Table of contents for Issue 348 in Owner Driver

BACK IN the mid-1980s, during a three-year stint living in the Western Australian capital, I attended the re-opening of a pub in Perth’s Northbridge area. The new owners were going all-out to relaunch the venue as “the place to be”, flying in entertainers and musicians from the eastern states. One was the vibrant jazz singer, Su Cruickshank, who has since passed away. Between songs, Cruickshank would entice the audience by asking various trivia questions, one of which was: “What is the second most isolated western city in the world?” The answer, of course, was Perth (the first most isolated being Honolulu). That question and answer returned to my mind during the past couple of years. In fact, if the US government ever arrived at some futuristic plan to bridge a…

With the aim of keeping thousands of workers and the community safe, SafeWork NSW has launched its Work Health and Safety Guide for the Road Freight Transport Industry. SafeWork NSW executive director of compliance and dispute resolution Tony Williams says the guide was developed following extensive consultation with key industry stakeholders including transport industry groups, unions, Transport for NSW and interstate regulators. “The transport industry is an essential service provider for all Australians but unfortunately records a high rate of fatalities and serious injuries with major claims for injuries around 50 per cent greater than the average employment sector,” Williams says. “The guide provides transport operators and supply chain businesses with practical and tailored work health and safety information relating to working in and around vehicles. “Risks covered include loading…

It’s a new year but I hope you don’t need a new truck this month. The only thing there is not a shortage of is shortages. People for jobs and components are all in short supply and yet we must all keep going. For what is the alternative? Have you then been busy trying to keep up with the freight you can deliver or affected by things so you are losing work, or simply don’t have the staff or gear to do it? The transport industry is often used as an indicator of economic activity. We have to deliver it all. So many watch but how accurate are the figures they use? When we ask for better roads, they want to then charge us more to use them, yet we…

Where December and January offer workers in other industries an opportunity to unwind, owner-drivers and small fleet operators know this is a period which brings into sharp focus why road transport is Australia’s deadliest industry. Surging Christmas demand meets busy roads and highways chock-a-block with holidaymakers keen to escape cities and suburbs for the school holidays. It’s a dangerous combination, particularly given the unrelenting demands from those at the top of supply chains to keep goods moving, no matter the consequences. And while the pressure is always immense over Christmas and the New Year, drivers this year are battling the compounding effects of the pandemic that have disproportionately smashed our industry. Drivers weathered gruelling rolling testing requirements (including arbitrary satellite testing in some parts of Sydney and Melbourne), inconsistent border…

As one year draws to an end and another begins, most of us take this time to reflect on the previous 12 months. And what a year it was, with COVID bringing the county to a virtual standstill. Luckily, the road transport industry kept the home fires burning in a manner of speaking. COVID brought many challenges to the way we do things, and drivers and operators were forced to adapt to procedures and legislation piled on top of an already bulging list. We have been contacted by hundreds of drivers, all with stories of massive penalties handed out by police across multiple jurisdictions. Victoria leads the charge, with VicPol handing out $5,425 infringement notices with apparent gusto. Other states are not far behind and we are currently representing clients…

To all those shiny pants who are making hot air about the shortage of people interested in taking up the role of truck drivers, take note. One of my workmates, John, undertook a job to what we Queenslanders refer to as Mexico the other week. John had taken up the role of truck driver in 1968 at the age of 21. Road transport has been his only source of income since. To have been constantly and professionally involved for how many decades, one would expect that he would be treated with some semblance of respect. Coming out of Melbourne, John was given the going-over by Victorian police at Broadford. He was interrogated for an hour and a half. He was accused of not having rear facing reflectors on the prime…

You’d struggle to find a driver anywhere in Australia who isn’t glad 2021 is finally over. I remember just how relieved we all were last January to see 2020 in the rear-view mirror. None of us could have predicted what we were driving headfirst into last year. We were locked out of truck stops, sent on wild goose chases to find open testing clinics, and forced to wait for hours to cross state borders (in one instance, it took over 24 hours for me to get the all-clear to get into Queensland). When we should have been focused on resting during our breaks we were glued to our phones, desperately searching government websites to make sure COVID rules hadn’t changed – again. With any luck, those pandemic pressures will be…

As industry and government continue to engage in consultation over a fears of a diesel exhaust fluid (AdBlue) shortage with current estimates of around five weeks (15 million litres) supply on hand in Australia with more on the way according to the office of Minister for Industry, Angus Taylor has announced the establishment of an AdBlue taskforce. The taskforce will work across government and with industry to develop solutions to any potential future supply constraints. Options being explored include alternative international supply options for refined urea, bolstering local manufacturing capabilities and technical options at the vehicle level. The global shortage of urea, which makes up 32 per cent of AdBlue, is due to China almost halting urea exports as part of an attempt to cool down its local fertiliser prices.…

