Table of contents for Issue 328 in Owner Driver

A STRONGER focus on the essential value of truck drivers is driving a greater appreciation for keeping them out of coronavirus harm’s way Well-understood by the cream of professional drivers, the top tips for implementing stringent cleaning measures to stay safe during the Covid-19 outbreak is being shared by transport and medical experts. And it doesn’t stop at trucks. Many families still need their car to get to work or pick up groceries, and transport and logistics insurer NTI notes it is important drivers know how to protect themselves from Covid-19. Dr Ryan Harvey, clinical director of national telehealth service 13 Doctor, says the first priority has to be hygiene. “The best practice a person can employ is general hygiene,” Dr Harvey says. “Washing hands regularly with soap and water…

TWO OF THE BIGGEST names in truckmaking, Daimler and Volvo, are aiming to form a 50-50 joint venture to explore fuel cells for heavy-duty vehicles. The move is a decisive shift in favour of fuel cell technology at a time when electric propulsion’s future has been territory disputed with battery power proponents. Still at an early stage, it so far involves Daimler Truck and the Volvo Group signing a preliminary non-binding agreement to establish the JV. Their intention is to develop, produce and commercialise fuel cell systems for heavy-duty vehicle applications and other uses. Daimler aims to consolidate all its current fuel cell activities in the joint venture. The Volvo Group would then acquire 50 per cent in the joint venture for about Euro 600 million (A$1.03 billion) “on a…

A NUMBER of truck makers in Australia see Covid-19 economic stimulus measures as giving impetus to strategic business investments in new equipment. One of those is Isuzu, which points to the instant asset write-off (IAWO) threshold increase as a critical measure Australian businesses can take advantage of, especially those reliant on capital equipment, alongside the Backing Business Investment accelerated depreciation schedules, support for the flow of credit and the many programs focused on individuals and families. “As this unprecedented health and economic crisis continues to unfold and disrupt, we’re encouraged to see the federal government take the necessary action to help Australian businesses survive,” Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) director Andrew Harbison says. “The IAWO measures are of particular note as they allow businesses to immediately write-off multiple asset purchases, realise…

PACIFIC NATIONAL (PN) says it is looking to provide truck drivers with their own amenities at its terminals to lower the risk of any infectious contact with its staff during the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. In April, the rail giant said it had been in discussions with the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) to arrive at solutions to provide suitable toilet facilities for truckies without risking the health of freight train crews and terminal operations in its depots. “The ongoing health and safety of Pacific National staff and customers at our depots and terminals are paramount,” a PN spokesman said. “The issue has already been resolved at our key rail terminals in Melbourne and Perth through the provision of separated toilet facilities. “Separated facilities will be introduced at other Pacific National facilities…

MANY READERS will remember the dangerous goat track between Melbourne and Sydney which was much of the Hume Highway well into the 1990s. A lot of it was single carriageway with the occasional passing lanes, and it was a bloodbath. In 1989, 16 people died in eight crashes involving trucks between Mittagong and Gundagai on one stretch in New South Wales alone. Who could forget the old Hume through the infamous Cullerin Range along there? It might have taken two decades longer than both Coalition and Labor Prime Ministers promised, but these days the Hume is a completely divided dual-lane carriageway and fatalities are way down. It’s a similar story on the long-awaited, nearly re-built Pacific between Sydney and Brisbane. There are still plenty of run-offs to the side, and…

IF YOU ARE reading this then it means I managed to get this story to my editor on time. If that is the case then I sincerely hope you guys all appreciate what a monumental task this has been for me. Seriously, it has taken a huge effort when it comes to writing this particular story. Let me give you a little behind the scenes information on my process so you can try and appreciate my dilemma. When I compose a story, I start by processing all the photos. Often I can take anywhere from 40 to 60 photos and cull them down to around 20 to submit with each story. I then set up my laptop in front of my PC and have my favourite shot on the computer…

