A shared passion
Bigger trucks helping reduce carbon footprint one load at a time
October 18, 2024

As technology marches on, the ability of the trucking industry to shift commodities efficiently is expanding at a rapid rate…

Moving grain is a massive enterprise.

And on the east coast of Australia, we’re witnessing a shift in trucking movements that’s delivering significant benefits for growers, transporters and the environment.

Trucks are getting bigger and more efficient, enabling larger hauls on fewer trips.

This means fewer emissions per tonne-kilometre shifted, contributing to reduced carbon footprint for the entire grains and oilseeds supply chain.

For the upcoming harvest, we expect to tip around 300,000 trucks at our sites, which stretch from central Queensland to southern Victoria and into South Australia.

And that includes our ports at Mackay, Gladstone, Brisbane, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong and Portland.

To put that in perspective, if you lined up those 300,000 trucks from Mackay in the north of Queensland to Portland in the south of Victoria, they’d make the journey three times over…

On our busiest days, more than 12,000 trucks will pass through our receival sites.

That’s a volume unmatched by any other company on Australia’s east coast, including Coles and Woolworths.

A pristine PBS A-Double tipping-off at our Fisherman Islands port in Brisbane.

But our trucking program doesn’t end once the headers are put away in the shed.

Outside of peak harvest season, another 250,000 trucks will load and unload at our facilities.

The 30-metre Performance-Based Standards (PBS) A-Doubles are gradually replacing the 26-metre B-Doubles that have been in use for years, especially in areas with improved access.

In Queensland, these larger trucks can now drive to Fisherman Islands and receive permits for routes to Gladstone and Mackay.

Port Kembla in NSW offers 30-metre A-Double access as does Carrington (Newcastle) under permit, while in Victoria several of our country sites and both ports allow these trucks.

At Portland in south-west Victoria, 36-metre AB triples, capable of carrying 107.5 tonnes gross, are becoming a regular sight.

The effect of going large becomes evident when you consider the downstream benefits beyond the transport task.

These big rigs burn less diesel – around 20% less carbon per tonne per kilometre.

And from a safety perspective, they reduce truck movements by 20%. As trucks evolve, so too does the efficiency of grain movement, helping to keep Australian grain competitive on the global stage while ensuring that both harvest season and off-season deliveries remain streamlined.

Media enquiries.

Jess Simons

Head of Corporate Affairs & Government Relations

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