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Energex and Ergon Energy Network are urging truck drivers and machinery operators to stay vigilant around overhead powerlines and other electrical infrastructure, following a spike in incidents.

In just 24 hours in May, four trucks struck power poles or contacted overhead powerlines in Queensland, disrupting the electricity supply to thousands of properties for many hours while emergency services responded, and crews repaired the damage.

Over the past 12 months, Energex and Ergon have recorded hundreds of incidents where heavy vehicles contacted the electricity network.

While there have been no reported injuries from the recent incidents, Area Manager Rick Madden warns it only takes a momentary lapse in concentration for a collision with live wires or fallen powerlines to result in serious injury or death.

“Our message to the trucking industry is clear: stay alert around electrical assets, especially when you’re moving high or wide loads,” Madden said.

“If your vehicle contacts overhead powerlines or any electrical equipment, remember our Stay, Call, Wait mantra. Stay in your vehicle, Call 000 for help, and Wait until emergency services and our crews arrive to make the site safe.”

Bystanders and well-meaning Good Samaritans need to stay at least 10 metres away from fallen powerlines, as they are also at risk of electrocution if they touch the vehicle or nearby equipment, said Madden.

He added that if a life-threatening emergency, such as fire forces the driver to exit the vehicle, they should open the door fully, jump clear – ensuring they do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time – and land with their feet together, avoiding any fallen powerlines.

Once clear, they should shuffle their feet until they are at least 10 metres away from the vehicle to minimise the risk of electric shock.

Drivers are also reminded that electrical current can compromise the chemical structure of the air within the truck’s tyres, making them prone to rupture or explosion.

For this reason, any vehicle involved in a powerline incident should not be driven for at least 24 hours.

“Your safety is our priority. If you’re in the transport industry, we urge you to review your safety procedures, brief your teams on safe work around powerlines, and always be aware of overhead hazards because the consequences of a single mistake can be catastrophic,” Madden said.

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Boosting truck productivity would reduce costs for families and support higher real wages, Australian Trucking Association (ATA) Chair Mark Parry said today.

Speaking as the Productivity Commission wrapped up its initial consultations on five productivity inquiries, Parry said that allowing longer truck combinations to have more access to Australia’s roads could reduce the industry’s operating costs by $13.6 billion over the years to 2050.

It could also save households more than $400 per year on their everyday purchases, Parry added.

“Increasing productivity is the key to reducing the cost of living for families now and increasing real wages in the long term. It is also the key to reducing costs for our exporters,” Parry said.

“For example, innovative businesses that switch from conventional semitrailers to what are called A-doubles can move the same amount of freight in half the number of trips while using 72 per cent of the fuel.

“But trucks like A-doubles can only be used on specific networks or under permits issued by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

“Australia’s governments are working to create an automated access system to replace nine out of 10 road access permit applications, but it is not clear when the system will be finished.”

Parry said the ATA’s response to the Productivity Commission argues that the government should strongly encourage the participating states to roll out the system faster and to publish timeframes for each component.

“Australian Government funding should be available to assist governments that are still reviewing the state of their roads and bridges.

“The ATA has called for a $5 billion, 10-year program of targeted road upgrades to expand the roads that can be used by high productivity trucks, as well as battery and hydrogen electric trucks. These trucks are heavier than conventional trucks. They cannot carry the same amount of freight unless their gross mass is allowed to be higher.

“The road upgrade funding should also be used to increase the resilience of the road system, so it can cope better with the growing number of natural disasters we will face.”

Parry said the government needed to take action to build the industry’s workforce.

“The Australian Government provides financial support to some apprentices, but it does not support apprentice truck drivers. That needs to change,” he said.

“The government should also push for changes to truck driver licensing. At present, drivers advance through the truck licence classes based on the time they have held each licence, followed by training and competency tests.

“The time based approach should be removed and replaced with a requirement that drivers log a minimum number of driving or working hours before being eligible to be tested for the next licence class.

“This would increase safety and help with the driver shortage, for drivers could be advanced through the licensing classes more quickly.”

Parry said the ATA’s plan to reduce the industry’s emissions would save more than 35 million tonnes of CO2 over 25 years.

“Our plan comprises a voucher scheme to encourage businesses to purchase battery electric trucks, our plan for high productivity and EV networks and production incentives for renewable diesel,” he said.

“These measures would deliver 9.3 per cent reduction in total cumulative emissions over 25 years compared to the base case in the Deloitte Access Economics modelling we provided the commission.”

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The Mack brand-name and its iconic logo are both instantly recognisable and highly regarded both in Australia and around the world with the bulldog mascot a symbol of durability and reliability.

The launch of the Mack Workwear brand has seen this legendary name adorn an expanding range of footwear, workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE), with the Mack Workwear stand in Merchandise Alley a popular stopping point for many at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show.

“Mack boots started over 20 years ago and we have broadened the range to include workwear and PPE over the last 5 to 6 years, and we are growing that range as well,” said Jodi Downey, Marketing Manager for Mack Workwear.

With its head office in Sydney, Bunzl Brands has the licencing agreement for the manufacture and distribution of the Mack-branded product with the range available to consumers both online and through a network of retailers around the country.

As the requirement for safety footwear and clothing in many industries including road transport has grown, the company has done a lot of product development and testing ‘in the field’ as Jodi explained.

“PPE as part of overall Occupational Health and Safety is massive these days so we have extended into that. 

“We’re selling more workwear and especially the hi-visibility workwear on contract into the mines and construction companies. We do a lot on on-site trials with companies working on these type of projects – field testing is the only way, especially with boots – for example one boot might be more suited to someone with a wider foot or a bigger arch, and all our boots are biometrically designed.”

