to see the 

ownership of many of our assets in 

the industry by the private equity.” 

Two years later, McAleese 

Transport, headed by Little’s 

fellow former-Toll senior executive, 

Mark Rowsthorn, found itself 

exposed to a regulatory and public 

backlash over a fatal and firey 

Mona Vale crash over the state of 

the fleet of its Cootes subsidiary that 

it had recently bought from Champ 

Private Equity. 

Champ has always defended its 

handling of Cootes. 

Above: Scott’s 

Refrigerated 

Logistics is the 

latest iteration of 

Scott’s Refrigerated, 

which went into 

administration in 

2008 

Left: ScottsRL CEO 

Brett Lynch 

Below: The Growth 

Fund is using truck 

and trailer accident 

repair firm Royan for 

a consolidation 

spree 

Opposite, above & 

below: McColl’s CEO 

Simon Thornton; Silk 

Logistics covers a 

group of businesses 

in the transport and 

logistics arena and 

is thought to be 

looking at an initial 

public offering 



Phillip and Quinten Mathie 

FATHER AND SON 

It was starkly obvious from a 

very young age that Quinten 

Mathie would follow his father, 

Phillip, into trucks. As a boy, 

he thrived in his father’s 

shadow, copying everything he 

did, especially in the ways of 

operating and respecting big 

machinery. But now, the boy is 

a man forging his own future 

and, despite cruel circumstance, 

resilience and an unfailing work 

ethic remain the lifelong values 

of a proud and stoic family 

WORDS 

STEVE BROOKS 

What you read here is an indulgence and I make no apology for it. It is 

the story of a close friend, who is totally blind, and his only son, and their 

abiding passion for trucks and family heritage. Nonetheless, it is a difficult 

story to tell because it mixes the inherently opposing loyalties of a strong 

personal relationship with the responsibility to report the challenges and 

pressures of an enterprising family business. 

But it is, above all else, a story of human spirit and the strength of family. 

My hope, and only hope, is to do it justice. 

On my office wall hangs 

a large framed photo 

of two little boys under 

broad-brimmed hats, their backs 

to the camera, sitting on a big 

log. One almost six years old, the 

other barely a year older, their gaze 

stuck on a truck and trailer loaded 

with hardwood logs. 

The truck they’re so intently 

focused on is a black ‘Super Star’, 

the 1,000th Western Star sold in 

Australia, with the words Bruce 

Mathie & Sons on the doors. 

The year is 1993, the place a 

timber mill at Lawler’s Creek on 

the Princes Highway, just a few 

kilometres north of the pretty town 

of Narooma on the NSW south 

coast, and even fewer kilometres 

from the Mathie base in a quiet 

industrial cul-de-sac on the 

outskirts of the little village of 

Dalmeny. 

Out of shot in the background, 

two fathers smile at the sight of 

their sons being captured in an 

image of little boys and big boys’ 

toys. The symbolism is strong 

and the photo will eventually 

adorn calendars and the walls of 

corporate offices from Canada to 

the US and Australia. 

The younger of the two lads is 

WATCH THE 

VIDEO 

@ FULLYLOADED.COM.AU 


my son, Dane. The other is Quinten 

Mathie, the only child of logging 

operator Phillip Mathie. Time and 

circumstance will ultimately take 

each of the boys along completely 

different paths but, with surprisingly 

similar levels of initiative and the 

brash, sometimes troubling boldness 

of youth, both will carve highly 

satisfying, rewarding careers of their 

own choosing. 

Right at that moment, though, I 

had no idea what future endeavours 

would entice my son. There 

was, however, little uncertainty 

surrounding Quinten’s direction, 

even at such a tender age. Rarely 

shy about expressing an opinion, he 

already knew exactly what he wanted 

to do and I don’t doubt his parents 

knew it, too. Especially Dad! 

Indeed, except for those days 

when his mother, Jenny, levered their 

son to school, Quinten was either in a 

truck with his father, in the workshop 

or begging for a chance at the 

controls of an excavator or bulldozer. 

He was, in every sense, born to a 

life of trucks and heavy machinery, 

and if it wasn’t his father being 

hounded to the edge of tolerance, 

it was Phillip’s trusted and highly 

capable workmate, the late Merv 

Breust, taking the youngster under 

his burly wing. For the young Mathie, 

skilful mentors were never far away 

and critically, lessons were not 

without a firmly enforced discipline 

for safety. 

Yet, Quinten is not, of course, 

peculiar to a hands-on upbringing in 

a family business. There are many 

young men and women with similar 

stories, sourcing solid livelihoods 

from the collective influences of 

personal initiative and the example 

and experience of forebears who, 

in instances such as the Mathie’s, 

stretch way back to the days of drays 

and four-legged force. 

Quinten is, in fact, the fourth 

generation of a prominent south 

coast family involved in logging 

and haulage, starting with great 

grandfather John Mathie’s bullock 

team pulling logs out of the bush 

around the family’s historic home 

at Wandandian, today just a 20 or 

30 minute drive south of the district 

centre at Nowra. 

Likewise, Quinten’s grandfather, 

Bruce Mathie, also hauled logs 

with a bullock team while, on 

Jenny’s side of the family tree, his 

I just enjoyed being with 

Dad. There was always 

something to learn from him 

maternal grandfather was equally a 

well-regarded axeman. 

Yet, while naïve nostalgia might 

paint a somewhat picturesque, even 

idyllic image of these early days, 

it was often a life of hardship and 

financial struggle. As the family 

story goes, the depression years of 

the 1930s saw Bruce mustering and 

droving cattle before moving back to 

log felling and eventually buying his 

own bullock team. 

Mechanical muscle, however, 

was on the rise and, in 1946, Bruce 

bought his first tractor for snigging 

logs, followed by a White ‘Super 

Power’ truck in 1948. The White 

connection would run particularly 

strong, and stay strong, in the second 

of Bruce’s four sons, Phillip. 

The 1960s were a time of change, 

no less in the Mathie household in 

Wandandian when opportunity saw 

logging displaced by a milk haulage 

Above: 

Flashback to 

little boys and 

big boys’ toys. 

From a tender 

age, Quinten 

Mathie already 

knew what he 

wanted to do. 

Drive trucks, just 

like Dad 


The people at Western Star 

have been as loyal to us as we’ve 

been to them 

business that grew to seven trucks, 

hand loading and unloading milk 

cans from dairy farms in and around 

the district. 

As Phillip remembers, the family 

milk business went well until the 

evolution of bulk tankers and, while 

his father wasn’t against the move 

into tankers, it seems milk co-ops 

were against contractors moving into 

the tanker trade. 

Ironically, tankers would many 

years later become an integral part 

of Quinten’s future, but fuel rather 

than milk. 

Anyway, left with few options, 

Bruce returned to the forests and, as 

his sons reached working age, the 

modest enterprise developed into 

Bruce Mathie & Sons. The mould 

was set. 

Similarly, though, while Quinten’s 

early days were spent in the shadow 

of his father, it’s a smiling Phillip who 

reflects on his own childhood and 

youth where almost every waking 

moment was spent with own father. 

“Yeah, I suppose it’s a bit of history 

repeating itself,” he says with a soft 

laugh. 

“I just enjoyed being with Dad. 

There was always something to learn 

from him.” 

Bruce passed away in 1980, at 61 

years of age and, even now as Phillip 

closes in on his 70th birthday, the 

Top, L to R: 

Time travel. 

From bullocks 

to bulldozers, 

then trucks. John 

Mathie ‘steers’ a 

bullock team into 

Wandandian in 

1935 and, more 

than a decade 

later, son Bruce 

at the controls of 

his first ‘dozer, 

hauling an early 

truck out of 

trouble 

Opposite top: 

New generation. 

Quinten Mathie 

bought his first 

truck in 2009 

at just 23 years 

of age. Despite 

a strong family 

allegiance to 

Western Star, 

his choice of a 

Kenworth T908 

was based purely 

on practicality 

emotion stirs close under the skin. 

“He’d worked hard but I know he 

would’ve liked to have done a bit 

more. He still had plenty to give. 

For sure!” 

Quiet for a few moments, it’s a 

sombre Phillip who adds quietly: 

“He was just a really good bloke 

to be around.” 

SOUTHERN STARS 

Since our first meeting in the mid 

’80s, when Bruce Mathie & Sons 

became an early supporter of a 

Western Star brand struggling for 

resurrection from the ashes of White, 

Phillip has become a loyal and 

much-admired friend. 

In at least one instance, many 

years back, he was also a generous 

coach as he handed over the wheel 

of a fully loaded log truck to teach 

the finer features of operating 

Spicer’s versatile but somewhat 

quirky 20-speed transmission. 

It was a classic example of ‘easy 

when you know how’, and the lesson 

was never forgotten. 

By the time of Quinten Bruce 

Mathie’s arrival in September 1986, 

his father and uncles (Kevin, Gill and 

Stuart) had in separate ways steadily 


uilt the family business into arguably the 

most prominent logging enterprise on the 

NSW south coast. 

The mainstay of the business had long 

been the handling of logs with bulldozers 

and loaders but the purchase in 1981 of 

a second-hand White Road Boss added 

haulage to the operation and, with Phillip 

and Gill initially doing much of the driving, 

trucks quickly developed into an integral 

part of the business. 

The demise of White, however, while 

especially disappointing to Phillip, posed 

the question of ‘which truck next, Kenworth 

or White’s Canadian cousin, the newly 

introduced Western Star?’ 

With so much White in its heritage, 

Western Star won with the Mathie purchase 

in 1984 of a new Cummins-powered 

Cheyenne 4800 model. An almost identical 

unit followed a year later and it was a 

confident Phillip who said at the time: 

“There were a few early doubts about 

whether the Western Star company would 

last long in Australia … but the two we have 

are giving us a good run.” 

While Western Star’s future back then was 

still questionable as various negotiations 

between Australian interests led by high 

profile Brisbane-based businessman 

Terry Peabody and the brand’s Canadian 

connections continued into the 1990s, 

Mathie’s allegiance to both the truck and 

Cummins engines remained rock solid. 

As time and toil continued to show, the 

allegiance was well founded but, somewhat 

surprisingly, Peabody would come to play a 

significant role in Phillip’s future well beyond 

trucks. A role that, for some, may seem 

completely foreign to a Peabody reputation 

for cold, uncompromising business tactics. 

In the interim, however, and in the middle 

of a global recession in the early ’90s, 

Peabody shocked the socks off everyone 

when he bought Western Star Trucks 

Incorporated, which included, of course, its 

manufacturing facility in Kelowna, British 

Columbia. It was a decisive swoop that 

shored up his Australian investment by 

quickly returning the Canadian offshoot of 

the former White Motor Corporation to a 

financially viable and respected builder of 

high quality trucks. 

So viable, in fact, that in 2000 Peabody 

sold the whole Western Star operation – 

with the notable exception of the Australian 

business – to German giant Daimler 

Trucks North America. 

Yet, throughout much of Western Star’s 

local history, a friendship was quietly 

developing, which to many may even now 

seem unusual. Indeed, it’s a very broad 

chasm both personally and professionally 

from the private planes and calculating 

character of wheelin’ dealin’ billionaire 

businessmen like Peabody, to the truck 

cabs and workshops of hard-edged 

men like Phillip. 

There is, however, a mutual respect and 

instinctive trust between these two entirely 

different men that is almost certainly 

at odds with the perceptions, and even 

understanding, of most people. 

Yet, on those occasions when the two 

are in each other’s company, and long after 

Peabody’s involvement with Western Star 

has ended, the mutual regard remains as 

obvious as it is genuine. 

Equally obvious, it’s no surprise that 

the only new trucks ever bought by Bruce 


Top: Pride and 

passion. For Phillip 

Mathie, blindness 

hasn’t diminished 

his absolute regard 

for White trucks 

and Cat machinery. 

Nor has it stalled 

his appreciation 

and awareness 

of high quality 

workmanship 

Above: Phillip and 

Jenny Mathie. It 

has been a hard 

slog at times but 

devotion and 

determination are 

the foundations 

of an immensely 

stoic and loyal 

family 

Opposite: From 

this to this. The 

transformation 

of the 1955 

White WC28 

from little more 

than scrap metal 

to a stunning 

piece of trucking 

history typifies 

the passion of 

its owner and the 

skills of Cleary 

Bros tradesmen 

Mathie & Sons were Western Stars, 

15 in total. 

“They’ve always been a good 

truck for us, so why change?” Phillip 

asserts, before reflecting: “Loyalty 

works both ways and the people at 

Western Star have been as loyal to us 

as we’ve been to them.” 

He sits silent for a few moments. 

“I don’t think there’s a lot of that, 

loyalty, going around these days.” 

Meantime, still never far away 

from his father or the trucks or the 

machinery, the teenage Quinten 

was increasingly itchy to leave high 

school and start work. His father 

had left school at 14 to work with his 

father, so why couldn’t he? 

Fair enough, but still several 

years away from being old enough 

to hold a licence, the parental 

proviso insisted on a trade first, and 

there was no better trade for the 

16-year-old Quinten than a four-year 

diesel fitter’s apprenticeship with 

Cummins at Queanbeyan near 

Canberra. 

“It was one of the best things I ever 

did,” Quinten would later confirm. 

At every level, these were good 

years for the family and, with the 

fully qualified diesel fitter returning 

to Dalmeny, in 2006, to maintain 

equipment and drive log trucks for 

Bruce Mathie & Sons, life appeared 

to be going exactly the way everyone 

thought it would. 

Still, Quinten was predictably keen 

to do his own thing and, in 2009, at 

just 23 years of age, he bought his 

own truck and trailer set to start his 

own company, sub-contracting to 

Bruce Mathie & Sons. 

Fittingly, the company name is 

QB Mathie, or simply QBM. The new 

truck chosen to haul a Kennedy 

Mini-B folding skel trailer was – wait 

for it – a Kenworth T908 with a 

600hp (447kW) Cummins under the 

snout. 

Nowadays, Phillip smiles at the 

memory of his son’s first truck being 

something other than a Western Star, 

but equally respects and accepts his 

decision. 

“He’s the one who had to pay 

for it,” he says with a shrug. 

“Besides, he knew what he 

was doing.” 

For his part, Quinten insists: 

“There was no real preference for a 

Kenworth over a Western Star but it 

was always going to be one or the 

other. I wasn’t interested in any of 

the other brands. 

“And I’ll tell anyone that Western 

Star is a good truck. A very good 

truck, but the 4900 model with the 

integrated Constellation bunk was 

too long for the 19-metre B-double 

skel. Yeah, I could’ve gone for an 

aftermarket sleeper but I wasn’t keen 

on that. 

“On the other hand, Kenworth 

had a 28-inch [71cm] integrated 

sleeper. It’s not a big bunk by any 

means but when you’re tired it’s a 

heap better than the day cab 4900 

Western Star I’d been driving for the 

previous few years.” 

However, 2009 was a year when 

the cycles of change were moving 

in directions far more intense than 

simply the choice of trucks. 

“It was definitely a big year,” 

Quinten explains. 

“I bought my first house, bought 

my first truck and we [with future 

wife Tennealle] had our first child. 

“But it wasn’t all good because 

that was also the year Dad started to 

lose his sight, and lose it quickly.” He 

stops for a moment. 

“With so much going on, I probably 

wasn’t paying as much attention 

[to his father’s condition] as I 

should have. That still troubles me a 

bit but you live and learn, aye.” 

THE DARK DAYS 

It’s a warm, humid Thursday 

afternoon in mid-February. Phillip is 

sitting quietly in a corner of the shed, 

surrounded by the three stunningly 

restored White Mustangs and the 

two small dozers that define so 

much of his pride and passion for 

White trucks and Cat machinery. 

The video crew, which has been 


here most of the day to record the 

interview of a blind man’s dedication 

to the immaculate restoration of 

such classic trucks, has packed 

up and gone, and now he rests, his 

hands on the long white stick that 

helps guide him around obstacles. 

Sitting in one of the old trucks, 

I stupidly shut my eyes and try 

to imagine what it’s like to see 

nothing but a curtain of pitch black. 

Ridiculous! I can open my eyes and 

see. He can’t. 

The latest of the old Whites is a 

1955 WC28 model, the biggest and 

arguably most intricately restored of 

all three, bought as little more than 

scrap metal from a wrecker’s yard in 

the NSW Hunter Valley. 

Like the petrol-powered 1961 

WC22 model and the 4200 model 

from 1964, with its even bigger 

bore petrol engine, the WC28 with 

its Cummins NH220 diesel engine 

was fully restored by the skilled 

tradesmen of the prominent south 

coast family company, Cleary Bros. 

The original Cleary brothers – 

Denis and his late siblings John and 

Brian – have been close friends for 

many decades and Phillip is quick 

to give credit to the company and 

its tradesmen for the unquestioning 

commitment to the remarkable 

rebirth of his trucks. 

