CONTENTS Issue 210 – March 2018 2
News The latest in the world of transport, including….Fuso boss visits NZ, pumps new distributor; big MAN order for TIL; Michelin buys into Tyreline, Beaurepaires
24 Goodyear Big Test Even amongst the 112 Gleeson & Cox trucks on the road in Auckland, there’s one that’s a real standout. It’s New Zealand’s first Kenworth Legend 900 – an eyecatching mix of old-school, classic North American looks and the latest technology. One of just 266 being built… and one of only 13 coming here
41 Transport Forum Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..CEO Ken Shirley calls for protecting “the little guy” from capitalism’s “less-friendly” aspects; substance-impaired driving risks prompt call for operators to support a project investigating it; Shirley applauds new Government’s apparent willingness to do something about the issue of late payment terms
Thomas King came up with a plan to ensure the future of the trucking company he’d started in the 1920s. It has served DT King & Co well…and could be a model for many other family transport businesses struggling to come up with a succession plan
FEATURES 69 Like father….like son Wellington apprentice diesel mechanic Alex Little has been going to truck racing since he was six months old – as part of Dad Malcolm’s support crew. Last year he followed his Dad into racing – and finished runner-up in the NZ Super Truck Champs. Now he’s leading the 2018 points standings….at the age of 17!
89 Kamaz comeback Russian offroad truck racer Eduard Nikolaev thought his 2018 Dakar Rally was over when his Kamaz rolled onto its side five days in… and again when mechanical troubles struck late. But in the end he took his second consecutive Dakar victory
79 Truck Shop New products and services for the road transport industry
80/ PPG Transport Imaging 81 Awards Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets….including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist
81 Out of America North American correspondent Steve Sturgess checks out an electric truck project with a difference: The electricity’s in the air….on overhead power lines. Just like the old trolley-bus era
95 TRT Recently Registered New truck and trailer registrations for January
48 Fleet Focus Back in 1963, in the tiny Southland settlement of Pukemaori, the late David
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Truck & Driver | 1
NEWS
Fuso Trucks CEO and president (and Daimler Trucks Asia head) Marc Llistosella in NZ
Fuso boss: Happy to be here THE GLOBAL BOSS OF FUSO TRUCKS HAS VISITED New Zealand – paying tribute to the new distributor for its “unexpected” achievement in selling 1000 trucks and buses in its first year. Marc Llistosella, the president and CEO of Fuso Trucks and head of Daimler Trucks Asia, says he told the newly-annointed NZ reps Keith and Kurtis Andrews that, if they cracked that target, he’d come. “I could not foresee that this would happen in exactly one year!” he says with a laugh. And, he adds, “you have to keep your word – both sides.” The Andrews and their team, says Llistosella, are truck people: “With this family on board, we have people who know exactly what they are talking – they know exactly this kind of wheelbase is not working here for whatever reasons, and this kind of acceleration is not acceptable. “They have passion for the trucks – they love it. And they like the customers. And then we come to the last topic, relationship. As a trucker, you sell to the person not once – you know the person for 10, 15, 20, 25 years. It’s not like cars – hit and run….” Because of their knowledge of the product and the NZ market, Fuso NZ will get new technology suited to this market, he indicates – like lane departure warning and active braking systems. “So all these kinds of safety features will come – based on their request. So this is the good thing, we have a capable team here now…” He credits Ilan Elad, director of international sales operations for Daimler Trucks Asia (who accompanied him on his whistlestop visit), with choosing the right people for the NZ distribution role. “Changing a business system in Daimler is not something which you easily decide, so it took a lot of convincing power, but this gentleman (nodding at Elad) said: ‘We have to do something, otherwise we will be diminished over the next 10 years.’ “And I think he’s right: We have chosen the most successful and most 2 | Truck & Driver
dynamic dealer, and at the end of the day, it’s a people business, it’s a product business….a people business and a processes business.” He added that “if you have the right people they will fix the processes” – and the products. The candid, forthright Llistosella says that the injection of new life into Fuso in NZ has coincided with a big remake for the brand: “To say it very clear, we have put a lot of effort in the last three years into the quality. We have a lot of new products done because the funding in this company was not I would say at the competitive edge– actually it was ‘let it run.’ “And it was very clear, when you ‘let it run,’ the competition is not sleeping – so they see that you’re getting weak or sleepy and then they step into the boxes where you are not.” He gives an example – the lack of a 500 horsepower model: “The Europeans are completely pacing us out. We have to think about that… so eventually we have to strengthen this.” And yes, Llistosella had good news for Kiwi operators who’d like a 500hp Fuso: “That is the target and yes – we’re working on that as we speak. That’s going to come out.” No sign of group orders that specify no competing brands here: In Daimler Trucks Asia, he says, “so far we had a high degree of freedom…” He says that in 2015 DTA was given the freedom “to do everything what is needed” to lift the brand. It has proven a success, with a succession of years in which revenue is up and “quality-related costs” are down. And now, says Llistosella, “I would say we’re in a good way.” The effect of all this here in NZ? “Now we have to proceed to push and then we have good chances here to see in one, two years…well, let’s see who is the market leader, let’s see. It’s not God- given…” T&D
NEWS
One of the 36 new MANs bought by TIL Logistics
TIL, recently “bought,” now a big buyer TIL LOGISTICS WILL SOON HAVE THE LARGEST FLEET of MAN trucks in Australia and New Zealand, following its latest purchase of the German-built trucks. It has bought 36 TGS day cab and TGX XL sleeper cab models, in 6x4 and 8x4 formats, from distributor Penske NZ. The trucks, which have power ratings ranging between 480 horsepower and 540hp, take TIL Logistics’ MAN fleet to around 200 units. “Overall the acceptance of MAN products across the fleet has been extremely positive,” says TIL Logistics managing director Jim Ramsay. “Our drivers like the trucks, the fuel economy is a huge plus and I’ve received many comments about how great the trucks look – which is a big positive for our company image. “Working with Penske NZ is a pleasure. It’s an open and ethical organisation to do business with. I appreciate that – as I appreciate the great service and personal attention that we receive.” Penske NZ national sales manager – trucks, Dean Hoverd says that the company has worked with TIL for several years, so was aware of the key factors that would decide what trucks TIL would buy….“so we knew that safety and technology features were important, as was reliability, fuel economy and low whole-of-life costs. “With sound leadership, TIL has experienced huge growth and it’s been exciting to work closely with the team to plan their future fleet requirements and to watch them successfully grow their business.” TIL brands include Hooker Pacific, TNL, Roadstar, Pacific Fuel Haul, TIL
Freight, McAuley’s, MOVE Logistics and NZL. Last year Transport Logistics secured a listing on the NZ Stock Exchange by completing a reverse-listing deal with NZX-listed company Bethunes Investments. Under the deal, TIL – said to have a market value of $200million and to have generated $320million in pro forma revenue in the financial year ended last June – was “acquired” by Bethunes shareholders…who ended up with 0.6% of TIL. Ramsay said then of the deal: “We are delighted to be bringing TIL to the public domain, with the support of Bethunes shareholders. This transaction secures the future of TIL as one of NZ’s leading domestic freight and logistics companies and we are looking forward to taking advantage of a range of genuine growth opportunities which are available to TIL.” Ramsay said that the deal provided TIL shareholders with “a commercially sensible, viable and timely path” to listing the business on the NZ Stock Exchange. “TIL has been evaluating a public listing for some time,” he added. Trevor Janes, the incoming chairman of the new entity (Bethunes changed its name to TIL Logistics Group Ltd), said that the now publicly listed company had “a number of very real and tangible opportunities in our sights and are poised to start realising the company’s growth ambitions. “The outlook for the freight industry is positive and will drive stable revenue and earnings growth for the company. Along with strong forecast cash generation, this provides the ability to invest into business expansion and acquisition as well as reward shareholders with attractive returns.” T&D Truck & Driver | 3
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NEWS
Michelin buys into Kiwi companies
Barbara and Grant Rushbrooke retain a 75% share of the Tyreline and Beaurepaires businesses
FRENCH TYREMAKER MICHELIN has taken a quarter-share in Hamilton-based wholesaler Tyreline Distributors and retailer Beaurepaires. The tyre giant bought the shareholding from the Rushbrooke family for an undisclosed sum. The deal built on a 20-year relationship that’s seen Tyreline go from distributing Michelin earthmoving and industrial tyres, to its retread factory becoming the first facility in Oceania accredited to produce Michelin-branded tyres. The Rushbrookes have kept a 75% share of the businesses, and Tyreline managing director Grant Rushbrooke says that Michelin shares
his vision of providing mobility solutions rather than simply selling tyres. “It demonstrates Michelin’s commitment to the New Zealand market and their confidence in both Tyreline and Beaurepaires as sustainable partners. “The partnership and investment from Michelin puts the Tyreline Group in a very strong position for future growth.” Grant and Barbara Rushbrooke established Tyreline Distributors in 1989 in Te Awamutu as an agricultural distributor and have built the business spectacularly, to the point where it’s now distributing tyre and lubricant brands including Michelin, BFGoodrich, Mitas and Shell Lubricants.
In 2013 the Rushbrookes bought 52 Beaurepaires stores from US tyremaker Goodyear & Dunlop Tyres. Michelin Asia Pacific director Hock Sen Chan says that the longstanding relationship between the companies encouraged the investment: “We share the same values of respect of customers and innovation, and we will work together to explore new avenues of business and progress for the automotive market in NZ. “Our investment is to reinforce our commitment to Tyreline and to the NZ market, promoting daily safer and better mobility for all the NZ consumers.” T&D
Geely into Volvo Trucks…going global? CHINESE CAR GIANT GEELY IS BU YING A MAJOR STAKE in Volvo Trucks, seemingly intent on becoming a global automotive superpower. Geely Auto Group is one of the biggest carmakers in the enormous Chinese market and last year sold 1.27 million cars. It already owns Volvo Cars and last year became a major shareholder in the Lotus and Proton car companies, bought the London Taxi Company and set up a commercial-vehicle unit in its home market. It also recently launched its own new global brand, Lynk & Co, which will make internet-connected cars, targeting young urban customers, it bought US flying-car startup Terrafugia and late last year committed over $US750million to develop Polestar, a new premium electric-car brand owned by Volvo. And within days of Geely announcing that it’s acquiring an 8.2% financial stake in Volvo Trucks, for around $US3.24billion, a German
media report claimed it was also pursuing a sizeable stake in Daimler. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag said that Daimler had turned down an offer from Geely in November to take a stake of up to 5% percent via a discounted share placement. Daimler said Geely was welcome to buy shares on the open market. The newspaper suggested that Geely’s interest in a Daimler stake is tied to its desire to establish an electric car joint venture in China. The Volvo Trucks investment could similarly help in the development of its new Yuan Cheng commercial vehicle division in China. The commercial vehicle market in China grew 15% last year, easily outstripping the growth rates of the car market. Industry analysts point out that Geely has invested heavily in autonomous driving technology with Volvo cars and could explore technology sharing in autonomous and electric vehicles across its widespread automotive interests – including Volvo Trucks, Yuan Cheng and Volvo cars. T&D Truck & Driver | 5
12:40 PM
NEWS
classic
Electric KENWORTH, THE CLASSIC NORTH AMERICAN MAKE, is embracing the alternative future – with its own zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell-powered battery electric prototype. The Kenworth T680 day cab is part of a Californian Zero Emission Cargo Transport (ZECT) demonstration project. Its fuel cell combines compressed hydrogen gas and air to produce electricity with only water vapour emitted. The electricity can be used to power the tractor unit’s dual-rotor electric motor to move the truck, or to recharge the lithium-ion batteries for use later. The hybrid drive system manages the power from the fuel cell to and from the batteries, as well as the traction motors and other components, such as the electrified power steering and brake air compressor. Stephan Olsen, Kenworth director of product planning, says that the fuel cell T680 has already been running trials “and performing very well. The next step, he says, is real-world testing with a port drayage operator at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in southern California.” Olsen says that the truck will have a 250-kilometre (150-mile) range, making it ideal for short-haul and port operations. With a dual-rotor
The electric Kenworth is working with a port drayage operator in Los Angeles
traction motor output of 420 kilowatts/565 horsepower, the truck is capable of running at the same legal gross combination weight of a Class 8 vehicle. In testing the truck “performs equally as well, if not better than, current diesel trucks on the market,” Olsen says. “There is a lot of promise, and we see the day where Kenworth’s zero and near-zero emission trucks could be a common sight in regional operations.” Kenworth is “heavily focused” on the evaluation and development of both, he says. The hydrogen-based T680, which has benefitted from $US2.8million in government funding, is capable of travelling up to 160kms fully loaded, running 50-80km/h. Kenworth plans to increase the range with the addition of greater hydrogen storage capacity. Its only emissions are in the form of steam, given off when the hydrogen fuel cell stack (located under the bonnet) is charging the batteries. It operates near-silently – the only noise coming from its cooling fans and air compressor. The truck has six compressed hydrogen storage tanks located behind the cab and runs a modified four-speed Eaton AMT. T&D
Cycle, motorcycle concerns BEHAVIOUR BY A SMALL NUMBER OF CYCLISTS AND motorbike riders is concerning the National Road Carriers Association. NRC CEO David Aitken says a small percentage of cyclists and motorcyclists appear to have an “arrogant” attitude to traffic and expect it to make way for them under any circumstances. “Perhaps they don’t realise that heavily-laden trucks take longer to take evasive action, change direction, or brake and come to a stop,” he adds. Aitken points out that trucks have blind spots in the front and sides as well as at the rear – particularly on the left-hand side where cyclists ride up at intersections and can’t be seen. “Other road users should not always assume truck drivers can see everything that’s happening around them,” says Aitken, who points out that incidents between motor vehicles and cyclists or motorbikes “usually see the cyclist or motorbike rider come off second best. “We know those forms of transport are often quicker in inner-city traffic, especially at peak hours,” says Aitken. “We respect their right to be on the roads – but they have to be as respectful of other traffic as any other vehicle.” He says some NRC members are recreational cyclists and appreciate the inherent danger in riding on the road: “We know that if we have an 6 | Truck & Driver
incident with a motor vehicle we’re going to come off second best and it’s going to hurt.” The safest place is probably in the view-line of the mirrors of a truck. Some trucks will have a sign saying: “If you can’t see me in my mirrors, I can’t see you,” Aitken points out, and adds: “It’s a really good rule and a simple one for a cyclist to understand.” Problems with motorcycles occur more often on motorways during peak hours, when riders weave between slow-moving traffic at higher speeds. “Truck drivers can’t always be looking in their rear vision mirror for bikes coming up behind,” says Aitken: “Drivers do have to look at where they’re going.” Efforts to get more solo commuting motorists out of vehicles and onto cycle lanes and free up roads for commercial traffic have been welcomed by NRC. “But then we have the situation where the cycle lanes are taking up valuable space that might be used by another lane for vehicles. It’s a difficult situation.” He suggests that the solution in some areas might be to install cycle lanes on roads that run parallel to the main route, but that don’t attract the same volumes of traffic. T&D
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NEWS
US startup Thor has this futuristic ET-One prototype on the road, but says it will partner with existing truckmakers
Power surge: Two more electric trucks THE SURGE IN ELECTRIC TRUCKS CONTINUES – WITH two more contenders unveiling heavy-duty trucks. In the wake of the Tesla, Nikola and Cummins offerings, another Californian startup has launched a fully-electric regional haul tractor unit….which it says can run at a 36-tonne gross combination weight, with a range of 480 kilometres on a single charge. Thor unveiled a streamlined, futuristic ET-One prototype, but says it aims to partner with established truckmakers – Thor providing the electric powertrain (and possibly the bodies) on their chassis and all other components. Which is the same approach being taken by EMOSS, with its LPG or CNG range-extended electric regional haul tractor unit, based on a DAF. The Dutch company is already established as a leading integrator of its electric drivelines into the chassis of truckmakers’ production models. It was, for instance, the supplier of three electric refuse trucks recently purchased for use in New Zealand by Waste Management. Now it’s unveiled a lineup of EMOSS E.V.E.R. (electric vehicle with extender range) trucks, topped by a tractor unit which it says has a 50-tonne GCM and a 480-kilometre range. With over a decade of experience in electric mobility, including its own electric powertrain development and integration expertise, EMOSS already partners bus and truck manufacturers. The Allison 4500 automatic-equipped truck has a 120 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack and a liquefied petroleum gas-powered electricity generator to recharge the battery and achieve its maximum range. The company says that the Allison auto is key to the driveline, providing torque multiplication to reduce demand on the electric motor and the battery pack. It also enables the electric motor to operate within the optimal efficiency range for a larger portion of the drive-cycle, reducing energy consumption, extending the vehicle’s range and facilitating the use of less-expensive, lighter and smaller components. EMOSS chief technology officer Martijn Noordam says that the auto enables the truck to haul heavy payloads and tackle steep hills: “For us, the
Allison gearbox is the only combination that gets us the right performance. “Customers who’ve driven the Allison-equipped EMOSS trucks are 100% happy with them. They never thought a start-stop duty-cycle on a 30% grade was realistic, yet the truck has executed perfectly.” Thor has told US media that the company has its own battery technology but is otherwise using off-the-shelf components and says its truck is purposely designed to feel “familiar” to drivers. Co-founder and chief operating officer Giordano Sordoni told Heavy Duty Trucking that Thor aims to provide heavy-duty electric truck solutions that are “reasonable and profitable now.” Electric trucks solve many problems for transport operators, Sordoni reckons – with fewer than 20 moving parts compared to 2000 for dieselengined equivalents…and no exhaust treatment needed. Thor says its powertrain options range from the equivalent of 300-700 horsepower, with a regenerative braking system and purposebuilt battery packs. T&D The DAF-based EMOSS heavy-duty tractor unit
Truck & Driver | 9
NEWS
More going autonomous AUTONOMOUS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM TWO more startups have completed successful demonstrations on public roads in the United States. Californian company udelv’s autonomous light delivery van made two deliveries to customers of a market in San Mateo. And Embark, a San Francisco company, completed a coast-to-coast test drive with its autonomous system installed in a Peterbilt tractor unit, towing a semi-trailer 4000 kilometres from Los Angeles to Jacksonville, Florida. It had a driver supervising all the way, but operated autonomously in all of its freeway running. The udelv four-wheeler van was also supervised by a safety driver (in
10 | Truck & Driver
accordance with state laws) when it did a four-kilometre delivery run, autonomously negotiating a route that included traffic lights, lane changes, turns across oncoming traffic at uncontrolled intersections and multiple stops and starts. The custom vehicle has a fully electric powertrain and features 18 secure cargo compartments with automatic doors. “Customers simply open the locker with a press of a button on their mobile device and the vehicle heads on its way to the next delivery or back to the store,” says udelv CEO Daniel Laury. Such deliveries, he reckons, “are the perfect first application for autonomous vehicles.” A smartphone app will also allow customers to potentially reschedule
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Top: The udelv has 18 secure cargo compartments with doors that open automatically with the push of a button on customers’ smartphones Above: The udelv with the kind of current parcel delivery vehicle in the background that its developers hope to replace deliveries and the udelv has developed a system to monitor and control the vehicles remotely and allow for overrides and humanassisted guidance if necessary. In its current configuration, the udelv vehicle can drive for up to 100 kilometres per cycle and can load up to 317 kilograms (700 pounds) of cargo, udelv says. Embark says it has so far integrated its autonomous driving systems into five Peterbilts. It has no plans to build its own trucks, but does have plans to install its systems into 40 more tractor units this year, for further testing in long-haul operations. Co-founder and CEO Alex Rodrigues says its ultimate aim is to have its autonomous systems “drive” the trucks on freeways, with a driver to enter and exit the highways and to drive in urban areas. This, he says, will not cost truckies their jobs – but will allow them to cover longer distances and make more deliveries in less time. Rather than “pre-map” a route, as some others in the autonomous vehicle field do, Embark relies on the data from the sensors in its onboard system to map the host truck’s surroundings in real-time and avoid obstacles. The system comprises five cameras, three longrange radars and two or more lidars. T&D
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NEWS
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The Nikola One sleeper cab tractor unit
Nikola plans factory HYDROGEN FUEL CELL-ELECTRIC TRUCK STARTUP Nikola Motor Company has announced that it’s going to build a $US1billion factory in Arizona. The company, which says it now has orders for 8000 of its Nikola One and Nikola Two tractor units, says it will build a 93,000-square-metre (one million square foot) zero emissions factory on a 200-hectare site near Phoenix. Building of the plant will begin in 2019, said Nikola chief executive Trevor Milton in a joint announcement with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. They said that the factory will create 2000 jobs and bring more than $1billion in capital investment to the region by 2024. “This incredible new technology will revolutionise transportation, and we’re very proud it will be engineered right here in Arizona,” Ducey said. Nikola’s “selection of Arizona demonstrates that we are leading the charge when it comes to attracting innovative, industry-disrupting companies.” Nikola says its electric trucks will be able to run up to 2000 kilometres (1200 miles) between refuelling stops, thanks to the hydrogen fuel cells that
produce electricity. The company plans to lease its trucks to customers, supplying hydrogen as part of the lease cost, through a nationwide network of 376 hydrogen fuelling stations….which it hasn’t yet begun to build. Huge transport operator and supply chain management company Ryder System Inc. has said it will be Nikola’s exclusive provider for distribution and maintenance across USA. Nikola says its trucks will have 320 kWh battery packs, capable of producing the equivalent of 1000 horsepower and 2000 lb ft of torque and running at 110km/h with a typical US semi-trailer loading. It has partnered with Bosch in developing the powertrain systems for the Nikola trucks, including an eAxle housing an electric motor, transmission and electronics. Swedish fuel cell developer PowerCell AB is providing the fuel cell stacks that produce electricity from hydrogen. Nikola says it plans to field test its Nikola Two day-cab prototypes this year, with in-operation testing with transport operators to follow. Testing of the Nikola One sleeper cab tractor unit will follow. T&D
Trump v truckers UNITED STATES PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s policy moves that would, on the surface, seem likely to find trucking industry support, are having the reverse effect. Trump’s State of the Union call for Congress to pass a bi-partisan bill generating at least $US1.5trillion to invest in infrastructure, for instance, has been met with suspicion. That’s because Trump didn’t say how the big spend would be funded – and a leaked draft document indicated that the president favours allowing states to impose tolls on interstate highways. The American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), the Alliance for TollFree Interstates and NATSO, which represents truck-stop operators, came out in opposition to 12 | Truck & Driver
reversing a current federal ban on tolling existing interstates and to expanding tolling in general. ATA and the powerful US Chamber of Commerce have lobbied against expanding tolling – preferring instead the raising of the federal fuel tax to pay for highway infrastructure spending. ATA president and CEO Chris Spear called for Congress to produce with the administration “an infrastructure package that raises real revenue to meet the enormity of this challenge. “Roads are not a partisan issue – they’re driven on by Republicans and Democrats alike. As both sides of Capitol Hill know, modernising our infrastructure will require a substantial investment – actual, real revenue. America cannot be rebuilt with funding gimmicks and finance schemes.” Spear added that ATA is “looking forward to
working with Congress and the administration and educating the public on why a fuel user fee is the most cost-effective and conservative answer to fixing our deteriorating roads and bridges.” Spear says that the ATA’s Build America Fund, which he says is “efficient, conservative and viable…,” would generate $US340bn “of real money in the first 10 years.” The OOIDA said that, while it welcomed Trump’s call for $1.5trillion in infrastructure spending, “professional truckers are concerned by the administration’s reliance on private investment to achieve this level of funding.” Increased tolling, said acting president Todd Spencer, is not the way to pay for it: “If elected officials think a fuel tax increase would be unpopular, wait until Americans encounter more and higher tolling.” T&D
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NEWS
Southpac Trucks CEO Maarten Durent (second from left) and chairman Graeme Gibbons (second from right), receive the premier award from PACCAR Australia MD Andrew Hadjikakou (left) and PACCAR director of sales and marketing Brad May
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Southpac stars NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTHPAC TRUCKS HAS BEEN crowned Australasia’s Kenworth Dealer of the Year 2017 for outstanding sales, service and support. It’s the first time that the Kiwi Kenworth operation has earned the award – edging out 25 Aussie dealers to achieve the honour. The award, which is highly sought-after by Kenworth dealers, acknowledges excellence in five main areas – overall dealer performance, truck sales, parts sales, finance and customer support. Southpac backed up the premium award with the PACCAR Australia Service Dealer of the Year 2017 as well, for outstanding service. PACCAR Australia sales and marketing director Brad May congratulated Southpac CEO Maarten Durent and chairman (and Colonial Motor Company CEO) Graeme Gibbons, for their “outstanding standards for Kenworth sales, service and support and their overall very impressive performance. “The Kenworth Dealer of the Year is the result of many factors – not just about who sells the most trucks, but which dealer provides the best overall performance for the customer. And the award recognises many achievements over the year.” Southpac’s performance was an example of “how, when a team works together to deliver superior value for its customers, it can achieve great results. This dealer continues to be successful because of its single-minded commitment to customers. “They had a really big year and while they did all the things that were expected, it was the way the team at Southpac supports its customers – providing superior service and doing everything right by the customer in every facet of the business. “Their continued investment in new dealerships and facility upgrades and training their people is outstanding – and the result is evident. It would be difficult to find another group that has the culture of success and growth mindset that Southpac Trucks has,” May added. Durent says there was “a huge effort put in by everyone across the entire company, and the NZ dealer network, and it’s great for them to be recognised for all their hard work.
