Owner/Driver #342

ownerdriver 

JULY 2021 #342 $3.00 inc. GST 

DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHEEL 

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OWD-FP-5210694-CS-342

Contents #342 

JULY 2021 

32 

22 FOR THE KIDS 

Townsville’s Convoy for the Cure attracted 

more than 200 trucks in a bid to raise 

funds for brain cancer research 

32 ENCOURAGING EXCELLENCE 

The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers 

Association’s efforts in boosting the 

ranks of young drivers in road transport 

is paying dividends 

38 INGRAINED IN TRUCKING 

Gary Hollis and his son Luke have 

managed their way through the drought 

years by diversifying their Tamworthbased 

operation 

44 WELL-SCHOOLED SCANIA 

With more transport companies opting 

for auto ’boxes, driver-trainer Jason Kemp 

was “blown away” when he added a big 

Scania R620 to the business 

22 

“We all try to keep our driving hours within 

the window of 7am to midnight.” 

56 ALMOST LIKE NEW 

The Heritage Truck Association Australia 

filled in a surprise gap at this year’s 

Brisbane Truck Show, to the delight 

of patrons 

60 MIGHTY MINIATURES 

Away from the slick, million-dollar truck 

stands at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show, a 

small corner of the transport world was 

represented in 1:14 scale 

70 HINO AIMS HIGHER 

Hino previews the upgraded 700 Series 

heavy-duty models boasting advanced 

safety systems, improved and expanded 

70 

powertrains, and new configurations 

78 SHORT ’N SWEET 

We take brief test drive of Fuso’s eCanter 

which is at the forefront of the emerging 

electric revolution in urban freight 

movement 

80 ELECTRIC ESCAPADE 

The SEA300, touted as the first Australianmade 

electric truck, attracted much 

attention at this year’s Brisbane Truck 

Show. But how does it drive? 

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ownerdriver 

EDITORIAL 

Editor: Greg Bush 

Ph: 07 3101 6602 Fax: 07 3101 6619 

E-mail: Greg.Bush@aremedia.com.au 

Senior Journalist: 

Ben Dillon Ph: 07 3101 6614 

E-mail: Ben.Dillon@aremedia.com.au 

Technical Editor: Steve Brooks 

E-mail: sbrooks.trucktalk@gmail.com 

Contributors: Warren Aitken, Frank Black, 

Warren Caves, Warren Clark, Daniel 

Elkins, Rod Hannifey, Michael Kaine, Sarah 

Marinovic, Sal Petroccitto, Ken Wilkie 

Cartoonist: John Allison 

PRODUCTION 

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Sales Manager (Vic): 

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E-mail: Matt.Alexander@aremedia.com.au 

Sales Manager (NSW): 

Con Zarocostas Ph: 0457 594 238 

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Sales Manager (SA/WA): 

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CIRCULATIONS 

AUDIT BOARD 

(CAB Audit March 2021) 

BEHIND THE WHEEL Greg Bush 

The way of the world 

JUST WHEN YOU thought it was safe to embrace 

some sort of normality, COVID is rearing its 

ugly ahead once again. Already organisers of 

the popular Casino Truck Show have pulled the 

pin on this year’s event following last year’s 

cancellation. 

Looking back, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia 

made the bold decision to go ahead with the Brisbane 

Truck Show in May, despite the sceptics questioning 

the validity in holding the event during these strange 

times. However, the gamble paid off and the show was a 

huge success. 

One of the positives to arise from the pandemic is 

the realisation that both employers and employees, in 

certain industries, are capable of fulfilling their job 

requirements remotely. It’s almost become the norm in 

some sectors for employees to work from home or alter 

their hours for part of their working week. 

For truck makers you would think that scenario is 

impossible. However, Scania Australia has come to 

the realisation that a flexible arrangement that offers 

employees work-life balance is beneficial to both 

parties. Even technicians! Scania says it recognises that 

some workers have family or study commitments and 

would like to alter their roster to suit, even to the point 

of preferring to possibly working a nine-day fortnight. 

Scania points out that it has hired around 20 per cent 

more employees over the past few years, and believes 

these new working arrangements will attract more high 

calibre people to various areas of the business, whether 

its technicians, managers or sales people. 

But for many long-haul truck drivers, work-life 

balance is a pipedream. And there’s definitely no 

working from home, unless they can beam themselves 

into the next century where they’ll be able to monitor 

self-driving trucks from their desktop computer. 

Back to reality and the National Heavy Vehicle 

Regulator (NHVR) is pushing for employees to sign up 

for advanced fatigue management (AFM) to enable their 

drivers to work up to 16 hours a day. Now that really is a 

long haul. 

The AFM scheme has been around for a while now, 

but is gaining impetus. One of the benefits, as stated 

by the NHVR, is for the operator or owner-driver being 

able to complete routes more effectively than their 

competitors. 

To sign up for AFM, applicants must have a Fatigue 

Risk Management System in place. 

Certainly there are 

benefits in being able to 

manage your own fatigue 

in a responsible manner. 

But really, unless it’s 

your own business, who 

wants to work 16 hours a 

day? Maybe the energetic 

newcomers to the industry 

will relish the opportunity, 

but the average age of 

truck drivers is increasing 

each year and I’m guessing 

those seasoned veterans 

would prefer to be easing 

up, instead of being wound 

up. 

CIRCULATIONS 

AUDIT BOARD 

Are Media Pty Limited 

Level 5, 451 St Paul’s Terrace 

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Phone: 07 3101 6602 Fax: 07 3101 6619 

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The Goods 

NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND 

NSW amends primary producer regos 

NatRoad hails state changes to truck registrations to halt concession 

applications from false claimants 

NEW SOUTH WALES amendments to laws governing the 

Primary Producer Vehicle Registration Scheme look set 

to change what are seen as a rort harming rural trucking 

while cashing up the undeserving. 

Penalties will rise from $2,200 to $11,000 for 

corporations that attempt to register a vehicle by making 

a false statement. 

The Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2021, 

introduced by state regional transport and roads minister 

Paul Toole, proposes amendments to the Road Transport 

Act 2013 and the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act 1988. 

WA rest-area 

upgrade program 

to commence 

ABOUT $14 MILLION of major upgrades to 

14 heavy vehicle rest areas across regional 

Western Australia will soon be underway, 

the state’s transport minister Rita Saffioti has 

announced. 

The locations for the first phase of the 

program were determined through extensive 

consultation with industry groups including 

the Transport Workers Union (TWU) WA, 

Livestock and Rural Transport Association 

of WA (LRTAWA) and Western Roads 

Federation (WRF). 

Industry priorities comprised major 

upgrades at Newman, Auski, Karijini and 

Leonora, and improvements at 10 key 

heavy vehicles sites in the Pilbara, Mid- 

West Gascoyne, Wheatbelt, Goldfields- 

Esperance and South-West regions, including 

waterproofing, better access and facilities. 

The state and Commonwealth governments 

have committed $50 million under the 

Freight Vehicle Productivity Improvements 

Program (FVPIP) for improvements across 

the state road network. 

“Freight drivers provide an essential service 

and it’s important we have the necessary 

amenities and facilities available in regional 

WA that these drivers need,” Saffioti says. 

“We’ve worked with the transport industry 

to finalise 14 high priority locations across 

regional WA that will receive $14 million of 

urgent upgrades with works to commence 

shortly. 

“I’d like to thank the Commonwealth for 

their financial contribution and the transport 

industry for all their work on the program.” 

The 2022-23 program, which has an 

allocation of $36 million, will also be 

developed through consultation with industry. 

TWU WA voiced its approval to Saffioti 

“The increase is necessary as the value of the primary 

producer concession can be almost $10,000 for a 

heavy vehicle, creating a large financial incentive for 

ineligible customers to seek to exploit the concession,” 

Tool says in his second reading speech. 

“A new offence with equivalent penalties will also be 

created for falsely claiming a registration concession.” 

Among other things, such as removing “inconsistencies 

and red tape to better serve the needs of New 

South Wales farmers”, the changes aim to “rectify a 

longstanding legislative anomaly caused by a drafting 

“for recognising the importance of truck 

drivers by committing to essential and 

humane infrastructure in the form of safe 

and appropriate rest stop amenities on the 

highways of WA”. 

“This funding would not have been possible 

if not for the tireless campaigning of union 

members and all transport workers should be 

grateful for the hard work of TWU members,” 

says state secretary Tim Dawson. 

“I want to thank member for Balcatta, 

David Michael MLA, who has been a tireless 

advocate for truck drivers, and the transport 

minister Rita Saffioti should be commended 

for her ongoing support of transport workers 

and their union, the TWU. 

“Their recognition of how essential 

transport workers are and were throughout 

the pandemic should be commended. 

“With this state government’s willingness 

to consult with industry and union 

members, together we can make significant 

improvements to the lives of truck drivers 

and ensure the funding is directed to the 

correct places.” 

The upgrade list includes six locations on 

the Great Northern Highway in the Pilbara, 

two near Wubin, and a new ablution block 

to be constructed on the Main Reef Road 

(Goldfields Highway) at Leonora. 

error which incorrectly applies a monetary cap on heavy 

vehicle primary producer registration charges”. 

“The objective of the amendments is not designed to 

reduce the number of eligible primary producers; rather, 

it is to ensure that genuine primary producers receive 

the concession while preventing exploitation or gaming 

of the concession, which could give some road transport 

operators an unfair business advantage over others,” 

Toole tells NSW Parliament. 

He adds that: “The current requirement that primary 

producer vehicles cannot be used for let or hire will 

remain in place to maintain a level playing field, so as 

not to disadvantage road transport companies that are 

not entitled to receive the primary producer concession. 

“Penalties for breaching such a condition, including 

registration suspension, currently exist under road 

transport law.” 

The amendments will provide a single point of 

reference for all heavy vehicle registration charges and 

consolidate the minister’s exemption powers within the 

Road Transport Act by removing duplicative provisions in 

the Motor Vehicles Taxation Act. 

National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) CEO 

Warren Clark says the changes should ensure a level 

playing field for road transport operators. 

“These changes are all about making sure primary 

producer vehicle registration concessions benefit 

genuine primary producers, and regional transport and 

roads minister Paul Toole deserves a wrap,” Clark adds. 

“The government says large transport companies with 

token involvement in primary production are currently 

claiming the concession for entire fleets of vehicles. 

“That loophole is being closed and this is a win for the 

small owner-operator who derives 50 per cent or more of 

their income from primary production.” 

Clark notes that a long-standing legislative anomaly 

that had incorrectly applied a monetary cap on heavy 

vehicle primary producer registration charges is also 

being removed. 

As Toole explains, when introduced in 1998, the policy 

intent was for the cap to only apply to primary producer 

light vehicle charges so that the motor vehicle tax for 

these vehicles would not be greater than the national 

registration charge for a heavy vehicle – more than 4.5 

tonnes. 

“It was intended that the monetary cap was not 

to apply when calculating the registration charge 

concession for primary producer heavy vehicles,” 

he says. 

“That means whichever is less of either the uncapped 

tax or the registration charge will apply. 

“However, as currently drafted, this cap would provide 

a disproportionately larger concession for primary 

producer heavy vehicles and that outcome would be out 

of step with the administration of other registration 

concessions. 

“The amendments will also strengthen the customer 

enrolment framework to ensure that primary producer 

vehicle registration concessions benefit genuine 

farmers. 

“This will be achieved through the introduction of an 

income threshold that will require confirmation that 

at least 50 per cent of total income is earned from 

primary production activities in normal seasonal 

circumstances.” 


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THE GOODS NEWS FROM THE HIGHWAY AND BEYOND 

Trucking recognised in honours list 

Road transport identities Craig Smith-Gander and the late Ray Scott 

among the 2021 Queen’s Birthday OA recipients 

Above, L to R: Western Australia’s Craig Smith- 

Gander; Ray Scott passed away in 2020 

TRUCKING STALWART Ray Scott has been 

posthumously honoured as a Member 

of the Order of Australia, recognised in 

the 2021 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. 

“Ray achieved a lot in his lifetime and 

made a great contribution the wider 

trucking industry, but in particular 

the general fuel and livestock sectors,” 

Australian Trucking Association (ATA) 

chair David Smith says. 

Scott, who passed away in 2020, was 

recognised for his professionalism, 

passion, and extensive knowledge of the 

transport industry sectors. The honour 

comes as a belated acknowledgment 

for his significant service to the 

road transport industry, and to the 

community. 

Scott played a significant role in 

the trucking industry, from humble 

beginnings in his father’s family 

business, through to becoming a 

major shareholder in Scott Group 

of Companies, including the K&S 

Corporation. 

Smith says Scott and his family were 

very supportive of the ATA and helped 

to organise one of the largest Forum on 

the Road meetings when it travelled to 

Mount Gambier in the early 1990s. 

In 2013, Scott was inducted into the 

National Road Transport Hall of Fame, 

recognising his history in the road 

transport industry and long service 

on road train work into the Northern 

Territory. 

The ATA has also congratulated 

Western Australia’s Craig Smith-Gander 

on being made a Member of the Order 

of Australia. 

Smith-Gander was recognised, not 

only for his significant service to 

transport logistics, but also for surf 

lifesaving and the community. He has 

been the owner and managing director 

of Kwik Logistics since 2005 and the 

chair of ATA member association the 

Western Roads Federation since 2017. 

Smith-Gander was elected to the ATA’s 

own board in May 2020. 

David Smith says Smith-Gander 

had made a valuable contribution to 

the ATA and its network of member 

associations. 

“Craig is vastly experienced in the 

corporate sector and in not-for-profit 

governance. He was the inaugural chair 

of Westcycle, is the president of Surf Life 

Saving Western Australia and is a board 

member of Surf Life Saving Australia,” 

Smith says. 

“As a member of the ATA board, Craig 

has applied his immense knowledge 

and network of contacts to helping the 

ATA modernise the way we approach 

governance and industry strategy. 

“Craig is closely involved in the 

development of our new strategic 

plan and in our internal initiatives 

to update our engagement with our 

member associations. We couldn’t do 

this work without his expert input,” 

Smith says. 

Industry mourns loss of WA safety champion 

The Western Australian freight industry has 

marked the passing of Transafe WA current 

and founding chair Steve Post. 

Post succumbed on June 24 following a 

brave battle with brain cancer. 

The staff and committee of management 

of Transafe WA have extended their deepest 

sympathies and condolences to his wife, 

Carole, his children, Matthew, Kate and Louisa, 

and the extended Post family. 

They described him as a passionate and 

dedicated advocate for the road transport 

industry in WA, who strove for safe and fair 

outcomes for individuals, industry and the 

community. 

As chair of Transafe WA since its 

incorporation in 2012, his vision to provide a 

forum for industry to share information and 

progress positive change that would ensure 

personal and industry risk was absolutely 

minimised. 

“Steve was a forward thinker who 

determinedly worked to ensure positive 

outcomes rather than simply talk,” Transafe 

WA executive officer Ana Stachewicz says. 

“His passion was fuelled by the experiences 

of his many roles in industry from owner 

driver to risk assessor, and by his genuine 

care for people, and for what he felt was 

right.” 

Post held senior management positions 

in insurance and risk surveying, and with 

livestock, grain, fuel and mining haulers. 

He also worked for some years as an ownerdriver 

in long distance heavy haulage. 

“Steve loved a long drive, and not being 

able to get behind the wheel in his final 

year was particularly hard for him,” 

Stachewicz says. 

“His absolute commitment to safety within 

the transport industry was recognised in 2011 

with the Western Australian Road Transport 

Association [WARTA] award for the most 

outstanding contribution to the road transport 

industry. 

“In the same year, Steve was awarded 

an inaugural life membership to Transport 

Women Australia Ltd for support given to 

the organisation, and for outstanding industry 

contributions. 

“Along with his roles advocating for the 

industry through Transafe WA and other 

associations, Steve was an elected member of 

the City of Mandurah for seven years serving as 

a local government councillor. 

“He was also a great mentor for young people 

encouraging and supporting them in many 

endeavours particularly community activities and 

leadership, and he did a lot of work advocating 

for the victims of road trauma. 

“Steve will be sorely missed.” 

Western Roads Federation (WRF) CEO Cam 

Dumesny highlights his personal qualities. 

“On behalf of our board and members, we 

are deeply saddened by the news of Steve’s 

passing,” Dumesny says. 

“Steve was a larger than life, passionate and 

driven advocate for transport industry safety. 

“On a personal note, he was incredibly 

generous in his time, guidance and friendship 

as I undertook the rebuild of the WA Transport 

Association (WRF). 

“He will be sadly missed.” 

Livestock and Rural Transporters of WA 

(LRTAWA) CEO Jan Cooper notes Post’s 

commitment to industry improvement. 

“Steve was motivated by an inability to sit back 

and do nothing when there was a chance he 

could make a difference, and make a difference 

he did,” Cooper says. 

“Being the inspiration behind Transafe WA was 

a significant part of a lifetime of commitment to 

The late Steve Post, 

founding chair of 

Transafe WA 

the transport industry and community service 

that included serving as a local government 

councillor. 

“He is well known for his leadership in 

the transport sector with a reputation for 

relentlessly pursuing reforms to transport 

regulations and policy. 

“Steve was an outstanding mentor who 

encouraged many young people into 

transport and public policy. 

“We will miss his passion and drive.” 

Former Australian Transport Association 

(ATA) chair Noelene Watson emphasises 

Post’s broad vision along with his compassion 

for truck drivers. 

“Steve Post was very committed to 

improving truck safety, particularly in Western 

Australia,” Watson says. 

“But he also worked at a national level, and 

brought his insights to the ATA council and, I 

recall, our 2016 conference. 

“I remember that Steve always emphasised 

the challenges faced by truck drivers in 

Western Australia, given its long distances 

and harsh conditions.” 


Let’s clear the air 

over illegal engine 

remapping 

Remapped engines release 

60x more pollutants 

To ensure the heavy vehicle industry does its part to 

minimise impact on the environment, all new trucks 

sold in Australia since 2010 must meet Euro V Vehicle 

Emission Standards. 

The illegal practice of engine remapping means the 

vehicle will not comply with these standards, putting 

truck drivers and the public at risk of harm. 

Exposure to toxic diesel emissions in the workplace, 

our communities, schools and the environment causes 

major health risks. 

The NHVR’s priority is to protect the safety of drivers and 

the community, helping to ensure a productive and 

sustainable heavy vehicle industry. 

To find out more on the risks and penalties visit nhvr.gov.au/engineremapping


Advocating for legal fairness 

An industry veteran and a lawyer have joined forces to offer truck 

drivers an affordable legal service to combat frivolous charges 

ON A LONG TRIP, truckies usually think about 

two things, and getting booked is one of them. 

Heavy vehicles operate in an enforcement-rich 

environment and are subject to hundreds of 

potential offences with huge fines. Not to mention 

demerit points. 

In a year, a long-distance driver can travel 

more than 20 times the distance of an average 

car driver but has the same demerit point limit. 

The team at Highway Advocates believes this is 

simply unfair. 

Highway Advocates, headed up by lawyer 

Adam Cockayne and law undergraduate and 

practising paralegal Robert Bell, has recently been 

established as an affordable legal service for truck 

drivers and operators, covering every state and 

territory in Australia. 

Melbourne-based Cockayne is the legal 

practitioner director of Highway Advocates and 

is a lawyer with 25 years’ experience in criminal 

and administrative law. A former managing 

prosecutor in a large government department, 

barrister and Court of Appeal criminal registrar, 

Cockayne, founded the online legal service Fine 

Defender in 2016 to challenge unjust fines and 

enforcement. 

Cockayne is said to have achieved considerable 

success, including forcing five Victorian councils 

to refund $25 million in unlawful parking fines. 

Now applying his legal expertise at Highway 

Advocates, he says he is determined to ensure 

drivers and operators are treated fairly and don’t 

have their livelihoods jeopardised by simple 

mistakes. Cockayne states that he regularly 

appears in court in all jurisdictions. 

“Having an industry insider on our team 

gives us a unique understanding of our clients’ 

situations, an ability to help them avoid the 

regulatory pitfalls and a genuine empathy,” 

Cockayne says, pointing to Highway Advocates 

CEO and director Robert Bell. 

Based in Brisbane, Bell spent more than 20 years 

driving trucks. He has been a long-term advocate 

for the industry, appearing in Senate hearings and 

industry focus groups. He has published several 

articles in the transport press and appeared on 

the ABC’s 7.30 Report. 

Bell says his experience as a driver and his 

expertise in road transport legislation puts him 

a strong position for Highway Advocates’ clients. 

Currently undertaking a law degree, Bell says the 

fact that he’s “been there” means he understands 

the issues drivers face and believes most drivers 

simply make honest mistakes. 

“We can help you with a fatigue breach, a 

camera-recorded offence, a weighbridge 

avoidance, load restraint or dimension breach, or 

any of the hundreds of other offences under the 

road transport legislation,” Bell says. 

“And, if you’ve racked up thousands of dollars 

in past fines and enforcement fees, which you’re 

trying to pay off or ignore, call us to find out how 

to get these reduced, or even waived in some cases. 

“We can help you whether you’re guilty or not 

guilty.” 

Bell says if a client is not guilty or has a good 

ATA lauds ministers’ decision on HVNL reform 

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) 

has revealed a key takeaway from the 

transport ministers’ meeting with regards 

to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) 

review. 

Under planned changes to the national 

truck laws, trucking businesses will not 

need to hold a special business licence 

or meet a mandatory national operator 

standard, it notes. 

The decision comes following the 

transport ministers’ meeting in May on 

how to complete the review of the HVNL. 

The ATA states that the move will help 

save businesses from more red tape. 

“The ATA argued strongly against 

trucking business licencing or proposals 

for a national operator standard,” ATA 

CEO Andrew McKellar says. 

“An independent report we 

commissioned with NatRoad showed that 

trucking business licensing could involve 

licensing 131,580 businesses at a total cost 

of $3.2 billion over 10 years. 

“And yet the National Transport 

Commission was unable to identify any 

clear safety benefits from the option. 

“We are very pleased that transport 

ministers have listened to the views of the 

ATA and our members. 

“We are looking forward to working with 

governments to complete the review and 

deliver a new version of the law that will 

increase safety and productivity.” 

The official communique from the 

meeting says final legislation will be 

presented to ministers in mid-2023. 

Highway Advocates: Robert Bell 

(left) and Adam Cockayne 

“We can help you whether you’re guilty or not guilty.” 

defence, Highway Advocates can take the matter 

to court and contest the charge. 

“If you are guilty, we can still take your matter 

to court and get a good outcome,” he adds. 

“Some people believe there’s no point going to 

court to plead guilty, and you should just pay the 

fine. This couldn’t be further from the truth. 

“The court has a wide discretion, and we have 

the expertise to identify mitigating factors and 

what actions you need to take to persuade the 

court to be lenient. With the right advocacy you 

can avoid a conviction, a fine and the demerit 

points. 

“Our clients often get a positive outcome 

that literally saves their licences and their 

livelihoods.” 

Bell says it’s important to remember that a 

conviction or fine will stay on a driver’s traffic 

record forever and will go against them if they go 

to court for another traffic offence. 

That both Cockayne and Bell are located in 

different states is no obstruction for representing 

clients in any parts of Australia. With courts 

implementing audio-visual technology, it allows 

them to appear in any court from a screen in 

their offices. 

“We also travel to hearings, with a road trip 

planned this month that has us going down the 

Newell Highway,” Bell continues. 

“Working across the jurisdictions also helps us 

to identify the flaws in the different systems.” 

Bell points out that Highway Advocates charges 

a fixed fee or an hourly rate which he says is a 

fraction of the rate commonly charged by other 

law firms. It also operates a 24/7 hotline. “And 

ours doesn’t charge by the minute,” Bell adds. 

Highway Advocates boasts strong links with 

various industry organisations, including 

the National Road Freighters Association, the 

Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association, as 

well as Women in Trucking Australia. 

– Greg Bush 


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Heavy vehicle decoupling at Gatton 

New 30-bay site enables drivers to 

reconfigure before continuing along 

Toowoomba Second Range Crossing 

THE GATTON HEAVY Vehicle Decoupling 

Facility has opened, which is claimed to 

offer drivers the option to break down 

and reconfigure heavy vehicles on 

either side of Toowoomba Second 

Range Crossing before continuing 

their journey. 

Former deputy prime minister and 

minister for infrastructure, transport 

and regional development Michael 

McCormack says the new facility would 

mean more efficient deliveries to and 

from Brisbane. 

“Heavy vehicle drivers will benefit 

from using the Toowoomba Bypass 

and can avoid paying a second toll to 

reconfigure at Charlton. 

“This will improve efficiencies for our 

essential heavy vehicle industry, cutting 

business costs,” McCormack said, in one 

of his last announcements prior to the 

National Party leadership coup.. 

Queensland transport and main 

roads minister Mark Bailey says the 

new facility would be a boost for the 

freight industry. 

“The Palaszczuk government 

recognises the hard-working heavy 

vehicle drivers who have been the 

unsung heroes over the past year, 

transporting goods and products across 

the state to keep our economy going,” 

Bailey says. 

“The new facility at Gatton will make 

it easier and more efficient for drivers 

to break down and reconfigure their 

trucks as needed before continuing 

over the Toowoomba Range or into 

Brisbane.” 

Queensland assistant regional 

roads minister Bruce Saunders says 

the facility was an important project 

to support the heavy vehicle industry 

and make the road network around 

Toowoomba safer and more efficient. 

“With 30 bays for decoupling and 

no time limits for trailer parking, 

drivers will be able to choose either 

side of Toowoomba to break down and 

reconfigure,” Saunders explains. 

“The acceleration lanes onto the 

Warrego Highway have been lengthened 

to make the highway merge safer. 

“The roundabouts and overpass 

between the Gatton facility and 

Warrego Highway have also been 

Gatton’s Heavy 

Vehicle Decoupling 

Facility 

widened and strengthened to 

accommodate the additional heavy 

vehicles expected to stop.” 

The facility will be monitored by 

CCTV and users are advised to comply 

with site instructions, with penalties 

for dumping livestock effluent or waste 

and any other breaches. 

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Newell gains more overtaking lanes 

Time-saving benefits for busy 

freight corridor with two sections 

recently completed 

WORK TO PROVIDE more overtaking 

opportunities on the Newell 

Highway has taken another leap 

forward with two lanes recently 

completed at Redbank and Coobang. 

