CONTENTS Issue 211 – April 2018 2
News
44 Fleet Focus
The latest in the world of transport, including….driver licence fraud “incredibly dangerous;” Waste Management’s electric trucks project powers up; Mercedes-Benz puts electric Actros fleet on the road
20 Giti Truck Tyres Big Test A modestly-powered heavy-duty GIGA turned out to be the best-selling single model in overall truck market No. 1 Isuzu’s lineup last year. We spend a day with one of the 70 CYZ460s sold in 2017 for an insight into the model’s attractions
37 Transport Forum Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..key industry sector committees work hard for trucking; Southern flavour for this year’s RTF Conference; US moves to mandatory E-logbooks
MANAGEMENT Publisher
Advertising
Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz
EDITORIAL Editor
Wayne Munro 021 955 099 waynemunro@xtra.co.nz
Editorial office Phone
PO Box 48 074 AUCKLAND 09 826 0494
Associate Editor
Brian Cowan
CONTRIBUTORS
79 Truck Shop
The first half of Robbie Allen’s life so far was awful, harrowing – the story of a child abused, who grew into a violent, alcohol-addicted young man who lived a life of crime. Somehow, 30 years ago, he was transformed – set on a remarkable path that sees him now a successful transport operator, with a 12-truck fleet… and entrepreneurial ventures as diverse as supplying exotic wedding vehicles and selling high-end art objects
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 reports that Freightliner, which already commands a whopping 39.8% of heavy-duty truck sales in the US, is working on ways to not merely maintain that market share….but improve it
FEATURE 67 Fuso efuture During a fleeting visit to Auckland,Fuso CEO Marc Llistosella provides a frank insight into Fuso’s electric future, is somewhat dismissive of its American etruck rivals… but clearly wary of a huge electric truck push from China
Gerald Shacklock Mike Stock Dean Evans Steve Sturgess Robin Yates
ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production Luca Bempensante Zarko Mihic EQUIPMENT GUIDE AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Advertising Don Leith 027 233 0090 don@trucker.co.nz AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND Advertising Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz
87 TRT Recently Registered New truck and trailer registrations for February
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Truck & Driver | 1
NEWS
Waste Management has established its own diesel-to-electric truck conversion workshop in NZ, with 22 more etrucks in the pipeline to join the three already in service
NZ etruck project powers up A NEW ZEALAND PILOT PROGRAMME USING electric heavy trucks for waste collection is ramping-up, with a Kiwi production line now converting diesel-engined trucks to electric power. Waste Management has three electric trucks in service in the trial – each of them converted in Holland by electric truck conversion specialist EMOSS. Another two are currently being converted in Holland – but now Waste Management has set up its own conversion workshop in NZ and is already working on the first of 20 conversions using EMOSS kitsets. Waste Management managing director Tom Nickels says that the pilot programme has been a big success: “So far, we’ve outperformed what was expected.” The company’s first electric truck, a 4x2 Isuzu FRR 600 with a box body, was put to work last year picking up food waste from Auckland supermarkets. Late last year a 500 Series Hino 6x4 began emptying wheelie bins in Christchurch – making it the “first 100% electric residential waste collection truck in the Southern Hemisphere,” the company believes. Since then an electric Isuzu 6x2 side-loader has also gone to work. Now, says Nickels, the company – which has more than 800 trucks in its fleet – has “great confidence that this is the right track.” Nickels strongly believes that the extra costs involved with going electric will come down “quite rapidly.” In Waste Management’s case, with the stop-go nature of the work its waste collection trucks do, the trucks are expected to run longer between services, with less brake-pad wear. Nickels says the company has had to change tack in staffing its EV workshop: “When you’ve got an electric motor and batteries, diesel 2 | Truck & Driver
mechanics are not what you need there. You need electrical technicians and engineers.” The truck drivers in the EVs have to use different techniques, he says – but do not want to get out of the etrucks. Nickels reckons that etrucks present a “tremendously exciting opportunity across the transport sector. “I think all enlightened companies that care for the environment should definitely be looking at it. I know some of them are thinking about it. It seems to make sense in every dimension.” Not-for-profit group Drive Electric says that heavy vehicles are “a huge part of the electric revolution” – with Drive Electric member Waste Management leading the way here…but not on its own. Fellow Drive Electric member ABB, which offers charging solutions for large electric vehicles, also sees huge potential in heavy EVs. NZ MD Ewan Morris says there is “a large amount of interest in electrifying NZ’s bus fleet, however it’s early days. “There are some pilot/trial projects being run in order to gain experience. Some of the major cities have signalled a desire to adopt this technology.” Auckland Transport (AT) is also investing in heavy EVs, with two electric buses set to run on the City Link route. AT’s manager of bus services Darek Koper says it will use the ebuses to test their viability in Auckland, “looking at elements such as battery life, ability to cope with hills and passenger loading. “This is a very exciting opportunity for Auckland to take a big step towards achieving the aim of a zero-emission fleet from 2025.” The buses, built by Alexander Dennis, have been jointly funded by AT and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. T&D
NEWS
Driver licence fraud “incredibly dangerous” THE ALLEGED FRAUDULENT ISSUING OF CAR AND truck driver licences in a bribery scam is “an incredibly serious situation that must never happen again,” says Road Transport Forum CEO Ken Shirley. Shirley was responding to Radio NZ reports that up to 350 driver licences have been cancelled as the result of an investigation by Police and the New Zealand Transport Agency into licensing officers allegedly “selling” licences to unqualified drivers. Radio NZ, which obtained info on the investigation under the Official Information Act, reported that car licences were allegedly issued in return for $500 to $600, while one complaint alleged that a heavy vehicle licence could be bought for $3000. Shirley says: “The reliability of our licensing system has been eroded and there is an understandable distrust in the integrity of the institutions that administer it. “Corruption has no place in NZ and in this case, as well as being unfair to the thousands of people legitimately moving through the licence system, it
has created an incredibly dangerous situation for other road users. “Obtaining the right to drive a vehicle on our roads is a privilege and something that brings with it a high degree of responsibility. “A driver with a licence obtained through fraudulent means lets everybody down and is a danger to themselves and other road users.” And he adds: “Our regulatory authorities have a responsibility to make sure that those who use our roads have the necessary knowledge and practical skill to do so safely. They also have an obligation to make sure third-party providers are closely monitored and future contracts are based on quality of delivery. “NZTA and its relevant providers must make sure that the 18 gaps and weaknesses identified by KPMG are addressed. “RTF has pushed for a cheaper and more streamlined licensing system for many years,” says Shirley: “Provider capture has so far prevented it, however the obvious problems with the current system offers the new Government the perfect opportunity to get on and do it.” T&D
Daimler happy…. Volvo not so much! CHINESE AUTOMOTIVE KINGPIN Li Shufu – the chairman and major owner of giant Chinese carmaker Geely and a growing global industry superpower – is now Daimler’s biggest single shareholder. His 9.69% stake in Daimler AG is worth an estimated $US9billion. Daimler says Li is “an especially knowledgeable Chinese entrepreneur with clear vision for the future…” The company says it’s pleased that it has won a potentially longterm shareholder who is convinced of Daimler’s innovative strength, strategy and future
potential. Volvo AB, owner of Volvo Trucks, was understandably not as happy with the Daimler development: In December, Geely also paid $US3.9billion to become the single biggest shareholder in Volvo AB. In the wake of the confirmation of Li’s Daimler buy-in, Volvo AB moved to drop the boss of the Geely-owned Volvo Cars from its board – a direct consequence, it said, of the Geely owner taking his Daimler shareholding. Its move was interpreted by some European commentators as a sign of increasing pressure
from the auto industry on Geely to reveal its global strategy following a spectacular buying spree within the industry. A Chinese industry analyst said ominously of the Daimler buyup: “It remains to be seen how Geely will leverage the ownership to reach other deals.” Interestingly, just two days after the Li shareholding was confirmed by Daimler, it also announced that its JV with another Chinese carmaking giant, BAIC, is investing 1.5billion Euros in new production facilities in China to build premium Mercedes-Benz cars, including electric vehicles. T&D Truck & Driver | 3
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NEWS
Ten eActros trucks are set to begin a two-year proving trial, working in customer fleets in Germany
E
Merc goes electric MERCEDES-BENZ HAS R AMPED-UP THE R ACE towards heavy-duty electric trucks by putting a fleet of fully-electric eActros trucks to work with German customers. Ten of the battery electric trucks, with a 200-kilometre range and a gross vehicle weight ranging between 18 and 25 tonnes, are expected to be in service by this month, in widely-varying work. They’ll run in the fleets for 12 months, then be shifted on to another 10 Mercedes-Benz customers for a further year’s operational testing. The eActros and its testing programme is part of a 2.6 billion Euro investment by Daimler in its trucks division in the next two years, with a heavy focus on electric vehicles, connectivity and autonomous driving. The aim of the testing programme, says Mercedes-Benz, is to prove the eActros’ “everyday feasibility and economic efficiency under real-life conditions” in urban environments, with a view to the etrucks going into series production in 2021. The eActros uses the frame of the standard, diesel-engined Actros – with a ZF AVE 130 drive axle “that’s already proved its worth” in Merc hybrid and fuel-cell buses. The drive system comprises two three-phase asynchronous electric motors that operate with a nominal voltage of 400 volts. They generate an output of 125kW each, with maximum torque of 485Nm each. Gearing ratios convert this into 11,000Nm each, which Mercedes-Benz says
delivers “driving performance on a par with that of a diesel truck.” The power is stored in two lithium-ion batteries with an output of 240kWh. Again, they’ve been proven in electric buses: “Synergies within the group, like these, allow us to pool our experiences, shorten development times and, of course, also save costs,” says Mercedes-Benz Trucks head Stefan Buchner. The batteries are located in the frame area and under the truck, all shrouded by steel housings to protect them from collision damage. Discharged batteries can be fully recharged within three to 11 hours, assuming what Mercedes-Benz terms “a realistic charging capacity of 20 to 80kW.” The eActros began life as a heavy-duty electric urban distribution truck concept, unveiled in 2016. The subsequent feedback on the technical feasibility of building such a vehicle was “positive, across the board – from the general public, politicians and customers,” says Merc. A number of technical and economic issues “remain outstanding” before it goes into production, it adds – “key among them the range and cost of the batteries, but also the infrastructure required for their use as part of customers’ commercial fleets.” The testing, says Daum, “will enable us to establish just what remains to be done, in terms of technical matters, infrastructure and service, to make our Mercedes-Benz eActros competitive.” T&D
Say what! Wood-burning robot US army trucks? WOOD-BURNING, ROBOTIC TRUCKS could figure in the United States Army’s future plans. Ground vehicles that burn wood pulp for fuel are part of the Army’s vision to have transportation that’s self-sufficient, even when isolated from conventional fuel supplies for long periods. Dr Jaret Riddick, from the US Army Research Laboratory’s Vehicle Technology Directorate, says that the duration of foot patrol missions,
isolated from bases and a ready supply of fuel, are often controlled “by power and energy.” So Riddick says, the directorate is working on developing engines that consume raw materials directly from the soldiers’ environment, transforming any organic and combustible material into biofuel. It’s also looking to develop unmanned vehicles that can work with soldiers – it even has a name for it: Manned-unmanned teaming.