On the shelves of the Mack Workwear stand at Brisbane was the full range of safety boots and shoes, through to a variety of clothing, safety glasses and caps, with the stand doing a brisk trade on the first morning of the show.

With show visitors able to ‘road test’ the product, Jodi pointed out that this is one of the best ways to get consumers on-board.

“We have our customers who buy online, but we really encourage people go into our retailers and try things on – they can have the ‘touch and feel’ component – especially with work boots – they are such a personalised item people like to go into the store and try them on.”

As has been proven across Australia over the last 125 years with the range of Mack trucks, the workwear line has also gained a solid customer base with many people becoming repeat purchasers of the Mack product.

“Generally, once someone has had a pair of Mack boots people don’t go to another brand – once they find a following people become loyal to the brand which is really great – our aim is getting people to try them and see,” Jodi said.

The 2025 event was the first time the Mack Workwear team had had a display and retail outlet at the truck show, with a steady stream of visitors making their way through the popular Merchandise  Alley precinct on the plaza level of the Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

“We are only just starting to take our show on the road – previously we have done some safety and mining shows.

“We will be doing more of these sorts of shows which are more targeted at the general consumer to help build the brand and awareness – we have had a few people in here today not knowing there was Mack workwear.

“We will be coming back, there are so many loyal followers of the brand here – some have come up to look at the merchandise before going to look at the trucks!” she said.

So, while everyone who visited the show may not have headed home with a new Super-Liner or Anthem, they may have still left with some Mack product in the bag.

“People have that association with the Mack trucks, and it is a renowned brand around the world. Everyone sees the bulldog and knows what it means – it makes our job easier!” she concluded with a smile.

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It’s been a long time since Sydney Dragway in Eastern Creek has had trucks take to the track. But now, thanks to twins Aaron and Daniel Fuller, trucks of all makes and models are being invited to head down the racetrack.

“The last time an event like this was held at Sydney Dragway was 10 years ago and that was a one-off event, as opposed to a street-meet that we’re going to be hosting,” said Aaron.

These third generation truckies revealed they grew up around trucks – and drag racing. Their father was an owner operator and both grandfathers were also truckies.

“Our dad and our uncle used to race at the old Castlereagh International Dragway in western Sydney in the 1970s and 1980s. That track closed in 1984,” explained Aaron.

“And at the first drag track at Eastern Creek, they were involved in drag racing – so Daniel and I were born into it. When the new racetrack opened next door, my uncle was an official. He still races too.
“I’m a mechanic by trade and I did my time in a workshop working on race cars.
“My dad, both grandads and my uncle were all truck drivers and have owned their own trucks. As they say, the apple never falls far from the tree.

“Now that we’re in trucks, we can understand why our parents and grandparents all did it.”

Both Aaron and Daniel decided to take the plunge and go out on their own in 2023, purchasing older Kenworths that originally belonged to the same fleet.

Daniel bought his own prime mover, a 1996 Kenworth T601, in January 2023, and Aaron did the same in December that year, with the purchase of 1994 Kenworth T600.

“When I bought the truck, my wife was eight months pregnant with our second child,” said Aaron. “I thought if I don’t do this now, it’ll be at least another three or four years before I do. I followed my gut and jumped off the cliff and thankfully it’s worked out.
“When you’re working for yourself, you have to do what you have to do to make it work, there’s no other alternative.”
Talking about their preference for the older rigs, Daniel added, “These are the sort of trucks we grew up with and what we were around every day – but it’s also the reliability more than anything. Touch wood, mine hasn’t cost major money since I bought it, it’s mainly just maintenance and general up-keep – and I can do a lot of it myself which keeps the operating costs down.”

Aaron agreed, “My truck has been going phenomenally – I just put diesel in and change the oil every 10,000km. It is an older truck so things do break, but they’re easy to replace. I can fix whatever needs to be fixed myself.

“These old trucks are simple, easy to work on and just keep going so they’re very owner operator friendly. With the newer trucks, if something goes wrong, you need to take it to the dealer and could be left without a truck for a week. If our trucks are out of action, we’re out of action.”

Putting on their own truck drag race is something the brothers had been talking about for some time. Then last week it all came to a head when Aaron decided to email Sydney Dragway, to get the wheels in motion.

“I was lying in bed with my four-year-old son and we were watching truck racing videos,” said Aaron.

“So that’s when I drafted up an email to Sydney Dragway outlining what we wanted to do and I asked if we could make it happen. I had a response by the next morning.

“As it turns out, a lot of other people want to see this too. Since announcing the event, I’ve had over 20 phone calls from people saying how’d you get this to happen, we’ve been wanting this to happen for years. I guess the timing was just right.”

Aaron continued, “Daniel and I had seen all the truck racing they do in America and Canada on YouTube, Facebook and TikTok and had often spoken about how good it would be to do it here. But being owner operators ourselves, we understand why it doesn’t happen, because it costs a lot of money to be part of.”

Daniel added, “We’ve thrown the idea of this around for a while after seeing what goes on in the States. Now it’s time to stop talking about it and do it!”

The Truck Drag and Truck Meet will be held at Sydney Dragway on Wednesday June 25.

Gates will open from 4.30pm and racing will begin from 6pm, with scheduling and truck race times to be confirmed.

Both Aaron and Daniel plan to take to the track in their T601 and T600, along with at least two Australian Super Trucks which have confirmed they will attend.

“We’ll do this one and if it all works out, we’ll propose a date to the racetrack to do another event. We’re hoping we can turn it into its own event and hold it on a weekend going forward,” said Aaron.

“We’d like to eventually do this once a month but even four times a year would be unreal. It would be great if we could also eventually look do events in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane,” added Aaron.

“That will give us a chance to stop driving trucks for a little bit and have some fun! As long as the interest is there, it can keep evolving.”

For tickets and more information, click here.

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