Longer B doubles

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Behind the wheel of Melbourne's new 'gentle giant'.
August 14, 2013 Melbourne 'Age'.
Laws were passed in state parliament in April allowing 30-metre B-doubles on some Melbourne roads, and 36-metre B-triples on major country highways.
Aboard the biggest truck on the road.
New super trucks ranging up from 30 metres are now travelling amongst Victorian motorists. Come on board to hear a trucking company boss explain why there "shouldn't be a problem sharing the road".
Scott Wettenhall could not be more chuffed to be sitting in the cabin of his brand new, super B-double truck, so factory fresh its wheel rims still sparkle in the winter sun.
He admits the truck is bigger than anything Melbourne motorists currently share the road with, but won't cop the term "monster truck".
"They're not monster trucks, they're big, gentle giants," Mr Wettenhall says.
The truck has state-of-the-art braking, a 90 km/h speed limit and GPS tracking to ensure that it sticks to permitted routes.
"These trucks are safer than anything we've ever purchased in the past," says Mr Wettenhall, who runs his family's business, Wettenhall Logistics.
Wednesday was the first day his company had driven its two new 30-metre machines on Melbourne's freeways and tollways, after years of industry lobbying to convince the government to allow them on the road.
It means they can transport two 12-metre shipping containers in one run, whereas previously, truck lengths were limited to 26 metres and they could shift only one container. This was hurting his business.
"The world is running on 12-metre containers and we were starting to become really inefficient because we couldn't carry two," he says.
"We'll be able to stay in the game now. In 2 years, if you weren't able to do this you were going to go out the door backwards."
Fairfax Media took a ride in one of the company's new trucks on Wednesday, on its maiden run from the Port of Melbourne, along the Monash Freeway and EastLink to company headquarters in Dandenong.
The ride was entirely incident free.
"This truck we're travelling in today, I haven't noticed anyone looking at me any differently, the traffic hasn't changed because I'm 4 metres longer," he says.
Laws were passed in state parliament in April allowing 30-metre B-doubles on some Melbourne roads, and 36-metre B-triples on major country highways. It took until this month for Wettenhall Logistics to get its permits.
Mr Wettenhall is certain these longer trucks will soon begin to populate the roads, because they move freight so much more efficiently.
It is for this reason that the state government changed its policy, despite both Premier Denis Napthine and Transport Minister Terry Mulder having attacked when in opposition the former Labor government for attempting to do the same.

cool, coming from outback qld it is funny hearing 36mtr is the biggest truck on the road lol.
I did get to wondering last time i went to Brisbane at the amount of roadtrains running Brisbane/Toowoomba, since i thought it was a bdouble only area.

Haha, they call them PBS mate and hang a "Long Vehicle" sign on them so it doesn't frighten the public. Only difference between a PBS in this combo and a Road Train is the axles on the dolly steer, and there are enough microwaves coming off the aerials to keep track of it to fry a chook.

cool, coming from outback qld it is funny hearing 36mtr is the biggest truck on the road lol.
I did get to wondering last time i went to Brisbane at the amount of roadtrains running Brisbane/Toowoomba, since i thought it was a bdouble only area.

Didnt Wettenhalls go broke last year ?

That was the Wettenhalls that was owned by Amedroz of Colac and it was restructured and survives so far.

The article was about Wettenhall Logistics which was started in more recent times by Bob Wettenhall and his nephew Scott.

who remembers the Amderoz and Menzies depot in Colac it had brick floor and was up and down all over the place that was in the shed a big timber shed all weather boards if it still stands today might look a lot smaller thru grown up eyes
Paul

Iz thiz it Mrs








cya

I dont think so swishy but could be wrong I rember it was the same sort of colour as the house but bigger I seem to have a memory that been told it was old stables hence the brick floor and the shed covered the block as in building block not street block Im pretty sure it was bowled over in the early to mid 80's went to a clearing sale there when they shifted to a new depot? in the 80's great pics Swishy thanks for bunging them up and jimbo you could have blowled me over with a feather about Amedroz owning Wettenhalls I had no idea thats who owned them.Well at least they had a crack might not have all gone to plan but they had crack at it which is more than a lot of people do
Paul

That was the Wettenhalls that was owned by Amedroz of Colac and it was restructured and survives so far.

The article was about Wettenhall Logistics which was started in more recent times by Bob Wettenhall and his nephew Scott.

Well I still see the other Wettenhalls ( all red trucks ) getting around. ??

That was the Wettenhalls that was owned by Amedroz of Colac and it was restructured and survives so far.

The article was about Wettenhall Logistics which was started in more recent times by Bob Wettenhall and his nephew Scott.

Well I still see the other Wettenhalls ( all red trucks ) getting around. ??

this will (in Part) explain It, Pete.....

www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/w...frfku9-1226571732450