To a wide-eyed young fella at the Castlemaine Truck Show, the sight of an immaculately presented and customised T950 Kenworth lit a fire inside. A burning desire that, unbeknown to him at the time, would one day be quenched by a high-stake barter. That truck was ‘The Joker’. The Joker will be well known to those custom truck aficionados who frequent the truck show circuit or just follow the scene on social media. Hailing from the Thorpe Custom Truck stable, the company is well known for its one-of-a-kind individual personalisation flair, which also includes such works of art as Lenny’s Pride, Life’s A Circus, Black-Out, The Green Mile, The Ring Master and many more customised creations. The Joker, with its Batman Dark Knight movie-themed artwork paying homage to Heath Ledger’s…

The onset of a new year used to be an excuse for reflection. I can understand why many in our industry don’t want to do that after the challenges of 2021. You can’t safely move forward without looking in the rear vision mirrors. The lessons we all learned are important. Santa has been and gone. Without appearing to be ungrateful, there’s still a long wish list of what we should all want in 2022. 1. CONSISTENCY FROM GOVERNMENT Any government. Please. The endless barrage of border access changes and quarantine requirements in 2021 was almost impossible to keep up with. At last count, NatRoad changed its online advisory 150 times in six months – and that excludes the sometimes daily bulletins going straight to members’ email inboxes. We know Australia…

SYDNEY TRUCK AND TRAILER EXPO January 28–30, 2022. Clarendon, NSW Held at Hawkesbury Showgrounds, Clarendon and organised by the Australian Ex Military Vehicle Collectors Society Inc (AMVCS). Includes the Kenworth Klassic (postponed from September 2021). Open to all makes, models and years of commercial vehicles. Plus truck rides, model trucks, manufacturers trade stands, merchandise, historic cars, fire engines, buses, police cars, military vehicles, tractors and stationary engines. Camping available. Free entry for vehicle exhibitors, $10 general public. For further info see the Facebook page at https://feedback.facebook.com/events/1900166386830950, phone Dutchy on 0425 253 253 or email dutchtruckie@hotmail.com CANBERRA RISE ABOVE CANCER CONVOY January 30, 2022. Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), ACT The Rise Above Convoy for Cancer Families is an annual event to raise money and awareness for Rise Above – Capital…

Mobile phone detection cameras have been raking in fines since they were first introduced in New South Wales almost two years ago. In the first 18 months of their official operation NSW issued over $90 million in fines. The technology is spruiked by the authorities as being highly accurate at detecting potential phone use offences. They back this up with a ‘human check’. Every time the camera detects a potential offence the photo is reviewed by an adjudication officer to make sure it definitely shows a mobile phone. But as good as the system is, it’s not foolproof. Just because you’ve received a fine doesn’t mean you’re guilty of the offence. Over the past year, we’ve been contacted regularly by people who’ve received dubious fines from these cameras. We always…

APART Allen Stone ATO/PIAS www.allenstone.com US blue-eyed soul singer Allen Stone used the COVID lockdown to revisit 11 tracks from his previous three albums, and re-record them with pared-back arrangements at Bear Creek Studios in his home state of Washington. ‘Unaware’, from his 2012 self-titled, is a protest song of sorts, questioning the “great American dream”, and he looks across to the “other side of town” on ‘Brown Eyed Lover’. Stone shows his R&B credentials up front of a basic piano backing on ‘American Privilege’, a track that unravels his country’s perceived way of life, and he admits his stubbornness on the acoustic-guitar backed ‘I Know That I Wasn’t Right’. Canadian R&B artist Alessia Cara joins Allen and his minimalistic musicians for the breezy duet ‘Bed I Made’. The 12th…

The last 18 months have been the most challenging I have experienced. This was in many ways due to the serious impacts and challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, on all aspects on our personal and work lives. The road transport industry has played a vital and essential role in assisting the Australian community to navigate this constantly changing environment – and that’s a huge credit to the sector. Importantly, our industry and supply chains continue to be stoic in their approach to ensuring the best health and safety outcomes are pursued for our drivers and others who have daily interactions with each other. During this time, the need for improved national consistency and communication was under the spotlight for governments, as our industry and…

I have been involved in the transport industry for the best part of 45 years after having first being blooded into the transport industry at the tender age of nine-years-old by off-siding with my brother-in-law on weekends and school holidays. One fond memory as a child was having to sleep under the truck on the road on a rolled-up tarp out the front of the old wool stores in the middle of Sydney (Darling Harbour). As a kid it was exciting, but my mother would have been horrified (had she of known at the time). At 21 I had my own truck. Seven years later I sold the business to travel overseas. However, as I needed to fill in six months until I flew out, I took a driving position…

STORYTELLER Brad Butcher Ambition Records www.bradbutcher.com Queensland singer-songwriter Brad Butcher has emerged from lockdown, signing a deal with Ambition Records and releasing the compilation album Storyteller, subtitled “The Story So Far”. Butcher, a multi-Golden Guitar winner, is a former rugby league player and mine worker, and mowed lawns to make ends meet during COVID, resulting in his effervescent song ‘Cutting People’s Grass’, which is included here. Previously released tracks ‘Lay Your Head’, a duet with New York-based Brielle Brown, and ‘Simple Things’ with Felicity Urquhart, are among the 15 tracks, the latter from his award-winning album Travelling Salesman. The quiet ballad ‘Well Dressed Man’, another award winner, rightly takes its place in this collection – a perfect place to catch up on the music of Brad Butcher. THE MILLION THINGS…