All Articles

The Australian War Memorial in Canberra is currently undertaking the largest relocation of military technology in its history.

Its Anzac Hall has been undergoing a complete transformation since 2021, which will see an additional 6500 square metres of exhibition space added across two levels.

Australian War Memorial Manager of Collection Logistics and Projects, Kassandra Hobbs. Image: AWM

Manager of Collection Logistics and Projects at the Australian War Memorial, Kassandra Hobbs, was responsible for the decant of Anzac Hall four years ago. As the new space nears completion, she is now working to refill the space.

“We will be moving over 3000 objects into the new gallery. It will take us from now until the end of the year to get the gallery ready. We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors back into the space in early 2026,” she said.

Two of the largest items that will be on display are a RAAF F/A-18 Classic Hornet fighter jet and a C-130 Hercules nose cone. They were both recently transported from the Australian War Memorial’s warehouse in Mitchell, Canberra, to their new home at Anzac Hall – with Plant Haul Heavy Haulage tasked with handling the move. 

Plant Haul was started in 2005 by Roger and Danielle Fahey. It specialises in local and interstate heavy haulage and over dimensional transportation. The business operates from depots in Sydney and Brisbane and has a fleet of 26 trucks and 39 trailers, including specialised low loaders and tilt trays.

In his 16 years with the company, Plant Haul National Manager Jeff Fenech says he’s seen some incredible things, but nothing quite like the Classic Hornet.

“We’ve moved some interesting and heavy objects before, but the jet was pretty impressive,” he said. “Plant Haul has moved helicopter fuselages in the past. This is the first time we’ve transported a fighter jet with the wings assembled.”

The jet was moved from the Australian War Memorial’s warehouse in Mitchell, Canberra, to its new home. Image: Plant Haul

The Classic Hornet hit the road on the night of Monday, March 31. Retired in 2020 after over 6000 flying hours, this was the first RAAF fighter jet to drop bombs in combat since the Korean War, taking part in patrol and combat missions over Iraq and Syria.

The C-130 Hercules nose cone followed on April 1. It has been used to carry Australians out of crisis zones, flown life-saving aid into disaster-stricken regions, and returned Australia’s fallen home with dignity.

With its enormous wing span – stretching to 8.4 metres wide – Kassandra said transporting the fighter jet in particular brought with it lots of complexities.

The Classic Hornet weighs 12.8 tonne and sat at 5.7 metres high once loaded onto the truck. 

“Since some of our other moves were completed in the past, we’ve had the light rail installed in Canberra, so that has added extra challenges. There were roads we used to be able to travel through that we can’t anymore,” Kassandra explained.

While it may not be the biggest fighter jet that will be on display at Anzac Hall, it was the biggest single item that will be moved. “There is a Lancaster bomber from Second World War, known as ‘G for George’ that will be the largest item on display, but that breaks down into pieces, so it’s like a LEGO set, and it’s much easier to transport,” added Kassandra.

“The technology now for jets is very different. Because of what they do in service, the wings aren’t easy to remove, so that’s why this jet had to be moved in one piece.”

The jet arrives at Anzac Hall. Image: AWM

For the C-130 nose cone, it was transported on the cantilevered mount it will be displayed on, weighing a total of 9.4 tonne. On the truck, it sat at 5.65 metres wide and 5.9 metres high.

As Jeff explained, “At Plant Haul we pride ourselves on our professionalism and care taken with all loads, however, extra care was taken due to the significance of what we were transporting.”

On the trailer, the C-130 nose cone load measured 5.65 metres wide and 5.9 metres high. Image: Plant Haul

It’s usually about a 10-kilometre drive from the warehouse to the Australian War Memorial, however this transport route extended 38.1-kilometres to ensure the safest option to get these important artifacts to the Australian War Memorial.

“We’ve been planning these moves for approximately four months at Plant Haul. The best route with the least disruptions needed to be determined before securing for a permit from the NHVR,” said Jeff.

“The heights and widths of trees were assessed along the route, Telstra completed a scope of all of their overhead cables, Evoenergy de-energised three high voltage powerlines and TPG lifted three cables for us to travel under.

“Some roadside tree trimming was required due to the jet being an item of national significance. We needed to be sure there were no trees that would damage it.”

For both moves, experienced Plant Haul driver Steve Nagy was behind the wheel. “He does a lot of our specialised moves. Both the jet and nose cone were transported with our K200 and Drake 5×8 Swing Wide low loader. That trailer has a drop wheel and hydraulic neck, which allowed me to get the load down for the nose cone,” Jeff continued.

