This week PowerTorque has found four initiatives taking trucking forward, improving driver health, encouraging alt-power both here and in Europe, as well as getting skills tested.
Top Teams Compete
Seven teams from across the Scania network in Australia battled it out to claim the prize of representing Australia at the Bangkok regional finals of Scania’s global tech competition.
Every two years Scania offers its 1600 global workshops the opportunity to field teams to compete, with national and regional rounds sifting the 12 best teams who come together in Sweden for the final.
Scania Australia has fielded global winning teams from its Prestons NSW branch in 2011 and 2013, with a hotly contested second spot ceding victory by a whisker to the Kiwis in 2015. This year, the Australian National Finals included for the first time a technical challenge involving the very first Battery Electric Scania truck to arrive in Australia, a vehicle not yet released onto the road and a one few even within the business knew was in the country.
Fuelling Hydrogen Trucks in Australia
Woodside Energy, BGC and Centurion, with the support of the Western Australian Government, are advancing plans for a proposed self-contained hydrogen production, storage and refuelling station, located in the Rockingham Industry Zone, in WA.
The $10 million Hydrogen Fuelled Transport Program aims to accelerate the uptake of hydrogen fuelled transport, build local skills and capability, and stimulate local hydrogen production. With matched funding from Woodside, the proposal targets delivery of hydrogen fuel at a globally competitive price of A$11 per kilo and subsidises a number of large hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.
Nutrition Initiative
Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds Foundation (HHTS) has announced a Nutrition Pilot Program, to educate, raise awareness and encourage longer-term healthy eating among truck drivers. The project has been developed in partnership with Nutrition Australia in response to poor health outcomes among drivers.
The pilot focuses on heavy vehicle drivers and will run over a period of four months. During this period, HHTS will deliver educational content across social media platforms, the HHTS website and via existing partners who operate in road transport, warehousing and logistics. This content has been designed to raise awareness about healthier choices and the benefits of healthier eating for both physical and mental health outcomes. Also, offering practical tips and suggestions about making small but meaningful changes gradually.
To accompany this, 29 bp service centres across Australia are offering freshly cooked healthier meals, 24 hours a day, catering to the needs of those working in the logistics industries. The menu will be permanently available at these sites and has had input from Nutrition Australia.
Electric and Hydrogen Trucks Working in Europe
Some new electric and hydrogen powered trucks in heavy trucking tasks are on the road in Europe.
A Volvo FMX Electric truck was successfully tested in real traffic, where it had to manage the arctic cold and temperatures in excess of -30°C.
“Our goal is to achieve fossil-free transport by 2025,” says Lars Wallgren, head of logistics at Kaunis Iron in Sweden. “We are working hard right now to solve our transport with electric trucks. If we succeed, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 15,000 tons per year at the current production rate.
“We will start the next phase using 74-tonne trucks in 2023, with the aim of moving up to 90 tons. This would be an unchanged gross combination weight compared to today’s diesel-powered crew.”
Meanwhile in Germany. Following the two Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell in Switzerland, textile transport specialist Mewa is preparing the first 4×2 hydrogen electric truck for use in northern Germany. The Mewa group of companies has long relied on environmentally friendly materials and processes in its core competence, as well as on the circular economy. With the same consistency, the specialist in textile sharing also relies on the environmentally friendly solution with hydrogen-electric commercial vehicles in the transport sector.
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