Former federal transport 

minister Michael McCormack, who 

was ousted from his position by 

Barnaby Joyce shortly before the 

announcement, says the investment 

in new lanes is to improve the safety 

and the efficiency of this key freight 

and tourism corridor. 

“Road users on the Newell 

Highway are already experiencing 

improved safety and more efficient 

travel times with 17 new lanes 

now completed, including the 

northbound overtaking lane 

near Parkes and the southbound 

overtaking lane at Redbank, near 

Coonabarabran,” McCormack said at 

the time. 

“We look forward to the remaining 

overtaking lanes being delivered, 

providing even greater freight 

productivity and safer and more 

enjoyable journeys on the Newell 

Highway.” 

NSW minister for regional 

transport and roads Paul Toole says 

the rollout of the overtaking lanes 

was being accelerated through 

a strategic partnership with 

industry. 

“To date, we’ve added 25 

kilometres of overtaking lanes on 

the Newell Highway, enabling more 

efficient freight transport and 

providing around 15 minutes in 

time-saving benefits to motorists,” 

says Toole. 

“By the end of 2021, we expect 

to have delivered 25 lanes as part 

of our commitment to build a 

safer, stronger road network in 

regional NSW.” 

Another casualty of the Joyce 

coup, federal member for Parkes 

Mark Coulton, says the Newell 

Highway works were helping 

save lives on the state’s busiest 

freight corridor. 

“With these investments, we 

are playing a part in reducing 

the occurrence of fatigue-related 

crashes on the Newell Highway,” 

Coulton says. 

“Extending these overtaking 

lanes will make using them less 

hazardous, providing everyone 

with a safer and more reliable road 

network in regional NSW – one that 

will get motorists home sooner and 

safer to their families. 

“It will also be a huge fillip for 

freight, which will bring major 

benefits to the region.” 

ownerdriver.com.au 

JULY 2021 17


Drop in heavy rigids 

fatal truck crashes 

Disappointing results for 

articulated trucks which have 

relinquished a reductions lead 

following first quarter stats 

AFTER YEARS of resisting the 

falling trend in heavy vehicle 

fatal crashes and fatalities, heavy 

rigid trucks have made a solid and 

all too welcome reversal in the past 

two years. 

Bureau of Infrastructure, 

Transport and Regional Economics 

(BITRE) figures for the first quarter 

of this year reflect the sort of 

divergence heavy articulated 

trucks previously led, the latter 

now trending slightly upward. 

Since the June 2019 quarter, 

heavy rigids quarterly fatalities 

have fallen from 31 to 10. 

And on a 12-months-to-March 

basis from 2018, fatal crashes 

involving heavy rigid trucks fell 

from 85 85 to 54 and deaths in 

those crashes fell from 93 to 58. 

Much of the reduction has 

occurred in New South Wales, 

which, since 2019, has recorded 

three quarters in double figures 

– 12, 14 and 11 – in the past three 

years. 

No other state made double 

figures, though Victoria did record 

nine in June quarter of 2019. 

In March 2021, the counts were 

four deaths in NSW and one in 

Victoria. 

Articulated trucks failed to add 

a third after two years of lower 

figures, with fatalities jumping 

back into three figures, 106, after 

consecutive years on 94, and fatal 

crashes at 89 after two years on 

85 each. 

On a state basis, a recent 

quarterly rise in Queensland 

stands out, with the December 

quarter on 14 and March quarter 

on 12, up from nine and seven in 

the previous two. 

No other state was in double 

figures, nor has been in the past 

three years bar NSW’s June 2020 

quarter of 11. 

The unfortunate but hopeful 

bottom line is that, during the 

12 months to the end of March 

2021, 162 people lost their lives in 

Above: A rollover in north Queensland. 

Fortunately this accident did not add to the 

statistics on fatalities 

crashes involving heavy trucks. 

These included 106 deaths in 

crashes involving articulated trucks 

and 58 deaths in crashes involving 

heavy rigid trucks. 

However, the total of 162 deaths 

is the lowest than at any time since 

the decade peak in March 2013 of 

226. 


Cheers as fuel security bills pass parliament 

The new laws are seen as strengthening road freight resilience 

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT’S passage 

of fuel security Bills in June will 

improve Australia’s fuel security 

and keep the trucking industry 

moving in times of emergency, 

according to the Australian 

Trucking Association (ATA). 

The Fuel Security Bill 2021 and 

Fuel Security (Consequential and 

Transitional Provisions) Bill 2021 

follow extensive lobbying from the 

ATA, among others, and is expected 

to improve Australia’s stocks 

of transport fuels and support 

continued domestic fuel production. 

The move comes seven years after 

the latest bout of fuel-security 

concern began – the ATA joining 

motoring body the NRMA, Engineers 

Australia and independent senators 

in calling for action. 

This followed the release of the 

NRMA’s report, Australia’s liquid 

fuel security, which highlighted 

Australia’s breach of its 90-day 

liquid fuel stockholding obligations 

under International Energy Agency 

(IEA) agreements. 

“Liquid and diesel fuel are 

critical to Australia’s economy, 

with 98 per cent of energy for 

the transport sector source from 

liquid fuel,” says ATA CEO Andrew 

McKellar, who is set to depart his 

current role on August 9 to take up 

the role of CEO of the Australian 

Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry. 

“Despite this, Australia has 

dangerously low fuel stocks with 

only 20 days of consumption cover 

for diesel. 

“The ATA and its members 

have been campaigning on fuel 

security since 2014 and today’s 

announcement is a significant 

win for industry.” 

The Bills will establish a 

minimum stockholding obligation 

(MSO) that will require fuel 

importers and refiners to maintain 

a minimum level of transport 

fuels, including diesel. 

The MSO will begin in July 2022, 

with a 40 per cent increase in 

diesel stockholdings from 2024. 

The bills also establish a fuel 

security services payment (FSSP) to 

support domestic refineries. 

“This will strengthen the trucking 

industry’s capability to withstand 

major fuel disruptions and can 

keep Australia supplied in times of 

emergency,” McKellar says. 

“Combined with the government’s 

$200 million program for building 

new diesel domestic storage, this 

represents a significant boost to 

fuel security.” 

The government should now 

progress the expected review of 

the Liquid Fuel Emergency Guidelines 

2008 and section 47 of the Liquid 

Fuel Emergency Act 1984 to ensure 

trucking businesses cannot be sued 

for prioritising customers in line 

with government policy du ring a 

fuel security emergency. 

“Under current rules, 

trucking businesses would 

face legal uncertainty if expected 

by government to prioritise 

the delivery of particular goods, 

such as food, during a fuel 

disruption,” McKellar says. 

“Delivery contracts in the 

trucking industry do not typically 

allow for the delay or non-delivery 

of a contracted job as a resulted 

of a fuel shortage or guidance 

from government to prioritise a 

particular type of delivery for the 

health, safety or welfare of the 

wider community.” 

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JULY 2021 19

NHVR Sal Petroccitto 

Increasing efficiencies 

The Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan is making 

significant progress during its first year in place 

CONSISTENT movement of 

freight across Australia 

is critical in keeping 

communities connected 

and productivity growing. 

While the industry 

continues to operate in 

the shadow of potential COVID- 

19 restrictions, there is progress 

being made toward greater levels 

of mobility and opportunity. It’s 

clear that increased access, greater 

certainty, practical guidelines 

and advancements in technology 

will ensure that the heavy vehicle 

industry continues to prosper and 

deliver for the nation. 

As it stands, we are in the midst of a 

significant growth period for freight 

tasks in this country. 

Australia’s road freight task is 

growing at almost twice the speed of 

its population*, and it represents the 

fifth largest freight task globally**. 

These figures are both challenging 

and motivating. It means more jobs 

are being created and more freight is 

being transported. It also means that, 

together, with the support of industry 

and government stakeholders, 

we have a duty to deliver greater 

certainty and consistency for those 

on the road and undertaking roles 

across the supply chain. 

Prior to the pandemic, the National 

Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) set 

about constructing a productivity 

plan for the future. Over the course 

of 18 months, collaboration and 

consultation took place involving 

more than 250 stakeholders from 

industry and all levels of government 

and in August last year, the Heavy 

Vehicle Productivity Plan 2020–2025 

(HVPP) was unveiled. 

The HVPP has three key objectives: 

• provide access certainty and 

consistency 

• partner with local government to 

build capability 

• promote safer and more productive 

heavy vehicles that are better for 

the environment and communities. 

IMPROVED ACCESS 

As we approach the first year of the 

HVPP being in place, significant 

progress is being made, with 30 of 

31 actions outlined either complete 

and benefiting the industry, or well 

underway. 

Of the numerous actions being 

delivered, there are a few that have 

taken shape in the past couple of 

months that I’m particularly excited 

by and that will aid the industry 

considerably. 

As announced in the recent 

federal Budget, the Strategic Local 

Government Asset Assessment Project 

(SGLAAP) will continue for another 

three years, with funding used to 

deliver better assessment and provide 

new and improved access to road 

assets across rural and regional 

Australia. 

The NHVR and local road managers 

will deliver up to 1,000 asset 

assessments over the next three years, 

leading to increased productivity and 

access for drivers into local townships 

and communities. The more assets 

that can be accessed by a range of 

heavy vehicles, the greater the level of 

productivity. 

Add to this a new notice for road 

train prime movers that will ease 

pressure on drivers, improve safety 

and increase efficiencies. 

The National Road Train Prime 

Mover Mass and Dimension Notice is 

now in place and includes benefits 

that provide operators with greater 

flexibility, increase the use of 

standardised trailer sets and provide 

options for operators to enhance 

the ability to use existing vehicle 

combinations more efficiently. 

When it comes to rubber hitting 

the road, the NHVR has been working 

with industry on a generic tyre 

approach for the increasing number 

of performance-based standards 

vehicles. 

This tyre approach is anticipated 

to deliver a reduction in costs, 

delays and practical difficulties that 

currently exist. We expect to have a 

positive outcome to this approach in 

the near future and look forward to 

continuing to consult with industry. 

SPATIAL MAPPING 

Another program of work underway 

is the NHVR’s spatial mapping 

solution. When completed, it will be 

Australia’s first national harmonised 

mapping solution for heavy vehicles, 

with intelligent route planning 

maximising the use of appropriate 

networks for different vehicles and 

freight tasks and freeing up time for 

road managers to focus on other more 

complex requests. 

This is all work that was identified 

under the HVPP last year. 

Importantly, every action being 

delivered is born out of feedback 

SAL PETROCCITTO became CEO of 

the NHVR in May 2014, bringing 

extensive knowledge of heavy 

vehicle policy, strategy and 

regulation to the role. He has 

broad experience across state 

and local government, having 

held senior leadership roles in 

transport and logistics, land use, 

transport and strategic planning, 

and has worked closely with 

industry and stakeholders to 

deliver an efficient and effective 

transport system and improved 

supply chain outcomes. Over 

the past seven years, Sal has 

led a significant program of 

reform across Australia’s heavy 

vehicle industry, including 

transitioning functions from 

participating jurisdictions to 

deliver a single national heavy 

vehicle regulator, harmonising 

heavy vehicle regulations across 

more than 400 road managers, 

and modernising safety and 

productivity laws for heavy 

vehicle operators and the supply 

chain. 

collected in numerous meetings, 

discussions and presentations across the 

heavy vehicle industry and is all part of 

pursuing improvements for the industry 

and supporting a strong and prosperous 

Australia. 

There is more to deliver in the years 

ahead and I encourage you to review 

the HVPP on the NHVR’s website, along 

with the current progress that has been 

made and additional information on the 

highlights listed in this column. 

Similarly, I encourage you to reach 

out to the NHVR if there are additional 

productivity measures that should be 

considered, on top of those listed in 

the HVPP. 

Together, we are delivering a safer, 

more efficient and more productive 

industry. 

* Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and 

Regional Economics (2018). Australian 

Infrastructure Statistics Yearbook 2018; 

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2018). 

3101.0 – Australian Demographic Statistics, 

December 2014–2018. 

** Organisation for Economic 

Co-operation and Development (2018). 

Freight Transport. 

“A new notice for 

road train prime 

movers … will 

ease pressure on 

drivers.” 


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Townsville’s Convoy for 

the Cure is the story of one 

man’s journey to find the 

cure for a cancer that took 

his own daughter. With 

raising funds for research 

the driving force behind 

the event, over 200 trucks 

and a host of motorbikes 

were out on show in 

northern Queensland on 

May 29 to raise money and 

celebrate getting together 

for a good cause. Warren 

Aitken writes 

WELCOME to sunny Townsville, ladies and 

gentlemen. It’s a town that has been in the news 

a lot lately and rarely for good reasons. So, I’d 

like to change that by covering something heartwarming 

from the top end of the country. 

I had been looking forward to heading up to 

the unofficial capital of the tropical north for 

quite a while, especially at this time of the year 

as the humidity is at a level where you can feel 

like a normal human rather than a giant sponge. The reason for 

being in the sunny tropics was to share the coverage of one of 

Townsville’s biggest fundraising events, the annual Convoy for 

the Cure. 

Here’s the thing: it is a great event. The people involved in 

running it were fantastic, the people entering their rigs were 

fantastic, the hordes of trucking fans that lined the streets were 

fantastic, even the police who assisted throughout the day were 

fantastic. The two guys at the top of the team ladder, though, Ren 

Pederson and Todd Martin, would give anything for the event 

not to be needed and for them both to be sitting out on the water 

and fishing instead. 

I know that sounds a bit harsh but hear me out. I admit I went 

to this event with very little knowledge of the motivation and 

Far left, and left: The 

lead truck for this year’s 

show was a refurbished 

1985 Scania 112 6x4 

tipper, owned by Ross 

Gofton of Ingham; 

Todd Martin and Ren 

Pedersen stand proudly 

with the novelty check 

for $82,570. Before 

the day had finished, 

though, that number 

had increased, with 

more money flowing in 

during the event 

Right: The lovely ladies 

from Smoko On The Run 

Rinelle Bailey (far left) 

and Allison Spenser (far 

right) were up early to 

provide much-needed 

refreshments. First 

in line were some of 

the Graduate School 

of Motoring team – 

Damian Gough, Sophia 

Gough, Belinda Marshall 

and Jessica Driver 


JULY 2021 23

Above, left to right: Tracey Gibb and 

Livian Gibb from PJ’s Townsville 

Mini Load stand proudly with 

Tracey’s 2019 Mitsubishi Canter; 

This youngster looks the part but 

he had a few issues getting his feet 

to the pedal 

Right: Some of the Townsville 

HydroVac team; another local 

company that really gets behind 

the cause 

Opposite top: It’s all about family 

and all about the cause. Sean 

Spriggs drags the family in, 

holding Ben with Cash beside him. 

Annette and Darren Spriggs along 

with Clint Ferguson joined the 

photo – and let’s not forget the 

1985 W model in the back 

Opposite middle, left to right: It 

may be all about the charity but 

for Drain Transport driver Mattie J 

it’s also a little bit about the shine; 

Another company with a huge 

presence in North Queensland 

is Brisbane’s OzWide Freight, 

represented by Robert Cawthorne 

Opposite bottom: Ryan Drain from 

Drain Transport doing some lastminute 

detailing 


“The hordes of trucking 

fans that lined the 

streets were fantastic.” 

cause behind it, so the first man I bailed up was Todd, the event’s 

organising guru. 

Todd filled me in a little but insisted I talk to the driving 

force behind the Convoy for the Cure (no pun intended) – Ren 

Pedersen. Ren is your typical blue collar Aussie worker who, 

through tragedy, has become a fundraising icon. His day job has 

him running Patriot Cranes, a mobile crane company up in the 

heat of North Queensland. I was privileged enough to sit down 

with Ren for a bit and learn exactly why he would give anything 

not to be doing this convoy. 

That may sound a little callous but the truth is, all of Ren’s 

fundraising efforts are directed toward finally finding a cure 

to a fatal brain cancer – diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). 

One of the leading killers of children in Australia, DIPG is a 

brain stem tumour. Therefore, raising money for research is why 

Ren and the crew run events like this, so not having the convoy 

would actually mean success in terms of managing this disease. 

In 2007, Ren and his family were informed that their beautiful 


JULY 2021 25

Top: Nortrans lets loose with a few smoke signals for the crowd and they 

loved it 

Above and right: Todd Martin interviews one of the convoy kids as he sets 

off on his lap; Two of the drivers from JP Transport, Justin and Louis, had 

the kids – Zaiden, Coen, Michael and Elais – out truckin’ for the day 

Below: The kids are all lined up and eager to go for the specially-constructed 

Kids’ Convoy route 

“The first event, back in 2016, 

raised nearly $50,000.” 

little girl, Amy, had DIPG. As he put it: “We were sent home and 

basically told to measure her up for a coffin.” 

It was not the kind of thing any parent wants to hear and, for 

a guy like Ren who deals with mechanical issues, construction 

problems and logistical challenges all day in his job at Patriot 

Cranes, it was hard to compute. 

“I kind of thought of it like well, ‘the truck is f***ed, the motor’s 

blown, I’m going to source out the right mechanics to fix it’.” 

Back in 2007, when Amy was diagnosed, Ren’s research found 

that there is no cure for DIPG and it has a zero per cent survival 

rate. It appears in children between the ages of 4 to 11, with only 

10 per cent surviving two years from diagnosis; dropping to two 

per cent making five years. 

Amy fought hard but, 16 months after her diagnosis and aged 

only nine, she passed away. During those 16 months Ren had 

been travelling the length and breadth of this huge country, 

talking and consulting with all the leading experts. 

“At the time, the doctors were just trying any sort of treatment, 

stuff designed for adult cancers or other children’s cancer,” he 

says. 

“Basically, it was like throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing 

what sticks.” 

The one thing he did learn is that there was insufficient 

research going on. Every year there are 20 kids in Australia 

diagnosed with this brain cancer, with the average survival rate 

from diagnosis being between nine and 12 months. Ren decided 

to try and change that, throwing himself into fundraising and 

making sure every cent would go straight to the big brains at the 

coalface; those directly doing the research. It’s this fundraising 


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“It’s not about who has the best, it’s 

all about the cause.” 

effort that sees me watching over 200 shiny vehicles convoying 

their way through the streets of Townsville. 

Top: Although the Drain Transport 

team had just three stunning rigs 

in the convoy, there were plenty 

of friends and family there to 

support the day 

Above left: CKC Haulage turned up 

with a full spread of sizes – Caleb 

Bryce was driving the big 2015 

Mack Trident, Barry Jarvis was 

behind the wheel of the HR Isuzu, 

and Taylor Ashley-Cooper had the 

keys to the shiny little Hino 

Left: The Cal Diesel team of Luke 

and Courtney Murr with their kids 

Hudson and Addison 

Below: The Nortrans’ fleet is a huge 

participant in the Convoy for the 

Cure event and, once again, the 

trucks were there in droves 

EVENT RESURRECTION 

For several years after the passing of Amy, Ren went about 

fundraising as much as he could. He opened the Australian 

arm of The Cure Starts Now, a global charity organisation. In 

2016, after the demise of Townsville’s previous yearly convoy, he 

bailed up another well-known local, Todd Martin, and put him 

on the spot about resurrecting the event. 

Todd has been involved in numerous car and bike events 

around North Queensland and had been promised by Pedersen: 

“Cars, bikes, trucks – it’s all pretty much the same thing.” Having 

known the Pedersen family and their efforts to raise awareness 

of DIPG, Todd was more than happy to get involved. Though it’s 

worth noting, he pointed out with a grin: “Organising a truck 

convoy is not like car and bike shows.” 

The first event, back in 2016, raised nearly $50,000. Since then, 

the convoy has just gotten bigger and better. What makes it very 

different from a lot of other shows is that the focus is all about 

the cause. There’s no truck show, no prize giving – in fact, most 

people probably spent more time cleaning and polishing than 

they actually did participating. 

The convoy gets underway around 10am, with around a 20km 

drive to Ross River Dam for a park up and a chat, and 


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“Most of these 

guys are working 

non-stop; some 

still have to go to 

work today.” 

Above, left to right: The convoy isn’t just about the trucks; 

a huge array of beautiful bikes were also shined up; Local 

Instagram celebrity and therapy dog @Gidget0707 lines up for 

his ‘dogicinno’ 

Left: I think this shot shows exactly what fundraising events 

like this are for. Young dad Ryan Drain stands proudly with 

his two little ones, raising money to help try and avoid losing 

more young children in the future 

my cameras were back in their bag by around 2pm. 

“It’s not about who has the best, it’s all about the cause,” 

Ren says. 

Todd also points out why they’ve staged it this way: “Most 

of these guys are working non-stop; some still have to go to 

work today.” 

Both Pedersen and Martin appreciate that truckies don’t get a 

lot of downtime so going out of their way to support the cause is 

not lost on them. 

JUNIOR CONVOY 

One little addition to this year’s event though was the children’s 

convoy. What stemmed from a social media joke led to kids 

being able to purchase a charity licence plate for their bike and 

participate in the convoy course that was set up at the Ross 

River Dam. 

Obviously, with all the new COVID rules and regulations, 

things are continually changing and adapting when it comes to 

events like these – more so when you have nearly 200 trucks and 

close to 100 bikes. The event could not have been undertaken 

without the support of the local Queensland Police Service, 

which has been assisting with the event since its inception. 

As much as I enjoyed my day, meeting some great people and 

photographing some really cool trucks, the biggest respect has to 

go to Ren and the team that run the show. 

“My daughter used to tell everyone ‘my dad will cure me’,” Ren 

recalls during our chat, “so I’ll keep trying.” 

So far, he has raised millions of dollars that has gone directly 

to researchers. That research has resulted in treatments 

increasing life expectancy for those diagnosed with DIPG. While, 

as yet, not one child diagnosed has ever been able to ring the 

cancer-free bell, I have no doubt that, with the driving force of 

The Cure Starts Now behind it and events like the Convoy For The 

Cure, that day will come. 


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industry issues 

ENCOURAGING 


EXCELLENCE 

The Livestock, Bulk and 

Rural Carriers Association’s 

efforts in boosting the 

ranks of young drivers in 

road transport is paying 

dividends. Warren Caves 

reports 

DEPENDING on whose study you reference, the 

average age of an Australian truck driver is 

somewhere around the 47-years-old mark. 

Based on this figure, it would suggest there are 

also a high percentage of truck drivers working 

within the transport industry well in excess of 

50-years-old. 

On one hand, this is a positive in that the vast 

majority of the driver pool should, theoretically, 

have many years of driving experience and a, generally 

speaking, higher skill set that goes with it. It’s a good thing. 

On the negative side, however, these figures could also 

indicate that as the current workforce retires or moves into 

different vocations, there is not a significantly high enough 

number of younger recruits entering the industry to take 

their place. We have been seeing the effect of this for some 

years now, indicated by the need to import overseas drivers 

to fill the gap. 

Initiatives to make the career of truck driving more 

appealing should be actively encouraged by all within the 

industry if we are to adequately address any workforce 

shortfall, and promote the trucking industry as a viable and 

rewarding career choice. 

Proactive mentorship programs and awards recognising 

excellence are just small ways in which young driver 

excellence can be fostered and encouraged early on in the 

piece to acknowledge a job well done. 

Hard won young driver awards with stringent performance 

Below: Mick Maloney of Maloney Livestock Transport (left) congratulates 

Matt Benseman on winning the LBRCA Young Driver of the Year award 


JULY 2021 33

“The award is our way of identifying 

excellence in young drivers.” 

Above: Matt Benseman with a 

couple of his “co-workers” in 

Tamworth 

Below: There’s a Slim Dusty 

moniker on each MLT truck 

Bottom: The current all-Kenworth 

MLT fleet 

Opposite top: Matt Benseman 

drives this six month-old T659 

Kenworth for the Maloneys 

criteria should be worn as a badge of honour and something 

to aspire to. An award should take pride of place on the 

mantle-piece in the pool room. 

The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association 

(LBRCA) in partnership with Safe-Work New South Wales has 

been running its annual Young Driver of the Year Award since 

2015, to recognise outstanding young heavy vehicle drivers 

that demonstrate a best practice approach to driving and 

safety. 

The annual award is hotly contested with stringent criteria 

to be met by all nominees. Nominations must come from an 

LBRCA member and nominees must be aged between 21 and 

35-years-old. Nominees must also be either an LBRCA member 

or work directly for a member. 

According to Bec Coleman, chief operating officer of the 

LBRCA: “The award is our way of identifying excellence in 

young drivers and moulding them into industry leaders; 

that’s what we aim to do with the award. This is highlighted 

by the progress of our inaugural award winner Reggie Sutton. 

Since receiving his award in 2015, Reggie has since gone on to 

currently hold the position of vice-president of the LBRCA. 

“Each year we receive seven or eight nominations who must 

complete the entry to include two independent references, 

information about the nominees driving and employment 

history and answer a series of industry relevant questions 

and typical scenarios and how they are handled in day-to-day 

life on the road,” Bec explains. 

“These nomination forms once received make up 50 per 

cent of the judging process. In the past couple of years we 

have tightened the criteria even further to require a clean 

police check and an untarnished driving record.” 

A panel of judges comprising former award winners, award 

sponsor representatives and award steering committee 

members evaluate the nominees’ answers and credentials 

blindly before trimming the list of nominees down to three 

finalists. The chosen finalists are then notified and invited 

to the LRBCA annual conference. 

At the conference the finalists are then interviewed 

and judged by a five-member panel, which includes two 

representatives from Safe Work NSW. 

The award winner, once chosen, then goes on to represent 

the LBRCA and young drivers as a safety ambassador for Safe 

Work NSW. Additionally, the winner receives an industry 

study tour prize to the value of $5,000. 

Stock experience 

The LBRCA annual general meeting for 2021 was held in 

Dubbo on March 6, with the Young Driver of the Year trophy 

awarded to Matt Benseman of Tamworth NSW. 

Thirty-three-year-old New Zealand-born Matt works for 

Maloney Livestock Transport (MLT), also based in Tamworth. 


Prior to joining MLT, Matt spent eight to nine years 

working on a broadacre farming property in Goondiwindi, 

Queensland, before moving to Tamworth, where his stock 

work skills gleaned on the dairy farms of New Zealand 

would prove a valuable asset to his next career of the 

modern-day drover. 