In the next breath: “Other than my 

father, I learnt more from John Cleary 

than anyone. He was a very smart 

man and a great friend.” 

It’s high praise from a man who 

most times keeps his inner thoughts 

well contained. 

Even so, it’s one thing to know 

every detail of each truck’s 

specification, but how does a 

blind man maintain a passion for 

wonderfully restored machines and 

critically, be assured of the high 

standards of the workmanship? His 

answer is spontaneous and without 

the slightest hint of doubt. 

“I can picture it and I can feel it. I 

can picture what they are and what 

they need to be. 

“I’ve been around trucks all my life, 

and trucks like these were part of my 

life as a kid. People tell me how good 

they look but I can visualise it, too. I 

The 4900 model with the 

integrated Constellation 

bunk was too long for the 

19 metre B-double skel 


eckon if I could see, they’d look exactly how 

I see them in my mind. 

“Besides, I know the blokes at Cleary 

Bros will do a good job and they’ll do it just 

the way I ask. They’re good tradesmen but 

they’re good people, too.” 

Still, there’s no escaping the 

disappointment and the frustration. Here is 

a man, after all, who worked hard all his life, 

and loved most things about his working 

life, hardships and all. A man who drove 

and operated and understood trucks and 

heavy machinery as well as any, yet a man 

who continues to thrive in the company 

of like-minded, honest people, and once a 

friend, remains an unwaveringly true friend. 

In quiet conversation though, Phillip 

admits he’s fully aware that some people 

are unable to relate to him the way they did 

when he had his eyesight. 

“It’s a bit annoying really. I’ve known 

some of these people for a very long time,” 

he says sharply. 

“I’m still the same person, I still know 

the same things, but I think they just can’t 

handle talking to a blind man. 

It’s as if they don’t know what to say 

anymore. I might be blind but I’m not bloody 

deaf or stupid and if it worries them, they 

should try it from my side.” 

He seems relieved to get that off his 

chest. 

The blindness is caused by a condition 

called anterior ischemic optic neuropathy 

and for Phillip, its first effects were felt in 

2009. Most times, as wife Jenny explains, 

sight in at least one eye can be saved but it 

is extremely rare that both eyes are affected 

to the point of complete blindness. 

Despite the best efforts of many 

specialists, including top ophthalmic 

doctors in the US introduced through 

Peabody’s connections, nothing could be 

done and, by Christmas 2010, Phillip was 

completely blind. It was, of course, a brutal 

hit and coping mechanisms came in many 

forms, but none greater than the incredible 

stoicism of an intensely loyal wife and 

resolute family. 

“It is what it is, so you just have to 

do what you can,” Phillip says with flat 

acceptance. The bitterness dwells deep and 

is rarely exposed. 

“Not much good whinging about. Or not 

whinging too much,” he snickers. 

Jenny drives him to and from the shed 

most days and when it’s quiet around the 

office he’s often feeling his way around the 

old trucks or sometimes wandering among 

parked trucks and trailers in the yard. He’s 

never far away from the machinery that is, 

and will always be, such a foundation of his 

life. Critically, though, technology plays its 

part with a highly advanced phone which 

allows him to easily source people and 

information and as he puts it: “To just stay 

in touch.” 

Quiet for a few moments, he says 

candidly: “The worst thing, I suppose, is the 

disappointment. 

“It’s disappointing and it gets frustrating 

that I can’t give Quinten a hand when he 

needs it. If I could still see, I could do a load 

for him now and again, give him a break, or 

just do a bit of work on a truck or trailer. 

“That’s a big disappointment because 

he’s had to do a lot on his own. I know he’s 

capable and he can do lots of things but it 

would’ve been good to help him. Besides, I 

miss driving. A lot.” 

FIRE AND PESTILENCE 

By 2016, the family company was effectively 

finished and it’s a seemingly untroubled 

Quinten who shrugs when asked if his 

father’s condition and the wind-down of 

Bruce Mathie & Sons put added pressure 

on him or his own ambitions. Collecting his 

thoughts, the response was typically firm. 

“It was difficult with everything that 

was happening then, but Dad’s condition 

was what it was and we couldn’t change 

anything, as frustrating and upsetting as 

it was. 

“I think about it a lot, for sure, and it was 

absolutely disappointing for both of us. 

“Suddenly, all that ability was stripped 

away. For 23 years I’d seen what he could 

do and learned so much from him, then to 

have it taken away wasn’t easy. But it was 

an awful lot harder for Dad, and Mum too. 

No doubt.” 

As for the pressure, he says simply: 

“There was pressure, I guess, but you do 

what you have to do. I’ve always been 

taught to just get on with it.” 


I can picture it and I can feel it. I can picture what they are 

and what they need to be 

And that’s exactly what he’s done. 

Yet, he is equally quick to mention 

that he’s not the only Mathie of 

his generation to run trucks, with 

cousins Luke and Heath also 

operating their own trucks. 

“It must be in the blood,” he says 

with a smirk. 

With the inevitability of Bruce 

Mathie & Sons coming to an end, 

the opportunity in late 2013 to add 

the fuel industry to existing logging 

and woodchip work was snapped 

up with Quinten’s acquisition of a 

fuel haulage operation that included 

a Detroit Series 60-powered 

Freightliner Argosy and two tankers. 

It was, he resolutely confirms, 

“a good move” and while the 

Freightliner cab-over is something 

of an odd-bod among its much 

preferred Kenworth and Western Star 

counterparts, it at least continues to 

earn a respectable living for QBM. 

On the other hand, with the Series 

60 EGR engine proving typically 

troublesome, it was ultimately 

replaced with an ISX Cummins. 

Today, QBM operates eight trucks 

– three Western Stars, the Argosy 

and four Kenworths consisting of 

two T9s including his original T908, 

and two K200 cab-overs coupled to 

19 metre B-double tanker sets. 

The specialist demands of logs, 

woodchips and fuel haulage mean 

most units work in one form of 

freight or the other but a couple 

such as his original ’908 and an 

immensely loyal 1997 Western Star 

‘Heritage’ model (nowadays largely a 

back-up truck) are equipped to swap 

from one application to the other. 

Asked what workload dominates 

the business, he says the ratios vary. 

“The dynamics of fuel and logs 

are entirely different and they can 

change quickly depending on 

circumstances.” 

The last 15 months or so have, 

for instance, been particularly tough 

on both applications, starting with 

the devastating fires of late 2019 

and early 2020, which had a blatant 

impact on logging operations. 

“The whole south coast was alight 

from Nowra down to the border,” 

Quinten explains as we drive through 

the small town of Cobargo, where a 

year earlier, fires took a severe toll on 

Above: Hauling north 

out of Cobargo, the 

south coast village 

is still recovering 

from the tragedy of 

bushfires. Kenworth 

K200 is the truck 

of choice for QBM’s 

B-double tanker 

combinations. South 

of home base at 

Narooma, B-doubles 

are still limited to 

an overall length of 

19 metres on the 

Princes Highway 

Below: For several 

months from late 

2019 to early 

2020, several 

Mathie tankers 

were committed 

to keeping water 

supplies up to fire 

appliances on the 

ground and in the air 

Opposite: Quinten 

Mathie (left) 

with good mate 

and good driver 

Shannon Doherty. 

For Shannon and a 

19 metre B-double 

loaded with fuel, 

deadly fires on the 

south coast came 

too close for comfort 

on one particularly 

nasty day 


I know he’s capable and he can do lots 

of things but it would’ve been good to 

help him. Besides, I miss driving. A lot 

Above & top: The 

Cummins NH220 

engine runs as sweet 

as it looks, while the 

finish on the inside 

of the ’55 White is 

brilliant, right down 

to the rosewood 

fascia in the centre 

of the dash 

life and property. Today, the town still 

carries the scars and there’s much 

work remaining but it’s a modest 

Quinten who casually mentions there 

was no shortage of work for two of 

his tanker combinations during the 

fires, hauling water almost non-stop 

over several months to fire tankers 

and large water pods used for 

reloading helicopter buckets. 

For driver and close mate Shannon 

Doherty, the fires came a tad too 

close for comfort as night and 

blinding smoke settled in on one 

particularly nasty day, punching a 

B-double load of fuel ahead of a 

fast moving fire front as police were 

closing the road behind him. 

“The smoke was really bad and I 

never knew whether I would run into 

fire around the next bend,” he now 

calmly recalls. 

“There was no mobile phone 

service and the UHF was useless 

over distance. I just had to push on 

as hard as I could. 

“It’s something I’m in no hurry to 

do again, that’s for sure.” 

As Quinten adds, though, these 

were difficult days and difficult 

things had to be done. The diesel 

bowser at the Mathie depot, for 

example, became one of very few 

refuelling points in the entire district 

for emergency services vehicles. 

Yet, no sooner were the fires out, 

than Covid-19 hit and, this time, with 

almost no traffic moving anywhere 

along the coast for months, the 

normally busy fuel haulage operation 

went into an unwelcome hiatus. 

“Like I said, the dynamics are 

entirely different and they can 

change very quickly,” Quinten 

remarks with a shrewd grin and 

a maturity that seems to have 

softened the abrupt and occasionally 

antagonistic mannerisms of earlier 

years. 

Still, it’s a familial trait that he 

does not suffer fools easily, setting 

high standards for himself and 

consequently, others. As his wife, 

Tennealle, attests from the Mathie 

office: “No one is harder on Quinten, 

than Quinten.” 

Likewise, a formidable work 

ethic either in the cab of a truck or 

swinging spanners in the workshop 

is a characteristic moulded in early 

childhood. 

“I have my own standards,” 

Quinten continues, “and I suppose 

that can make me hard to work 

for at times, so I have to remind 

myself that not everyone has had 

the same background or experience 

I’ve had. 

“The fuse definitely isn’t as short 

as it used to be, so I guess I’ve 

learned something about tolerance,” 

he says with a wry grin. 

Sitting quietly a few metres behind 

his son, Phillip listens and suddenly, 

the same grin appears. 

The similarities run deep and from 

somewhere in the cranial cavern, the 

thought hits me: ‘I never knew Bruce 

Mathie but I reckon he’d be proud. 

Very proud.’ 


INDUSTRY VOICE 

Fight financial pressures 

Injecting still more cost into trucking is no reward for crucial and unstinting work 

ANDREW 

MCKELLAR is 

CEO of the 

Australian 

Trucking 

Association 

All Australians rely on trucking. But what 

many Australians and our governments don’t 

understand is the financial pressure trucking 

businesses are facing. 

Of Australian trucking companies, 98 per cent are 

owner-operators or small businesses, many of which 

are family-owned and operated. 

Cash flow is important. 

Most costs, like wages and fuel, are incurred 

before these operators can bill their customers, so 

margins are always tight. 

Amidst challenges of bushfires, a global pandemic, 

floods, drought and everything in between, these 

businesses have always been on the frontline. 

They have been the ones working hard to get 

Australians back on their feet and communities 

supplied with food, fuel and necessary goods. 

Furthermore, data from Australia Post tells us that 

2020 was this busiest year ever for online shopping, 

with truck drivers delivering parcels to more than 

nine million households across the country. 

More than a third of trucking 

businesses are still impacted by 

coronavirus challenges 

Which means that despite border delays, 

lockdowns and increased financial pressures, 

industry pushed on. 

With small and family businesses doing so much 

for our country, it’s vital they get the support they 

need and deserve. 

More than a third of trucking businesses are still 

impacted by coronavirus challenges, facing reduced 

demand and reduced cashflow. 

Governments must understand this and take 

action to help. 

We must see measures that reflect the current 

financial environment, unlike the proposal in a recent 

Austroads report to hike truck registration charges. 

The report includes a proposal for massive 

increases in registration charges for older trucks. 

Those operating an older truck could be forced to 

pay up to $20,000 in registration charges per truck 

per year. 

That’s a brutal 220 per cent increase from the 

current registration fee of $6,225 for a prime mover 

and semi-trailer. 

This is a proposal that would affect more than 

half of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet and push many 

hardworking small and family operators right out of 

business. 

They simply could not afford to keep their trucks 

on the road. 

These businesses have told us they continue 

to have limited ability to pass on registration 

charges and changes in their fuel price, including 

fuel tax credits. 

Instead of punishing businesses, we need to see 

more action from government to support them. 

Charges must be fairer and more affordable, 

and measures must be taken to improve business 

cashflow. 

We need action against payment times longer than 

30 days, the extension of price regulation to truck 

tolls and port access charges, and changes to allow 

businesses to pay truck registration charges by 

monthly direct debit. 

In 2020, the ATA argued strongly for measures to 

help trucking businesses buy new equipment, which 

ultimately resulted in the Instant Asset Write Off 

Scheme and temporary full expensing. 

As a result of these measures, trucking businesses 

are lining up to buy new trucks. 

This shows us that with the right support, 

Australia’s trucking industry will thrive. 

ATA MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS 

ATA DIRECT LINE 

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xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

(02) 6253 6900 

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

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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 

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

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


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Leesons Logging 

AMERICANA 

CLASSIC 

Garry Leeson’s 2006 Peterbilt has done the hard yards, been put in 

the retirement shed and then, after a load of TLC, is back doing what it 

does best – hauling logs in eastern Victoria. ATN catches up with the 

Leesons and Peterbilt devotee Dan ‘Deppo’ Glover 

WORDS 

WARREN AITKEN 


This truck also came 

fitted with one of the first 

Cummins EGR motors 

The purchasing of a new truck 

can be a torturous ordeal. 

There can be 101 different 

reasons to choose a particular 

truck and 102 reasons to choose a 

different truck. It can come down 

to so many little things. However, 

sometimes you just buy a truck 

because, well, quite frankly, you just 

want it. I completely get that. I’m 

exactly the same when I hit the KFC 

drive through. I don’t really need 

it, it’s not doing anything for me, 

there are other smarter options but 

god damn if the Tower Burger isn’t 

exactly what I want. 

So, when Garry Leeson from 

Leeson’s Logging & Cartage piped 

up and informed his team: “I want a 

Peterbilt”, I could fully empathise. In 

Garry’s case, though, the Pete has 

been a lot better for him than the 

Tower Burger was for me. 

Before we touch on this 

fantastic-looking Pete, let’s take a 

little journey into the history books 

and learn a bit about Leeson’s, a 

family-run business that’s been 

Above right: 

Dan ‘Deppo’ 

Glover is a 

young man 

who’s worked 

hard and 

reaps the 

rewards with 

the stunning 

Pete as his 

workhorse 

a stalwart of the timber scene in 

Victoria for several decades now. 

The company’s origins go all the 

way back to the early ’60s, when 

Garry’s stepdad, Lindsay Crawford, 

was hauling plantation timber into 

the Maryvale Pulp Mill. Leeson 

was heavily involved from a young 

age. When Crawford passed away, 

the business was passed down to 

Leeson and his brothers. In the early 

’80s, Garry and his wife, Vicki, bought 

the brothers out and Leeson’s 

Logging & Cartage officially began. 

One of the major factors that 

has contributed to the success 

of the company has been its 

family-focused approach. All of Garry 

and Vicki’s kids have, at some stage, 

been involved in the company, with 

their youngest daughter currently 

employed as its occupational health 

and safety officer and their son, Rick, 

now having worked his way up to 

managing director after doing his 


time in everything from the little company 

fuel truck to the loggers and loaders. 

The company has been based in the small 

town of Rosedale in Gippsland, Victoria, 

for the majority of its existence and has 

established itself as an expert in the cartage 

and harvesting of plantation timber. 

From its humble beginnings, the company 

now employs around 55 staff and runs a 

fleet of over 20 trucks, as well as several 

custom-made loaders. There is also a 

constant circulation of around 15 machines 

and several crews out in the bush at any one 

time, helping fell and organise the logs. 

Then, the company trucks swing by and 

haul them off to any number of local, or 

state-wide sawmills. Leeson’s has planted 

itself in every aspect of the logging industry, 

making it very much a one-stop shop for 

plantation logging. 

those type of things,” Rick continues. 

“Slowly we’ve moved to the Kenworth 

brand.” 

That decision was influenced by 

the arrival of a Kenworth dealer to their 

local area. 

The company’s first Kenworth, which 

hit the road in 1994, was a T950, ironically 

named ‘Western Invader’, a subtle dig at the 

change in bonnet badges for Leeson’s. From 

that one the fleet progressed to almost 

entirely red-badged Kenworths for several 

years. During its time, the company has 

had several K200s as well as almost the 

entire range of Paccar’s bonneted options, 

including T610s, T909s and the always 

cool T659. 

“The 950 was the ideal truck for what we 

do really,” Rick testifies. 

So it’s no surprise that when the 950 

Legend Series came out there was an order 

placed for one. It’s still working its butt off. 