“We’re so proud to win this and are looking forward to sharing it with everyone.” Gibbons says: “When we took over the business 25 years ago we made a commitment not to let the factory get in the way of providing exceptional customer service. We just work to solve all customer issues upfront, and worry about the detail later. “This wasn’t achieved by just one or two people – it was achieved by our entire team. We love what we do and love trucks and to receive this award makes a great thing even better.” The Manukau City-based Southpac now has branches in Hamilton, Rotorua and Christchurch, plus 18 parts and service dealers around the country. T&D Maarten Durent receives the PACCAR Service Dealer of the Year Award from PACCAR Australia national customer service manager Daniel Lawler (left) and chief engineer Damien Smethurst
Truck & Driver | 15
NEWS
Volvo has called on its long experience with the diesel/ electric FE Hybrid and electric buses in its development of a fully-electric truck
Volvo switches on
THE MOVE TO ELECTRIC TRUCKS HAS RAMPED-UP, with another mainstream heavyweight manufacturer about to switch on. Volvo Trucks says it will have electric trucks in operation with selected customers this year…and will start selling them next year. The truckmaker says electric trucks drastically reduce noise and exhaust emissions and will allow positive changes to urban transport and logistics. “Electromobility is fully in line with Volvo Trucks’ longterm commitment for sustainable urban development and zero emissions,” says president Claes Nilsson. “By using electrically powered and quieter trucks for goods transport in urban areas, we meet several challenges simultaneously. Without disturbing noise and exhaust gases, it will be possible to operate in more sensitive city centres. “Transport may also take place throughout less-busy periods, for example in late evening and at night. This will reduce the burden on the roads during daytime rush-hour traffic, allowing both the road network and vehicles to be
utilised far more effectively than today,” says Nilsson. A recent study conducted by the city of Stockholm and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology into the effects of goods transport at night in the central city concluded that transport assignments were carried out in a third of the normal time. Volvo says electric trucks, working at times that better utilise urban roads at quiet times, also make it possible for “many smaller vehicles to be replaced by fewer, but larger vehicles – thus further contributing to lower emissions and less traffic. “A distribution truck has just over 10 times the load capacity of a regular van.” Larger electric trucks, operating at off-peak times, will also “significantly reduce the risk of accidents.” Volvo says its electric truck development is based on its proven experience with electric buses and diesel/electric hybrid trucks (which it introduced eight years ago). T&D
Desert Road disruption REPAIRS TO A BRIDGE ON THE Desert Road damaged in a truck crash last July are expected to continue to impact State Highway 1 traffic in the central North Island for the next two months. Vehicles with over-weight loads or overdimension loads wider than 3.0 metres will not be able to use the Desert Road section of SH1 for the next few months as it will not be possible to cross the damaged Waihohonu Stream Bridge. Other traffic is being restricted to one lane over the bridge, with a 30km/h speed limit and occasional mini-closures of around five minutes. Two full closures of the highway to all traffic are scheduled (for March 7 and April 4, but subject to change according to the weather) to 16 | Truck & Driver
allow for the pouring of a new concrete bridge deck. Each closure is expected to be from 7am for around 36 hours. The recommended alternative route during the closures is via SH46, SH47, SH4 and SH49 – through National Park, Ohakune and Waiouru. It could add around 40 minutes to a journey. NZTA says this route is not suitable for vehicles over 44 tonnes, “apart from 50MAX, which is permitted. High productivity motor vehicles can use the SH3 and SH3A route between Hamilton and Bulls (via Taranaki).” There will also be multiple maintenance work sites on the Desert Road during this period and there are delays possible at other sites.
NZTA Waikato transport system manager Karen Boyt says people using the Desert Road should expect some delays and should check before they travel – either on the Agency website or by phoning 0800 4 HIGHWAYS. T&D The bridge was damaged in this crash last July
NEWS
Convoy co-operation A GROUNDBREAKING PLATOONING TRIAL HAS begun in Japan – with four truckmakers participating in largely autonomous convoys. The tests, being conducted on a public highway, sees groups of three 12-metre trucks – each with a driver at the wheel, but the trailing two operating autonomously most of the time – running about 35m apart. Hino, Fuso, UD Trucks and Isuzu each have trucks participating in the trial and a Toyota group company is handling the project on behalf of organisations including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The trial, which sees the convoys driving at 80km/h on the Shin-Tomei Expressway southwest of Tokyo and the Kita-Kano Expressway north of the capital, ultimately aims to have two entirely unmanned trucks following a human-operated lead truck. The companies aim to reach this point in 2020 and launch the technology on the market as early as 2022. This is thought to be the first public trial of convoys comprising trucks from different manufacturers.
The following trucks’ adaptive cruise control systems use a combination of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, cameras and radar to measure the distance between each truck and maintain a preset gap. The closer following distances reduce air resistance and thus also reduce fuel use. The platooning trial is part of the Japanese government’s Future Strategy 2017, which aims to roll out innovations like the Internet of Things, big data and artificial intelligence across all industries. Daimler Trucks boss Martin Daum points out that the company two years ago demonstrated with Mercedes-Benz trucks in Europe “that platooning can be done and is highly advantageous. “Right now, we keep developing the technology with Freightliner on public roads in the US. “Japan is a key market for us, that’s on the lookout and promotes new technologies. We take part in the Japanese government’s initiative to push platooning further ahead in Asia and to remain in the lead in the development of this technology.” T&D
Electric trailer cuts CO2
GLOBAL TRAILERMAKER SCHMITZ CARGOBULL HAS shown off a Transformer Trailer, with an electric powertrain and energy recovery system – capable of cutting CO2 emissions by up to 25%. Its energy-efficient curtainsider, which won the European Transport Prize for Sustainability in December, uses aerodynamics to improve airflow across the front, sides and rear of the trailer. A fully height-adjustable roof completes the aero package. But the major CO2 reduction comes from the trailer’s built-in battery and electric motor, which transfers power via a gearbox and propshaft down to a drive axle, providing electrical propulsion for “hybrid on demand” operation. The battery, with a capacity of 22kWh, has been installed between the l-beams for protection. “The electrical system can achieve an output of up to 80kW and maximum torque of 200 Nm,” says Schmitz Cargobull’s board member for R&D Roland Klement. The inevitable downside is that the hybrid drive adds an extra 1140 kilograms to the trailer’s tare weight. The company says that the trailer, which it developed in league with 13 partners, has been proven to reduce CO2 emissions by 15% compared to
a conventional trailer – but the full suite of technology on the trailer can achieve a reduction of up to “around 25%.” Adds Klement: “When we started developing the prototype, we didn’t set out to build a one-off. Instead we used a standard trailer as our basis, along with adapted production components. “As a result, it could pass through the standard production process and meet all the requirements for road approval.” Schmitz Cargobull says its participation in the European Commissionfunded Transformers project, “is our way of making an important contribution to sustainable CO2 reduction.” T&D Streamlining measures help, but the major contributor to reduced emissions is the unit’s electric motor
Truck & Driver | 17
NEWS
Oshkosh wins big US Army deal SPECIALTY TRUCK BUILDER OSHKOSH HAS SECURED a huge deal to build the United States Army’s next-generation family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV) A2 variants. The Pentagon says that the seven-year supply deal, reportedly for up to 2400 trucks, is worth at least $US476million. The deal, won by Oshkosh against rival AM General, repeats its 2009 contract to build the first generation of the FMTVs for the US Army, which owns the design and technical data package for the trucks and trailers. The Army says that FMTVs have “formed the backbone of the Army’s local, linehaul, and unit resupply missions in combat, combat support, and combat service support units” for decades. They comprise 15 variants, which share a common chassis and
Oshkosh has supplied over 36,000 first-generation FMTVs to the Army under a previous contract
components and are used as a variety of weapon, sensor and communication platforms. Oshkosh, which has built over 150,000 defence vehicles for the US, has delivered over 36,000 FMTV trucks and trailers. The Army says that a redesign was called-for because in recent conflicts, it has added more protection to the FMTVs – thus adding weight. New high-tech systems installed also require more power. “That gave the crew the protection they needed and kept them connected to modern battlefield technology, but it also took away from how the vehicles were originally intended to perform.” Oshkosh won a deal in 2015 to build the Army’s Humvee replacement, the joint light tactical vehicle ( JLTV) – reckoned to initially be worth $US6.7billion…and possibly as much as $30bn. T&D
MITO goes online, switches on INDUSTRY TRAINING ORGANISATION MITO IS introducing online training and on-the-job practical learning in its new heavy automotive engineering programme. The training, which leads to the New Zealand Certificate in Heavy Automotive Engineering, includes new industry-approved unit standards and allows apprentices to complete theory elements in their own time and at their own pace. MITO says that, “with access to hundreds of videos and interactive simulations and theory assessments, online learning is an exciting feature of the new programme that can be accessed at any time and from any device – mobile phone, tablet or computer.” Chief executive Janet Lane says the online learning “delivers theory content in an interactive, dynamic and visually engaging way for our apprentices and their employers. “It has been developed in close consultation with the heavy automotive industry and designed for apprentices that wish to become fully-qualified heavy automotive technicians.” The Level 3 programme, which takes 18 months to complete, is now open for enrolments. The Level 4 programme, which will 18 | Truck & Driver
feature strands in road transport, plant and equipment, agricultural equipment and materials handling equipment, will be available midyear. MITO has also received funding from the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund towards the development of a qualification framework for the safe inspection, servicing and repair of electric vehicles (EVs) in NZ. Lane says “MITO is absolutely delighted to have received this funding. The Fund encourages innovation and investment to accelerate the uptake of EV and low-emission vehicles in NZ. “Critical to this is developing the human infrastructure required for the safe inspection, servicing and repair of EV vehicles, balancing the required physical infrastructure.” The $95,000 funding will go towards the project that will enable industry-wide access to training provision and qualifications for EVs by 2019. Fundamental to this project will be international research and evaluation of qualification design, content, structure and delivery models – this in order to understand and capitalise on the experiences of other countries and how this can best be applied to NZ. T&D
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NEWS
Cascadia cab crowned Judges were impressed with the new Cascadia’s interior, particularly its “living room”
DAIMLER TRUCKS’ FREIGHTLINER SUBSIDIARY designed its new Cascadia, launched last year, to set new standards in connectivity, fuel efficiency and safety. Now its cab interior “attractive and functional design” has won a global Good Design Award. The jury chose the Daimler Trucks North America flagship cab as the winner amongst product designs from some of the most successful brands in the world, covering all industries.
Freightliner says that the new Cascadia’s interior “combines innovative technology with ergonomic design. “It offers an optimised dashboard and a multitude of seat-configurations. Also the drivers’ ‘living room’ was designed to offer more storage, as well as spaces for standard-sized microwaves and flat panel TVs.” Since the Cascadia was launched over 20,000 have been sold – contributing strongly to Freightliner’s 39.2% share of the medium and heavy-duty truck segments in the North American market. T&D
Huge fleet of fuel cell electric trucks FIVE HUNDRED FUEL CELL ELECTRIC TRUCKS are going to work in Shanghai in what’s reckoned to be the world’s largest use of the technology in commercial transportation. The Dongfeng Special Vehicle metro delivery trucks use fuel cell technology developed by Canada-based Ballard Power Systems and a fuel cell engine designed by Shanghai Reinventing Fire Technology (Re-Fire). The 6.4-metre trucks can carry a 3.2-tonne payload and have a range of up to 330 kilometres. They’ll be run by a newly-established fuel cell electric vehicle operator – Shanghai Sinotran New Energy Automobile Operation. A Ballard joint venture with a Chinese company is now producing the Ballard-designed fuel cell systems in Guangdong. Ballard president and CEO Randy MacEwen says that “Re-Fire has developed a leading position as a system integrator in the fast-moving Chinese fuel cell transportation market.” He says that it’s “not surprising” that the groundbreaking fleet is going to work in Shanghai – a city that is a leader in encouraging the commercial adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Re-Fire CEO Robin Lin noted, “Fuel cell electric commercial trucks represent a large and attractive market opportunity in China, particularly where user requirements favour long range, heavy payloads and fast refuelling.
Lin says that the 500 trucks have been prepared by Re-Fire and have been approved by authorities: “We expect to deploy all 500 trucks in 2018, subject to parallel activities, including appropriate scaling of fuelling infrastructure and our service platform.” Last year Shanghai authorities launched the Shanghai Fuel Cell Vehicle Development Plan – a groundbreaking scheme aimed at producing 3000 FCEVs by 2020. Two recently-constructed hydrogen refuelling stations are now in operation in the southern Chinese city, with two more scheduled to be completed in the next three months. As part of the plan five to 10 stations are scheduled for completion in the next two years. T&D Some of the fuel cell-powered electric trucks, ready to work
Truck & Driver | 21
NEWS
The Australian Trucking Association wants stability control mandated for most new trucks and trailers
Oz truckers want stability
THE AUSTR ALIAN GOVERNMENT could (and should) save 148 lives in the coming years by mandating stability control for most new trucks and trailers, Australian Trucking Association chairman Geoff Crouch says. Crouch believes that an Aussie government department’s recommendation that stability control is made compulsory for some new trucks doesn’t go far enough. The Infrastructure Department’s regulatory impact statement (RIS) on mandating stability control for heavy vehicles proposes that it be required for new prime movers weighing more than 12 tonnes and new trailers weighing more
than 10t. The technology would not need to be fitted to new rigids. Says Crouch: “The Government should lean in on safety and mandate stability control for all new trucks and trailers, including rigid trucks – with only narrow exceptions. “The ATA approach would save 148 lives and stop 1496 serious injuries. It would save 24 more lives and stop 412 more serious injuries than the narrow approach recommended in the RIS. “Our approach would cost businesses an additional $117million in total, but this would be spread over many years and over every
industry that buys new trucks. “In reality, the additional cost would be very small compared to the safety benefits. It’s a cost we are willing to pay. “The benefits from the ATA’s approach would be more than twice the costs. That’s more than the benefit-to-cost ratio of requiring electronic stability control for new passenger cars.” New road train converter dollies would be exempt from the stability control requirement because of issues with the technology in rough Outback conditions encountered by roadtrains in rural and remote areas. Non-standard low loaders would also be exempt. T&D
Intertruck integrates with Prestige INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS IMPORTER INTERTRUCK Distributors has appointed a new sales, parts and service dealer in Auckland. And Intertruck will integrate its own Auckland branch operation into Prestige’s Wiri business, with service, parts and admin staff moving to Prestige. Intertruck national sales manager Hugh Green also moves to Prestige International and will continue to sell trucks for Intertruck nationally. The deal, says Intertruck MD Comer Board, “ensures that we continue a high level of performance our customers expect.” He says that the “labour shortage crisis in Auckland led to a number of qualified technician positions remaining unfilled in our workshop. “Although non-qualified mechanics are available, these applicants do not meet our company’s standards. It’s imperative such standards are never compromised. That would affect vehicle repairs and vehicle safety.” He says that Prestige International owner Ricky Simonsen “provided our solution: Soon to exit from a service agreement with another franchise, Ricky approached Intertruck to be a sales, service and parts dealer for the International brand.” Board says that Prestige is “immune to the labour crisis owing to a simple formula; Ricky is a hands-on owner/service dealer who has gained 22 | Truck & Driver
tremendous respect from his employees and customers alike, resulting in his retaining longterm staff.” The deal will see Prestige with over 30 staff, including 22 technicians/ mechanics, two in-house auto-electricians and three parts staff. It will also have a light engineering capability, all in one location. The deal, effective last month, begins “a new era” in International’s parts and service in Auckland, Board says. T&D Prestige International is now Intertruck’s Auckland sales, parts and service dealer
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Story Mike Stock klock Photos Gerald Shac
The first of New Zealand’s 13 Kenworth Legend 900s, the Gleeson & Cox stunner isn’t just for show. It’s already hard at work carting bulk metal, primarily to big infrastructure projects like the new extension to Auckland’s Norhern Motorway
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RAVEL AUCKLAND’S MOTORWAYS AND YOU CAN’T MISS THEM: Gleeson & Cox’s tippers with their distinctive red, blue and white livery seem to be everywhere. That’s not surprising, given that the fleet totals more than 100 trucks, and that the Wiri-based company is a major carrier of roading metal for motorways and other big infrastructure jobs, plus other bulk loads. On an electronic display board mounted on the wall of Gleeson & Cox’s dispatch office, lights show the location of each truck. At some times of the day more than a dozen lights will glow on the relatively-short stretch of motorway between Drury and the Takanini causeway on Auckland’s Southern Motorway. So the trucks are truly out there in numbers. But among all of these Gleeson & Cox trucks – 15 Isuzus, one Nissan, one Foden, 17 Kenworths, 14 Volvos, four Hinos, four Internationals, 38 Mitsubishis and 18 DAFs – there’s one real standout. A new, very special, even glamorous addition to the fleet. It’s a truck with a real difference – the sort of truck that causes enthusiasts’ jaws to drop. The sort of truck that conjures daydreams of life on the open road, thundering down the highway looking at the world through a windscreen, carting (or going to pick up) that next load to haul, the next town to visit. A truck that promises adventure…that triggers an involuntary “wow” the instant you see it. It’s Gleeson & Cox’s brand-new Kenworth Legend 900, a limitededition model that blends classic American bonneted truck heritage with modern running gear. It’s also a truck bought to celebrate the company’s 50 years in business.
