Table of contents for Issue 344 in Owner Driver

SCANIA AUSTRALIA has intensified efforts to entice skilled workers into its technical ranks. Scania is looking to attract diesel technicians to its nine company-owned workshops in capital cities, by offering to fund upskilling for light-vehicle technicians who want to transition to heavy-duty vehicles. The move comes as the company expands services and parts domestically as well as being in the midst of a pandemic-exacerbated national skills shortage. “Recently, we have been approached by light-vehicle technicians looking to work for Scania, but they are not qualified or certified to work on hydraulic systems or heavy-duty air-pressure braking systems,” Scania NSW and Victoria regional executive manager Sean Corby says. “As a result, we have begun a program to invest in these technicians’ futures by funding their skills gap training through TAFE.” Scania…

AS WE GO to print, New South Wales, Victoria and, to a certain degree, Queensland are facing ever increasing case numbers of the Delta variant of COVID-19. As a result, restrictions are being further tightened around travel by both essential and non-essential workers. For drivers engaged in interstate transport operations, regulations and restrictions are becoming more and more confusing, while border crossing delays are further impacting freight schedules and driving hours. At present, interstate drivers are required to have a border permit or declaration in electronic or printed form, as well as supply a negative COVID-19 test result obtained in the 72 hours prior to arrival at the border. To gauge the true cost and operational imposition to interstate drivers, OwnerDriver recently caught up with several operators along the Newell…

Often with my long-winded stories I tend to focus on a single protagonist and, nine times out of 10, it’s the owner of the featured truck, or the driver, or the owner-driver. For this story, though, it really feels like I’m writing one of those big budget Marvel ensemble movies as there are so many main characters. The lead character is Justin Wenham, owner of Mahnew Transport, which is based in Lenswood, South Australia, although I’m sure he thinks he’d look good in tights and a cape. However, this isn’t a superhero movie; it is unequivocally a family story with a bucketload of ‘Star’ power (sorry, couldn’t resist that pun). In fact, Justin really shares top billing with the other cast members, notably his number one driver and unofficial little…

Truck makers aren’t always impressed with the truck media, particularly if there’s a difference of opinion regarding the virtues or otherwise of some practices or products. Kenworth – or rather, Paccar Australia – is no exception. However, in Kenworth’s formative years in Australia, one truck magazine played a crucial role in actually educating and informing truck operators about this newly arrived American brand’s attributes. First published in 1936, Truck & Bus Transportation magazine was an industry tome with a powerful and influential following. By the turn of the century, though, fierce competition, questionable management and a departure from the genuine journalism that had given the publication such valuable credence, saw the magazine slide sadly into oblivion. In its post-war heydays though, Truck & Bus and its long-serving, highly respected chief…

IN DENSELY populated neighbourhoods around the largest food distribution centre on the US East Coast, more than one in five school-age children suffer from asthma. The distribution centre is in the South Bronx region of New York City and diesel trucks running in and out, day and night, have for many years been basted as significant contributors to the area’s notoriously poor air quality. Well aware of the district’s air pollution problems, particularly since a study at the turn of the century highlighted the area’s elevated incidence of asthma in children, Manhattan Beer Distributors (MBD) has followed earlier efforts to reduce diesel emissions in its growing fleet by recently taking delivery of its first battery electric heavy-duty truck, a Volvo VNR Electric model. The electric truck is not, however, MBD’s…

SCANIA Western Australia has announced its relocation into a new, much larger parts warehouse in the Perth suburb of Welshpool to better service the needs of its growing customer base of both on-and off-road trucks, as well as buses and coaches. The new 2,000 square metre facility is said to be more than four times larger than the warehouse it replaces. It allows the Kewdale-based company-owned sales and service facility to supply its state-wide network of independent authorised service dealers, and customer workshops, with a higher rate of first pick. The move follows a similar expansion of the Scania Australia National Parts Warehouse in Melbourne in order to support the growing numbers of Scania vehicles in service across the country. “Scania has attracted many more customers across a broad spectrum…

THE AUSTRALIAN Trucking Association (ATA) has outlined its submissions to the National Transport Commission’s (NTC) heavy vehicle charge consultation process. Speaking on the 2021 pay as you go (Paygo) determination, ATA policy director Bill McKinley says truck fuel charges and registration should be set over a three-year period to avoid a one-off increase of 16.5 per cent. Paygo is used to determine the road-user charge that businesses with trucks pay on fuel and truck registration charges in Australia – except Western Australia and the Northern Territory. “The NTC is looking at three options for truck charges – one option would be to increase charges by 16.5 per cent, but this overall figure would include a 22 per cent increase in the road user charge and registration charge increases of 85…

