WA operator among the first to implement new automatic vehicle speed technology

J.J. Hawkins & Co has become one of the first transport operators in Australia to adopt the Scania Zone concept – a location-based telematics system that enables automatic vehicle adjustments, including the ability to automatically regulate vehicle speed in predefined areas.

 

Based in Landsdale, Western Australia, J.J. Hawkins & Co is a family owned and operated business that’s been around for over 50 years. The business was founded by Jow Hawkins and is now headed up by his son David Hawkins, with his son Troy also working by his side.

There are currently nine Scanias in the fleet, with a new R 620 V8 due to be delivered soon – with Scania Zone being used on all 10 of these trucks.

The technology is particularly useful for school zones where the limit is reduced at drop-off and pick-up times, because the Scania Zone allows the operator to set the limits by time as well as location.

As David explained, “It’s not just about setting speed limits to avoid speeding fines, but it gives our drivers and our management confidence that a moment of inattention won’t lead to a fine or cause an incident.

“Safety has always been a top priority for our business. With Scania Zone, we are working to ensure our trucks operate safely and responsibly, especially in areas where children and families are present. It offers peace of mind to me as a business operator while also ensuring compliance.”

J.J. Hawkins & Co has used Scania Zone designate areas known to be potential risks, including a stretch of road with a history of speeding incidents. “It’s a straight road where drivers might unintentionally exceed the 70 km/h speed limit. Scania Zone promotes compliance by helping drivers maintain safe and legal speeds automatically,” said David.

“Scania Zone is better than just relying, for example, on speed sign recognition systems. We can also set it for our yards or customers’ yards if they have a speed limit, to ensure we don’t upset a client by driving too fast through their premises. So, from a safety perspective, I think it’s great.

“If a driver advises us of an area on his run that he sees as a potential problem, I can just activate the Zone for that stretch, and the truck will only do as it’s told. As a result, we don’t have to worry about getting a complaint from a resident saying: ‘your truck has been speeding on our roads,’ because we know he can only go so fast.”

Since implementing the new safety technology, David says it’s been well accepted by drivers. “I think they recognise it will save them from being fined. Additionally, Scania Zone does not require any input from the driver,” added David.

“From a corporate perspective, our trucks are painted bright red and are well signed so if we’re seen to be doing the wrong thing people notice, but Scania Zone helps reduce this potential. We don’t want to get calls complaining about drivers and we’re enhancing our reputation as courteous drivers.

“The Scania Zone goes well beyond just school zone limit issues. There’s one country town our trucks travel through, there’s no alternative route, and they are big trucks with multi combinations, so we have set the speed limit below the posted limit, which is good. There’s another shire council that has limited the hours that trucks can pass through, so we load that into the Scania Zone as well, to ensure we don’t do the wrong thing.”

Along with warning the driver on the road, if a driver does do the wrong thing it is recorded in the Scania Fleet Management Portal also known as ‘My Scania’, so the operator can see it straight away.

J.J. Hawkins & Co has had a good run with Scania since it made the switch to the brand about five or so years ago.

“We have been pleased with the Scanias’ performance. We are replacing the earliest trucks now, after four-four and half years, and they have been on a Scania repair and maintenance contract over 650,000km. Historically, we kept our trucks much longer, but we can see the benefit of turning them over earlier and replacing them with new trucks with the latest systems,” explained David.

“The R 620 V8s have been returning about 1.8 to 1.9 km per litre in our heavy applications, which is far better than some of our older trucks, albeit with much higher kilometres under them. But the difference is significant, and I watch it every day. It means we use about 100-litres of diesel less per 1000-kilometre trip, and there’s the cost saving of course, but no trip time penalty,” he continued.

“Within the 27.5 m length limit we can run two B-trailers or a two-trailer road train at 36.5 m. Sometimes we run for example a prime mover towing a semi-trailer and B-double (under 36 m), and the heaviest loads are up to 120-tonnes gross weight. We’re transporting all types of freight, from road-base to general freight and machinery. We also do a lot of different transport-related tasks. We just try to be busy all the time.”

Scania WA Aftersales Account Manager, Adam Brockman, explained, “By adopting Scania’s exclusive technologies like Scania Zone, J.J. Hawkins & Co is not only prioritising safety but also highlighting how innovation can reinforce timeless values of care and responsibility.

“At Scania, safety is one of our highest priorities, and it’s rewarding to partner with a customer who shares this commitment and takes proactive steps to make roads safer for everyone. Together, we can drive safety forward and make a meaningful impact on Australian roads.”

Benjamin Nye, Director of Truck Sales at Scania Australia, added, “By integrating technologies like Scania Zone into everyday operations, we’re not just meeting regulatory requirements, we’re setting new benchmarks for proactive safety measures,” says Benjamin Nye, Director of Truck Sales at Scania Australia.

“Everything we do, from designing our trucks, to the way we act in our company-owned workshops, is focused on promoting safe outcomes and avoiding injury.”