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It’s actually the new joint flagship of the Auckland-based outfit’s fleet, sharing the honour with a Kenworth T909, dubbed The General, that’s been the pride of the fleet since 2015. And like The General, the Legend’s no show pony…it IS the first of its rarefied kind in New Zealand….but it still has to work for its living. The Legend 900 blends up-to-the-minute safety and efficiency, with a cab that looks strictly old-school….to replicate the one fitted to the T900 in the 1990s. That 1990s Kenworth was a heritage truck in its own right – styled on the legendary W-Model, it was launched in 1991, with classic looks and style. Driven by customer demand, the original T900 was designed to revive the character of the American-style long bonneted truck. But it also had to be versatile enough to operate in almost any application, and tough enough to stand up to the harshest conditions. Kenworth says the T900’s appeal hasn’t faded over the past 25 years, and that was a factor that led it to create the special-edition Legend 900. The 900 is the second in the Legend series that celebrates the heritage of the brand, and was unveiled at the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show. The first Legend, the 950 which appeared in 2015, had a restricted production run of just 75 vehicles, and demand was so great it sold out in 20 hours. No Legend 950s came to NZ. That rapid sales rate left many potential customers disappointed, and Kenworth decided that for the next truck in the Legend series it would let demand determine the number built. To keep things in proportion and ensure the model’s exclusivity, Truck & Driver | 27
Legend 900 order books were open for just 24 hours, from midnight on June 26 last year. During that period, orders came in a steady stream – and when the books closed, 266 Legends had been ordered. Like its predecessor, the Legend 900 combines the latest technology for safer, cleaner and more productive operation….along with iconic Kenworth design features. It replicates many of the things that made the T900 a favourite. Some had to be manufactured specifically. Some were even handmade. Richard Smart, general sales manager for NZ Kenworth distributor Southpac Trucks, says trucks like the Legend 900 strike a chord with operators: “This sort of heritage truck appeals to many buyers. It has the classic appeal of a Kenworth. I think the fact that they sold more than 250 in one day shows they were phenomenally attractive.” Thirteen are destined to go on the road here, and will work in a range of applications, including tipping, logging and general freight. They’ve been bought by operators right from the bottom of the South Island up to Auckland. The Gleeson & Cox unit is the first of them to land here – arriving 28 | Truck & Driver
last September, having been pushed to the top of the queue by Kenworth so as to be ready for unveiling at the company’s 50th anniversary celebrations in November. By the end of 2017 it had been joined by another three for different operators. Most of the Kiwi trucks have been ordered with sleeper cabs, but the Gleeson & Cox Legend and some others have day cabs. Smart says each customer had a special reason for buying a Legend: “Some are anniversary trucks, some will be the pride of the fleet, or are for the owner of the fleet to drive. Some people buy them just because they really want one.” He’s confident that the Legends are a good investment: “They’ll realise value rather than depreciate and will become collectors’ items.” James Gleeson says that in a meeting with the company’s service manager Paul Dragt and operations manager Andy Watt to consider how to mark the Gleeson & Cox half-century milestone, the idea of the Legend 900 was born: “We were turning 50, so we wanted to do something special…. “We came to the conclusion that we needed to do another shiny
Clockwise, from above: Even amidst 111 other Gleeson & Cox trucks on Auckland’s roads, this one’s a standout... Mati Suapaia is the lucky guy who got the nod for The Legend... low grabhandle supplements a long one on the left to make access easy... the interior is classic Kenworth, including the handmade Roadranger gearknob, the old-school flat dash and the view out through the split windscreen Kenworth (like The General).” Why a Kenworth? Says Gleeson: “The Kenworth brand is the premium truck in our fleet. Kenworth has always been considered a premium truck, and they’re everything that you expect of a premium truck. The brand speaks for itself, and our drivers want to drive a Kenworth. “And we find Southpac’s support for the product second-to-none. I give credit to them, and that goes for the DAFs (also distributed by Southpac) as well. Keith Andrews with Mitsubishi have also been very good to us. We only buy the three brands of new truck, and have been doing so since 2006 – Kenworth, DAF, and Mitsubishi.” A similar policy applies – for similar reasons – to truck and trailer bin suppliers: Two firms, Transfleet and Transport & General, build Gleeson & Cox’s bins and trailers. “In our terms, a product needs to be manufactured and supported to an extremely high standard to be included in our fleet,” Gleeson adds. He reveals that the 50-year special was going to be another T909: “We were pretty much there when Kenworth salesman Mark Tucker started telling us about the 900 that Kenworth Australia was going to build as part of its Legend series.” But the special edition Kenworth’s blend of practicality, with up-tothe-minute mechanicals and technology – and the economy, ease of driving and comfort that comes with them – coupled with heritage bodywork, seemed to fit the anniversary truck bill perfectly. When Kenworth learned that the company was interested in buying a Legend 900 and the significance of the occasion, it pulled out all the stops. When Gleeson and top company execs visited the Kenworth factory for a preview of the truck, “we had lots of questions,” he says: “We said we wanted one – but how soon could we get it? And could we have it with the build number #50?”
The deadline was tight and “to meet our dates, they had to move it from truck #50 to truck #1. After some short discussions, they said: ‘we can do that.’ ” And Kenworth then proceeded to ensure it all worked, in a tight timeframe. Says Paul Dragt: “They moved mountains to make it happen. They were very accommodating; their design team were right in behind it. “They went out of their way to make sure the truck was on time, and it’s a credit to the staff at Southpac for all of the extra things they did.” Transfleet was chosen to build the bins for the Legend and its trailer “…for several reasons,” says Gleeson. Its state-of-the-art factory is just along the road from Gleeson & Cox’s HQ – and the trailer builder had constructed the bins for The General. “It was pretty easy for us….we just told them to do just exactly the same as they did last time!” And he adds: “They also did one-piece sides for the Legend 900’s bins, which was good for the mural and graphics. And Transfleet makes a good product. On-form Signs did the cab signwriting and striping, while Darryl Horne did the full-size 50th anniversary mural on the truck and trailer bins, designed by David Craggs to record the Gleeson family’s 105 years in transport and Gleeson & Cox’s 50-year history. “The mural has my grandfather Daniel Gleeson on it, my father Brian and myself,” says Gleeson proudly. There are also images of trucks and events in the company’s history. Selecting the driver for the Legend 900 was “a difficult job,” says Gleeson. In the end Mati Suapaia was called into a meeting with James Gleeson and senior management. Mati was a bit worried: Had he done something wrong? The concern turned to joy and pride “when the boss said ‘you can drive the Legend.’ ” Truck & Driver | 29
Above & left: Under the classic looks, the heart of the Legend 900 is the latest X15 Cummins...its block painted black, just like the T900’s N14 Top left: The Legend 900’s classic features include twin vertical exhaust stacks, with shrouds just like the old T900’s, exposed chrome elbows and seven-inch curved pipes, polished alloy fuel tanks and a pair of 16-inch Cyclopacs with stainless caps and chrome bowls
Gleeson sums up the reasons: “Mati was assigned to the Legend because he’s very productive. He looks after his trucks, he’s conscientious, he’s likeable and he’s a great guy.” For his part Suapaia says: “I had no idea I was going to get this truck to drive. I’m blessed to get it – it’s a lifetime opportunity. “I think I may have got it because of the way I looked after my two old trucks, but I don’t know. When I started here I always cleaned my truck every day. “If I finish work and the wash bay is available, I’ll wash the truck – and I’ve always done that. At my other companies, I always looked after the gear. Every truck I drive is carrying my life, so I have to look after it.” It can take up to two hours to get the extensive chrome and stainless steel on the Legend to shine and sparkle. The truck’s bling includes twin vertical exhaust stacks, with shrouds just like the old T900’s, with exposed chrome elbows and seven-inch curved pipes. Traditional aluminium steps run atop round, polished aluminium 200-litre fuel tanks, and a stainless tail-light bar is standard. A pair of 16-inch Cyclopacs fitted with matching stainless caps and chrome bowls filter the air. The tall oblong grille with its seven vertical bars sits atop a massive, highly-polished Texas-style front bumper which houses inset fog-lights. The truck runs on polished 22.5-inch Dura-Bright Alcoa alloy wheels and the four-axle trailer has alloys as well. As Mati knows very well: “There’s heaps of chrome to wash.” He’s been with Gleeson & Cox for three years and stepped out of an eight-wheeler to take over the 6x4 Legend….which is also named The Legend. Born and raised in a rural village about two hours away from Apia 30 | Truck & Driver
in Samoa, Mati’s been in NZ a bit over 20 years and has been driving trucks for almost the same time. “It was my rugby coach, when I was playing for Pakuranga, who got me into trucking. He gave me a job driving a van and then he trained me to be a truck driver.” Before joining Gleeson & Cox he drove Auckland-Wellington linehaul for more than 10 years, giving that job up to spend more time with his wife Stella and their six children – four boys (aged 19, 15, 13 and three) and two girls (18 and 12). Sporting talent runs in the Suapaia family. Mati played senior club rugby in Auckland and Stella represented Auckland at netball. The two older boys have been in Australia playing with the Brisbane Broncos NRL league club’s development squad…although Mati still nurses hopes that one day they might be pulling on the black jersey. The oldest daughter is an Auckland volleyball rep and was in the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme delegation which went to Belgium. When we catch up with Mati and The Legend in Gleeson & Cox’s Wiri yard soon after dawn one morning, he and workshop staff are putting the finishing touches to the truck’s livery – placing decals bearing his name on the cab sides. The Legend 900 uses the last of Kenworth’s flat-screen B-series cabs, which provide extra headroom and greater seat travel than the original T900 and are much more comfortable for the driver. Five amber night-running lights – three in a central cluster and one at each edge – are mounted on the front of the white-painted cab roof. To either side of the central three lights are chromed roofmounted air horns, poised to announce The Legend’s approach. Below them sits Kenworth’s traditional two-piece, flat windscreen with its thin chromed central divider – there’s no concession to newfangled aerodynamics here.
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A dark-tinted, bonnet-mounted acrylic wind deflector inscribed with a white-painted “The Legend” in elaborate upper-case script tells the world that this is, indeed, a special Kenworth, and a special member of Gleeson & Cox’s big fleet. Today, the 900 will haul metal from Winstone Aggregates’ quarry at Hunua, southeast of Papakura, to a motorway construction site at Wyllie Road, just to the west of Warkworth, a shade over 90 kilometres north. The work at Wyllie Road is part of the project to build a motorway that will run from the tunnels above Puhoi to Warkworth and beyond. It’s typical work for Mati and The Legend: “We’re pretty much carting metal every day.” He reckons that access to the cab is good: He finds it easy to get into and out of. Long steps run along the top of the fuel tank and there’s a big grabhandle on the rear edge of the door opening, and a small one just above the cab floor on the front side. Mati rates The Legend as “very comfortable….apart from the legroom. The only thing about this one is there’s not much room in the cab.” The cab is well-appointed though and is trimmed with dark red diamond-pleated vinyl. Legend 900 is embossed into the rear wall and door trims, and on the stainless scuff plates in the door openings. The ISRI driver’s seat is air-suspended and has armrests both sides. It’s upholstered in black leather, as is the rigid-mounted passenger’s seat (without armrests). Kenworth and Legend 900 logos are embossed into the leather seat-backs. The gearstick for the Roadranger 18-speed manual transmission is topped with a handmade wooden gear knob featuring the original
Eaton Fuller logo and a stainless steel Legend 900 surround is fitted around the sock. The in-cab sound system has four speakers, an FM/AM radio and a CD player. The cab is fitted with traditional doors and doorhandles, and switches mounted on a tiny turnout from the otherwise-flat dashboard control the traditional airlift windows. The woodgrain dash is very much classic North American truck style. It houses toggle switches and a full suite of hand-made, heritage-style, white-faced gauges with chrome bezels. Mati appreciates the dashboard’s logical, easy-to-use layout and says the gauges are nice and easy to read. There’s no fancy stuff, just simple, straightforward design. He reckons the forward visibility in the Legend 900 is “pretty good” – though the tall grille and the bonnet height do make it difficult to see where the offside front wheel is. Mati’s only been driving The Legend for a couple of weeks and is still, as he puts it, “introducing myself to the truck.” He notes part of that introduction process as we join a line of vehicles stopped at traffic lights in Papakura. As the Kenworth draws to a halt, the last car in the queue disappears, obscured completely by the tall and wide bonnet. “The bonnet is so high I can only see the roofs of cars in front,” Mati says. There’s no visibility down the side of the bonnet either. So, left to guess at how close he is to the car, he errs on the side of caution. As he becomes more familiar with the Legend 900, judging exactly where the truck is in relation to the left-hand side of the road and to cars ahead will become easier, he points out.
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Right: The Legend does without the top rating for the Cummins, but it cruises up the hills en route to Warkworth no problem Top left: Shallow but long steps mounted on the fuel tanks provide secure footing Bottom left: Classic round headlights are part of the retro package
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Spectacular 50th anniversary graphics add to the eye appeal of the Gleeson & Cox Legend unit
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He says the mirrors give a good view of the blind spots to the rear. They comprise electrically-adjusted and heated, large, flat oblong units, supplemented by 8.5-inch wide-angle spotter mirrors mounted beneath them. Through the urban and suburban streets and on to the foot of the Hunua Ranges, the Kenworth hums along, Mati easing it through the gears. The Hunua Gorge road becomes tight and twisty. It’s narrow enough that many car drivers would find it daunting, but Mati seems to make the Kenworth “shrink” as he steers it confidently and with apparent ease. Undoubtedly, it’s more difficult than he makes it look, especially as that big bonnet means that the left-hand verge is out of sight. But Mati knows the Gorge road well, and he guides the big truckand-trailer unit as if it was a much smaller vehicle. In the quarry, The Legend takes on a load of road metal, and when it heads back down the Gorge and back towards the Southern Motorway, it’s running at 44.5 tonnes. Well, running is not the right word for the truck’s progress through Auckland’s morning rush-hour congestion. Getting to the motorway seems to take forever, the truck hardly ever getting beyond second gear! Mati says the traffic is particularly bad – the same run was much easier yesterday. Creeping along in Papakura with the engine idling and the truck barely moving, the Kenworth’s good air-conditioning system keeps the cabin ambience pleasant. Our progress is start, inch-forward, stop. Over and over. We finally reach the motorway onramp around 8.35am. It’ll be almost another two hours before we deliver the load near Warkworth. And this sort of driving highlights a negative with The Legend’s old-school American day cab – tight legroom. Mati is a big guy, with a solid frame that took him into top-grade Auckland rugby as a centre and then as a loose forward for the East Tamaki and Pakuranga clubs. And there’s not a lot of room for him in the 900’s day cab, where the driver and passenger seat backs are hard against the rear wall. High clutch and throttle pedals add to the cab’s feeling of snugness: “I like my seat low, but I’ll have to get used to raising my seat up so I can get first gear,” Mati reckons. His legs are bent at 90 degrees and his knees are close to the dash: “I might need to have some of those kneepads,” he chuckles. He says it’ll take time to get completely at home with the truck.
But even as he eases into operating a truck with a markedly different cab to the ones he’s been used to, there’s no missing his pride at being entrusted with this very special truck. As we continue on through stop/start traffic on jammed suburban streets and near-gridlocked motorway, there’s little chance for Mati to stretch his legs. That has to wait till later in the journey when the Kenworth’s cruise-control is switched on, as we finally get up to 80km/h and beyond: At last he gets the chance to relax a little...and to stretch his legs. The cruise-control was a pleasant surprise for Mati: “I thought that because it was an old-style truck it wouldn’t have cruise-control on it. But it does: Push a button on the dash and the cruise-control comes on and that gives me a chance to relax my knees.” Storage space in the cab is scarce, though there is a glovebox with a wooden plaque on the lid that proclaims: “Legend 900 Limited Edition #50.” There are no storage pockets though, and Mati stows his logbook and paperwork down on the floor alongside the driver’s seat. But there is a useful gap between the driver and passenger seats where a bag can be stowed. There are a couple of cosmetic nods to Kenworth heritage related to the Legend 900’s 15.0-litre, Euro 5-compliant Cummins X15 engine. For starters it has a black-painted block, with a red rocker cover – a colour scheme that mirrors the one on the Cummins N14 motors that powered many of the original T900s. There’s also a retro Cummins Diesel badge on the sides of the bonnet. In this Legend, the 410 kilowatt/550 horsepower X15 six-cylinder turbodiesel develops maximum power of 431kW/578hp at 1800rpm, and peak torque of 2508Nm/1850 lb ft at 1200rpm. That, of course, is a long way shy of the most powerful units around – and it’s actually also short of the top X15 ratings (at 441-458kW/600-615hp and 2779Nm/2050 lb ft). Regardless, the Kenworth steams up the steep and twisty approach to Windy Ridge, south of Warkworth, with ease – and Mati doesn’t feel at all short-changed: “I’m still trying to introduce myself to the truck, but the engine power is very nice,” he reckons. Dash-mounted switches control the Cummins engine brake which, although the Cummins says it delivers 441kW/600hp peak retardation, gets only a lukewarm rating from Mati and NZ Truck & Driver publisher and test driver Trevor Woolston. On one steep descent during his drive, Woolston finds he has to go down two gears to help the engine brake hold the truck back. Truck & Driver | 35
Only 266 Legend 900s are being built, with 13 of them coming to NZ. Orders for the limited edition trucks were only open for 24 hours
Though he describes the engine brake as “not too bad,” Mati also says it doesn’t compare to others he’s driven: “It doesn’t hold as well; and with this one you feel the truck might run away. That’s what I like about Scanias; they have five stages on the retarder.” The Legend 900’s in-cab noise levels are moderately-low – conversation is easy without any need to raise voices. And the drive to Warkworth shows the Legend to be very stable on the road – and well capable of handling the job with ease. The truck has a 5450mm wheelbase and the ride is comfortable, courtesy of the combination of the Airglide 460 air suspension on the Meritor RT46-160GP rear axles, the taper-leaf springs on the Meritor MFS73 steer axle and the Cabmate airbags under the cab. As Mati reports, it “handles the potholes very well and is very good in the corners.” Understandably, the ride does gets livelier after the metal is tipped off at Wyllie Road. The steering wheel has a large diameter, a leather-wrapped rim and four polished stainless steel spokes. The feedback through it is excellent, by Mati’s judgment, who’s also impressed with its accuracy. “I don’t know if it’s because this is a brand-new truck, but this one is more comfortable to steer. In the older trucks you could feel the steering shaking, but this one doesn’t.” There are some big challenges and negatives that drivers like Mati Suapaia have to deal with constantly in Auckland’s heavy traffic: “When I was doing linehaul I never caught this kind of traffic,” he laments at one stage. 36 | Truck & Driver
“Driving a truck in this sort of traffic is a lot of responsibility. It’s about the safety of other traffic.” He finds the congestion especially trying at points like the one where four lanes merge into two at the Takanini causeway. Here car drivers trying to get further up the queue will often dart across in front of a truck, oblivious to the fact that truck bonnets can obscure them from the truckie’s view. It’s a recipe for disaster. Even with the huge improvements brought about by the Waterview Tunnel and the alternative north-south motorway route through Auckland that it delivered, the Southern Motorway remains a regular ordeal. Poor driver behaviour adds to the problems, he reckons: “On the motorway if there’s an accident on the southbound side, the northbound will jam up as well – with people rubber-necking.” Then there’s Tip Top corner, named after the adjacent ice-cream factory where the traffic again funnels down into two lanes to cross the Mount Wellington overbridge. That, he says, “can be quite scary: You come up to the bridge and someone comes up the inside – and you’re 22 metres long! You’re always seeing people making the wrong decisions.” And yet….Mati couldn’t be happier with his lot. Being given the drive in a Legend 900 has a way of completely taking the sting out of any such negatives: “I’m very proud to be driving this truck,” he enthuses. “I’m so lucky: We have some pretty experienced drivers in Gleeson & Cox and I get this truck. It’s a wonderful opportunity.” T&D
SCR C
D
RIVER MATI SUAPAIA’S DONE ALL THE hard work, battling through Auckland’s morning rush-hour traffic, by the time I get behind the wheel of New Zealand’s first Kenworth Legend 900. Mati’s cleared the commuter chaos and we’re at the BP Dairy Flat motorway rest stop when I climb up into the Legend’s cab, via its two-rail steps that run the length of the fuel tank. They’re not overly deep so it’s toe-hold only, but the tread plate gives a good footing. There’s a full-length grabhandle on the back edge of the door opening and a small grabhandle just above the cab floor at the front. The small handle helps you get up onto the first step, but after that you need to reach up to either the door itself or the steering wheel for a higher hand-hold. Once in the cab the traditional Kenworth styling is immediately recognisable, with a flat dash – no wraparound here – and the long gearstick up through the floor. The dash layout is clean and easy to see, with a full bank of gauges over to the left.