Moving forward again, the current fleet 

is made up of a real mixture. Still heavily 

dominated by the sturdy Kenworth badge, 

you can also find a few Western Stars as 

well as a couple of Scanias and the recent 

addition of a big Merc as well. So where did 

the Pete come into it? 

“That’s dad’s area,” says Rick, laying the 

You can’t just have a truck sitting around 

for the sake of liking it 

STARS TO KENWORTHS 

The ‘Big Pete’ that I’ve come down to see 

is the lone wolf of the fleet. Well, the lone 

Peterbilt wolf I should say as there is a fair 

bit of variety in the fleet these days. 

When I asked Rick about the early days and 

what trucks they used to run, his honest 

answer was “old ones”. After a laugh, he 

elaborated: “We’ve been a bit everywhere, 

we ran a lot of Western Stars.” 

The old photos on the walls testify to 

that too; there are plenty of photos of 

some big bonneted ’Stars in the early 

company colours. 

“We moved to the Volvos, the FH16s and 


lame solely on his father for the 

out-of-the-blue purchase in 2006. 

“Dad always wanted a Peterbilt. 

Back then, we had a truck 

maintenance manager who was 

keen on one at the same time.” 

With Garry having been over to 

the US a couple of times and having 

been through the Peterbilt factory, it 

really was just a big kid’s dream to 

have a bonneted Pete. 

“It really came down to timing,” 

Rick informs me. 

“There was an opportunity, and it 

was a bit more ‘why not?’ as much 

as anything.” 

The truck came through Kent 

Collision and Custom in Sydney, 

which did all the conversion for 

Leeson’s, changing the big girl over 

to right-hand drive as well as a few 

other changes to set the American 

classic up for Australian conditions. 

As if a US Pete wasn’t special 

enough on its own, this truck also 

came fitted with one of the first 

Cummins exhaust gas recirculation 

(EGR) motors. 

Back in 2006, this was still 

very new technology and wasn’t 

compulsory until 2008. So, Garry and 

his Pete were breaking new ground 

with its arrival. In fact, if you have 

a better memory than me you may 

recall the truck featuring in sister 

magazine Owner//Driver in early 

2007, highlighting the new engine 

technology. 

When the truck initially arrived, 

it was decided the keys would be 

given to a young fella by the name of 

Stuart Moloney. Moloney had been 

with the company for several years 

and Rick politely describes him as 

“truck crazy”. With a new truck, new 

technology and – let’s be honest – a 

cab fit for a smaller bloke, it needed a 

suitable driver. 

“Whatever he drove, he looked 

after it really well,” Rick tells me. 

So the decision was made to give 

Moloney the keys. 

Moloney kept the wheels turning, 

the logs moving and the truck 

gleaming for around seven or eight 

years before he took an opportunity 

elsewhere and the truck was in 

need of a new pilot. At that time it 

was getting hard to find a suitable 

replacement. 

“There were a couple of blokes 

who drove it and looked after it, and 

a couple that didn’t,” Rick admits. 

“It was hard to find someone that 

wanted to drive it and maintain it.” 

Mix in the fact that that first 

generation EGR motor was starting 

to have a few issues, namely the 

EGR being on the same side as the 

turbo, leading to heat issues. It was 

decided to retire Garry’s toy from the 

working fleet. 

PETERBILT PASSION 

Enter Dan Glover, or ‘Deppo’ as he’s 

more commonly known. Deppo is 

intrinsically tied to the Pete in a weird 

cosmological way that I don’t believe 

in, but it ties my story together so I’m 

going with it anyway. 

Deppo started work with Leeson’s 

… wait, hold on, I’m guessing there 

are a few of you thinking, “Is he going 

to explain the Deppo nickname or is 

it far too controversial or depraved to 

mention?” Alright, I’ll let you in on the 

Top: Hard to tell 

there’s almost 

two million 

kilometres behind 

the Peterbilt’s 

immaculate interior 

Above: It doesn’t 

take long for the 

loader at AKD Timber 

Mill in Yarram to 

empty the Peterbilt 

and send it off for 

another load 

Opposite above: The 

big Pete makes fairly 

light work of Powers 

Hill as it powers up 

out of Gormandale 

Opposite above: 

The grassy green 

look of Leeson’s 

Legend 950 really 

stands out – even 

in the company’s 

custom-built 

full-service 

workshop 


secret. The truth is, Dan’s nickname 

is almost a Chinese whisper’s 

version of where it started. 

The origins trace back to one of 

Leeson’s boilermakers who started 

calling him Deputy Dan. Remember 

him, the bumbling Wild West sheriff? 

So, through name association, that’s 

what Dan got called. 

Soon it went from Deputy Dan to 

just Deputy. Somewhere along the 

lines it morphed into Deppo. There 

you go folks, no torrid tales of Dan’s 

misdemeanours within depot-sized 

buildings, but purely a harmless 

nickname. Or so he’s led me to 

believe. 

Back to the Peterbilt story and 

where Deppo fits in. In 2006, the big 

Pete rocked up to Leeson’s Rosedale 

yard. It is also the year a young 

truck enthusiast named Dan, who 

would become Deppo, started his 

apprenticeship with Leeson’s. 

Having left school at 15, Deppo’s 

passion for trucks meant he was 

never destined to be far from them. 

He grew up with his father doing 

a fair bit of driving and he was 

immersed in the industry. 

He put in two years of his 

apprenticeship with Leeson’s, 

keeping a close eye on the 

alluring Pete. 

When he got his MR licence at 

18, he put his apprenticeship on 

hold and took a job driving a small 

livestock truck for a friend. When that 

finished up, he was able to fall back 

on the tools and finished up working 

at another local family company, 

Dyers Transport. 

“They are a great company to work 

for,” Deppo attests. 

“I finished my apprenticeship there 

and then went driving for them.” 

Having already gained his HC 

licence on his own, Dyers helped 

Deppo get his MC and, then, with 

the keys to a new T409, they sent 

him off doing some local and 

intrastate work. 

Never a man to sit still, in 2014, 

Deppo had a go out on his own, 

purchasing an old T401 and 

subbying for a couple of local farms. 

For a 24-year-old he made a damn 

good go of it, though being able to 

do his own maintenance would have 

been a bonus. He spent a couple 

of years as an owner-driver before 

the tough competitive financial 

conditions forced him back into the 

paid driver scene. 

Deppo spent another couple of 

years gaining valuable on-road 

experience until an opportunity came 

up to re-join the Leeson’s team. 

Now here is the cosmic, stars 

Above: Deppo and 

Hayden Turner, 

one of Leeson’s 

loader-drivers, sort 

the paperwork for 

Deppo’s next load 

Below: A scramble 

of trucks in the 

Leeson’s yard 

Opposite top: 

Check out the 

T404 loader at 

work. This truck, 

with an adapted 

Kesla 2024 loader 

fitted, is one of 

only three like it 

in the country. 

It was specially 

built by Rosin 

Developments in 

Tumut; One of the 

Leeson’s XT range 

of Scania loggers 

enables the team 

to do the dirty work 

in comfort 

aligning, crystal predication 

situation. Deppo started at Leeson’s 

when the Pete turned up. Nine-anda-half 

years later, he returns to the 

fold as the Pete is being put out 

to pasture. Freaky, hey? He recalls 

his immediate reaction was one of 

disappointment: “Oh shit, that’s a 

bugger, I wanted to drive it. I’ve loved 

it since it was brand new,” he recalls 

telling the boss at the time. 

Deppo watched the boys 

repurpose the old trailers and the 

Pete’s cab guard, utilising them 

elsewhere in the fleet and leaving 

the old Pete to get parked up in 

Garry’s shed. 

When the opportunity came for 

Deppo to talk to the boss about 

cleaning it up for him, he took it. He 

remembers Garry saying, “OK, well go 

ahead, take it home and polish it up.” 

With no idea of what the future 

held for the Pete, Deppo parked it in 

his shed for a year and spent every 

available moment trying to bring 

some shine back to the old girl. 

SECOND COMING 

As we rolled into the end of 2018, 

Rick recalls having a conversation 

with his dad in regard to what to do 

with the fleet and, in particular, the 

old Pete. 

“You can’t just have a truck 

sitting around for the sake of 

liking it,” Rick says. A valid point 

when you consider the cost of 

registration alone. 

As Rick also points out, with the 

smirk only a child can pull off when 

talking about family: “It is mum and 


The low tare weight of the Peterbilt means 

it can pack a good payload as well 

dad’s company, so he gets what he wants.” 

Garry had seen the effort Deppo was 

putting into the Pete and decided he wanted 

to put it back to work. Like Stuart, the 

original driver, they’d found a guy that was 

giving love and care for it like it was his own. 

In order to get it back to a working 

standard, it was decided they really needed 

to give it an overhaul. 

Starting with the old worn-out engine, the 

local Kenworth agent sourced a brand-new 

Cummins EGR motor and chucked out the 

old one. The whole truck got attention: it 

was stripped almost bare and restarted. 

New wiring, new wiring harness, rebushed 

suspension and a laundry list of other parts, 

including seals and filters, were replaced. 

Even a new aircon unit was fitted as 

the original one really wasn’t suited to the 

Aussie climate. Ironic considering the cab’s 

small enough that opening your lunch box 

cools it down. 

While the repairs were getting done, the 

truck was sent to Royan Truck & Trailer 

Repairs in Melbourne for a complete respray. 

When Garry originally put the Pete on the 

road in 2006, he wanted a special look to it: 

a one-off scheme for a one-off truck. Garry 

chose to keep the company stripes but 

replace the base colour, changing white to 

silver. So the respray was once again silver 

and green. 

Just to dob Rick in a little here, when 

Leeson’s ordered its Legend 950, Rick 

decided to follow his old man’s one-off 

scheme for a one-off truck idea as well. 

“When we bought the Legend 950 I 

wanted it special, so we got it painted 

completely green. I still don’t think dad’s 

forgiven me,” he laughingly informs me. 

It does stand out, though. 

While all this was going on, Deppo, who 

was now driving rather than on the tools, 

jumped out of his T658 and went back into 

the workshop for a couple of months. He 

was heavily involved in getting refurbished 

trailers ready, as well as the Pete itself. 

“I fitted and dressed a lot of it myself,” 

Deppo says. He fitted extra lights to the cab 

guard, a light bar on the mudflaps, guards 

and extra stainless. Then, the same effort 

was put into the trailers. Mudguards, lights 

… anything he could add to the freshly 

painted trailers. 

June 2020 was a big moment for Deppo. 

He finally got to do his first load of logs in a 

truck he’d been admiring for over 14 years. 

He’s the first to admit that the reality 

matched the expectation. He loves it – the 

low tare weight of the Peterbilt means it can 

pack a good payload as well. 

I asked how that low tare weight affected 

the bush-bashing roads that loggers 

traditionally encounter, with both Rick and 

Deppo assuring me the Pete has held up 

just fine. Rick also added that, seeing as 

Leeson’s deals solely in plantation logging, 

the gravel roads they deal with are normally 

fairly harmless. 

It’s a testament to not just Deppo, but 

Rick, Garry and the team at Leeson’s 

Logging & Cartage, that after more than 

1.7 million kilometres under its belt, the 

big-bonneted American classic is still 

performing and looking a million bucks. 

Deppo was very disappointed in the 

weather that arrived just before the 

photoshoot. 

“It was polished first thing this morning,” 

he claims, swearing that there is shine under 

the layer of dust. 

Personally, I wasn’t perturbed, 

photographing this truck in its natural 

habitat was a pleasure and I must admit 

it does it for me. I completely get what 

sparked Garry’s decision back in 2006. 

Now, “I want a Peterbilt”. 


RISK MANAGER 

Drivers’ health a workplace risk 

The problem is well known and solutions must be deployed 

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 

operating a large 

transport business 

Transport driving represents the most common 

occupation for Australian males, employing one in 

every 33 men. 

However, this same group is also at greater risk of 

workplace injury. And it’s not just their physical health 

that’s involved: psychological wellbeing is also a serious 

issue, particularly for younger drivers. 

Comcare, the national workers’ compensation 

authority, commissioned a report on improving the 

health of Australian truck drivers that canvassed almost 

1,400 drivers. 

Half of the respondents reported having some level 

of psychological distress, with one in five drivers under 

35-years-old reporting having severe psychological 

distress, compared to the national average of one in nine 

in the same age group. 

Previous reporting showed suicide as a leading cause 

of death of drivers under 40. 

Close to 20 per cent of respondents reported having 

diagnosed mental health problems such as depression 

and anxiety in the last year. 

Short-haul drivers reported significantly higher levels of 

psychological distress than long-haul drivers, who were 

more likely to be obese or in chronic pain but less likely 

to report severe psychological distress – or having had a 

crash in the previous 12 months. 

BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS 

Identified barriers to health and wellbeing included: 

• unrealistic demands, lack of control and flow-on 

effects 

• financial pressures including unpaid waiting time and 

market competition 

• perceived lack of respect and recognition: not being 

appreciated by the public or management 

• compromised support systems and the macho male 

mentality, transferring stress, regret, guilt and tradeoffs, 

dealing with isolation and constant transitions. 

These findings highlight the need to address the 

capacity of drivers to cope with the stresses of the job, 

but also to aim to reduce psychological strain, especially 

for young drivers, through mental health interventions. 

Some of the relevant factors include family, friends, 

seeking help and learning coping methods, such as 

mindset and resilience. 

Management capability and the culture and 

supports offered through the workplace have also been 

consistently highlighted as protective factors. 

“Workplaces have a vital role to play in supporting 

the health and wellbeing of their workforce. In the 

transportation and logistics industry, this must include 

a specific and strategic focus on mental health that 

incorporates the essential role of people leaders, 

education to destigmatise mental health and normalise 

help seeking behaviours, programs to enhance worker 

resilience and consideration of how to design working 

tasks and routines that support good mental health 

maintenance,” Gallagher Workplace Risk senior 

occupational therapist Brianna Cattanach says. 

Based on the information provided by experts, along 

with drivers and family members, seven potential 

solutions have been proposed: 

• enhanced management capacity to identify and 

address mental health needs 

• education in coping and self-management strategies 

• specialised expertise for physical and mental health 

support 

• strategies for better sleep 

• healthy food options on the road 

• workforce education programs designed to 

destigmatise mental health and promote help seeking 

• protection for whistle blowers reporting WHS issues. 

TREATMENT GAINS ON OFFER 

There are direct benefits to employers in adopting these 

practices. PricewaterhouseCoopers has found that when 

transport and logistics employers make a concerted effort 

in this space, they can expect to see a 280 per cent return 

on investment across all facets of their business. 

In light of these findings, the Gallagher Workplace Risk 

team is working with the Victorian Transport Association 

to design and deliver targeted mental health interventions 

for the industry. 

The initiative, called HeadFit BusinessFit and funded 

by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), has 

emerged from VTA’s ongoing commitment to raising 

awareness and understanding of mental health and 

wellbeing in the transport industry. 

According to VTA CEO Peter Anderson: “The HeadFit 

BusinessFit program aims to help keep businesses 

remain commercially viable and sustainable, and retain 

productive and motivated employees. It is focused 

on implementing an integrated change management 

approach to mental health and wellbeing in transport 

organisations.” 

The program is designed to create an improved 

workplace environment in employer companies 

by building positive workplace cultures and senior 

leadership, implementing effective systems and 

processes, connecting and engaging individuals and 

providing the individual support in transport and logistics 

organisations. 


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Left: Owners 

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Bryan and Melisa 

Freestone 



Jon Kelly Q&A 

Jon Kelly went from having 

his own television program 

and a fleet of flashy trucks 

to being forced to start over. 

The former Heavy Haulage 

Australia boss speaks about 

his current resto projects 

and a new TV show 

RETRO 

RETURN 

WORDS BEN DILLON 

ATN: Let’s rewind nearly 10 years. You 

had your own TV show, a fleet of flash 

trucks in your business, Heavy Haulage 

Australia (HHA), and from the outside it 

looked like it was good to be Jon Kelly. 

What happened? 

Jon Kelly: At the end of the day a lot of 

people forget that I did sell the business 

(HHA). Unfortunately, when McAleese 

bought in, they didn’t have enough 

firepower to get through the downturn 

in the economy and it took out a lot of 

players in heavy haulage. We needed 

additional equipment and they had 

surplus capacity to assist us, so it was 

good fit in theory but I don’t think anyone 

really saw the downturn in the market 

coming in 2014–15. We were the biggest 

privately-owned heavy haul company in 

the country, 80 per cent of our revenue 

was contracted, so we were different to 

a normal transport company. We were 

the up-and-coming new blood and I think 

they wanted to reinvent their established 

product. I thought that selling to a 

publically listed company would be a safe 

bet and I didn’t expect them to go down in 

the process. 

ATN: The economic downturn didn’t help 

but was it only that, or were there other 

factors? 

