ALRTA News – 10 February 2017

MORE FLEXIBLE DRIVING OPTIONS TO PROTECT ANIMAL WELFARE

ALRTA has welcomed the National Livestock Welfare Work and Rest Exemption (Notice) 2017 (No.1).

From today, the new notice will allow Standard and BFM drivers in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS and ACT carrying cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, poultry, emus, ostrich, alpaca, deer, camel or buffalo up to 1 hour additional driving time to address threats to animal welfare.

While the notice can be used on consecutive days, it does not increase total permitted driving hours over longer counting periods and drivers must increase the duration of their next long rest break by twice the amount of any additional driving time used.  Written records must also be kept by the driver for on-road enforcement purposes.

The new national notice replaces less workable state-based notices in NSW and SA that expired at midnight, 9 February 2017.

ALRTA National President, Kevin Keenan, said that the NHVR has again shown that it understands the needs of different sectors and is prepared to forge ahead with a nationally consistent approach.

“The demands of livestock transport are like no other part of the road freight sector,” said President Keenan.

“While the HVNL stipulates work and rest rules for heavy vehicle drivers, the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Land Transport of Livestock concurrently stipulate maximum periods that water may be withheld from live animals as well as other requirements such as unloading livestock promptly after arriving at a destination.
“Unforeseen circumstances can sometimes prevent a driver from reaching a suitable destination to unload livestock within generally permitted driving hours.
“ALRTA has worked closely with the NHVR to develop a sensible national animal welfare notice that provides drivers of heavy vehicles carrying livestock with limited flexibility for the purpose of managing animal welfare requirements in unusual or unforeseen circumstances.

“If a driver is less than one hour from a suitable unloading site, this notice will enable that driver to reach the destination and safely and humanely unload the livestock rather than keeping them in the vehicle during a long rest break.

“I applaud the common sense approach to this issue taken by the NHVR and all participating HVNL States,” said President Keenan.

The ALRTA encourages all member carriers to familiarise themselves with the new notice which can be found here.

ALRTA NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO TACKLE BRAKING CONCERNS

The The joint ALRTA-LRTAQ National Conference to be held 17-18 February 2017 in Toowoomba, QLD, will tackle three of the biggest issues affecting rural carriers: effluent control, local road access and mandatory electronic braking including stability control.

ALRTA National President, Kevin Keenan, said that the 2017 National Conference is the best opportunity for supply chain stakeholders and operators to learn more and have their say on these important issues.

“At this year’s National Conference we will focus our discussions on three key issues that need to be resolved.  This has allowed us to bring together a broader array of experts with differing perspectives on problems and potential solutions,” said President Keenan.

Braking
“For example, the prospect of mandatory EBS with stability control has divided opinion even among our own membership.  While some operators are already choosing to use this technology, there are others who are hesitant because of concerns about performance and reliability in remote and off-road environments.    Some have discontinued use of the technology because of ongoing problems.

“Our conference session on braking technology will bring together a panel of experts including: the Federal standards authority; a technology developer; a trailer manufacturer; a roll-over expert; an insurer; the ATA; and of course transport operators.

“Conference delegates will be able to consider the perspectives of all of these experts during one inclusive session and then have their say about the direction in which we should be heading.  This will help us progress the debate and develop an ALRTA policy on this very important issue,” said President Keenan.

Effluent Control
The conference panel session on effluent control will include a large operator, large processor, the NHVR and the NTC who will conduct a project this year seeking to clarify the application of chain of responsibility laws to animal preparation practices.

Local Access
The conference panel session on local access will centre around a special presentation by Main Roads WA on the 2016-17 Harvest Mass Management Scheme which includes innovative new access arrangements for restricted access vehicles.  The NHVR and Toowoomba Regional Council will inform delegates of the approach being taken on the east coast.

ALRTA National Sponsors BP, Beaurepaires, Cummins and Kenworth will be speaking about new technologies, regulations and practices that will affect road transport businesses in coming years.