Mick and Carolyn Maloney commenced operations 

of MLT in December 2018, at which point Matt started 

with the company as a driver. Suitably impressed by 

Matt’s manner and professionalism on the job since 

then, Carolyn nominated Matt for the LBRCA Young 

Driver of the Year Award. 

Originally purchasing four second-hand trucks to kick MLT 

off, these trucks have since been traded up for new models, 

with the all-Kenworth fleet size now standing at six company 

trucks and four full time sub-contractors. 

From the company’s Tamworth base, livestock movements 

are carried out all over Australia in predominantly B-double 

configurations. 

Starting a livestock carrying business in the midst of a 

crippling drought didn’t seem to adversely affect the MLT 

operation. According to Mick there was a good supply of work, 

be it moving stock to better pastures (until they could no 

longer be found) then ultimately to abattoirs for meat. 

Eventually conditions improved and the job of re-stocking 

began with pastoralists needing to replenish dwindling 

herds thinned out by the drought. 

“At one point we were carting a lot of calves out of 

Daly Waters in the Northern Territory to Guyra, NSW, for 

restocking,” Mick says. 

Matt can be found carting stock all over during his 11-day 

stints away from home – Longreach, Ballarat, Kempsey and 

anywhere in between or wherever the livestock needs to go. 

“Usually once a month I will travel over to Nundroo in 

South Australia to load sheep from WA into NSW,” he says. 

Mick goes on to explain: “These sheep are brought across 

to Nundroo by WA carriers and placed into holding yards. 

Our guys will usually get over there Tuesday evening to load 

Wednesday morning and have the sheep into places like 

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JULY 2021 35

“We all try to keep our driving hours 

within the window of 7am 

to midnight.” 

Top: With Matt Benseman behind 

the wheel the T659 Kenworth goes 

as far as Longreach in Queensland 

Above right: Matt Benseman has 

been part of the Maloney Livestock 

Transport team since day one 

Below: Flashback: Reggie Sutton, 

the 2015 LBRCA Young Driver of 

the Year Award winner, is now 

the association’s vice-president – 

livestock. Photo by Greg Bush 

Bottom: The Byrne stock trailers are 

a very recent acquisition for MLT 

Dubbo, Trangie or Orange in the NSW central west by Thursday 

afternoon, completing the sheep’s trans-continental trip, 

which started near Perth on Monday morning. 

“Doing it this way means we don’t have to take our trucks 

out of our eastern Australia operations for the whole trip 

across to Perth. This keeps our fleet available to service one of 

our main clients in the Kempsey area of NSW,” he explains. 

Slim Dusty tags 

Matt’s current stead is a six-month old T659 Kenworth that 

has just clocked up 100,000km. The Kenworth is coupled to a 

set of brand new Byrne stock crates. 

Unlike the drovers of old, who had a mere handful of horses 

to move the mob, Matt has the pleasure of 600 X15 horses 

(447kW) provided by Cummins and 2,150ft-lb of torque to keep 

things spinning. An 18-speed Roadranger transmission is 

used to swap cogs manually. 

Each of MLT’s trucks has the title of a Slim Dusty song 

inscribed on the side of the bunk. Mick, a big Slim fan, blames 

his dad, whom he describes as being a “Slim Dusty tragic”. 

Mick says he tries, wherever possible, to give Matt a threeday 

break on his stints at home. Matt adds that reasonably 

regularly he manages to get a night at home with his partner 

Amy in the middle of his 11-day roster, working on advanced 

fatigue management (AFM). 

Matt enjoys the life on the road and partner (soon to be 

wife) Amy is very understanding of the truckie’s life. Working 

in transport herself, and having a father and brother who 

do similar work, Amy has been somewhat conditioned to the 

truck driver’s timetable. 

“My truck is fitted out with an inverter, fridge/freezer and 

microwave, so I can heat up pre-prepared meals I take from 

home,” Matt says. 

“It’s hard to find a decent feed sometimes, so I’m pretty selfsufficient. 

“We all try to keep our driving hours within the window 

of 7am to midnight. There are some exceptions at times due 

to loading and unloading constraints but mostly it tends to 

work out.” 

Driver encouragement 

Mick is quite involved with the LRBCA Young Driver Award, 

having had a colleague awarded the prize when he was 

working for another employer. 

“I like to encourage younger drivers to get involved in 

the industry; the lack of young drivers coming into this 

game is one of the biggest challenges the industry is facing,” 

Mick says. 

Janelle Edgar, MLT’s compliance and training manager, 

agrees. “We like to create a space where drivers feel 

appreciated and safe in their workplace. That’s why people 

like Matt thrive – they have a good environment to work in, 

which MLT has put in place.” 

I have seen this harmonious working environment firsthand, 

operating from a small office at the rear of their 

Tamworth property. 

After a few photos were taken down at the main yard, I was 

invited into the Maloney’s home for a coffee and chat (and an 

offer of some eggs which I had to decline after overindulging 

at the motel buffet breakfast earlier). Mick says their family 

dining room doubles as the lunch room with any staff or 

visitors welcomed warmly. 

“I won’t employ anyone who I won’t have in my home,” 

Mick explains. 

Matt says MLT is great to work for and he really gets looked 

after. He says it feels good to be appreciated for what he’s 

achieved by receiving the Young Driver of the Year Award 

and he plans to utilise the $5,000 trip prize to return 

to New Zealand for two weeks and visit some industry 

facilities, including an abattoir, after which he will take the 

opportunity to catch up with family while there. 


The legal view Sarah Marinovic 

So, while the vehicle is only 500kg 

over the permit limits, the driver will be 

breached for being eight tonnes over. This 

can be the difference between paying a 

relatively small infringement notice as 

opposed to being sent to court where much 

higher fines can be imposed. 

Conditions apply 

Whether you’re a driver or operator, it’s important to 

be aware of compliance requirements 

IF YOU rely on mass and dimension 

permits, it’s important to keep upto-date 

with the conditions of your 

exemptions because even small 

breaches can lead to large fines. 

This month, I’m encouraging 

operators to take a moment to review 

their permits and make sure they’re 

complying with each requirement. Taking 

a few minutes now to check can avoid huge 

headaches down the track. 

Anyone who has used a mass or 

dimension permit will know there are 

a lot of terms and conditions. Some 

are obviously important, such as the 

allowable mass or routes. Others are more 

administrative, such as whether you need 

to carry the notice or permit with you in 

the truck. 

The law, though, views them all as 

mandatory and requires strict compliance. 

Failing to comply with a condition causes 

several possible problems. 

Firstly, not complying with permit or 

notice conditions is an offence. Even simple 

things like forgetting to carry a copy of the 

permit can result in a hefty fine. A court 

that finds someone guilty of contravening 

a condition of an exemption can impose 

fines of over $6,000 for individuals or 

$30,000 for corporations. 

The second, and often even more 

costly problem, is that failing to comply 

with every condition of the exemption 

can invalidate it. This means that the 

higher limits under the exemption are 

disregarded when calculating whether 

your vehicle is breaching mass or 

dimension limits. Instead, you are subject 

to the general limits. 

As you can imagine, this could mean that 

an otherwise compliant vehicle, or one 

that is only a small amount over its limits, 

is now treated as being significantly over 

the limits. 

For example, imagine a person who is 

operating under a notice that allows a 

49.5-tonne gross vehicle mass (GVM) as 

opposed to the usual 42 tonne under the 

general limits. If the vehicle was slightly 

overloaded to 50 tonne, then the driver is in 

breach of the conditions of the notice and 

will lose the benefit of it. Now, the overload 

will be judged against the 42-tonne GVM 

general limits. 

SARAH MARINOVIC is a 

principal solicitor at Ainsley 

Law – a firm dedicated to 

traffic and heavy vehicle 

law. She has focused on this 

expertise for over a decade, 

having started her career 

prosecuting for the RMS, and 

then using that experience 

as a defence lawyer helping 

professional drivers and 

truck owners. For more 

information email Sarah at 

sarah@ainsleylaw.com.au or 

phone 0416 224 601 

DOUBLE CHECKING 

It’s also important to remember that 

the requirements to comply with the 

conditions applies to both drivers and 

operators. So, no matter what your role 

in the industry, it’s important to be 

proactive about knowing which conditions 

apply to you. 

Double checking your obligations doesn’t 

have to be a difficult thing. A simple 

starting point is just to make sure you have 

printed a copy of each permit and notice 

that applies to your vehicle and have read 

them. Take a moment to consider whether 

you are following each of the conditions. 

If you’re an operator, it’s also a good 

idea to make sure your employees have 

read the conditions and signed a written 

confirmation that they understand and 

follow them. 

If in doubt about any of the requirements 

it’s a good idea to seek advice. The National 

Heavy Vehicle Regulator hotlines can assist. 

Or our team of lawyers at Ainsley Law are 

always happy to help. 

“Not complying with permit or notice 

conditions is an offence.” 

Your Transport 

Manufacturing Specialist 

5 Year Structural Chassis Warranty 

12-16, Fowler Road, 

Dandenong South, Victoria 3175 

Ph: (03) 979 40330 

Email: admin@bte.net.au 

38-40, Carrington Road, 

Toowoomba, Queensland 4352 

Ph: 0427 502 881 

Email: scotta@bte.net.au 


JULY 2021 37

owner profile 

Father and son: 

Gary and Luke Hollis 

INGRAINED IN 

TRUCKING 

From a family history in transport, Gary Hollis and 

his son, Luke, have managed their way through the 

drought years by diversifying their Tamworth-based 

business. Warren Caves writes 

AS FARMERS sow crops early in the season, 

they place their faith in the weather 

gods that sufficient rain will bring their 

plantings to a bountiful harvest later in 

the year. Mother Nature can be fickle and 

sometimes has other plans for the way 

she disperses the water rations. 

With the exception of the last grain 

harvest season, the Tamworth and 

Gunnedah region in New South Wales, like most 

of the country, suffered from a crippling drought 

for three years or more. The long dry spell and 

absence of any meaningful rain, left water tanks 

empty and crops thirsty. 

Tamworth-based family-run Hollis Haulage, 

with its business model based heavily in contract 

harvesting, faced challenges of significant 

magnitude as the entire rural economy slowed to 

a crawl. 

Starting in 1983 from the family’s 100-acre, 

property ‘Cedar Hill’ just outside the country 

music capital, Gary and Bonnie Hollis set 

about building the foundations of what would 

eventually become Hollis Haulage. Bonnie worked 

(and still does) as a nurse, while Gary, as his father 

and grandfather did, set about making his mark 

in the transport industry. 

“My grandfather started out in transport 

working bullock teams from Wauchope to Walcha 

on the south-eastern edge of the Northern 

Tablelands of NSW. Dad drove log trucks in the 

same area before moving to Tamworth to drive 

stock crates, so it must be in the blood a bit,” 

Gary explains. 

In the early days, to supplement their small 

farm crop income, Gary would jump in his 345 

cubic-inch V8 powered International ACCO to 

do a little bit of grain cartage work at harvest 

time for local growers. At harvest end, Gary 

and his trusty ACCO would cart spuds from the 

Niangala area, south-east of Tamworth, a bit of 

timber and any other work he could get his hands 

on for the truck. 

Not one to sit idle, to keep the money coming in, 

Gary also worked in town at the Repco machine 

shop but, according to Bonnie, Gary just wanted to 

be his own boss. 

As the years marched on a Bobcat was later 

purchased, along with a Volvo F10 tipper. This led 

to work for Gary cleaning out chook sheds and the 

like. A dog trailer was later added and a second, 


newer, F10 Volvo bought to replace the first one, 

which had served its purpose. 

The eventual purchase of a K100E Kenworth 

truck and dog tipper combination, affectionately 

known as ‘Rhythm and Blues’ and later the first 

header, would lead the business of Hollis Haulage 

to its current focus – contract harvesting and 

rural commodities transport. 

As farm kids do, they learn from a very early age. 

It doesn’t matter how young you are, stuff needs 

to get done, and Gary and Bonnie’s three sons – 

Mathew, Tom and Luke – were no exception. 

“They learnt very early on about machinery, 

that’s for sure,” Bonnie says. 

“They learnt quickly how to fix things.” 

As Gary recalls of the early days: “The boys would 

drive the header and I would drive the truck. It 

wouldn’t matter if we were harvesting our place 

or someone else’s, that’s how it got done”. 

Maintenance costs 

Life went on and the sons grew up and went in 

their different directions, with Luke Hollis opting 

for a stint in Western Australia working in his 

trade of auto electrician. Luke and his now-wife 

Chelsea spent six years in Port Hedland before the 

lure of a home-cooked meal drew them back to 

Tamworth. 

Upon his return, Luke suggested to Gary that 

they should buy another truck. Gary still had 

(and still does have) ‘Rhythm and Blues’ as well 

as an International TranStar which was towing a 

tanker trailer carting tallow at that time. 

Shortly thereafter, the pair bought a Kenworth 

K104 and a float trailer. Over the subsequent years, 

the business grew and grew, with the contract 

harvesting requiring more and more trucks to 

keep up with the headers and get the crops off the 

farms in a timely manner. 

Luke admits that, by starting out with older 

gear, they realised the amount of time and 

associated costs with keeping the old equipment 

maintained and running was outweighing the 

cost to purchase newer, more reliable equipment. 

I hear this time and time again from operators 

who have started out this way, however, hindsight 

is a wonderful thing and, when dollars are tight 

in the early days of starting any business, it takes 

a lot confidence (and cash or debt) to make the 

decision to buy new from the outset. 

From the official formation of Hollis Haulage 


JULY 2021 39

Top: Kenworth heavy: The Hollis 

Haulage fleet 

Above: Luke Hollis spent six years 

in Port Hedland before returning 

to the country music capital 

Opposite: The K200 is one of the 

newest members of the Hollis 

line-up 

in 2012, the truck fleet has now grown to seven trucks, four 

B-double sets, one A-double tipper set, four 45-foot (13.7m) 

drop decks, two B-double flat tops, a low loader and a tanker 

trailer. They also operate four of their own headers. 

As the seasons do, they tend to run in cycles, and, as history 

now tells us, a drought was looming that would force Hollis 

Haulage to pivot its operations to alternate freight and make 

some tough business decisions. 

According to Gary: “With the exception of the 2020 season, 

the last three years have been pretty dismal for harvest 

work. During the drought I had to do a lot of hay cartage.” 

Bonnie adds: “One of our trucks operating as an 

AB-triple was constantly running grain from far 

southern NSW up into southern Queensland feedlots. 

They had no grain, there was a real shortage. 

“We also carted a lot of grain into local feedlots 

that had been shipped into the Port of Newcastle 

from WA. It kind of runs in cycles; the trucks had 

some work, but the headers really didn’t.” 

While the headers were sitting silent in the sheds, 

the trucks remained somewhat consistent, or as 

consistent as could be expected considering the 

prevailing climatic conditions. 

“We do a lot of baled cotton work, which comes 

from irrigated farms so, that helped a fair bit 

during the drought,” Luke says. 

Tough going 

Although there was some work for the company, 

undoubtedly things were tough. And with 

tough times come tough decisions. Faced with 

the possibility of putting off one of the three 

employee drivers due to a reduced workload, Luke 

made the selfless decision to return to his trade 

for 12 months, ensuring there was enough work 

to keep on all of the company’s drivers. 

“It was just too hard to put someone off who 

hadn’t done anything wrong,” Luke admits. 

Conditions have since improved and Hollis Haulage seems 

to be back on track, keeping up with new innovations and 

higher productivity equipment. 

“We have invested in hydraulic cotton bale trailers by 

Collier & Miller. These trailers allow round bales to be double 

stacked into the trailers’ raised hydraulic frame that, once 

the bales are loaded, descend down to partially crush the 

bales within the frame, eliminating the need to strap 

the bales and ensuring the load does not exceed height 

restrictions. We can get nine bales to a single trailer with 

this design,” Luke says. 

“All our trucks run on HML [higher mass limits], under 

the IAP [intelligent access program]. We can run roadtrains 

into the outskirts of Tamworth near the airport and we are 

running our 26-metre A-double at 75.5-tonnes gross all the 

way into the Port of Newcastle. This combination yields us a 

payload of around 51-tonnes. 

“We will evaluate the feasibility of adding a 30-metre 

combination if it is eventually approved for use on this 

route. We also have a new Kenworth T659 coming to replace 

our T409,” Luke adds. 

All of the day-to-day running of the business is handled by 

family members, with Bonnie and Luke sharing the logistics 

and compliance aspects. 

Luke says he likes the seasonal nature of the work, but 

finds it a little harder now that he has kids. 

“Being away from home never used to bother me, it’s just a 

little tougher now.” 


“They learnt very 

early on about 

machinery, that’s 

for sure.” 

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JULY 2021 41

Toward the end of our chat out the back of Toyota ute, and 

amid the fading afternoon light and a chorus of squawking 

galahs, Gary hinted towards the desire to retire, although I’m 

not convinced he means it. 

I do get the impression that Luke’s kids (Lochie, Willa and 

Fletcher – who have their names inscribed on the side of 

the company’s newest trucks) might just be willing to step 

up and take the batten from Gary when their ages permit. 

Although, as most country kids do, they’ll probably be 

driving around the farm just as soon as their feet can reach 

the pedals, cementing a five- generation transport legacy for 

the Hollis family. 

“We can run roadtrains 

into the outskirts of 

Tamworth.” 

Top: Hollis Transport’s Kenworth 

T409 is soon to be replaced with a 

T659 

Above: Three generation: (back 

row, from left) Gary, Luke and 

Bonnie; (front row, from left) 

Chelsea, Willa, Lochie and 

Fletcher Hollis 


NatRoad Warren Clark 

Unintentional shortfall 

Employers are facing constant state-based 

developments regarding so-called ‘wage theft’ laws 

YOU’VE PROBABLY heard the 

term ‘wage theft’ coupled with 

talk of tougher penalties and 

criminalisation for employers 

who underpay their employees. 

It is used by some politicians 

and unions to refer to employers 

who have underpaid their employees 

or failed to provide them with all their 

entitlements, either wilfully or because of 

errors. NatRoad rejects the term ‘wage theft’. 

It is a loaded term, with no legal basis, that 

leads to demands for tougher penalties and 

even the application of criminal penalties 

to employers who have underpaid their 

employees. 

Put simply, so-called wage theft is the 

underpayment of employees. 

Australia has a complex system of laws 

governing the payment of employees and 

compliance is challenging. So, when a series 

of large and presumably well-resourced 

employers, like Woolworths, have reported 

extensive miscalculations in the payment 

of wages and other entitlements, the 

difficulties small businesses face in ensuring 

compliance with workplace laws is even 

more stark. 

NatRoad does not condone businesses 

underpaying their employees. But it is 

our experience in providing support to 

members that, where an underpayment 

has occurred, it is not a result of a deliberate 

decision to underpay. Whenever we have 

identified payment issues, they are caused 

by the complexity of the industrial relations 

system. 

Heavy penalties apply where an employee, 

or group of employees, have been underpaid 

and these extend beyond significant fines 

to reputational damage and, increasingly, 

potential jail time. While these are offences 

against federal laws, both the Victorian and 

Queensland state governments have passed 

legislation that makes wage theft a criminal 

offence, with the Victorian legislation due to 

start on July 1, 2021. 

Employers face on-the-spot infringement 

notices or they may be taken to court where 

the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) reasonably 

believes that the employer has contravened 

the record-keeping and pay slip obligations 

contained in the Fair Work Act 2009 and the 

Fair Work Regulations 2009, or breached the 

terms of a modern award. 

Significantly higher penalties can apply for 

serious contraventions where a business or 

individual knew that they were contravening 

workplace law and they did so as part of 

a systematic pattern of conduct. These 

penalties can apply to breaches of modern 

awards or enterprise agreements, a national 

minimum wage order, the method and 

frequency of paying wages, record-keeping, 

payslip requirements and more. NatRoad 

does not support deliberate evasion of 

workplace laws and these penalties make 

sense, especially when compared with the 

so-called wage theft laws. 

This is particularly underlined where 

an employer is found to have breached 

the Fair Work Act; a person involved in the 

contravention, such as a human resources 

manager, could also be personally liable 

and face a civil penalty of up to $13,320 per 

contravention. Despite these tough federal 

penalties, state jurisdictions have gone off on 

a frolic of their own. 

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS 

Now more than ever, employers need to get 

pays right. This means: 

WARREN CLARK, NatRoad’s 

chief executive officer, 

has more than 20 years’ 

experience leading and 

developing business for 

emerging companies. 

Warren has held the 

position of CEO at various 

companies and is a certified 

chartered accountant. 

1. Ensure your staff are being paid correctly 

under the relevant modern award or 

enterprise agreement, keeping in mind 

pending changes to transport award 

minimum rates of pay from the first full 

pay period on or after July 1, 2021 

2. Be sure to factor in allowances, overtime 

and other relevant award or enterprise 

agreement entitlements to ensure you 

are paying correctly under an award or 

enterprise agreement. 

NatRoad advisors can give you confidential 

advice about whether you are paying wages 

in accordance with the relevant modern 

award or enterprise agreement. 

STATE LAWS 

The Victorian parliament has passed 

Australia’s laws on wage theft, the Wage Theft 

Act 2020, which created a criminal offence 

for underpayment of employee wages and 

entitlements by employers. It also established 

the Wage Inspectorate Victoria agency with 

the authority to conduct investigations and 

bring criminal proceedings. The Inspectorate 

has extensive powers to enter premises to 

obtain information, seize evidence and 

execute search warrants. 

Queensland has passed the Criminal Code 

and Other Legislation (Wage Theft) Amendment 

Act 2020, which amended the Queensland 

Criminal Code to change the definition of 

‘stealing’. The definition of stealing now 

incorporates a failure to pay an employee an 

amount payable to them in relation to the 

performance of work. 

In Western Australia, the Industrial 

“State jurisdictions have gone 

off on a frolic of their own.” 

Relations Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 was 

introduced in response to the 2019 Inquiry 

into Wage Theft in Western Australia. 

In South Australia, a Select Committee on 

Wage Theft released an interim report in 

July 2020. This interim report noted the high 

volume of submissions that were calling 

for the criminalisation of underpayment of 

wages. Legislation has not been introduced. 

This means that employers may be 

investigated by the FWO or a state agency 

for the same potential contraventions. 

Previously, employer admissions and selfreporting 

to the FWO would not contribute 

to potential imprisonment. However, this is 

now a possibility under s tate legislation. 

MOORE 

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JULY 2021 43

truck of the month 

WELL-SCHOOLED 

SCANIA 

With 

more transport 

companies opting for 

auto ’boxes, drivertrainer 

Jason Kemp 

added a big Scania 

R620 to his business. 

But, as Warren Aitken 

discovers, Jason 

still remains a firm 

believer in the “old 

school” ways 



JULY 2021 45

who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” 

I love this quote; it’s a great way to wind 

up teachers, right after pointing out all 

the holidays they get. It’s also a pretty 

good way to break the ice on this month’s 

victim of my camera and questions – 

Jason from Jason Kemp’s Advanced Driver 

Training. But does the quote hold up at all 

“Those 

when sitting down with Jason? Nope, not 

in the slightest! There’s very little Jason can’t do but I still 

wanted to wind him up with a little dig. 

Jason had the last laugh, though, as I learnt he’s 

a mechanic, auto-electrician, experienced driver in 

everything from tow trucks to road trains, and a highly 

qualified driving instructor. Hell, the best I could come 

up with to find flaws was that the cup of tea he made 

was a bit on the weak side. 

To top all of that off, he has managed to build 

arguably one of the coolest new series Scanias in 

Australia. Thankfully, it wasn’t his tea-making skills I 

was in Beresfield, New South Wales, for though. It was 

the R620 Scania. What a beast of a truck! 

As usual, I do like to introduce you all to the people 

behind the truck first, sometimes to the detriment 

of the actual truck itself. However, today, I want to start 

with just a few lines about the truck. It seriously is a 

beast and, with a 16-litre V8 engine, it performs like 

one as well. 

Admittedly, it doesn’t really sound too brutish, though. 

The throaty V8 rumble that would normally warm the 

cockles of a truckie’s heart has been toned down and 

muffled. Inside you can very clearly hear yourself think 

(thankfully for me there wasn’t much to listen to). 

But, the fact is, sitting in the obscenely comfy driver’s 

seat, I would surmise that the big R620 V8 sounds more 

like a beast sitting quietly in the corner of the library 

reading literature about the effects of carbon monoxide 

on native trees than the old-style V8s, which sounded 

like a mechanical Barry White song. However, the Scania 

definitely still performs as per its credentials. The V8 

is putting out over 3,200ft-lb of torque, and the lovely 

green band on the tacho showing its ideal range is from 

950–1,400rpm. That’s some serious low-end grunt. 

Cosmetically, Jason’s Scania has taken European style, 

mixed in some bold colouring, a few lights, some Aussie 

flare and a few more lights, and hit it all out of the 

park. Then a few more lights were added just for good 

measure. Prevalent in New Zealand, Jason had side skirts 

added to his rig and boy does it set it off. With a final 

touch of nice shiny offsets, Jason managed to take a 

truck designed with productivity and efficiency in mind 

and actually make it look good. We all know that’s no 

easy task. 

When it comes to driving, or learning to drive, Scania 

tops the tables when it comes to interior design and 

functionality. These new series Scania are another level; 

you hardly have to move your hands off the steering 

wheel to reach anything. You can get adjust the gear 

selector and retarder from the stalk that’s right there. 

So easy! 

To take it one step further, although the media system 

is adjustable from the steering wheel, Jason also had 

Scania fit a European stereo. Why, you may ask? Well, 

the European stereos have the volume dial on the righthand 

side, so even less reaching around for the driver. 

There are a few other customised options inside this 

beast as well – like the double bunk. No, the lessons 

aren’t that long. It’s more for the multipurpose setup of 

the big R620. While it was bought to assist the rapidlyincreasing 

numbers of people chasing an automatic 

licence, Jason still uses it himself when helping out 

mates or getting involved in events like charity hay 

runs. As I mentioned at the start, he may be a trainer but 

Jason isn’t a teacher that fits into my rather amusing 

opening quote. 

Diesel dreams 

Jason’s history in the transport industry runs far 

deeper than sitting in the passenger seat of one of his 

training vehicles. 

“Mum’s got a photo at home – me at 17 months, 

sitting in the middle of a freshly greased turntable, black 

as the ace of spades,” Jason laughs. “That was my first 

injection of diesel.” 