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All major switches are on a panel to the right of the gauges, and traction-control switches are mounted at the bottom of the dash. Immediately in front is the speedo and tachometer and to the left are four more gauges for fuel, temperature and air suspension pressures. The gauges have a nice white background, making them easy to read at a glance. There’s a good range of steering column adjustment, both up and down and forward and aft. And the ISRI 6860/870 PRO driver’s seat, with its leather upholstery, smart embroidery and red stitching gives great support and slides right to the back of the cab. The Legend 900’s cab is certainly not one of the roomiest, so it’s a nice snug-feeling environment for journalist Mike Stock and me. Mati’s a big boy and he uses up all the available space; I’m much smaller, but I certainly don’t have a
lot to spare. After a quick familiarisation, it’s time to head north and we pull out onto the Northern Gateway motorway, picking up gears easily, even with our 44.5 tonne all-up weight. The Legend has an Eaton Fuller RTLO20918B (18-speed Roadranger) gearbox, and it’s great to get back to changing gears manually again after a few AMT tests. Gearshifts are nice and smooth, with an excellent feel back through the stick, and the engine hardly needs to get over 1500rpm before you take another gear. The Cummins X15 is rated at up to 431kW/578hp at 1800rpm, with peak torque of 2508Nm/1850 lb ft at 1200rpm. It’s not the highest power rating available for this engine, but it certainly handles the 44.5t load without struggling. At this point I find one slight issue with the
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driving position: The throttle and brake pedal are both set back and feel like they should be further forward. Their positioning means quite a bend in the knee and ankle, even with the seat right back. It’s a bit uncomfortable until you get used to it and you find yourself lifting your foot right off the floor to move between the throttle and brake pedal. You also need to be careful that the side of your boot doesn’t catch the side of the brake pedal when you put your foot back down on the throttle. On the motorway it’s easy to get to 90km/h and hold the speed. Out front is another traditional Kenworth feature – the flat, wide bonnet that gives absolutely no view of the front left-hand corner of the truck. At first I find that I’m driving further to the right than is ideal but it doesn’t take long to work out that using the same trick I used on our recent Mack Super-Liner test helps road positioning. By lining up the bonnet badge with the white line on the side of the road it’s possible to achieve spoton truck position, keeping well to the left. Most of the few slight climbs we encounter can be taken in top gear but on a couple, I drop a split just to keep the revs over 1000rpm. Our first real climb comes as we head up onto Windy Ridge just north of Puhoi. We steadily lose gears down to the high split in the bottom of the top box. There’s no rush to grab another gear as the engine pulls nicely – just slowly dropping revs down to the next downshift and we come through the steepest part at 30km/h, running at 1400rpm.
Once we’re up on Windy Ridge, it’s back up to top gear with just a split needed at the end of the straight along the top, and then it’s down the other side. For the long, straight downhill run I find I need to drop two full gears to get the engine brake working – and I need a couple of touches on the brake pedal to steady the truck. It’s a good test run – up the stretch of SH1 that’s going to be replaced by the new Puhoi to Warkworth extension that our load’s destined for. The existing road is not the smoothest around and has several steep hills and winding sections to test the power and handling of any truck. Performance through the corners is very positive, with good feedback through the steering and the truck sits nice and steady on the road. The Transfleet trailer tracks nicely, even through some of the bumpier parts. Mirrors are traditional west coasters and provide good rear vision. However, the smaller convex mirrors mounted below the main mirrors could ideally be relocated further outboard. They tend to show a lot of the side of the cab and the exhaust shrouds and less of the road down beside the truck. It’s a good drive through to Warkworth, where I have to give Mati his truck back as I haven’t done the safety induction for the construction site and the tipoff. The Legend 900 may not have all the bells and whistles of many modern trucks, but this is an iconic Kenworth, with a traditional, classic, big square bonnet, plenty of bling and the traditional flat dash. Trucks like this limited edition reinforce the Kenworth legend. T&D
• SPECIFICATIONS • KENWORTH LEGEND 900 6x4
Engine: Cummins X15 Euro 5 SCR Capacity: 15.0 litres Maximum power: 431kW/550hp @ 1800rpm Peak torque: 2508Nm/1850 lb ft @ 1200rpm Fuel Capacity: 400 litres Transmission: Eaton Fuller RTLO20918B 18-speed Roadranger manual Ratios: Low L – 14.40
Low H – 12.29
1st low – 8.56
1st high – 7.30
2nd low – 6.05
2nd high – 5.16
3rd low – 4.38
3rd high – 3.74
4th low – 3.20
4th high – 2.73
5th low – 2.29
5th high – 1.95
6th low – 1.62
6th high – 1.38
7th low – 1.17
7th high – 1.00
8th low – 0.86
8th high – 0.73
Front axles: Meritor MFS73 (7.3 tonnes) Rear axles: Meritor RT46-160GP with inter-axle and cross-axle diff locks, rated at 20,900kg Auxiliary brake: Cummins engine brake Front suspension: Three-leaf parabolic springs Rear suspension: Kenworth Auckland traffic jams are an unfortunate fact of life for the new Legend. At least it still looks awesome standing still!
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are two of the busiest in North America and provide trucking companies with endless container movements. Photo: “Evergreen cargo ship Ever Logic at Los Angeles,” by Feddacheenee, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
The danger of unbridled capitalism R by Ken Shirley Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ
EADERS WHO ARE AWARE OF MY political leanings, or my past life in politics, may be a little surprised at the title and premise of this column. No, I have not recently had a socialist epiphany or another “road to Damascus” moment. Having traversed the political spectrum in my earlier life I now remain a believer in classic liberalism and the free market. However, even the most ardent supporters of such philosophies have their heads in the sand if they don’t recognise that unfettered capitalism can be misused by the morally corrupt to exploit the vulnerable. A responsible free market economy therefore relies on some government regulation and the rule of law to prevent the kind of power imbalance that can lead to exploitation, corporate bullying and dangerous labour practices. At the very heart of a free market system should be the dual notion of competition of the many and that a fair day’s work demands a fair day’s pay – labour given for reward gained,
in other words. It’s these two concepts that can be so easily exploited if left unchecked. Large-scale exploitation is typically associated with big multinationals operating in third-world countries – using child labour or other vulnerable workers. However, recent events in the Californian road transport industry have also shown how easily exploitation can happen in an advanced economy. A series of investigations has uncovered what’s been labelled the “disgraceful exploitation” of workers by Los Angeles port trucking companies. It was found that a number of companies had, since 2008, been forcing drivers (many of them immigrants with little English), into lease-to-buy schemes to finance their own trucks. The drivers were given no choice but to enter into a contract and take on debt they could not afford….or be let-go on the spot. The drivers were also forced to work hours far beyond the legal limit for truck drivers in the United States – up to 20 Truck & Driver | 41
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
The plight of these LA truckers can only be described as a sort of modern-day slavery Recent events in the Californian road transport industry show how easily exploitation of workers or small companies can happen.... even in an advanced economy. Photo: “Container trucks on an American highway” by Futureatlas. com, licensed under CC BY 2.0
hours a day, while cheating on their logbooks. Strangely, the lease-to-buy arrangement was a product of a Californian law change to tackle air pollution, especially emissions from diesel vehicles. The old trucks traditionally used for short-haul port work became illegal overnight – so, rather than spend $US2.5billion on a new truck fleet, port trucking companies forced drivers to finance their own trucks. Many drivers signed such contracts not fully understanding the implications – only that if they didn’t they would lose their jobs. The problem with the lease-to-buy arrangement was that drivers were not being paid nearly enough to reasonably finance the truck and have money left over to support themselves and their families. If drivers fell behind on hours worked due to sickness, family bereavement or exhaustion they were fired or suspended, lost their trucks….and the money they’d put into it. The companies also charged drivers for their insurance, diesel and even a parking levy to use the company yard. Over 1100 civil claims on the basis of wage theft were filed by drivers with California’s labour commission, with judges ruling against the companies 97% of the time and awarding drivers many hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation. However, through some very creative accountancy and the juggling of companies and legal entities very little of that money was ever repaid. The bullies, it seemed, had got away with it. That was until the USA Today news network investigated and began reporting on the experiences of a number of the truckers. This alerted politicians and regulators, including the LA city authorities, who have subsequently filed three lawsuits against some of the trucking companies. A number of manufacturers, shippers and retailers have also launched actions to determine whether the companies they use have violated labour laws. The plight of these LA truckers can only be described as a sort of modern-day slavery. In the US the situation has been likened to the experience of black tenant farmers or “share croppers,” as they were known in the post-Civil War South. It’s tempting when you read stories such as this to be a bit dismissive of their relevance to us. It’s easy to believe that such things could never happen 42 | Truck & Driver
here. But unfortunately, in some circumstances it can. In various industries around New Zealand there are major problems with worker exploitation. We’ve seen instances within the horticultural and agricultural sectors, as well as in hospitality, of migrant workers in particular being paid significantly less than the minimum wage or working unreasonable hours. The NZ trucking industry is also not immune: There are plenty of cases where drivers are pushed to work more than what is reasonable – or even legal – to pay off a truck or satisfy the expectations of an employer. Worker exploitation certainly isn’t the only form of market failure within the free market system or in NZ. Anti-competitive behaviour such as bid-rigging and price-fixing are common issues and in recent years we’ve seen the rise of delayed or deferred payments – a particularly insidious form of corporate bullying. Delayed payment terms are a problem for a number of operators in our industry as well as contractors and small businesses servicing large multinational agri-businesses. Delayed payment terms only come about because of an imbalance of power between a large, nearly monopolistic business, the small guys who service it and the inconsistency of competition across the economy – something that is common in smaller economies such as ours. The myriad of opportunities to exploit market failure therefore makes it absolutely critical that lawmakers, regulators and industry leaders co-operate to identify and stamp such activities out as soon as possible. The Commerce Commission, which takes its powers from the Commerce Act, plays the role of referee in terms of protecting competition in NZ. It can take enforcement action against businesses and individuals who breach the competition law and the court can impose significant penalties for breaches against both businesses and individuals. So, while it’s easy to be critical of government and moan about the inconvenience of some of the compliance associated with it, when it comes to protecting the little guy from capitalism’s less-friendly aspects, we should be thankful for entities like the Commerce Commission. Its job is to provide the vigilance necessary for fair participation in our free market system. After all it was Adam Smith, the Eighteenth Century Scottish philosopher and father of economics, who appreciated that monopolies were the antithesis of capitalism. T&D
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Fonterra suppliers are having to endure late payments due to questionable contract terms. Photo: “Maungaturoto,” by Elizabeth Clark, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
New government to make progress on late payments S
IGNS THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT IS WILLING to do something about the issue of late payment terms is great news for many road transport operators, says Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley. Fonterra, as well as a number of other large corporates, have over the last couple of years moved towards payment terms of 60 days or longer.
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Shirley says that late payment terms dictated by big corporations are part of “a deeply cynical worldwide trend that relies on the fact that their size precludes suppliers and other small businesses from having any other choice but to accept the new terms. “These big companies are effectively using their suppliers and contractors as a cheap form of finance, which is awfully stressful on those small businesses.
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
“The Road Transport Forum has been aware of the delayed payments situation since 2016 and has advocated for a change in the law to protect not only road transport operators but all small businesses who deal with these big multinationals.” Minister for Small Business Stuart Nash recently went on record to say that it was disappointing Fonterra was not reviewing the tougher payment terms it introduced two years ago. He also stated that he’d asked officials to closely watch the progress being made in Australia to speed up the payment of invoices and create a “new payment culture.” Nash told Fairfax: “If it genuinely looks like (the Australian government) is changing the payment culture over there, then I will put a paper to my Cabinet colleagues to make some recommendations ... to see if we can replicate what they are doing.” Shirley says it’s “very encouraging that the new Government is taking this issue seriously, as over the other side of the Tasman they have already taken a number of positive steps towards dealing with it – including the Australian Government itself reducing its payment times. “At the end of the day, 60-day or 90-day payment terms simply amount to corporate bullying and needs to be dealt with. Small businesses in the transport sector and other industries are not cashed up, and literally exist from payment to payment. It is therefore critical that they are paid for their services within a
reasonable timeframe.” RTF commissioned legal advice last year to find a simple legislative solution to take to government. RTF’s proposal is based around the unfair contract term provisions that already exist in the Fair Trading Act. By extending provisions that currently exist to protect consumers in consumer-based contracts, to business-to-business contracts, large companies would be unable to force small businesses into unfair contract terms. “This is a very simple, yet elegant solution,” says Shirley: “The good thing is that there is already a precedent for extending these provisions in the Fair Trading Act to businesses as well. During the term of the last National Government the Act ’s provisions were extended to protect subcontractors in the building industry when construction companies went under. “We are also investigating whether a further change needs to be made to the Act to allow businesses and individuals to ask a court for a declaration on whether a contract term is unfair. Currently only the Commerce Commission can do this – and considering they haven’t done so since 2015 – it ’s obvious that the present system isn’t very effective. “RTF is looking forward to making progress working with Nash and his officials on these proposals. The good news is that early indications from the Government are extremely encouraging.” T&D
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Substance -impaired driving
H
AVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THAT THERE IS A high chance that the person coming towards you on the road is impaired in their ability to drive? Most of the time, probably not: Once in the cab, you just get on with the job – right? But the reality is that road crashes caused by impaired driving occur much more often than previously thought – and more regularly than should be considered acceptable. And in many instances the use of illegal or legal substances is a major factor, says the Road Transport Forum. The New Zealand Transport Agency has found that one-in-three drivers killed on our roads have either medication or illegal drugs in their system that can impair driving. In addition, one in seven drivers report taking medication or drugs during the last year that they felt could have affected their ability to drive. And one in four new prescriptions for people of driving age are for medications that can impair driving. As NZTA senior education adviser Margaret Stevenson-Wright explains, unless you have been specifically warned about the effects of a prescribed medication, most people would probably not consider that what they’re taking could impair their driving ability. Furthermore, few would realise that some over-the-counter medication, such as that bought at a pharmacy, could also have an effect. “While most people have got the message regarding the use of alcohol or illegal drugs, it comes as a surprise to many that the prescription medication they’re using can have a similar effect on their ability to drive,”
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Stevenson-Wright says. “A lot of people are also unaware that it is illegal to drive if impaired by medication, even though that medication has been prescribed to them.” Police, the NZTA and partnering agencies are working to both identify the true extent of the issue and enhance awareness and understanding in the community of the dangers of driving while impaired. The Substance Impaired Driving Project is about educating the health and transport sectors to help identify and inform people who are at risk of substance-impaired driving. The project aims to enhance the public understanding of substanceimpaired driving and its dangers and ultimately to reduce serious injuries and deaths on our roads. The project is being led by the agency, in partnership with the Transport, Health and Justice ministries, Police, and ACC – and in collaboration with various non-governmental organisations including the AA, The Royal NZ College of General Practitioners, The Pharmaceutical Society of NZ, the NZ Medical Association and The Insurance Council of NZ. Stevenson-Wright says: “For doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals, this is about making sure that patients are made aware of the potential risk that certain medication could impair. “For truck drivers and transport operators, the important thing is for us to develop resources that help them prevent inadvertent situations of substance-impaired driving. “It is crucial that we find out what drivers and transport companies
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Road Transport Forum New Zealand was set up as a national body in 1997 to responsibly promote and advance the interests of the road transport industry and its member associations. Members of the Road Transport Forum’s member associations – NRC, NZ Trucking and RTANZ – are automatically affiliated to the Forum.