JK: The business got too big for me, like 

I wasn’t a 120-truck operation, I wasn’t a 


200–300 staff kind of person, I’m a 

20–30 truck kind of person where 

I can run it all myself. It was just 

wearing me out. I look back on it 

and what I did was superhuman; 

I can’t imagine putting myself 

through that again. I loved every 

minute of it, but ‘been there and 

done that’ definitely applies. I’ve 

learnt a lot about work/life balance 

since and the truck sales yard helps 

with that, but I’ve still got a couple 

of heavy haulage trucks getting 

spoilt. 

ATN: So, with heavy haulage in 

your rear view now, does that mean 

no MegaTruckers season 2? 

JK: Oh listen, with the new show, 

MegaTruck Rehab, there’s a little 

bit of MT in every episode we do. 

It’s a new show with a few familiar 

faces from the original series; it’s 

going to be like a Gas Monkey 

Garage crossed with American 

Pickers. We’ll go around and find 

these cool trucks and we’ll restore 

them and relive the history. Ideally, 

we’re looking at 1980s-onward 

trucks and I like my North 

American trucks, so Kenworth, 

I loved every minute of it, 

but ‘been there and done 

that’ definitely applies 

Western Star, Mack – I don’t mind 

an old White as well. I’d love to do a 

Kenworth ‘anteater’ but you’ll have 

to watch the show to find out. 

ATN: The new show is just about 

truck restorations? 

JK: Everybody knows my trucks 

around the world, it’s not just 

Australia, so if you ask people 

about ‘Try Me’ or ‘Bandit One’, 

everyone knows these trucks, so 

as part of the show I do what I 

call a ‘statement truck’ and we’ve 

got five of those lined up to do. 

This is where I go and get a ‘barn 

find’ classic or a very noteworthy 

truck and we do a full resto or a 

full change and it gets a name, it 

gets a personality and it becomes a 

member of the family, so that’s a lot 

to do with five of those this year. 

Opposite top & 

below: The Cruiser 

and Mack share 

the company 

colours, leaving 

Jon Kelly with the 

choice of big or 

bigger; Jon Kelly 

Top: This 

Kenworth C509 

may be one of the 

trucks that makes 

it onto the new 

show 

Left: Kelly loves 

the movie Smokey 

and the Bandit 

so much he 

commissioned 

this picture, which 

hangs in his office 


we offered a good service, we had 

the best men and the best gear, but 

now customers are ringing up and 

they just want the best price. 

ATN: The format of a lot of car 

shows include selling the vehicle. 

Are you going to do this with the 

trucks you restore or will they just 

sell off the yard? 

My trucks are so flash I 

should charge the bugs to 

ride on them 

Top & above: 

The before and 

after on this 

Western Star 

shows the intent 

of the new TV 

show, which 

will feature full 

restorations as 

well as smaller 

builds 

But, we will also do trucks that 

might come into the yard and I get 

a lot of metallic brown with gold 

stripes and then name that truck 

and put it on the yard to sell. Then 

we get trucks that come here and 

we do a quick turnaround and sell 

them. So, we’re covering all bases 

with something like a two or three 

hundred thousand dollar refurb 

right through to something which 

gets a quick detail, a pat on the 

bum and go. 

There’s been a massive 

following from the original 

MegaTruckers, so there’s been 

a lot interest from overseas in 

the US, UK, Ireland and, believe 

it or not, India. They have a big 

trucking culture over there. 

ATN: You said yourself you did well 

in heavy haulage; will trucks sales 

alone pay for the show? 

JK: I would say 80 per cent of our 

revenue stream is from sales and 

only 20 per cent from haulage. 

We’re at a point now where 

we’re just transporting our own 

equipment. I’m getting too cranky 

and too old to deal with jaded 

customers and we haven’t got 100 

trucks anymore so we can’t cater 

for major projects. 

Unfortunately, since my exit from 

the heavy haulage market, there’s 

been a lot of people replacing HHA 

and those people haven’t replaced 

the batteries in their calculators – 

they need an education on how to 

charge for specialised equipment. 

They’re running around for shit. 

They’re running around for rates 

that are less than my grandfather 

was getting 30 years ago. 

I recognise that since 30 years 

ago economies of scale have 

improved, but I used to get spoilt 

with money. I used to get paid, but 

JK: With the high-class trucks, it 

will be interesting to see what we 

get for those commercially. Some 

of those trucks are ones you can’t 

really go and advertise, it’s more a 

guy comes into the yard and says 

‘is that for sale’ and everything 

is for sale at a price, so I think 

we’ll see some big numbers filter 

through. Even some of my personal 

trucks, ones I thought I’d never sell, 

I’ve had some offers on some of 

those which are getting close. 

I love doing up trucks, I love 

buying trucks and putting my flair 

on them and being creative in that 

way. A lot of people have got Jon 

Kelly stories from far and wide 

but, y’know, one thing is I haven’t 

done a shit truck yet, so I enjoy 

exploiting that and I’ve sold a lot 

people a lot of gear. 

ATN: We’ve seen plenty of used 

vehicles, cars and trucks, go up 

in price for a number of reasons. 

What are you seeing in the market? 

JK: I would say there’s definitely 

an upward shift in prices and it 

doesn’t help that, if you ordered 

a new Kenworth today you’d be 

lucky to get it this year, and that’s 

filtering through to our used truck 

yard here where trucks are lasting 

on the lot between five days and 

two weeks. We’ve done 35 trucks 

in the first 60 days of 2021. It’s 

ridiculous and if we keep that up 

it’ll be 200 units for the year. 

ATN : Your trucks are immaculately 

presented and detailed, are you 

worried about them getting 

scratched when using them on the 

road? 

JK: Of course! My trucks are so 

flash I should charge the bugs to 

ride on them. 


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International Women’s Day 

BREAKING 

THROUGH 

THE BARRIER 

The Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls celebrated International Women’s 

Day this year with a visit to a Port Hedland local high school, offering 

encouragement for young women keen to join a male-dominated industry 


Stepping into the cab of a 

heavy-duty truck for the 

first time can be a daunting 

experience for anyone, but for people 

who have a genuine fear of driving it 

can seem like an impossible barrier 

to break through. Add to that if you 

are a woman trying to break into a 

male-dominated industry and the 

odds are stacked against you. 

Bobbi Lockyer is a Port 

Hedland-based artist, photographer 

and mother of four, whose designs 

have appeared on the catwalk at 

New York Fashion Week, but until 

International Women’s Day (IWD) she 

had never been behind the wheel of a 

truck. Living in a situation of domestic 

violence for more than a decade, 

Lockyer had a very real fear of driving 

and has only had her driver’s licence 

for the past couple of years. 

Enter Heather Jones of Pilbara 

Heavy Haulage Girls (PHHG) who, as 

well as running a transport business, 

heads up a ‘boot camp’ for female 

drivers coming into the heavy-duty 

segment. As part of this, Jones also 

brings her trucks to events such as 

the recent International Women’s Day 

held by the township of Port Hedland, 

where both Jones and Lockyer were 

invited as speakers. 

With the first stop being the local 

high school, two of the PHHG pink 

trucks rolled into the school car park 

where a swarm of students had the 

opportunity to climb in and over the 

truck, with talks given for IWD in the 

school hall. 

After this was a luncheon hosted 

by the township of Port Hedland 

with Jones and Lockyer sharing their 

personal journeys to the assembled 

guests. Meeting each other for the 

first time, the pair made an instant 

connection through stories of what it 

means being to be able to get behind 

the wheel. 

“This was the first time we had 

met,” Lockyer says. 

“I knew we were both speaking 

at the event and I said to her how 

awesome I thought that it was that 

she was driving trucks and creating a 

program helping women to get in the 

driver’s seat. 

“I said that I was terrified and that 

I could never drive a truck. Heather 

said ‘yes you can do it, you want to 

come and drive a truck after this?’ and 

she said ‘trust me you’ll love it’. 

“I didn’t think that’s what I would 

be doing that day, let alone ever. 

“It felt surreal and absolutely 

amazing; when I got in the driver’s 

seat I was trembling inside but at the 

same time felt super empowered and 

I knew I could do it. 

“There was a point I thought I was 

going to chicken out but I thought 

‘nah I’m going to do this’ and it was 

incredible.” 

Even with only a short drive of the 

truck, Jones knew that Lockyer was 

more than capable of handling a 

heavy-duty truck, despite her lack 

of driving experience. 

“She was truly a natural. I’ve been 

doing this for 30 years now and 

I know within five to 10 minutes 

whether they are going to give me 

a nervous breakdown or if they are 

Driving a truck made me 

feel on top of the world 

going to be good and Bobbi was 

absolutely awesome,” Jones says. 

Making the leap from a car to a 

truck is a massive jump for anyone 

but for Lockyer it was especially 

poignant. 

“I was in a domestic violence 

relationship for over 10 years and 

I wasn’t allowed to drive, so I was 

terrified of driving and didn’t get my 

licence for years,” she explains. 

“When I finally went on my first 

driving lesson I broke down and cried 

the whole time. It was such a huge 

thing to get my licence and drive a 

car, so to think that I was now sitting 

Above: Heather 

Jones of the 

Pilbara Heavy 

Haulage Girls with 

transport industry 

newcomer Bobbi 

Lockyer 


for them,” Lockyer continues. 

“I think a lot women would be 

intimidated and probably wouldn’t 

even consider doing it if it was a 

male-driven course because when 

you’re with other women you feel 

more comfortable and ready to do it, 

and Heather is amazing; she just has 

this way of making you feel calm and 

in control and empowered. 

“I grew up in a country town and 

when I was young my dad was a truck 

driver, so I had been in trucks before 

when I was little, but I was scared of 

them. I never thought I’d drive a truck 

and in the future, I have considered 

maybe I will go and get my truck 

licence; it’s pretty cool.” 

I was in a domestic violence relationship for 

over 10 years and I wasn’t allowed to drive 

Above: Students 

from Hedland 

Senior High School 

get a close look at 

the PHHG Volvo 

in the seat of a truck and driving a 

truck made me feel on top of the 

world. 

“I just had this fear that it would 

be so scary and I wouldn’t be able 

to see anything but I was surprised 

about the visibility. It was a bit to get 

used to not having a rear view mirror 

and just using the side mirrors but 

it was great. Just by being up there 

I felt this new found kind of freedom 

and feeling of control, which I loved.” 

LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE 

Jones said that the results her boot 

camp program has produced have 

been much more than just learning 

heavy-duty driving skills, for both 

herself and her students. 

“When we started training, I just 

wanted safe drivers on the highway, 

I never ever thought we’d be able 

to change people’s lives in such 

a powerful way. There’s been so 

many amazing roll-on effects for our 

participants,” Jones says. 

“One story is we had a domestic 

violence survivor come through our 

boot camp and she was so good we 

put her on our trucks for a couple of 

months and she has now gone on to 

pulling quads interstate. 

“Trucks are so big and it’s very 

empowering for these women and 

being able to achieve something 

that not even a lot of men can do is 

hugely satisfying. Even the view from 

up in the cabin gives you a feeling of 

achievement.” 

The feeling of independence that 

driving brings and the freedom of 

movement it offers is something 

those who have been driving since 

attaining legal driving age often 

take for granted, but the benefits 

surely have massive psychological 

benefits also. 

“It’s funny, because it wasn’t 

until I got my licence and became a 

driver that I started to meet so many 

women who actually do have that 

fear of driving. I thought I was alone 

in that, so I think a program like what 

Heather is doing would be incredible 

EMPOWERING WOMEN 

Jones said she’d like to continue 

to participate in events like IWD 

by taking her trucks out into the 

community to give women the 

opportunity to see what a careers as a 

driver might be like. 

“We’d like to do more of these 

events, which empower women, 

but we need funding. Our transport 

business pays for our outreach 

initiatives and its expensive travelling 

across the state and not being able to 

service our customers when we go to 

these events,” Jones says. 

“Volvo Group are one of our main 

supporters and we have been able to 

do amazing things with their trucks to 

promote truck driving as professional 

and achievable for people who haven’t 

been in the industry through training. 

“And with the automatic trucks 

we train in you can pretty much 

get the majority of people in those 

trucks and they are safe professional 

drivers. Without having to change 

gears they can concentrate on the 

road and the load and all the traffic 

around them.” 

According to the Australian 

Trucking Association, only three 

per cent of truck drivers in Australia 

are female with industry-wide 

representation at only 26 per cent, 

with most women in the industry 

working in administrative roles. 

However, while initiatives like 

Heather Jones’ boot camp can 

provide a stepping stone for women, 

more needs to be done to redress this 

gender imbalance. 


SPONSORED CONTENT 

Truck Moves 

FAIR PAY FOR FAIR WORK 

If you are a driver or employer in the truck relocation industry, there’s only one 

Award that applies, writes Matt Whitnall, director, Truck Moves Australia 

Truck movers are explicitly covered 

by the Road Transport & Distribution 

Award 2010 as determined by the 

Fair Work Commission (FWC) in a ruling it 

made to update the Award in 2018. 

To its credit, the Transport Workers 

Union (TWU) pushed for the inclusion 

of an additional paragraph to ensure the 

truck moving industry was covered. 

This paragraph reads as follows: 3.1 (j) 

the distribution and/or relocation by road 

of new or used vehicles as described in the 

classifications within this award where the 

vehicle itself is required to be driven from 

one location to another for the purposes of 

delivery and/or relocation of the vehicle. 

We have seen evidence, provided by 

dozens of drivers in the industry, that 

some dodgy operators have used the TWU 

and FWC ruling as a stooge – increasing 

prices to customers while at the same time 

ignoring the Award, making up their own 

rates, or deliberately adopting an incorrect 

Award that pays lower rates and provides 

no pay for return travel time (which can 

be up to half a day). Their customers are 

effectively paying rates based on the correct 

Award and these guys are ripping off their 

workers and pocketing the difference. 

The hard working drivers, predominately 

older, are crying out for help and keep 

calling and emailing us with more and more 

solid physical evidence, as they remain 

underpaid, ignored or ghosted by these 

employers when asking about being paid 

correctly. 

These drivers have shown us the facts, 

clearly documented, that they are not being 

paid their legal entitlements of: 

• overtime after 7.6 NT hours 

• Saturday penalty rates 

• Sunday penalty rates 

• nightshift allowances 

• return travel time paid hourly when 

transiting or flying. 

All of these pay rates and allowances 

have been legally entrenched for the past 

three years. The only explanation for any 

operator not following the correct Award 

to compensate their drivers is greed, pure 

and simple. 

If you are one of the unlucky drivers who 

work for these rip-off merchants, reach 

out to your local union representative, 

the FairWork Ombudsman, or contact me 

directly and confidentially. 

We are happy to help exploited drivers 

make their case to be fairly compensated, 

and level the playing field for safe and legal 

operators in the industry. 


ROAD RANGER 

The trucking reality 

How do we misunderstand the road transport industry? Let me count the ways! 

DR KIM HASSALL 

is the national 

chair of the 

Chartered Institute 

of Logistics 

and Transport 

Australia 

(CILT-Australia) 

Again it is time to re-educate the nation about 

the structure of the road transport industry. 

WHY DOES THIS NEED DOING? 

Because even our operators, associations and 

many of our government departments, their 

advisors and chiefs of staff don’t understand 

the industry. 

The Australian road transport industry is 

comprised of two macro sectors: the smaller ‘hire 

& reward’ (H&R) industry that does road transport 

for money and the larger ‘ancillary’ sector, that 

does not do transport for money. 

In the comparative sizes of these sectors the 

ancillary heavy truck population is 58 per cent 

of the Australian fleet and the H&R sector is the 

minority shareholder at 42 per cent. 

The most recent estimate for the number 

of fleets in Australia sees an even more 

pronounced difference, with the ancillary 

fleets outnumbering the H&R sector by a 

ratio of 2.7:1. And yet, when associations 

talk about ‘the road transport industry’, they 

invariably mean the H&R industry only. 

FIGURE 1: Population of Australian heavy vehicles greater than 4.5 tonnes GVM 

EXAMPLES OF A MISUNDERSTOOD INDUSTRY 

Case 1: A very large government data collection 

department: Question: “There are only about 

200,000 employed drivers in Australia, but 390,000 

heavy trucks. Who drives the rest of them?” 

Case 2: A large national association concerned 

that each increase in truck mass was a threat to 

its own members. The author explained: “Actually, 

your only threat is a small proportion of the hire and 

reward trucking sector. The ancillary industry is not 

a threat to your members.” “What is the ancillary 

industry?” was then asked. “That part of the 

industry that does not do road transport for money.” 

The reply was: “Then why do they do it?” 

Case 3: A very large national transport department 

undertaking some GPS and data trials for road 

transport activity capture: Question from the 

author: “Did you select participants in the trial 

from the associations that only represent the hire 

and reward industry?” “Yes.” “Did you invite any 

operators from the ancillary sector to be part of the 

trials; they do far fewer kilometres?” “What is the 

ancillary sector?” “Those operators who do not do 

transport for money.” “Where would we find one of 

those to invite into the trial?” 