The aim is to provide future soldiers with an autonomous system that operates as a teammate – able to transport supplies “and enhance situational awareness by supporting the communication, surveillance and reconnaissance mission,” says Riddick. Advanced manned-unmanned teaming could see drones and autonomous ground vehicles act as the “tip of the spear,” protecting soldiers from first contact with an enemy, he adds. T&D Truck & Driver | 5
7:39 PM
NEWS
Replacement Route
NZTA says that the proposed route is indicative only and subject to change following more detailed investigation and design work.
Manawatu Gorge replacement route decided AN ENTIRELY NEW ROUTE ACROSS the Ruahine Ranges, between the troublesome, now-closed Manawatu Gorge road and the steep and narrow Saddle Road, is the preferred option for a new road link between the Manawatu, Tararua, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa regions. The so-called “Option 3” (of four shortlisted possibilities) will have an average incline gradient of 5.8%, with a maximum of 8% - compared to the Saddle Rd’s 16% maximum gradient The New Zealand Transport Agency estimates that travel time on the new road will be 13 minutes for general traffic, compared to an average 16.7 minutes through the old Manawatu Gorge road, which has been closed since a huge slip a year ago.
NZTA’s Emma Speight says that Option 3 has emerged from “a thorough investigation and extensive consultation….as the safest and most resilient route, that best balances the combined needs of the communities, businesses and road users who will utilise it. “Everybody understands just how important a replacement for the Gorge is. It will re-establish a key strategic transport and freight link that supports the needs of the people and economies of central NZ.” Road Transport Forum CEO Ken Shirley says Option 3 “is the most suitable route for road freight, taking into account all the geographical challenges, proposed gradients and future
resilience.” The aim is to begin construction of the road in 2020 and have it completed by 2024. The NZTA has also committed to “advancing investigations” for a regional freight ring road around Palmerston North – this including a second road bridge across the Manawatu River. NZTA says it’s a project seen by stakeholders as critical for regional economic development. The RTF’s Shirley says that ongoing investigation of the proposed freight ring road is encouraging, as “Palmerston North is becoming an increasingly important freight hub of national significance and it is vital to support this with the appropriate infrastructure.” T&D
Hino goes big in the US JAPANESE TRUCKMAKER HINO has entered the North American heavy truck market, with a new XL Series conventional model. The XL, part of a $US100million investment in the US, rounds out Hino Trucks’ existing range in the Class 7 (NZ medium-duty) market – and launches it into the heavy-duty Class 8 market for the first time. The Hino XL7 and XL8 models are powered by Hino’s 8.9-litre A09 turbo diesel inline-six engine, with up to 360 horsepower/268kW and 1150 lb ft/1559Nm of peak torque. “Considering our remarkable success in Class 4-7 in North America, and our growing global presence in the Class 8 market, entering the North American heavy-duty segment makes for the next logical step….not to mention our 6 | Truck & Driver
customers and our dealer network have been asking for this for some time,” says Hino Trucks North America president and CEO Yoshinori Noguchi. The Hino XL Series will be offered in a number of rigid truck and tractor unit configurations, with GVMs ranging from 33,000-60,000 lbs/14,96827,215kg and GCMs up to 66,000 lbs/29,937kg. XL features include electronic stability control (standard on tractor units) and collision mitigation systems, innovative payload management suspension options, and a body builder-friendly optimised design also engineered for maximum ease of serviceability. Hino Trucks says it set out to create a vehicle with best-in-class styling, ergonomics, and valued amenities. The XL has an air-ride cab and driver’s seat, hands-free Bluetooth audio/calling,
steering wheel controls, LED headlights, cruise control and airconditioning – all as standard spec equipment. Buyers will get Hino’s Insight telematics system for one year as part of the purchase price – and remote diagnostics and case management systems for five years. Production of the XL7 and XL8 is scheduled to begin early next year. T&D
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NEWS
Big rigs’ big turnout TRUCK BLING WAS VERY MUCH TO THE FORE AT LAST month’s TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show in Christchurch. The biennial, two-day event, hosted by the New Zealand Trucking Association, attracted a big crowd on the Saturday public open day – with more than 23,000 visitors attending over the two days, according to the association. It says that the show – this year held at the Canterbury A&P Showgrounds – also boasted more than 70 trade exhibitors and had 350 trucks on display. Around 250 of them were vying for awards in the Show & Shine contest, which attracted units from as far away as Rotorua. The Show & Shine trucks are the stars of the show, says NZ Trucking Association CEO David Boyce: “The effort the drivers go to in preparing them is greatly appreciated and they truly make the event.” A feature of the Saturday was the TR Trucking Relay competition, which put four-person teams through a variety of challenges, including truck manoeuvring, loading pallets with a Crown forklift, tarping a load and – the big finale – the team truck pull. The contest attracted seven teams from various regions, with Team Auckland taking the big prize – a trip for four to the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show. It offered a great spectacle for the public and the teams’ supporters, with the grandstand full all day. The much quieter Friday trade day gave exhibitors the opportunity to meet and host clients. The day also focused on showing off the potential for careers in the trucking industry – with around 200 senior pupils from Canterbury high schools in attendance. The kids had all expressed an interest in the industry and were given
8 | Truck & Driver
a behind-the-scenes look. Interest from the young people was high, and exhibitors were impressed by the level of their questions, says Boyce: “We were talking with one who told us he had been planning to leave school but had now changed his mind and wanted to pursue a career in mechanics.” The students were treated to a barbecue lunch and truck rides, and they had plenty of free time to explore the rest of the show. Feedback from teachers was very positive, says the association, and several schools have already shown interest in booking more pupils for the 2020 show. The kids’ activities on Saturday were all free and monitored by volunteers from Child Cancer Foundation Canterbury and Ronald McDonald House SI. These included the Heavy Trucks 14-metre bouncy castle, a giant sandpit, kids’ colouring tent, CablePrice kids’ digger, RC Haulers radio control trucks and truck photo boards. The show shop was also very popular and completely sold out its stock of around 400 toy trucks that were brought in especially for the event. Industry volunteers manning the Safety MAN Road Safety Truck were kept busy all day, sharing safety tips on how to share the road safely with big trucks, as well as giving drivers an insight into how they can stay healthy on the road. The weekend was rounded off with a celebration dinner for 400 people, held at show sponsor TMC Trailers’ workshop. The workshop was decorated in a vintage theme, with truck centrepieces, LED truck brand signs and one-off, specially designed tyre bar leaners – the latter thanks to Carters Tyres. All items were auctioned on the night with the Kenworth LED sign going for $1100! All the proceeds went to the two participating charities. T&D
NEWS
Below: The Canterbury A&P Showgrounds provided a picture-perfect setting for the show Top left: This year’s show had a stronger emphasis on trade stands Top right & above right: Around 250 trucks were entered in the Show & Shine Above left: The TR Trucking Relay kept the crowds entertained all day Saturday
Truck & Driver | 9
NEWS
Truck-only highway planned in US
VINZ upgrades in Hamilton
TR ANSPORTATION OFFICIALS IN Georgia are considering building the United States’ first truck-only highway to improve freight efficiency and road safety and reduce congestion. The $US1.8billion proposal would see a two-lane highway, exclusively for trucks, run for 64 kilometres – from Atlanta to Macon, alongside an existing highway. The idea is the Georgia Department of Transportation’s response to a forecast doubling of truck traffic between the cities in the next 20 years. The state government hopes to get some funding from the Trump Administration’s huge infrastructure budget, but already has some of the budget from a fuel tax imposed three years ago specifically to fund transportation projects. The proposed truck highway would not be tolled and Georgia believes the road would attract tech companies to test out autonomous trucks and truck platoons. T&D
V EHICLE INSPECTION SPECIALIST V INZ H AS OPENED NEW premises in Hamilton, just a few hundred metres from its old location. The purposebuilt Te Rapa facility has three lanes (two with inspection pits) to improve turnaround times and worker health and safety. There’s also extra on-site parking for trucks and trailers as well as light vehicles, a modern reception/waiting area (including outdoor space) and a range of the latest testing equipment – suitable for everything from pre-purchase inspections to heavy vehicle entry certification and Certificate of Fitness inspections. At last month’s opening VINZ CEO Gordon Shaw told guests, including customers and senior NZ Transport Agency execs, that “the difference between the new and old site is chalk and cheese. We’ve worked with our equipment providers to help us provide the best service here.” One of 11 VINZ branches nationwide, the new Hamilton facility has been the company’s development focus since it opened a single-lane testing station in Gore a couple of years ago and Shaw added: “Palmerston North is being built as we speak and will open later in the year – and we’ll turn our attention to other areas where our customers are asking us to provide a better service, or to come to towns where we don’t have a representation.” NZTA chief executive Fergus Gammie said at the opening that VINZ is “one of four key service delivery partners for the agency.” The new facility, he said, shows that VINZ is “dedicated to a high level of customer service.” T&D
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The generous dimensions of the new VINZ facility are shown off at the opening, with a Regal Haulage truck and trailer unit and an MTE low-loader parked over the pits