Other Highlights
Conference attendees will hear key note addresses from:

  • QLD Minister for Transport – (or alternative representative due to the unexpected resignation of the Hon Stirling Hinchliffe)
  • The QLD Minister for Main Roads – the Hon Mark Bailey MP
  • Federal Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister – the Hon Luke Hartsuyker MP
  • NHVR CEO – Sal Pettrocitto
  • Founder of the ‘Heart of Australia’ mobile specialist medical service – Dr Rolf Gomes

“The joint ALRTA-LRTAQ National Conference has something for everyone,” said President Keenan.

“Scattered around the serious business of improving our operating environment, delegates can also relax with a round of golf, meet the locals at our community breakfast, grab a bargain at the fund raising auction and kick their heals up at the legendary Bull Carter’s Ball.

“On behalf of the ALRTA and LRTAQ, I invite all transport operators, government officials, media and those interested in the rural road transport supply chain to attend this year’s joint ALRTA-LRTAQ National Conference and help us to improve our industry,” said President Keenan.

The full two-day program of events and registration brochures can be found here.

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT RESUMES FOR 2017

The Federal Parliament swung back into action on Tuesday this week.  Already making news was the defection of Senator Cory Bernadi from the Coalition who has bumped up the numbers on the Senate cross-bench to an almost unbelievable 21.   The Turnbull Government is now 10 votes short of the 39 it needs to win votes in the chamber.

The ALRTA has wasted no time walking the halls of Parliament House with meetings held this week with the Federal Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Luke Hartsuyker MP, and the Office of the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon Darren Chester MP.

ATA CALLS FOR MANDATORY CODE FOR PAYMENT TIMES

The Australian Government should put in place a mandatory code to prohibit extended payment times being forced on small businesses, the Chair of the Australian Trucking Association, Noelene Watson, said today.

Mrs Watson was releasing the ATA submission to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) inquiry into payment times and practices.

“The trucking industry consists almost entirely of small businesses and is characterised by tight margins,” Mrs Watson said.

“The vast majority of the costs incurred by small trucking businesses must be met before they can bill their customers. This includes wages or personal living costs, fuel, tyres, finance costs, registration and maintenance.

“As a result, small trucking businesses are vulnerable to adverse changes in their payment terms such as large customers imposing extended periods before they will pay an invoice.”

Mrs Watson said the ASBFEO inquiry should recommend the development of a mandatory code to address the payment terms faced by small trucking and other small businesses.

“A mandatory code for either the trucking industry or all small businesses under Part IVB of the Competition and Consumer Act should be designed to cover payment times, which should be no more than 30 days from the date an invoice is issued,” Mrs Watson said.

“The code would also need to include a prohibition on set offs and pay when paid arrangements, alternative dispute resolution, and special rules for recipient created tax invoices to prevent customers from delaying the creation of these invoices to avoid triggering the 30 day period.

“The ATA welcomes the ASBFEO’s endorsement of investigating this approach in its report on the effects of the RSRT’s payments order, and we encourage it to extend its recommendation to all small businesses.

“Alternatively, the development of standalone legislation modelled on the construction industry security of payment system could be investigated.

“The ASBFEO inquiry needs to result in solutions to extended payment times. Small trucking businesses should not have to provide extended credit to larger customers, risking their viability and jobs in the industry,” she said.

Read ATA submission to ASBFEO payment times and practices inquiry.

NHVAS ACCREDITATION NUMBERS GROW

National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme is within reach of 10,000 modules completed and 100,000 vehicles accredited according to the NHVR’s Quarterly Snapshot for October to December 2016.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said it was great to see the increased growth in the Scheme which helps to create a safer road network for all road users.
“Following industry feedback, the NHVR has developed a more robust and newly designed label for vehicles nominated in the mass and maintenance management modules of the Scheme,” Mr Petroccitto said.

“The new labels are smaller and more durable, allowing the operator greater flexibility when displaying them on their vehicle.

“There were also improvements for access with a 16 per cent increase in pre-approved routes bringing the total to 1313, covering 297 local councils across Australia.

“Pre-approvals are vital because they eliminate the need for individual road manager consents on agreed routes, helping get heavy vehicles on the road quicker and safer.

