Kenworth has added even more flexibility to the T610 with the release of a 600mm aero roof sleeper cab to complement its existing day-cab, 760mm mid-roof and 860mm sleeper cab options. To find out more visit www.kenworth.com.au
URGENT ALERT: ANIMAL ACTIVISTS EXPECTED TO MOBILISE NEXT WEEK
ALRTA advises that animal activists are expected to hold protests in all Australian states next week. The groups involved include Aussie Farms, Dominion and Vegans Rising.
The most likely day of action will be Monday, 8 April 2019, to coincide with the release of the documentary ‘Dominion’.
ALRTA understands that simultaneous protests in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart and the Darling Downs (via Brisbane) are being actively organised with the aim of conducting ‘the biggest protest the world has ever seen’. Exact sites are not known but activists are being advised to arrive in vehicles with full fuel tanks.
The Queensland Police Service has issued some useful guidelines to assist those who may be targeted to prepare for and to deal with protests if they occur. The guidelines can be read here.
The Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) has also issued advice to members for dealing with protests which can be accessed here.
Please assist in advising all drivers, operators and others in the supply chain who may be affected.
FEDERAL BUDGET ROADS BONANZA
This week, Treasurer Frydenberg delivered his first Federal Budget which included a return to surplus in 2019-2020, personal and company tax cuts, increased tax write-offs and a massive roads and infrastructure program.
Labor has responded with larger tax cuts for lower income earners, cancer treatment funding along with increased taxes on property and shares and increased spending on schools and hospitals.
ALRTA and ATA are currently analysing the detail on the competing announcements and we will provide you with more detail on what it means for rural trucking next week.
An election date has not yet been announced but is expected soon.
FIRST HVNL REVIEW ISSUES PAPER RELEASED
The NTC has released the first of eight issues papers on various aspects of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) review.
The first paper considers a ‘risk-based approach to regulating heavy vehicles’.
The purpose of the paper is to:
- describe good regulation and options for regulatory approaches
- summarise the current state of the HVNL
- identify and confirm problems with the current regulatory approach
- seek preliminary views on the ways we can improve heavy vehicle regulation
The National Transport Commission (NTC) will accept feedback until Friday, 31 May 2019.
The ALRTA will be preparing written submissions on behalf of members states and operators.
If you would like to express an opinion on this topic, or any other matter concerning the HVNL, please contact your State Member Association or the ALRTA on (02) 6247 5434 or office@alrta.org.au.
TRUCKING AUSTRALIA 2019
ALRTA representatives Stephen Marley (National President), David Smith (LRTASA President & ATA Vice Chair), Jan Cooper (LRTAWA Executive Officer) and Mat Munro (ALRTA Executive Director) attended Trucking Australia 2019 in Perth this week.
Photo: ATA Future Leaders.
The rural and regional sector has been well recognised in the program so far with Athol Carter (Frasers Livestock Transport) and Angela Mumma (Stockmaster) speaking as part of the Daimler Future Leaders session and Frank and Georgie Marley (LRTAWA) and Kel Baxter (LBRCA) interviewed during the Kenworth Legends Lunch.
Photo (L-R): Brad May of PACCAR Australia interviews the 2019 Kenworth Legends Georgie & Frank Marley and Kel Baxter.
Jan Cooper (LRTAWA) and David Smith (LRTASA), are among the finalists in the 2019 National Trucking Industry Awards – we wish them the best of luck as the winners are announced at the Gala Dinner tonight!
Look out for a full wrap up next week!
AG INDUSTRY BUDGET BREAKFAST
ALRTA Project Officer, Sue Davies, attended the CropLife Australia Agricultural Industry Federal Budget Breakfast 2019 to hear Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon. David Littleproud MP, deliver a post budget speech.
Following on from a welcome and introduction by Matthew Cossey, Chief Executive Office of CropLife Australia, Minister Littleproud’s address covered; the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) and the advantages of government’s plan to decentralise MDBP staff to regional areas, a positive future for Australia’s live export trade, the government record on establishing free trade agreements and opening markets to Australian agriculture, as well as the need to raise awareness in the community about the excellent quality of Australian agricultural produce and the good practices of our farmers.
Minister Littleproud went on to tell the audience about the government’s plan to implement a new biosecurity certification program, in partnership with the National Farmers Federation and Australian National University and spoke of the importance of investment in research and development, encouraging the agricultural sector to support this.
The breakfast meeting was a good opportunity for ALRTA to mix with other influential agricultural stakeholders, including several we consulted with recently about the Effluent Code of Practice.
NTI’s NTARC REPORT
A new report ahead of Easter School Holidays shows truck fatalities are down. New national figures show the number of fatalities involving trucks has dropped 14 per cent (%) in 2 years with predictions we could see zero truck-involved fatalities from 2032. An analysis of Australia’s largest database of major crashes involving heavy vehicles shows a downward trend, with the number of fatal truck accidents the lowest in nearly two decades.
The National Truck Accident Research Centre (NTARC) report released at the Australian Trucking Association’s National Trucking Conference found the trend has Australia within a generation of achieving zero deaths from crashes involving heavy vehicles.
