While B-triples are already used in many parts of Australia, operators of these combinations have been disadvantaged by inconsistent state and territory road access and operating conditions.

Having turntable (B) couplings on each trailer as opposed to a dolly (A) connection as found on double roadtrains, B-triple combinations are considerably more stable at highway speeds and therefore safer than their double roadtrain counterparts.  

National Transport Commission (NTC) chief executive, Nick Dimopoulos described the decision made at the recent SCOTI (Standing Council on Transport and Infrastructure) meeting as a win for industry and the community.

“Modular B-triples are safe, efficient vehicles. They have been designed to allow the use of existing B-double equipment, providing the flexibility to mix and match equipment according to the level of road access,” Dimopoulos said. “We hope this decision will provide industry with the confidence needed to invest in these vehicles and increase uptake across Australia.”

The NTC estimates this decision by ministers will prevent many fatalities, result in a reduction of CO2 emissions of 1.1 million tonnes and generate an estimated $1.1 billion in productivity savings (Net Present Value) by 2030. This financial gain derives from both reduced vehicle numbers and kilometres travelled.

“We would like to acknowledge our reform partners in government and industry for working so collaboratively with us on this initiative,” Nick added.

Modular B-triples comprise a prime mover and three semi-trailers, and can be assembled from standard B-double trailing equipment. They meet stringent requirements to ensure they are safe enough to travel on Australian roads and do no more damage to roads and bridges than double roadtrains.

The NTC’s final policy paper as endorsed by SCOTI, A National Framework for B-Triple Operations, can be downloaded from the NTC website.

Winners are grinners: Cleary Bros' Steve Crandell and Les Lipinski

Among a host of awards presented at the recent Australian Trucking Association (ATA) convention, the TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award went to Cleary Bros Pty Ltd, based at Port Kembla on the south coast of New South Wales.

The company’s transport manager, Steve Crandell, and maintenance manager, Les Lipinski, were thrilled to accept the award.

“This award is everything, everything we’ve worked to achieve,” Steve Crandell remarked. “John (Kelly) was a driving force to get us into the TruckSafe program to begin with. TruckSafe is making a real difference with putting out for tenders, and we’re building from strength to strength.”

“We’re proud to have safe trucks on our roads – that’s what it’s all about.” Les Lipinski added.

Cleary Bros is a family owned company that specialises in a broad range of construction industry services, including concrete, quarrying, civil engineering and waste management.

Its transport division consists of more than 150 heavy-duty trucks and has been TruckSafe accredited since 1998, with an outstanding level of safety and highly positive audit reports. Demonstrating excellence in its field, Cleary Bros won the 2011 Building and Construction Award at the Origin Energy Illawarra Business Awards.

According to Arne, the success of the Albury-Wodonga dealership is key to the Volvo Group for two reasons:
• The considerable business growth in the region;
• The critical need to support the heavy-duty transport network operating between Melbourne and Sydney.

“Last year we recognised the need to increase our presence in this region, and we would like to thank CMV for its substantial investment in constructing this impressive new facility on a greenfield site,” Knaben said. “Taking over the Albury-Wodonga operation is a logical expansion for CMV, as it is the major distributor of Volvo Group products and services in the state. I know our customers will benefit from the experience and professionalism that CMV will bring to this important regional centre.”

CMV’s joint managing director, Paul Crawford, said the development of the Albury-Wodonga dealership in McKoy Street is an important link in CMV’s network of purpose designed, heavy-duty truck and bus dealerships.

“These dealerships allow our customers convenient B-double and bus access to strategically located dealerships throughout Victoria and South Australia,” Crawford said. “We are delighted to be part of the dynamic growth of the Albury-Wodonga region and look forward to building and strengthening the business in the years ahead.

“As far as the new dealership is concerned, we would like to extend an open invitation to any operator in the region to come in and meet us and inspect our new facility. We will support all customers in the Albury-Wodonga region as well as offering support to any operator on the busy Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney.”

Dealer principal, Darren Cowan, said the new dealership location was chosen to ensure there would be plenty of parking spaces for B-doubles. The new site also includes an in-ground pit, overhead crane, lifting legs, wash bay and driver rest facilities.

“We are selling new and used vehicles,” Darren said, “and of course, providing first-class service with rapid turnaround times. We understand that every minute off the road translates into lost revenue, so we strive to get our customers’ vehicles back into operation as quickly as possible, without cutting any corners.

“We’re looking forward to getting out there and meeting all of our new customers. We’d like to extend an invitation to everyone in the region who’s got Volvo, Mack or UD trucks. Come in and meet us and see what we can do for you.”

Featuring a number of fifth wheel and wheelbase options, Western Star says the 4700 provides the ideal solution for bulk haul, local delivery and construction applications.