He recalls spending his school days staring out the 

window, daydreaming of trucks and diggers. 

“My teacher used to tell me I won’t get a job staring out 

the window. Turns out she was wrong.” 

When he did focus his attention indoors, his 

schoolbooks were more likely filled up with drawings of 

trucks and construction equipment than essays on the 

motivating influences of Shakespeare or Van Gogh. 

When the time came to leave school, Jason’s 

grandparents actually insisted he get a trade first. 

“In those days, you chose a primary and a secondary 

trade,” Jason recalls. 


“I was driving a little FLB112 Freightliner 

… with a parcel shelf to sleep on.” 

“So, my primary was diesel mechanic and secondary was auto 

electrical.” 

As it still is, the apprenticeship is a long process that will never 

make you rich so as a way of making extra cash, Jason found a job 

working for a local towing company. As he advanced his licence, his 

trucks also advanced, moving from a six-wheel Holden one-tonner 

up into the company’s bigger tilt trays. 

Seems the call of the open road was a little too much for Jason. 

Like a good boy he did finish his apprenticeships, but no sooner was 

he qualified than he downed tools and went fulltime as a towie. 

With an HC licence under his belt and having progressed through 

the tow truck ranks, he then made the move to a fulltime truck 

driver. 

“I started with Mark Collins Transport down in Minto, running 

interstate,” Jason says. 

“I was driving a little FLB112 Freightliner, one of those they called 

‘business class’, with a parcel shelf to sleep on.” 

While at Mark Collins Transport, Jason gained his MC licence 

and this allowed him to move into more B-double work. The road 

became Jason’s life, covering pretty much all the east coast and 

inland for several companies before he first ventured into the world 

of the owner-driver. 

“I just got sick of working for others and decided to have a go 

myself,” he recalls. 

So, Jason purchased a Sterling and started as a subbie. 

It’s here that his mechanical and electrical background came 

to the fore as he was able to undertake the majority of his own 

maintenance. Jason ran his own truck for several years but 

eventually the cutthroat nature of the business saw him sell up and 

go back to the more relaxed nature of a company driver. 

Then, in 2013, he turned tail and tried something different, 

opening Jason Kemp’s Advanced Driver Training. 

Top left: Scania and Western Star: 

The two immaculate workhorses of 

the fleet covering manual and auto 

options 

Above: Early days: Jason and his first 

Scania, a 2010 Scania R480, on show 

at the 2015 Newcastle and Hunter 

Road Safety Awareness Day. 

Photo by Greg Bush 

Below: The old Iveco PowerStar (left) 

is there as a reminder of the ‘old 

school’ ways 

“I had a stupid idea I’d come in and change the world,” Jason 

admits. “I’m still trying.” 

To me, it seems like a very strange move; trucking is often a very 

solitary job so the idea of choosing to always have someone in the 

truck with you just seems out of place. Not for Jason though. 

“I always enjoyed meeting people, helping people and teaching 

people, so why not get paid for it?” 

One of his first training trucks was a 2001 Iveco PowerStar that, 

in a turn of fate, Jason had driven brand new when he worked for 

Prendergast Transport. Jason came into the training system as it was 

going through some big changes. He recalls buying the PowerStar 

off another trainer who, at the time, told him: “Run a mile, mate.” Be 

it blind optimism or maybe stupidity but Jason didn’t listen, and he 

went ahead with his plans. 

After a couple of years the numbers of clients wanting to get 

their automatic licence had rapidly increased and it forced Jason 

to start looking at options for an automatic/synchro truck. Enter 

an old friend of Jason’s, Greg Harris. Greg was selling up a lot of his 

equipment and had a couple of Scanias still to go. One was going 

to New Zealand and Greg insisted Jason take the other one – a 2010 

R480. It also allowed Jason to reassess the outward perception of 

driver-trainer vehicles. 

“There’s a thing about old white trucks with old white blocks and I 

wanted to get away from that old image,” he says. 

So with the arrival of the Scania Jason moved away from the white 

PowerStar with a blue strip and relaunched it with the stunning red 

colour. Technically it’s Mazda Velocity Red with a little extra. That 

little bit extra will come back to bite them later, so I’ll stick with 

calling it stunning red for now. 

For the next few years, Jason got by using the Scania and, when 

needed, the old PowerStar. The business expanded and he got his 


JULY 2021 47

first B-double set. Business-wise they were going well. What was 

helping Jason was the fact that he is a truck driver teaching others 

how to drive. What was hindering Jason, though, was the fact he’s 

a truck driver, wanting to teach others how to be a truck driver. As 

convoluted as that sounds, it was a real eye-opener for Jason. 

“In NSW, in order to be a driving instructor, you must have held 

that licence for a minimum of three years,” Jason tells me. That 

doesn’t mean you actually have to have ever used it, just held it. The 

politics of the driver trainer industry would give me days’ worth of 

articles if I had the time to get into it. 

Jason’s issues were stemming from the fact that he is only allowed 

to teach to a certain criteria. Like me and thousands of others, we 

grew up in an almost unofficial apprenticeship system. Learning 

everything from respect on the road, going down the hill one gear 

lower than you went up, pulling up and helping old mate change his 

tyre, assess access before you go in, the truckie wave … all that kind 

of thing. For an old school truckie it’s hard to not try and teach that. 

Seriously, they are not actually allowed to teach students how to 

change a tyre. 

So, as hamstrung as he is with the rules set out for driving 

instructors, Jason persevered. As he puts it: “Drivers should be 

confident, not just competent.” 

In 2016, the PowerStar ended up getting demoted and, with the 

demand for Roadranger licenses resurging, Jason bought himself 

a 4800 Western Star. It was a perfect combination for a training 

establishment. The Western Star/Scania combo meant that, whatever 

you needed, Kemp’s Advanced Driver Training could provide. 

All was good until 2017, when disaster struck. Jason and his 

partner were involved in an accident while driving the Scania home 

from a charity day down south. To this day, Jason can only remember 

parts of the accident and even his time in hospital but he does recall 

talking to a policewoman who happened to be one of the first on the 

scene, off duty at the time. She later told Jason she assumed she’d be 

getting a call to come file a fatal accident report for the coroner. 

A major reason behind the fact Jason is still with us now is the fact 

that the incident occurred in the Scania. It resulted in a hell of a lot 

of rehabilitation, but no life-altering injuries. The truck was barrel 

rolled twice apparently. The resulting images back up the fact that 

Scania has frequently been awarded the world’s safest cab. 

Once he was back on his feet, Jason set about finding the old 

Scania’s replacement. While his immediate instinct was to go for 

another Scania, Jason also believes in thoroughly investigating all 

avenues, and he did. In the end, though, he admits none could hold 

a candle to the Scania proposal. It was a big call for a man who 

learnt his trade in the foot flat ’80s and ’90s. When he was running 

the coast as a carded-up member of the Kenworth club he recalls: 

“They used to call me UFO – unidentified flying object.” 

Jason has done the super trucker thing, he loves the trucking 

life, so it’s no easy feat to win him over with a European rig. But 

the Scania ticked all the boxes – performance, safety, service, 

longevity and price. I’m sure the fact he was still alive thanks to a 

Scania may have played a role as well. 

So, with the help of the local Scania dealer, Jason ordered a new 

R620. Now comes the painting bit (remember I said it would come 

back to bite them). When Jason and his painter, Brad Keighran, 

did the first Scania, it was done with Mazda Velocity Red. But it 

was also done while drinking Wild Turkey and Bundaberg rum. So 

the recipe for the paint, flake, pearl and maybe even alcohol was 

never documented. PPG even attempted a spectrum analysis with 

no success. In the end, the new Scania was painted in a BJAS Red, 

that’s a Brad and Jason alcoholic special. Whatever they worked 

out worked. 

User friendly 

He had the truck set up from day dot with an airbag front end, 

as well as super singles fitted. The tank covers may look factory 

“I just got sick of working for others and decided 

to have a go myself.” 

Above: HC and MC are covered, dropping the A-trailer and using the B-trailer 

for HC work 

Right: Jason Kemp goes through all the info with a trainee before getting 

behind the wheel. Giving a full lesson in load restraints and safe loading is all 

part and parcel of the training 

Opposite from top: Jason has taken the Euro look to a new level with his Scania 

R620; Before launching his Advanced Driver Training business, Jason drove 

interstate, including doing B-double runs in this Kenworth K200 for George 

MacDonald & Sons. Photo by Peter Schlenk 


fitted but, in actual fact, they were designed and built 

by the geniuses at SLS Customs. There were no practical 

bonuses to this other than the fact that it looks good. 

“I’m a wanker, I like a good-looking truck,” Jason 

laughingly admits. 

As much as Jason is an old school truckie, he is blown 

away by the technology in the new series Scania, against 

even his previous Scania. 

“The user friendliness of the tech is better, you can 

check oil levels, brake and clutch wear … everything,” 

Jason says, adding in, though, that his old school 

tendencies still see him popping the grill and checking 

by hand each work day. 

Another feature of the new Scania is the clutch 

on demand that Jason specced the truck with. This 

allows the user to either drive the truck as a two-pedal 

automatic or as a traditional three-pedal automatic. 

While it has its advantages for controlling the vehicle 

in tricky conditions, the main reason Jason did this is 

because he is finding that a lot of the younger clients 

these days have grown up with automatic cars and 

absolutely no clutch. 

“Throw them in an automatic Kenworth and they’ll 

just stall it,” he proclaims. It’s sad that that’s the new age, 

but it’s true. Jason’s background as a truckie, though, 

means he has an inbuilt desire to teach and foster 

future truck drivers, not just steerers. 

“I still teach old school,” Jason admits. “That’s why 

the old PowerStar is still there in the corner to teach 

the old school stuff. It’s why my 40-footer still has 

spider rims on it. So I can explain to these guys about 

that stuff.” 

Jason points out to his clients that, just because they 

have the licence, they won’t be going into the pride of 

the fleet; they’ll most likely be going into the old shitter 

and working their way up. He wants them to be able to 

handle the old school stuff as well. Who knew a clutch 

would be considered old school? 

As much as I applaud his attempts to bring the 

traditional ways back into a training industry that 

seems intent on just enforcing the bare minimum, 

it would still be hard for his clients to envision 

old school while sitting in one of the coolest, most 

sophisticated trucks on the road. Full credit to Jason 

for his approach, though. 

Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. Well, after a 

couple of hours chatting with Jason, and even sitting in 

on one of his load restraint classes, I’ve learnt Jason can 

do and still chooses to teach. 

If you’re lucky enough to learn from Jason then you’ll 

also be learning in arguably one of Australia’s coolest 

driver training vehicles. 


JULY 2021 51

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STANDING THE TEST OF TIME 

On the diamond jubilee year of Freighter manufacturing in Australia, one of its 

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Ross, shares his thoughts on his 40+ years’ journey with the Freighter brand 

This is Ross Transport’s 46th year of operation. 

The business was founded by Alan’s parents Reg 

and Frances Ross in the ’70s. Reg bought the first 

Freighter trailer in 1977. Alan, who was 14-years-old 

at the time, remembers painting the trailer himself. 

“My dad bought it without wheels and tyres, and it was 

unpainted to keep the cost down,” Alan says. 

“I painted it for us, and we fitted our own wheels 

and tyres. We got our first few trailers that way. 

Forty years on, I’m still buying from Freighter. It’s a 

relationship that has stood the test of time and I can’t 

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tautliner trailers. 

“We didn’t buy a lot of trailers until the 1980s. Once my 

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and trailers. The plan was ‘50 at 50’ and I made that 

goal and here I am not 60 yet and we have well over 65 

trailers. Close to 95 per cent of my trailers, including 

flat tops and tautliners, are from Freighter.” 

Alan considers himself very fortunate to have three 

generations of the family working in the business. 

Frances, who turns 80 this year, still comes in to do 

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manage the business. 

“I didn’t think True would take to transport but she 

hasn’t looked back since she first started. She’s a current 

board member of Transport Women of Australia Limited. 

As for me, I love the industry and I’m not planning on 

going anywhere until the day I die,” Alan says. 

Ross Transport operates an interstate fleet, carting 

steel on flat tops running between Brisbane, Sydney and 

Melbourne, in addition to other freight including timber, 

building materials, grain and fertiliser. 

“I appreciate that Freighter trailers are Australianmade,” 

Alan says. 

“I have seen imported trailers and they just don’t 

compare with Freighter trailers. We have tried other 

brands of trailers as well but some issues with those 

made us come back to Freighter. Honestly, I’ve had very 

limited trailers built anywhere else, all our new trailers 

are from Freighter. I sold a 1995 model trailer the other 

day and it was still like a brand new trailer except for 

maybe a bit of paint work. 

“Even today they continue to have the original 

characteristics of the trailers that were produced in 

1977. I feel they still are the best-looking trailers on the 

road. They stand out from the rest and have their own 

identity as a Freighter trailer. 

“Freighter was the first one to come with aluminium 

floors, which made the floors tougher for carting steel. 

While Freighter trailers do run on a production line, 

I feel their production line is very diverse to tailor 

to custom built trailers. We have had many custom 

specifications over the years – from lighting, to toolbox 

design and placement, timber racks, aluminium 

floors and unique paint work. The paint job they do is 

excellent; their sandblasting and painting techniques 

are best in the market. I feel there’s only so much you 

can do on a trailer but Freighter has everything covered 

and still has a practical cost to it. 

“We have been buying from Freighter since they used 

to have sub-dealers in Sydney. Now, they sell under their 

brand banner MaxiTRANS and the customer service and 

sales experience is just as excellent. 

“Over a year ago, we did have a problem with a 

Freighter trailer that upset me greatly at the time. It did 

become a little bit of an issue at that point but Freighter 

managed to resolve the issue for me and it’s water under 

the bridge now. We were back buying new trailers from 

them soon and I wouldn’t continue buying from them if 

they weren’t good people and making a good product. 

“We have another new trailer coming in a few 

months. It is going to be the cleanest truck in Australia. 

The gentleman who drives it now, Ronny Duncan, has 

been with me for over 15 years. The truck he drives 

now with a set of Freighter trailers is the cleanest truck 

– you cannot find a spec of dirt on his truck but the 

new one is going to be even better. I’m very excited 

about it and I’m going to call it ‘Rainbow with a twist’,” 

Alan says proudly. 

“IT’S A RELATIONSHIP THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF 

TIME AND I CAN’T SEE MYSELF EVER GOING TO ANY 

OTHER BRAND FOR FLAT TOP AND TAUTLINER TRAILERS.” 

Top: Four generations of 

the Ross family standing 

proud in front of a display of 

Freighter trailers. Pictured 

is Alan, his mother Fran, 

daughter True and True’s 

young twins 

Left: MD of Ross Transport, 

Alan Ross, has been in the 

transport industry for over 

40 years. Celebrating his long 

standing relationship with 

the Freighter brand 


OWD-FP-5184448-CS-341

EYES ON THE ROAD Rod Hannifey 

The next chapter 

Despite trailer delays, the new TruckRight Industry 

Vehicle will be on the road in the coming months 

MY SHOULDER is progressing 

well and, by the time you 

read this, I should be 

allowed to start weight 

training, initially with 

small half kilo weights 

and working up slowly. 

I have heard some horror stories of 

others who have had shoulder surgery 

and been off work for 12 months or 

more. All the treatment people have 

been insistent, saying not to fall over, 

as you automatically put your arm out 

and there would go your shoulder and/ 

or tendon. I am not allowed to even 

consider pulling myself up into a truck 

for another month or more – maybe at 

16 weeks. 

I have kept up my blog and am still 

doing my 1.00am slot Wednesday 

mornings on Triple M Nightshift, plus 

hearing from drivers and keeping up 

online. I found Facebook do not keep 

friend requests in order of acceptance 

and it seems I have missed some over 

time. If I did not reply please forgive me. 

Up until recently I’ve rarely had enough 

time in a week. 

For the first time, the National Road 

Freighters Association (NRFA) had a 

stand at the Brisbane Truck Show. We 

had stand attendees from some of our 

association member benefits people as 

well. Overall, I would like to thank all 

who participated and made an effort to 

support the NRFA. 

I spent the four days on the stand 

and checking out the show, spoke with 

many TruckRight Industry Vehicle (TIV) 

sponsors and others. I attended the 

opening breakfast and a couple of other 

events. The NRFA had its own outside 

function on Saturday night, which 

went very well. We picked up quite a few 

new members, spoke with many about 

industry issues and are now planning 

where to focus our efforts. 

I did my health check for and as an 

ambassador for Health in Gear. They had 

two sites, with one using the new DAF 

supplied by Paccar for industry events. It 

will be on the road providing free health 

checks. Keep an eye out and, if you 

haven’t had a check-up in a while, use 

what they provide and make the most to 

improve your health. 

I joined up with Healthy Heads in 

Trucks and Sheds and would love to hear 

from anyone who has received help from 

either of these groups that you believe 

has been beneficial to you and your life. 

There is finally much work going intro 

drivers’ mental and other health issues. 

We reaching those who need that help 

but is what we are supplying actually 

helping? 

UNJUSTIFIED PENALTIES 

We are all waiting for both the Heavy 

Vehicle National Law review and the 

Senate Inquiry findings to be released. 

However, we are still being targeted by 

some that we might well argue do not 

do so for any real road safety benefit. 

None of us are perfect, but we shouldn’t 

cop a large penalty for a minor breach 

ROD HANNIFEY, a transport 

safety advocate, has been 

involved in raising the 

profile of the industry, 

conducting highway truck 

audits, the Blue Reflector 

Trial for informal parking 

bays on the Newell, the 

‘Truckies on Road Code’, 

the national 1800 number 

for road repairs proposal, 

and the Better Roadside 

Rest Areas Group. Rod is 

the current president of 

the NRFA. Contact Rod on 

0428 120 560, e-mail 

rod.hannifey@bigpond. 

com or visit 

www.truckright.com.au 

BELOW: At the NRFA’s 

Brisbane Truck Show stand: 

From left, Glyn Castanelli 

(NHVR national secretary, 

Trevor Warner (NHVR vice 

president), Adam Gibson 

(National Transport 

Insurance fleet risk 

engineer), Mark Reynolds 

(NHVAS auditor), and Rod 

Hannifey (NRFA president) 

or mistake. When you look at some of 

our fines for what has nothing to do 

with road safety, and those metered 

out to others for much worse crimes, 

it can make you wonder who hates us 

that much that they can justify such 

overzealous and ridiculous penalties. 

Highway Advocates was launched at 

the show, a new group offering support, 

assistance and representation for 

truckies involved and charged with 

some of these fines. If you are guilty, 

then most will accept the punishment, 

but if you feel you have been treated 

unfairly, that the fine far outweighs the 

level of the offence, or that you are not 

guilty, give them a try. They have helped 

others, including myself and other 

NRFA members, and are one of our 

new member benefits partners. 

HITTING THE ROAD 

The next TIV big cab Kenworth K200 will 

be offline shortly, but there is much 

to fit and do before it hits the road. 

The trailers will be delayed (and a post 

from the US says some manufacturers 

are now booked out to 2022) but I will 

have something in lieu until they come, 

hopefully in November. Thank you to 

all who are supporting my efforts with 

the TIV. I have committed to another 

four years and perhaps five – and hope 

then to perhaps retire. 

The old TIV is still on the road in 

the hands of another Rod, so if you 

call me up, he might well say: “Yes, 

it is Rod, but another one.” I hope the 

truck and trailers serve him as well 

as they did me. 

The truck will be 10-years-old in 

July and the trailers 12-years-old in 

October. Together, we did nearly two 

million kilometres, nearly 2.5 million 

with the trailers, and they have rarely 

let me down. They’ve done their job 

of promoting road safety and the 

road transport industry in a different 

light to that which we are normally 

portrayed. How many other companies 

would let a driver put their name and 

equipment out on the block as far as 

Pilon’s has allowed me? 

I was once asked by a driver: “Who 

stitched you up with that thing, you 

won’t be able to hide in that, it stands 

out no matter where you would go?” 

My answer was: “Me.” 

Thank you to Rod Pilon for having 

faith in me to try and do the right 

thing, to Ben now and all the drivers 

and mechanics and staff who have 

helped me get to an event or given 

time to pursue this initiative. I’m 

onto my 23rd year and still passionate. 

I plan to keep at it. Thanks all who have 

made it happen. 

“We shouldn’t 

cop a large 

penalty for a 

minor breach or 

mistake.” 


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JULY 2021 55

truck events 

ALMOST LIKE NEW 

When the offer came 

for the Heritage 

Truck Association 

Australia Inc to fill 

what was a surprise 

gap at this year’s 

Brisbane Truck 

Show, it proved 

to be a successful 

added attraction for 

Australia’s largest 

truck event. Greg 

Bush takes in the 

classic displays 


THE NON-APPEARANCE from a few of Australia’s major 

truck makers at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show may 

have left many attendees scratching their heads in 

bewilderment, but it proved to be a blessing for the 

Heritage Truck Association Australia Inc. Generally, the 

association holds its annual show on the third weekend 

of May at the Rocklea Showgrounds, coinciding with the 

biennial Brisbane Truck Show every second year. 

Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), organisers 

of the Brisbane Truck Show, had cross-promoted the Heritage 

Truck Show, encouraging visitors to the Sunshine State capital to 

take in the Rocklea event while in town. But, with Isuzu Trucks 

vacating its 2021 main floor show position, the baton was 

passed to the Heritage Truck Association to fill the gap, and 

its committee jumped at the opportunity. 

It was an apt outcome due to the association’s existing 

relationship with the Japanese truck maker. 

“Isuzu has been our major sponsor at our Rocklea show for 

many years, and it’s always had their equipment at our show, 

but now it’s a little bit different,” explains the association’s 

president, Trevor Davies. 

“We’ve got the older trucks now in their position, which is 

pretty good. And we thank Isuzu for it.” 

Back in 2019 the heritage show had more than 350 trucks 

parading at the Rocklea oval, with busloads of Brisbane 

Truck Show-goers arriving to take in the historic road 

transport exhibits. However, while the move to the Brisbane 

Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) on May 13 brought 

a higher profile, space restrictions meant heritage truck 

numbers would be limited. Hence, a carefully handpicked 

bunch of 12 commercial vehicles of the past were on show 

in Brisbane. 

“We presented a broad brush example of what’s in the club, 

from things unrestored to those that are full of bling,” says 

Heritage Truck Association vice president John Dodd. 

Above, L to R: On show in Brisbane, 

this 1971 Mercedes-Benz 1418 

LS is powered by a 180hp engine 

with a five-speed gearbox. It has 

a top speed is 82km/h; Left to 

right: Heritage Truck Association 

Australia Inc vice president John 

Dodd and president Trevor Davies 

Opposite below: This 1978 

International 3070B has a 

Cummins VT903 engine putting 

out 350hp 


JULY 2021 57

“You see those 

faces come 

through and 

rekindle old 

friendships again.” 

“The idea was to not pick individuals as such, but to give a 

broad showing of what is in the club.” 

Limited edition 

It was an impressive selection on show, from a 1948 Chevrolet 

Loadmaster through to an original Kenworth SAR, a 1986 

W925 model. The appearance of the Kenworth proved to be a 

masterstroke due to Paccar showing off its new limited edition 

Legend SAR at its nearby stand in the BCEC. 

The ’86 W925 6x4 prime mover was number one of only 30 SARs 

released in 1986. It had been classed as a “write-off” but, with the 

interior and exterior now fully restored, it more than held its 

own among the newbies at the Brisbane Truck Show. 

Another Kenworth on the historic truck stand, a ’73 W924, had 

previously spent eight years with Shell, followed by two years as 

a clay truck before clocking up 38 years as a truck and low loader 

combination bitumen tanker. 

Top and above left: The 1986 SAR Kenworth W925 SAR is a collector’s item, 

being number one of 30 of these models released 

Left: This truck is known as an AEC Marshall, TGM8 meaning it is a tilt cab, 

general goods vehicle, medium weight, eight-wheeler. The truck’s original 

owner remains unknown 

Below: Still working up until 2002, this 1975 International D1310 was 

resurrected in 2016 and has been carefully refreshed to be kept as original 

as possible to how it was in its heyday 


Elsewhere, a stunning 1962 Mack H673 ST made up for the lack 

of new ‘bulldogs’ at the show. This particular Mack, one of two 

imported into Australia for Antill Ranger & Co, was known as a 

‘cherry picker’ due to its 2.7 metre cab height. 

Of course, a vintage truck display would not be complete 

without a Bedford. The 1975 KMR/XT5 model had a rough life 

before undergoing a two-year restoration, including full cab 

refurbishment inside and out, new radiator, clutch brakes, 

engine rebuild and reconditioned power steering. It looked well 

worth its original 1975 price of more than $18,000. 

However, the top curiosity piece on display came in the form 

of an AEC (Associated Equipment Company) Marshall TGM8, 

which translates into ‘tilt cab general goods vehicle, medium 

weight, eight-wheeler’. The truck’s full history, its age and the 

original owner is at this stage unknown, but its last working 

days were spent on a ginger farm at Yandina, Queensland. Its 

restoration took eight years to complete and, as John Dodd 

asserts: “I would say it’s better than what came out of the 

showroom.” 

“The fellow [Kevin Gillin] who did it, he’s a long standing 

member of the club, and he does absolutely excellent work. Just 

brilliant,” he says, although Kevin would argue that it was far 

from a “one-man-band” effort. 

Enthusiastic team 

John has been with the Heritage Truck Association Australia 

for close on six years. Now retired, he has been involved in the 

trucking industry since 1976. However, he’s kept busy with the 

association, as well as his own pet project, restoring a 1988 

Kenworth T600. 

“It started out life as a Bunker’s truck and used to run 

Melbourne to Perth. It has a unit number of 63 and was one of 

the first three T600 Kenworths that Ron Bunker bought.” 

While the T600 didn’t make an appearance this year, there’s 

always next year’s event at Rocklea. And possibly the chance to 

be part of the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show. 

“We would love to work hand in glove with the truck show, but 

it is a commercial decision, and for us to purchase one of these 

sites it’s out of the realms of our capabilities,” John says. 

“But we would welcome the opportunity to work with them 

[HVIA] in some format. 

“We’ve had that much interest over the four days,” Trevor adds. 

“The area’s been full all the time, especially on the weekend. 