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NEWS
A small sample of the huge Diesel Technic parts catalogue
Iveco adds all-makes parts IVECO HAS LAUNCHED AN ALL-MAKES RANGE OF European truck, trailer and bus spare parts in New Zealand. Iveco Trucks NZ has partnered with German-based Diesel Technic, a global supplier of aftermarket commercial vehicle parts, to offer a full range of parts through NZ’s 20 Iveco parts dealers. Diesel Technic carries around 30,000 parts, ranging from electrical fittings to major engine and suspension components. Iveco Trucks NZ parts business development manager Elliot Barnard says the company had “noted a gap in our local product range in NZ” – and after extensive market research had decided that parts quality, range and competitive pricing made Diesel Technic the right partner. The parts supplier, which has been in business for over 45 years, operates in more than 150 countries. Its parts carry a 24-month guarantee. An initial stock of almost $100,000 worth of parts is now stored at Iveco Trucks NZ’s Auckland HQ, ready for distribution to dealers.
Monthly stock orders are already in place and any parts not initially in stock are being airfreighted in as required. Iveco Trucks NZ dealer development manager Kristi Walker says that the company has been focusing on growing and strengthening the dealer network for the last two years. “We’re proud to have one of the largest networks in the country and are pleased to be able to provide another revenue stream to our partners. This also is a win for Kiwi operators, who’ll be able to see their vehicles serviced, regardless of brand, with quality parts in a cost-effective and timely manner.” GM Ian Walker says: “This is only the beginning of a very exciting time for Iveco and Diesel Technic. As we expand our product range and move into our newly built facility in Q3 we’re making leaps forward in the commercial vehicle parts market, which ultimately reflects in better product, better quality, better pricing and a better customer experience for all.” T&D
Trump touts road-user charges THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S consideration of a road funding model based on user charging makes sense, EROAD CEO Steven Newman believes. Trump’s annual economic report proposed replacing a fuel tax with a user fee – rather than raising the fuel tax as he’d earlier signalled. Now, says Newman, “the president’s economic report outlines a logical progression from a fuel tax to a road user-based charge.” The US doesn’t have a federal distance-based road user charging system, instead relying
12 | Truck & Driver
primarily on fuel taxes, which is resulting in a shortfall of funds for road maintenance and building – apparently due to the increasing adoption of electric and more fuel-efficient vehicles. The report says that “conventional funding models are now under pressure”….and adds that “congestion costs are high and rising in many urban areas.” The report cited a possible solution in an Oregon pilot programme imposing road use taxes on heavy vehicles, based on miles
travelled – a system similar to NZ’s RUCs, says EROAD. Other possibilities mentioned include highway tolls that vary with congestion, to increase efficiency and raise needed revenues to pay for infrastructure improvements and additions to capacity. An EROAD electronic solution is used in Oregon to manage and pay weight/mile tax, but Newman says that regardless of which of the regimes mentioned in the report is selected, EROAD has “an innovative and cost-effective way to introduce a user fee across jurisdictions.” T&D
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NEWS
Tough…but sophisticated
Volvo’s new North American VNX is specifically for heavy-haul applications. With Volvo’s own 16-litre no longer offered in the US, it comes with the option of a 13-litre Volvo....or the Cummins X15
By North American correspondent Steve Sturgess VOLVO NORTH AMERICA HAS RELEASED ITS THIRD new model in less than a year – the relaunched heavy-haul VNX. The model is built specifically for heavy-haul work, rated up to 125,000 pounds/56.7 tonnes or, with specific application approvals, to as much as 225,000 lbs/102t. To cope with those GCMs it offers either the Volvo D13 engine rated at 500 horsepower/372kW and 1850 lb ft/2508Nm, in front of the I-Shift automated manual…. Or the Cummins X15 Performance alternative powerplant, rated at 565hp/421kW and 1850 lb ft/2508Nm or 605hp/451kW and 2050 lb ft/2779Nm, mated with the Eaton Ultrashift Plus AMT. For manual transmission diehards, there are even 13-speed or 18-speed Eaton Fuller manual options. Drive axles are Meritor with Hendrickson suspension. The VNX comprises three models – a daycab VNX 300, a flat-top 42inch sleeper VNX 400 and the flagship VNX 740, which has the same mid-rise, 70-inch sleeper introduced on the VNL long-haul model late last year. The complete overhaul of the North American Volvo product line first saw the launch of the new VNR regional haul tractor, followed by the release of the all-new, long-nose VNL highway tractor. The VNX’s rollout also draws attention to the VHD construction truck chassis, which was given an interior facelift and new dash late last year. So, Volvo goes into a promising couple of years, with Class 8 truck sales expected to hover around 300,000, with three and a half new models. 14 | Truck & Driver
The VNX, which shares much the same engineering as the cabover FH heavy-haulage spec Volvos in other markets, are quite distinctive, with extra flare to the guards to cover steer axles and wide tyres that go up to 20,000 lbs/9071kg. Together with the standard 46,000 lb/20,865kg tandems, a raised ride height gives the VNX four inches’ extra ground clearance for negotiating construction sites when hauling big offroad machines. A reprofiled front bumper gives the truck a 25-degree approach angle. In case there is loss of traction, there’s a particularly rugged front crossmember behind the slab-like alloy bumper with a central tow hook rated to 60,000 lbs/27,215kg. Traction is aided by inter-axle and cross-axle diff locks and by 13-speed or 14-speed I-Shifts, which feature an additional gearset ahead of the main box – giving a crawler or extra-deep crawler ratios to the 12-speed main transmission. This delivers excellent startability and gradeability, and low-speed manoeuvring without having to resort to numerically high rear-end ratios and the limited top and cruise speed such ratios bring to on-highway use. The interiors are the same as the latest highway models, with a comprehensive dash which has all controls located on the steering wheel or within easy. Likewise, the VNX cabs are impressively quiet, have generous side glass and the slope of the unique bonnet creates very good forward visibility– important for a truck that will be working on jobsites. The mirrors are also excellent, complemented by hockey-stick mirrors to the front of the hood. T&D
NEWS
MaxiTRANS staff celebrate the completion of the delivery of the Aussie trailermaker’s biggest-ever order
Huge Aussie trailer order delivered AUSTRALASIAN TRAILERMAKER MAXITRANS HAS completed the delivery of its biggest-ever single order – for 386 trailers. The $AUS60million deal has seen the company build the fleet of MaxiCUBE and Freighter trailers for Coles Supermarkets. MaxiTRANS MD and CEO Dean Jenkins says that the Coles order has highlighted the company’s “unique capability and competency to fulfil large orders” – and its ongoing ability to support its trailers with its after-sales service and parts. Even with the completion of the huge order, MaxiTRANS says that it remains very busy and has “a pipeline of new orders being received daily.” And in the wake of the giant order, Jenkins points out that “for over 70 years we have prided ourselves on the fact that small fleets and owner operators from around
the country have come to MaxiTRANS for their trailer and rigid body products. “They are the backbone of our business and their ongoing support shows that we are exceeding their expectations.” In addition to this traditional core base, the company says it’s received other large, new orders from some of Australia’s leading private and national fleets. The company announced an R&D collaboration with two Australian universities late last year, and Jenkins says it is “beginning to make inroads into the future of trailing equipment…..pushing the boundaries of trailer design and construction in order to maximise efficiency, safety and environmental sustainability.” The collaboration will, he says, allow the partners “to ascertain what transport and the next generation of trailers will look like in the future.” T&D
Teen in SuperTrucks title showdown TEEN TRUCK RACER ALEX LITTLE continued to lead the New Zealand SuperTrucks Championship after narrowly winning the third round at Timaru last month. With two rounds to run, the 17-year-old Freightliner Century Class driver had 155 points, just eight ahead of defending champion Troy Wheeler, also driving a Cat-engined Freightliner. Wheeler and Little were first and second respectively in the 2016/’17 championship and were headed for another two-way title showdown over the final two rounds (at Taupo and Pukekohe). After three of the five rounds, International
TranStar driver Garry Price was third in the standings on 123 points, ahead of Australian Rob Waters (Kenworth), on 113. There was a three-way tie for fifth-equal, between Pukekohe’s Dave West (Freightliner Argosy), Bedford KM driver Tony Brand and triple NZ champ Malcolm Little (Alex’s Dad) – all on 108. The wins in the championship races at the Timaru third round were shared between Alex Little, Malcolm Little and Waters. His three podium results saw Alex Little edge Wheeler for the round win….by a mere point (52 to 51). Malcolm Little was only another three points adrift. T&D
This year’s SuperTruck title contenders Alex Little and Troy Wheeler in action Truck & Driver | 15
NEWS
Award-winner hands out its own awards NEW ZEALAND PACCAR TRUCKS DISTRIBUTOR Southpac Trucks, recently voted Australasia’s Kenworth Dealer of the Year 2017, has been handing out its own awards. Southpac’s national truck sales, parts and service dealer meeting, held at the Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill, was attended by executives from Cummins NZ, PACCAR Australia and the United States, DAF Trucks in Netherlands, Southpac’s senior management and The Colonial Motor Company CEO Graeme Gibbons. Southpac CEO Maarten Durent says Invercargill was chosen as the venue “because of Transport World’s excellent conference facilities and museum – plus Jason Popplewell of TRL has recently opened a new parts and service dealership in Invercargill, and getting all the dealers to visit these outstanding investments is important.” A day of meetings on truck sales, product and engineering updates and parts and service info sessions was capped by Southpac’s annual gala awards dinner.
