The mining industry is a significant contributor to Australia’s economy, and it’s also a driving force in a number of states.
According to corporate advisor, Barclay Pearce Capital, Queensland houses unparalleled reserves of material like coal, gold and copper, while New South Wales holds 41 coal mines in its Hunter Valley Region alone. As Barclay’s data suggests, these two states greatly contribute to Australia’s mining industry due to their combined mineral wealth.
This is where Clermont Haulage comes in. The company, established in Clermont, Queensland, in 2005, is a bulk logistics haulage and handling solutions provider which oversees the transportation of a wide variety of minerals around many mine sites throughout Queensland and NSW. Transporting minerals such as magnetite, lime and ilmenite are the main objectives of the business, while carrying coal has become an ever-increasing core focus.
“We have a couple of business additions under our company umbrella such as our supply of coal to domestic customers,” explains Clermont Haulage Chairman, Dan Mayes. “But our main focus is on a branch of mining services. This includes our bulk haulage of this coal in and around mine sites.”
Clermont Haulage’s expanding freight tasks have required specific trailing equipment that is well-suited for the bulk haulage of coal. As of the last seven years, the fleet has been sourcing its trailer builds from WA-based OEM, Bruce Rock Engineering (BRE), via Barnseys’ Trailer and Truck Sales in Rockhampton, Queensland.
“At the start, we were originally looking for certain trailers to assist our bulk coal haulage operations,” Dan recalls. “We ended up speaking with Barnseys’ Trailer and Truck Sales and they recommended BRE trailers to us. Once they got us involved with BRE, we were set.”
Barnseys’ Trailer and Truck Sales worked closely with BRE and Clermont Haulage to develop specialty side tippers that would be better equipped to handle the abundance of coal being moved. This effort set BRE apart in the eyes of Dan and the team at Clermont Haulage.
“The majority of side tippers tend to carry other materials like gravel which don’t need large bins,” he explains. “There’s a lot of the product when it is moved, so you need more space to actually transport it.
“BRE was able to create much bigger bins which were better suited for us. These side tippers work perfectly in our operations of carrying coal because of this.”
The configurations of Clermont Haulage’s side tippers vary depending on the state they are deployed in and the respective regulatory requirements present. These different requirements were considered when the fleet invested in its latest BRE build, a Performance-Based Standards (PBS) A-double road train of side tippers for its NSW operations.
“The new side tipper road train is the biggest sort of combination we can run in the state,” Dan explains. “The specs it runs with ensure that we carry as much coal as possible.”
The PBS A-double road train boasts a Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 85 tonnes with a payload capacity of 58 tonnes. It also utilises a four-axle rear trailer instead of a tri-axle setup to increase payloads even further.
“We’ve found the tare weights of BRE’s trailers to be quite low”, Dan explains, “meaning we can get more tonnes on them. It’s a great advantage.”
The new side tipper road train arrived just in time to assist a period of continued growth for Clermont Haulage in the mining market. That being said, Dan is excited to utilise it to its full potential.
“Our business is entering a phase of increased growth,” he says. “The mining sector continues to be strong and has positioned us to secure more business in our existing markets. That’s exactly what we’re doing, and we’re doing it with BRE’s trailers.
“The new PBS combination is the same spec that we usually get – an A-double road train with an extended coal bin and side doors. But what makes this one special is the fact that it’s an additional set that will take on more business in light of our growth.”
Clermont Haulage’s new BRE side tipper combination, equipped with an increased payload capacity like its predecessors, is expected to boost productivity for the company even further during this growth phase.
“We’re increasing our payload capacities with this new unit,” Dan explains. “This will mean that we won’t have to run as many combinations at a given time, leading to substantial benefits such as having fewer combinations per run and therefore less truck movements on the road. This will also contribute to an overall improvement in safety because there will be less drivers out on runs and therefore a reduced chance of on-road complications.
“Additionally, running fewer combinations means we won’t have to source as many drivers. It isn’t too easy to get experienced truck drivers at the moment so less time, energy and resources will be spent looking for them.”
After bolstering Clermont Haulage’s transporting capabilities, Dan says the new road train will deepen relationships with existing customers and establish connections with new ones across NSW.
“We’re very excited to be specialising in the market with BRE,” he says. “This new side tipper will be integral to what we do going forward.”