TABLE 1: Ancillary vs hire & reward numbers: Australia 

YEAR ANCILLARY HIRE AND REWARD 

1996 207,200 108,200 

2005 205,812 178,503 

2016 211,464 162,548 

2019 225,256 (58%) 162,248 (42%) 

Source: ABS detailed data cubes 

Case 4: A recent series of safety and health 

studies into drivers in the road transport sector 

were referred to as studies into driver health in the 

‘road transport industry’. A query from this author 

to the researchers: “You did your research on the 

industry?” “Yes.” “What proportion of the driver 

samples were from hire and reward companies?” 

“All of them, 100 per cent.” “Well what about the 

other 60 per cent of the industry that is not hire 

and reward? How many of these did you include?” 

“None,” was the answer. “Then should the report 

have been called ‘safety in the hire and reward 

industry?” “Yes, probably so.” 

Needless to say, the ancillary sector is not 

understood, even at the highest levels of 

government. 

POLICY IMPLICATIONS 

The yell a few years ago was for operator licensing. 

This is implemented in a few countries where 

the H&R sector is required to go into an ‘operator 

licensing’ scheme. 

This was done for a number of reasons but 


Over half of the Australian road transport 

industry is made up of ancillary fleets 

The ancillary sector had as many 

driver deaths as the H&R sector 

– almost identical in fact 

Figure 2: A decade of driver deaths in Australia 

DRIVER DEATHS AUSTRALIA: 2003 – 2012 

387/49.2% 

400/50.8% 

in Australia it was pushed almost solely by the safety 

argument. 

Actually, the major push behind the Road Safety 

Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) was on account of 

driver deaths. 

Well, is the H&R sector in need of ‘operator licensing’ as a 

safety reform policy? 

Safework Australia in 2014 published a great set of data 

on driver deaths. 

WHAT DID IT SHOW? 

The ancillary sector had as many driver deaths as the H&R 

sector – almost identical in fact. 

Driver deaths were the central peg in the Transport 

Workers’ Union RSRT push. As the ancillary sector 

does far fewer kilometres than the H&R sector on a 

per billion kilometres travelled basis, the driver fatalities 

on this metric would suggest that it is the ancillary 

sector that needs ‘operator licensing’ from a safety 

perspective. So why the push for operator licensing 

for the H&R sector? 

The safety argument does not stack up. (It should also be 

noted that, as the registration charges are set on national 

averages for each truck configuration, the H&R sector is 

significantly subsidised by the ancillary sector in its rego 

charge, but not so in the fuel use charge.) 

For Hire 

Ancillary/Other 

Source: Safework Australia, 2014 

WHAT ABOUT NATIONAL OPERATING STANDARDS? 

Will the new push for national operating standards just be 

for the H&R industry as operator licensing was? 

Will national operating standards apply to the entire 

Australian road transport fleet? 

Getting 60,000 farmers with one truck onto a GPS system 

paying at least $1 per day for data collection and sending 

of it could be a real feat. 

Getting the other 160,000 ancillary trucks onto a 

regulated national operating standard will also be a task 

and a half. 

AND THE REASON IS? 

As with operator licensing, the reason can’t be safety, as 

the ancillary sector will have a worse major accident rate 

per million kilometres travelled than the H&R sector, and so 

there must be other reasons. 


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1 & 2 now 

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mighty-machines

TRUCKS 

Fuso eCanter 

FUSO 

TAKES 

CHARGE 

There’s an electric revolution 

sweeping the automotive 

world and, in the light truck 

league, Daimler’s exciting Fuso 

eCanter sits at the top of the 

tree. The electric lightweight 

is now officially part of Fuso’s 

local line-up but don’t go 

thinking diesel developments 

aren’t also on the agenda. On 

the contrary, we now have 

first details of a bold initiative 

to turn Fuso’s Shogun into 

the most potent Japanese 

heavyweight on the market 

WORDS STEVE BROOKS 

Daimler Trucks Australia 

chief Daniel Whitehead 

is an affable, agreeable 

bloke. Most of the time. However, 

there are other times when, 

with his competitive instincts 

suitably stoked or umbrage 

taken at something or someone 

considered less than adequate, 

an abrupt and somewhat stern 

countenance can quickly surface. 

Admittedly, those latter times 

are rare – at least in the public 

gaze – but such a transformation 

was briefly, and perhaps 

justifiably, evident at the recent 

media launch of Fuso’s electric 

eCanter at Daimler’s Mulgrave 

(Vic) headquarters. 

“The eCanter,” he said earnestly 

at the start of the presentation, 

“is a full production electric 

truck.” 

Then, with an instant change 

of tone and an intent most 

assuredly planned to hit a 

carefully targeted mark, it was 

a dour Whitehead who gruffly 

added: “Ours is a complete truck. 

It is not a Frankenstein addition 

to an existing truck.” 

Thus, with a few seconds to 

let the barb bite, and with the 

deliberate diatribe off his chest, 

a confident and entirely upbeat 

Whitehead returned to extolling 

the many virtues of both the 

eCanter and Daimler’s various 

paths to a sustainably cleaner 

automotive future. 

Significantly, he would also 

outline the part Daimler Trucks 

Australia will progressively play in 

facilitating the local introduction 

of some of the most advanced 

powertrain technologies the 

commercial vehicle world has 

ever seen. 

But why the Frankenstein jibe 

and, more to the point, was the 

entrepreneurial Melbourne-based 

SEA Electric company the target? 


After all, less than a week before the 

eCanter launch, SEA Electric appeared 

to steal Fuso’s thunder when it issued 

a detailed press release announcing it 

was about to start local production of 

electric trucks based on the cab and 

chassis of Hino 500 and 300-series 

models, which would, the statement 

asserted, “place the brand [SEA] at the 

technical forefront for the industry”. 

“No comment,” a blunt Whitehead 

answered at the end of the eCanter 

presentation when asked his opinion of 

SEA Electric’s announcement. 

“We have the only full production 

[electric] truck in Australia … ours is a 

Daimler truck from front to back, with 

all Daimler support and warranty, and 

everything that comes with that.” 

Likewise, it was an emphatic 

Whitehead who remarked: “It would 

be easy to do nothing but it’s what 

the market will need. This is a serious 

truck,” adding that the full gambit 

of standard Daimler Trucks’ safety 

systems – anti-lock braking system 

with electronic brake force distribution 

and advanced emergency braking, 

an electronic stability program, lane 

departure warning, hill hold, reversing 

camera and driver and passenger 

airbags – are intrinsic features 

of eCanter, just as they are in its 

diesel-powered sibling. 

Whatever or whoever was in 

Whitehead’s crosshairs, it was easy to 

appreciate his commitment and passion 

for the eCanter product. 

In the development of electric trucks, 

specifically at the lighter end, Fuso 

has been at the forefront of Daimler’s 

vast technological resources while, 

on the local scene, Mulgrave’s senior 

management has advocated long and 

hard for eCanter to become part of the 

Australian operation. And for good 

reason. 

During a trip to Japan in 2017, for 

example, in the wake of eCanter’s global 

launch, a small group of Australian 

truck writers were surprised with an 

opportunity to drive a loaded prototype 

model on Fuso’s strictly controlled 

Kitsuregawa test facility. 

It took just an hour or so to satisfy 

most of us that Daimler’s investment 

had the potential to change the world in 

shorthaul metro delivery work. 

Two years later, with Whitehead 

openly keen to at least start putting 

light-duty electric trucks in front of 

carefully selected fleets, an eCanter 

trial unit was shipped to Australia from 

Japan’s specialist E-Fuso division 

and prominently displayed at the 2019 

Brisbane Truck Show. 

Almost immediately after the show, 

the truck started a short-term trial with 

Australia Post and, soon after that, in 

the few days before the demo unit was 

shipped back to Japan, we had the 

opportunity to spend a day driving the 

truck around Melbourne. 

As subsequently reported: “… just 

like the Japanese experience, driving 

a small truck with no engine, no 

transmission other than an electric 

motor driving into a single-speed diff, 


Ours is a complete truck. 

It is not a Frankenstein 

addition to an existing 

truck 

and no noise other than the roll of 

rubber on the road, makes driving 

an entirely new experience. Early 

on, you’re waiting for gearshifts 

that never come but routine and 

acceptance soon set in. 

“Judgements will vary, of 

course, but this exercise was 

something truly unique and 

entirely worthwhile. True, eCanter 

development remains a work 

in progress but, even at this 

relatively early stage, it brings the 

future into stark focus.” 

All up, and suitably impressed 

with the model’s dynamic 

performance in both acceleration 

and deceleration, it seemed just a 

matter of time before the electric 

truck would became part of 

Fuso’s local ranks. 

STEADY START 

Despite the positive feedback, 

a serious Whitehead says it 

took a good deal of negotiation 

and commitment to build the 

business case for Daimler 

Trucks Australia to join with 

counterparts in Europe, Japan 

and the US in adding eCanter to 

the model range. But now, the 

deal is done and, with production 

for Australia confirmed, a 

strategic path has been set to 

slowly, cautiously and selectively 

put eCanter into specific local 

delivery roles. 

In fact, as this report was 

being prepared, Daimler’s local 

leaders were not prepared to 

identify eCanter’s first customer 

apart from logical indications 

it is a specialist provider of 

local delivery services. Even 

quiet questions post-press 

conference could not draw the 

customer’s name but as one 

insider mentioned, the high 

profile customer wants to make 

a big thing of being first with 

Australia’s first electric Canter. 

However, it was at least 

confirmed that trucks will be 

leased for up to six years, rather 

than bought outright, to ensure 

Daimler’s ability to react quickly 

to any issues and implement 

inevitable technical upgrades 

as they occur. 

“The technology continues 

to move at an incredible pace,” 

Whitehead commented. 

Even so, according to several 

sources, demand is already 

outstripping Australia’s 

allocated supply. As Fuso’s 

Above: On the 

inside, differences 

between eCanter 

and its diesel 

counterpart are 

largely limited to a 

different dash and 

a better seat for the 

driver of the electric 

truck 


City specialist. 

Metro work is the 

obvious target for 

the electric Canter 

Opposite below: 

Switched on. 

Daimler Trucks 

Australia chief 

Daniel Whitehead 

has pushed hard for 

eCanter to become 

part of the Fuso 

range 


press statement explains: “Given the global 

popularity of the eCanter, a limited number 

will be available for customers in Australia 

during the initial stages of the introduction but 

production availability is expected to increase 

in time.” 

Meanwhile, future uptake obviously depends 

on recharging infrastructure 

and, while local Daimler insiders concede 

the current situation is ‘very fragile’, fiscal and 

logistical partnerships between supplier and 

users will be vital in establishing a network of 

recharging installations. 

Equally, the availability of interchangeable – 

slide in, slide out – batteries has still to 

be clarified. 

Yet, recharging infrastructure is, as 

Whitehead noted, all part of the evolution 

in electric vehicles and, critically, the local 

extension of Daimler Truck’s stated principle 

to be “the most advanced and capable CO2 

neutral company in the world”. In fact, the 

global giant confidently states that all its new 

vehicles in Europe, North America and Japan 

will be CO2 neutral by 2039. 

What’s more, eCanter is just one of 10 

electric-powered Daimler trucks now in 

production and Whitehead confirms that 

Benz-badged electric trucks, such as the 

eEconic waste collection model and an 

eActros, are already on the Australian agenda. 

So, too, is Freightliner’s eCascadia an 

eventual possibility for shorthaul work here. 

Two years ago, during a visit to Daimler 

Trucks North America, we were given a 

short, exceedingly rare, yet undeniably 

enticing, look at the vast extent of eCascadia 

development as Freightliner ramps-up 

plans to introduce an electric powertrain for 

shorthaul heavy-duty applications in the US. 

Accordingly, Daimler’s local leadership is 

paying close attention. 

It is, says Whitehead, all part of a current 

Daimler Trucks clean transport strategy 

based on battery-electric systems for 

shorthaul roles and hydrogen technology 

SPECS 

AT A 

GLANCE 

FUSO ECANTER 

4X2 WIDE CAB 

DRIVE SYSTEM 

Permanent synchronous 

electric motor 

POWER 

135kW 

TORQUE 

390Nm (from standstill) 

EMISSIONS 

Zero local emissions 

TRANSMISSION 

Direct drive automatic 

WHEELBASE 

3,400mm 

BRAKES 

Front and rear discs with 

regenerative braking 

TARE WEIGHT 

3,280kg 

GVM 

7,490kg 

TOP SPEED 

80km/h 

RANGE 

Around 100km loaded 

CHARGING TIME 

DC (Level 3) 1 to 1.5 hours 

using CCS Type2 plug type 

and 50kW charger and AC 

(Level 2) 8 to 10 hours 

using IEC62196 7.2kW 

with three-phase wall 

connector 

HIGH VOLTAGE 

365 volt using six liquid 

cooled lithium-ion 

batteries. Total usable 

capacity is 66kWh, total 

capacity is 82.8kWh 

LOW VOLTAGE 

12 volt using two 100AH- 

760A lead acid batteries 

SAFETY FEATURES 

Advanced emergency 

braking (AEBS), anti-slip 

regulator (ASR), electronic 

stability control (ESC), lane 

departure warning system 

(LDWS) ABS plus electronic 

brake force distribution 

(EBD), dual SRS airbag and 

ECE-R29 compliant cab 

WARRANTY 

Five years or 180,000km, 

whichever comes first 


SHOGUN MUSCLES UP 

For whatever reasons, Japanese brands have been reluctant 

to step into the modern world with a genuinely effective and 

efficient 500hp engine. Until now! Fuso has seen the light 

and will later this year introduce Daimler Trucks’ formidable 

13-litre powertrain. Steve Brooks reports 

Trucks will be leased for 

up to six years rather than 

bought outright 

Above: Fully 

loaded, eCanter 

has a range 

of 100km and 

top speed of 

80km/h. With 

instant torque, 

acceleration is 

extraordinary 

for long distance operations, 

with series production of highly 

advanced hydrogen-fuelled 

models slated for launch in the 

2025 to 2030 timeframe. 

For its part, Fuso showcased 

its ‘Vision F-Cell’ (fuel cell) 

hydrogen-based model at the 

2019 Tokyo Motor Show and 

states it will have hydrogenpowered 

vehicles in series 

production by 2029. 

Well aware of Fuso’s critical 

involvement in Daimler’s rapidly 

evolving technology is the new 

head of Fuso in Australia, Alex 

Müller. 

Appointed to the role of 

director at Fuso Truck & Bus, 

Covid-19 delayed his arrival from 

Germany for more than a year, 

but at the launch of eCanter he 

was quick to insist: “The timing 

is good. We are in the middle of 

a revolution [and] today we are 

making history.” 

According to Fuso’s press 

statement, eCanter has a range 

of more than 100km when fully 

loaded, and can be recharged to 

80 per cent capacity in an hour 

using a 50kW rapid charger or 

fully charged in 90 minutes. 

Six liquid-cooled lithium ion 

batteries mounted in the eCanter 

frame store 82.8kWh of electricity 

(with 66kWh of usable power) 

and feed a permanent magnet 

synchronous motor. Power 

To be blunt, it was a surprise when 

word starting filtering through late 

last year that Daimler Trucks Australia 

was extensively testing a 500-plus 

13-litre engine in Fuso’s flagship 

Shogun model. 

After all, Japanese makers have, 

over many years, appeared to have 

a historic and almost ritualistic 

indifference to engines of such size and 

output in their heavy-duty contenders. 

Whether that apparent indifference 

has been driven by European masters 

in the case of Fuso (Daimler) and UD 

(Volvo), or by a dearth of domestic 

demand in the case of Hino and 

Isuzu, is contestable. Whatever, the 

lack of an advanced, efficient and 

potently powered engine in Australia’s 

burgeoning 13-litre class has kept the 

Japanese contingent largely caponised 

as true heavy-duty contenders. 

Take market leader Isuzu, for 

example. Sure, it sits consistently 

high on the heavy-duty leader board 

but much of that ranking comes from 

three and four-axle rigids rather than 

prime movers, despite the fact that 

Isuzu’s Gigamax flagship is the only 

Japanese truck on the market with a 

500-plus rating. 

It is, however, easy to understand 

why Isuzu’s heavyweight does not 

attract much business. With Giga’s 

lumpy in-line six displacing 15.7 litres 

yet producing just 512hp (382kW) 

and a comparatively timid 1,663lb-ft 

(2,255Nm) of torque, it’s not much 

muscle for such a big heap of heavy 

iron. 

There has, of course, been plenty of talk 

and no lack of encouragement from Isuzu 

Australia insiders for an alternative power 

source for Giga. Indeed, it’s no secret a 

13-litre Volvo prime mover was bought 

and tested here for a number of years in 

a bid to convince Japan of the need for a 

respectably efficient engine. Moreover, 

rumours were rife not so long ago that 

Cummins’ lively X12 engine was being 

considered for Giga but, to date, nothing 

has come of either enterprise. 

