What’s more exciting than new technology? The ears pricking when rumours first swirl. The whispers and sneak peeks. The building anticipation ahead of the reveal. In Australia’s transport industry, there’s nothing quite like innovation to send the sector into a spin. Most importantly, people want to know what the updates look like and what they mean for the many valiant owner-drivers around our great country.
This February edition of OwnerDriver is all about the latest technology to have hit Australian trucking shores in recent times. Various reviews of the newest models are included in this bumper edition of the magazine, from Isuzu’s ever-expanding new model range to the Mercedes-Benz’s ProCabin and what it has in store for owner-drivers.
But first, let’s divert to a more sombre note. The industry still has its issues to tackle ahead of all else – in Queensland, floods and severe weather events have pushed associations to plead with governments for urgent subsidies to keep freight movements mobile, while the release of road tolls paint an alarming picture. In New South Wales alone, 355 lives were lost in 2025, up from the already scary 327 recorded in 2024. Staggeringly, 241 of these lives were lost on rural and regional roads, the highest tally seen since 2017 in the state and equal to its 2023 numbers. It’s this time of year where the industry is reminded how far there is to go to make the profession of truck driving a lot safer for all.
That number should stop every one of us in our tracks,” NSW roads minister Jenny Aitchison said.
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“This is when many families are together – but for the families and friends of those we lost last year, there is no fresh start. There is an empty seat at the table, and a loved one who isn’t coming home.
“With speeding involved in almost four in every ten deaths, I’m asking people to take their foot off the accelerator. It doesn’t have to be extreme speeding to be deadly, even a few kilometres over the limit can be the difference between a near-miss and a funeral.
“Slow down. Plan ahead so you’re not driving tired. Never drive after drinking or taking drugs. And look out for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists – they have the same right to get home safely as you do.”
It’s an important message at a time when many are either unwinding after a busy holiday period or ramping up again after their break. Safety comes above all else, always.
Now, let’s move on to what’s in store for you in these pages. The first Truck of the Month for 2026 is a belter and comes courtesy of a special tribute Kenworth spec’d up by the crew at S & J McMahon Transport following the tragic passing of one of its drivers. Warren’s story is truly poignant and points to the beautiful way that our industry recognises the fallen with the very best of technology. Check it out on page 24.
Before you get to this, however, you may notice something new in our first ever Business Spotlight, courtesy of Hendrickson. From page 22, the very first edition of this new segment saw Mackay Furniture Transport, led by Stof Pilkington, in the spotlight as we dove into the business and its wonderful family dynamic.
On page 18, we sat down with the team at Daimler Truck Australia Pacific to chat all things its new Mercedes-Benz ProCabin model and what it has in store for owner-drivers wanting to get their hands on it. From aerodynamic boosts to the latest safety systems, there’s a raft of changes worth checking out.
Warren also took his turn on the tech side, hopping behind the wheel of numerous variants that form Isuzu Australia’s MY25 new model range. While plenty of vehicles have already been released in the past year, there’s still more coming out now, with Warren’s review from page 37 discussing what these latest models feature and what is most impressive for drivers.
After this, Warren found a very special Ford LTL on page 44, while Purple AdBlue revealed the opening of its latest Australian facility to produce the very best quality fluids on page 42. Surrounding this is our usual array of expert columnists covering a range of topics, as well as the wrap up of the final truck sales numbers for 2025. We hope you enjoy the read, stay safe and revel in the latest tech.
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