THE BP ARCHERFIELD Truck Stop in Brisbane is generally a hive of activity of trucks fuelling up, drivers taking a rest break or simply waiting on a load. However, it was a relatively quiet scenario when Owner//Driver called in and spoke to a number of drivers shortly before Easter. One owner-driver in particular was readying himself to head south with no backload, while others say they were minimally affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. Greenfreight driver Gary Finley, behind the wheel of a Kenworth K200, says supermarket, alcohol and timber freight had kept the work flowing. “We do a lot of Woolworths deliveries and we have a CUB [Carlton United Breweries] contract. People are staying at home drinking obviously,” he smiles. Based in Wodonga, Gary’s usual run is Melbourne, Brisbane and…

For over four decades family-owned and operated business Shephard Transport Equipment (STE) has been serving the Australian transport industry. With its headquarters in Queensland, the company provides its services to clients across many states and territories, and certain overseas markets. The dedicated team of long-serving technicians at Shephard Transport Equipment are experts in designing, fabricating, manufacturing and servicing tipper trucks, trailers and hydraulic trucks. STE also specialises in quality repair and service of such vehicles, including sourcing and installing quality parts, and handling insurance jobs. STE has a comprehensive range of tipping parts led by its spare parts manager Steve Erfurth. “We are an Australian-owned company, operating locally since 1979. We have capabilities to manufacture and repair trucks or trailers to the customer’s exact specifications. We can build quality standard…

LABOR SENATOR Glenn Sterle has urged the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael McCormack, to take action over unchanged diesel prices as the global price of oil drops. Sterle, the Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety, refers to a statement from Westpac economist Justin Smirk who has predicted that the price of unleaded fuel could drop 20 per cent by June to around 75 cents a litre. The Senator says Australia has not enjoyed those prices seen since the mid-1990s. “Fuel prices continue to plummet across the country after the cost of oil collapsed and went into the negative for the first time in history,” Sterle says. “However, we are not seeing this reduction reflected in the price of diesel. “Diesel is cheaper to produce and easier to store yet…

MELBOURNE-BASED truckie Daniel King tells us it started for him like it did for many other operators, in the cab of his old man’s trucking putting in a mile. “They reckon I was virtually conceived in a truck,” Daniel laughs when asked of his earliest memory in a rig. “There are so many photos of me in the truck, because i was going to work with my old man for as long as I can remember. “By the age of about 11 or 12, I was operating the forklift and delivering the bricks we carted to site. It’s all I wanted to do, to be in the brick truck helping,” he says. Daniel’s teen years saw him spending less time around trucks but, as is the case when it’s in…

THE TRANSPORT industry over the years has predominantly been a male dominated arena – sad but true. However, in the modern age it has become a lot more evenly mixed with more and more women becoming involved in the industry. Thankfully over the next few issues I’ve managed to catch up with some extremely cool women that are not just involved, but leading the way in the transport industry - from a mechanic turned driver, a woman with her own fleet of tip trucks, a nurse turned professional polisher to even a team of women that spend their days wrapping trucks. However, I’m going to start with a young driver from Canada, and it’s not because we can’t find enough over here. It’s because, firstly, I have never seen so…

Following the success of its Port Pirie venture, Bentley’s Cabin Parks will be soon opening its new fully self-contained accommodation park at Port Augusta. Part of the Bentley Group, the cabin park division was first set up in 1995 when founder and managing director Hayden Bentley set up four cabins inspired by his travels around Australia with his family. From those humble beginnings, Hayden gradually expanded his business to set up the Port Pirie Cabin Park with over 100 fully selfcontained four-star cabins with a range of one-, two- and three-bedroom suites, including various amenities such as spa and basic home and kitchen appliances. These days, Hayden is busy finalising the arrangements at the new cabin park that is set to open later this year. Parent company, Bentley Group, is…

HINO AND TOYOTA have agreed to jointly develop a heavy-duty fuel cell truck, and to proceed with initiatives toward its practical use through verification tests and other means. Through their respective ‘Environmental Challenges’, Hino and Toyota have signalled their intentions to reduce CO2 emissions by 2050 and are both developing electric vehicle technologies for widespread use in society. In order to achieve further reductions in CO2 emissions, Hino says major improvements will be required in the environmental performance of heavy-duty trucks, which account for about 60 per cent of the total CO2 emissions from commercial vehicles in Japan. For the electrification of commercial vehicles, the optimum powertrain must be adopted to ensure both outstanding environmental performance and just-right practicality as a business vehicle in terms of cruising range, load capacity,…