Sweet success for Brisbane Truck Show

The recent 2021 Brisbane Truck Show (May 13-16) attracted over 30,000 people, reports organiser Heavy Vehicle Industry Association (HVIA), and went off smoothly despite the threat of coronavirus and its potential for border closures and lockdowns.

And while several major truck brands weren’t in attendance this year, citing health and a range of other COVID-19-related concerns, the crowds still turned out not only to see the glittering hardware on display, but also to reconnect after a year like no other.

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HVIA Chief Executive Todd Hacking said the show allowed members of the wider road transport industry to unite, reflect and plan for the future amid a markedly different landscape from the previous Brisbane Truck Show, held in 2019.

“It connects our members with their customers,” he said.

“It brings tens of thousands of people from the transport industry together to network, engage, and learn from each other. In 2021, it was about reconnecting these people.”

Mr Hacking said a forum for industry leaders was held during the show, allowing them to meet with the Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz, to discuss threats and opportunities to the road transport industry as Australia navigates its way out of the pandemic.

“The 2021 Brisbane Truck Show has provided a unique opportunity to connect with the Government and its agencies on one side, while developing and fostering industry awareness and a stronger relationship with the community,” said Mr Hacking.

“That has been highlighted through the success of the activations and parallel events at the South Bank Truck Festival and across the city.

“The 2021 Brisbane Truck show delivered all of that thanks to the indomitable spirit and commitment of HVIA’s members, the exhibitors, and our stakeholders and sponsors, who were resolute in supporting the event.

“To that end I will take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all of our partners who got behind the event and stuck with it through thick and thin.”

Of the major brands, the exhibitor list included Daimler (Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso), PACCAR Australia (Kenworth and DAF), Penske Commercial Vehicles (Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle), and IVECO, along with a smorgasbord of trailer and engine brands and many other truck component, accessory and service providers.

Homegrown electric vehicle specialist SEA Electric also made its debut, showcasing its range of Hino-based fully electric trucks.

While the Brisbane Truck Show allowed industry members to meet in person once more, it also attracted many families to the Brisbane Conventional & Exhibition Centre, with parents and kids eager to pore over the hardware on show after a year in which major shows and expos were effectively shut down.

The nearby South Bank Truck Festival also drew a crowd, showcasing a range of stunning stock and custom trucks and trailers along with some impressive PBS rigs and the innovative QF-E Road Ant, an aggregate spreader with a dual-control cab at each end for safe reversing during road construction.

Then there was the industry jobs hub, the apprentice challenge, and fun and entertainment for the kids, not to mention the charity Truck Push by strong man Troy Magnusson, who raised thousands for sick kids by pushing nearly 12-tonnes-worth of Freightliner Cascadia for over 30 metres. A Guinness World Record is in the pipeline, pending ratification.

In some ways, Troy’s success was the Brisbane Truck Show’s success – the pulling off of a major feat in the face of extremely challenging circumstances.

That the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show happened at all is a major credit to its organisers, the HVIA, and to all who took part. And you can count on it being back, and bigger and better than ever, in another two years’ time…