Kenworth Australia’s Tim Cotton says that the meeting was “very important, to map out 2018: We have a lot going on – new models to support and ongoing technical training events to attend. Everyone has to be onboard to ensure our customers get the best possible uptime.” Hawke’s Bay’s Eastern Truck & Marine won the Dealer of the Year and a Parts Excellence award, while Steve Willcocks picked up the Salesman of the Year honours, Adam McIntosh the Kenworth and Used Salesman honours and Steve Herring the DAF Salesman award. The Service Dealer of the Year award went to Heavy Diesel Parts & Service, Christchurch, and HDPS, Timaru, took a Service Excellence award. Commercial Vehicle Centre, Nelson, won the Parts Dealer of the Year and a Service Excellence award. Commercial Diesel, Whangarei, took a Parts Excellence award and Mitch Gibbs (HDPS), Doug Smith (TPS Taupo) and Hamana Wharerau (Emmetts, Palmerston North) each won Technician Excellence awards. T&D
Top left: Dealer of the Year – Eastern Truck & Marine won the Dealer of the Year and a Parts Excellence award. From left to right are: Southpac CEO Maarten Durent, Paul Dennan, Neil Lawrence, Pat Mahoney, Andrew Munro and The Colonial Motor Company CEO Graeme Gibbons
Top right: Truck Sales Awards – Steve Willcocks (second from left) won Southpac’s Salesman of the Year award, while Adam McIntosh (centre) took the Kenworth and Used Salesman award and Steve Herring (second from right) the DAF Salesman of the Year. They’re pictured with Southpac general sales manager Richard Smart (far left) and Durent (far right)
Above right: The Parts Dealer of the Year and a Service Excellence award were won by Commercial Vehicle Centre, Nelson. From left to right are Durent, with CVC’s Andrew Dodson, Shayne Rooney and Lindsay Affleck Above left: Heavy Diesel Parts & Service, Christchurch took the Service Dealer of the Year and HDPS, Timaru a Service Excellence award. From left to right are HDPS’ Matt Duff, Courtney Frost and Jim Garters, and Southpac’s Jon Mitchell 16 | Truck & Driver
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NEWS
New Gough Group CEO Liz Ward is credited as an innovative and transformational corporate exec
Gough gets new CEO WIDELY-EXPERIENCED CORPORATE EXEC LIZ WARD has been appointed the new chief executive of Gough Group. Ward has been CEO of Sydney-based Kennards Hire, CEO of CentrePort and executive director customer services for Sydney Trains and has held senior positions with Telstra, Spark and EDS. She’s an independent director on the board of Moana Fisheries and was previously director of the New South Wales Telco Authority. Gough Group chair Keith Taylor says he’s delighted to have Ward “lead the next phase of the organisation’s development” following the departure of longtime CEO Karl Smith. “Liz brings a track record of leading and implementing transformational business change across a wide range of industries,” says Taylor. “Her customer-driven, results-focused approach, coupled with an inclusive leadership style, will help build upon a strong organisational culture that delivers results. “Her significant executive and governance experience, together with her record of transformation and engagement, position her well to drive Gough Group’s strategic aims of creating exceptional customer experiences and inspiring our people.” Executive director Ben Gough says the appointment is a clear statement
of direction for the Group: “The Gough Group must continue to lead our markets in the products and services we provide and do so across a range of platforms. Liz comes to us with a powerful record of innovation that will enable developments we believe our customers want to see.” Ward began work with Gough last month – working initially in the Christchurch head office, but will move to Auckland later this year. She takes over control of a company that is now almost 90 years old and is one of New Zealand’s leading heavy equipment, materials handling, power system and truck and trailer parts suppliers. It represents brands including Caterpillar, Palfinger, Hyster and Sany, with over 60 branches and 950 staff in NZ and Australia. T&D
Online manoeuvring training AN ONLINE DRIVER TR AINING course specifically designed to reduce the injuries and vehicle damage caused by low-speed accidents on urban roads and in workplaces has just been launched in New Zealand. DT Driver Training director Darren Cottingham believes that many vehicle accidents occur at relatively low speeds. They can, he adds, result in serious neck and back injuries for the driver and costly disputes between the injured parties and their insurers. “Costs can also mount up for businesses through lost productivity, additional administration and vehicle repairs. Vehicle leasing companies claim the average fleet vehicle endures between $1000$2000 worth of damage in its three-year lifecycle.