Road Transport Forum NZ PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 forum@rtf.nz www.rtfnz.co.nz Ken Shirley, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 570 877 ken@rtf.nz
One in seven drivers report taking medication or drugs during the last year that they felt could have affected their ability to drive. Photo: “Friday Night Lights,” by Russell Street, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
know about substance-impaired driving and its dangers. Confidential surveys of road transport organisations and drivers have been designed to better understand the sector’s needs and this information will then be collated by researchers and used to develop resources specific to the industry.” Each organisation participating in the survey will receive a report that profiles the current level of awareness amongst its staff, she says. And RTF chief executive Ken Shirley says that the Forum is “fully supportive of the project and encourages companies and drivers to participate. “As high-frequency road users, the road transport industry has a responsibility to lead the charge when it comes to safety initiatives such as this. “While RTF and our three associations can advocate for these kinds of programmes on behalf of the industry, their success is dependent on the information gathered from transport operators and their staff. Participation in the surveys will inform officials as to where government needs to focus its efforts in order to continually improve the safety of our roads.” The surveys, which only take 10 minutes to complete, are available on the RTF website at https://www.rtfnz.co.nz/ industry-information/substance-impaired-driving-project/. The Forum says that privacy is assured and all responses will be kept confidential. T&D
National Road Carriers (NRC) Providing services that assist NZ transport businesses PO Box 12-100, Penrose, Auckland 0800 686 777 09 622 2529 (Fax) enquiries@natroad.co.nz www.natroad.co.nz David Aitken, Chief Executive 09 636 2951 021 771 911 david.aitken@natroad.co.nz Paula Rogers, Executive Officer 09 636 2957 021 771 951 paula.rogers@natroad.co.nz Grant Turner, Executive Officer 09 636 2953 021 771 956 grant.turner@natroad.co.nz Nicola Tapper, Executive Officer 09 636 2950 021 771 946 nicola.tapper@natroad.co.nz NZ Trucking Association (NZTA) Working for owner operators and the industry PO Box 16905, Hornby, Christchurch 8441 0800 338 338 03 349 0135 (Fax) info@nztruckingassn.co.nz www.nztruckingassn.co.nz David Boyce, Chief Executive 03 344 6257 021 754 137 dave.boyce@nztruckingassn.co.nz Carol McGeady, Executive Officer 03 349 8070 021 252 7252 carol.mcgeady@nztruckingassn.co.nz Women in Road Transport (WiRT) Promoting the sector as a preferred career option for women and supporting women in the industry www.rtfnz.co.nz/womeninroadtransport wirtnz@gmail.com
Road Transport Association of NZ (RTANZ) Formed in 2010 from the previous regional structure of the NZRTA National Office, PO Box 7392, Christchurch 8240 0800 367 782 03 366 9853 (Fax) admin@rtanz.co.nz www.rtanz.co.nz Dennis Robertson, Chief Executive 03 366 9854 021 221 3955 drobertson@rtanz.co.nz Area Executives Auckland/North Waikato/Thames Valley Keith McGuire 0800 367 782 (Option 2) 027 445 5785 kmcguire@rtanz.co.nz Southern Waikato/Bay of Plenty/Taupo/ Poverty Bay Dave Cox 0800 367 782 (Option 2) 027 443 6022 dcox@rtanz.co.nz King Country/Taranaki/Wanganui/ Manawatu/Horowhenua to Levin Tom Cloke 0800 367 782 (Option 4) 027 446 4892 tcloke@rtanz.co.nz Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa/Otaki to Wellington Sandy Walker 0800 367 782 (Option 5) 027 485 6038 swalker@rtanz.co.nz Northern West Coast/Nelson/ Marlborough/North Canterbury John Bond 0800 367 782 (Option 6) 027 444 8136 jbond@rtanz.co.nz Southern West Coast/Christchurch/MidCanterbury/South Canterbury Simon Carson 0800 367 782 (Option 7) 027 556 6099 scarson@rtanz.co.nz Otago/Southland Alan Cooper 0800 367 782 (Option 8) 027 315 5895 acooper@rtanz.co.nz
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FLEET FOCUS
an Story Brian Cow rshall, Photos Terry Ma Gerald Shacklock
Logging plays a big part in DT Kings Transport’s activities, and is likely to continue to, given the projected increases in Southland timber production
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Enter your fleet colour scheme in the PPG Transport Imaging Awards: Just fill out this entry form (or a photocopy of it) and send it into New Zealand Truck & Driver. Be in with a chance to win in the annual PPG Transport Imaging Awards. Contact name name & position in company: ________________________________________________________________ Location:
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Phone numbers: __________________________________________________________________________________________
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Fleet or company name:___________________________________________________________________________________
Please send a selection of photos of one particular truck in your fleet colours. It’s desirable (but not compulsory) to also send shots of other trucks that show off the colours. Make sure your images are supplied as large format files taken on a fine setting on a digital camera. The files must be at least 3MB. All entries become the property of Allied Publications Ltd. All entries property of AlliedIMAGING Publications Send yourbecome entry tothe PPG TRANSPORT A Ltd. S AWARD Send your entry to: PPG TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS 1642 or email to waynemunro@xtra.co.nz Allied Publications Ltd PO Box 112062 Penrose Auckland Allied Publications Ltd, PO Box 112062, Penrose, Auckland 1642, or email to waynemunro@xtra.co.nz (Remember do not reduce size of images to transmit by email, send two at a time on separate emails if large files.) (Do not reduce the size of images to send them by email – send large files one or two at a time in separate emails if necessary).
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HE DESIGN IS SIMPLE, THE COLOURS bold, bright and primary….and the overall effect is distinctive, if traditional. So it could possibly come as not too much of a surprise to find that the livery of this month’s finalist in the PPG Transport Imaging Awards was designed by a seven-year-old. As a talented, truck-mad primary schoolboy, the young Campbell Murdoch would find photos of white-painted trucks in magazines and colour in schemes of his own devising, using crayons and felt markers. At the time, his parents were setting up their own family-operated stock cartage business in Pahiatua and decided to adopt the best of his efforts
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as the livery for the new company’s trucks, explains his father, Brian: “We thought it looked pretty good, and it’s served us well for the 15 years we’ve been in business. “It’s distinctive and it can be surprising when you hear from people who’ve recognised your trucks on the road while you’re out and about.” The new Hino featuring on this month’s poster carries some subtle design changes from previous Murdoch Transport units because, as Brian explains: “We figured it was time for a bit of an update.” The design work and signwriting was carried out by Graphics Headquarters in Palmerston North, the key changes being a red flash added to the
TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS
aerofoil above the cab, while the company name on the doors been revised – now done in a bolder, shadowed type against a silver background. The upgrade has included slightly bigger scrollwork than on previous models, but the fancy stuff is still simple and limited. Brian’s a believer in keeping it simple – reckons that too much of a good thing just obscures the effect: “I like my signwriting so you can read it. A lot of companies have gear that’s too busy – covered in fancy additions so that you can barely read the company name.” Painting of the newcomer was carried out by Palmerston North’s Alro Truck Centre, applying the bright red/mid yellow combination to what had left the factory a white Hino. The red is also found
on things like the chassis and brake drums. The featured truck – a 480 horsepower Hino 700 – has Total stock crates (a 2/3 decker on the truck and 2/4 on the four-axle trailer), which are demountable….as they are on the company’s other big Hino unit. Campbell, the colour scheme’s designer, has progressed through the company’s Hino 4x2 on his Class 2, and is now 21, with a full Class 5 licence – and he’s now behind the wheel of the new Hino, carting stock around the Wairarapa. By the way, his graphics skills are obviously not his only area of talent: In 2016 he won the NZ Young Driver of the Year Award at the NZ Truck Driving Championships. T&D
Top: On the new Hino 700, the livery has been given an update – the subtle changes including a red flash on the aerofoil and revised type for the company name
Bottom left & right: Older Isuzu and Hino four-wheeler carry minor variations to the colour scheme – placards on the silage bins and signwriting on the front of the crates respectively Bottom centre: Campbell with his Dad and Brian’s first Hino – bearing the colour scheme the truck-mad schoolboy created
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The 2013 fleet, lined up to celebrate the company’s 75th jubilee. In the front is an International KS-7, bought new in 1945 for £1660, and more recently restored for considerably more
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OR THE UNINITIATED, TUATAPERE MIGHT evoke the sense that this is as far away from city lights as you could get. But it’s just the gateway to a swathe of genuine heartland New Zealand country tucked behind it in western Southland. Yet, for all its remoteness, the area has a surprising level of business activity. Take Pukemaori, a dozen kilometres inland from Tuatapere: Eighty or 90 years ago it was a busy little town, servicing not only the rural community but also several sawmills and flax mills, and boasted stores, a school and a community hall. Now, in common with dozens of similar places scattered throughout the country, it’s little more than a locality….except for the big transport yard a few hundred metres down from the main crossroads. This is the headquarters of DT King & Co Ltd, a near 80-year-old company that hasn’t only remained where its roots lie…but has grown spectacularly in the Pukemaori environment, to the point where it now runs a fleet that numbers nearly 200 trucks. Granted, they don’t all overnight at home base: Increasing numbers of the company’s 90 or so logging units use a company depot in Invercargill – understandably, since it’s on the standard routes to Bluff, with export timber or chip logs for the Southwood Export mill at Awarua. With a number of drivers living in the city and no distance penalty in servicing the forest areas scattered across Southland, this makes sense. Of the other depots, Otautau and Tuatapere don’t carry the same numbers as they did in their heyday, when the work was heavily slanted to servicing local
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sheep farms, but they do still remain viable. A more recent company presence has been in Riverton, where in 2013 DT Kings bought three smaller local firms – TSK White, Bates Transport and Riverton Transport. The beginnings of DT King & Co Ltd as a transport company were more down to changed circumstances than a master business plan. When DT (David Thomas) King and wife Agnes moved to Pukemaori in 1924 it was to buy a successful local flax mill, situated close to where the trucking company’s depot still stands. The mill was one of several in the area supplying raw material for making rope and twine. It originally used horse-drawn wagons to cart the material the five kilometres to the railhead at Orawia, but in 1928 they were replaced by an International truck. By 1930 the flax supplies were all but exhausted and the mill was shut down, but in the meantime David, helped by his brother John, had built up a steady business in local carrying. In 1938 the operation was formally registered as a general carrying company. John elected to go out on his own, establishing John King Ltd, carriers at Tuatapere. This was subsequently sold to the Ryley family before eventually being bought by DT King & Co in 1972. At its inception in ’38 DT King had four shareholders – David, Agnes, their son Eric and local farmer Harry Burns – and was running three Bedfords. Within a year the fleet had grown to nine, with the addition of three more Bedfords, two Internationals and a Ford V8. A year or so later Harry Burns sold his holding to Isla, one of the Kings’ three daughters. She was married to local Algie Raynor who, despite not being a driver (his background was in farming and carpentry), was a Truck & Driver | 51
Main picture: Stock cartage is still an important segment of the business, although a significant switch to dairy in the region means that the numbers are well down on years gone by Right: As a major shareholder, Paul Balneaves has followed the principles of founder David King in maintaining a high level of employee ownership
Opposite page, left: During the 1950s, the house removal section regularly spent days on the road with a job. The Bedford carries a shed that did duty as the cookhouse Opposite page, right: From the earliest days – Eric King, Algie Raynor and the man behind the enterprise, DT (David Thomas) King
key member of the business for many years, building its early wooden stock crates and later handling the preparation of the hundreds of buildings shifted by the busy house removal division during the post-World War 2 period. This activity was in response to a nationwide shortage of buildings, coupled with explosive economic growth. If a place wasn’t needed where it sat, you could bet there’d be a ready sale for it elsewhere...as long as you had a company able to do the shift. And this is where David King’s entrepreneurial skills came to the fore, as he set up a division that shifted buildings all over the South Island – the work rampingup even more during the 1950s as several hydro schemes started up. Among their clients was Harold Richardson (father of Bill, of HWR fame) who had developed a line of one-piece transportable homes. Core of the housing operation for many years was an ex-Army GMC 6x6, which made good use of its 92-horsepower engine (which seemed reasonable for the times), all-wheel drive and front-mounted winch to get itself out of many a tight spot. The housing gang, under Eric King, became known as Kings’ Circus, because the jobs often took several days to complete, so the entourage overnighted in caravans
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and in a Bedford truck with a converted shed on the back that served duty as a cookhouse and bunkroom. When David decided to sell off the building removal division in the late 1950s he gave a foretaste of what was to come with the main company by offering it to the workers. One of the drivers, John Hodgetts, took up the offer but soon after he and another worker, Bruce Fox, were killed when a house they were repiling after a shift collapsed on them. The company briefly returned to King family control before being bought in 1963 by Fred Willis and his wife Jenny and renamed King House Removals. It’s still one of the leading players in the segment. That same year, after DT was diagnosed with a terminal illness, he made the decision that was to shape the unique future of the company by selling two-thirds of his shareholding. Half of the disbursement went to Eric King, while Johnny Balneaves – who’d started with the company as a driver in 1945 and had progressed to managing it alongside Eric – bought just under a quarter…as did another driver, Hec McLean. Smaller parcels were bought by other long-serving employees Jimmy Pratt and workshop manager Bill Diack. Some family-owned transport
companies wrestle with the challenge of succession planning when the families of their founders aren’t as passionate about running the business. By offering his family AND employees a stake, David ensured his company would be owned by people who were not only hands-on on a daily basis but also committed to its success. Johnny Balneaves’ son Paul, a senior shareholder in DT King & Co and not long retired as general manager of the transport arm, comments drily that DT’s initiative predated the network of joint-venture deals with employees that’s seemingly underpinned the structure of the HWR Group: “I reckon Bill Richardson picked up the idea from us. We had to teach him what to do!” The multiple family/employee ownership model remains to this day, and is integral to the vitality of the company, he says: “It’s one of our cornerstones and allows people to come in and out as they wish. Shareholders aren’t tied down, being free to sell at any time.” Over the years more than a dozen new part-owners have come on board. In 2013, coincidental with its 75th jubilee, the company underwent a major
restructuring. Over the years DT King & Co Ltd had acquired other assets that weren’t pure transport operations, chief among them being a two-thirds ownership of South Island UD Trucks dealership the Commercial Vehicle Centre. It had all become somewhat unwieldy, so a new, transport-only company was incorporated. This is DT Kings Transport, owned 70% by DT King & Co, with the balance in the hands of six of the younger employee/ shareholders from the original company. Direct King family connection on a daily basis remains with Peter Symons and David King, both greatgrandsons of the original DT. Several older King family members are still shareholders in DT King & Co. Paul Balneaves explains the subtle change in name, from ‘King’ to ‘Kings:’ “Well, everybody called us ‘DT Kings’ anyway, so we put it on a formal basis and added ‘Transport’ to completely distinguish it from the holding company.” DT King & Co now has just two employees, Paul Balneaves and shareholder Diane Bateman – though Paul also retains a hands-on role with the fertiliser division during the busy season. He stepped back from executive control of the transport operation in 2013, handing over to current general manager Grant Loader.
Truck & Driver | 53
Top: For many years, UD/Nissan trucks have been the mainstay of the road fleet, not unexpectedly given DT King & Co’s ownership of South Island dealership Commercial Vehicle Centre Left: From cabins to churches and all structures between, in the buildingstarved 1950s the house removals division boomed. The ex-Army GMC 6x6 was the basic workhorse during the period
Paul’s introduction to running the company was relatively abrupt. His early career was with Inland Revenue, but he’d bought shares in Kings from his father in 1977 and joined the company three years later. In 1984 his mother contracted cancer and Johnny gave up work to care for her, handing executive control over to his son. As Paul recalls, it was sink or swim time: “I learnt a lesson or two about bossing in a hurry!” A recitation of the fleet numbers from the immediate post-War years to today shows a steady growth but hides the underlying stops and starts, and the oftendramatic changes to the economic life of the region. This is nowhere more evident than in the logging sector. As far back as the 1930s DT was active in carting to the many local sawmills, or supplying pit props to the coalmines in the Ohai area. This work grew during the 1960s and was further boosted in the early 1980s when DT Kings bought a company carting native logs to the newly-established Awarua chip mill. That work took a serious hit in 1990 with the ban on native logging. 54 | Truck & Driver
A local log contractor suggested there were opportunities in Northland and a depot was duly set up in Kamo. The company operated there for six years, running up to 16 trucks in the busiest times. During the same period it was also involved in logging operations in Canterbury. A glimpse into a more casual way of life is offered by the three North American-built log haulers the company imported for its logging division. They’d been in service for a couple of years and had been shifted several times between cutting sites before somebody thought to weigh them, discovering they were putting 22 tonnes over the tandem rear axles of the log hauler! When one of the haulers was stopped on a highway move the result was what Paul Balneaves says was “a rather large fine for the time.” Following the native logging ban, Southwood Exports embarked on an ambitious programme of setting up bluegum plantations around Southland – forests that are now into their second rotation. As the primary contractor to supply Awarua, DT Kings handles around 240,000t per year of the wood, which is destined to
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become high-quality paper. The logging division also carts export radiata from the Matariki forests managed by Rayonier and works for several other forestry companies. For all the impressive size of the current numbers, Paul Balneaves believes there’s more to come: “There’s a lot of marginal land that offers potential for forestry, and demand is not going to drop away when you think of things like the development of LVL (laminated veneer lumber) beams that can be used in the construction of multi-storey buildings and are competitive with steel in several vital aspects. Industry reports talk of a doubling in timber supply out of Southland and Otago in the next few years.” The changing face of the local rural sector has also been reflected in transport. Where Southland was once sheep central, dairy has become dominant, as Paul observes: “Around 60% of our rural customers overall are now dairy. It had to come, because there was a declining economic future in sheep. And even for those who’ve stayed with sheep, a high proportion of their income now comes from winter grazing and growing feed for dairy herds. “The changes have actually promoted a far better balance to the fertiliser season. The sheep farmers generally need it later in the season, so that traditionally we’d be flat out in February and March, but the dairy people put it on in November and December, which means a more even spread of work for the likes
of us. “It’s the same with the stock as well. In the old days, western Southland was one of the last to deliver lambs. You could be sitting here with not much happening, then one of the big plants up north like Pareora would run out of stock and it would be all on – trucks working seven days and around the clock, with swap drivers in motels in Dunedin.” Fertiliser supply and spreading remains an important activity for the operation. The primarily Mercedes-Benz Axor fleet includes five self-loading trailers for the jobs close to the bulk stores, but Paul Balneaves says the preference is to use an onsite elevator, which is filled from bulk trucks and then services the spreaders: “We try to keep the spreaders in the paddock. They don’t make money carting fertiliser up and down the road. “All the frontline spreader trucks are Spreadmark certified, with a couple of older ones kept as backup. A guy in a spreader today has to know a lot more than years ago, with more detailed formulations and environmental considerations.” Kings operates Ballance stores at Pukemaori, Otautau and Riverton, which means it handles most of the Ballance work for the coastal region of western Southland. The company also has a Ravensdown store at Otautau. Over the years Kings has progressed through a classic range of truck brands, from S-Model Bedfords and KS Internationals of the pre-WW2 and immediate
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Main picture: Recently new units have been HPMV-rated 8x4s with five-axle trailers, with Mack and Volvo trucks offering the bigger power required. However, the company is also refurbishing three-axle trailers to work with lightweight trucks on smaller forest sites Inset, left: General manager Grant Loader came from a non-transport background, but has quickly become passionate about trucking and the DT Kings way of doing business Inset, middle & right: When the transport arm was split from the original holding company in 2013, there was a subtle name change as well
post-War years…through the International ACCOs, S-Lines and Loadstars and Mercedes-Benz 1418s of later decades…and on to the inevitable arrival of Japanese trucks in the late 1970s. The first couple of these were Isuzus, but the purchase in 1985 of Nissan Diesel agent HE Melhop (later renamed CVC) quickly made that brand the dominant one. The period coincided with a downturn in economic activity and for a while no new trucks were being bought, says Paul: “Traditionally, we’ve turned trucks over at around 10 years. At the moment we’re putting a new one on every three to four weeks. “But back in the ‘80s, when things were tight, we basically suspended that programme for a time. It was probably the worst mistake I ever made, because when things picked up, we were suddenly caught out and forced to buy trucks. “Ever since that day, even if we don’t need a truck, we keep replacing them. In this game, you can’t afford not to. I learnt that the hard way.” In fact, the pressure to get trucks – any trucks – on the road during the late 1980s was such that trade-ins
from CVC sometimes went straight into service with Kings without repainting, leading to the nickname Rainbow Transport. Kings doesn’t have a hard and fast rule as to the timing of truck replacement, adds Paul: “For the first seven or eight years we work them pretty hard, then they’ll spend two or three years being used as a backup in busy times before being sold on at around 10 to 12 years. Typically they’ll do 100,000kms per year when they’re frontline, dropping to around half that when they’re used as backup.” In recent times, with the need for powerful units to handle HPMV work and the withdrawal of the 470hp UDs from our market, the company has turned to Volvo FH/FM and Mack Granite models. However, that doesn’t spell the end for UD. With the new UD 420s coming in now, and 460s pending, they look to have a secure future with the company. There’ll be Volvo Group component synergy at play, since the new UDs use a Volvo-sourced drivetrain and chassis. Balneaves explains that everything new that goes on the road is now 8x4, with five-axle trailers and is permitted for 50MAX: “That said, we’re also Truck & Driver | 59
Above: The TW Series Nissan Diesels proved great workhorses in challenging forestry sites Above right & right: Several years of minimal replacement in the 1980s caught the company on the hop when the work ramped up and it was desperate for trucks. Trade-ins from CVC were put straight to work in whatever colour scheme they came with, leading to the nickname Rainbow Transport
refurbishing some of our old three-axle trailers and will be putting lightweight 8x4s in front of them. The newgeneration UDs are about to launch, and we’re hopeful they’ll be close to 10t tare. With the trailers under 4t, we’ll be able to make a 30t payload.” Despite seeming to fly in the face of modern trends, the three-axle trailers have an important part to play, he says: “As I said, with a lightweight truck they can get close to 30t payload, whereas the H-rated units gain only two or three tonnes when you factor in the extra weight of both truck and trailer. “And you still have a lot of logging contractors out there, working on the farm lots and the like, who only have 20t diggers that can’t handle lifting off the fiveaxle trailers.” And he adds: “I’m not totally convinced on the economics of H-rating. It can be a little more profitable, but not to a huge degree when you take in the weight and cost of the extra axles, longer trailers and more powerful trucks. “You do get the higher payload per trip, which reduces the number of trucks needed to shift the same tonnage, but it’s not a transport profit-making venture for us as much as a move for customer satisfaction. “We have found that when you get into the H-permits above 50t GCM the road charges start to bite. It’s not too bad if they’re on a dedicated route and can be kept loaded all the time, but with loggers, for example, if you have to shift forests for a couple of days you’re not able to carry loads you’re paying the permit fee and the higher road taxes for.” Pretty near all the company’s new trailers come from Modern Transport Trailers, which until 12 years ago 60 | Truck & Driver
was a CVC division and remains the primary supplier for Kings. All the five-axle log trailers are built to a standard design, meaning they can be swapped from truck to truck without problems. Stock crates are all alloy Delta, four decks for the latest ones. Two five-axle stock units have been delivered recently and another is currently being built. As well as having what is virtually an inhouse heavy engineering department in MTT, Kings also has two main workshops, at Riverton and Pukemaori – the latter staffed by four mechanics and two engineers and able to handle pretty well everything the company might require. In terms of fleet size, the purchase of the three Riverton companies in 2013 nearly doubled the numbers, though many of the older units were quickly sold on and have been replaced by new trucks. Employees at Pukemaori come from as far afield as Te Anau and Invercargill, but the biggest numbers are now working out of the Invercargill branch, says Paul: “Going back 20 years, the Tuatapere depot would have been one of the main ones, but the number of trucks working out of it has shrunk by half since then. Because most of the trucks out of Invercargill are servicing the port at Bluff or the chip mill, they have to pass through there anyway, so it doesn’t add any distance to their daily runs.” Driver recruitment is, he says, “pretty good. We look after our staff. That has always been a strong point in my philosophy. Staff are a more valuable asset to a company than trucks. It’s no point for an owner to be sitting back and living a life of luxury. You’ve got to be prepared to pitch in when needed. Staff appreciate
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Top: Big workshop at Pukemaori is set up to handle pretty well everything the company needs Above left: DT King (second from left) and his family – daughter Myrtle, wife Agnes, daughters Hazel and Isla and son Eric Above right: The Kings’ house at Pukemaori (across the road from the current depot) had a shop/office attached and a fuel pump that serviced the locality
that.” A few beers of a Friday night are still a feature of life at Kings, and contribute to good staff relationships, says Paul, despite it being less PC than it used to be. However, the 2018 versions pale in comparison with those of years gone by, when the Friday night sessions were based on a four-and-a-half-gallon keg….sometimes refilled a couple of times as the evening wore on! By modern standards, people got away with hairraising stuff in the old days – like sending new recruits out to drive with no training…sometimes even without
licences. DT King himself had been driving for several months when he first applied for a licence and was found to be a couple of years too young, the discrepancy “remedied” simply by changing his age on the application form. Nowadays, the fertiliser spreaders offer a good entry path for drivers with a Class 2 licence. The company pays for them to progress through to a Class 5, the drivers subsequently paying it back through their wages. Truck & Driver | 63
Left: As the early Bedfords were phased out, the company used several Thames Traders Middle & right: Earlier Nissan Diesel spreaders have been replaced by MANs and Mercedes-Benz Axors. Ainslie Laurie is one of many drivers who have followed a parent into working with DT Kings Below: With nearly 200 of ‘em on the road, DTK trucks are a common sight throughout Southland....and beyond
Balneaves is sanguine about the inevitability of some drivers feeling that the grass is greener elsewhere and wanting to leave: “Treat people well and if they want to go there’s not much you can do about it. There’s no point in trying to hold them here through contracts and the like. That only leads to someone who’s here against their will...so they’re not going to be committed. “It’s always kind of nice to have a staff member who leaves, only to be back 12 months later when they realise they have it pretty well here.” For the most part people don’t bother looking elsewhere, and longserving staff are the rule more than the exception. One is Wayne Laurie, who started with the company in 1979 and today is a senior dispatcher, keeping an eye on the logging units. In common with several of the staff, he’s also a shareholder and daughter Ainslie is driving a spreader for the company. Wayne isn’t even the longestserving staff member, that honour going to Hec McLean’s son Ken.
