Sheep trucking, a profession that demands resilience, is a testament to the unwavering spirit of the operators, especially during the challenging hot and dry summers on both sides of the Tasman. The increasing number of NZ truckies heading to Australia is a clear demonstration of their adaptability and determination.
Article supplied by Rod Simmonds
Their experience, animal care, and ability to “look after the gear” are highly valued, and for the younger ones, living in a truck for 3-4 weeks at a time is an exciting adventure.
The NZ sheep national flock may have decreased to 23 million (from a peak of 70 million in 1983!), but this presents a significant growth opportunity for the Australian livestock industry. With a sheep population of 70 million and growing, Australia is well positioned to attract top operators and further expand its livestock industry.
The gear is bigger, the crates are bigger, and the distances are bigger; what’s not to like?
To support the rural livestock industry, many areas have seen in the past decade major redevelopment of saleyards (or, as Aussies call them, “Livestock Exchanges”) through local government funding and operations.
On the eastern seaboard states of QLD, NSW, and Victoria, particularly Livestock Exchanges, are in all the major grazing areas and typically 200-300kms apart.
One such site is the Forbes Central West Livestock Exchange (CWLE for short), now Australia’s third largest sheep site, with over 1.4 million head being handled. Along with cattle and pigs, it is quickly catching up to nearby (in Australian terms) the equally impressive Dubbo Livestock Exchange, around 150kms away.
Context is everything. The Manawatu’s Feilding Saleyards is New Zealand’s renowned leading yard, averaging around 450,000 head of sheep a year and is a key player in the New Zealand livestock industry.
The $10 million new facility opened in 2006 just north of Forbes, Central NSW, just two kilometres from the interstate Newell Highway, where Road Trains can travel unhindered. In 2019, it was expanded again to include more yards, loading facilities, and pig-specific areas. There is a well-patronised four-unit crate wash pad, café, showers, etc., and it is the ideal overnighting yard for stock and drivers alike.
The facilities are managed by the local Shire Council and are regarded as a template for future yards. They offer top-quality animal care, complete water management, massive roofs (with water collection tanks to reuse), Road trains, and multi-combination unloading, among other things.
So, back to the trucks! Well, during a recent visit, it really is an unbeatable Kenworth brand dominance with the odd other American brands and even rare European or Japanese makes. The numbers lining up one morning were 22 Kenworths, 1 Western Star, 1 Mack, 1 International, 1 Volvo, 1 Mercedes, and 1 Isuzu, plus the carpark full of Toyota utes parked back-end first.
Road Trains, AB Triples, and B Doubles, along with some local single trailers, work tirelessly day and night, ensuring the smooth transport of livestock. They deliver the day before the auction and typically haul out all auction day and night and into the next day, showcasing the efficiency of the system and providing reassurance to the industry stakeholders.
Holding paddocks keeps the stock well-fed and watered, especially during big sales.
Many interstate operators work the sale yards all week, with the locals using the feeder trucks to keep up, working 5-6 days a week, day and night. Plus, with overnight resting, you have a well-supported and very professional logistics operation working every day of every week. This is what productivity looks like.
Regulation-wise, livestock Carriers in Australia (and like America) have long-standing exceptions or “loose” regulations to benefit animal health. The standard height is 4.3 metres (NZ 4.25 metre limit), but livestock crates can run at 4.6 metres. The maximum length is 12.5 metres per trailer, and 18.8 metres of deck space for B Doubles. Overall, the limit is 27.5 metres for a set of B Doubles, which can be pretty much general access.
They’ve proven popular and are more efficient, and that’s how they should be.
“Volume Loading” means little policing of overall weights; spreading out the livestock to improve animal welfare is the key, but in reality, the capacity is always filled. You never leave any stock behind.
Naturally, each state in Australia has its own rules, but after industry lobbying, there is far more consistency these days. Having strong representation with Federal and State regulators from a wide range of industry sectors seems to be the key. This is another lesson NZ could learn from.
Driver fatigue is pretty well self-managed, with some exceptions. Animal welfare is the top priority, and operators achieve an improving safety record despite the tough environment they work in. The key is that they don’t include loading as recorded time. It can typically take 3 hours to load a B Double or AB Triple, so there is never a need to rush.
You need dogs and lots of dogs to help load the fixed-floor four decks. Four to six dogs were in each unit, plus the electric prodder, yard Jackaroos, and stock agents were all lending a hand.
With the varying sheep breeds, from the common Merino to the newer shedding Dorper breed, which is double the size of normal NZ sheep, it’s still hard yakka to move them!
The more recent development has been to fit effluent catchment and tanks to appease the masses, and funnily enough, they use and love the Jackson Enterprises Pahiatua livestock dump valves!