“Multiply this by the number of vehicles in your fleet and the costs can skyrocket.” Cottingham reckons that NZ drivers “have poor technique when it comes to manoeuvring at low-speed, knowing how and where to park, and how to avoid damaging our wheels and panels when we’re in tight spaces.” DT Driver Training has joined forces with driving instructor Duncan Seed of 2 Drive Safe Rider and Driver Training, to produce an online course to help drivers who aren’t confident manoeuvring their cars, vans, light trucks and buses. According to a British study of 2000 motorists in 2016, 20% of drivers said they’d continue to drive around the streets to find an easier space
rather than parallel park. But, says Seed, “it’s not just parallel parking that people find difficult: It’s reversing around a corner or down a driveway, parking in multistorey carparks and reversing with a trailer.” He’s adamant that manoeuvring can be effectively taught via videos showing how to do it correctly: “It starts with learning about blind spots and setting up your mirrors correctly. Then we take you through everything you need to know to confidently park anywhere and reverse in any complex situation, with or without a trailer.” The course, Low-speed Manoeuvring and Towing, is available from drivingtests.co.nz for $25 for one year’s access per driver. T&D Truck & Driver | 19
20 | Truck & Driver
Truck Tyres
BIG TEST
The first job of the day for the Gameon 2 Isuzu 460 involves negotiating a muddy worksite on the Waikato Expressway construction project north of Hamilton, to load this 22-tonne digger. The rest of the day’s planned machinery shifts from the site are cancelled because of the conditions
Truck & Driver | 21
Contact 0800 THE BULL John Blackburn 027 839 7477 john.b@roadmaster.co.nz Dick Parker 027 490 9677 dick@roadmaster.co.nz Craig Beissel 027 242 0814 craig@roadmaster.co.nz
Colin Patchell 027 241 1701 colin@roadmaster.co.nz Mark Walley 027 703 9278 markw@roadmaster.co.nz
Sales, Manufacturing, Repairs. Rotorua 07 349 0000 Auckland 09 279 4250
TD27864
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Running at about 42 tonnes all-up, the 460 impresses on the climb up the southern side of the Bombay Hills
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O, WHAT DO YOU RECKON THE SINGLE BEST-SELLING model of New Zealand’s best-selling truck make – Isuzu – is? The 530-horsepower GIGA maybe – seeing as it’s the flagship for the Japanese brand? Or, probably much more likely, one of its ever-popular light-duty N Series range? Nope. Surprisingly (even Isuzu Trucks NZ general manager Colin Muir raised an eyebrow when he checked the figures) the best of the best turns out to be a bit of a sleeper – the CYZ460 version of the GIGA range took out that honour in 2017 (from the 2016 incumbent, the little 4x4 NPS). The 460 is a one-model, one-spec truck, available only with an Eaton Roadranger 18-speed manual gearbox, steel suspension, heavy-duty front axle and a driveline retarder. And it’s aimed squarely at the tipper market. Isuzu has been NZ’s best-selling heavy-duty truck make for 18 years, taking over that mantle from Fuso/Mitsubishi. Last year, it remained a clear No.1, selling 1262 trucks (with a 4.5-tonne-plus GVM)….but did have its market share cut from 29.96% in 2016 to 24.23%. That was the result of a determined push by Fuso, which – under a new distributor – cranked-up its sales and recovered to second place (with 955 sales) and an 18.33% market share (up from third in 2016, with 10.18%). But the down-to-earth practical model in the GIGA range did exceptionally well – with 70 of them sold, that equating to better than one in 20 of Isuzu’s total 4.5t-plus sales…. And, more impressively, making up fully 19% of its sales in the premium (23t-plus GVM) top end of the market. The 460, Muir details, competes primarily with the other Japanese makes – UD, Fuso and Hino. He believes though that it also sells – albeit to a much lesser extent – against
a handful of European trucks, like the DAF CF85, Iveco Trakker, Volvo FMX, Mercedes-Benz Arocs, and some Scania and MAN models. Says Muir: “We think it punches above its weight and takes on 500-plus trucks as well, because the spec’s really good, and it comes in a lot cheaper…” Isuzu used to have only a 400hp tipper. It was successful, but had a 6.5-tonne front axle which wasn’t suitable for running super-single wheels/tyres….and it had no magnetic driveline retarder. Then the current 460hp model was launched, with a 7.5-tonne front axle and a good auxiliary braking system, comprising the Isuzu X-Tard exhaust brake and the Giga-Tard permanent magnet driveshaft retarder. The 460 has all-steel suspension, including Isuzu’s sixrod rear axle setup. Muir says that though there are “some operators who like airbags…I think the majority still go with the Keep It Simple Stupid (concept). And six-rod’s obviously very robust, works well. “When it came to tippers, if you go back maybe two or three years, we were selling a lot of 400hp trucks and not many 460s,” he adds. “That was before the new (current) model.” Around the time the new Isuzu range was launched, NZ’s new era of HPMV truck combinations was just getting established: So, not surprisingly, in the last couple of years, the sales mix has been more 460s and fewer 400s. Muir believes that the arrival of a tipper-spec 530 GIGA in the second half of this year “will give us a real crack at actually going head-to-head with some of the European marques in terms of performance…and (the 530 will) be a hell of a lot cheaper as well. We’ll obviously be trying to Truck & Driver | 23
grab some share from the Europeans...” It will also be more capable of handling HPMV work. He admits that the 530 could cut into the 460’s market: “We may find Isuzu buyers who would have bought a 460 wanting a little bit more horsepower and they’ll just move up, so there may be some attrition. “But we expect to pick that up by taking deals away from other brands with the 530. The net effect will be a gain – we hope to do more volume in that tipper market, not less.” Looking at the CYZ460 in detail, it runs Isuzu’s double overhead camshaft, 24-valve inline six-cylinder intercooled turbodiesel 6WG1-TCC engine. The 15.7-litre unit has a 16.0:1 compression ratio, and develops 338kW of maximum power (460hp, hence the truck’s 460 model name) and peak torque of 2254Nm. The engine is Euro 5 compliant, using SCR and AdBlue. The Roadranger manual is mated to a Spicer six-button, twin-plate clutch. The PTO has a 474Nm torque capacity. The front axle, with its important 7500kg capacity, is an Isuzu FO75 I-beam. At the rear are Isuzu RT260s with singlespeed tandem drive and an inter-axle diff lock. The hypoidtype final drive has a 4.33:1 ratio. The front suspension uses alloy steel tapered parabolic leaf springs, double-acting shock absorbers and a stabiliser bar, while the drive axles are on alloy steel parabolic leaf springs, along with Isuzu’s six-rod and trunnion axle-locating system. The brakes are 440mm drums all-round, and are fitted with an ABS anti-lock system. The Isuzu X-Tard air-controlled exhaust brake delivers up to 350hp of retardation, while the Giga-Tard permanent
24 | Truck & Driver
magnet driveshaft retarder provides up to 65kg/m of silent braking. The 460’s rolled steel, cold-riveted ladder frame rides on 22.5-inch, 165mm offset Alcoa alloy wheels. The all-steel standard roof cab meets the ECE-R29 safety standard, and uses high-tensile steel in the underframe and has side impact anti-intrusion beams. The cab is power-tilted, with a manual hydraulic back-up system. It sits on four-point, electronically-controlled airbag suspension. There are three inset, non-slip entry steps on each side of the cab with the driver’s side steps illuminated. Large, easy-to-use grabhandles are sited to the front and rear of the door opening to make entry and exit easier. Heated and power-adjustable 22-inch main and convex rear-view mirrors are mounted on each door, and are supplemented by kerb and front under-view mirrors on the left-hand side. There are three dual-speed windscreen wipers which also have an adjustable intermittent-wipe function. An equipment locker on the left-hand side of the cab can be accessed externally; and the steel front bumper houses multi-reflector halogen headlights, foglights, and indicators housed in a vertical cluster. Switchgear includes an idle speed adjuster, differential lock, and Giga-Tard progressive engagement. The left-hand steering-column stalk operates the windscreen wipers and washers, flashing hazard lights, the X-Tard and the Giga-Tard on/off. The right-hand stalk controls the turn signals, headlight and foglights, headlight full beam/dipping, and cruise-control
settings. The multi-display has a clock, calendar, and fuel use data, including total economy and fuel consumption, trip distance, and trip fuel economy when the truck is moving or is at idle. It also shows the battery voltage. The display also posts visual warnings – engine overheat, low coolant level, low oil pressure, low fuel level. In-cab equipment includes a driver’s airbag, two overhead storage lockers with a CB radio-compatible slot. Convenience equipment includes electric windows and central door-locking with keyless entry. The highly-effective standard airconditioning system can be redirected to the sleeper area, which can be separated from the cab by the rail-mounted curtain wrapping around the bunk, blocking out light. Storage includes large pockets in the cab doors, left and right-side gloveboxes and a storage locker in the large centre console between the driver and passenger seats. It also has a fold-over storage tray and two cup-holders. Driver comfort is enhanced by an ISRI air suspension seat designed specially to suit the Isuzu. The multi-media infotainment system is compatible with CDs, DVDs, and MP3 and WMA players. It has a 6.2-inch touch-screen mounted in the carbonfibre-style dashboard fascia. The system also has Bluetooth hands-free phone, voice dialling and text-to-speech capability. There are SD and USB ports, and onboard recordable memory. Options include external cameras with up to fourway screen display, and GPS satellite navigation. Our test truck is operated by Gameon
2 (pronounced Game On 2), an earthmoving and trucking company formed by Papakura husband and wife Troy and Davina Butcher, who’ve been in business now for just over three years – starting up with one digger. “I’d been working for Warren Fowler for about 14 years, driving diggers and trucks,” says Troy. “Driving diggers was something I’d always wanted to do since Mum and Dad built their house at Pokeno when I was about nine years old. “I used to get home from school and watch the guy driving the digger and moving the transporter around. I sat there for hours, and I said to Mum ‘I want to buy one of those diggers one day.’ And from that point, I always knew I wanted to drive diggers and trucks.” It took Troy “a few years” to buy his own gear: “In my later years at Fowlers, I really wanted to do it, and one day I said to my boss Dean, ‘I want to go out on my own.’ Gameon 2 was born.” The company fleet now numbers five diggers and two trucks – the new Isuzu 460 and the “old girl,” a 1.7millionkilometre Scania. This is a real family business, with Davina playing a key role in the company’s development: “I couldn’t have done what I’ve done without her,” says Troy. She’s the one who came up with the company name – as “something different…a name that people would notice.” The Butcher family also has a long history with Isuzus: Troy’s father Gavin had a Cummins-engined 350 in the 1980s and Troy’s brother Reon learnt how to operate a Roadranger gearbox in one, tutored by older brother and regular Isuzu 350 driver Darryn.