Maybe Isuzu’s acquisition of UD 

from Volvo will deliver a more muscular 

contender but, given Volvo Group’s long 

insistence that its highly versatile 13-litre 

engine will definitely not be finding its 

way into UD’s likeable Quon, Isuzu’s local 

leaders would be well advised to not hold 

their breath in anticipation. 

Then there’s the Toyota-owned Hino 

brand, the only Japanese truck with its own 

13-litre engine and, with a new 700-series 

heavy-duty range set to hit the Australian 

market later this year, there was some 

speculation the markedly updated line-up 

might actually crest the 500hp (373kW) 

mark. However, and for whatever reasons, 

the word from within Hino is a definite ‘No!’ 

So, back to Fuso and what is almost 

certainly the most overdue, enterprising and 

potentially rewarding move by a Japanese 

brand in the Australian heavy-duty sector 

for many years. 

It’s fair to ask though, will the 13-litre 

Fuso with its Daimler-derived powertrain 

be viewed by buyers as a competitively 

priced alternative to an equivalent 

Mercedes-Benz model? 

“We have no fear whatsoever that the 


TRUCK TECHNOLGY 

First details 

Fuso will encroach on Mercedes-Benz 

sales,” affirmed Daimler Trucks Australia 

chief Daniel Whitehead. 

“There are more opportunities for 

incremental business than any negative 

impacts. A lot more.” 

Quiet for a few seconds, he resolutely 

added: “This will not be a cross-over 

model but it will obviously have the full 

Daimler safety package and the target isn’t 

necessarily other Japanese brands. It’s 

more the likes of DAF, Iveco and Volvo. 

The way I see it, it simply gives the market 

more choice.” 

Much the same response came in 

quiet conversation with the head of 

Mercedes-Benz truck business in Australia, 

Andrew Assimo. 

“No, I don’t see the 13-litre Fuso being a 

concern. Not at all, but it’ll be a concern for 

our competitors.” 

Nonetheless, Whitehead didn’t deny that 

it took a detailed business case with the 

surety of a reasonable return on investment 

to convince Fuso’s Japanese hierarchy 

that the installation and thorough testing 

of a 13-litre Daimler powertrain in Shogun 

(known in Japan as the Fuso Super Great) 

was a good move for the Australian and New 

Zealand markets. 

“The potential here and in New Zealand 

for a higher powered Fuso was obvious 

to us,” he commented, before quickly 

adding, “but it took a lot of time and a lot 

of negotiation between Australia, Japan 

and Germany before it was agreed to start 

development and testing. 

“And it certainly wasn’t a quick or simple 

development process. There were plenty 

of engineering factors that needed to be 

considered before the project went ahead.” 

The exercise actually started in 2017, 

when a team of Fuso engineers flew to 

Australia for secret tests of a 13-litre 

prototype Shogun. It’s worth noting that, at 

the time, this new generation Shogun hadn’t 

even been launched and was still known in 

Japan as simply the ‘Black Panther’ project. 

With the prototype quietly shipped 

to Australia, the primary intent of early 

testing was to gauge the suitability of 

Daimler’s 12.8-litre OM471 engine in the 

Shogun chassis and ensure the truck’s 

cooling system was up to the job of coping 

with heavy weights in the heat of Central 

Australia. 

Consequently, and with sophisticated 

test equipment installed, the truck was 

hooked to a B-double set and, at a gross 

weight of 63 tonnes, sent on a return run 

from Melbourne to Adelaide and Alice 

Springs. 

Australia, however, hasn’t been the 

only testing ground for the 13-litre engine 

under a Fuso cab. According to Daimler 

sources, test units have notched upwards of 

500,000km in the widely differing demands 

of South Africa. 

Following the positive results of 

early evaluations here and abroad, final 

assurances and tweaks of the 13-litre 

Shogun specification are being determined 

this year by a 50,000km test program 

(including 10,000km in New Zealand) 

covering 800km a day on routes through 

regional Victoria, running as a flat-top 

B-double grossing 61 tonnes. 

Daimler Trucks Australia is currently 

keeping timing for the 13-litre Shogun’s 

launch under wraps but our guess is for 

some time in the third quarter of this year. 

What we are sure about is that the 

powertrain will largely be the same as the 

current Mercedes-Benz 2651 model, which 

sees the Euro 6 OM471 engine dispensing 

peak power of 375kW (510hp) at 1,600rpm 

and top torque of 2,500Nm (1,844lb-ft) at 

1,100rpm. 

Likewise, the engine will drive through 

the same highly intuitive 12-speed overdrive 

automated transmission as its Benz 

counterpart. 

As for the rest of the spec, Daimler isn’t 

hiding the details: The final drive ratio is 

likely to be 4.22:1, tyres will be 295/80R 

on the steer and 11R 22.5 on the drive, 

mounted on a taper-leaf front suspension 

and airbag on the rear, while stopping power 

will come from drums front and rear. 

With a GCM of 63 tonnes, shorthaul and 

regional B-double work will almost certainly 

be a targeted application, along with 

anything else befitting a modern, efficient 

and proven 13-litre powertrain with more 

than 500hp on tap. 

There’s little doubt the competition will 

be watching closely. Some enviously! 

Above: Flashback 

to 2017 and secret 

testing of Shogun 

prototype with 

Daimler’s 13-litre 

engine. It took 

a good plan and 

extensive testing 

to get the 500-plus 

project approved 


Inside the Shogun 

test truck. Daimler 

family features 

aren’t hard to spot 


The eEconic waste 

collection model and an 

eActros are already on the 

Australian agenda 

Above: Thumbs 

up from Scott 

Buchholz, federal 

assistant minister 

for road safety & 

freight transport. 

The assistant 

minister is a 

regular guest at 

trucking events 

but the federal 

government’s 

support for 

cleaner trucks is 

neither clear nor 

consistent 

Left: Fuso’s 

Vision F-Cell’ 

(fuel cell) 

hydrogen-based 

prototype at 

the 2019 Tokyo 

Motor Show. 

Fuso states 

it will have 

hydrogenpowered 

vehicles in series 

production by 

2029 

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS 

Fuso’s contribution to Daimler Trucks 

Australia’s market performance is perhaps 

easily overlooked but in sheer numbers, it 

leaves its big brothers well behind. 

Such has been the coverage and promotion of the latest 

Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz models over the past 

few years, you could be forgiven for thinking Fuso is 

something of a poor cousin in the Daimler Trucks world. 

But not so, and certainly not in Australia. 

Fuso, in fact, sells many times more trucks in our 

part of the world than either of its high profile partners. 

Admittedly, the Japanese brand contests all three 

market segments – light-, medium- and heavy-duty 

– whereas Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz trucks are 

almost entirely dedicated to the heavy-duty class. 

Even so, Fuso figures in 2020 leave no doubt of 

its critical importance to Daimler’s Down Under 

department, delivering 3,529 units for the year. 

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, continued its steady 

rise with a respectable 1,291. Freightliner, however, 

notched just 257 units due in no small part to COVID-19 

and stalled supply of its new Cascadia. 

In total, Daimler Trucks Australia last year delivered 

5,077 trucks across the three market segments, and 

69.5 per cent of them carried the Fuso badge – 2,022 

light-duty, 1,074 medium-duty and 433 heavy-duty. 

In the first quarter of this year, Fuso delivered 925 

units, Mercedes-Benz 387 and Freightliner 90, still 

giving Fuso around 66 per cent of all Daimler Trucks 

Australia sales. 

A year from now though, with its new 510hp (380kW) 

Shogun no doubt pushing for a bigger slice of the 

heavy-duty market, Fuso’s overall influence could be 

even greater. 

A confident Whitehead agrees but predicts substantial 

growth from all three brands, with Mercedes-Benz 

continuing to record exceptionally good figures and 

Freightliner Cascadia now starting to gain momentum 

after a slow start. 

On Cascadia, Whitehead says: “I couldn’t be happier 

with the way things are going. We now have the biggest 

order intake for Freightliner in the past 10 years,” he 

commented, citing a recent order for more than 60 

heavy-duty roadtrain units to high profile company 

Centurion Transport. 

“And truly, that’s just one example of the momentum 

that’s now building, not just for Cascadia but across all 

three brands.” 

output is rated at 135kW and 390Nm of torque 

can be delivered the moment the accelerator pedal 

is pressed. 

Built at Fuso’s Tramagal factory in Portugal, 

whereas diesel-powered Canters are produced at 

the Kawasaki plant in Japan, the eCanter cab is 

fundamentally the same as the standard Canter 

but features a unique instrument cluster that 

shows driving range and how much energy is being 

recouped through regenerative braking when the 

vehicle slows. 

Unlike its diesel brother though, eCanter drivers sit 

on a quality Isri suspension seat. 

And, just as it did in 2019, eCanter will be a major 

Fuso attraction at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. 

This time though, it’s here for good. In more ways 

than one. 


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TRUCKS 

Paccar 

PACCAR NOTCHES 

HALF-CENTURY 

First moves to 

mark 50-year 

anniversary of 

truckmaker’s local 

manufacturing – 

and 70,000th truck 

Industry and politicians have lined up 

to highlight the significance of Paccar 

Australia’s 50 years of manufacturing 

in Australia. 

With the half-century anniversary 

celebrated recently, Paccar is lauded 

for supporting local jobs, industry 

productivity and the Australian economy 

with truck production at its Bayswater 

plant in Melbourne. 

Since March 2, 1971, more than 70,000 

trucks have been built by Paccar there. 

“Paccar built the Bayswater facility 

in 1971 to design, engineer and 

manufacture Kenworth trucks – a 

unique and high-quality product that 

has become an icon of Australian 

trucking” Paccar Australia managing 

director Andrew Hadjikakou says. 

As part of the celebrations, federal 

treasurer Josh Frydenberg, assistant 

treasurer Michael Sukkar, assistant 

minister for freight transport Scott 

Buchholz, assistant minister to the 

deputy prime minister Kevin Hogan, ATA 

chair David Smith and ATA CEO Andrew 

McKellar toured the facility. 

After the tour came a formal 

recognition of the role Paccar has 

played in the trucking industry for the 

past 50 years. 

“During the past 50 years, Paccar 

has manufactured 70,000 trucks in 


this plant. We are extremely 

proud of this achievement and 

honoured that the treasurer 

and his colleagues have joined 

us to show their support for 

our industry,” Hadjikakou 

says. 

The celebrations saw 

Frydenberg hand over the 

keys of the 70,000th truck 

manufactured at the plant to 

Brown and Hurley, a multigenerational 

Australianowned 

family dealership 

that celebrates 75 years in 

business this year. 

“Brown and Hurley are a 

fourth-generation Australian 

family-owned business, 

which started in 1946 as a 

‘fix-anything’ mechanical 

repair business and service 

station,” Hadjikakou says. 

“They distribute and 

support Paccar products and, 

during their 75-year journey, 

have grown the business to 

11 locations, providing 460 

Australian jobs.” 

Smith says that, in addition 

to supporting local jobs and 

communities, Paccar provides 

broader economic benefit 

by producing trucks that are 

designed locally for the unique 

conditions and demands 

of the Australian transport 

industry, moving freight in the 

safest and most productive 

way. 

“Paccar directly employs 

more than 1,200 people 

in Australia, with many 

thousands more employed in 

its supply chain,” he adds. 

“Sixty per cent of the parts 

required to manufacture a 

Kenworth truck are sourced 

locally, employing another 

10,000 people. 

“Australian-manufactured 

Kenworth trucks represent 

20 per cent of all heavy-duty 

trucks on our roads, and while 

manufacturing contributed 

$100 billion to Australia’s GDP 

in 2020, Paccar alone made up 

nearly one per cent of that.” 

Hadjikakou says there 

are many exciting projects 

Paccar directly employs more 

than 1,200 people in Australia, with 

many thousands more employed in 

its supply chain 

on the horizon for Paccar, 

including the completion of a 

$40 million factory expansion 

and a $15 million investment 

in 2021 for local research 

and development, software 

integration and engineering to 

produce new products in the 

Bayswater factory. 

“These products will benefit 

our industry, community and 

broader economy through 

cleaner engines, higher levels of 

safety and comfort, reduced fuel 

usage and higher productivity,” 

Hadjikakou says. 

“Our factory expansion is set 

to double our manufacturing 

capacity and will position the 

organisation for the next 50 

years of manufacturing on this 

site.” 

Top: Paccar’s 

70,000th unit, 

a T659 

Above: The first 

all-Australian 

Kenworth, a K125CR 

known as the ‘Grey 

Ghost’ 

Opposite: The 

70,000th truck was 

handed over to Jim 

Hurley (middle) by 

federal treasurer 

Josh Frydenberg 

(left), Paccar 

Australia CEO 

Andrew Hadjikakou 

(right) and Paccar 

marketing manager 

Ryan Hooper (far 

right); Trucks 

have been built at 

Paccar’s Bayswater 

facility since 1971 


TRUCKS 

Volvo Group Australia 

VOLVO EYES 

FOSSIL-FREE 

Volvo Group 

Australia’s recent 

press conference 

coincided with 

the release of an 

updated range of 

Volvo Trucks, as 

well as the arrival 

of the new Mack 

Anthem 

WORDS BEN DILLON 

FUTURE 

by the company to become carbon neutral. 

Amid a showroom backdrop of Volvo 

Group Australia’s (VGA) latest 

offerings, president and CEO Martin 

Merrick outlined VGA’s direction in the 

local market at the group’s 2021 press 

conference, stating that its global aim is to 

have 35 per cent of Volvo trucks utilising 

electric drivetrains by 2030. 

While Merrick wouldn’t provide an 

estimate on the percentage of local electric 

trucks, the company hoped to be shifting by 

the 2030 target, he set out a road map for the 

brand which features electric and alternative 

fuel drivetrains. 

Another couple of future dates to keep in 

mind for Volvo are 2040, when the company 

says it will no longer be using fossil fuels, 

stating that liquid natural gas (LNG) and 

biodiesel will be the future drink of choice for 

its trucks, and 2050, which is the target set 

“We are on a journey toward fossil-free 

transport solutions by 2040. That said, the 

internal combustion engine will be with us 

in Australia for a very long time to come,” 

Merrick says. 

“With the research going on today into 

alternative fuels, perhaps we will see 

an internal combustion engine which is 

fossil-free.” 

When questioned if a hydrogen-fuelled 

internal combustion engine would be on 

offer, VP of sales, strategy and support Paul 

Illmer said that hydrogen fuel cell technology 

is the only hydrogen tech Volvo is interested 

in at this time. 

Also juggling the role of acting 

vice-president of Mack Trucks at the time, 

a role since taken over by Tom Chapman, 

Merrick announced the Anthem and Trident 

models will feature predictive radar-based 

cruise control, a proprietary Mack technology 

that is part of VGA’s hope for zero collisions 

in the future. 

“It learns the topography of routes 

and stores the information to automatically 

adjust the speed, torque and gearing 

to deliver the best fuel performance on 

saved routes,” he said. 

When it comes to safety in the updated 

Mack range, in particular the lack of 

driver-side airbag in the Anthem, Merrick 

announced a package to improve safety of 

the Mack range. 

“Mack trucks international has committed 

to invest in around $100 million in the Mack 

product range over the next three years. Of 

course, I will say the airbag will come but we 

are on that journey,” Merrick says. 

“We take what we have from the US 


We are on a journey 

toward fossil-free transport 

solutions by 2040 

and then build what we need here 

in Australia, so watch this space.” 

With Tony O’Connell’s 

departure to fill the MD role at 

Volvo Malaysia and sideways 

move of Gary Bone from Mack to 

Volvo, Merrick filled the VP void 

until a suitable replacement was 

found in Chapman. 

VP of UD Lauren Downs took the 

opportunity to further outline what 

the UD and Isuzu partnership will 

look like. The main theme being 

that it’s not a clear-cut change 

of ownership of UD to Isuzu but a 

‘strategic partnership’ that benefits 

both parties. She adds how this 

strategic alliance works will be 

different for different markets. 

“Volvo Group Australia will be 

the sole importer and the sole 

distributor of the UD product here 

in Australia,” Downs says. 

“T he changes will be limited as 

both brands are successful in their 

own rights.” 

The partnership, which is slated 

to continue for 20 years, will be 

overseen by a board with offices 

in both Sweden and Japan and 

filled with key members of both 

brands including Volvo CEO Martin 

Lundstedt. 

Downs went on to address the 

issue of UD and Isuzu competing 

for the same slice of the Australian 

truck market in segments which 

are already highly competitive. 

“There are currently no plans to 

change the UD product line up or 

strategy. We believe we have the 

best premium Japanese product,” 

she says. 

