Table of contents for Issue 350 in Owner Driver

Volunteer public benevolent institution Radio Rescue Emergency Communications Incorporated (RREC) has put out a request for truck drivers to avoid using UHF CB emergency channels 5 and 35. RREC says it is aware that a significant number of truck drivers are unaware that both 5 and 35 are legally designated by the Australian government for emergency use only. Martin Howells, RREC national deputy commissioner (operations), says of particular concern is the number of drivers who “drop down” from channel 40 and end up on 35, chatting between themselves as they travel. He adds that, in other cases, trucks on construction sites, and even entire businesses, choose to use both 5 and 35 for their communications. “UHF channels 5 and 35 have been designated by law for emergency use only ever…

“My dream was always to buy a Super-Liner.” Have I mentioned before how much I love my job? I mean, who wouldn’t? Picture me sitting back conducting a friendly interview in the seaside holiday town of Coffs Harbour. Beautiful rays of sunshine are breaking through the light clouds like a grown man stepping on a barely frozen lake. Golden yellow beams of light bouncing off a stunning silver Kenworth and a mouth-watering Mack are the backdrop for this meeting. A cold beer is in my hand as the proprietor of this idyllic setting, Chris Robinson, regales me with his poetically expletive memoirs. I mean, all I really need is some Jack Daniels-flavoured jerky, Smokey and the Bandit playing on a 75-inch TV and an endless supply of nachos and I…

He has a voice that can sound like gravel being raked across concrete and, when the mullet’s given time to grow, there’s the deep-etched appearance of a ‘worked hard, played hard’ rocker from the’70s. Don’t be fooled, though. There’s more to Scott Harvey than meets the eye or raps the ear. Much more. And, while the image and the character perhaps accurately reflect younger years lived hard and to the hilt, innate acumen has nurtured and flourished in the fateful roll between risk and reward. In fact, there are moments in random conversation when even Scott seems genuinely awed by the evolution of a life that has seen a knockabout young bloke from the New South Wales Hunter Valley, not entirely sure or even concerned of what tomorrow might hold,…

The newly launched Museum Of Vehicle Evolution (MOVE) in the central Victorian city of Shepparton hs seen the recent arrival of a number of special new heavyweight visitors, including historic examples of all three Volvo Group Australia truck brands. The museum features a diverse line up, from bicycles and light passenger vehicles to historic heavy commercials, displayed in a purpose built 10,000 square metre facility. “Shepparton is a mecca for transport,” says MOVE CEO, Peter Hill. “One in four commercial vehicles registered in Victoria are based in the Shepparton area; transport is the lifeblood of this region.” CMV Truck & Bus, Volvo Group Australia’s largest private dealer partner, is a major sponsor of MOVE. “We are incredibly proud to be supporting MOVE and to be a partner in this impressive…

Remember back in the 1980s and ‘90s there was a show on TV called Beyond 2000? For those who don’t, it was a family-oriented Sunday night affair showcasing anything that was remotely techy; a sort of soft-news/entertainment program in the same vein as Top Gear but with a broader scope as they would show off cars, computers, new inventions, etcetera. For those of us who were young and impressionable back then, it was an eye-opening look into an exciting future in which we were going to live. The show was a great concept and must’ve rated well as the series ran from 1985 until 1999. But when it came to making predictions about what would actually occur beyond 2000 (which must have been much easier in the later seasons) it…

Independent commercial vehicle parts distributor MaxiParts has announced that it has entered into an asset sale agreement with Truckzone Group to acquire the businesses known as Truckzone, Coburg Truck Parts and Parts Peek for an estimated $18 million in cash, subject to customary working capital adjustments. MaxiParts says the acquisition will see it attain an estimated $15.6m of inventory, $3m of fixed assets, intellectual property and approximately 80 Truckzone Group employees. “The acquisition of Truckzone Group represents an exciting leap forward in the strategic development of MaxiParts and is fully aligned with our stated acquisition criteria,” says MaxiParts managing director and CEO, Peter Loimaranta. “We are delighted to welcome such a highly complementary business into the MaxiParts family and I am excited about the significant benefits this combination will bring…