The hardworking, down-to-earth CYZ460 turns out to be the single best-selling model of New Zealand’s longtime No. 1 truck make, Isuzu
Truck & Driver | 25
Top right & above: The horsepower may be modest in this day and age, but the 460 has good torque and the Gameon 2 team is happy with its capabilities Lower right: Good grabhandles both sides of the door opening help to provide safe cab entry and exit And an Isuzu was the first choice when Troy was looking for a replacement truck after Gameon 2’s old Scania’s engine decided that enough was enough and stopped working. It’s currently awaiting a major engine rebuild that will be done when funds are available: “It’s a pretty old truck and it’s not going at the moment…but one day it will be.” Troy’s older brother Reon, who is the Isuzu 460’s regular driver, had driven the Scania for another company for about four years before it was bought by Gameon 2. “They rang up one day and said they wanted to sell it, and we said, ‘yes, we’ll buy it’,” says Troy. “But with our luck, it didn’t keep going. “We needed to replace it with something, and Reon has always liked Isuzus – and has always driven them. I like them too – they’ve come a long way.” It also appealed having “something similar to what Dad had” nearly 40 years back. “The Isuzu is perfect for what we use trucks for. We looked at the torque rating of the 530hp and 460hp models, and they are pretty much exactly the same.” The torque is actually identical in the two variants – and 26 | Truck & Driver
the clincher came down to the gearboxes offered in each: The 460 comes with the Roadranger 18-speed manual, which the Butcher boys reckon is ideal for their dual-purpose machinery transport/tipping operation and for the mix of offroad and onroad use. The 530, on the other hand, has Isuzu’s automated manual transmission. Add in no trade-off in torque output and a lower sticker price…and the 460 ticked all the boxes for Gameon 2. Says Troy: “We thought, ‘why pay the extra money for the 530?’ The 460 was quite a bit cheaper, had a manual gearbox and the same torque “It suited us a bit better and it had a lower-profile cab. My brother had driven an Isuzu 400 at Powell Transport (in Pukekohe), and that went amazingly-well. We thought, ‘there’s nothing wrong with a 460. That’ll do us’.” The 460 also fitted the bill in terms of Troy’s desire to have a multi-purpose truck that could operate as a tractor unit pulling a machinery transporter or an articulated tipper, or – with a swap-body – run as a truck and trailer combination: “I thought the 460 would be ideal for that.” Gary Douglas Engineering, headquartered near Palmerston
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North in the Manawatu, did the setup for the fifth-wheel turntable on the 460 and for the swap-body. Rage Engineering at Ruakaka, in Northland, was enlisted to build the swap-body bin. Hamilton-based MTE made the transporter trailer and the articulated tipper trailer that Gameon 2 uses. The Gameon 2 fleet works “all over the show,” as Troy puts it. At the time of our test it’s working on sites on the Waikato Expressway, while the company’s diggers are spread between Waikato Expressway’s Hamilton section construction project, the new motorway east of Takanini in South Auckland and on the Puhoi to Wellsford Northern Motorway project. It’s late summer and the heat is still full-on when we roll up to the Waikato Expressway’s Sector 2 worksite, on the northern edge of Hamilton, to start our test. It’s just before dawn on an early March morning, but if not for the heat, it could be mid-winter! The rain is steady and persistent, and the construction site on Kay Road at Horsham Downs – dry and dusty for the past few weeks – is now saturated, the surface slushy and muddy. Equipment operators huddle in the crew room at the site, hoping for a break in the weather. When it becomes clear that’s not going to happen, work’s cancelled for the day and the operators reluctantly head home. But Reon has to shrug off the conditions and carry on: The Gameon 2 Isuzu, in tractor unit format and hooked up to the MTE three-rows-of-four low-loader, is scheduled to move a number of machines from here to Sector 1 of the
Expressway’s Hamilton section – on Lake Road, only a few kilometres away. The mud and slush delivers treacherous conditions in which to operate a truck and low-loader, and getting the rig turned around and ready to load proves no easy task. While Reon is loading the 22-tonne Hitachi digger, the rest of the transfers for the day are cancelled, so there’s just this one machine to move. The new plan will have us do this one delivery here and then head north to Rangiriri, to pick up another 22t digger and deliver it to Auckland. We leave the construction site at Horsham Downs and once we’re on the road, the first thing that’s apparent is the very low level of noise in the cab. It’s quiet enough to hold a conversation without raising your voice…and the sound system is audible even at relatively-low volumes. With the loaded combination at around 42 tonnes, the truck’s ride is relatively-smooth, even from the unsprung passenger’s seat. The ride gets a lot more lively later, when we’re running empty on the run to Rangiriri. The Isuzu’s standard steel spring suspension gives a harder ride than air, but Reon reckons the all-steel setup is much more suited to the dual onroad/offroad environment in which the truck works. And, he adds, “it doesn’t get stuck offroad.” The ISRI seat and air-suspended cab help improve driver comfort. Reon has been driving trucks for about 18 years – and before that he rode in the family’s TK Bedford and then its Cummins-powered Isuzu with his Dad (Gavin) and older brother Darryn: “I just loved it eh. Darryn showed me how
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28 | Truck & Driver
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Gameon 2 has this MTE lowloader and an articulated tipper trailer to go behind the Isuzu in its tractor unit format
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• “2 minute warning “ slowly dims and raises light level prior to shut-off
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• Distributes light more effectively than traditional recessed dome lights. • No mounting pan needed, so the R-value of insulated cargo areas is not reduced. • Easy and versatile surface screw mounting. • Vertical and horizontal mounting points attach to any flat surface.
• Lights flash per button push to indicate that command is received • 10 amp maximum load • two options available. 5600 flush mount, 5600-1 recessed mount
• 90mm lead wires. • 800 Lumen output.
TD27753
• Automatic timer switch P5600 available.
CDL Autoparts Ltd
Be Safe - Be Seen!
9a Earl Richardson Avenue, Manukau 2104, New Zealand ☎ 09 262 1417 sales@cdlautoparts.co.nz
www.cdlautoparts.co.nz Truck & Driver | 29
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Left & top right: The GIGA cab gets the thumbs-up from driver Reon Butcher for its comfort....and the fact it’s graced by the gearstick for an 18-speed Roadranger Lower right: NZ Truck & Driver writer Mike Stock is impressed with the roomy feel, the storage and the quietness of the cab to drive a Roadranger. I was hopeless, I couldn’t doubleclutch, but we went round and round till I got it.” He fondly remembers the Isuzu in particular: “I loved that truck and it was the first truck I drove…..” That early experience with Isuzus also led to his preference for manual transmissions: “I love manuals,” he enthuses. “The only auto I’ve had was in an MAN but that was all highway stuff…...autos are good when you’re stuck in traffic.” But, he adds, “with this offroad driving, it’s good to have a manual…. “And a manual is a lot more fun too. Part of the fun of driving a truck is changing gears…and the Roadranger in this truck is practical in wet conditions. We’re not driving long distances.” Reon’s first job was in dairy farming, then “when I was 21 I got my first driving job. I was working for Powell Transport in Pukekohe. I was given a job by Richie Powell who passed away last year. He was a good man, I miss him. “I started in an Isuzu 350 with a Cummins, then I drove a couple of Nissans…a 330 and a 380; then an Isuzu 400. I drove a MAN 540 hauling fuel. I’ve also driven a Scania 580, which is my favourite truck, and now this Isuzu 460. “I did some linehaul driving for Mainfreight, and I was also driving for Pacific Fuel delivering gas, and then I came to this – working with my brother.” Moving away from linehaul fuel deliveries – to New
Plymouth and Raetihi, with a five-axle trailer and running at 50t – has given Reon more time to spend with his wife and daughter. Reon says working for Troy has also given him more variety: “I get to move different machines…and I also do some tipping. With the fuel, it was just load up with fuel and take it somewhere and drop it in the ground. “I like the challenge of chaining-down different machines on the trailer. This work is more challenging. “I’ve been with Troy and Gameon for nine months, and I love it. Coming to work for Troy was the best move I ever made.” Reon says he’s “bloody proud” of his brother and sisterin-law for starting Gameon 2: “He just gave it a crack, took a risk – gave it a go. So I’m happy to be on-board with him.” He’s been especially happy in the past two months – since he got the new Isuzu: “It’s awesome, it’s a good truck. It’s not quite as powerful as the Scania, but it’s reliable, you know. So smooth to drive, and it’s nimble and good offroad. “It’s got enough power for what we use it for. We do transporting and in between we do tipper work, tipping rocks and sand – anything really.” So far, the tipping work is only with the articulated tipper. The Isuzu is set up, ready to go, for easily swapping to a truck format, with the removal of the fifth-wheel and the locking-in of the swap tipper body....but the body hasn’t Truck & Driver | 31