“The major point is the many faces that John and I have 

known in the industry for that long. You see those faces come 

through and rekindle old friendships again. 

“So it’s great. We’re really happy.” 

Top, L to R: Assembled in Australia at General Motors Holden, this 1975 

Bedford KMR/XT5 was refurbished over a two-year period starting in 2008, 

although it had another 12 months’ working life after that on a Western 

Downs property; The 1973 Kenworth W924 clocked up more than five 

million kilometres during its working life 

Above, left: The oldest truck on the heritage stand was this 1946 Ford Jailbar. 

Known as ‘Roxanne’, the Ford was the second vehicle restored and raffled 

by National Transport Insurance (NTI) to raise funds for research into 

motor neurone disease. Notably, it was a member of the Heritage Truck 

Association Australia, membership officer Michelle Wilkie, who had the 

winning raffle ticket that was drawn on the final day of the 2019 Brisbane 

Truck Show 

Above: Awaiting restoration, this 1954 International AR 110 three-quarter 

tonne ute was originally purchased by Queensland’s Balonne Shire Council 

for the power station in St George. Under the bonnet is a 220 Silver Diamond 

International engine with a three-speed column shift ’box 

Left: The restoration of this 1948 Chevrolet Loadmaster began in 2013 and 

was completed in May 2017; Originally a left-hand drive truck and one of 

two imported H673 ST models in 1962, this Mack was known as a ‘cherry 

picker’ due to its cab height; The Victorian State Electricity Commission 

bought this International Loadstar in 1970. It started out as a prime mover, 

carting lamp posts from Webb Dock to the Electric Commission yard at 

Port Melbourne. A tipper body was later added. Waterfront work eventually 

brings rust, but it was converted back into a prime mover during 18 months 

of restoration, which was completed in January 2018. 


JULY 2021 59

truck events 

MIGHTY 

MINIATURES 

Away from the slick, million-dollar truck stands at the 2021 Brisbane 

Truck Show, a small corner of the transport world was represented in 

1:14 scale, built with such precision and detail that, if you squinted, 

you’d swear it was the real deal. Ben Dillon writes 

WITH POOR mental and physical health 

of truck drivers one of the big issues 

facing the industry, small respite from 

the road can be found in the form of 

radio controlled trucks, and they aren’t 

just for kids anymore. 

The Brisbane Metro RC Truck and 

Construction Club is a collection of 

individuals who share the passion of 

building, modifying and creating in 1:14 scale. And it’s 

not just trucks either, with the club boasting a ‘mini 

city’ display at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show with 

trucks, cars, machinery and buildings all conforming 

to the scale with the usual transport-centred sprawl of 

depot, quarry and petrol station giving the display a 

life-like feel. There’s even a doughnut shop for the cops 

to hang out at. 

“People who’ve come up to us here at the truck show 

are all impressed by the scale of everything, the detail, 

the lights on the trucks and the sounds they make. It’s 

all pretty realistic,” says club owner Chris Leech. 

Looking at the display, it really is like a world in 

miniature, with a loading dock complete with pallets 

of oil drums being loaded with a remote controlled 

forklift onto a trailer that then takes the load to 

another destination. But it’s the light and sound 

element that brings it to life; the beep of the truck 

reversing, the simulated pneumatic hiss of air brakes, 

even the blare of a truck air horn is replicated. 

It’s easy to see why the hobby is massive overseas, 

especially in Northern European countries like 

Sweden and Norway where the weather doesn’t allow 

a lot of outside activity, as those countries enjoy large 


“We want to expand our club 

and show people that it’s not 

just an indoor hobby.” 

Above: Brisbane Metro RC Truck and Construction Club owner Chris Leech 

Below: Members of the club each show off their pride and joy 


JULY 2021 61

“At least half of our club are current 

or ex-truckies.” 

RC truck shows (pre-COVID anyway) and big membership numbers 

in clubs. While Australia has hundreds of RC clubs catering to cars 

and off-road buggies, RC truck clubs are not as supported but that 

is something the Brisbane Metro club wants to see change, with 

BTS21 a great opportunity to recruit new members. 

“We’ve been running as a club for a few years,” Chris says. 

“It’s a huge thing running trucks and scale machinery overseas, 

with groups of people getting together and building 1:14 scale 

trucks and machinery and all associated paraphernalia but we 

want to expand our club and show people that it’s not just an 

indoor hobby. 

“Our course is outdoors and it’s an ongoing build that we 

are adding to, but we have roadways, quarries; it’s really limitless 

what you can do. For example, to construct the roads, we actually 

use the machines to dig the dirt, the trucks to cart the dirt, even 

Top left: Loading up ready to move 

some oil drums 

Above, L to R: A reduction gear is 

used on the three-speed gearbox to 

keep pace leisurely but the trucks 

can still get up and boogie when 

pushed; Even the little man in the 

truck is super-detailed 

Opposite top: The club’s stand at 

the truck show was only a small 

representation of the variety of 

vehicles and buildings the club uses 

Above right: Even in a Smurf-sized 

world cops still hang out at the 

doughnut shop 

roll the roads with remote controlled rollers,” he explains. 

“We are a club who involve everyone, young, old, male, female – 

it doesn’t matter. It gets people out of the house and it’s like a gettogether 

with friends.” 

Besides the enjoyment of trucking on a smaller and more 

affordable scale (models from the likes of Tamiya start at around 

$500), the health benefits from the hobby are tangible, with fine 

motor skills and co-ordination being the big physical gains on 

offer from having to build objects in a scale situation, but also the 

mental benefits and anti-depression element of problem solving 

during the build and having a like-minded group of people ready 

to help out if your build goes awry. 

“Injury is one we see a lot of with people who can’t drive 

anymore due to injury or who’ve suffered an accident, because 

building and customising a model improves their fine motor 

skills. Also mental health benefits are a big one too, especially 

because of the club environment, we’re all here to help each other,” 

Chris says. 

“It might also be some people who’ve retired from the industry 

and need an outlet, and to do something connected to what 

they’ve done for the last 50-odd years of their life is great and 

keeps them interested. It’s something that they’re still able to do, 

even though they may have a disability or injury.” 

Transport connection 

While some of the club members are ex-drivers, the entire club has 

a connection to the road-transport industry in one way or another, 

with mechanics, drivers, logistics personnel and family members 

related to all of the above filling the club ranks. Chris says that 

even those without a trucking background, but who are interested 

in the models, are more than welcome in the club. 


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JULY 2021 63

“We’ve had more people join us while 

the COVID lockdowns were in place.” 

Top: Breakdowns don’t 

happen often but always good 

to have a tow truck handy 

Bottom: A mini tribute to 

the ‘Pork Chop Express’ as 

immortalised in the Kurt 

Russell film Big Trouble in 

Little China 

“At least half of our club are current or ex-truckies and others 

have an interest in trucks or they work on trucks as a mechanic, etc. 

Everyone is in the trucking industry one way or another but we are 

always looking for more members and people from any background 

are welcome, as are kids 14-years-old and over, especially as it’s a great 

thing for a parent and child to get into together,” Chris says. 

“Whether it’s a mother and son or father and daughter we are more 

than happy to have families come and join the club and it’s a great 

hobby for families to get into.” 

New members who are keen to join the club, or even those who’d 

just like to build their own truck and need some advice or a helping 

hand, are welcome too. 

“We’re on the north side of Brisbane and our track is all privately 

funded, so we’re just a small club with 20-odd members, but we have 

plans to expand and do more things in the club,” Chris continues. 

“For example, we’re implementing job cards for the club where 

you’ll get a card with a job on it, so you might have to fuel your truck 

up at one end of the track, go to another end and pick up a load of oil 

drums and deliver them to the mine site, things like that. It keeps it 

interesting and engaging.” 

The real thing 

The club sees the mental stimulation benefits of the job cards as clear; 

you have a logistics problem you need to overcome and a deadline to 

meet. It’s a simulation of real life situations that drivers are familiar 

with and serves as a way for people to keep a connection to the 

industry as well as for engaging the mind without the stress of doing 

it in a full-size situation. 

“It’s all about having fun. You might have to drop your fuel trailer 

and pick up someone’s flat bed and take is somewhere – it’s all the 

enjoyment of the real thing without all the hassles,” Chris says. 

With clubs around Australia, there is plenty of scope for new 

members to join but it is limited to capital cities at the moment, 

which is something Chris is keen to see change in the future. 

“There’s pretty much one club in each capital city, so people can join 

if they want to get into it. We’re hoping to have a national gathering at 

some point in the future, with all the clubs together, but it might be a 

way off with COVID and everything going on,” he says. 

“But, we’ve had more people join us while the COVID lockdowns 

were in place because it’s a great hobby to do if you’re stuck inside.” 

Surely there’s no better way to indulge your love of road transport 

than to build and customise your all-time ultimate rig in 1:14 scale. 

Not only is it infinitely less expensive than doing the same to a fullsize 

truck but the mental and physical health outcomes gained from 

a relaxing hobby like this are benefits you just can’t buy elsewhere. 


TWU Michael Kaine 

Space age scrooges 

Wealthy retailers enjoy boasting about huge profits, 

while essential workers struggle to make ends meet 

OUR PUSH to bring about real 

change in the road transport 

industry is about to step up a 

gear. Drivers across Australia 

in the coming months are 

preparing for a fight that will 

target some of the wealthiest 

retailers in Australia and the world, 

which have made bumper profits since 

the pandemic but aren’t prepared to share 

them with our industry moving their 

goods. 

Our sights are set on the likes of 

Amazon, Apple and Aldi, and domestic 

brands like IGA, Kmart and Bunnings. 

Our aim? To make these wealthy 

retailers pay their fair share so that our 

industry can be made fairer and safer. 

Over the last few months we have 

been engaging 50 of these retailers, 

writing to them and telling them 

about our demands. We have told 

them of the scientific link made by 

academics over decades and proven 

through coronial inquests and driver 

testimony that low rates of pay and 

inappropriate payment methods are 

linked to poor safety outcomes in road 

transport. We told them how trucking 

is Australia’s deadliest job and how 

government reports show that trucks 

are disproportionately involved in road 

fatalities and injuries. 

Hundreds have been killed and 

thousands injured over the years and 

this isn’t something we are prepared 

to cop anymore just because Amazon 

wants to make so much money its 

founder Jeff Bezos can shoot himself 

and some mates into space. 

LOW COST CONTRACTS 

Having given retailers the heads-up 

we are now serving claims on them, 

detailing how exactly we want them 

to lift their game so that the pressure 

is taken off transport operators and 

drivers. If they don’t deliver, we have a 

plan to shame them through action. 

This is a bold move but the real 

audacity is to be found in the obscene 

profits of retailers and when you 

consider how drivers and operators are 

made to struggle every day on their 

low-cost contracts. 

Amazon recently announced profits 

were up 224 per cent to US$8 billion 

(A$10.5 billion) in just the first quarter 

of this year. Apple said its profits have 

more than doubled to US$23.6 billion 

(A$31.08 billion). Aldi’s annual revenue 

in 2019 was a phenomenal US$109 

billion (A$143.5 billion). 

Just think about all that money 

reaped by retailers while drivers 

and road users are being killed 

in Australian roads, all because 

companies reckon they can make even 

more money by squeezing transport 

costs and compromising safety. 

Our plan to target retailers is part of 

our drive for reform of our industry. It 

MICHAEL KAINE is the 

national secretary of the 

Transport Workers 

Union of Australia. 

Contact Michael at: 

NSW Transport Workers 

Union, Transport House, 

188-390 Sussex Street, 

Sydney, NSW 2000. 

twu@twu.com.au 

sits alongside our push for regulation 

so that we can have in place regulation 

to hold major companies at the top of 

the supply chain to account. 

As I have written about previously, 

Coles and the Transport Workers Union 

(TWU) signed a charter in December 

on standards in road transport and 

the gig economy. This charter is 

ground breaking: it involves a formal 

consultation process between the 

TWU and Coles to ensure an ongoing 

emphasis on safety and to establish 

mechanisms through which safety 

issues can be identified and addressed. 

That doesn’t mean Coles is always doing 

the right thing. But it means we have a 

mechanism in place to raise concerns 

and to effect change. 

Woolworths has also signed a charter 

with the TWU but we are pushing for 

this to be upgraded with more effective 

mechanisms to ensure standards in 

that supply chain are lifting. 

PUSHED OUT 

Of course, Aldi has so far refused to 

come to the table with a meaningful 

response to our call for a greater focus 

on road safety. The wealthy retailer lost 

a Federal Court case in December aimed 

at silencing truck drivers speaking out 

about safety in its supply chain. The 

ruling followed evidence and testimony 

from drivers about being forced to work 

fatigued, being ridiculed and pushed 

out of their jobs for speaking out, and 

not paid proper rates or super. 

Drivers have also spoken out about a 

lack of weighing systems to gauge when 

trucks are overloaded, of flooded and 

badly lit loading docks, of blocked fire 

exits and rotten meat left lying around. 

Aldi needs to significantly change its 

attitude and join the retailers, which 

are trying to make a difference. 

The action we will take in the coming 

months is about lifting standards so 

that we can address the disgraceful 

conditions that came to light from Aldi. 

Those working in our industry 

know that there are far too many 

truck crashes and safety incidents 

where fatigue, faulty brakes, loads 

not strapped down properly and even 

stimulants to stay awake are a factor. 

At the heart of this is an industry on 

its knees because the major retailers at 

the top continually squeeze transport 

operators and drivers to the point that 

safety is thrown out the window. 

Know this: we will work with retailers 

which want to see change so that no 

transport worker in their supply chains 

feels the pressure to drive a faulty 

truck, speed, work long hours, take 

stimulants to keep working or skip 

their rest breaks. But for those who 

are not interested in addressing the 

slaughter on our roads and who refuse 

to accept their role, workers across 

transport operators will unite to take 

action and we will not relent. 

To join our campaign today go to 

www.twu.com.au. 

“Aldi needs to significantly 

change its attitude.” 


JULY 2021 65

WILKIE’S WATCH Ken Wilkie 

Pricey technology 

It’s all very well adding the latest gadgets to your rig, 

but it comes at the expense of your bottom line 

IWENT to the Brisbane Truck Show. I 

can’t get impressed by all the shiny 

stuff crammed with electronic 

gimmicks. Gimmicks? The latest 

wizardry needs further study as to 

its practicability – technological 

stuff that applies the brakes when 

technology sees an accident situation 

developing, for instance. 

I’ve seen a report where the brains’ 

trust has had a jail sentence reversed 

because it was able to convince the beak 

that an empty dog actually did lock 

up and do a pendulum swing into an 

oncoming coach. And I’m told Facebook 

ran hot with other drivers reporting 

similar outcomes, luckily with less 

horrendous outcomes. 

Years ago I had a correspondence 

from a truckie who was doing five 

years for culpable driving, having 

demolished a car and its driver after the 

car had suddenly pulled in front of the 

travelling B-double. 

Three issues brought about the 

driver’s conviction. Firstly, he was a 

truckie. Secondly, as with many drivers 

back then, filling out the time spent 

driving sheet was considered irrelevant 

to safety – and it still is. Nowadays, 

the financial consequences have made 

filling it out pertinent. The enforcement 

officers found discrepancies and took 

the worst view. Thirdly, the B-double 

was fitted with anti-lock brakes; 

consequently no skid marks. And the 

coppers took that as an indication that 

the brakes had not been applied under 

emergency application. 

Take those two horrendous accidents 

in the New South Wales’ Northern Rivers 

some decades ago. The truck driver was 

found to have amphetamines on board 

– so he’s guilty. Interestingly when two 

coaches collided, sleep apnoea was the 

cause. I can’t argue differently and don’t 

want to, but it just seems so convenient. 

Maybe, at some stage, our associations 

will be overcome by some sort of guilt 

complex and demand the truth – in 

breach reporting to start with – to help 

reduce the negative prejudice directed 

at this industry. 

SPIN DOCTORING 

When I first got involved with trying 

to get a better deal for truck drivers, I 

heard the comment that we need to be 

seen to be doing the right thing. One 

reason for my gross disillusionment 

with industry associations and 

bureaucracy is that a very big 

proportion are just happy to be spin 

doctors or used car sales people – 

selling or supporting papier-mâché 

safety programs – being seen to be 

doing the right thing. 

Being seen to do the right thing? I 

had an interesting discussion with a 

representative of the Healthy Heads in 

Trucks and Sheds at the show. The man is 

obviously full of integrity and sincerity. 

He related to me how well he was treated 

by his employer. 

I also had an interesting conversation 

with a friend just prior to the show. A 

multinational transport organisation 

got in touch with the friend’s son and 

business partner to enquire about 

whether their operation could assist 

in moving product from Melbourne 

to Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide. The 

organisation is having trouble sourcing 

trucks to lift the freight. 

The multinational is well known 

for expecting its subcontractors to 

install all the latest gimmicks in the 

name of safety and industry best 

practice – of course at the expense of 

the subcontractor. My friend informed 

me that the rate paid to subcontractors 

after fitting the gimmicks to feather the 

image of the contractor was $500 less 

than he achieves for the same leg. And it 

KEN WILKIE has been an 

owner-driver since 1974, after 

first getting behind the wheel 

at 11. He’s on his eighth truck, 

and is a long-time Owner// 

Driver contributor. He covers 

Rockhampton to Adelaide 

and any point in between. 

His current ambition is to 

see the world, and to see 

more respect for the nation’s 

truckies. Contact Ken at 

ken@rwstransport.com.au 

"Five metres? Why the 

difference from truck 

and dog or just truck 

listed at 4.6?" 

is illuminating that this organisation 

does not utilise its own equipment on 

that leg for that freight. 

NOT SO NATIONAL 

It’s been suggested to me that a 

determined legal eagle might have a 

field day with a charge of misleading 

advertising by the suppliers of 

information to the government printers 

– Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 

Heavy Vehicle National Law, Multi-State 

Class 1 Load Carrying Vehicle Dimension 

Exemption Notice 2020 (No 1). I presume 

this has emanated from the (not) 

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. It 

talks about participating jurisdictions. 

That raises the question: why national 

when the full Commonwealth is not 

involved? 

Okay, it is only part of the 

Commonwealth, but God help us 

– there is little consistency with 

those parts of the Commonwealth 

that participate. I’ll deal with the 

Queensland section. Table 2: Maximum 

dimensions for vehicles without pilot 

or escort – day time travel. The third 

entry in this table gives a maximum 

height of five metres for prime mover 

and trailer combinations. Five metres? 

Why the difference from truck and dog 

or just truck listed at 4.6? But that’s not 

the serious issue. The real issue is the 

dangerous misleading nature of five 

metres. There’s no suggestion here that 

permits are required by the electricity 

authorities for heights above 4.6 metres. 

Check out the ‘Look Up and Live’ 

website at Energex. Anything over 4.6 

requires a permit, which translates 

to a check of the required route for 

transmission wires that could be 

impacted. Check out Queensland Rail 

– its live wire clearance, I’m told, has a 

height limit of 4.3. So what happens if a 

driver takes the Commonwealth Gazette 

as gospel and pulls down a live power 

wire? Or, if the worst case scenario 

eventuates and an innocent life is 

taken through contact with a damaged 

high voltage cable? No doubt if that 

driver is self-employed with limited 

financial resources to argue innocence, 

then I expect that said driver would 

be facing a stint in the penitentiary. 

Not to mention the life-long distress of 

having been the cause of some innocent 

person’s demise. 

Surely an entity tasked with 

advancing the safe outcomes of the 

road transport industry – tasked 

with uniforming the industry 

nationally – would be more inclusive 

of organisations whose equipment can 

be impacted by operators ignorant of 

proper procedure; bringing with that 

impact a tremendous safety risk factor. 

I have come to the conclusion that 

there is a determination b y bureaucracy 

to entrap – for two reasons. Firstly, 

to sell to the public the ideal of the 

bureaucracy as an implement to protect 

society and, secondly, through the 

raising of significant monies from fines 

– a revenue stream to offset something 

of the massive cost to society of the 

provision of the bureaucracy. 

My suggested reading for this month: 

The Pacific War 1941 to 1945 by John 

Costello. It takes the reader back in the 

pre-war history and highlights stuff 

ups on both sides. 


WHEN THE GOING 

GETS TOUGH, 

TRUCKIES KEEP 

EVERYONE GOING. 

Transport operators across Australia rely on Shell Rimula oils to 

protect their equipment operating in Australia’s tough conditions. 

Contact us on 1300 134 205 or visit Shell.com.au/Rimula 

to find out more about Shell Rimula and the range of transport 

lubricants to ensure your fleet keeps going when the 

going gets tough.

ROAD SOUNDS Greg Bush 

As well as being involved in road transport 

media for the past 22 years, GREG BUSH 

has strong links to the music industry. 

A former Golden Guitar judge for the 

Country Music Awards of Australia, Greg 

also had a three-year stint as an ARIA 

Awards judge in the late 1990s and wrote 

for and edited several music magazines. 

Bringing out the best 

Blues, roots, pop, a rock legend and a touch of jazz 

LOVE SONGS FOR LONELY PEOPLE 

Paul Field 

ABC/Universal Music 

linktr.ee/PaulFieldOfficial 

Australia’s Paul 

Field, formerly 

of rock band The 

Cockroaches and 

producer of The 

Wiggles, has at 

long last released 

a debut album, 

Love Songs For Lonely People, although he 

previously recorded a couple of albums 

with his brother John Field. Paul Field’s 

high standing in the music industry has 

attracted a number of notable guests for 

the album, which could be classed in the 

genre of AOR, or “adult-oriented rock”. 

Jimmy Barnes adds his distinctive vocals 

to the twangy ‘You Ain’t Going Nowhere’, a 

Bob Dylan classic. Ria Pirelli, from Audio 

Vixen, joins in for the schmaltzy ‘Sleepless 

Nights’, and country songstress Chris E 

Thomas sings on the lively ‘Gasoline And 

Matches’. Barnsey’s daughter Elly-May 

Barnes adds her high register tones to 

‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time’, another Dylan 

song, and Field covers the ’60s staple, 

‘When You Walk In The Room’. 

DELTA KREAM 

The Black Keys 

Nonesuch/Warner 

www.theblackkeys.com 

It’s a blast from 

the past for 

The Black Keys 

on their 10th 

studio album 

Delta Kream as 

guitarist Dan 

Auerbach and 

drummer Patrick Carney pay homage to 

blues artists from the previous century. 

For the most part the duo rediscovers the 

hill country sounds that were popular 

around northern Mississippi, including 

five tracks by the late Junior Kimbrough. 

Of these, ‘Stay All Night’ steers clear of 

the usual blues format, with Auerbach’s 

guitar mimicking his vocal lines. There’s 

falsetto on ‘Goin Down South’, a top-notch 

blues-rock track which late bloomer 

R.L. Burnside first recorded in 1967, and 

there’s a grinding beat and fiery guitar 

licks on the one-chord ‘Coal Black Mattie’. 

‘Crawling Kingsnake’ has been the go-to 

track for many blues artists (including 

The Doors) since the 1940s, but The Black 

Keys stick close to Kimbrough’s version. 

Recorded in Nashville, Delta Kream’s appeal 

spreads far beyond the blues genre. 

HOLIDAYS INSIDE 

Robbing Millions 

MGMT/PIAS 

www.robbingmillions.com 

Robbing Millions 

is the brainchild 

of Belgian avantgarde 

pop artist 

Lucien Fraipont; 

Holidays Inside 

being his second 

album. Most 

interesting is that it’s the first release on 

US pop-rock duo MGMT’s own record label 

outside that duo’s own music. What you 

get with Robbing Millions’ Holidays Inside 

is an 18-track album of energetic pop 

that runs for over an hour. The album’s 

first single, ‘Camera’, is keyboard-driven 

lively track with an abstract melody, and a 

blend of French and English lyrics. There’s 

a 1980s pop sound to ‘Have Tea’, but 

Fraipont dispenses with lyrics altogether 

on the upbeat instrumental ‘Overdry’. 

He slows the tempo for ‘Dutch Sauna’, 

another instrumental laden with “loops”, 

while the punchy ‘Family Dinner’ is one 

of the album’s more radio-friendly tracks. 

If you’re into Euro pop, Holidays Inside is 

on the money. 

FLESH AND BLOOD 

Jimmy Barnes 

Bloodlines 

www.bloodlinesmusic.com.au 

The output 

from Australian 

music icon 

Jimmy Barnes 

is remarkable, 

considering 

his Cold Chisel 

commitments. 

Flesh And Blood, his 20th solo album, is a 

real family affair, with his son Jackie on 

drums and backing vocals, plus daughters 

Mahalia, Eliza-Jane and Elly-May also 

adding vocals. There are also a few 

surprises. Barnsey debuted the rocking 

title track, also the album’s opener, at the 

recent funeral of his good friend Michael 

Gudinski. It’s not the only rock anthem on 

Flesh And Blood however. ‘Gateway To Your 

Heart’ is laden with strong guitar riffs, 

and ‘Around In Circles’ could be classed 

as melodic rock. His wife, Jane, adds duet 

vocals to the Everly Brothers ballad ‘Love 

Hurts', while Eliza-Jane contributes to the 

country classic ‘Tennessee Waltz’, which is 

given a big production sound, including 

bagpipes! There’s introspection on ‘Til 

The Next Time’, rounding out what is a 

trademark Jimmy Barnes album. 

EXIT WOUNDS 

The Wallflowers 

New West Records 

www.wallflowersmusic.com 

The Wallflowers 

were formed 

around 30 years 

ago, but this US 

rock band has 

always centred 

around Jakob 

Dylan (son of 

Bob). Exit Wounds is The Wallflowers' first 

album since 2012’s Glad All Over, although 

Dylan was involved in the soundtrack to 

the 2019 documentary Echo In The Canyon. 

Basically, Exit Wounds is a Jakob Dylan solo 

project, with a host of well-credentialed 

musicians helping out, including singersongwriter-keyboardist 

Butch Walker, who 

also produced the album. Dylan’s vocals 

draw comparison with his famous dad, 

especially on ‘Roots And Wings’, one of 

the album’s many standouts. Americana 

singer Shelby Lynne adds duet vocals to 

the slow-paced ‘Darlin Hold On’. As far as 

strong lyrics go, ‘The Dive Bar In My Heart’ 

is right up there. Those who admired 

legendary ’70s outfit The Band should 

enjoy Exit Wounds. 