“The response from our vocational customers has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re excited to expand our offering to new markets and customers that have been eager to experience the quality and customisation of a Western Star,” said Guy Lemieux, marketing segment manager, Western Star Truck Sales Inc. 

Available in day cab configuration with either set-forward or set-back front axle, the 4700 incorporates a steeply sloping tapered hood for superior visibility and features one of the broadest power ranges in a single truck model.

From the lightweight and economical Cummins ISC and ISL engines, to the powerful and efficient Detroit DD13, the 4700 comes with power ratings from 260 hp to 470 hp. Combined with several  transmission offerings including Allison automatic, Eaton manual and  Eaton UltraShift® PLUS, the 4700 can be spec’d ideally for regional and bulk haul applications.  

Other news from Western Star in the US is the availability of the Detroit DD16 engine in all 6900 truck configurations. The powerful 15.6 litre DD16 dispenses up to 600 hp and 2050 lb ft of torque, with maximum torque produced in a wide band to cater for the heaviest loads in extreme vocational applications such as logging, mining, oil field and heavy haulage.  

In addition to the DD16, the Detroit Series 60 Tier 3 engine is now available in the Western Star 6900 Twin Steer (TS) model. Claimed to be ideal for the most rugged off-highway vocational applications, the Series 60 Tier 3 engine features a single stage turbo and no EGR. This is said to not only increases fuel efficiency, but minimise maintenance and operational costs. The engine’s design also eliminates the need for any kind of regeneration, further enhancing efficiencies.

As for an Australian launch of both the 4700 model and a DD16 powered 6900 series, Western Star’s local operatives are remaining tight lipped except to say that both would be welcome additions to the local line-up. For our money though, we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see examples of both models at next year’s Brisbane truck show, heralding local introduction of the new variants later in 2013.

An artist's impression of proposed Moorebank IMT

Market briefings are being held in late May 2012 for businesses interested in participating in the Australian government’s Moorebank Intermodal Terminal (IMT) Project.

The briefings, to be managed by the project’s lead adviser KPMG, have been arranged in response to strong interest from the private sector – including freight operations, construction and logistics businesses – towards participating in the project.

In response KPMG has arranged market briefings in Sydney the week commencing Monday, May 21 at the offices of KPMG.

The government proposes to let tenders for the design, construction and operation of the IMT and will begin procurement in mid-2013, following establishment of a Government Business Enterprise in January 2013 to manage the process.

“During the preparation of the detailed business case for the IMT, a market soundings process was held that included more than 40 companies involved in freight operations, logistics, consigning and project finance,” a project spokesperson said. “That process indicated there was a strong appetite for private sector delivery and use of the IMT if government was able to facilitate the provision of a site.”

Expressions of interest in attendance at the briefings can be made by emailing Rebecca Drescher-Boulos at rdrescher@kpmg.com.au.

Designed for mobile field professionals in direct store delivery (DSD) route accounting, field service, mobile point of sale and electronic citation, the two-inch (50 mm) PR2 and three-inch (76 mm) PR3 mobile printers provide the ideal companion to Intermec’s broad portfolio of mobile computers with shared charging, docking, accessories and remote management capabilities.

According to Intermec, businesses can tailor the printers to their unique requirements and gain significant competitive advantages as the printers also have the fastest time to first receipt in their class. They are built for all day comfort and reliability using the included belt clip, optional belt loop or shoulder strap.

Compatible with Intermec’s FlexDock system, the company claims its new PR2 and PR3 printers offer a new level of efficiency to docking and charging. Additionally, the modular docking design can offer up to a 20 percent cost saving during initial roll-outs. Field-replaceable batteries can be charged independently of the printer to further maximize convenience and uptime, which is said to reduce battery replacement costs by as much as 50 percent over the life of the device.

“Intermec is committed to providing fast, flexible solutions that offer mobile field workers the tools they need to transform business operations and reduce infrastructure costs, driving bottom line results,” said Chuck Dourlet, Intermec’s vice president of printers & media. “The flexibility of the new PR2 and PR3 mobile receipt printers offers businesses unique value and a future-proofed approach to managing their overall enterprise mobility solution.”

It’s a view shared by Richa Gupta, barcode analyst at VDC Research Group.

“VDC’s research shows the impact of expenditures on device infrastructure, such as communication docks, battery chargers and associated facilities, can be as much as 12 percent of the total cost of an enterprise mobility deployment,” Richa said. “By integrating its latest line of mobile printers with its FlexDock modular docking system, Intermec is directly addressing the growing need for end-user enterprises to reduce their current and ongoing infrastructure costs.”

For more information, visit www.intermec.com.au

The white paper highlights how a company can expect to see a return on investment by upgrading scales or introducing new high-tech weighing systems that provide better accuracy and avoid downtime.
The elimination of unplanned service events can result in significant savings and productivity increases that continue to grow throughout the life of a reliable, fully supported vehicle scale solution, Mettler Toledo asserts.