Top left & lower right: To give the Isuzu 6x4 maximum versatility, the fifth-wheel can be easily removed and a tipper swap body installed Top right: Driver Reon Butcher rates the 460 as “a good honest truck for what we’re doing” Lower left: Reon does his best to tidy up the load before hitting the road
been delivered yet. “We work anywhere from here up to Auckland. Most of the transporting is in Hamilton for Hick Brothers contractors. We’ve also got a couple of private clients that we do work for.” Reon says the 460 is “a good honest truck for what we’re doing…and is well-priced compared with Kenworths and Scanias. “The steering is nice and light – everything has a good feel. And it’s a truck in which the clutch and gearbox is good – everything is good and works well together. It’s comfortable and everything – I’m really happy with it.” Reon reckons the Isuzu’s engine brake is “not too bad. It’s a two-stage. It’s not as strong as a six-stage or anything like that but it’s not too bad. MANs have a good retarder. We were running at 50t (with Pacific Fuel) and it was powerful.” He says that actually driving a truck and low-loader is basically the same as driving any truck – “it’s just the work we do (that’s different).” It is, he adds, “heavier to handle than an articulated tipper. “The tipper is quite a bit lighter than a lot of the loads we put on this. We’ve put road rollers on here, Moxy offroad dumptrucks, compactors. Just putting them on is a lot of fun…challenging.” His typical day involves moving machinery around for Hicks: “More or less, I move machines on-site, or move them from site to site. Some days I might have a couple of machines to move, sometimes seven or eight…it just 32 | Truck & Driver
depends.” Most of the work is on the Waikato Expressway. If there’s work on in Auckland, Reon moves the machinery there – and that’s where we’re heading next, delivering a Stonedale Civil Contractors 22t digger from near Rangiriri, to Wiri in South Auckland. Once the Stonedale digger is loaded onto the MTE trailer, NZ Truck & Driver publisher and road tester Trevor Woolston takes the wheel. He’s immediately appreciative of the ease of access: “There are good steps to get into the cab – good grabhandles, good depth to the steps.” Woolston rates visibility from the driver’s seat as good, and says the effective exterior mirrors make it very easy to see the rig’s sides. He likes the cab finish and the amount of storage provided: “There’s plenty of good storage space with goodsized lockers, little bins for keys and fuel cards, and all the surfaces look nice and easy to keep clean. There’s a big interior cab light which would illuminate the cab nicely at night time.” Woolston says that “all in all, the 460 is pretty nice. This is a construction-spec truck, heavy-duty and is not going to have all the frills and touches you’d find on a linehaul truck, but the ride is quite good in this spec with mechanical suspension. And all-up, the rig doesn’t feel like it’s at 40t.” As for truck owner Troy Butcher’s verdict on the Isuzu CYZ 460? “I’d definitely buy another one,” he says without even a hint of hesitation. T&D
Trevor Test
I
START MY TEST DRIVE OF GAMEON 2’S Isuzu CYZ460 on a farm development site across the Waikato River from Rangiriri, in the northern Waikato. Our task is to move a 22-tonne excavator north to a factory in Manukau City. All up weight will be around 42 tonnes, so it will be a good test for the Isuzu’s relatively-modest horsepower. The CYZ460 is, as the name suggests, a 460hp version of this popular Isuzu model. The engine produces its peak power at 1800rpm and 2254Nm of torque at 1300rpm. That torque rating is the same as the more powerful 530hp model’s, so it’ll be interesting to see how the 460 goes. We pull out of the farm site over a long access track and I immediately feel the truck pulling easily, and upshift the 18-speed Roadranger at around 1500rpm, keeping the revs nicely in the green band. The gearshift is smooth and the ’box falls into the gears easily; the clutch
34 | Truck & Driver
pedal is nice and light – in fact very light – so it takes a few gearchanges to get a good feel for it. This model is construction truck spec so there’s no AMT variant. With a load on, even over the rough access track the ride from the all steel suspension is excellent, with very little jarring coming up through the cab. Any bumps that do come through to the cab are dealt with for the driver by the ISRI 6860 air-suspension seat – a top-end item you’ll find in many European trucks. Adding to the ride comfort is the fourpoint, electronically controlled airbag cab suspension. We’re soon heading towards the singlelane Rangiriri bridge to cross the Waikato River and get onto State Highway 1.
Anybody who’s driven the roads on the western side of the Waikato will know that this is peat country and the road surface isn’t smooth. There are some really good bumps along the way, but fully-loaded the Isuzu delivers a good, stable ride and the steering is very good – with excellent feel through the wheel and no bump steer. Once we’re on SH1, I’m looking forward to a cruisy drive north – but that’s not to be, with repeated speed restrictions and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The roadworks are all in the interest of better highways so we shouldn’t complain; but it means truck drivers have to be alert as every car is trying to get in front of you even when there’s no room to do it. That, combined with the traffic slowing from 100km/h for the speed-restricted areas, means you need to be reading the road well ahead. The cars don’t slow down gradually but push on past you…. then get on their brakes at the last minute. Fortunately, the Isuzu’s service brakes and auxiliary retardation, combining the X-Tard exhaust brake and the Giga-Tard permanent magnet driveshaft retarder, works really well. It’s heavy traffic all the way to Auckland, but we do hit the Bombay Hill at 90km/h so we get a good run into the steep and sustained climb. We start losing gears just before the Razorback Road overbridge and I steadily shift down through the box to fifth low – bottom of the top box – and it holds the gear easily. We hold steady 40km/h on the much of the climb, though as the gradient gets steeper we’re doing just over 32km/h. Speed increases to almost 38km/h coming up to the summit, and the 460 isn’t struggling, running close to 1800 revs and doing it easily. In fact, I upshift to fifth high before the top and feel we could probably have done most of the climb in that ratio. With the engine delivering good torque and
holding revs well for most of the climb, at no point is there any rush to downshift. It’s pretty good for a 460hp truck. Once over the top, I drop to seventh high for the run down the northern side, and I’m constantly lifting off the retarder, which holds the truck back easily. Given the traffic, I’m probably a bit conservative with the retarders but I tend to stay on the cautious side in this sort of situation. Coming into Auckland, we encounter the usual traffic jams around the Takanini motorway widening project. Once again, you’re on full alert as you watch for cars cutting in front of you as you try to keep a safe, clear distance to the vehicle in front. We’re soon heading off the motorway into Wiri Station Road and then we face a final hurdle: I have to get the unit through a tight gateway onto a busy factory site and then negotiate my way around a yard full of pipes and tanks to the offload point at the rear of the site. Overall, the Isuzu CYZ460 is an interesting drive. When so many companies are specifying 500hp-plus trucks for this sort of work I find that the 460hp model handles the job well. There are still many operators who don’t want higher horsepower, and with the 460 engine delivering the same torque as the 530, it has proved a popular model for Isuzu. As I climb down from the cab, it certainly doesn’t feel like we’ve done a hard day’s work: The truck is very relaxing to drive and certainly doesn’t feel like it needs any more horsepower. T&D
• SPECIFICATIONS • ISUZU CYZ460 6x4
Engine: Isuzu 6WG1-TCC Euro 5 Capacity: 15.68 litres Maximum power: 338kW/460hp Peak torque: 2254Nm/1662 lb ft Fuel Capacity: 400 litres Transmission: 18-speed Eaton Roadranger RTLO18918-B 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: Isuzu FO75 Elliot reverse I-beam (7500kg) Rear axles: Isuzu RT260 singlespeed tandem drive with interaxle diff lock (26,000kg) Auxiliary brake: Isuzu X-Tard air-controlled exhaust brake and Giga-Tard driveshaft retarder Front suspension: Alloy steel tapered parabolic leaf springs and shock absorbers with stability bar Rear suspension: Isuzu sixrod and trunnion axle-locating system, alloy steel tapered
The Trevor Test starts here, at a farm development site at Rangiriri
parabolic leaf springs GVW: 24,000kg GCM: 58,000kg
Truck & Driver | 35
Schmitz Cargobull refrigeration system incorporates the very latest electronic Telematics control technology, together with Schmitz Cargobull FERROPLASTâ„¢ Body Panels, enabling the fridge unit to deliver exceptional Fuel Economy.