VOLVO GROUP AUSTRALIA (VGA) and The Family Co has announced a partnership that will see over 3,000 transport industry workers across Australia educated on domestic and family violence over the next 12 months through their Toolbox Talks Workplace Training Initiative. These training sessions, which will be delivered by the Toolbox Talks team from The Family Co in all states, have been funded by the Volvo Group through their Seasonal Gift charitable donations program. The gift is given from the Volvo Group on behalf of its employees to contribute to resolve society’s challenges in the local markets, serving to create prosperity in the communities. In recognition of the growing problem of domestic violence in Australia, Volvo Group Australia says it felt it was an important issue to show leadership on. “We…

Within the current road transport labour market, the persistent challenge of driver and skills shortages continues to concern operators. Isuzu’s The Future of Trucking report findings demonstrate, however, that beyond just awareness, employers are and have been active in their efforts to review driver recruitment practices as well as procurement and equipment selection to attract more of the brightest and best to our industry. So, it stands to reason then that, if you’re currently working in parts, service, or the broader automotive industry and thinking about upskilling or re-training … it’s time to turn ambition into reality. Skills training is firmly in focus right now, with federal government incentives like JobTrainer and the Boosting Apprenticeships Program – meaning more training places are available and course fees are being heavily subsidised.…

“ It isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle; if you like your job, it’s easy.” While he admits this is a bit of a cliché, Brayden Abbaticchio of BMA Truckin’ lives by this axiom. Brayden has just received his Kenworth T908 after four months off the road following an unfortunate incident with a car on Sydney’s M7 motorway, which resulted in a considerable repair job. While he once again sits up high in the 908, grinning like a rat with a gold tooth, it didn’t start out this glamorous for a young kid destined to become a longdistance truckie. Role models can play a significant part in the direction of youthful career selection. Brayden’s dad was a carpenter. However, growing up with his stepdad, who was a truckie, and having…

ISUZU AUSTRALIA (IAL) has signalled an upcoming launch of a new light-duty N Series model. The truck manufacturer says it is on the cusp of offering customers the “most compelling light-duty package to ever hit the Australian market” featuring industry-setting safety benchmarks. The range, first introduced to the Australian market in 1984 and now in its Ready-to-Work generation, is credited with underpinning Isuzu’s sales leadership for more than 30 years, having resonated with “businesses requiring work-hard, work-smart trucks”. “It may appear business as usual on the surface, but for Isuzu Trucks it has been a hive of activity underneath with brand-new product ready for imminent launch,” IAL national sales manager Les Spaltman says, without elaborating on vehicle specifics. “If a proverbial fire has been lit under the Australian market in…

HINO AUSTRALIA has revealed its in-house telematics system, Hino-Connect, for its heavy-duty 700 Series customers. The offering, included as standard, is underpinned by real-time performance data tracking, remote diagnosis of vehicle faults 24/7 and dedicated Hino-Connect specialist support. Available as standard fitment on the all-new Hino 700 Series, Hino-Connect is an Australian-built and designed system that communicates directly with the driver via the truck’s Multimedia unit, and delivers comprehensive levels of data to business managers through an online portal and app. ‘‘More than just a mapping or tracking tool, Hino-Connect delivers 700 Series customers real-time insights into the operation of their fleets,” Hino Australia general manager – service and customer support Gus Belanszky says. “In an Australian-first, Hino-Connect will allow direct communications with drivers through the intelligent Multimedia unit. “This…

THE VICTORIAN Transport Association (VTA) has welcomed a Parliamentary report scrutinising the state of the Australian road transport industry. The recommendations in that report, if taken up, could create a framework for a future Transport Standards Commission responsible for vehicles, training and contracts, VTA CEO Peter Anderson says. The Without Trucks Australia Stops report was led by the shadow assistant minister for road safety, senator Glenn Sterle. In preparing the report, the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee consulted with industry for months and considered dozens of submissions about how the industry could become more viable, safe, sustainable and efficient. Of the 10 recommendations in the report, Anderson particularly welcomed: the creation of an independent body for setting standards, resolving disputes, and establishing binding payment terms the…