For both trips, Plant Haul driver Steve Nagy was behind the wheel. Image: Plant Haul

Steve has been driving with Plant Haul for the past nine years and in that time has moved some massive pieces of equipment. “But I’ve never moved anything quite as cool as a F/A-18 fighter jet,” he told Big Rigs.

“The difficulty was ensuring that absolutely nothing was to touch the loads, not even the tiniest branch. The F/A-18 had the problem with the width, and the Hercules nose cone had the problem with the height – so they both had their own challenges. It took about 3 hours to move the fighter jet just over 38-kilometres. It was a lot tighter in some areas than we had anticipated.

The RAAF F/A-18 Classic Hornet will be among the largest items on show at Anzac Hall. Image: AWM

As Steve continued, “Both of these moves were a pretty big deal so there was a lot of planning that went into this. The moves were completed without any issues. It felt good that everything went perfectly.”

For Steve, being involved in this move was made even more special by the fact that his father was in the RAAF. “Once Anzac Hall opens, it’ll be great to take the kids down and be able to tell them that I helped to move those items in there,” he said.

Along with the truck there was a large convoy including four police cars, three oversize escorts, two vehicles each for Evoenergy, ACT Trees and TPG, and a vehicle with Jeff, Plant Haul owner Roger Fahey and representatives from the Australian War Memorial.

“At 10pm there isn’t a lot of traffic around Canberra and we had the right of passage along the whole way,” added Jeff. “ACT Police would block every intersection as we travelled through so we didn’t have to stop. The relocation process was seamless, and the team was fantastic. It has been a privilege to be part of this project and to work with the Australian War Memorial.”

For Kassandra and the team at the Australian War Memorial, seeing the Classic Hornet and C-130 Hercules nose cone arrive at Anzac Hall was a proud moment. She’s been working there for 16 years and says watching Anzac Hall come together again has been a highlight.

“There are 55 people working here in Collection Services and every one of us has been involved in this project in some way. This is a culmination of all the work we’ve been doing here for so many years,” she said.

A Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle also made its way to Anzac Hall, transported by Specialized Towing Canberra. Image: AWM

“Some of these objects have never been on display. The jet and C-130 have never been on public display at the memorial before. 

“We’re doing this for the Australian public, as well as for the veterans and their families so that they can come and see their service and their story on display.

“With the redevelopment of Anzac Hall, the space has drastically increased in size. This means we’ll be able to tell many more stories, including stories from Afghanistan, the Middle East and peace-keeping missions,” she added.

“Everything has been in storage since 2021 so it will be lovely to have all the visitors back next year and walking through our galleries.”

Plant Haul will also be involved in two other big moves for the Australian War Memorial, transporting a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter and an F-111C aircraft later in the year.

The post Anzac Hall – Where every piece tells a story appeared first on Big Rigs.

Young owner-operator Tim Wyer is passionate about the road transport industry.

The 36-year-old, who runs Wyer Bulk Haulage out of Brisbane, hopes that many more young drivers will join the industry.

I saw Tim reversing his Mercedes-Benz Actros into a parking bay at the BP Cluden Roadhouse earlier this month and it was a precision manoeuvre.

“I have brought up white goods such as washing machines and fridges from Brisbane for businesses in Townsville like Harvey Norman,” he said.

The Mercedes has an automatic gearbox and Tim said it was comfortable to drive.

“What I like about it is with cost-of-living expenses, it’s economical,” he said.

A driver for 10 years, Tim has had his own business for just over a year and loves life on the road.

“My dad Peter was a driver and also had a car yard and got me into the industry,” he said.

Tim likes stopping at the Richmond Roadhouse on the western Flinders Highway when in the area.

But he rates the section of the Flinders between Hughenden and Richmond and the Gregory Development Road from Charters Towers to Clermont as amongst the worst he travels on.

Tim would like to see more rest areas for drivers with toilets and showers.

“But there is one near Cloncurry which is great,” he said.

He added that he likes rugby league and is an avid supporter of the Redcliffe Dolphins in the NRL.

The post Second-generation driver takes the plunge and goes out on his own appeared first on Big Rigs.

A Coalition government would tip $6 million into a new national road crash investigation pilot, with the goal of learning from truck and car accidents.

The three-year trial, one of a suite of road safety election policies the Coalition announced late last week, would be overseen by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), and mark a major shake-up in how serious crashes are investigated.

Currently trusted for its no-blame investigations into air, rail and maritime incidents, the ATSB has never touched the road sector – until now.