“To further boost efficiency and productivity, the NHVR will continue to advocate pre-approvals for local councils through our strong partnerships and local engagement strategy.”

Mr Petroccitto said permit applications remained strong with over 95 per cent of the 5526 applications submitted to the NHVR during Q2 via the Customer Portal.

“In addition to this, we’ve just completed trials with 20 road managers across the country on the Road Manager Portal, which provides end-to-end solutions for permit management.”

For more information on the NHVR Quarterly Snapshot and Local Government Heat Maps can be found here.

REMINDER: VOTE IN THE 2017 ATA ELECTION

The ATA’s 2017 elections are underway, with voter registrations and candidate nominations now open until 22 February 2017.

The ALRTA encourages all members to register and use your vote in the election.

In the election, owner drivers with one truck and small fleet operators with 2-5 trucks will elect two representatives to the ATA’s General Council, which sets its strategic policy direction.  The council meets in Canberra at least 4 times a year and ALRTA is also represented directly on the council.

To register to vote in the election, you must own, be purchasing or leasing 1-5 trucks over 4.5 tonnes.  You will also need to provide a valid ABN and an email address that is unique to you.

You must be a member of an ATA member association, such as one of the ALRTA’s six state associations, to nominate for one of the positions.  The nomination form is available on the ATA website.

The election will be conducted entirely online, using a secure voting system.

Register to vote now

Background information about the 2017 ATA election

If you are thinking about nominating for one of the positions, let the ALRTA Secretariat know and we will do what we can to support you.

REMINDER: NATIONAL CONFERENCE AUCTION ITEMS

Get ready to place your bids!  ALRTA thanks our national sponsors for donating some amazing auction items for the 2017 National Conference in Toowoomba on Saturday,18 February 2017.

Cummins Engine

Option 1:  Signature GENII engine that meets ADR80-00 emission certification and is rated at a Hp of 500Hp/1850 FtLb torque and this engine is rateable to 600hp/2050FtLb torque for a scheduled fee. This engine has a single cylinder air compressor option fitted.

Option 2:  ISX EGR engine that meets ADR80-03 emission certification and is rated at a Hp of 500Hp/1850 FtLb torque and this engine is rateable to 600hp/2050FtLb torque for a scheduled fee. This engine has a single cylinder air compressor option fitted.

Option 3:  ISXe5 engine in that meets ADR80-03 emission certification and is rated at a Hp of 500Hp/1850 FtLb torque and this engine is rateable to 600hp/2050FtLb torque for a scheduled fee. This engine has a single cylinder air compressor option fitted.

All the engine options listed above come with Cummins standard base factory warranty included and do not have extended coverage applied.  However, this can also be purchased for a scheduled fee.

Beaurepaires Tyres

  • 2 x Steer tyres. Goodyear S100+/S200+ (295/80R22.5).
  • 8 x Drive tyres. Goodyear G667 (11R22.5).
  • 2 sets of 12 x Trailer Tyres. Goodyear LHTII (11R22.5).
  • 4 x GY 4×4 Wrangler Tyres valued.
  • Ipad 2 Air with wifi and cellular.

King Bars
A King Bars bull bar up to the value of $10,000 (can include fitting and freight). The successful bidder has 12 months to take up the offer. The bull bar can be any design from King Bars product line.

BP
Truckies hamper and $500 gift card

PACCAR
2 x PACCAR promotional kits including jackets, shirts, bags, sheets, umbrella and more.

Please call Tanya on 02 6247 5434, if you want some additional information or wish to place a phone bid on the night.

NO NEWSLETTER NEXT WEEK

We have an action-packed week ahead that includes:

  • The first meeting of our expanded National Member Chapter;
  • A National Council Meeting;
  • The joint LRTAQ-ALRTA National Conference in Toowoomba.

All of our office staff will be heading north for the festivities so our office will be closed on Thursday – Friday and there will be no weekly newsletter.   We will be back on deck the following Monday and will issue a special newsletter that week to fill you in on the meetings and conference.

If you have an urgent inquiry please call our office mobile on 0409 515 681.