64 | Truck & Driver
By comparison, one of the newest staff members is GM Grant Loader, who joined just prior to the 2013 reorganisation. He didn’t have a trucking background, and admits he was a bit surprised to get the job when he applied, not believing it’d be possible to walk into a management role in the transport industry from outside. Grant is originally from Canterbury, where he worked in the wholesale side of the construction industry, before eight years ago shifting to Invercargill to run a Plumbing World store. Since arriving at Kings, his earlier concerns have been put behind him and he’s become passionate about the industry and the company. He’s rapt in the employee shareholder model: “With several of the senior people having a stake there’s never any problem with engagement and motivation,” he says. Grant is also looking forward to the new UDs with their Volvo technology: “It was quite a financial hit for us for a start to move away from the traditional UDs to the Volvos and Macks, but it has worked overall for us
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Top left: Older, backup UDs in the Pukemaori yard. After about eight years trucks are generally pulled back from frontline duties Top right: The ‘Kings Circus’ house removal crew get ready for a new day after an overnight stop Above left: Wayne Laurie has been with the company for nearly 40 years, is now a senior logging dispatcher Above right: An Axor spreader at work. The company has a few self-loading trailers but generally prefers to keep the spreaders in the paddocks – serviced by bulk units and elevators
that we can get models from the same family that can handle the big loads, while at the same time continuing with UD in the more modest power ranges. “And with the Volvos and Macks there’s the hope we’ll get a bit of payback with a better price when we’re finished with them, plus lower R&M costs during service. If it works out across the life of the truck that’s all we look for.” The company tries “to stage the introduction of our new units as much as possible, because it means we’re not landing the trailer and crate makers with a whole lot in one go.” Health and safety, says Paul Balneaves, is a neverending battle, although he does applaud the thrust of the new legislation: “One of the most aggravating aspects is in forestry, where a management company
might get a bee in its bonnet over a particular aspect and says, ‘if you don’t do this you can’t cart for us.’ When the regulatory changes were being rolled out you sometimes got one forestry company with an H&S policy which was in conflict with the policy from another company on the same issue. It was pretty fraught for a while, but there’s a bit more commonsense and collaboration coming into the business now.” Keeping it in the family – and keeping it a viable business at the same time – is the tightrope walked by the owners of many transport companies. David King struck on a novel yet very effective solution: Keep it in the families of the people who work there….and the wider “family” of the company is guaranteed to prosper. T&D Truck & Driver | 67
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… r e h t a f son
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T THE TENDER AGE OF SEVENTEEN, ALEX LITTLE is a New Zealand SuperTrucks Championship veteran. To say he was born to the sport isn’t much of a stretch: He started going to truck race meetings when he was a baby – “and I practically went to every single race since I was six months old!” He grew up going to races with his Dad Malcolm’s truck race team – watching Little senior become increasingly competitive… To the point where he won the NZ championship when Alex was six or seven….and backed that up by winning the title again in each of the next two seasons. When Alex was just 15, Malcolm bought an ageing Aussie Volvo race truck – hoping to ease his son into racing by running at the back of the field…only to be told he was just too young. But when Alex showed immediate promise in a racetrack test session and in his very first race outing (after he’d turned 16), Malcolm decided to build himself a new Freightliner Century Class racer, to TD26607
t
Story Wayne Munro Photos Terry Marshall
replace the one he’d built maybe 17 years earlier…. And put his son behind the wheel of the old truck – another Century Class, with a Cat C12 engine which Malcolm reckons puts out around 1500-horsepower. As Alex says appreciatively, his Dad “got out his chequebook and he’s put it all on the line to put me in a race truck.” It was a tactic, he understands now, that wasn’t without the risk of embarrassment: “When he put me in the Volvo when I was 15, he was kind of scared I wouldn’t be good – you know, ‘what if he holds everyone up!’ ” Far from that, remarkably last year Alex ended up in a real contest for the NZ title with reigning champ Troy Wheeler, also in a Cat-engined Freightliner. In the end Wheeler prevailed for his second title, but Alex was runner-up….at 16! In his first year of racing. That, as he says, “was overwhelming.” And now here he is, with two of the five rounds of the 2018 championship done, leading the title fight, narrowly ahead of Wheeler on points. And the apprentice diesel mechanic, who works Truck & Driver | 69
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Above: The kid’s got talent! At just 17 Alex Little is leading the title fight for the NZ championship. He thanks his Dad and his crew, Peter and Nick Bartlett, for giving him “the best truck” Right: Aussie Rob Waters (Kenworth) goes by Dave West (Freightliner Argosy) at Teretonga...with eventual winner Alex Little waiting to pounce. Malcolm Little (Freightliner) leads the chasing group, which includes Tony Brand (Bedford), Troy Wheeler (Freightliner), Garry Price (International), with Ash Hey (Scania) at the rear
in his Dad’s heavy vehicle workshop in Upper Hutt, believes he has a good shot at winning the title when the series wraps up at Pukekohe on April 1. By contrast, his Dad was dogged with problems in the first two rounds of the championship – penalised repeatedly by race officials, primarily for breaking the 160km/h speed limit imposed on race trucks…and once for a tangle with Wheeler. But, says Little junior, there’s no hard feelings from his Dad that Alex is leading the points….while he’s down in seventh and out of championship contention. Quite the opposite, in fact, as Alex says: “I think he’s quite happy that his son ain’t a terrible driver, you know.”
Little the younger reckons he and his Dad have had “a few good battles. Racing with your Dad – not many kids get to do that. “When I was a kid growing up I looked up to my Dad…specially when he won those three titles in a row. I thought yeah ‘Dad’s pretty good.’ “I didn’t think I would ever get to drive a race truck. Now, racing your Dad is kind of weird….really cool. It feels really special – a father and son activity. Like wow!” The first time he beat Malcolm in a race was a standout moment: “You know, that was pretty cool – ‘I’m beating Dad here!’ ” He’s certain that Malcolm won’t feel anything but pride if he can win the championship: “Like, if you Truck & Driver | 71
think about it, me winning the title would be more winning it for the team… “He knows he’s built a good truck and he knows his son’s a good driver.” In fact, it was his Dad who drove an intense, lastminute upgrade of Alex’s Freightliner over the Christmas break: Two father/son partnerships – Alex and Malcolm and Alex’s crew, Peter and Nick Bartlett – worked long hours for about 12 days straight to replace the racer’s chassis rails with lighter ones, move the C12 engine back and relocate the fuel tank to the rear. The racer ended up over 300 kilograms lighter. It’s also hugely improved in its balance, reckons Alex: “Traction, balance and tyre wear – everything works well. The truck is a very good-handling truck.” So good, in fact, that “right now I think I’ve got the upper hand.,..because I just think the truck’s better than the rest. I think my truck’s more powerful than Troy’s.” His ambition is clear: “I really want to win the title – at least once. I’ve got the truck and I think I’ve got the skill as well. If I could win multi titles that’d be really cool. I’d always love to one day participate in a TransTasman Challenge like they used to have.” In this month’s final three rounds of the championship – at Timaru, Taupo and Pukekohe – he sees Wheeler as clearly his biggest title rival, with Australian Kenworth driver Rob Waters a potential threat as well. Wheeler is second in the standings with
96 points – just seven behind Alex. Garry Price (International) is third, on 85, with Waters (79), Freightliner Argosy racer Dave West (78) and Bedford KM driver Tony Brand (73) next. Malcolm Little is on 60 and Ash Hey, who drove the ex-Wheeler Scania 111 at Teretonga, is on 31. The season didn’t get off to a great start for the Littles: After running fast in practice at the January 13/14 opening round at Ruapuna, Christchurch, Alex ended up with a non-functioning turbo on his C12 in qualifying. That left him seventh….or, in other words, last! His Dad didn’t fare much better – even though he was clearly fastest! His Freightliner broke the speed limit in qualifying and so he was dropped to the back of the start grid for the opening race of the season. Waters got the pole start ahead of reigning champ Wheeler and led most of the way, before being overtaken by Wheeler, who went on to open his title defence with a firstup win. Little senior charged through the field and also got by Waters, into second place….only to be handed a 15-second time penalty for an early passing move on Wheeler that had ended with the titleholder’s Freightliner off the track. A few minutes later, the two were together again – and this time Little senior went spinning, dropping to an eventual fourth…that became seventh when the time penalty was added. Back to where he’d started!
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Rob Waters leads the field away at the start of the championship opening race at Ruapuna. Wheeler ended up winning this one, after a couple of skirmishes involving him and Malcolm Little
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The opening race of the season saw a full-on fight between former champions Troy Wheeler (#1 TWC/Cat Freightliner) and Malcolm Little (#66 Freightliner). First Little put a pass on Wheeler (top left) that earned him a penalty from race officials. Then, minutes later, as he chased Rob Waters (#77 Kenworth), the two appeared to tangle and Little went spinning (top right & bottom). Wheeler went on to take the win
Still, there was a Little family silver lining: Alex also went by Waters with a lap left to run and so inherited second place. The first of two Sunday championship races saw Malcolm Little off the back again, with Wheeler, Alex Little and Waters respectively ahead. West soon got by pole-sitter Brand’s Bedford for the lead, but was eventually run down by a charging Malcolm Little…who once again got a penalty for speeding. This time it was 30 seconds – and it dropped him down to fifth. Thus West took the win, with Wheeler second and
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Alex Little third. The second race of the day saw a head to head fight between Wheeler and Alex that Little junior reckons is “one of the most exciting races I’ve had. Troy got the jump on me at the line – and we had an absolutely titanic battle all the way. It was very, very, very close. I almost got past him a couple of times.” But Wheeler held on – leading Little past early 1-2 runners Price and Brand, while Mal Little made it from seventh to fourth, behind Price. At the end of it all, defending champ Wheeler led the overall standings with 62 points – holding a
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Top left: Alex Little reckons that this Ruapuna race with Troy Wheeler was one of his most exciting so far. Here he’s trying (unsuccessfully) to go around the outside Top right: Let’s get ready to rumble! The field, headed by (from left) Waters, West and Price about to go racing at Teretonga Bottom left: Garry Price gets the power down in his Inter going onto Teretonga’s long main straight Bottom right: Arch-rival Wheeler and Little teams are paddock neighbours at Invercargill
good gap over young Alex, on 46, West (44), Price (41) and Brand (37). Malcolm Little’s problems left him a lowly seventh, with just 27 points – behind Waters (sixth, on 32). The second round, at Invercargill’s Teretonga circuit the following weekend, saw a qualifying session that was bitter/sweet for the Littles: They’d been the pacesetters in practice, but Malcolm was disqualified for overspeeding…while Alex was fastest, more than one second quicker than Wheeler and 1.5s better than Waters. Alex Little, Wheeler and Waters thus started the opening race in that order – and finished in the same spots. But officials pinged Wheeler for over-speeding and hit him with a 10s penalty that dropped him from second to fourth – elevating Waters to second, and Mal Little up to third. West, Price, Brand and Hey completed the finishers. Race 2 saw Brand off pole, with Waters, Mal Little, Wheeler and Alex Little – in that order – off the back. Waters initially led the fast pack, going by West for the lead on the third lap – but succumbed to Alex Little’s charge from the back on the second-to-last lap. So Little junior won it from Waters, with Little
senior claiming third, ahead of Wheeler, Price, West, Brand and Hey. The third championship race saw Brand, Hey and Price upfront at the start, in that order – with Price grabbing the lead early ahead of Brand – the two of them leaving the fighting behind, while Malcolm Little took third from Hey on the last lap. Alex Little and Waters collided on the first lap as the teenager attempted an outside pass and the Kenworth got loose: “It sent me flying,” says Little. Waters ended up fifth, Little sixth, Wheeler seventh and West eighth. But Wheeler was later disqualified for a race incident and Mal Little was relegated to fourth, courtesy of a 10s penalty for overspeeding. Alex Little thus won the round, with 57 points to Waters’ 47 and Price’s 44. Defending champ Wheeler was fifth-equal with West for the meet – two points behind Brand (36). Mal Little was seventh and Hey eighth. And that saw Alex Little lead after two rounds, with 103 points to Wheeler’s 96 – with Price on 85 in third. Waters is fourth on 79, ahead of West (78), Brand (73), Malcolm Little (60) and Hey (31). T&D Truck & Driver | 77
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SCR Solutions’ MD Greg Jorey in the company’s warehouse.... which gives a good idea of the scale of the operation as it starts its second decade
Ten years in AdBlue biz N
EW ZEALAND ADBLUE SUPPLIER SCR Solutions last month notched-up 10 years of supplying the ureabased fluid used in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust emissions systems. Managing director Greg Jorey learnt about AdBlue in February 2008 while looking at exhaust emission systems – discovering that most European truckmakers were incorporating SCR systems in their new trucks. Clearly AdBlue would eventually be needed in NZ, so Jorey partnered with AdBlue manufacturer Yara and launched SCR Solutions – bringing the first container load of Yara’s Air1 hot-melt AdBlue into NZ at a time when “only a handful of trucks” with SCR systems were on the road here. SCR Solutions partnered with Yara because, Jorey says, “they were the world’s largest manufacturer of hot-melt AdBlue….widely accepted across the industry as producing the highest-purity grade AdBlue.” Jorey says “a lot of door-knocking and advertising” saw SCR Solutions’ business begin to grow – with a further boost as American trucks also began arriving with SCR systems that required AdBlue. “After a few years there was a noticeable shift from 1000-litre IBCs to bulk tanks, prompting the need for SCR Solutions to start a bulk delivery service.” The growth put pressure on major fuel companies to provide AdBlue at truck stops, says Jorey – and SCR Solutions “was instrumental in helping BP provide AdBlue at the pump.” It now also builds BP’s above-ground AdBlue
tanks and fills a number of tanks around the country for Z Energy. Jorey says that “over the years the market has seen other AdBlue suppliers come and go – and there’ve been plenty of horror stories: AdBlue in the diesel tank, diesel in the AdBlue tank…we’ve even seen AdBlue in the radiator and windscreen washer bottle! “One truckie was told by his AdBlue supplier to change the AdBlue filters on his truck monthly to stop the AdBlue clogging the system.” He points out that SCR Solutions “has never had a contamination issue, which is something we are very proud of.” Jorey believes that SCR Solutions’ “knowledge of the product, our knowledge of the industry and our one-stop-shop – providing both the dispensing gear and the AdBlue” – are the reasons for its success. It now has “well over” 100 of its bulk tanks in transport operator depots nationwide, has its own service vehicle on the road “to carry out regular check-ups on our equipment to avoid supply disruptions” and its network of bulk storage locations means “we’ve eliminated a lot of the freight costs.” It moved into a 2000-square-metre HQ in Mt Maunganui in mid-2016. Currently the company is launching its own approved dispensers, “making it easier for customers to get AdBlue when they need it.” SCR Solutions has also developed its own Cloud-based dispenser system, “so we can monitor customers’ tank levels and provide them with a monthly usage report.” It’s a free service for volume customers. T&D
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Truck & Driver | 79
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OUT OF AMERICA
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The reduced exhaust emissions come at a cost – the visual impact of the overhead electric lines and their support posts
Electric power’s in the air
By North American correspondent Steve Sturgess
G
ERMAN INDUSTRIAL GIANT SIEMENS AND A CALIFORNIAN air quality agency have turned to trolley-bus-style electricallypowered trucks in a reduced-emissions trial. The project aims to develop a zero (or near-zero) emissions alternative to diesel-engined trucks for hauling seafreight on short, set routes to and from the United States’ two biggest ports – at Los Angeles and Long Beach. The trial involves three heavy-duty drayage trucks running along a one-mile (1.6 kilometre) stretch of roadway in Carson (near the ports) using Siemens technology to electrify one lane in each direction via overhead electric wires and truck-mounted pantographs. The $US13.5million eHighway project is the second of its kind undertaken by Siemens, which launched the world’s first eHighway system on a two kilometre section of public highway near Stockholm, Sweden in 2016. It has three field trials of the eHighway technology planned for German highways next year.
The US demo is being run by California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), which identifies heavy-duty trucks as “the number one source of smog-forming emissions in Southern California.” Developing a zero-emissions (or near-zero emissions) freight movement system in and out of the ports, it says, “will reduce smog-forming, toxic and greenhouse gas emissions in communities around the ports, which are some of the areas most heavily impacted by air pollution.” And the project will help evaluate “the feasibility of a zeroemission cargo movement system using overhead catenary wires,” says executive officer Wayne Nastri. “This demonstration could lead to the deployment of eHighway systems that will reduce pollution and benefit public health for residents living near the ports.” Siemens North America head of turnkey projects and electrification Andreas Thon says that “every day, Americans rely on the goods and services that are carried by road freight. Truck & Driver | 81
y l n o d n a s u l p 0 0 0 , 0 3 1 $ Earn r a e y e h t f o s k e e w 9 3 k wor WE HAUL MILLIONS OF TONNES OF MATERIALS ACROSS THE PILBARA IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA Jamieson Transport is looking for experienced Road Train Drivers who are interested in joining our Port Hedland operation. We provide FIFO rosters and accommodation while on site. We work with some of the leading mining and resources companies in Australia and our reputation for providing reliable and quality service to our customers is second to none. You will be operating quad side tippers carting bulk materials from the mine sites to the port.