Unlike police or workplace safety investigations, which often revolve around who’s at fault, the proposed ATSB road crash investigations would aim to dig into systemic causes – poor road design, vehicle safety failures, or policy gaps that contribute to crashes.

“There is a significant gap in the knowledge of the causes of crashes, which must be closed,” the Coalition said in its policy announcement.

The trucking industry and road safety experts have long called for better national data and analysis to inform smarter decisions, especially in heavy vehicle transport where lives, livelihoods, and freight flow are on the line.

“What this model offers is something we don’t have now — a way to learn from serious incidents without waiting years for a coronial finding, or relying on incomplete evidence filtered through a legal lens,” wrote compliance expert Ray Hassall in a recent column for Big Rigs on the subject.

“It also creates the possibility of national thematic reviews — not just of individual crashes, but of trends like fatigue-related incidents, regional road conditions, or the role of subcontracting in safety failures.

“That kind of insight could help governments, planners, insurers and operators invest in smarter solutions — and save lives.”

If elected on May 3, the Coalition plans to work with the states and territories to get the pilot up and running within the first year of government.

Countries like the US, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands have already embraced the no-fault investigation model for road incidents – and seen road toll reductions as a result.

The post Coalition commits $6 million for ATSB to investigate road crashes appeared first on Big Rigs.

A truck driver has been arrested following a fatal two-truck crash on the Port Wakefield Highway at Inkerman in South Australia last Thursday.

The two trucks collided about 15 kilometres south of Port Wakefield at about 6.50am and immediately burst into flames.

One of the truck drivers, 77-year-old Dene Knapp from Port Augusta, sadly died at the scene.

The other truck driver, a 57-year-old man from Marleston, and his 37-year-old passenger from Elizabeth Downs, sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital for treatment.

The next day, SA Police said Major Crash Investigators arrested a 57-year-old man from Marleston for cause death by dangerous driving.

The man has been issued with an immediate loss of licence and has been bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on June 11.

Major Crash Investigators have asked for witnesses who have not already spoken to police to come forward.

Investigators would particularly like to hear from anyone who witnessed the trucks driving prior to the crash, has dashcam footage of the trucks in the vicinity, or can provide information on the weather conditions at the time of the crash.

Meanwhile, friends have been quick to pay tribute to Knapp who owned Augusta Scrap Metals and was known for his selflessness, honesty and kindness.

“He was just that sort of guy, I mean he was 77 and a lot of people are retired by then, not Dene, he was a hard worker, always trying to please people,” close friend Ian Butler told The Advertiser.

“Nothing was ever too hard for Dene.

“It’s bloody sad, he’s going to leave a big hole in Port Augusta.”

The post Truck driver arrested following fatal two-truck crash at Inkerman appeared first on Big Rigs.

I’ve been in the industry now for 27 years. I’ve lost a couple of mates, and a son-in-law to this industry. The last five to six years have been the worst I’ve ever seen.

Not only because of the international drivers, but also the home-grown; five to six years in the job thinking that they know the LOT!  The latter are what’s fuelling the racism in this industry.

We are supposed to be professionals in what we do.  I’ve worked with many ‘internationals’ and had quite a few that were extremely good at their job and also very good mates.

Yes, there may be more trucks on the road nowadays, but the licensing requirements also got harder. So, how do some of these blokes, (Aussies) included get their licence?

Why do 30-plus year-olds need to act like two-year-olds on the UHF? No matter how long we’ve been on the road, no matter how much we ‘think’ we know, we can be certain that there is much more to learn.

The old-timers worked this out well before these ‘new age’ drivers. A huge percentage of these ‘new age’ drivers have seen how it was back then (probably streamed it on YouTube)  And try to live it out on the highway and get it so wrong!

We helped each other. Something that never happens now, and if it does, it’s a 60-70-year-old bloke pulling up and fixing the issue.

No matter the nationality. With no thanks, no Facebook posts saying how awesome they were because they just stopped to ask if they had enough water. As ‘professionals’ we should be helping, teaching others, no matter their nationality.

In saying this, we have these ‘new age cocks’ that don’t care whether it’s an Aussie or otherwise and would rather just record it on their phone and post it to multiple sites instead of getting out off their ‘throne’ and helping, teaching, showing a better, sometimes easier way.

We, as ‘professionals’, need to step up.

Start helping the new guys: brown, yellow, black, grey. And whatever colour you want. Don’t just sit back making a TikTok about it – go and give a hand.

The post As professional drivers we need to step up, not sit back and make a TikTok about it appeared first on Big Rigs.