TWO NEW freight-friendly testing sites have opened along key freight routes in the Hunter and Southern Tablelands to further support the freight industry and keep drivers COVIDSafe. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole says the two new pop-up sites at Marulan on the Hume Highway and Buchanan on the Hunter Expressway would make it easier for truckies and other freight workers to get tested and help them keep essential supplies moving across NSW and interstate. “It’s been 12 months since we opened the first freight testing sites at Tarcutta and Narrandera, and we are continuing to see significant demand across the eight sites already open,” Toole says. “So far, more than 51,000 tests have been carried out across all our testing sites – remarkably, more than half of…

THE VICTORIAN government has announced its support for a new smartphone app that is intended to be a one-stop-shop for female truck drivers to give them the confidence and support they need on the road. The $1.38 million Oz Truck App is said to provide 24/7 emergency support during breakdowns and crashes, as well as an online forum for drivers to provide peer support, health and wellbeing information, as well as petrol station, weighbridge and rest-stop finders. Victorian Minister for Training and Skills, Gayle Tierney, says: “The Oz Truck App is a great example of TAFEs working with industry in innovative ways – creating great opportunities for Victorians, stronger and more diverse workforces, and addressing skills needs.” The app was developed after research undertaken at Wodonga TAFE identified negative cultural…

One of the things that KS Easter managing director Ken Easter believes in is having a quality fleet to run his transport business. Easter’s fleet of roughly 240 trailers runs across most of the Australian east coast, South Australia and Melbourne, delivering time-sensitive freight. Ken started his work life as an owner-driver around 44 years ago in Newcastle, before moving base to Brisbane in 1988. “It is a family-run business. My older son Kenny Easter is the general manager, and his wife Karlie Easter is the compliance manager, while my younger son Mathew Easter is the paymaster,” says Ken. “We have roughly 240 trailers and a considerable number of those are Freighter. Our oldest Freighter trailer is around 20 years old. This year, we are adding 12 new B-doubles to…

IT’S EARLY July and the half-yearly sales figures for 2021 have just been issued. In the heavy-duty class, Kenworth is king by a country mile. Again! Still! Yet, in many ways, and despite the seemingly unrelenting interruptions and difficulties of a bludgeoning pandemic, Kenworth’s latest figures are just another notch in a year of notable notches. A year, for instance, celebrating 50 years of manufacturing Kenworth trucks – more than 70,000 of them – at Paccar Australia’s Bayswater (Vic) headquarters. In another part of Melbourne, though, July 2021 was a sad and solemn time for one particular family. Sure, the sadness and solemnity are soothed somewhat by feelings of immense gratitude and pride, but it’s a month that nonetheless marked the passing five years earlier – on July 16 –…

THE GREAT thing about road transport is the variety. There are so many different areas within our industry, from drivers and loaders to allocators and managers, store people and office workers to salespeople and detailers. Therefore, when I’m looking for volunteers for my ‘Woman in Trucking’ profiles, there is a vast array of options. For my second Woman in Transport feature I decided to step away from the driver’s seat side of things and look into affiliated businesses. I got very lucky when I met an extremely motivated and driven young woman who has built a successful business that caters to a tremendously important aspect of our industry, making sure our trucks look cool! Maddison Lawrence is the young lady that I’ve lined up for this story and Slick Azz…

It takes only a short step into the past to see how sharply the COVID era has impacted Volvo’s present. Mid-way through 2020, when the economic and social ramifications of the global pandemic were still ramping up to full ferocity, Volvo was the undisputed dominant force in Australia’s heavy-duty truck market with a formidable 18.8 per cent of the category; several points ahead of eminent rival and fellow local manufacturer, Kenworth. So strong was Volvo’s charge on the back of a proven product range, so purposefully planned and so clinically constructed over the previous few years, that some industry commentators – including this one – were absolutely convinced that by year’s end the Swedish powerhouse would be firmly fixed at the top of the heavy-duty tree. Pandemic or no pandemic.…

TRANSPORT IT provider eRoad will integrate Seeing Machines’ Guardian technology into its fleet management software as part of a new agreement between the firms. The Guardian technology uses face and eye tracking algorithms to detect fatigue and distraction, allowing proactive intervention before a risky driving incident occurs. The integration of the technology will provide operators with a single tool for managing video telematics, where previously there were two separate managing systems, road said, making it easier for fleet managers to prioritise actionable insights from data as well as developing a greater understanding of the risks associated with their fleet and coach drivers. “Our mission at eRoad is to help every community enjoy safer, more productive roads,” eRoad CEO Steven Newman said. “We’re all about improving fleet safety through better driver…