As part of our employment process, all employees will be required to undertake a pre-employment medical and ongoing drug and alcohol screening To be considered for this role, successful applicants will possess the following: • Current MC licence or relevant experience • Current Commercial Driver Medical • Detailed (5 year) Driver History Report.
• Current National Police Clearance • Must have a minimum of 5 years’ heavy commercial vehicle experience • Current Drug and Alcohol Screen • Competent 18 Speed Road Ranger experience • Provide references Great ongoing prospects are available for candidates that have a fantastic attitude, demonstrate capability across all areas and have a proven commitment to both themselves and their employer Benefits • We are offering excellent wages (negotiable by experience) • Very friendly and flexible roster (Residential and FIFO) • Flight and meal allowance (weekly) • Accommodation and transportation provided
Please direct all enquiries about this position to hr@jamiesontransport.com.au If you are shortlisted you will be sent an application form via email. You need to complete and return this as soon as possible to be considered for this role. Due to the high number of applications that we receive - only those applicants who are shortlisted will be contacted.
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Specific Responsibilities • Efficient operation of quad trailer road trains • Complete all necessary associated documentation (such as the preparation and signing of cartage dockets and service requests) • Be able to treat our equipment with care and respect • Candidates will be required to demonstrate a willingness to work within these environmental conditions
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Above: A Pinnacle that Mack had been using to trial a a diesel/electric hybrid powertrain is one of the three trucks in the Californian demonstration. It hooks up to the power in the overhead lines via the pantograph arms mounted behind the cab Below: A bunch of new, electric specific controls, feature on the trucks’ dash displays, including a touch-screen to raise and lower the pantograph arms
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“But with that mode of transportation predicted to double by 2050, only one-third of this additional travel can be handled by trains, despite expansion of rail infrastructure.” Hand in hand with this projected growth in road freight, is a predicted doubling of CO2 emissions from trucks over the same period. The eHighway system, he says, “can modernise the existing infrastructure using the latest technology to accommodate the growing amount of (truck) freight travel, reduce harmful emissions and keep these ports, one of our country’s major economic drivers, competitive.” Roland Edel, chief technology officer with Siemens’ mobility division, says that eHighway technology “has the capacity to double efficiency in comparison to regular diesel-powered trucks. This in turn cuts energy consumption in two…” The project is being funded by SCAQMD, China Shipping, the California Energy Commission, the ports of Long Beach and LA, Siemens and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
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Three tractor units are taking part in the test – two International ProStars converted to electric powertrains by Californian company TransPower. One is pure plug-in battery electric; the other is a gas/ electric hybrid, which has a CNG-fuelled 3.7-litre Ford V6 generationset to provide an extended range, by continually topping-up the battery power. The battery-only electric has a range of 40 miles/64kms, while the range-extended truck offers the same mileage when running on batteries alone but can operate for several hundred miles with the range extender in operation. The third demo tractor is a Mack Pinnacle using a diesel/electric hybrid powertrain that Mack’s been developing for heavy trucks, but hasn’t yet launched commercially – specifically designed for doing short hauls in congested traffic. It has an electric traction motor that – away from the catenary wires – assists during acceleration and functions as a generator in the regenerative braking mode to return electric power back Truck & Driver | 83
Above, left & right: Two of the demo trucks with their pantograph arms lowered. The catenary infrastructure, onboard electronics and power controls reduce the voltage of 500 to 750 volts DC down to 350 to 400 volts to drive the trucks Right: Another standard dash display, repurposed for the trial
84 | Truck & Driver
package that it can supply to truck OEMs to replace the regular diesel drivetrain with an assembly line-fitted, all-electric option. So far it’s completed 25 electric trucks, school buses and materials-handling vehicles – all similar to the concept batteryelectric truck that diesel engine manufacturer Cummins rolled out last August. TransPower’s two powertrain options are a medium duty single engine setup and a heavy-duty two-motor drivetrain. The motors are internal permanent magnet AC motors from China’s Jing-Jin Electric Technologies. Jing-Jin says it’s a pioneer in technical innovation, with products including pure EVs, plug-in hybrids and hybrids. The motor that TransPower is using was originally developed for the Fisker Karma electric car and develops 160kW/214hp and 674Nm/497 lb ft of peak torque. The dual-motor tractor unit in the demo thus boasts 320kW/428hp and 1348Nm/994 lb ft. TransPower powertrain engineering VP Frank Falcone says that using off-the-shelf and proven components has enabled TransPower to build in robustness and reliability. The power architecture includes a DC to DC converter to drop the catenary voltage down to
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to the onboard batteries. The 120kW/161hp peak and 70kW/94hp continuous electric motor is sufficient to power the truck when the MP7 diesel engine is shut down, allowing for zero emissions when the truck is running under the catenary power line. The Mack prototype is specifically targeted at drayage operations with “significant fuel savings and emissions reduction benefits” even when the truck is operating outside of the eHighway. Along with its hybrid diesel/electric powertrain, it has lightweight and aerodynamic-enhancing components to extend the benefits of the hybrid technology and minimise its emissions. Mack senior VP of North American sales Jonathan Randall says that “Mack continuously investigates alternative solutions to diesel, and the catenary system is just one of a number of projects in which we’re currently involved.” Where Mack is looking to hybrids to reduce tailpipe emissions of NOx and PM, it is also striving to reduce fuel consumption and the production of CO2 in heavy-duty distribution vehicles. So far it has produced proof-of-concept trucks for construction and refuse applications. TransPower’s end-game is to create a zero-tailpipe emission
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400 Volts required by the powertrain. Falcone says that the powertrain is very flexible in offering the single or dual motor because it will accommodate applications “in the medium and heavy-duty space.” These include school bus, yard tractors, drayage and refuse trucks. Currently it has drayage and other heavy equipment operating in the LA ports, plus a refuse truck and two yard tractors in demonstrations in Sacramento. One of TransPower’s earliest conversions has clocked-up 35,000 miles/58,000kms in service as a yard tractor over the past four years, while its demo electric vehicles have between them accumulated 110,000 miles/176,000kms. TransPower Li-ion cells and battery packs now use lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) technology that offers lower energy density, with a longer life and less risk of “unfortunate events in real world use such as fire or explosion.” They’re also lighter and take half the space of the company’s first-generation battery packs, says Falcone. By using the same type of batteries used in electric cars, TransPower is getting the benefit of reduced battery costs and Falcone believes that battery advances will help to eventually bring trucks with electric drivetrains down into the $US300,000 price range. He is sceptical of a recent claim that battery electric trucks with a range of 300-500 miles (480-800kms) will soon cost just $US150,000 to $US180,000. A key element in the TransPower package is its proprietary fivespeed transmission – based on an Eaton 10-speed. Falcone says it allows “great startability on over a 20% grade and good highway cruise speeds up to 75mph/125km/h. In the catenary electric system the conductor wires hang from
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and are clipped to a messenger wire. This delivers the electrical power to the conductor wire, which has to be at a constant height above the road. The messenger wire is anchored to many supporting structures along the route and hangs in a catenary – the arc that a line or chain describes when hung from each end. The three demo trucks connect to the power lines through pantograph contact arms mounted behind the cabs. Siemens’ catenary infrastructure, onboard electronics and power controls reduce the catenary voltage of 500 to 750 volts DC down to the 350 to 400 volts required to drive the trucks. The electrical installation for the demo took about six months to complete, Siemens says – the necessary infrastructure for the trial accounting for about 25-30% of the total budget. The demo is unique in the United States because it’s the first overhead catenary system providing power to trucks. Similar overhead power line systems are fairly common for people-moving trams and trolleybuses and in rail. Trains and trams’ combination of steel wheels on steel rails provides one of the power lines, but the rubber tyres on trucks and trolleybuses mean that they must have two overhead wires and two pantographs on the vehicles to complete the electrical circuit. The pantographs can be raised and lowered from a dashboard touchscreen and a truck could disconnect from the overhead power to pass another catenary user, then pull back into the lane under the wires and reconnect to the overhead power, on the move. In this way, a catenary installation could serve other electric vehicles such as trolleybuses, transit buses, trash trucks, school buses – even inter-city coaches if such an installation were to be installed, for example, from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. T&D
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The two International ProStars taking part in the trial, hooked up to the overhead lines and ready to run. During the demo, there’s opportunity for public comment and it’ll be interesting to gauge opinion on the visual pollution that additional wires and poles introduce at street level.
The chosen route is one of the least attractive roads imaginable – and the catenary system does nothing to improve that.
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FEATURE
Steep sand dunes wreaked havoc with the racetrucks. This is Iveco’s Team De Rooy driver Artur Ardavichus en route to fourth place. Photo: ASO/@World/A. Vialatte
amaz K comeback Story Wayne Munro
R
USSIAN RACER EDUARD NIKOLAEV shrugged off near rally-ending setbacks – including tipping his Kamaz racetruck onto its side off a sand dune – to claim back to back victories in the heavy truck division of 2018’s 40th Dakar Rally. Luckily maybe for the 33-year-old, he wasn’t alone in encountering trouble during the 14-day, 8700-kilometre race through flooded lowlands, steep, giant dunes and high-altitude alpine terrain in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina. Many others toppled over or rolled on the severe slopes of the dunes, including the man who finished second behind him – Siarhei Viazovich, in a works-backed Belarusian MAZ. And third-placed Ayrat Mardeev, one of Nikolaev’s Kamaz Master team-mates. Within the first few days of the rally, the Iveco of Ton Van Genugten and Dmitry Sotnikov’s Kamaz had also ended up on their sides – and Czech driver Ales Loprais rolled his Tatra out of the event….all victims of the dunes.
In his case, said Nikolaev, all it took was “one dune I couldn’t take in one go. I started to move back…there was a ledge and a wheel got into it. The truck fell. “We fell onto the roof corner. Of course, then we could not get out ourselves.” Remarkably, a rival – Czech Tatra driver Martin Kolomy – hauled the stricken Kamaz back onto its wheels. Nikolaev had already lost 17 minutes, but if he’d had to wait for his own team-mates to help it would have taken much longer: “I am very grateful to him.” Particularly since, despite the setback, Nikolaev won that Day 5 stage and increased his lead on Villagra. The high rollover rate prompted suggestions from some of the truck teams competing that the organisers should have considered trucks’ high centre of gravity before setting a course through the steepest dunes. But it was mechanical problems that came closest to ending Nikolaev’s rally – and took out his closest rival, Iveco Team De Rooy racer Truck & Driver | 89
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Federico (The Coyote) Villagra…ending what was shaping as a sensational end to the rally. In a field that boasted 44 trucks from 12 makes – Iveco, Kamaz, MAZ, Hino, Renault, Liaz, MAN, Scania, Tatra, DAF, Mercedes-Benz and Ginaf – Nikolaev and Villagra were the standouts: The Russian led for all but two days… And the Argentinan veteran, a seven-time national rally champion in his own country, held second from Day 3 to Day 10 – then pushed Nikolaev out of the lead on the 11th day after the Russian ran into trouble. A broken front axle reduction unit on Day 10 started two days of problems for Nikolaev. At the end of a tough 10th stage he reckoned:
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“There are no easy Dakars – I ascertain it once again! I thought that falling on the side on the fifth stage was the main challenge. “But, in fact, it was not: Today we had a very serious breakdown of the front (axle) reduction unit and at some moment I thought that Dakar for our crew was over.” They got through by engaging the front inter-wheel lock to save the axle – forcing him to slow, but still finishing the stage….and holding the lead. The following day brought more setbacks – a broken pneumatic system cost more time, but was fixed in the end by scavenging a replacement part for the damaged system from team-mate Sotnikov’s Kamaz…avoiding a
lengthy repair. But the problems saw Villagra turn a 39-minute deficit into a 67-second lead on Day 11. Amazingly, the 12th day ended with Nikolaev back in the lead….a mere one second ahead of Villagra. This after 7518kms of competition! Even Nikolaev was incredulous: “A difference of one second! I don’t remember anything like that.” And then, on the second-to-last day of the enduro, the real drama began! Both front-runners ran into mechanical problems – Villagra coming to a dead halt with a broken gearbox on his Iveco PowerStar, while the Russian was able to continue despite a faulty
clutch…but moving cautiously, shifting gears on the throttle. For Villagra the problem was terminal – his Iveco had to be retired. It allowed Nikolaev to cruise to the finish on the final day, almost four hours ahead of second-placed Viazovich. For the Kamaz team it was its 14th win in 18 years, with Nikolaev contributing three of them. Kamaz Master team boss Vladimir Chagin reckoned it had been “the toughest race.” This Dakar, he said, “will be remembered for long for its extreme challenge.” Nikolaev, who had won the Dakar twice before as a driver and once as a co-driver/ mechanic, confessed that “at some dramatic
Top left: Nikolaev thought that his rally was over right here, on Day 5. Photo: Eric Vargiolu/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool Top right: Nikolaev picking a path through the wheel tracks. Photo: Francois Flammand/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool
Bottom left: Day 3 delivered something different – dry-baked mud. Photo: Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
Bottom centre: Eventual third placegetter Airat Mardeev takes a river on Day 5. Photo: Francois Flammand/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool Bottom right: The Kamaz Master team celebrates with a victory fling for Nikolaev. Photo: Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool
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moments, we thought that it was all over for our crew. But fortunately, the vehicle and people were keeping it (going).” Iveco’s Artur Ardavichus salvaged fourth place for Team De Rooy, six hours 38 minute behind the winner – followed by Czech Martin Macik in a Liaz, Hino’s Teruhito Sugawara,
92 | Truck & Driver
Dutchmen Gert Huzink (Renault), Ton Van Genugten (Iveco) and Maurik Van Den Heuvel (Scania). Kamaz driver Sotnikov completed the top 10, over 10 hours behind team-mate Nikolaev – with another nine trucks making the finish line, the last of them 149 hours behind! T&D
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Opposite page top: Mardeev’s Kamaz looking like he’s only just in control on a dune downhill. Photo: Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool Opposite page bottom: Kamaz driver Dmitry Sotnikov became a backup to front-runner Nikolaev. Photo: Marcelo Maragni/Red Bull Content Pool This page, top: The rally route took the field up to high altitude. Photo: ASO/@World/A. Lavadinho This page, centre: Sotnikov on the second-to-last day. Photo: Frederic Le Floch/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool This page, bottom: The Kamaz crew at work during a full service. Photo: Flavien Duhamel/Red Bull Content Pool
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• Reduced maintenance cost • Elimination of misdiagnosed shock absorber issues (misting vs. leaking) • Uniform suspension damping over the life of the trailer • Enhanced cargo protection
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For more information, contact Rhys Ogden: 027.4996.735, John Simmons: 027.303.4094, or visit www.hendrickson.com.au
Tyre Pressure Control System
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Auto Logistics has put this new MAN TGS 18 440 6x4 tractor to work out of Christchurch, delivering vehicles all around the South Island. Mike Paterson drives the new unit, which has a 440hp MAN engine, an AMT transmission, ABS, EBS and hill start assistance
Strong start to year N
EW ZEALAND’S NEW TRUCK MARKET HAS started 2018 even more strongly than it launched into last year’s record-breaker. This January’s 338 registrations in the overall heavy truck market (above 4.5 tonnes GVM) was a new alltime record – 10% better than 2015’s 306 previous best…and 15% up on January 2017’s 293 sales. Official New Zealand Transport Agency registration data for January shows that the heavy trailer market also made a strong start, with 102 registrations – 23% up on 2017 and only three units short of 2015’s best-ever total for the month. The crossover 3.5 to 4.5t new truck segment was 77% ahead of 2017 with 46 registrations. But industry analyst Robin Yates, whose Marketing Hand agency prepares this report for NZ Truck & Driver, raises the possibility of last month’s turmoil in the American sharemarket having a negative effect on the ongoing Kiwi truck market high.
Says Yates: “One has to keep in mind that circumstance can change – literally overnight.” For example, he points out, “from 2003 to 2008 NZ’s heavy truck industry averaged just over 3500 registrations per year – but in 2009 and 2010 sales plunged to just 1800 and 1630 respectively. “From then on it’s been a long slog back up to where we are today.” In the overall truck market (4.5t to max GVM) last year’s secondplaced make Fuso took an early lead from longtime No. 1 Isuzu by registering 55 trucks to Isuzu’s 49. Hino was close behind with 46 sales, ahead of Kenworth, which had a strong month to claim fourth place with 32 registrations. Its 9.5% share of the overall market was way up on its 4.4% market share for the full 2017 year (which saw it ninth in the overall market standings). Next came Mercedes-Benz (25), ahead of UD and Iveco (each registering 22 trucks) and Kenworth’s PACCAR stablemate DAF Truck & Driver | 95
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4501kg-max GVM 2018 Brand FUSO ISUZU HINO KENWORTH MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO UD DAF VOLVO SCANIA MAN MACK FIAT FREIGHTLINER FOTON INTERNATIONAL RAM WESTERN STAR HYUNDAI SINOTRUK
Vol 55 49 46 32 25 22 22 21 17 12 8 7 5 4 3 3 3 2 1 1
% 16.3 14.5 13.6 9.5 7.4 6.5 6.5 6.2 5.0 3.6 2.4 2.1 1.5 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.6 0.3 0.3
Total
338
100.00
7501-15,000kg GVM January Vol % 55 16.3 49 14.5 46 13.6 32 9.5 25 7.4 22 6.5 22 6.5 21 6.2 17 5.0 12 3.6 8 2.4 7 2.1 5 1.5 4 1.2 3 0.9 3 0.9 3 0.9 2 0.6 1 0.3 1 0.3 338
2018 Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO UD IVECO FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ Total
Vol 18 13 11 8 3 1 1
% 32.7 23.6 20.0 14.5 5.5 1.8 1.8
55
100.00
2018
Total
% 69.6 17.4 8.7 2.2 2.2
46
100.00
January Vol % 32 69.6 8 17.4 4 8.7 1 2.2 1 2.2 46
100.00
4501-7500kg GVM 2018 Brand FUSO MERCEDES-BENZ HINO ISUZU FIAT IVECO RAM FOTON HYUNDAI Total
96 | Truck & Driver
Vol 23 15 13 7 5 5 3 2 1
% 31.1 20.3 17.6 9.5 6.8 6.8 4.1 2.7 1.4
Vol 23 15 13 7 5 5 3 2 1
January % 31.1 20.3 17.6 9.5 6.8 6.8 4.1 2.7 1.4
74
100.00
74
100.00
55
2018 Brand HINO IVECO UD FUSO MERCEDES-BENZ ISUZU MAN
Nelson operator Darryl Francois Freighting has added this new DAF FTT tractor unit to its fleet, carting general freight nationwide. Scott Sturgeon drives the 6x4 tractor unit, which has a 510hp PACCAR engine with an 18-speed Roadranger manual gearbox. It pulls a six-axle B-train.