“Isuzu will remain a direct 

competitor and, in our minds, it’s 

full steam ahead and there’s not 

much they can do.” 

For the new Volvo models, the 

FL, FM, FH and newly introduced 

crew cab FM come with a host of 

safety features including adaptive 

high beam lighting, which senses 

an approaching vehicle and dims 

head lights on one side while 

retaining high beam on the offside, 

a blind spot camera activated by 

the left turn indicator, and adaptive 

radar cruise control which now 

works down to zero km/h from 

the previous low of 15km/h. Volvo 

says is advantageous in stop/start 

city conditions. 

The adaptive cruise is also 

upgraded for greater connectivity 

with vehicle systems allowing 

better downhill retardation of 

the truck. 

Above: Volvo Trucks 

vice president 

Gary Bone; UD 

vice president 

Lauren Downs 

Below: Paul Ilmer, 

VP of sales, 

strategy and 

support 


VGA president and 

CEO Martin Merrick 


TRUCKS 

Janus 

JANUS JOLTS 

The Brisbane 

Truck Show is 

to see the debut 

of an innovative 

Australian EV 

solution 

WORDS ROB McKAY 

Exchangeable battery-electric truck 

firm Janus Electric has revealed that 

its prototype vehicle will appear at 

the Brisbane Truck Show this month. 

Claiming world-first patented 

technology, the Janus’ truck is an 

electric-converted Kenworth T403. 

Developed by professional engineers, led 

by co-founder Bevan Dooley, and transport 

operators, Janus batteries aim to remove 

the need for heavy electric vehicles to plug 

in and charge for 12 hours. 

Instead, the revolutionary solution can 

be swapped out in three minutes with a 

fully charged battery ready to go, thereby 

increasing vehicle utilisation and all but 

eliminating downtime. 

Janus Electric general manager Lex 

Forsyth believes the exchangeable battery 

is a game changer for the transport 

industry globally. 

“The fact it’s exchangeable and can be 

done in three minutes at one of the charge 

stations located initially at key locations 

along the east coast from Brisbane to 

Sydney is world class,” Forsyth tells ATN. 

“Janus Electric has solved the scale, 

price-point and battery technology 

challenge for conversion to electric. 

“We want to lead the transition to electric 

heavy vehicle road transport in Australia, 

and we want Australian businesses to be 

at the forefront of this next phase of road 

transport globally.” 

Janus Electric sees the technology as 

having the potential for a huge positive 

impact on the global environmental 

footprint, not least due to the flexibility of 

powering it up. 

“It features a battery that can be charged 

utilising renewable energy sources such as 

solar, wind and hydro,” Forsyth says. 

“Janus batteries can be charged 

when and where it makes sense, both 

environmentally with renewable energy 

and economically when the electrical grid 

is not in high demand.” 

The new technology is seen as a 

significant boon for a transport industry 

looking to convert from diesel to electric. 

Existing fleets can now be converted 

to electric drive for the same cost 

as refurbishing a diesel engine, the 

company notes. 


Forsyth adds that it takes 

less than a week for Janus 

to convert any existing heavy 

duty prime mover into an 

electric vehicle. 

“This means fleet operators 

can cost-effectively undertake 

mass electrification of their 

entire fleet for the same cost 

of re-working a diesel engine,” 

he says. 

“There are substantial cost 

savings to fleet electrification. 

“The Janus solution can 

deliver up to a 30 per cent 

reduction in maintenance and 

operating costs. 

“There are positive benefits 

for the drivers fatigue 

management and overall 

health and well-being with 

the Janus conversion from 

diesel to electric through the 

reduction of vibration, noise 

and harmful fumes. 

“Janus is a technology-led 

business with a smart solution 

that will benefit everyone within 

the transport ecosystem from 

governments to large-scale 

fleet operators, individual 

owner-drivers and renewable 

energy providers.” 

TESTING PROGRAM 

The firm plans to ramp up 

its testing program this year, 

with four vehicles undergoing 

conversions. 

When done, the Janus fleet, 

each truck armed with a single 

interchangeable battery, will 

number five. 

“We have already completed 

proof of concept testing of a 

converted Kenworth T403, 

which will be on display at 

the Brisbane Truck Show,” 

Forsyth says. 

“The next step is to further 

test another four prototypes 

currently being converted, 

with the aim of generating 

250,000km of additional 

performance data. 

“These test vehicles will be on 

the Pacific Highway from later 

this year.” 

Janus is currently firming up its 

Janus Electric claims to 

have solved the scale, 

price-point and battery 

technology challenge for 

conversion to electric 

charge stations, which will store 

charged batteries for exchange 

with those low on power. 

“They will be located 

strategically to coincide with 

mandatory driver fatigue breaks,” 

Forsyth says. 

“Ultimately there will be a 

national network of change and 

charge stations. 

“Initially, they will be located 

at Hemmant in Brisbane, Taree 

and Coffs Harbour on the 

Pacific Highway and Prestons in 

Sydney.” 

It is understood the fleet 

additions will be based on 

Kenworth T610 and Mack Trident 

and Super-Liner trucks. 

Battery range is put at up 

to 600km, depending on the 

application and load. 

Janus explains that its 

battery-cell technology will 

be “fully upgradable with new 

emerging battery technology” as 

lithium cells are superseded and 

the units presently have a life of 

up to eight years. 

Top: Forklift 

placing the battery 

in the truck – the 

batteries can be 

swapped out in 

minutes, rather than 

the truck having to 

wait to recharge 

Above: Bevan 

Dooley 


Lex Forsyth 


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CALL US TO REGISTER - 1800 272 144 


Reconnect 

19 - 21 August 2021 

Gold Coast - QLD


Nissan Navara ST-X 

LOOKING GOOD 

With tried and 

tested mechanicals 

and a handsome 

updates exterior, 

it’s okay to judge 

the 2021 Nissan 

Navara by its cover 

WORDS DANIEL GARDNER 

With an Australian legacy that reaches 

back to 1985 and the D21, Nissan’s 

Navara deserves recognition for its 

part in building the popularity of utes to the 

unprecedented levels you’ll find today. Go 

even further back, though, and you follow a 

long bloodline of pickups all the way to the 

Datsun 2225 that had its genesis in 1947. 

Unlike some relative newcomers to the 

market, therefore, it’s fair to say Nissan has 

well and truly earnt its ranking among a 

growing range of compelling options. But 

there’s only so far history and heritage will 

carry a brand in this fearsomely competitive 

market and, in the eyes of pragmatic 

Australian buyers, bang-for-buck is king. 

That’s precisely why you won’t find the 

short-lived X-Class in Mercedes showrooms 

for much longer. The resoundingly good 

one-tonner was at the very pointy end of the 

premium ute market, with a hefty price to 

match, and that’s before you got stuck into 

the options. 

Even the excellent V6 diesel flagship 

couldn’t convince enough local buyers to put 

their hands in their pockets. 

However, a little of the X-Class lives on in its 

mechanically-related sibling you see here, but 

now the Nissan Navara has been treated to an 

update for 2021 and, as before, Nissan says 

the mid-range ST-X will be the breadwinner of 

the line-up. 

REFRESHED DESIGN 

On the outside, a comprehensive facelift has 

re-sculpted the front and rear ends, including 

LED lighting, a massive grille, new wheel 

design and, significantly, a new bonnet. 

It’s a bold new look that strides ahead 

of the more benign look of its predecessor 

and into territory that appears inspired by 

US-market tastes. 

Newly designed wheels measuring 

18-inches (46cm) or 17-inches (43cm) for 

the lower-spec variants, a new hero Forged 

Copper paint colour and Navara embossed 

lettering in the tailgate are aesthetic 

highlights. 


Headspace is good but 

an upright seat back and 

limited legroom for taller 

passengers would wear 

thin on longer journeys 

Those with a penchant for 

customising and enhancing their 

ride will be pleased to hear the 

range of original Nissan accessories 

has now been extended to include 

favourites such as snorkel, 

winch-ready roo-bar, arch-flares, 

underbody protection, tow bar and 

LED light bars – all of which are 

covered by a five-year guarantee. 

Updates are less striking on 

the inside, where the cabin is very 

familiar, save for the excellent, more 

car-like, steering wheel that feels 

more sporty and ergonomic, as well 

as the part-leather upholstered 

seats. The latter better suits 

shorter-bodied occupants who want 

to sit high and appreciate a more 

commercial vehicle position. 

While some unchanged switches 

Top: The cabin 

is very familiar, 

apart from the 

excellent, more 

car-like, steering 

wheel 

Above: The 

large 8-inch 

(20.3cm) central 

touchscreen is 

complemented 

by a generous 

7-inch (17.8cm) 

digital display 

Left: The 

unusual rear 

suspension 

layout does 

offer a degree 

more unloaded 

smoothness but 

still isn’t great 

reveal the D23 Navara’s age, the 

large 8-inch (20.3cm) central 

touchscreen, complemented by a 

generous 7-inch (17.8cm) digital 

display between the driver’s dials 

help lift the interior for a more 

contemporary feel. 

An off-road monitor is also 

now available through the central 

screen and effectively repurposes 

the 360-degree cameras to show 

various points about the vehicle 

when rock-hopping around at up to 

10km/h. It’s a useful feature and a 

clever use of existing hardware. 

THE RIDE 

Practically speaking, the 2021 

Navara is still a strong contender 

even though it’s mechanically 

almost unchanged from the 

previous version. 

Aside from a larger-diameter rear 


Top: More Navara 

variants are now 

treated to the 

beefier twin-turbo 

unit that packs 

140kW and 450Nm, 

including all 4x4, 

king-cab and 

dual-cab versions 

Above: All versions 

can accommodate 

at least one tonne 

in the back 


The Navara is still 

a competent and 

confident all-terrain 

performer 


Off-road ability is 

limited by relatively 

short suspension 

travel and ground 

clearance when 

tackling the 

toughest stuff 

brake drum and strengthened rear 

axle, the Navara’s underpinnings 

carry over include the choice 

of seven-speed automatic 

transmission or six-speed 

manual bolted to a 2.3-litre 

four-cylinder diesel. 

Only the entry-level single cab 

gets a single-turbo version while, 

with the update, more Navara 

variants are now treated to the 

beefier twin-turbo unit that packs 

140kW and 450Nm, including 

all 4x4, king-cab and dual-cab 

versions. 

Unloaded, the Navara is lively 

off the line but the hardworking 

diesel only comes into its own 

when loaded up. With a 325kg brick 

dumped in the tray the Navara does 

not break a sweat with excellent 

acceleration and manners out on 

rural roads. 

The slightly uprated braking 

system offers a firm, confident pedal 

with excellent progressive feel, 

especially when loaded. With the 

load raised to include a combination 

of tray mass and a trailer totaling 

1.1 tonnes, the transmission 

and engine combination is stoic, 

muscular and impressive. 

If a majority of the Navara’s 

freight will be on board, then its 

tray can accommodate more stuff 

with a little more space found 

during the update. All versions can 

accommodate at least one tonne in 

the back, which is an improvement 

on the previous ST-X’s 930kg max. 

While a new towing mode 

included with the three-setting 

D-mode driving presets is 

particularly good, holding gears 

for less brake-punishing descents 

and easier ascents, we question 

the relevance of a Sport mode for a 

vehicle of this type. 

There’s still an unpretentious 

amount of agricultural noise and 

rigidity through the Navara’s 

chassis, alluding to its tough 

construction but a revision of sound 

insulation has added a little extra 

refinement to the cabin especially 

on faster roads. 

Unfortunately, the rear-axle 

upgrade has not included another 

retune to try to crack the unloaded 

coil-spring ride comfort. While the 

unusual rear suspension layout 

does offer a degree more unloaded 

smoothness than some other more 

utilitarian utes, it’s still not the best, 

despite a few attempts by Nissan’s 

chassis engineers. 

Loaded, however, the tail 

is well-behaved and stable, 

matching the Navara’s obedient 

and confident front end, which is 

surprisingly pointy and responsive 

for a one-tonner. If you’re not the 

most confident hauler of trailers or 

intend to drag things close to the 

braked-trailer limit of 3,500kg, the 

update brings trailer sway control. 

DRIVER COMFORT 

A decent amount of safety and 

driver-assistance kit including 

autonomous braking and seven 

airbags across the range is 

also standard, with the ST and 

above gaining extra features 

such as lane-departure warning 

and assistance and blind-spot 


A little of the X-Class lives on in its 

mechanically-related sibling you see here 

monitoring. ANCAP has awarded the 

Navara with the full five stars. 

While front seat comfort is reasonable, 

with a decent number of comfort features, 

including heated seats, the Navara cabin 

is on the smaller side compared with its 

rivals and you can feel it in the second row. 

Headspace is good but an upright 

seat back and limited legroom for taller 

passengers would wear thin on longer 

journeys. Perhaps you can distract 

them for a while with the unique electric 

central rear window or to chat with a kelpie 

in the tub? 

Unfortunately, our first (or should that 

be second) encounter with the updated 

D23 Navara didn’t include any time away 

from the open road and, while a blast out 

of the city with a loaded tray and trailer in 

tow represented one likely scenario for the 

model, a significant chunk of its owners 

will be wanting to tackle some more 

challenging terrain. 

The good news is that there’s nothing 

about the update that should detrimentally 

impact its off-road prowess. In previous 

testing and comparisons, the Navara has 

not proven itself as class-leading, but it is 

still a competent and confident all-terrain 

performer. 

Headlining its list of go-anywhere 

credentials is a rear locking differential, 

which does not disengage front traction 

control when activated. But off-road ability 

is limited by relatively short suspension 

travel and ground clearance when tackling 

the toughest stuff. 

That said, we’re looking forward to an 

excuse to get back behind the wheel of the 

Navara and take into the bush, looking for 

answers as well as the trail less traveled. 

With a growing number of bargainbasement 

newcomer dual-cabs 

challenging the established longstanding 

models, the Navara cannot afford to 

falter or miss an opportunity to evolve 

and improve. 

But capping off the Navara’s rich 

assortment of equipment, trail and 

worksite-ready mechanicals and a 

handsome exterior lift, is attractive 

range-wide driveaway pricing. Kicking 

off from $47,990 for the SL dual cab or 

$57,290 for the generously equipped 

ST-X equivalent, Nissan’s storied ute 

offers a compelling package and looks 

set to feature prominently in an Australian 

landscape for many years to come. 



Mitsubishi Express ANCAP 

GROUND ZERO 

Shock Mitsubishi 

Express ANCAP 

rating prompts 

FCAI consistency 

calls 

WORDS DAVID BONNICI 

The 2021 Mitsubishi Express van has 

made history by being the first vehicle to 

score a zero-star Australasian New Car 

Assessment Program (ANCAP) rating. 

The Express, popular with tradies and 

commercial fleets, failed to earn a single 

star because of the absence of active safety 

systems, such as autonomous emergency 

braking and forward collision warning. 

It also delivered “marginal performance” in 

physical crash tests and “lacks basic safety 

features that consumers have come to expect 

in a newly released model”, according to 

independent crash-testing body ANCAP. 

Mitsubishi Australia reintroduced the Express 

nameplate in 2020 after a seven-year hiatus. 

However, instead of bringing an all-new van, it 

rebadged the ageing Renault Trafic – Mitsubishi 

is able to do this because it is part of the 

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi strategic alliance. 

The Renault Trafic had received a three-star 

EuroNCAP rating in 2015, before such testing 

took active safety features into account. It still 

holds that rating in Europe. 

A Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson tells 

ATN sister site WhichCar the Express was 

designed in accordance with the 2015 NCAP 

protocols but was tested to ANCAP’s stringent 

2020 testing regime, which places importance 

on technology that was unavailable in such 

vehicles six years ago. 

“Compared to competitor peers of a similar 

age, the vehicle holds a competitive position in 

terms of NCAP rating,” the spokesperson says. 

“It holds a three-star (2015) rating in Europe, 

ANCAP did not report NCAP’s earlier rating.” 

“The technology included in the vehicle 

reflects the lifecycle cycle of commercial 

vehicles, which is generally eight years or 

more.” 


However, ANCAP chief executive 

Carla Hoorweg says the Express’s 

specifications do not align with 

today’s safety expectations. 

She adds that while ANCAP 

often awards ratings solely based 

on EuroNCAP scores, the Trafic 

commercial van remained unrated 

in Australia as the European testing 

applied specifically to mini-van 

versions. 

And even if the Renault Trafic van 

earned three stars here, ANCAP does 

not carry over vehicle ratings across 

brands, which is why the Mitsubishi 

Express was deemed an all-new 

vehicle and subject to the latest 

ANCAP testing regime. 

But the zero-star rating could 

seem harsh considering that, as the 

Mitsubishi spokesperson points out: 

“The Express meets all Australian 

Design Rules (ADR) standards for 

vans, and the results of the crash 

testing by ANCAP indicates a good 

level of occupant protection.” 