BP Australia has announced that it is teaming up with Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds (HHTS) as an exclusive foundational sponsor after signing a three-year agreement. The partnership will give HHTS access to BP’s existing truck stop network to connect with Australian truck drivers. The sponsorship is underpinned by BP’s global aim to enhance the wellbeing of employees, contractors and local communities. The oil, gas and energy partnership will allow HHTS to continue delivering programs and resources that aim to improve mental health and wellbeing outcomes in the road transport, warehousing and logistics industries. BP operates a large truck stop network across the nation with over 500 sites, which it says provides safe and clean facilities for truck drivers to refuel and refresh. The new partnership will allow HHTS…

An up-coming event to mark on the calendar is Harmony Day on March 20, kicking off at 11am to 4pm at Liverpool Catholic Club green area. Harmony Day will be held in partnership with Multicultural NSW, Liverpool Council, and Turbans for Australia (T4A) who have undertaken community and advocacy work to help promote understanding of Sikhism and supporting multiculturalism in trucking circles as well as the wider community. Harmony Day is designed to promote multiculturalism and instil the community-minded theme ‘Everyone Belongs’ with president of T4A, Amar Singh, starting the charity alongside his trucking business to help in areas such as disaster relief and supplying food hampers to the disadvantaged in Sydney. The event will have a heap of attractions for all ages and is a family-friendly day out culminating…

With a heavy reliance on road transport, Australia has proven to be a place of opportunity for those in the business of trucking; from the sole contractors and owner-drivers through to the titans of transport moving all and sundry across the country. When Isuzu Australia last spoke with Apinder Deol – known casually as Deol – he was in the process of expanding his business, Move In Removals and Truck Rentals, across the border from South Australia into Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. At the time, in 2017, Deol had a fleet of 34 Isuzu trucks, the first of which was purchased from the North East Isuzu dealership. His aim was to provide coverage across eastern and southern states, specialising in both furniture removals and vehicle hire industries. Building…

Cummins Inc has announced the signing of an agreement to acquire Jacobs Vehicle Systems (JVS), a subsidiary of Altra Industrial Motion Corp and a supplier of engine braking, cylinder deactivation, start and stop and thermal management technologies. The agreement brings the addition of new technologies to provide growth opportunities for Cummins’ current and future advanced diesel engine platforms. The acquisition of JVS also secures critical USMCA-qualified engine components for current and aftermarket products and expands on Cummins Turbo Technologies’ success with customers globally. “JVS brings engineering expertise, best-in-class products and key manufacturing capabilities to Cummins that will allow us to continue developing component technologies that deliver market leading performance and emissions,” says Jennifer Rumsey, Cummins’ president and chief operating officer. “We expect that this transaction will provide both attractive financial…

The new Scania Super-based powertrain has won Germany’s renowned ‘1000 Punkte’ (1000 Points) test. It was Scania’s fourth victory in a row in the European test. A Scania 460 R tractor took on the latest versions of what Volvo and MAN have to offer in a test where all-important aspects of modern-day long-haul trucks are assessed by a team of experienced international truck journalists. “This is the first confirmation from independent journalists that the Super-based powertrain we presented in Södertälje in November delivers as stated and has moved us and the transport efficiency Scania offers even further away from the competition,” Scania Trucks senior VP Stefan Dorski says. “The margins are typically narrow in these tests, but here the Scania Super powertrain was some four percent more fuel-efficient than the…

Gobsmacked! That’s how Gavin Sutton reacted when informed his 1989 Mack Super-Liner had been announced as the 2021 OwnerDriver Truck of the Year. Gavin, who runs Gavin Sutton Transport out of Tamworth in New South Wales, knew his truck was lined up against 11 other hot contenders, including five Kenworths and a couple of Peterbilts. But majority rules and the old Mack came up trumps to take out the coveted trophy. I was quite taken aback by everyone’s vote,” Gavin admits. “Most of the time people lean towards Kenworth rather than Mack. But at the end of the day it depends on the public’s view on what looks good and what doesn’t.” The Super-Liner’s victory came via a winning tally where readers were invited to vote on the 12 Truck…

