Truckers give new Darwin truck facility a big tick

IT’S a new look, it’s a brand new home for long-haul truckers.The $52 million Truck Central freight hub, which opened in Berrimah last week, delivers on location and delivers on a truck estate that few match anywhere in Australia

A truck is seen at the official opening of Truck Central in Palmerston on Thursday, February 28, 2019.

IT’S a new look, it’s a brand new home for long-haul truckers.

The $52 million Truck Central freight hub, which opened in Berrimah last week, delivers on location and delivers on a truck estate that few match anywhere in Australia.

The freight hub is consistent with long-term planning for the area and is another piece of the industrial puzzle with East Arm designated for logistics, trade, oil and gas and marine activities – those uses rely on the transport industry, which needs to be close by.

Local company Ostojic Group and the Northern Land Development Corporation undertook the industrial subdivision and intersection works to create the estate.

The masterplanned facility has three integrated transport infrastructure facilities, the Road Train Assembly Area (RTAA), Heavy Vehicle Inspection Facilities (HVIF) and the BP Truck Stop.

The assembly area comprises 3.2 hectares of concrete hardstand area with security lighting, CCTV and line marking for 55 large vehicle parking bays, accommodating road trains, B-doubles and semi-trailers, and includes two concrete loading ramps.

It took more than 1000 truckloads of concrete to deliver the assembly area, providing a robust surface for truck turning movements.

The heavy vehicle inspection facility will be completed in late 2019 and is strategically located next to the road train assembly area for the safe queuing of vehicles. It will be the only one in Australia, and possibly the world, where triple and quad road trains can be inspected without the need to decouple trailers.

BP Darwin complements the area by providing a modern and clean restaurant, dining area, truckers lounge and amenities.

Importantly, it is just a short haul from East Arm Port at the crossroads of the region’s major heavy vehicle transport routes of Tiger Brennan Drive and Wishart Road.

The facility has already been given a big tick of approval by long-haul truck drivers who say it is first class in every way.

Warren Lambert has been on the road driving long-haul vehicles for more than a decade.

He has no doubt about it, the Truck Central freight hub is “absolutely spot on”.

“It has been just brilliant to use,” he said.

“The food, the showers and the staff are friendly.

“So pulling in here at the end of a long haul is a welcomed sight.

“It’s a facility that has everything a trucker could want.

“Word will get around quickly about this place, it is so good.

“The carpark is starting to fill up so that’s a clear sign what drivers think.

Marty Noordhof has been in the trucking industry 15 years and Truck Central is the pick of anything he has ever seen.

“I’m driving 4000km from Perth to Darwin and I can tell you there is nothing like this and I can’t think of anything that beats this in the 15 years I have been working the industry,” he said.

“This is first class. It is easily accessible, you can pull a triple in here, the tucker is great, the facilities are fantastic.

“It is certainly a rest stop to look forward to at the end of the line.” Louise Bilato, executive officer at the NT Road Transport Association, said the Truck Central estate will be a major driver in improving productivity and safety in the transport sector.

“The Association’s involvement has spanned across planning, design and construction and it is proud to have partnered with both levels of Government, the Land Develop-ment Corporation and Ostojic Group in the development of the estate,” Ms Bilato said.

She said Truck Central estate demonstrated the benefits of the private sector, governments and industry working closely together and leveraging off each other to deliver much-needed transport facilities.

“Together the facilities at Truck Central are essential for meeting the fatigue management requirements for transport operators and provides a safe environment for the short-term parking and reconfiguration of heavy loads,” Ms Bilato said.

“Further safety and productivity efficiencies will be achieved as transport services and industrial activities cluster around the established transport facilities at Truck Central.

“Truck Central is perfectly suited to heavy vehicles sales, trucking depots, tyres and servicing workshops and there are still some great opportunities for businesses to be part of this unique estate and secure sites close to its facilities.

“This includes amalgamating lots to achieve ‘drive-through’ sites allowing businesses to efficiently service fully configured road trains.”