THE ART OF CONVERSATION 

Leo Sidran 

Bonsaï Music 

www.leosidran.com 

US guitarist, 

producer and 

composer Leo 

Sidran boasts a 

handy musical 

pedigree. His 

father, Ben 

Sidran, mixed 

jazz and rock, and was once a member 

of The Steve Miller Band. Likewise, the 

younger Sidran explores various music 

genres on his seventh solo album The 

Art Of Conversation. His vocals at times 

bare resemblance to those of John Mayer, 

notably on the breezy pop-rock track 

‘Trying Times’. Sidran co-produced the 

Oscar-winning song ‘Al Otro Lado Del 

Rio’, originally written by Uruguayan 

Jorge Drexler, and he translates it into 

English here, renaming it ‘Row On’, 

adding a large choir. Jazz vocalist Kat 

Edmonson adds vocals to the bossa nova 

title track, and then Sidran delivers cool 

but subtle country licks on ‘Wake Up So So’. 

‘My Baby Doesn’t Say Good Night’, another 

cruisy number, has a ’60s pop sound, and 

he’s at his jazziest on ‘Song For A Sucker 

Like You’. 

Country 

Corner 

WHERE HAVE 

YOU GONE 

Alan Jackson 

Universal Music 

www.alanjackson.com 

It’s been a 

long time between drinks 

for US country star Alan 

Jackson; Where Have You 

Gone is his first album of 

new material since 2015. 

Jackson has made up for 

that hiatus, loading up 21 

tracks on this new release, 

15 of those self-penned. 

There’s pure country on the 

ballad ‘Wishful Drinkin’, and 

he drowns his sorrows on 

‘Way Down In My Whiskey’. 

On a positive note, ‘You’ll 

Always Be My Baby’ is 

a song written for his 

daughter’s wedding, and he 

revs it up for the country 

rock track ‘Livin On Empty’. 

Jackson is on a mission to 

lift country music’s stature 

on ‘Back’, and he delivers a 

tribute to Merle Haggard on 

Lefty Frizzell’s ‘That’s The 

Way Love Goes’. 

THE SONG CLUB 

Felicity Urquhart & 

Josh Cunningham 

ABC/Universal 

www.felicityurquhart.com 

Felicity 

Urquhart scored big at 

the 2019 Golden Guitar 

Awards with her album 

Frozen Rabbit, taking 

home six awards. However, 

that success could be 

surpassed with The Song 

Club, a collaboration with 

Josh Cunningham of ARIA 

award-winning trio The 

Waifs. With banjo in hand, 

the couple embrace the 

bluegrass genre on ‘Wanna 

Go There’, and there’s a folk 

flavour to ‘Seasons’, one of 

the album’s best. ‘Open Sea’ 

is a song of hope; Urquhart 

shines on ‘Rain Fall’, 

while love is in the air on 

‘Catching A Feeling’. Home 

is where the heart is on ‘At 

The Table’, and there’s a 

sombre tone to The Song 

Club’s final track, ‘A Year 

To Remember’. Currently 

on tour, they’re well worth 

catching live. 



WHAT’S ON upcoming events 

NATROAD CONFERENCE 2021 

August 19 to 21, 2021. Gold Coast, Qld 

After a difficult year for road freight operators, NatRoad is pleased to 

invite members to the NatRoad National Conference 2021, to be held 

at the InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort, Gold Coast from August 

19 to 21. Includes the ‘NatRoad Parliament’ and the NatRoad Awards 

presentation at the Gala Dinner. 

For further info see the website at www.natroad.com.au/eventsnetworking/2021-conference 

Casino Truck 

Show cancelled 

Pandemic again forces northern 

NSW event off the calendar 

WITH A number of recent lockdowns 

taking place across the country, 

organisers of the North Coast 

Petroleum Casino Truck Show have 

decided that with only weeks to go 

and the COVID-19 pandemic still not 

under control, holding the event this 

year would not be feasible. 

The event was due to take place on 

Saturday, August 7 in the Casino CBD. 

A joint statement from Truck Show 

Organising Committee spokesman 

Darren Goodwin and Beef Week 

Festival Committee president Frank 

McKey explained that the health and 

safety of the community, attendees 

and exhibitors were the driving 

factors behind the cancellation. 

Goodwin also says the lockdowns 

meant many interstate truck drivers 

and trucking companies would not be 

able to attend. 

He said the annual NCP Casino 

Truck Show had been a cornerstone of 

the Richmond Valley event calendar 

for a decade, and organisers strived 

each year to bring the best trucks 

from around the country to showcase 

to our regional communities. 

“Sadly, due to the current 

restrictions in place around Australia, 

we do not believe we can produce the 

show our community and our visitors 

deserve,” Goodwin says. 

“The risk of running a national 

truck show during the current 

pandemic was always going to be 

high, and the unfortunate truth is due 

to the latest outbreak we may not be 

able to include interstate trucks.” 

McKey says, as with any event, there 

was a lot of behind-the-scene work to 

produce a truck show of this size, and 

while there was the possibility the 

current restrictions would end before 

the show, it was simply not enough 

time to confirm a secondary outbreak 

would not occur. He said as the Casino 

event attracted drivers from around 

the country, a single outbreak in a 

single state could result in the staging 

of half a show. 

He said it was important to 

understand the truck show was not 

just a group of people turning up for a 

get together. 

“There are site plans, traffic control 

plans and COVID safety plans to go 

through, and Council and Police 

approvals to be obtained,” McKey says. 

“There are trophies and prizes 

to be ordered, and market stalls, 

amusement rides and entertainment 

to be booked.” 

This is the second year in a row that 

COVID has caused the cancellation 

of the Casino Truck Show with 

organisers running a virtual show in 

its place last year. 

Plans were already underway to 

make the 2021 event bigger and better, 

including bringing back Aussie FMX, 

one of Australia’s top professional 

freestyle motocross teams, 

More than 300 trucks were expected 

to attend this year. 

Goodwin says the organising 

committee would like to thank all the 

drivers who had already submitted 

entries, and the sponsors who jumped 

on board early. 

“Your enthusiasm helped motivate 

us to bring back the Truck Show in 

2021, and we are disappointed we will 

be unable to host it this year,” he adds. 

“Hope is not lost for the future – we’ll 

be seeing you all again in 2022. 

TOP: Before COVID – trucks and spectators 

filled the Casino CBD at the 2019 truck show. 

Photo by Warren Aitken 

NATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME REUNION 2021 

August 23 to 29, 2021. Alice Springs, NT 

The National Transport Historical Society and The Old Ghan Historical 

Society has the announced the inaugural ‘Festival of Transport’. As well 

as the regular reunion activities there will be new events to experience. 

For info and nomination forms see the website at 

www.roadtransporthall.com, www.facebook.com/Trucks.n.Trains, 

email info@roadtransporthall.com or phone 08 8952 7161. 

ALEXANDRA TRUCK UTE & ROD SHOW 

September 12, 2021. Alexandra, Victoria 

Rescheduled from June due to COVID, the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod 

Show will now be held in September, celebrating 25 years. Sunday 

Show ’n Shine on Alexandra’s main street on September 12, includes 

live music, Victorian woodchop tournament, exhibitions and trade 

displays, kids amusements and Truck Show Day raffle draw. Be early for 

Saturday, September 11 for the local markets, convoy and truck driver’s 

memorial service at 2pm and sponsors’ dinner at 6pm. 

For truck show details email trucks@alexandratruckshow.com.au, or for 

further info phone Gordon Simpson on 0409 577 212, Andrew Embling 

on 0418 266 038 or see the website www.alexandratruckshow.com.au 

LIGHTS ON THE HILL MEMORIAL CONVOY 

October 2 & 3, 2021. Gatton, Queensland 

The 2021 Lights on the Hill Memorial Convoy is planned to be held on 

October 2 and the Memorial service will take place on October 3 at the 

Lake Apex Memorial wall. 

For further info see the website at www.lightsonthehill.com.au 

or www.facebook.com/ lightsonthehillmemorial 

I98FM ILLAWARRA CONVOY 

November 21, 2021. Shellharbour Airport, NSW 

The Illawarra community’s 16th annual big convoy. Bikes will leave 

Illawarra Coal’s Westcliff Colliery on Appin Rd at around 8am, followed 

by trucks at Maddens Plains to Mount Ousley, Warrawong, Stockland 

Shellharbour, Albion Park Rail and on to Shellharbour Airport for 

the family fun day. Includes live music, food and market stalls and 

activities. Funds raised will be distributed via the Illawarra Community 

Foundation to charities and families in need within the Illawarra and 

South Coast regions. 

For further information visit www.illawarraconvoy.com.au or see the 

Facebook page at www.facebook.com/i98fmillawarraconvoy 

BOYUP BROOK UTE AND TRUCK MUSTER 

February 19, 2022. Boyup Brook, WA 

The Boyup Brook Ute and Truck Muster is incorporated into the annual 

Boyup Brook Country Music Festival which has been rescheduled 

(due to health advice) to run from February 18 to 20, 2022. Truck 

registration 8am at Old Railway Staton. Includes parade through town 

continuing to Hockey Oval on Jackson St. $10,000 in prizes over 14 

categories. Live entertanment, licensed bar. 

For further info see the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ 

TheBoyupBrookUteAndTruckMuster), email uteandtruckmuster@ 

countrymusicwa.com.au or see the website www.countrymusicwa.com. 

au/ute-and-truck-muster 

To have an event listed, phone (07) 3101 6602 

or e-mail odonline@aremedia.com.au 


JULY 2021 69

truck technology 

HINOAIMSHIGHER 

Following extensive updates to its light and medium-duty line-ups, 

Hino has previewed a vastly upgraded range of 700-series heavyduty 

models set to hit the market in the next few months. Advanced 

safety systems, improved and expanded powertrains, and new 

configurations are all part of a significantly stronger assault by 

a brand with ambitious plans for a bigger bite of the heavy-duty 

business. Steve Brooks reports 


IT WAS no surprise that a major upgrade 

of the Hino 700-series heavy-duty range 

would follow much earlier updates to its 

300-series light-duty and 500-series mediumduty 

models. 

What did surprise, however, during a 

recent preview of the latest heavy-duty 

hopefuls was just how far Hino has gone 

in its bid to make the 700-series a far more 

competitive and appealing line-up and, in the 

process, provide a platform entirely capable of 

challenging European competitors as well as its 

Japanese rivals. 

Have no doubt, on first impression this is a 

heavy-duty line-up far beyond anything Hino has 

ever offered before in any weight class. Moreover, 

while company insiders say it’ll be three or four 

months until we get the chance to climb behind 

the wheel, there was enough to see and hear at 

a static display in Sydney to predict a bold new 

appreciation for the Toyota-owned brand’s heavyduty 

credentials. 

Similarly surprising, though, was Hino’s 

somewhat strange decision to retain peak power 

of the 700’s reliable 13-litre engine at the current 

peak of 480hp (358kW). Strange indeed! 

Consequently, Hino will remain the only brand 

in the market today that doesn’t offer 500hp 

(373kW) or more from a 13-litre engine, yet fully 

aware that Japanese rival Fuso will later this year 

add a 13-litre 510hp (380kW) model to its top-end 

Shogun range. Again, a strange decision indeed, 

particularly given the brand’s stated resolve to 

be a bigger player in the heavy-duty business and 

one day realise its long-held ambition to overtake 

Isuzu as Australia’s top selling truck brand. 

That said, though, Hino Australia’s somewhat 

circumspect manager of product strategy, Daniel 

Petrovski, was quick to hint that bigger things 

are brewing and what we were shown in Sydney 

is effectively the first of several phases in 

the brand’s pursuit of a substantially bigger 

footprint in the heavy-duty field. Whether a 

500-plus version is part of any future phase, he 

wouldn’t say. 

What he did say, however, is: “The reliability of 

the Hino E13C engine is already well proven, and 

the improved version in the all-new 700-series 

range is available in two power ratings of 450hp 

(336kW) and 480hp.” 

More to the point, perhaps, the 13-litre in-line 

six is just one part of many significant features in 

a thoroughly modern makeover of Hino’s flagship 

range. One of the most appealing is the smart 

addition to the heavy-duty mix of the brand’s 

A09C nine-litre engine, with both nine- and 13- 

litre displacements meeting Euro 6 emissions 


JULY 2021 71

standards through the combined effects of a selective 

catalytic reduction (SCR) system, cooled exhaust gas 

recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF). 

What’s more, in an innovative move that recognises an 

increasingly obvious trend throughout the road freight 

sector, every model in the expanded range is fitted with 

either an automated manual transmission (AMT) or an 

Allison automatic. There are no manual options. 

As Petrovski put it: “Australian customers clearly prefer 

the convenience of two-pedal transmissions [and] Hino is 

the only Japanese manufacturer to offer a true automatic 

transmission option across the light-, medium- and heavyduty 

model ranges.” 

According to Hino, key new models include 4x2 and 6x2 

rigids for distribution work and 6x4 and 8x4 models for 

heavier roles. Critically, after years on Hino Australia’s 

wish list, the new eight-wheeler is at last equipped with the 

greater weight carrying allowance of a load-sharing twinsteer 

suspension designed specifically for our market. 

Meanwhile, the addition of the nine-litre engine to 

Hino’s heavy-duty repertoire finally provides the brand 

with what it says is, “a Hino solution in the 300 to 400 

horsepower area”. 

As the company explains, the nine-litre line-up starts 

with the FH 1832 4x2 model, the FR 2632 6x2 and the FS 

2632 6x4, all punched by the A09C engine rated at 235kW 

(320hp) and 1,275Nm of torque, mated to an Allison 3200 

six-speed automatic transmission. 

For the higher weights of the FY 3036 8x4 model, the 

nine-litre delivers 265kW (360hp) and 1,569Nm of torque 

feeding into the heavier-duty Allison 4440 series six-speed 

automatic. 

In the 13-litre class, the revamped range starts with the 

SH 1845 4x2 model powered by Hino’s E13C dispensing 

331kW (450hp) and 2,157Nm of torque. 

“Every model in the expanded 

range is fitted with either an 

automated manual transmission 

or an Allison automatic.” 

Above: Hino Australia product strategy manager, Daniel Petrovski. Among 

an extended 700-series model range is a new eight-wheeler offering a nineor 

13-litre Euro 6 engines. But the big gain for Hino’s 8x4 is a loadsharing 

twin-steer. Finally! 

Right: Modern makeover. Vastly upgraded 700-series takes its interior 

design cues from its 500-series medium-duty stablemate which has enjoyed 

positive driver feedback. Function and form rate high in Hino’s new 

flagship range 


All other 13-litre models – the high-roof SS 2848 6x4 

prime mover, the FS 2848 6x4 rigid and the FY 3248 eightwheeler 

– have the engine rated to existing performance 

peaks of 353kW (480hp) and 2,157Nm of torque, though Hino 

points out that peak torque is now dispensed across a wider 

1,000 to 1,500rpm rev range. 

Coupled to all 13-litre variants is the ZF Traxon 16-speed 

AMT, with forward, neutral and reverse controlled through 

a rotary dash-mounted shift knob; uncannily similar to 

Traxon installations in MAN models. The knob also controls 

a ‘slow mode’ for crawling in either forward or reverse. 

Furthermore, says Hino: “The dash-mounted selector 

is complemented by a sequential-type shift lever on the 

steering column that allows the driver to switch between 

automatic and manual modes, and manually select gears.” 

Also part of the AMT package is Hino’s Easy Start (hill hold) 

system for smooth lift-offs on grades. 

The list of standard features in the new range is 

undeniably impressive and includes alloy wheels in an 

obvious move to improve both tare weight and aesthetics. 

Much like its light- and medium-duty brothers, though, 

some of the most notable advances in Hino’s vastly 

upgraded 700-series have been in the deployment of 

advanced safety systems. 

Safety first 

Hino is adamant its new 700-series range comprises the 

safest trucks it has ever produced and it all starts with an 

electronic brake system (EBS) on every model. 

Yet, it’s not just the quicker braking performance of 

EBS that sets Hino’s new heavy-duty models apart from 

the current crop. As the company states, the 700-series 

has moved from the traditional S-cam design to Hino’s 

‘Taper Roller’ brake system, which it says: “… reduces tare 

weight, decreases compressed air requirements, provides 

a smoother and more consistent brake feel, and uses 

less moving parts, resulting in reduced maintenance 

requirements and lower operating costs.” 

Importantly, auxiliary braking is a strong suit in the 

new line-up with the inclusion in all 700-series models 

of the ever effective Jacobs engine brake, coupled in 13- 

litre versions with the additional braking strength of 

the ZF Intarder, integrated into the rear of the Traxon 

transmission. 

Even on paper, service and auxiliary braking in the new 

Hino heavies appears a cut above. 

However, it are the overall safety features in what Hino 

calls its ‘SmartSafe’ package that truly put the new models 

on a higher plane. 

“The 700-series answers a lot of the major safety issues 

that confront the transport industry and other road 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKE 

Hiding in the shadows of Hino’s preview of its new 700-series trucks and the use of 

a Jacobs engine brake in all models is the fact that 2021 marks the 60th anniversary 

of Jacobs Vehicle Systems. 

Jacobs introduced the first engine brake for commercial vehicles in 1961 and, 

since then, more than nine million Jake brakes have been produced for trucks 

around the world. 

In fact, Jacob engine brake use has grown markedly over the past few years. The 

company sold its eight millionth engine brake in 2019 but it was only two years 

later, in March 2021, that the nine millionth unit rolled off the Jacobs assembly line. 

It may, however, surprise more than a few people to learn that the world’s best 

known engine retarder was actually invented by Clessie Cummins, the man who, in 

1919, founded the Cummins Engine Company. And it may also be a surprise to learn 

that safety and a near-death experience were the reasons why Cummins made an 

effective engine brake one of his most enduring engineering legacies. 

The story goes that, in 1955, when Cummins retired from the engine company 

he’d created, his thoughts returned to a terrifying experience in the northern 

summer of 1931 when he and two colleagues drove a Cummins diesel-powered truck 

from New York to Los Angeles in an attempt to set a new truck speed record across 

mainland USA. 

On the fifth day of the drive, at the top of a notorious pass on a stretch of historic 

Route 66 in Southern California, Cummins was at the wheel of the truck when it 

started a long, steep descent towards the San Bernardino Valley. 

On a gravel road that plunged downwards for 35 miles (55km), criss-crossed by 

a busy railway line, the frequent slowing for twists and turns overheated the truck’s 

brakes. Cummins tried to restrain the runaway truck with engine compression but, 

with so much momentum and road speed, was unable to engage a lower gear than 

third. To his horror, the Cummins founder realised he “would just have to ride it 

out”. 

With a freight train cutting across their path a short distance ahead, he was sure 

his days were done. 

Cummins later recounted how the truck passed the back of the train with inches 

to spare and how he had vowed that someday, somehow, he would make his engine 

work just as well going downhill as it did uphill. 

Almost 25 years passed before Cummins found the time in retirement to study 

what might be done to turn his engine into an effective brake. By 1957, he’d 

developed a design that would revolutionise engine braking. His idea was to take 

advantage of perfectly timed motion already built into Cummins and Detroit Diesel 

engines, which have a third cam on the main camshaft that activates the fuel 

injector of each cylinder. By transferring this motion to open the exhaust valve with 

a simple retrofit mechanism, the engine brake was born. 

Although the principal of engine braking wasn’t new, the details of Cummins’ new 

technical approach made it novel enough to be granted patent protection. 

As for getting his engine brake into the market, it wasn’t plain sailing. Cummins 

was contractually obliged to offer his invention first to Cummins Engine Co. but, 

strangely, his design was rejected on the grounds of commercial risk. Big mistake! 

Fortunately, Cummins received a more positive response when he explained his 

idea to a vice-president of Jacobs Manufacturing Company. By April 1960, after 

the success of extensive tests of the design, Jacobs established a new Clessie L. 

Cummins Division (now named Jacobs Vehicle Systems) for the manufacturer of the 

engine brake. 

The rest, of course, is history and, while the raucous bark of earlier Jakes has been 

criticised by many, the one salient fact that can’t be criticised is the engine brake’s 

inestimable contribution in keeping truck drivers and other road users safe on 

downhill grades. 

Besides, the modern Jake is far quieter than its forebears thanks to the fact 

that Jacobs Vehicle Systems engineers continue to work closely with engine 

manufacturers throughout the world, not least Hino. 

Above: Cummins Engine Company founder, Clessie Cummins. In retirement in 1955, he found the time to 

create the design that would become the remarkably effective Jake brake 


JULY 2021 73

“Hino is adamant its new 700-series 

range comprises the safest trucks 

it has ever produced.” 

Top: Vital new model, the FR 2632 

6x2 rigid, is punched by a ninelitre 

engine stirring through 

an Allison auto. All 700-series 

trucks will come with either an 

Allison automatic or automated 

manual transmission. There are 

no manuals 

users, with the implementation of advanced driver assist 

technologies, Hino SmartSafe and, more specifically, the 

introduction of Driver Monitor,” says Petrovski. 

As a Hino statement explains: ‘The new Driver Monitor 

system constantly monitors the driver’s attention towards 

the road using key metrics such as driving posture, face 

orientation, and eyelid status via a camera integrated into 

the A-pillar. 

“The system provides a visual and audible alert if it 

detects drowsiness or a lack of attention from the driver.” 

Emphasising the benefits of the Driver Monitor system, 

Petrovski commented: “National Transport Insurance 

recently released the 2020 National Truck Accident Research 

Centre report, which found that two of every three truck 

driver fatalities were as a result of either fatigue or 

distraction. 

“The report also found the number of significant 

accidents caused by distraction more than doubled in the 

past two years, which makes Driver Monitor an important 

addition to the Hino SmartSafe package.” 

Safety has been a major focus for Hino over the past 

decade and more, first demonstrated by the inclusion in 

2011 of a vehicle stability control (VSC) system on the lightduty 

300-series. 

In fact, Hino now describes VSC as the cornerstone 

of its SmartSafe system that, in the upcoming 700-series, 

will include a radar-based pre-collision system (PCS) 

working in conjunction with autonomous emergency 

braking to dramatically minimise the incidence and 

impact of collisions caused by driver distraction or 

poor judgement. 

Similarly, a pedestrian detection system is also part of 

the SmartSafe package, along with adaptive cruise control, 

lane departure warning, reversing camera and a driver’s 

airbag. 

Meanwhile, LED headlights and daytime running lights 

are also standard in Hino’s new heavies, as well as larger 

electronically-adjustable, heated mirrors, a heated convex 

spotter mirror and spotters for the kerb and front of the 

truck. 

Yet, while SmartSafe is a highly impressive package, all 

its features will not be initially available on 8x4 models. 

Apparently, the priority is to get the loadsharing twin-steer 

into the market. 

Citing delays in validating the VSC and PCS systems on 

8x4 models, Petrovski says: “The addition of SmartSafe to 

the 8x4 models will occur in mid-2022. 

“We have made this decision in order to fulfil our 

customers’ requests for low tare weight and loadshare 

(twin) steer axle.” 


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“Generous tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustments 

make it easy to find a good driving position for ‘steerers’ of 

almost any shape and size.” 

Below: All Hino 13-litre models run 

a ZF Traxon 16-speed automated 

transmission, engaged by a rotary 

knob on the dash. Manual or auto 

operation is via a wand on the 

steering column 

Contemporary design 

There will, however, be no delays in supplying a 

significantly improved cab layout that, like the 500-series 

standard cab, uses a modern mix of tones and designs 

to produce an extremely functional and pleasing driver 

environment. 

With some sceptics wondering if Hino had gone too far 

in its bid for a modern contemporary cab interior at the 

2019 launch of the 500-series standard cab, Hino’s Petrovski 

asserts: “Feedback from drivers has been overwhelmingly 

positive since we first introduced the new-look interior.” 

Wisely, the new 700-series ignores the sceptics and 

delivers an attractive workplace with comfort and 

function obviously at the top of the design agenda. 

As Hino states: “The ergonomically designed wraparound 

dash layout features all-new instrumentation with 

large, high contrast speedometer and tachometer, and 

a central seven-inch multi-information display, which 

contains important information such as SmartSafe 

settings, driving economy, gear selection and vehicle 

maintenance data.” 

Driver comfort starts with a cab mounted on a fourpoint 

air suspension and the inclusion of an Isri 6860 NTS2 

driver’s seat to provide more rearward seat travel, greater 

seat depth and lumbar air support. 

Likewise, generous tilt and telescopic steering wheel 

adjustments make it easy to find a good driving position 

for ‘steerers’ of almost any shape and size, while control 

buttons on the steering wheel offer fingertip ease for 

phone calls, setting the adaptive cruise control system, 

and operating the information display screen. 

On the outside, exterior design has been notably 

refreshed with style changes to the grille in particular. 

A shallower three-slat grille, for instance, denotes a ninelitre 

model and a taller four-slat grille, a 13-litre version. 

All up, even a short stint behind the wheel of several 

static trucks suggests Hino’s new 700-series is something 

special for the brand in this country and perhaps, 

something special in the evolution of Japanese heavyduty 

trucks. 

Time will tell, of course, but right now there’s a sense 

of expectation that on-road experience will only confirm 

what we’re already thinking. Stay tuned! 


SAFETY ACCELERATOR Daniel Elkins 

Shameful failure 

The SA Inspection Scheme has proved to be 

inconsequential in its aim to reduce injuries and fatalities 

ON JANUARY 1, 2017 the South 

Australian government’s 

Department of Planning, 

Transport and Infrastructure 

(DPTI) introduced stage one of the 

Heavy Vehicle Inspection Scheme 

(the scheme) after a 2015 coroner's 

report into a tragic accident. The scheme 

proposed to address serious injury and death 

related to mechanical failure (defects). 

Although no specific targets were set 

as to how many incidents the scheme 

would eliminate, it was aligned with the 

Towards Zero Together: South Australia’s 

Road Safety Strategy 2020, which sought to 

reduce serious injury and death by 30 per 

cent by the year 2020. 

In May 2017, DPTI released a Regulatory 

Impact Statement (RIS), it seems in an 

attempt to vindicate its new policy approach 

to heavy vehicle safety. It indicated that the 

scheme would be justified if one fatality per 

year was avoided. 