Report author Adam Gibson, of National Transport Insurance, said: “To put the figures in perspective, the decline in the number of heavy-vehicle involved deaths between the 2017 and 2019 reports equates to 1545 lives being saved”.
The report also found nation-wide, the overall number of crashes caused by fatigue was down.
“Encouragingly, we’ve seen the lowest number of fatigue-related crashes in the report’s 16-year history. Fatigue was the cause of 9.8% of major crashes, down from 20% a decade ago.”
A State-by-State breakdown reveals:
- two out of every five serious fatigue accidents occur in New South Wales
- the risk of a fatigue accident occurring in Queensland is 51% higher than the national average
- in Western Australia, 15 per cent of the State’s major truck crashes are the result of fatigue
- Fatigue-related crashes in Victoria and South Australia decreased in the last two years by 68% and 40% respectively
“As an industry, we welcome new technology which alerts drivers to their fatigue, so that they might take a break and rest, before there’s any loss of life.”
Australian Trucking Association Chair Geoff Crouch welcomes the results although says there is still work to be done.
“We need to see a strong commitment from our government for practical safety solutions like an improved truck driver licensing system and mandatory safety technologies for new trucks,” Mr Crouch said. “The ATA is working hard to improve safety outcomes, focusing on the improvement and increase of heavy vehicle rest areas, making the fatigue laws more flexible and hearing from drivers first-hand what they think will work, as we are doing this week at our Trucking Australia conference,” he said.
“As we head into the Easter school holidays, we are urging all road users to take extra care to ensure everyone makes it home safely,” Mr Gibson said.
A PDF of the NTARC 2019 Major Accident Investigation Report can be found here
KENWORTH RELEASES NEW T610 1400MM AERO ROOF SLEEPER CAB
When your truck is also your home on the road, sometimes for days on end, it’s great to know you’re in the best truck with the best sleeper cabs available – the T610 sleeper range.
The new T610 1400mm aero roof sleeper completes the T610 range, which now provides Australian operators the broadest choice of purpose-built cabs and sleepers for their needs. Offering enhanced driver comfort, space and flexibility in fit-out, the most spacious sleeper in the Kenworth range comes with even more interior space and in-cab standing room than its 50” predecessor.
Designed from the inside out in a decade-long development process, the T610 cabin is centred entirely on the needs of the driver. Touted as Kenworth’s ‘Best Truck Yet’, the design incorporates greater foot space, more storage, wider walkthrough access between the seats and more expansive door and windscreen glass, providing space, visibility and ergonomics never before seen in Kenworth’s suite of Australian-made trucks.
“The core of the T610 project was about building a bigger cab to create the ultimate driver environment, which leads to better all-round driving performance, safety, efficiency and productivity” said Brad May, PACCAR Australia’s Director Sales and Marketing.
“The 1400mm sleeper cab option allows maximum living space for our customers whose applications allow it. The Aero roof allows freedom of movement with full height standing room between the seats – and a fantastic bunk as standard that allows a quality well-earned sleep for drivers.”
The T610 is the result of more than 100,000 Australian design hours and more than ten million kilometres of testing and validation, the T610 has been the single largest investment in product development the company has made in Australia. From idea to reality, this significant investment in new technologies and design is specifically for the Australian road transport market.
It is the culmination of more than 40 years of Australian design and application engineering experience, integrating with a parallel development program drawing on the global resources of PACCAR. The T610 delivers Kenworth’s most innovative, durable and productive truck yet, designed and manufactured right here in Australia for our local conditions and applications.
For more information about the T610 1400mm Aero Roof Sleeper, click here
For more information about the T610, click here
For more information about the T610SAR, click here
To read what others are saying about the T610 and T610SAR, click here
To speak with your local dealer about the new 1400mm Aero Roof Sleeper option, click here
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUMS
The Australian Women’s Leadership Symposiums are a national series of events focused on the experiences of women leaders in the contemporary workforce.
Taking place in every state and territory capital between May and August, the Symposiums are an unparalleled gathering of the best and brightest female talent. Keynote speakers include Tina Arena AM, Ita Buttrose AO OBE, Clare Bowditch, Michelle Cowan, The Right Hon Dame Jenny Shipley, Jacqui Lambie, Jessica Rowe and many, many more.
The symposiums will feature a range of presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions covering a range of topics, including:
- To change or to disappear: 3 strategies as a leader to survive in an ever-changing business environment
- Breaking the competency trap and developing adaptive leadership
- Womenkind: Unlocking the power of women supporting women
- Let’s talk about non-traditional roles
- Lessons learnt in the world of politics
- Be heard and remembered: How to use your stories to influence effective change in the workplace
An attendance discount of 25% is currently available by entering code ANSY19 at the time of booking (available until each symposium sells out). For more information and to book: www.wla.edu.au/symposium
TICKETS ON SALE FOR NTI’S “Roxanne”
Roxanne is the perfect fully rebuilt 1946 Jailbar! She could be all yours, all you need to do is BUY tix here:www.nti.com.au/ntimnd
NOTICE OF MEETING: ALRTA COUNCIL
Members are advised that the ALRTA National Council will next meet face-to-face in Adelaide on Thursday, 13 June 2019. For more information please contact the ALRTA Secretariat on (02) 6247 5434 or office@ALRTA.org.au
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