I’m a pretty game individual, I mean, I’ve drunk milk two days after the expiry date, I’ve gone swimming only 15 minutes after eating and I’ve even agreed to the Telstra terms and conditions without listening to the whole diatribe. We can all agree, I live life on the edge. However, using the phrase ‘happy as a pig in shit’ when starting my third women in transport story could be risky if anyone misconstrued the intent. Before anyone makes any assumptions or complains about my choice of description let me explain exactly why this phrase is extremely fitting for this story. Firstly, when I caught up with Kelsie McDonald, the subject of this article, near Tailem Bend in South Australia, she was busy loading her Kenworth T904 with a full…

Licence absurdity The current conversation in the industry centres around drivers and driver training and, as a person who has done over 60 years in the industry and with many of the similar vintage now retired from driving or still driving, we are called dinosaurs. But that doesn’t detract from knowledge acquired from those years and kilometres travelled. At this time, there is only one politician in government who has the knowledge to have input into drivers’ ability and knowledge – and that is WA senator Glenn Sterle. We are concerned with the stupidity of some of the current drivers, especially multi trailer drivers. It is not a statutory offence to do stupid things but you should lose your truck licence when it endangers others or damages equipment. With dashcams…

Now under new ownership, Geelong Isuzu is celebrating delivery of their first truck to local family business, Routleys Bakery. The regional Isuzu Trucks dealership (previously held by Winter & Taylor) has recently changed hands, with Geelong Isuzu officially opening doors on November 15, 2021. While the dealership name may be new, customers such as Routleys will see faces familiar to the Isuzu brand, with Jason Cunliffe (formerly of Winter & Taylor) remaining in the role of dealer principal, and Ian Deacon (dealer principal of Ballarat Isuzu) as co-owner of Geelong Isuzu. Operations manager and third generation of the Routleys family business, Sam Routley, picked up the keys to a new FRD 110-260 in December. Sam says the new F Series truck will support their Melbourne and Geelong distribution network, joining…

Let me gladly introduce you to ‘Buckboard’ – the unofficial name given to Mike Reimann’s unusual custom Kenworth. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘buckboard’ it harks back to the horse-drawn cart days but is more relevant as an Australian slang term used to describe the old cars that had their back ends cut off and trays mounted. Just imagine the birth of the Aussie Ute – that was a buckboard. It is also the tongue-in-cheek name affectionately used when referencing this amazing feat of scaled-down Kenworth engineering that you see before you. I can’t tell you the exact make or model of this particular Kenworth, though I guess in some ways you could call it an S2 W-model. Just don’t go to Brown & Hurley to order one. This…

Bapcor Commercial Vehicle Group has announced the acquisition of Queensland-based Gibbs Truck & Trailer Parts. Gibbs joins Truckline, WANO, Diesel Drive and Diesel Distributors across Australia and New Zealand to become part of Bapcor, a trade and retail distributor of aftermarket and original equipment truck and trailer parts and accessories. Bapcor says it supports all makes and models of North American, European and Japanese commercial vehicles. Gibbs Truck & Trailer Parts has operated as a family company since the 1950s. Similarly, Bapcor’s Truckline commenced business in the same decade. Former proprietor of Gibbs Truck & Trailer Parts, Chris Gibbs, reflected on the company’s past and present success which has led to this major new step for the family operation. “This is a very exciting step to ensure the continued growth…

Iveco says for a limited time it is including two years or 250,000 kilometres – whichever comes first – of servicing for customers who purchase new X-Way prime mover models, subject to some terms and conditions. The truck maker says the offer applies to all prime movers including 6x4 AD, AT and AS variants, as well as the recently released B-double model. The prime mover range is equipped with 11- and 13-litre Euro 6 engines, with three power options: 460hp (343kW) and 2,150Nm, 510hp (380kW) and 2,300Nm and the rangetopping 550hp (410kW) with 2,500Nm as featured in the new AS 550 B-double. Other driveline benefits include fitment of the HiTronix 16-speed automated manual transmission, rear eight-bag electronically controlled air suspension, as well as Meritor differentials with drivercontrolled locks. Safety equipment…