The Towards Zero Together Strategy 

indicates that heavy vehicles are involved 

in 14 per cent of fatal crashes. SA provided 

no evidence of the contribution of heavy 

vehicle defects to serious injury and death 

in its RIS for SA. A National Transport 

Commission (NTC) RIS in 2015 identified 

that defects contributed to between one 

and six per cent of heavy vehicle incidents 

across Australia. 

If the DPTI was to meet the Towards Zero 

Together Strategy target of a 30 per cent 

reduction, this would require that more 

than three lives be saved per year. What the 

RIS didn’t identify was how many deaths 

and serious injuries were caused by defects 

– or more precisely, mechanical failure – a 

deplorable failure. 

DPTI was unable to accurately identify the 

problem caused by defects, nor provide an 

accurate baseline from which to measure 

the success or otherwise of the scheme's 

introduction. Is it not a fundamental 

obligation of our public institutions to 

clearly articulate what problem they are 

seeking to solve, its cost and the benefit it 

will deliver to industry and community? This 

should be particularly true where industry is 

paying for the privilege of being regulated or, 

in this case, obtusely regulated. 

It demonstrates a depth of ineptitude 

that the heavy vehicle industry and the 

community should not accept from public 

institutions. Fundamental flaws in the RIS 

were identified and neither DPTI nor the 

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) 

acted on it. The failure in leadership to 

acknowledge these problems in the scheme 

and to undertake the necessary work to 

address them is shameful. What is worse is 

that associations who purportedly represent 

the heavy vehicle industry idly stood by and 

let it all unfold without a whimper. 

FLAWED APPROACH 

DPTI has proven itself incompetent in 

DANIEL ELKINS has a 

wealth of experience in 

the safety and assurance 

(compliance and 

enforcement) space, is a 

safety accelerator and one 

of Australia’s foremost 

progressive safety thinkers. 

“Associations who purportedly 

represent the heavy vehicle 

industry idly stood by.” 

Data sourced from BITRE Australian Road Deaths Database (April 2021) 

developing effective safety policy and 

incapable of implementing those policies – 

stage two of the scheme has been shelved – 

thankfully. The heavy vehicle industry and 

the NHVR in that entire time failed to hold 

them to account for the stage one outcomes 

of the scheme. 

Serious injury and death have not reduced 

– at all – during the period of this scheme 

in South Australia – in fact on average they 

increased! 

Despite being provided explicit advice by 

the NHVR that the approach was flawed they 

continued to pursue the scheme. The time, 

effort and funding expended on the scheme 

could have been directed to delivering other 

road safety initiatives. These could have 

produced higher returns for the investment 

whilst not placing additional regulatory 

burden on the South Australian heavy 

vehicle industry for no reported benefit. 

THE FACTS 

2015 NTC released RIS: Major Findings 

• The risk of a mechanical defect 

causing or contributing to a crash 

is more difficult to measure, with 

assessments of defects as the primary 

cause in fatal crashes involving a 

heavy vehicle ranging from one to 

six per cent. 

• Build a dataset that would enable a 

risk profile to be built to identify most 

of the ‘at-risk [heavy] vehicles’ for 

inspection. 

• Implement a risk-based approach to 

[heavy] vehicle inspections and use of 

regulatory recognition [accreditation] 

rather than prescription. 

2017 SA DPTI released RIS: Major Policy 

Direction 

• A breakeven analysis indicates that 

using a Willingness to Pay valuation 

for a fatal road accident, the option is 

justified if one fatal accident per year 

is avoided. 

• The desired outcome is to develop 

a periodic inspection scheme for all 

higher risk heavy vehicles and trailers. 

• The scheme will be implemented 

and monitored by the Minister for 

Transport and Infrastructure with 

DPTI officers carrying out the core 

functions of the scheme. 

2017 NHVR responds to SA RIS: Key 

Concerns 

• DPTI do not explain how they will 

directly improve the safety of the 

heavy vehicle fleet and specifically 

address mechanical failure as a causal 

factor in heavy vehicle crashes. 

• The NHVR, and it is our 

understanding that Transport and 

Infrastructure Council, does not 

support more onerous changes 

to inspection regimes currently 

operated by jurisdictions while there 

is insufficient evidence about whether 

inspections contribute to heavy 

vehicles roadworthiness and improve 

fleet safety. 

2020 Ministerial/ DPTI response to 

request for data on effectiveness of 

the HVIS 

• No discernible evidence from DPTI 

that the Heavy Vehicle Inspection 

Scheme had any road safety impact 

after three years of operation. 

"…it is recognised that vehicles 

presenting for Change of Ownership 

inspections represent a small 

percentage of the total registered 

fleet in South Australia and are 

therefore unlikely to impact heavy 

vehicle incident statistics." 

• DPTI failed to collect data to assess 

impact or effect on road safety of 

the HVIS. 


JULY 2021 77

electric vehicles 

SHORT ’N SWEET 

It is becoming increasingly apparent that electric trucks are the future 

for local delivery work and, right now, Fuso’s eCanter is at the forefront 

of this emerging revolution in urban freight movement. Still, the onus 

is entirely on suppliers such as Fuso and its Daimler masters to prove 

the worth of their electric candidates. That might be easier said than 

done. Steve Brooks writes 


“It definitely 

pays to drive 

conservatively to 

maximise range.” 

SOMETIMES, things just don’t go the way 

you expect. Like, it was supposed to be a 

simple, short suburban drive of Fuso’s 

recently released electric eCanter in 

Sydney’s west. A refresh, of sorts, of what 

we’d already experienced in previous 

stints, first in a Japanese prototype on 

Fuso’s test track and then, in late 2019, 

behind the wheel of an early evaluation 

unit through the streets of Melbourne. 

What wasn’t expected, however, was that the 

Sydney stint would be quite so short. 

Someone, apparently, had forgotten to flick the 

switch the night before and, rather than a full 

charge, the dash ‘distance predictor’ said there was 

only 58km-worth of charge in the batteries, rather 

than the reported ‘full charge’ potential of 100km. 

Still, it was at least a worthwhile exercise to some 

extent. Fuso’s claim, for example, is that eCanter’s 

driving range is determined on carrying a full load 

at the vehicle’s gross vehicle mass of 7.5 tonnes. In 

effect, the 100km range is the minimum distance 

potential operating at near or close to full load. 

It’s reasonable to accept Fuso’s claim for the 

simple reason that, as a local delivery truck goes 

about its daily workload, it loses weight as freight 

progressively comes off. Thus, actual driving range 

is probably greater than 100km. 

As soon revealed, the same reasoning can be 

applied to a partially-charged range potential of, 

let’s say, 58km. 

Suburban steer 

From Fuso’s Huntingwood dealership in western 

Sydney, and with gross weight at 6.5 tonnes, the 

demo truck was poked into a typical suburban 

slurry of baulking traffic, traffic lights and 

congestion. Nonetheless, all the good things 

we’d come to expect of the electric Canter from 

previous drives were again there to be appreciated, 

not least the realisation that driving a local 

delivery truck in metro mayhem just doesn’t 

get any easier than this. 

Sure, it takes a little while to come to grips 

with the fact that, other than the radio, there’s 

basically no noise apart from the drone of rubber 

on the road. But the big thing is the smoothness 

of a truck with no engine and no transmission 

other than an electric motor driving into a singlespeed 

diff. At first, you’re waiting for gearshifts 

that never come but it doesn’t take long to settle 

into the sensation of completely uninterrupted 

progress from go to whoa, and whoa to go. 

What’s more, acceleration is stunningly brisk 

for a light-duty truck while at the other end of 

the performance spectrum, retardation through 

a two-stage regenerative braking system is 

incredibly strong. 

Like its diesel counterparts, though, the more 

you push the ‘go’ pedal, the more fuel (battery 

charge) you consume and it definitely pays to 

drive conservatively to maximise range. 

Speaking of which, it didn’t take long to 

consume 58km-worth of battery charge and, 

with the trip meter showing 57.6km and 

the truck’s range gauge almost on nil, it’s 

fair to suggest the eCanter slid back into the 

Huntingwood site with very little left in the tank, 

so to speak. 

Of course, driving range remains eCanter’s 

Achilles heel but as we’ve commented before, 

when this pushes out to 200km and more as it 

most surely will, given the pace of developments 

in battery technology and electric propulsion – 

notably with the inclusion of hydrogen-based 

fuel cells to increase driving range – a whole new 

level of acceptance and appreciation will come 

into play. 

Likewise, recharging systems and infrastructure 

are key elements which will take time and 

commitment from many institutions to reach 

satisfactory levels for commercial vehicles, but 

given the economies of scale in the density of 

major cities, demand will drive investment. As 

it always does. 

Critically, though, someone needs to remember 

to flick the switch. 

Above: Canter’s cab has been significantly improved over the 

years but, in the electric version, driving ease is brilliant. Still, 

it’s worth paying attention to the dash readout, particularly 

regarding driving range 


JULY 2021 79

electric vehicles 

ELECTRIC 

ESCAPADE 

The SEA300, touted as the first Australianmade 

electric truck, attracted much attention 

at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show. But how 

does it drive? Cobey Bartels takes the new 

EV for a zero-emissions trip through the 

Dandenong Ranges 

THE BUZZ around electric vehicles (EVs) 

continues to intensify, introduced to the masses 

by the likes of Tesla and now catapulted to 

the forefront of political-economic interest as 

traditional vehicle manufactures race to snag a 

piece of the pie – with ‘green transition’ targets 

shifting consumer focus towards EVs. 

Truck makers have only dipped their toes in 

the burgeoning electric market until now, with 

Fuso’s light-duty eCanter doing the rounds, while light 

through to heavy manufacturers are forming electricfocused 

alliances in a bid to hasten progress. 

There’s a new kid on the block, though, who’s beaten 

the big players to the party, in global e-mobility outfit 

SEA Electric, headquartered in Los Angeles but building 

trucks locally out of Dandenong in Victoria. 

While the manufacturer has been making moves on 

the scene since 2013, it’s only recently that it has offered 

a production-ready SEA electric truck for Australia. 

After seeing SEA Electric’s latest offerings at the 

Brisbane Truck Show, we shot down to the factory 

in Dandenong for a look at how these trucks come 

together, managing to score the keys to a freshly built 

SEA300 for the day. 

SKD kits 

The in-house developed powertrain dubbed SEA-Drive 

has been retrofitted to a variety of commercial vehicles 

in recent years, but now powers the latest range of 

locally-built light and medium-duty trucks. 

A smart partnership with Hino has allowed SEA 

Electric to import semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits to 

Australia, which form the backbone of the SEA-branded 

trucks. 

Another perk of the SEA Electric partnership with 

Hino is a country-wide network of 15 Hino dealers 

offering sales, servicing and support to SEA Electric 

customers. 

For those questioning whether these are just a 

drivetrain-swapped Hino, the SEA Electric trucks are 

badged ‘SEA’ with their own unique VIN numbers. 

Both Hino 300 and 500 chassis and cabs arrive straight 

from Japan in SKD form, where they’re swiftly assembled 

into the end product, the SEA300 and SEA500. 

Battery packs sit where the engine and gearbox 

would normally take up space, feeding juice to an 

electric motor that supplies drive straight to the 

diff. It’s a simple, direct-drive system with no 

gearbox needed. 

The facility operates like any modern factory, with 

six production bays and three finishing bays that 

spit out an Australian-made electric truck every 

120 hours. 

However, within the factory there is also the capacity 

to develop and test new products and components – an 

efficient use of a relatively small space. 

“We have marketing, sales, design, research and 

development, procurement, material handling, 

fabrication, assembly and testing all done in-house”, 

explains Glen Walker, SEA Electric vice president, 

operations – Asia Pacific. 


Photos by Sean Lander 

“We’ve tried to make 

this vehicle perform 

as well as, if not better 

than the diesel.” 

Taking a drive 

Before we pulled out from the factory, with a plan to hit the 

Dandenong Ranges for a strap, we were given a rundown of the truck 

from the SEA Electric team. 

Firing it up is no different to any truck, with a turn of the key and 

an unfamiliar whir as the electric motor prepares to spin up. 

The existing Hino 300 interior remains largely unchanged, 

although some of the factory gauges like fuel and temperature 

have been disconnected – something we’re told will be removed 

altogether from future models. 

All battery range and power use data is displayed on the centre 

infotainment screen, but can still be switched over to radio or other 

multimedia displays. 

Selecting ‘drive’ is done using the same button pad those familiar 

with this truck’s Hino cousin will be familiar with, and from there 

it’s just matter of ‘go’ and ‘stop’. 

Why the Dandenong Ranges? Why not! We were only able to get 

our hands on a freshly assembled cab-chassis so, without a load 

on the back, urban testing seemed no more appropriate than a 

scenic drive. 

The SEA-Drive Power System ranges in output depending on truck 

configuration from 4,500kg to 22,500kg gross vehicle mass (GVM), but 

the medium wheelbase SEA 300-85 we tested produced 125kW and 

Left: SEA Electric battery 

pack – assembled and 

ready to power a truck 

Below: The heart of a 

SEA300 – motor up back, 

fed by battery packs where 

the motor and gearbox 

would ordinarily sit 

Opposite below: The SEA 

Electric production line, 

free of fossil fuels and 

spotless across all six 

work bays 


JULY 2021 81

“You don’t 

pull it 

apart to 

replace 

rings or 

rebuild 

one of our 

motors.” 

Top: The complete Hino cabs 

arrive from Japan, before they’re 

attached to a chassis during the 

120-hour build process 

Above: SEA Electric interface 

displays speed, range, charge, 

and power both expended and 

regenerated as you drive 

1,545Nm out of a 100kW/h battery setup, offering an un-laden range 

of up to 250km. 

Tare weight on the medium wheelbase SEA 300-85 is 3,062kg. With 

a GVM rating of 7,995kg, this allows a fairly competitive payload of 

4,993kg depending of course on the body fitted. 

Make no mistake, this SEA300 steers, rides and feels identical 

to a Hino 300, which is hardly shocking given the underlying 

architecture used. 

However, from the moment you take off there are two distinct 

differences – acceleration and braking. 

It’s an odd feeling really, having to remind yourself you’re in 

a truck. The acceleration is car-like, effortless and the lack of 

momentary drive loss associated with gear shifts makes for buttersmooth 

power delivery. 

SEA Electric didn’t set out to build a performance vehicle and 

it won’t be used as such, but by truck standards this sets a new 

benchmark in terms of acceleration from a standstill. 

Speaking of outperforming a diesel counterpart, the regenerative 

braking made up for improvements in acceleration all while refilling 

the figurative fuel tank. 

Like a traditional exhaust brake, flick the left hand stalk down and 

you’ve got a two-stage regenerative braking system. 

The braking was probably the biggest departure from combustion 

engine normality when first driving this truck, as it pulls up with 

phenomenal force. 

Beyond seldom having to use the service brakes, we had to actually 

accelerate up to stop signs and red lights downhill it was that good. 

You’ve got every reason to want to use the regenerative braking 

on an electric vehicle, too, as it feeds energy back into the batteries 

- which is all displayed on the infotainment display and becomes 

quite addictive to watch. 

“Under braking a diesel doesn’t produce more fuel; it disperses 

energy by generating heat. What we do with regenerative braking is 

if the motor is able to produce 1,500Nm of torque back into the diff, 

it’s able to produce up to that same torque to slow the vehicle down,” 

Walker says. 

“Instead of generating heat, we generate energy back into the 

batteries to offer additional range and it also doesn’t make any 

noise at all. 

“We’ve built a lot of trucks now, and we can confidently say it 

extends the brake life by at least a factor of three.” 

When discussing the on-road differences between the SEA300 and 

the Hino 300 it’s based off, Walker points out the difference is all in 

the powertrain and its aim is to do the same job more efficiently. 

“The truck is designed to perform the job that any truck does, so 

we’ve tried to make this vehicle perform as well as, if not better than 

the diesel,” Walker says. 

“We already know they’re quieter, there’s less vibration, there’s 

less fatigue and we know the power delivery is much smoother 

than a diesel. 

“We’ve proven they efficiently cart freight, all 5 tonnes of it, just like 

a diesel. And the same spritely performance evident at the 3.1 tonne 

tare is also evident at the full 8 tonne GVM.” 

Arguably the biggest drawcard for the SEA300, over conventional 

diesel truck options, is the complete lack of noise. 

To think that the absence of noise is more of a draw card than 

braking and acceleration surprised us too. Simply put, It’s a relaxing 

place to be and produces no noise pollution – two things not 

traditionally associated with running a truck. 

“There’s a lot of curfews placed on certain applications, you can’t 

deliver your freight to a suburban facility between certain times of 

night,” Walker says. 

“If it’s being delivered in an EV, there’s no reason those curfews 

can’t change, so quite frankly you get a more efficient transport task.” 

Periodic maintenance 

At this stage, SEA Electric isn’t willing to disclose specific pricing due 

to the countless build specifications being delivered, though these 

trucks are unsurprisingly rumoured to come in at a higher pricepoint 

than the diesel equivalents they’re based off. 

SEA Electric offers a three year/150,000km warranty period and 

SEA Assist 24-hour roadside assistance for the life of the warranty, 

provided by NTI. 

Servicing is undertaken at intervals in-line with those of the Hino 

300, although that’s more to take care of periodic maintenance of 

brakes, suspension and chassis. 

“Much of our vehicle servicing is standard suspension, you can’t 

avoid that,” Walker says. 

“The benefit of the dealer network is it makes servicing and 

support function closer to home for our clients.” 

The electric motor and batteries are relatively maintenance-free 

when looking at the servicing of these trucks, estimated to be good 

for a decade or more of daily use. 

“An easier question to answer is, ‘how much servicing isn’t done’, 

when compared to a diesel,” Walker says. 

“If you start with a diesel you’ve got fluids and filters, oils and the 

like. You’ve got adjustments and belts; you’ve got exhaust systems 

and cooling systems. 

“Apart from checking electrical connections and making sure the 

fluid is circulating the motor, there isn’t much more to do – you 

don’t pull it apart to replace rings or rebuild one of our motors,” 

Walkers Walker adds. 

“It’s mainly looking at high and low voltage cabling; checking 

routing and connections. And there is a treasure trove of data 

available for our technicians to enquire upon.” 


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tech briefs 

Hyundai upgrades fuel cell Xcient 

HYUNDAI Motor Company’s commercial 

vehicle division (CVD) aims to have 

upgraded versions of hydrogenfuelled 

Xcient Fuel Cell model on the 

production lines this August. 

The big Korean is promising design 

and performance gains for what it likes 

to spruik as “the world’s first massproduced, 

heavy-duty truck powered by 

hydrogen”. 

“Hyundai Motor is leveraging more 

than 20 years of experience in fuel cell 

technology to further its vision of an 

eco-friendly hydrogen society,” CVD CEO 

and president Jaehoon (Jay) Chang says. 

“With 2021 Xcient Fuel Cell, Hyundai 

will contribute to the widespread 

adoption of commercial vehicles 

powered by hydrogen.” 

The 350kW e-motor has maximum 

torque of 2,237Nm. 

The 2021 Xcient Fuel Cell’s is equipped 

with a 180kW hydrogen fuel cell system 

with two 90kW fuel cell stacks, newly 

modified for this heavy-duty truck 

model, to boost fuel efficiency. 

Seven large hydrogen tanks offer a 

combined storage capacity of around 

31kg of fuel, while three 72kWh high 

voltage batteries provide an additional 

source of power. 

Maximum driving range forecast to be 

around 400km with a hydrogen filling 

pressure of 350 bar. 

Refuelling a full tank of hydrogen 

takes about eight to 20 minutes, 

depending on the ambient temperature, 

the firm points out. 

The model is presently available for 

northern hemisphere customers in a 

6x2 rigid body configuration as well 

as the 4x2 option introduced in the 

previous model. 

Hyundai shipped 46 Xcient Fuel Cell 

units to Switzerland last year, four less 

than planned at one stage. 

As of May, the cumulative driving 

range of those trucks in operation 

reached more than 750,000km, it reports. 

Over that distance, the hydrogenpowered 

trucks have reduced carbon 

emissions by an estimated 585 tonnes, 

compared to diesel-powered vehicles. 

Hyundai will ship another 140 

units of the new Xcient Fuel Cell to 

Switzerland by the end of this year as 

part of its plan to roll out 1,600 heavyduty 

fuel cell electric trucks in Europe 

by 2025. 

Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility (HHM), a 

joint venture between Hyundai Motor 

and H2 Energy, is working on the 

introduction of Xcient Fuel Cell in other 

European markets. 

“The customers are very pleased with 

the quality and driving comfort of the 

truck. There is a lot of interest for the 

truck outside Switzerland as well. We are 

very confident that we will see Xcient 

Fuel Cell trucks on the road in other 

European countries next year,” HHM CEO 

Mark Freymueller says. 

Hyundai also plans to present Xcient 

Fuel Cell to the North American market 

this year. 

“Hyundai is in talks with several local 

governments and logistics businesses 

in the US to establish potential joint 

operations of hydrogen-powered trucks 

for various purposes,” it says. 

“The company is also planning to host 

Xcient Fuel Cell roadshows and other 

events open to the general public. 

“China is another nation that has 

strong interest in heavy-duty trucks 

powered by hydrogen. 

“Hyundai is carefully reviewing 

multiple options to introduce its 

fuel cell technology to corporate and 

government customers in China.” 

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Scania builds a 

bigger cab 

IN A MOVE designed to significantly 

enhance the space and comfort of its 

premium R-series and S-series models, 

Scania Trucks in Sweden has announced 

plans to introduce a cab 270mm longer 

than its biggest current cab. 

First deliveries to European customers 

will be in the third quarter this year. 

According to a brief Scania statement, 

the decision to develop the longer 

cab follows ‘persistent demand’ from 

customers in several markets. It’s not 

known if some of that demand has come 

from Australia where roomy sleepers are, 

of course highly regarded by long-haul 

drivers. 

Nonetheless, Scania says its extended 

cab ‘offers premium driver comfort for 

high-end, long distance trucks.’ 

The bigger cab is being produced by 

Scania’s ‘Laxa Special Vehicles’ subsidiary, 

with the company stating, ‘the extra 

space is created by adding existing cab 

components, which is possible thanks to 

Scania’s renowned modular system.’ 

Scania Australia is yet to confirm if or 

when the bigger cab will be added to its 

model line-up here but given the brand’s 

somewhat limited sleeper quarters 

compared to some competitor offerings, 

there’s every likelihood the extended 

cab will be seriously considered for the 

Australian market. 

Currently, the only ‘stretched’ 

continental cab on the Australian 

market is Volvo’s XXL which adds 250mm 

to the length of an FH cab. 

Obviously enough, Scania Australia 

probably wouldn’t be averse to going 

20mm better than its compatriot 

competitor. 

– Steve Brooks 

LEFT: Snapshot! Scania’s extended cab adds 

270mm to the current R-series and S-series 

models 

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JULY 2021 85

tech briefs 

ARTSA-i unveils 

Good Practice Guide 

A NEW GOOD Practice Guide for 

Supply of Replacement Parts for use 

on Heavy Vehicles has been issued 

by the ARTSA-institute (formerly 

known as the Australian Road 

Transport Suppliers’ Association) 

which aims to boost safety for 

heavy vehicle drivers and all road 

users. 

Released at the recent Brisbane 

Truck Show, the ARTSA Institute 

(ARTSA-i) says the Guide aims 

to raise awareness of suppliers, 

purchasers and installers of safetycritical 

replacement parts about 

supply practices. 

The Guide describes actions that 

suppliers should take to ensure 

parts are suitably certified, that 

records are kept and installation 

information is provided. The Guide 

does not favour original equipment 

parts over after-market parts. Nor 

does it favour bricks and mortar 

retailers over online suppliers. It 

provides common-sense actions 

that all part suppliers should take, 

but often don’t. 

“We aim to reduce the risk of 

workshops fitting poor quality or 

inadequately rated safety-critical 

parts as well as providing an 

understanding of the different 

types of replacement parts available 

in the market,” says Dr Peter Hart, 

executive member at ARSTA-i and a 

certified vehicle engineer. 

“For many types of replacement 

parts there are no requirements 

to meet a standard. For safetycritical 

parts such as braking, 

steering and suspension, the supply, 

selection and fitment of substandard 

replacement parts could 

compromise the safety of truck 

drivers and all other road users. 

“A casual glance at the part 

may not reveal any inherent 

unsuitability for the intended task, 

due to inappropriate materials 

used or short-cuts taken during 

manufacturing. Just because the 

part may appear to fit, does not 

necessarily mean it is suitable 

or safe. It is the supplier’s 

responsibility to correctly describe 

the status of the part to the market. 

“ARSTA-i has devised this Guide 

in association with its members 

as well as outside experts to 

offer clarity to everyone in the 

replacement parts chain, regarding 

the suitability and safety of parts 

with acceptable quality that may 

be sourced by an operator or 

workshop,” Dr Hart says. 

“Price is an easy to understand 

variable, but quality and suitability 

are harder to determine, and in 

some cases, there is no linear 

relationship between price and 

quality. It is when things go wrong 

that the supplier’s quality controls 

and record keeping become 

critical.” 

Under the Heavy Vehicle National 

Law those who are involved in 

heavy vehicle transport have a 

duty to ensure the safety of their 

transport activities, including 

to ensure their vehicles comply 

with vehicle standards and are 

appropriately maintained. 

“Operators should purchase 

good-value parts for heavy vehicles 

that will provide safe, reliable, and 

legal performance,” Dr Hart says. 

“The Guide defines acceptable 

supply practice and advises 

purchasers what to expect from 

suppliers. 

“The use of poor-quality parts 

leaves the operator vulnerable 

to expensive breakdowns and 

reworks, enforcement attention 

and loss of insurance cover. For 

this latter reason alone every 

vehicle operator is urged to ensure 

that their in-house technicians 

or third-party workshops and 

suppliers fit parts that are suitable 

for the job. 

“We want to reduce the risk of 

in-service failure of all replacement 

parts, to avoid the vehicle crashing, 

or simply breaking down on 

the highway where they may be 

vulnerable to impact by other 

road users, potentially causing 

death, injury, loss or damage. We 

believe these risks can be mitigated 

if replacement parts suppliers 

implement the quality-assurance 

activities specified in this new 

Guide,” Dr Hart says. 

The Guide recognises four risk 

levels which are: 

• Safety critical 

• Safety and compliant relevant 

• Minor safety relevance and 

• No safety and compliance 

concerns. 