To download a copy of the white paper, visit: http://glo.mt.com/global/en/home/supportive_content/White_Papers/ind-wp-rvw.html

Michael Kilgariff

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) has indicated it is pleased the 2012-2013 federal budget recognises the importance of freight to Australia’s future economic prosperity.

“The Government’s proposal to develop a multi-billion dollar freight logistics hub at Moorebank in Sydney’s west shows a welcome reversal in the trend where freight is treated as the ‘poor cousin’ when it comes to infrastructure planning,” said Michael Kilgariff, ALC managing director. “ALC believes Moorebank is one of the jewels in Australia’s freight logistics crown, but the challenge is to ensure this key ‘inland port’ is developed in such a way that maximises its potential.”

He went on to expand on this, saying ALC’s desire is to see this important transport hub developed expeditiously and in such a way that maximises efficiency and productivity by capitalising on its strategic location near the M5/ M7 motorways and Port Botany rail freight line.

Michael Kilgariff also noted the budget’s $38 million allocation to establish national regulators for heavy vehicles, rail safety and maritime safety.

“This is a critical microeconomic reform that is estimated to be worth $30 billion to the nation over 20 years, and so ALC welcomes the Federal Government’s funding commitment to establish the three new regulators.”

He also said he looked forward to closer engagement with the Federal Government on the design of the Nation Building II program which is due to start in 2014/ 2015.

“The Nation Building II program must have a greater focus on making our supply chains more efficient, leading to lower prices on supermarket shelves which is important to help keep the lid on inflation and keep interest rates down.

“ALC looks forward to working more closely with Government to identify proposals for action to improve transport efficiency as it develops its Nation Building II program.

“This greater level of government/ industry engagement was a key recommendation of ALC’s recent report Towards an Efficient Freight Future, which also found there has been a lack of progress to address a number of key supply chain blockages and that further action is needed to ease constraints to transport efficiency.”

The report Towards an Efficient Freight Future is available on the ALC website at www.austlogistics.com.au
 

“We were early adopters of the technology and have never looked back,” he said. “In-vehicle telematics now forms an essential part of our business. We run a 24/7 operation so knowing where our vehicles are, how they are performing and being able to interact with our drivers and customers is critical to the smooth and efficient management of our organisation.

“Aside from helping us manage our operations, IAP access to the Higher Mass Limits (HML) network has allowed us to carry approximately 2.5 tonnes more per load,” Mark continued. “Based on 14,000 loads per month, we achieve additional payload of 420,000 tonnes per year. That is a saving of around 12,500 truck movements a year meaning we need two to three fewer trucks for our operation.

“An additional payload of 420,000 tonnes per year easily covers the cost of being in the IAP. Across our fleet of 40 vehicles, the cost of IAP in-vehicle units (IVUs) was around $100,000 with an annual operating cost of around $70,000 for the fleet. Even if we were only earning one dollar per additional tonne we would still be way ahead under the IAP.

“The IAP works for us because it has the reliability and flexibility to accommodate both our business and compliance needs. It provides us with improved access to the road network while also enabling commercial management services like fatigue, speed and fleet tracking which are indispensable to a forward looking business such as ours.

“Indeed, with Chain of Responsibility legislation now being enforced, any transport or logistics business that does not take telematics and GPS seriously is taking a major risk,” Mark Wintle concluded.

Lisa Sharwood

Sleep apnoea is a condition where a person has difficulty breathing whilst asleep, causing their sleep to be disturbed. This can then lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and poor reaction times. People with sleep apnoea are often unaware of it, and the existing medical standards usually don’t detect it.

Delegates at the convention will hear from Lisa Sharwood from the George Institute for Global Health and Don Osterberg from North American trucking firm Schneider National as they discuss the dangers of sleep apnoea in drivers, and how operators can help them.

Lisa is the lead author of a study into sleep apnoea in commercial truck drivers. Her research, recently published in international science journal Sleep, showed that while some 40 percent of drivers may suffer from sleep apnoea, only 12 percent are picked up under current medical requirements.

A critical care nurse by training, Lisa is well aware of the dangers of sleepiness in long distance drivers. Her research highlights the risk of leaving these health issues unattended.

Also speaking on the issue, Don Osterberg from Schneider National in the US will outline the processes he has used to great effect within the company.

Shortly after Don’s arrival at Schneider in 2004, he met with the grieving family of William Badger who was killed when a Schneider driver fell asleep behind the wheel.

Don’s promise to the family was that the tragedy would not be in vain. Six years later, William’s daughter Dawn presented Don with the first ever Distinguished Safety Leadership award at the Sleep Apnoea and Trucking Conference in 2010.

The Australian Trucking Convention will be held in Sydney from May 16 to 19 at the Rosehill Gardens Event Centre. To attend the session, register as a delegate at www.ataevents.net.au.