Hoorweg disagrees: “Unfortunately 

we saw below-par performance 

for protection of occupants and 

vulnerable road users from the 

Express, with results lowered even 

further due to a fundamental lack of 

active safety systems.” 

ANCAP’s technical report, which 

the safety body initiated and funded 

without Mitsubishi’s involvement, 

found “physical crash performance 

of the Express was marginal in areas, 

with notable risk of serious injury to 

the chest of the driver in three of the 

four destructive crash tests (frontal 

offset, full width frontal and oblique 

pole tests)”. 

While ANCAP recognised the 

zero-star rating will have a dramatic 

impact on Mitsubishi Express 

sales – it will become ineligible for 

purchase by a wide range of fleet and 

commercial buyers – it remained 

unapologetic. 

“The Express’s poor result sends 

a clear signal to manufacturers 

Opposite: The 

2021 Mitsubishi 

Express van 

has become the 

first to receive a 

zero-star rating 

from ANCAP 

Above: ANCAP 

found that 

the Express 

provided a lack 

of protection to 

the driver and 

passengers 

Below: ANCAP 

chief executive 

Carla Hoorweg 

and their global parent companies 

that safety must be prioritised 

in all segments offered to the 

Australasian market,” Hoorweg says. 

“Safety rating criteria and 

consumer expectations have 

evolved, as have manufacturers’ 

desire and ability to introduce 

improved levels of safety. 

“We know Mitsubishi can deliver 

vehicles with high levels of overall 

safety and a wide range of modern 

safety technologies, and we 

encourage them to accelerate the 

introduction of these features into 

their van product.” 

Interestingly, the previous model 

Express had been removed from 

sale in Australia in 2013 because of 

safety concerns. 

Mitsubishi Australia stated at the 

time that it “flew in the face of the 

company’s philosophy on crash 

safety”. 

“The reason behind the decision 

is that we are focusing our product 

strategy on safety features, and 

we’re trying to achieve five-star 

across the range,” Mitsubishi said 

in 2013. 

The zero-star 2021 Mitsubishi 

Express ANCAP rating applies to all 

variants introduced in Australia from 

June 2020 and in New Zealand from 

October 2020, which includes shortand 

long-wheelbase versions with 

either the 1.6-litre or 2.0-litre diesel 

engine. 


to pedestrians’ legs provided by the 

bumper was also mixed with areas of 

good to weak performance. 

Safe vehicles on our roads must be a priority 

for everyone in our industry 

Top: A side 

chest-protecting 

airbag is standard 

for the driver only. 

The Mitsubishi 

Express has three 

front-row seating 

positions 

Above: FCAI 

chief executive 

Tony Weber 

Below: FCAI says 

that having two 

ratings for the 

same vehicle will 

be confusing for 

buyers 

VANS UNDER SPOTLIGHT 

While this is bad news for Mitsubishi, 

ANCAP has been at pains to point 

out that there are several vans on the 

market that carry safety ratings from 

as far back as 2011 that may not fare 

any better than the Express if they 

were tested today. 

In December 2020, the 

organisation declared it could no 

longer recommend vans that were 

still available with minimal active 

safety systems, including the 

Express, Hyundai iLoad, Renault 

Trafic, Renault Master and Iveco 

Daily. 

KEY POINTS 

The Mitsubishi Express achieved the 

following scores in key areas: 

• safety assist – 7.0 per cent 

• adult occupation protection – 55 

per cent 

• vulnerable road-user protection – 

40 per cent 

• child safety protection – N/A 

The Mitsubishi Express is fitted with 

dual frontal and side head-protecting 

(curtain) airbags are standard. A 

side chest-protecting airbag is also 

standard for the driver only. 

The Mitsubishi Express has three 

front-row seating positions. 

Chest protection is not provided 

for the front row passengers. 

A centre airbag to prevent 

occupant-to-occupant interaction 

is also not available, nor is a frontal 

airbag for the centre passenger 

seating position. 

The Mitsubishi Express is fitted 

with a manual speed limiter and 

seatbelt reminder (driver only). 

However, important active safety 

systems, including autonomous 

emergency braking (AEB) capable of 

detecting and preventing collisions 

with other vehicles, pedestrians or 

cyclists, is not available. An active 

lane support system (LSS) is also not 

available on any variant. 

The protection provided by the 

bonnet of the Mitsubishi Express to 

the head of a struck pedestrian was 

predominantly adequate, with weak 

and poor results recorded at the rear 

and sides of the bonnet and on the 

stiff windscreen pillars. 

Protection of the pelvis was 

mixed, with areas of good to 

marginal performance. Protection 

FCAI RESPONSE 

The rating caught the attention of 

the Federal Chamber of Automotive 

Industries (FCAI), the peak industry 

organisation representing the 

manufacturers and importers of 

passenger vehicles, light commercial 

vehicles and motorcycles in 

Australia. 

It calls in to question ANCAP’s 

motive for re-testing vehicles in 

Australia. 

“The Australian automotive 

industry continues to work with 

governments and others towards 

harmonisation with international 

standards with respect to vehicle 

regulation in many areas including 

safety, emissions control and theft 

reduction,” FCAI chief executive Tony 

Weber says. 

“Euro NCAP and ANCAP claim they 

are effectively harmonised, however, 

this is not reflected in ANCAP’s 

actions. 

“Alignment with global standards 

is the best way of ensuring 

Australians can have the highest 

vehicle design standards at the 

lowest possible prices. 

“Why is ANCAP spending 

potentially up to $500,000, which 

includes taxpayer dollars, to 

undertake a test on a six-year-old 

vehicle that has already been 

assessed by its sister organisation 

Euro NCAP in 2015? 

“It makes no sense, can send a 

confused message to Australian car 

buyers and is not the best use of 

taxpayer funds.” 

FCAI notes the Australian vehicle 

buyer will understandably be 

confused at the two different ratings 

for essentially the same vehicle. 

“It serves no purpose for the 

customer and it serves no purpose to 

the industry,” Weber says. 

“Safe vehicles on our roads must 

be a priority for everyone in our 

industry, including ANCAP. 

“Rather than seeking a headline, 

ANCAP would better serve the 

Australian public by seeking a 

harmonised adoption of the test and 

measurement protocols as well as 

consumer messaging. 


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NEWS 

TRUCK SALES CONTINUE AT 

A CRACKING PACE IN MARCH 

ALL DOUBTS THAT COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SALES ARE IN BOOM TERRITORY AGAIN CAN 

BE PUT TO REST, WITH THE MARCH TOTAL TOPPING THE LAST COMPARABLE PEAK AND 

THE FIRST QUARTER BEING THE SECOND BEST IN FIVE YEARS 

Also 

March comes in at 3,558, above March 

2018’s then all-time high of 3,447, while the 

quarter hits 8,325, just below 2018’s 8,675, 

according to Truck Industry Council (TIC) 

T-Mark statistics. 

This marks a sizzling return to form after 

total figures dropped successively over the 

past two years. 

Across the sizes, Isuzu is in new territory, 

with 820 units for the month and 2,034 for 

the quarter, just above 2018’s 817 and 2,006 

and significantly higher than last year’s 

640/1,714. The market leader has seen its 

monthly totals rise strongly, with January at 

500 and February at 714. 

One step down, Hino’s dynamic is slightly 

different as its efforts to bridge the gap 

make some headway. Hino’s 551/1,326 

against 2018’s 440/1,181 is a higher margin 

on 2018 than Isuzu, though its jump from 

last year’s 414/996 is on a par with the 

market leader. 

Fuso, too, is in on the act, though some 

good work in March 2019, with 404 units for 

the month, spoils the symmetry. Still, it has 

387/925 against 2018’s 373/867. 

HEAVY DUTY 

The big noises are slightly muted 

compared with the market generally, 

but still pretty healthy. 

This year’s 1,035/2,437 are below 2019’s 

hot 1,186/2,916 and 2018’s almost equally 

hot 1,174/2,903, making it third best in five 

years. Again, the growth over three months 

sees a near-doubling of monthly sales, with 

January at 597. 

Segment leader Kenworth is forging 

on, with 222 for the month above the next 

highest March, 2018’s 212. Though, the 

quarterly total of 497 is well below 2019’s 

572 and 2018’s 551. 

The effect of Volvo’s loss of momentum 

last year is still evident but there are signs 

of a response, with month-on-month figures 

rising as they should from January’s 93 

units, albeit slowly. But March’s 112/314 is 

a long way off the five-year peak of 200/491 

in 2019. 

feeling the pressure on these 

comparisons is Isuzu, at 102/292. Again, 

it’s not a patch on 2018’s 169/427, more a 

continuation of similar figures. But treading 

water just gives an opportunity to others to 

make moves. 

Those others, for this March at least, are 

Scania, returning to form with 107/218, and 

Mercedes-Benz at 106/260. Scania’s best 

in the past five years is 2019’s 115/245, 

while that for Benz’s is 2019’s 114/263. Last 

year, those figures are 61/210 and 84/172 

respectively. 

Most other brands are basically standing 

their ground, though two wrinkles are worth 

mentioning. 

A new range usually helps a brand and 

that goes for DAF as one of the few to 

have missed the previous boom. It is now 

showing steady growth towards where it 

was in 2017 – 49/91 now and 42/97 last 

year against 44/90 five years ago. 

The other is Dennis Eagle, with the niche 

brand breaking a four-year run of March 

ducks with 15/26, against 2017’s 16/30. 

MEDIUM DUTY 

A similar story one rung down is told, with 

this year’s total at 602/1,462, the third best 

in five years, after 2019’s 663/1,650 and 

2018’s 742/1,768. 

For segment leader Isuzu, it’s steady as 

she goes post-boom, with 226/574 just a 

Hino makes up ground on Isuzu as both lead 

record light-duty charge 

smidgin off last year’s 210/580 and 2017’s 

225/587. 

As mentioned several times, Hino’s 

efforts, particularly in this weight division, 

have been concerted, allowing it to shade 

those figures more closely now, at 222/514, 

192/465 and 181/440. 

Fuso continues to bob around in third 

place, with 115/267 this year very close to 

2018’s 115/275 but hardly a challenge to 

the two leaders. 

Iveco is the only brand here in double 

figures or above 30 for the quarter, at 13/37. 

LIGHT DUTY 

Very rarely these days is the dynamo for 

truck-sales movement not found at the 

lighter end of the market – and here it is in 

five-year record territory. 

The totals of 1,231/2,971 mark the first 

March in four figures and the strongest 

quarter as it approaches the 3,000 unit 

mark, where the next best year is 2018 at 

994/2,575. 

Isuzu leads the charge here, too, with 

492/1,168 making a mockery of 2018’s 

358/965. 

And the place-getters are joining in. 

Hino’s 264/687 blows away next best 

2019’s 217/596, while Fuso looks to make 

up ground on its second-placed rival with 

223/559, which is up on its next-best year 

of 2018’s 212/500. 


HEAVY VEHICLES – MONTHLY SALES 

DAF 

49/4.7% 

DENNIS EAGLE 

15/1.4% 

UD TRUCKS 

35/3.4% 

WESTERN STAR 

32/3.1% 

VOLVO 

112/10.8% 

FREIGHTLINER 

34/3.3% 

FUSO 

40/3.9% 

HINO 

65/6.3% 

SCANIA 

107/10.3% 

MARCH 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

102/9.9% 

INTERNATIONAL 

1/0.1% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

106/10.2% 

MAN 

18/1.7% 

MACK 

62/6% 

KENWORTH 

222/21.4% 

IVECO 

33/3.2% 

MEDIUM VEHICLES – MONTHLY SALES 

IVECO 

13/2.2% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

4/0.7% 

MAN 

7/1.2% 

UD TRUCKS 

7/1.2% 

VOLVO 

3/0.5% 

DAF 

0/0% 

FUSO 

115/19.1% 

ISUZU 

226/37.5% 

MARCH 

MARKET 

SHARE 

HYUNDAI 

4/0.7% 

HINO 

222/36.9% 

LIGHT VEHICLES – MONTHLY SALES 

RENAULT 

18/1.5% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

31/2.5% 

IVECO 

103/8.4% 

VW 

6/0.5% 

FIAT 

55/4.5% 

FORD 

21/1.7% 

FUSO 

223/18.1% 

MARCH 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

492/40% 

HINO 

264/21.4% 

HYUNDAI 

18/1.5% 


HEAVY VEHICLES – YEAR TO DATE 

UD TRUCKS 

100/4.1% 

WESTERN STAR 

63/2.6% 

VOLVO 

314/12.9% 

DAF 

91/3.7% 

HYUNDAI 

3/0.1% 

DENNIS EAGLE 

26/1.1% 

FREIGHTLINER 

90/3.7% 

FUSO 

99/4.1% 

HINO 

125/5.1% 

INTERNATIONAL 

9/0.4% 

SCANIA 

218/8.9% 

YEAR TO DATE 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

292/12% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

260/10.7% 

KENWORTH 

497/20.4% 

IVECO 

86/3.5% 

MAN 

45/1.8% 

MACK 

119/4.9% 

MEDIUM VEHICLES – YEAR TO DATE 

IVECO 

37/2.5% 

UD TRUCKS VOLVO 

25/1.7% 11/0.8% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

DAF 

8/0.5% 

4/0.3% 

MAN 

16/1.1% 

FUSO 

267/18.3% 

YEAR TO DATE 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

574/39.3% 

HYUNDAI 

5/0.3% 

HINO 

514/35.2% 

LIGHT VEHICLES – YEAR TO DATE 

IVECO 

170/5.7% 

MERCEDES-BENZ 

119/4% 

RENAULT 

42/1.4% 

VW 

10/0.3% 

FIAT 

128/4.3% 

FORD 

36/1.2% 

FUSO 

559/18.8% 

YEAR TO DATE 

MARKET 

SHARE 

ISUZU 

1168/39.3% 

HINO 

687/23.1% 

HYUNDAI 

52/1.8% 


8.30 AM Thu 13 May 90% 

< Notes ... 

A message 

for transport 

managers, 

operators and 

owners from 

the team at TRT. 

Scan code to 

watch video 

TRT Australia 

Phone: 1800 954 131 

Email: trailers@trtaust.com.au 

www.trtaustralia.com.au 

TRT New Zealand 

Phone: +64 7 849 4839 

Email: trailers@trt.co.nz 

www.trt.co.nz 

ATN-FP-5151298-CS-416

AUSTRALIAN 

OWNED & OPERATED 

See page 8 

See page 4 

OUR NAME IS CHANGING 

Our drive is to keep you safe on the road … now more than ever 

AUSTRALIAN 

OWNED & OPERATED 

PLAZA 315 

High 

quality 

parts 

Expert 

advice 

In 

stock 

now 

Best 

value for 

money 

Next 500,000 km 

WHEEL BEARING KITS 

Include inner/outer bearing, CR scotseal, 

and hub cap gasket or axle gasket. 

Suits N Trailer 

applications. 

Part number HWBK.T1 

$112 

Suits P Trailer 

applications. 

Part number HWBK.T4 

$135 

Suits Drive applications. 

Part number HWBK.D1 

$115 

LED TAIL 

LAMP MODEL 42 

Stop/Tail/Indicator 

9-33v. 

Part number 94202 

$99 

Stop/Tail/Indicator/ 

Reverse 9-33v. 

Part number 94210 

$129 

5 YEAR LED 

WARRANTY 

High 

quality 

parts 

ASK FOR YOUR 

COPY IN STORE 

Apr - Jun 21 

FALL FOR 

OUR AUTUMN 

SPECIALS 

Expert 

advice 

In 

stock 

now 

Next 500,000 km 

INTRODUCING 

POWERSONIC 

BATTERIES 

Through 50 years of 

battery manufacturing, 

PowerSonic has 

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power, robustness and 

reliability in all commercial 

applications. 

PLAZA 315 

Best 

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AVAILABLE AT 

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YOUR PARTNER IN PARTS 

CLUTCH KIT TO SUIT ISUZU 

Exedy is known around the world for their 

high-quality OE replacement Clutch Kits. 

24 month/40,000km warranty. 

MADE IN 

JAPAN 

BECOMES 

ATN-FP-5011309-CS-416 

RATCHET 

LOADBINDER 

Suits 7.3-10mm chain. 

With winged 

grab hooks. 

LC6000kg. 

Part number 

LB0302 

$39 

LONG VEHICLE 

AND ROAD TRAIN SIGN 

2-in-1 Long Vehicle and Road Train hinged 

metal sign. 1020mm x 250mm. 

Part number CIXT011/THM 

$275 

*Check Application Guide. All prices include GST and valid until 30 June 2021. Pictures are for illustrative purpose only. 

CLUTCH TO SUIT 

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SERIES TRUCKS* 

Part number 

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ENQUIRE 

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CALL 1300 TRUCKZONE

ATN #416

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