100.00
Total
Vol 6 4 4 3 3 2 1
% 26.1 17.4 17.4 13.0 13.0 8.7 4.3
Vol 6 4 4 3 3 2 1
January % 26.1 17.4 17.4 13.0 13.0 8.7 4.3
23
100.00
23
100.00
20,501-23,000kg GVM 2018
Vol 32 8 4 1 1
January Vol % 18 32.7 13 23.6 11 20.0 8 14.5 3 5.5 1 1.8 1 1.8
15,001-20,500kg GVM
100.00
3501-4500kg GVM Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ TOYOTA LDV RENAULT
www.trt.co.nz
Brand HINO UD Total
Vol 2 1
% 66.7 33.3
3
100
January Vol % 2 66.7 1 33.3 3
13
23,001kg-max GVM 2018 Brand KENWORTH ISUZU DAF VOLVO FUSO HINO SCANIA IVECO UD MACK MAN MERCEDES-BENZ FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR SINOTRUK Total
Vol 32 22 21 17 16 14 12 10 9 7 7 6 4 3 2 1
% 17.5 12.0 11.5 9.3 8.7 7.7 6.6 5.5 4.9 3.8 3.8 3.3 2.2 1.6 1.1 0.5
183
100.00
January Vol % 32 17.5 22 12.0 21 11.5 17 9.3 16 8.7 14 7.7 12 6.6 10 5.5 9 4.9 7 3.8 7 3.8 6 3.3 4 2.2 3 1.6 2 1.09 1 0.55 183
100.00
Trailers 2018
January Vol % 20 19.6 9 8.8 9 8.8 7 6.9 6 5.9 6 5.9 5 4.9 5 4.9 4 3.9 3 2.9 3 2.9
Brand PATCHELL FRUEHAUF MTE MAXICUBE DOMETT TRINITY JACKSON TMC ROADMASTER TRANSFLEET TRANSPORT TRAILERS EVANS FAIRFAX HAMMAR MAKARANUI DOUGLAS HTS KOROMIKO KRAFT LUSK MARSHALL MILLS-TUI NICKEL PENNY PTE TEO TES WHITE OTHER
Vol 20 9 9 7 6 6 5 5 4 3 3
% 19.6 8.8 8.8 6.9 5.9 5.9 4.9 4.9 3.9 2.9 2.9
2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4
2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 3.9
2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4
2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 3.9
Total
102
100.00
102
100.00
rcedes-Benz The The new new Mercedes-Benz Arocs Mercedes-Benz AWD. Arocs AWD. Arocs AWD. The The new new Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Arocs AWD. Arocs rcedes-Benz Arocs AWD. The The newnew Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz Arocs AWD. Arocs AWD. AWD. rcedes-Benz Arocs AWD.
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With upapplications. to 10%Trucks. more ground With clearance up to and10% up to more 16 tonne ground axles, the new clearance and up des-Benz Trucks. With up to 10% ground clearance and up to 16 tonne axles, the new Arocs Arocs AWD isAWD built tois deliver built in the to toughest deliveroff-road in the applications. toughest off-road applications. n the toughest off-road applications. Arocs Arocs AWD isAWD built tois deliver built in the to toughest deliveroff-road in the applications. toughest off-road applications. n the toughest off-road applications. arocs for more Visit Visit mercedes-benz.co.nz/arocs information mercedes-benz.co.nz/arocs or contact for more your information localfor authorised or contact moreyour information local Mercedes-Benz authorised orMercedes-Benz contact Truck your Trucklocal authorised Visit Visit mercedes-benz.co.nz/arocs mercedes-benz.co.nz/arocs for more information or contact moreyour information local authorised orMercedes-Benz contact your Trucklocal authorised arocs for more information or contact your localfor authorised Mercedes-Benz Truck dealership dealership today. today. Visit Visit mercedes-benz.co.nz/arocs mercedes-benz.co.nz/arocs for more information or contact moreyour information local authorised orMercedes-Benz contact your Trucklocal authorised arocs for more information or contact your localfor authorised Mercedes-Benz Truck dealership dealership today. today. dealership dealership today. today. nd | Palmerston Trucks Trucks North & Trailers &| Trailers LtdWellington | Auckland Ltd| | Palmerston |Auckland 0800 North 327||777 Palmerston Wellington | 0800North 327 777| Wellington | 0800 327 777 Trucks Trucks & Trailers &| Trailers LtdWellington | Auckland Ltd| | Palmerston Palmerston Wellington | 0800North 327 777| Wellington | 0800 327 777 nd | Palmerston North |Auckland 0800 North 327||777 hangarei | 0800 Keith Keith Andrews 637 Andrews 282 Trucks Ltd Trucks | Whangarei Ltd | 0800 | Whangarei 637 282 | 0800 637 282 Trucks Trucks & Trailers &| Trailers LtdWellington | Auckland Ltd| | Palmerston Palmerston Wellington | 0800North 327 777 | Wellington | 0800 327 777 nd | Palmerston North |Auckland 0800 North 327||777 Keith Keith Andrews Andrews Trucks LtdTrucks | Whangarei Ltd | 0800 | Whangarei 637 282 | 0800 637 282 hangarei | 0800 637 282 | Christchurch Prestige Prestige | 0800 Commercial Commercial 37 Vehicles 98 99 | Christchurch Vehicles | 0800 | Christchurch 37 98 99 | 0800 37 98 99 Keith Keith Andrews Andrews Trucks LtdTrucks | Whangarei Ltd | 0800 | Whangarei 637 282 | 0800 637 282 hangarei | 0800 637 282 Prestige Prestige Commercial Commercial Vehicles | 0800 | Christchurch 37 98 99 | 0800 37 98 99 | Christchurch | 0800 37 Vehicles 98 99| Christchurch Prestige Prestige Commercial Commercial Vehicles | 0800 | Christchurch 37 98 99 | 0800 37 98 99 | Christchurch | 0800 37 Vehicles 98 99| Christchurch
xtras. xtras. xtras.
Vehicle Vehicle depicted depicted features optional features extras. optional extras. Vehicle Vehicle depicted depicted features optional features extras. optional extras. Vehicle Vehicle depicted depicted features optional features extras. optional extras.
R
KNORR-BREMSE INFO
w
TRAILER ROAD TRAIN MODULE FOR TRUCK APPLICATIONS Introducing the device to improve the Braking compatibility between your 12 volt North American Truck and New Zealand Trailer with European Electronic Brake System TRAILER ROADTRAIN MODULE (TRM) – KNORR-BREMSE The TRM is an Electronic Module that enables Electronic Trailer Brake Actuation for trailers that have an EBS system fitted. The TRM is fitted to the truck and translates the pneumatic brake signal from the truck brake control system into an electronic brake signal to the trailer. ROADTRAIN (TRM) – braking KNORR-BREMSE •TRAILER Enables trucks that do MODULE not have electronic to electronically The TRM is an Electronic Module that enablessystems. Electronic Trailer Brake Actuation for trailers that have an EBS system fitted. activate trailer EBS The TRM is fitted to the Truck and translates the pneumatic brake signal from the truck brake control system into an Electronic Brake signal to the trailer. • Improves braking response to assist with reduced stopping distance. The TRM Retrofit Kit enables trucks that do not have electronic braking to electronically activate compatible Trailer EBS system • This improves brakingcombination response to assist with reduced stopping distance Improved compatibility. Improves combination compatibility Improves combination brake balance • Improves combination brake balance. Faster communication to actuate trailer EBS Module than Pneumatic Systems Provides CAN signal for all brands of Trailer EBS Faster communication to actuate trailer EBS Module than • Able to be retrofitted onto wide variety of Truck brands The TRM is a multi-volt device that will operate between 9V and 32V. Pneumatic Systems. Available in Kit format with options for 12V and 24V configurations 12 Volt Truck TRM Retrofit Kit –Part Number CV2122 • Provides signal allCV2123 brands of Trailer EBS. 24 Volt TruckCAN TRM Kit –Retrofit -Partfor Number • The TRM is a multi-volt device that will operate between 9V and 32V.
Improved Safety Margin
Suitable 2.7 metres With TRM Installed the on-set of brakes has reduced lag
*At 80 km/h Normal Stopping Distance 130 Metres Dry Road
Without TRM Installed vehicle may travel a further 2.7mtrs before on-set of brakes
*Approximation only on dry level road
Diagnostic UDIF Kit CV1100
Multi-Volt TEBS
12V
Suitable
12V
*At 80 km/h Normal Stopping Distance 130 Metres Dry Road
24V Voltage Inverter
24V w/o EBS
Multi-Volt TEBS Suitable
24V TEBS
TRAILER ROAD TRAIN MODULE FOR LONG TRAILER AND B TRAIN APPLICATIONS Suitable
24V w/o EBS
12V
24V Voltage Inverter
24V TEBS
Multi-Volt TEBS
Suitable
Suitable
^ Refer to Installation Instructions for detailed information
12V
Connection of Laptop via UDIF to Truck
^ Refer to Installation Instructions for detailed information
12 V ABS w/RSP 24 V TEBS 12V The KNORR Bremse answer to those lengthy Trailer braking issues or where a multiple CAN is required such as with a B Train Trailer Set TRM Not Required
12V The TRM is a state-of-the-art electronic interface which when added 12V TEBS 24V TEBS to TEBS G2 enables it to cope with longer trailers. The TRM acts as a CAN transmitter. It takes the CAN signals from24V the towing vehicle then 12V TEBS w/o EBS reproduces these on a second, separate CAN which can utilise the full 40 metres specified in ISO 11992.
Not Suitable
24V Voltage Inverter
24V with EBS
24V with EBS
vehicle r for correct nnection .
CAN already supplied by Truck TRM not required
TRM Not Required
24V with EBS
Multi-Volt TEBS
CAN already supplied by Truck TRM not required
TRM Not Required
Murray Hamlin 027 206 6131
Wiring for Rear Connection of TRM
Wiring Layout For ISO 7638 Socket 12V & 24V
BOP, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND
Ralph Finch 027 596 1502
d 30A Fuse for nation
Recommend pinning out wiring to confirm correct functionality after installation.
WWW.TATP.CO.NZ | 0800 268 266
All recommendations regarding products and their servicing or usage are with reference to Knorr‐Bremse products and should not be considered applicable to all products from other manufacturers. This information does not purport to be all‐inclusive and no responsibility is assumed as a result of its use. We s of the Products or Systems described. No liability can be accepted based on the information, its use, recommendations or advice provided. In no event may we be held liable for any damage or loss exceptin the case of willful intent or gross negligence on our part, or if any mandatory legal provisions apply.
ECU Talk Diagnostic Software
^ Refer to Installation Instructions for detailed information
Refer to Installation Instructions for detailed information
SOUTH ISLAND
Not Suitable
Not Suitable
^ BRAKE CERTIFICATION TEAM
Wiring for Front Connection of TRM
Not Suitable
12V TEBS
CAN already supplied by Truck
Con t of ou act one r cert brake ifi team cation spec for ia pricin l g Connect To Truck’s Rear ISO 7638 Socket
Will work with 12V ABS w/RSP but no advantage as doesn’t use CAN
TRM not required
WAIKATO, AUCKLAND
Mark Terry 027 281 0423
ECU Talk Diagnostic Software for TRM End Of Line can be accessed from Knorr - Bremse website: www.knorr-Bremsecvs.com TRM Retrofit Poster: TRMV03 February 2018
For further information contact Knorr‐Bremse Australia : CVS Customer Service: 1300 309 991 or via email:cvs.aus@knorr‐bremse.com
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Lyttelton ship repairer and boat builder, dry dock operator and marine engineering specialist Stark Brothers has put this 500hp FM Volvo to work, equipped with a Palfinger PK92002 crane. The crane, which has a 3000kg maximum lifting capacity, is only the second of its type in the country
(21). Volvo (17) was ninth, ahead of Scania (12), MAN (8) and Mack (7). Fiat (32) easily led the 3.5 to 4.5t segment from Mercedes-Benz (8), Toyota (4) and LDV and Renault (one apiece). The Toyotas were Landcruisers and the LDV an EV80 Electric. In the 4.5-7.5t division, Fuso (23) picked up from where it left off last year – in the lead of the category. Next came Mercedes-Benz (15), Hino (13), Isuzu (7), Fiat and Iveco (5 each), Ram (3), Foton (2) and Hyundai (1). Isuzu led the 7.5-15t category with 18 regos, followed by Fuso (13), Hino (11), UD (8), Iveco (3) and Mercedes-Benz and Foton (1 each). In the 15-20.5t segment, Hino (6) led Iveco and UD (4 apiece), followed by Fuso and Mercedes-Benz (3 each). Isuzu (2) was sixth, followed by MAN (1). The usual pair of Hino (2) and UD (1) were the only ones to register a truck in the 20.5-23t segment.
Kenworth (32) dominated the premier 23t-max GVM division, with PACCAR stablemate DAF third (with 21 registrations), just behind second-placed Isuzu (22). Volvo (17) was fourth – having finished second in the class last year. Fuso (16) was fifth, ahead of Hino (14) and Scania (12). Iveco (10) was eighth and UD (9) was ninth. Mack and MAN were 10th-equal (with 7 apiece), one ahead of Mercedes-Benz. Trailermaker Patchell was another to start 2018 just as it finished 2017 – in its case, as a clear No. 1 in the trailer market. With 20 January registrations it more than doubled the sales of each of its closest rivals – equal second-placed Fruehauf and MTE (both with nine registrations). MaxiCUBE (7) was fourth, ahead of Domett and American import Trinity (on six apiece). In seventh-equal were Jackson and TMC (five each). Roadmaster (4) was down six places from its 2017 full-year ranking, while Transfleet and Transport Trailers were 10th-equal, each registering three trailers. T&D Truck & Driver | 99
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Whakatane’s Hayward Contracting has put this new Kenworth T610 to work. The 8x4 has a 600/615hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger transmission and Meritor 46-160 diffs, with a custom Kentweld bullbar, Bigfoot central tyre inflation and a Transfleet bulk body and matching trailer
The fleet of PBT contractor All Branz has been joined by this new Volvo FM 8x4 tractor unit, now working out of Palmerston North, carting containers around the North Island. It has a 540hp engine, an I-Shift AMT and RTS2370B single reduction diffs. It also has bi-Xenon headlights , rainsensing wipers, custom paint and a four-axle Fruehauf trailer
100 | Truck & Driver
This new UD Trucks MK11-250 4x2 can be seen delivering gas bottles all around the West Coast for Rockgas Greymouth contractor Paul Emery. John Torrance drives the truck, which has a 250hp UD engine, a six-speed transmission and a tail-lift. Photo Alix Houmard
PBT contractors Paul and Jin Ra have this new UD Trucks MK11-250 now working around Christchurch. The 4x2 curtainsider has a 250hp UD engine, a six-speed gearbox, a Hale deck and a tail-lift. This new Kenworth T409 is doubleshifted by Winstone GBC, carting cement around the upper North Island. The 8x4 has a 525-550hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger transmission and Meritor RT46-160GP diffs with full locks.
F A
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POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL
TD27680
POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL
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14877 -
Recently
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Canterbury’s Steve Murphy Ltd (SML) has added this new Mack Trident 8x4 to its fleet of loggers. The truck, driven by Kelvin Clark, has a 535hp MP8 engine, an mDrive AMT, Meritor 46-160 diffs and Koromiko logging gear, plus a matching five-axle trailer. Photo Mark Amer
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Drainage work around Canterbury is keeping this new Ryan Contracting UD Trucks MK11-250 busy. The 4x2, which has a body built by Engineering Repairs in Ashburton, has fold-down sides and a double-swing tail door, with a grain door. It has a 250hp UD engine and a six-speed transmission.
In the 1970s, Andre Toohill’s father drove one of the first Kenworth livestock trucks in the country. Now Andre is driving this new K200 2.3m Aerodyne sleeper cab KW for Otorohanga Transport (OTL). Evil Woman 2 (his Dad’s truck was Evil Woman) has a 550-578hp Cummins, an 18-speed Roadranger, Meritor 46160 axles and Nationwide crates on the truck and its Domett trailer.
104 | Truck & Driver
Matamata landscape supplier Daltons has added this new International 9870 90TS SkyRoof 8x4 truck and trailer unit to its fleet. Paul Cressy, 24 years with Daltons, drives the newcomer, which has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, a 18-speed Roadranger, 46,000 lb Meritor diffs and extras including LED headlights and an Ali Arc bumper.
TRANSMISSIONS
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CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
Specialists In Heavy Motor Commercial Motor Vehicles, Carriers Liability, Public Liability Insurance
0800 55 54 53 info@stal.co.nz
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www.sweeneytownsend.co.nz
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TD27817
PAINT • PANEL • AUCKLAND’S JOSAM TRUCK CHASSIS STRAIGHTENING SYSTEM • AND LOTS LOTS MORE
106 | Truck & Driver
Contact Les Plenzler (The Pope) or Danny Radich Ph 09 276 7206 • 09 276 7207 • Fax 09 276 7205 20 Kahu Street, Otahuhu, Auckland tsrltd@xtra.co.nz www.trucksmashrepairs.co.nz
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Isringhausen leads the way in the application of modern technology to driver’s seating. ISRI has a full range of driver’s seats to suit every application. Isringhausen have a
ISRI 6860/875 NTS PRO
ISRI 6860/870 NTS
ISRI 6800/337
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Folding Head Restraint, Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt & Isolator
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Head Restraint Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt
Automatic Self Levelling Air Suspension Seat Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt Head Restraint Included
range of accessories to compliment every ISRI seat. at. This includes optional armrests, head restraints, seat belts, swivel plates and isolators. Note: Seat fabric may vary from what is shown. Armrests and head restraints are optional accessories. Additional information on the full range of ISRI seats is available from the exclusive
ISRI 6500/517
ISRI 6000-517
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat IPS Pneumatic Lumbar Support
Automatic Self Levelling Air Suspension Seat Pneumatic Lumbar Support
Mechanical Suspension Seat Adjustable Weight Mechanism Manual Lumbar Support
Note: Headrest & Armrests Not Incl
Note: Trimmed in Black Fabric
Note: Trimmed in Black Fabric TD24929
New Zealand Agent
ISRI 6860/880 NTS
Geemac Trading (NZ) Limited. Phone (09) 630 1856 or Fax (09) 630 1855 email: sales@geemac.co.nz www.geemac.co.nz / www.isringhausen.co.nz
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2
H AU R A K I Looking back over the years of trucking out on the Hauraki Plains, it remembers many past and present transport operators who helped break in this tough peat country making it some of New Zealand’s most productive farmland. 450 photos. For just $59-00 plus postage of $6-50 you can get your limited edition publication.
LIMITED EDITION
TD27467
Now out the latest edition in Gavin Abbot’s historic collection.
108 | Truck & Driver
TD27171
For your copy contact: Paper Plus Opotiki, PO Box 37, Opotiki Ph 07 315 6263 Fax 07 315 7133 Email opotiki@paperplus.co.nz
Truckers & Loggers FISHING TOURNAMENT Put yo u chair rself in the for th e Truck ers & 2018 Logge rs
22nd - 24th March 2018 Paihia, Bay of Islands Hosted by the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club (Inc)
REGISTER ONLINE NOW:
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IF MEMBERS OF YOUR CREW ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A CLUB AFFILIATED TO NZ SPORT FISHING INCORPORATED A TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP OF $25 PER ANGLER IS REQUIRED. PLEASE TICK BOX IF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR ANGLERS.
TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIPS REQUIRED No: __________________ @ $25, TOTAL: $ _________________ (Tick Box Alongside Anglers Name) $125 PER ANGLER, No: ___________________________________________ TOTAL: $ _________________ GUEST ENTRY (non anglers) $50 each, No: ___________________________
TOTAL: $ _________________
WE WILL BE FISHING FROM ANOTHER AREA ON THURSDAY MORNING:
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www.alliedpublications.co.nz
Tick boxes NZ TRUCK & DRIVER 1 year (11 issues) for $80 incl. GST NZ LOGGER 1 year (11 issues) for $70 incl. GST
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CHRISTCHURCH A&P SHOWTGROUNDS $5 ENTRY - UNDER 18 FREE
Friday 9th March
SATuRDAy 10th March
INDUSTRY DAY CAREERS SHOWCASE new SATURDAY event: TRucking relay!
public open day truck show & shine Kids zone & Bouncy Truck Working Displays
REGISTER TRUCKS ONLINE OR AT THE GATE FROM 5:30AM SATURDAY
WWW.TRUCKINGINDUSTRYSHOW.CO.NZ
LOUIE AND HIS HARD CASE BUGGERS Well known forester and hunter Lance Duncan retired from the forestry industry then sat down and wrote a book. It’s the tale of his life and is full of yarns from many years of working in forestry and hunting and those people he met along the way. Its full of humour, our proof reader was in stitches when she worked on this manuscript. It hasn’t been sterilised it’s written as Lance tells it and anybody who knows him will know you will get it straight. If you are easily offended then it’s probably not for you. Get your copy now, for a great read and some real entertaining yarns.
First n editio
Post PO Box 112062 Penrose, Auckland 1642
Ph 09 571 3544 Fax 09 571 3549
Email accounts@trucker.co.nz
ORDER FORM: LOUIE AND HIS HARD CASE BUGGERS $50 INCL GST & POSTAGE (NZ PRICE) *OVERSEAS PURCHASES-POSTAGE PRICING WILL DIFFER, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION
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