“All suppliers of parts can 

and should comply with the 

requirements of this Guide,” Dr 

Hart says. 

According to ARTSA-I, the Guide 

is applicable to replacement parts 

which are used to replace an 

TOP: Dr Peter Hart shows evidence of failed 

components 

LEFT: Inspecting safety critical replacement 

parts prior to fitment 

original part, and for parts that are 

used to modify a vehicle. 

“We would like to see workshop 

parts buyers transacting with 

suppliers who are following the 

Guide so they can be confident that 

practices are being followed that 

promote good part quality.” 

This Guide aims to identify 

good practices that will support 

suppliers, purchasers, operators, 

and others involved in the 

servicing or modification of heavy 

vehicles, to enhance the safety and 

reputation of the road transport 

sector. Additionally, the purchaser 

and fitter of these parts will have 

peace-of-mind that they have 

completed satisfactorily their role 

in the chain of responsibility. 

“The Guide will also be of interest 

to enforcement officers inspecting 

vehicles at the roadside, who 

may be able to recognise quality 

replacement parts used in safetycritical 

areas,” Dr Hart says. 

ARTSA-i is reaching out to 

all heavy vehicle owners and 

operators as well as repair shops, 

in-house workshops and parts 

retailers, and to relevant truck 

industry bodies, to explain the 

content of the Guide and how it can 

best be utilised. 

The Guide can be downloaded at 

www.artsa.com.au 


Iveco spreads 

its wings 

UPCOMING regulations in 

Victoria have seen Iveco and 

Melbourne-based plant equipment 

manufacturer Quality Fabrication 

and Engineering (Q-FE) link on a 

new aggregat e spreader concept. 

The VicRoads Standard 408.11, 

due for introduction in Victoria 

from July 1, 2022, mandates that 

all aggregate spreaders working 

on sprayed sealing operations 

be forward moving, providing 

additional visibility and increases 

safety in road building applications 

which normally involve busy work 

sites with multiple machines 

operating at once alongside workers. 

Based on the latest Australianmanufactured 

Euro 6 ACCO and 

X-Way platforms, the Q-FE Road 

Ant is a dual control, forward 

moving truck that can be driven 

independently from both ends of 

the vehicle. 

It includes safety features that are 

engaged when driving the vehicle 

from either end, disabling the 

controls that are not in use. 

Other safety equipment includes 

‘reverse smart’ automatic emergency 

braking and anti-rollaway braking. 

The vehicle’s dual control cabin 

allows the operator to sit on either 

side, directly over the spread line, 

allowing uninterrupted vision of 

the work site and surrounding area. 

The truck body is a modified Trout 

River asphalt-compatible unit with 

10-gate chip spreader and 10-cubic 

metre capacity, but Q-FE can also 

offer units from six 15 cubic metres. 

Q-FE launched the project last 

January. 

“Q-FE have to date successfully 

fitted the Road Ant to a variety 

of cab chassis, but having a local 

manufacturing presence with 

engineering and production 

capabilities has helped to 

streamline the process,” Q-FE 

general manager Glenn Hardiman 

says. 

“Iveco is currently assisting Q-FE 

with some customisation on the 

VOLVO UNLEASHES FM EMERGENCY 

RESPONSE TRUCK 

THE NEW Volvo 

FM Crew cab has 

arrived in Australia 

with a clear priority: 

keeping our frontline 

emergency services 

personnel safe and 

operational. 

In conjunction 

with fire services 

equipment 

manufacturer 

Rosenbauer Australia, 

this new vehicle has been specially designed and equipped, front to back, 

with the needs of the firefighter at top of their mind, Volvo Trucks says. 

A key focus during the development of the FM Crew Cab was to create a 

cab that made a firefighter’s job easier while also supporting the health and 

well-being of their teams in the challenging conditions they often face. 

The new vehicle is available with both 11- and 13-litre engine options, 

with the choice of Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions ratings. 

Transmission options encompass the six-speed Powertronic torque 

converter automatic through to the class leading 12-speed I-Shift AMT with 

the added option of crawler gears. 

“I’m delighted to launch the new Volvo FM Crew Cab, a truck especially 

designed for firefighters based on real world feedback by firefighters,” Volvo 

Trucks Australia vice president Gary Bone says. 

“We asked firefighting crew members for feedback and took on board 

their answers.” 

“We looked at improving the cabin with features like greater access with 

the egress-fold down step, wide door openings, and enhanced grab rails.” 

“Firefighters were also front of mind when we designed the cabin interior, 

ensuring that the interior is safely lit whilst also preserving low light 

vision.” 

The Rosenbauer equipped Volvo FM Crew Cab will have its first public 

showcase at the 2021 AFAC exhibition in Sydney, August 17-20. 

– Ben Dillon 

production line, and hopefully, 

in the near future, will be able to 

assist in further cost savings with 

the potential fitment of existing 

standard Iveco components such as 

steering mitre boxes and cross over 

shafts, and Q-FE-supplied custom 

wiring looms. 

“These CCMs (customised content 

modifications) would be of great 

value, eliminating the need for 

Q-FE to disassemble the dash and 

steering once we’ve taken delivery. 

“We’re also pleased at the 

compatibility of the ACCO and 

X-Way cab chassis platforms for the 

application – the ACCO has already 

been engineered as a dual control 

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Nine units already completed and 

a further four units are currently in 

build on the X-Way 8x4 platforms. 

While the bulk of deliveries to date 

have been manufactured on the 

6x4 ACCO platform, those wanting 

additional GVM capacity and power 

can opt to have units built using 

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JULY 2021 87

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MITSUBISHI FS 8X4 2007, FS52 FUSO 8x4 Crane Truck with 

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MACK SUPER-LINER 1984, E9/525hp, 12 speed. Genuine low 

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FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY 101 2008, low kilometre 2008 

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ISUZU F SERIES 2018, Almost new, only 11000kms, XQ57BU. 

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KENWORTH T404 SAR 2006, Cummins ISX engine, 

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OR CALL 1300 362 272 

The publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any losses incurred by a buyer responding 

to an advertisement in this magazine. Buyers are solely responsible for their own negotiations and 

transactions with advertisers. Are Media Pty Limited advises buyers beware of negotiating by email 

only; of paying deposits to private advertisers for goods unseen; of transferring money (for example 

via Western Union) interstate or overseas. Buyers should contact Are Media customer service on 

1300 362 272 if they suspect an advertisement may be fraudulent. In the event that a buyer suffers 

financial loss as a result of responding to a private advertisement in this publication Are Media Pty 

Limited (The Publisher) shall not be held liable or responsible. 

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www.hemmantauto.com.au 

AUTO 

ELECTRICAL 

PARTS, 

SALES & 

SERVICE 

• BATTERIES• ALTERNATORS • STARTER MOTORS 

• LIGHTS • WIRING • ACCESSORIES • MINE SPECIFICATION 

AUTOMOTIVE AIR CONDITIONING SPECIALISTS 

VISIT TRADETRUCKS.COM.AU/SELL 

OR CALL 1300 362 272 

Hook: trailer connected, trailer tyre data shows on display 

Drop: trailer detached, tyre data will not show. 

www.promata.com.au 

02 9922 7270 

MOBILE UNITS 

SERVING ALL AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES 

Proudly servicing Brisbane since 1988 

OWD-16-5209971-TS-325 

SACKED OWNER DRIVERS 

REDUNDANT OWNER DRIVERS 

Specialist Transport Legal Advice 

Helping Owner Drivers Aust-wide for over 20 years 

• Unfair Dismissal and Termination claims 

• Underpayment claims re Hourly & Km rates 

• Workplace Health and Safety Matters 

CONNECT 

LEGAL 

• Redundancy and Loss of Contract Claims 

• Unfair Contract and Award Claims 

• Advice Owner Driver Legislation Australia wide 

6 Year Time Limitation Period 

CONNECT LEGAL 

NO WIN NO FEE 

Contact Jake - Principal Solicitor 

02 9889 2239 

www.connectlegal.com.au 

TANKS FOR TRUCKS 

Phone: 03 9761 0595 

CUSTOM MADE ~ FUEL, WATER & HYDRAULIC 

FUEL ~ HYDRAULIC CONVERSIONS 

HIGHEST QUALITY ALUMINIUM FABRICATION 

CANFRED Engineering Pty Ltd - 48 Barry St, Bayswater, Vic 

canfred@outlook.com 

www.canfredengineering.com.au 

CONNECT 

LEGAL 

OWD-SBC-5031723-CS-319 

OWD-EP-5190898-TS-302 

OWD-EP-5192545-TS-334 

12 VOLT 

OVEN 

HOT FOOD 

ON THE 

GO! 

THE TRAVEL BUDDY IS 

A STURDY OVEN THAT YOU 

CAN TAKE ANYWHERE 

Australian 

Made 

1 2 3 

HEAT A MEAL ON THE MOVE 

1. 12 volt Marine — $260 + POSTAGE 

2. 12 volt — $215 + POSTAGE 

3. 24 volt — $275 + POSTAGE 

• The stainless steel makes it easy to use and clean 

• Fast Food takes on a whole new meaning with the Travel Buddy 

• This portable, lightweight, 12V oven can cook, bake and warm 

foods while you travel 

Ph: (03) 5441 3388 www.travelbuddy.net.au 

NEWS & REVIEWS 

USED TRUCKS FOR SALE 

JOBS 

NEW TRUCK SEARCH 

visit www.ownerdriver.com.au

OWD 308 OSFC FREE.indd 1 


1ST AUGUST - 31ST OCTOBER 2018 

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See page 58 

MUSCLE 

Cruising the Pacific Coast 

in a Benz Actros 

See page 20 

Coasting along 

Rigs rival beef in record 

truck show turnout 

See page 14 

Casino trucking 

Danger zone 

Study reveals truck driving 

the most dangerous job 






See page 20 




See page 14 


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See page 58 

MUSCLE 


29/8/18 1:19 pm 

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ownerdriver 

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OWD-EP-5164923-CS-299 

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MUSCLE 

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87,739* 

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For more information and package pricing 

contact MATT ALEXANDER on 

0413 599 669 or email 

matt.alexander@aremedia.com.au 



JOBS 


visit www.ownerdriver.com.au 

* Print audience: CAB Audit, March 2021; Web: Google Analytics, average monthly visitors January-May 2021; Facebook: As at June 2021 

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BUSINESS 

FOR SALE: 

Plastics for Trucks; 

Light engineering 

business in 

Melbourne 

• Design and manufacture of high quality trucking accessories for last 35 years 

• Products include weather shields, bug deflectors, side shields, mirror light boxes, 

headlight protectors, sun visors 

• Plastics and stainless steel folding and custom product manufacture 

• Accessories for Kenworth trucks a speciality 

• Based in Hallam, Melbourne 

• 280 metre square fully-equipped workshop 

• Low rent of $2,000 (approx.) per month 

• Full training and assistance/handover period provided 

Real Service 

Real People 

Real Experience 

Real Insurance Solutions 

02 6925 8788 

www.tbiinsurance.com.au 

Transport & Business Insurance Services Pty Ltd ABN 22 622 458 593 - AR# 

0012620074 Corporate Authorised Representative of Midland Insurance Brokers 

Australia Pty Ltd - ABN 81 006 528 329 - ASFL No. 238 963 

Plastics for trucks has been a reliable supplier of plastic and steel 

moulded accessories to complement Kenworth and other truck brands 

for the last 35 years. A very profitable, low cost business it can easily be 

managed by two persons. Here’s the chance to pick up the reins of an 

established business, well-known throughout Australia with a national 

database of reliable clients, suppliers and distributors. 

More information can be found at ‘www.maguiresrealestate.com’ 

and ‘www.plasticsfortrucks.com.au’. Price: $149,000 + SAV 

Enquiries: Alan Maguire, Maguires Real Estate Ph: 0418377038 

Email: alan@maguiresrealestate.com




29/8/18 1:19 pm 

29/8/18 1:19 pm 

SEEKING LONG DISTANCE 

LINEHAUL TRUCK DRIVERS 

Applicants will hold: 

• Current MC (Multiple Combination) license 

• BFM essential 

• A good understanding of load restraint, loading and 

unloading of general freight 

Specific Requirements: 

• Be reliable and punctual with a good work ethic 

• Ensure compliance with all safety, fatigue, main 

roads, heavy vehicle operating guidelines and 

company guidelines, loading requirements, axle 

weights and any other relevant policy and procedures 

What is on offer: 

• Designated vehicle 

• Great driver culture 

To apply please send resume to 

operations@mfl.net.au 

OWD-EP-5211829-TS-342 



JOBS 


visit www.ownerdriver.com.au 

Seek the right candidates with Owner Driver ’s 

TRANSPORT RECRUITMENT PACKAGES 

ownerdriver 


Danger zone 



See page 14 




See page 20 




See page 58 

MUSCLE 

MAN 




ENTER TO WIN 

PURCHASE 80 LITRES OF VALVOLINE ALL FLEET PLUS TO RECEIVE YOUR 





ownerdriver 


WIN 


SPORTSCAT + 





AUGUST - 31ST OCTOBER 2018 


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See page 58 

MUSCLE 

MAN 

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every *ENTER AT: VALVOLINEPROMOTIONS.COM.AU. month T&C’s AVAILABLE. 

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DSC_1178-Edit 

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DSC_1178-Edit 

For more information and package pricing 

contact MATT ALEXANDER on 

0413 599 669 or email 

matt.alexander@aremedia.com.au 


40,000* 

Reach almost 40,000 

on OwnerDriver’s 

Facebook page 

26,471* 

Reach owner-drivers and small 

fleet operators every month 

via Owner Driver magazine’s 

dedicated Jobs section 

29/8/18 1:19 pm 

* Print audience: CAB Audit, March 2021; Web: Google Analytics, average monthly visitors January-May 2021; Facebook: As at June 2021 

87,739* 

Reach an average of 

87,739 owner-drivers and 

small fleet operators per month via 

OwnerDriver.com.au’s dedicated Jobs page 

ENTER TO WIN 

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MC CAREER 

OPPORTUNITIES: 

Positions Available 

Exodas Pty Ltd is a well-established Transport and Warehousing company 

that operates Australia wide. We predominately provide transport 

services to the east coast of Australia, from North Queensland through to 

Melbourne. 

Exodas Pty Ltd, Head Office is located in Yatala (QLD). Additionally we 

also have three sub depots located in Warnervale (NSW), Townsville (QLD) 

and Mareeba (QLD). 

We are now seeking candidates for the following vacancies: 

• Heavy Vehicle Mechanics (Yatala) 

• Linehaul Drivers (Various Locations) 

• Local MC Drivers (Various Locations) 

• Tug Drivers (Yatala) 

• Forklift Operators (Yatala) 

The successful candidates will join a fast growing company, access great 

working conditions and be offered a competitive pay rate! 

Logan Contracting is a family owned and operated business based in South- 

West Victoria. Over the last 35 years we have built and maintained a modern 

fleet of B-Doubles. We currently have multiple positions for MC drivers to 

join our team. With weekly work across VIC, SA, NSW, and Southeast QLD 

the successful applicants could be based just about anywhere. 

THE COMPANY CAN OFFER: 

Consistent work year-round A full time position 

Modern well-maintained equipment 1 truck 1 driver 

Hourly pay rate Home every weekend 

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL: 

Hold a current MC license Provide a current license printout 

Be willing to undertake a medical Be professional 

Be reliable BFM an advantage but not essential. 

Please send your resume to 

shane@logancontracting.com.au 

Or call Shane on: 0429 359 128 

If you could see yourself working for Exodas, email your 

resume to employment@exodas.com.au or contact our 

Recruitment Officer on 0459 922 550. 

OWD-QV-5187215-TS-342 

SELL YOUR 

TRUCK 

OWD-QV-5210593-CS-342 

VISIT TRADETRUCKS.COM.AU/SELL 

OR CALL 1300 362 272

FOR THE OWNER-DRIVER Frank Black 

Weighing it all up 

Managing the boom and bust of trucking can take 

its toll on your family life 

THE CHANGE of the financial year 

can be a rocky time for ownerdrivers. 

These are usually the 

months that will put the rest of 

the year’s earnings to the test. As 

owner-drivers, we’re the first to be 

pushed aside when demand dips. 

But the bills stay consistent. The only way 

we’ll survive is if our business is viable and 

that means accounting for the peaks and 

troughs each time we weigh up whether a 

job is worthwhile. 

If we’ve been vigilant and come across 

some good fortune throughout the rest of 

the year, it’s a nice opportunity to rest and 

recoup some time with family and friends. 

It’s a mental and physical holiday that can 

help carry us through the busier periods – 

or, if you use that time to buy a bicycle like 

I did, it’s an opportunity to get out and get 

some overdue exercise to burn off some of 

the long days spent in the cab of a truck! 

But, if not properly accounted for, these 

troughs can mean an uphill battle to 

steer yourself through these slow periods 

and keep up-to-date with your financial 

commitments. This is something I’ve seen 

too many times. People literally trying to 

squeeze in a couple of trips to make up 

some repayments, at times to keep the one 

tool of their livelihood in their possession 

– their truck. 

When we talk about money, it’s not about 

greed but survival. Financial pressures are 

the number one reason trucking families 

are torn apart. It’s what keeps us on the 

road longer than we’d like. It’s what stops 

us from being there for significant events. 

It causes stress in the family circle when 

there are final notices plastered on the 

fridge, with no immediate light in the 

tunnel to be able to resolve them. 

MISSED MOMENTS 

As I write this, I’m hoping not to be 

somewhere across the other side of the 

country on a run during the imminent 

arrival of my fourth grandchild. 

It takes me back to the arrival of my own 

kids. I was lucky twice, being home when 

labour began. But my youngest daughter 

was born without me. At her exact arrival, I 

would have been about three streets away, 

in my prime mover, having just unhooked 

the trailer at a yard. I’ll never forget getting 

the call while on a trip from Melbourne. 

Thankfully, the guys in the yard waiting for 

me were very understanding and helpful 

when I dropped the load and bolted. It’s a 

common story in our industry. 

I know guys whose sons or daughters are 

a week old before they meet. 

Rushing into the hospital room it was 

all forgotten when I saw that everyone was 

healthy and looked into the eyes of my 

newborn daughter. It hits you later, when 

you look back and realise you missed one 

of the magic moments in life. 

I consider myself one of the lucky ones 

in that I still have a close relationship with 

FRANK BLACK 

has been 

a long distance ownerdriver 

for more than 

30 years. He is a former 

long-term owner-driver 

representative on the ATA 

Council. 

my kids, despite all my time away. But 

it’s easy to see how this doesn’t always 

work out. 

On top of the distance and the absence 

at some of the most important events, 

if you’ve got debt collectors knocking 

while you’re away, or your family’s home 

is guaranteeing a truck loan you’re 

struggling to pay, it’s hardly going to be 

an easy marriage or relationship with 

your kids. 

Tragically, this is the sort of thing that 

drives people to suicide. 

So, while money is a difficult thing to 

talk about, it’s important to have those 

conversations. Having a viable business 

is what it all comes down to in our line 

of work. 

Last year’s madness aside, the industry 

seems to have slipped back to the boom 

and bust of 10 years ago. With the rise 

of gig economy work like Amazon Flex, 

we’re heading down an even bumpier 

road. That makes it even more important 

to make sure we’re being paid enough to 

account for the volatility of the industry. 

We need to think of each job as a 

component of a yearly wage, calculated 

so that we can wear the quieter periods. 

It’s not a case of living job to job, hour to 

hour, as the likes of Amazon, and other 

giants would have us believe. We’ve got 

to make enough today to see us through 

tomorrow. 

“We need to think of each job as a 

component of a yearly wage.” 


A 

TRUCKING SUPPLIES 

TRUCKS FOR WRECKING WAGGA WAGGA 

334 Copland St, P.O. Box 2373, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650 Web: truckingsupplies.com.au 

Ph: (02) 6925 8888 Fax: (02) 6925 8889 

FREIGHTLINER FL112 BUSINESS CLASS 

1997, Cummins ISM engine, rt14710 gearbox, Meritor rt40-145 diffs 

on airliner suspension, aluminium bullbar, drop on bonnet, cab parts. 

Wrecking. W2503. TA1090534. 

POA 

KENWORTH T403 

2012, Cummins EGR engine, rtlof16918 gearbox, rt40-145 diffs on 

airglide 460, cab parts, drop on bonnet, bumper. Wrecking. W2505. 

TA1090537. 

POA 

FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY 

2010, Detroit 14 l engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, rt46-160 diffs on 

airliner suspension, cab parts, fuel tanks, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2489. 

TA1071602. 

POA 

KENWORTH K104 

2005, Detroit 14l engine, rtlo20918as2, Meritor rt46-160 diffs on 

ag460, cab parts, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2506. TA1090538. 

POA 

DAF XF 105 

2014, Paccar engine, ZF16as2430 gearbox Meritor diffs on Airglide 

460, cab parts, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2493. TA1077017. 

POA 

INTERNATIONAL EAGLE 9200I 

2007, Cummins signature engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, Spicer 

rt46-170 diffs on has, cab parts, Alcoas, hydraulics. Wrecking. W2504. 

TA1090536. 

POA 

KENWORTH K104B 2007, Caterpillar c-15 engine (parts only), Eaton rtlo20918as3 

transmission, spicer rt46-170 diffs on ag460 suspension, drop on cab, aluminium 

bumper, Alcoas. Wrecking. W2501. TA1083648. 

POA 

FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY 

2007, Cummins signature parts only, rtlo20918b gearbox, Meritor 

rt46-160 diffs on airliner, aluminium bullbar, Alcoas. Wrecking. 

W2502. TA1090533. 

POA 

KENWORTH T409SAR.. 

2016, Cummins E5 engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, Meritor rt46-160 diffs 

on Airglide 460, repairable drop on cab, tanks, Alcoas. Wrecking. 

W2491. TA1071606. 

POA 

FREIGHTLINER FLXC112 

2000, Cat C12 engine, rtlo18918 gearbox, Meritor rt46160 diffs, cab 

parts, Alcoas. W2499. TA1077026. 

POA 

FREIGHTLINER C120 

2003, Cummins signature engine, rtlo20918b gearbox, rt46-160 diffs 

on airliner suspension, cab parts. Wrecking. W2492. TA1071607. 

POA 

KENWORTH K104 

2002, Caterpillar C16 engine, 18 speed gearbox, Alcoa, cab parts, 

Eaton ds461 diffs. W2498. TA1077024. 

POA 

TRUCK DISMANTLERS 

Email: tsenquiries@truckingsupplies.com.au 

WEBSITE UPDATED DAILY truckingsupplies.com.au 

MDL 19571 

MVRL 24428 

OWD-FP-5011320-B

See page 3 

O 

AUSTRALIAN 

See page 3 

THE PARTS YOU NEED 

to keep you safe on the road 

AUSTRALIAN 

OWNED 

& 

OPERATED 

High 

quality 

parts 

Expert 

advice 

Wide 

range 

in stock 

now 

Next 500,000 km 

Best 

value for 

money 

BLITZ ALUMINIUM CLEANER 

Chemtech Blitz is a unique formulation 

specifically designed for the effective cleaning 

of any Aluminium or Stainless applications 

such as Intercoolers, Turbo Chargers, Valve 

Covers, Radiators, Bull Bars, Dinghies, Side 

Steps in part preparation of a high gloss finish. 

5L. 

20L. 

Part number CBZ-5L 

$59 

Part number CBZ-20L 

$199 

PREMIUM 50 COOL 

PLUS 20L 

Ethylene glycol based engine coolant for 

heavy-duty diesel engines, particularly 

those with wet liners. Prevents corrosion 

occurring in the number of metals found in 

modern engine cooling systems. 

Ready to use. 

Part number 4100007 

$129 

OWNED 

OW 

ASK FOR YOUR 

COPY IN STORE 

OPERATED 

& 

Jul - Sep 21 

AT 

R 

PERA 

High 

Wide Best 

quality 

Expert range value for 

parts 

advice in stock money 

now 

Next 500,000 km 

INTRODUCING 

ECONOMY TRUCK 

SEATS TO SUIT 

AMERICAN, 

JAPANESE AND 

EUROPEAN 

APPLICATIONS 

YOUR PARTNER IN PARTS 

FROSTY WINTER 

SPECIALS 

HAND 

RATCHETS 

9m x 50mm. 

2500kg rating. 

16 tooth ratchet, 

ergonomic handle. 

Complies with AS/ 

NZS4380:2001 

standards. 

BULK BUY 

& SAVE 

NOW 

AVAILABLE AT 

TRUCKZONE 

truckzone.com.au 

CALL 1300 TRUCKZONE 

FLYWHEEL ASSEMBLY 

To suit Cummins ISX applications*. 

Alternative to CUM3680922. 


$495 

To suit Detroit S60 applications*. 

Alternative to DDC23514177. 


$620 

FIFTH WHEEL 

Turntable Top. D-Rating 210kN. Suitable for most of 

challenging applications including livestock and logging. 

• Machined top surface and foot pin holes for reduced wear. 

• KTL coating for improved corrosion resistance. 

• Trigger handle giving an additional safety measure. 

• High strength casting giving higher D-rating. 

Part number XA351EA 

$1,500 

AIR FILTERS 

Suits Mack and 

Kenworth applications*. 

Part number AF1968M 

$85 

TRAILER HUBS 

5 spoke 20”. 11.25” 

PCD. Spigot 11.25”. 

Part number ST309TZ 

$360 

10 Stud. 285mm 


Part number HT401TZ 

$280 

5 spoke 20”. 11” 


Part number ST301TZ 

$270 

FRONT BRAKE 

ROTOR 

To suit most Isuzu NPR75 

with 5 stud wheels. 

Part number 

11541.003 

$100 

GREAT 

VALUE FOR 

MONEY 

Suits Mack New Breed 

applications*. 

Part number AF26363 

$165 

*Check Application Guide. Prices include GST and valid until 30 Setember 2021. 

Perth 

Port Hedland 

Sunshine West 

Campbellfield 

Townsville 

Pakenham 

Rockhampton 

Eagle Farm 

Rocklea 

Rutherford 

Wetherill Park 

Follow us 

truckzone.com.au 

CALL 1300 TRUCKZONE 

*Check Application Guide. 

All prices include GST and valid until 31 March 2021.

Owner/Driver #342

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