AUCKLAND BRANCH AND HEAD OFFICE 21 Hobill Ave, Manukau, Auckland, Phone +64 9 267 3679
FEILDING MANUFACTURING PLANT
10 Mahinui Street, Feilding, New Zealand, Telephone +64 6 323 4299 TD27887
www.fruehauf.co.nz
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
The National Livestock Transport and Safety Group helped to manage trials to extend the maximum vehicle height to 4.3 metres
Key committees working hard for the industry O by Ken Shirley Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ
NE OF THE KEY FUNCTIONS OF THE Road Transport Forum that many people probably don’t know about is the support we give to three key industry sector committees – the National Livestock Transport and Safety Group, the Petroleum Industry Transport Safety Forum and the Fuel Distributors Industry Safety Committee. In addition, RTF maintains a close liaison with the Log Transport Safety Council, providing technical support and policy advice to this independent road transport organisation. Designed to promote and represent specific segments within the industry, these groups play a vital national advocacy role and are frequently called upon by both the industry and government to assist with the development of policy and the dissemination of information to operators. The three groups also carry the mandate and representation necessary to engage with important external stakeholders that interface with the road transport industry to establish
best-practice guidelines and policies that contribute to better shared outcomes. Since its inception, following a remit at the 2004 RTF Conference, the National Livestock Transport and Safety Group (NLTSG) has performed a valuable role protecting and promoting the interests of the livestock transport sector at a national level. It has become highly regarded by government agencies, such as the New Zealand Transport Agency, the Ministry for Primary Industries and ACC, who participate in the group’s meetings and, in certain circumstances, defer to the group’s obvious expertise. The meat-processing industry, Federated Farmers and stock crate manufacturers are also included on the committee and it’s this range of representation that makes the NLTSG such a useful forum through which to develop policy. Of course, such broad representation does not come without its challenges, including some fairly robust discussion Truck & Driver | 37
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
The RTF also works closely with the Log Transport Safety Council – providing technical support and policy advice to the independent organisation
around the committee table. However, the considerable national authority that NLTSG carries on matters relating to livestock transport could only be achieved through this sort of plurality. There have even been instances where government ministers have deferred to the expertise of the NLTSG and were happy to be guided by that advice. That kind of influence can only be achieved through the development of a holistic and co-operative approach to addressing issues. The development of new standards around livestock crates, the welfare of young calves (including the recommendation to mandate appropriate loading and unloading facilities), and the creation of the NZ Livestock Transport Assurance (NZLTA) programme are just some of NLTSG’s significant achievements. The NZLTA has provided a range of benefits for the industry, including reducing processor programmes and compliance costs, and by introducing electronic crate tags to help level the playing field across the sector. The 4.3-metre vehicle height increase in the 2016 VDAM Rule was also a direct result of work implemented and managed originally by NLTSG The Petroleum Industry Transport Safety Forum (PITSF) and the Fuel Distributors Industry Safety Committee (FDISC) were set up more recently, with RTF asked by both groups to undertake secretarial services and provide technical advice. Between them, these two groups cover pretty much the whole domestic supply chain for transport fuels. The PITSF’s purpose is to promote the safe and reliable movement of fuel by road to retailers, while the FDISC is interested in the distribution beyond retailers to onsite storage. The PITSF’s membership includes representatives from across the oil industry as well as key fuel transport operators, 38 | Truck & Driver
with specialist advisory support from the appropriate tankwagon fabricators and service providers. The FDISC, on the other hand, is designed so that fuel distributors and those with onsite facilities can work together to ensure safe, compliant and environmentally responsible processes for delivery and storage of fuel. The two committees’ activities include developing industry codes of practice, providing submissions on legislation affecting fuel transport, distribution and storage, developing safety standards and guidelines, and providing advice on industry training and qualifications. The PITSF also manages a register of competent people who can issue NZ Oil Industry Safe Load Passes. These involve an annual inspection of tanker trucks and trailers for compliance with established safety criteria required for access to loading facilities at all NZ oil terminals. All three committees have worked extremely hard over the last few years to help their sectors come to terms with new workplace health and safety laws. It’s been beneficial to both government and the industry to have issues addressed through these committees rather than having multiple organisations all trying to engage with government and WorkSafe NZ at the same time. These three committees, along with the Log Transport Safety Council, prove that a lot more can be achieved to improve outcomes for the industry when the key industry players are engaged on a regular basis and work together on common objectives. The whole is always greater than the sum of its parts and in this day and age it’s critical that the industry speaks with one voice whenever possible. I’m confident that all three committees will continue to serve the best interests of their members and the wider sector for many years to come. T&D
Proud to supply Gameon 2
For all your trucking needs contact our sales team here at Robertson Isuzu today. Ian Renner 027 678 1714 • ian.renner@robertsonisuzu.co.nz
TD27885
Robertson Isuzu are the authorised distributor of Shinmaywa specialist purpose truck bodies. Shinmaywa are Japan’s leading manufacturer of special purpose truck bodies.
2018 NEW ZEALAN
TRUCK DRIVING TRUCK TRUCK DRIVING DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIP 2018 2018NEW NEWZEALAND ZEALAND
2018 NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP
TRUCK$10,000 DRIVING $10,000 $10,000 IN PRIZES ININPRIZES PRIZES CHAMPIONSHIP OVER OVER
OVER
$10,000
QUALIFICATION QUALIFICATION EVENTS EVENTS TO TOBE BE HELD IN: IN: IN: QUALIFICATION EVENTS TOHELD BE HELD
Bay BayofBay of of Otago/ Otago/ Otago/ Northland Northland Auckland Plenty/ Canterbury Northland Auckland Auckland Plenty/ Plenty/Canterbury Canterbury Southland Southland Southland Waikato Waikato Waikato
CHAMPIONSHIP CHAMPIONSHIPTO TOBE BEHELD HELDAT: AT:
CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE HELD AT:
Forsyth Forsyth Barr Barr Stadium, Stadium, Dunedin, Dunedin, 25/26 25/26 September September
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, 25/26 September
ENTRIES ENTRIESARE AREOPEN! OPEN!
ENTRIES ARE OPEN!
IN PRIZES
Entry Entry forms, forms, event event details details and and rules rules are are available available atat rtfnz.co.nz/events/nz-truck-driving-championship-2 rtfnz.co.nz/events/nz-truck-driving-championship-2
Entry forms, event details and rules are available at rtfnz.co.nz/events/nz-truck-driving-championship-2
ICATION EVENTS TO BE HELD IN:
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Auckland
Bay of Plenty/
Canterbury
Otago/
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
The Dunedin Town Hall will host this year’s Road Transport Industry Awards Dinner
Southern flavour to 2018 Conference T
HE ROAD TRANSPORT FORUM CONFERENCE IS be held alongside the conference and is being designed to run inside the heading down to the South Island in 2018 and, for the first time stadium, which should add to the event’s prestige and provide a grand since 2005, the event will be back in Dunedin. backdrop. “It’s exciting to again hold a conference in the deep south and we’re very A delegates’ networking event is also being organised for inside the much looking forward to celebrating the culture, history and innovation of stadium at pitch level, while the prestigious Road Transport Industry the Otago region,” says Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley. Awards Dinner will be held at the beautiful Dunedin Town Hall. “RTF is working closely with the Region 5 committee to really make A range of sponsorship opportunities will be available for Conference sure that the event includes a true local flavour and shows off the best of 2018 – from trade stands (where exhibitors can promote and demonstrate Dunedin. We’re very fortunate to have secured use of the fantastic Forsyth products and services) to exclusive naming rights for specific activities. Barr Stadium and its lounges for the conference and I know that delegates More information is available from the Forum. will enjoy the stadium experience. A registration website, including accommodation, sponsorship packages, “It’s also important to us that delegates feel that they get tangible value transport options and a partners’ programme, will be launched in the near from the conference. We know that people in our industry are extremely future and will be communicated to the industry. T&D busy – and taking two days out and being away from their own businesses can be a huge sacrifice.” Forsyth Barr Stadium will provide a unique venue for Conference 2018 The conference, which is to be held on Wednesday September 26 and Thursday the 27th, is being arranged to include a diverse programme of sessions and speakers to provide attendees with entertainment, inspiration and practical information that they can take back to their own businesses. Specific industry issues such as driver welfare and fatigue, industry qualifications and the New Zealand Transport Agency’s Weigh Right progamme will all feature, as well as a number of more business-orientated sessions. “We feel that this time of year, with a snappy two-day programme, will better suit our industry, while it will also give people the opportunity to carry on further south to the Road Transport Hall of Fame Dinner on the Friday night,” says Shirley. “In fact, it is our intention to put on some transport on the Friday morning from Dunedin to Invercargill to help facilitate this.” The final of the 2018 NZ Truck Driving Championship is to Truck & Driver | 41
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
US moves to mandatory E-logbooks J
UST PRIOR TO CHRISTMAS A NEW FEDERAL regulation took effect in the United States mandating the use of electronic logging devices. These devices have replaced the paper logbooks still widespread in New Zealand and record individual driver information, including the allimportant hours-of-service data. Mandating the devices is primarily seen as a safety measure to help prevent fatigue and reduce truck accidents. Just like here in NZ, the US road toll has increased in recent years and data suggests that drowsy driving is the cause of a significant proportion of fatal accidents and serious injuries. It’s estimated that 6000 deaths a year in the US are caused by drivers struggling to stay awake and many studies indicate that commercial drivers are at highest risk of falling asleep at the wheel. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration consequently believes that mandating the electronic logging devices will reduce truck-related accidents by over 1800 a year in the US, save 26 lives and prevent over 500 injuries. The electronic logging devices rule was released way back in 2015, during the Obama administration, and gave operators over two years’ of lead-in time, meaning that many of the country’s larger trucking companies had already moved in that direction before the new rule came into effect. Where it is having the biggest impact however is with the millions of small – one and two-truck companies – that are having to change their practices to comply with the much tighter confines of electronic logging. 42 | Truck & Driver
Of course, in a perfect world, where everybody plays by the rules, the move to electronic logging would have little impact, aside from some initial compliance costs and user upskilling. However, says the Road Transport Forum NZ, this being the trucking sector in the United States – where dodging weigh stations and cheating on logbooks are badges of honour and almost part of the culture of the industry – the practical reality is that electronic logging has the potential to make a major change to the industry and those that use it. Shippers, retailers and consumers are bracing for an increase in costs. Some predictions are that freight rates will need to go up quite dramatically to account for electronic logging and the impact that has on efficiency and operational practicalities for small trucking firms, in particular. These smaller transport companies are expected to lose between two and eight percent capacity as they’re forced to strictly adhere to the new hours of service regulations. Their productivity is also expected to reduce by around 10-15%. Some commentators are forecasting that the actual freight rate increase could therefore be as much as 20 or 30% on last year, especially when the compulsory logging devices are considered alongside the industry’s ever-increasing labour shortage. As is the case in NZ, low unemployment in the US means that there is intense competition in the labour market from other industries and road transport is struggling to compete. Other industries, like construction, pay better in the US and allow for more reasonable hours. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents 160,000 small trucking companies, has been fighting the
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Mandatory use of electronic logging devices in the US is designed to reduce truck-related accidents due to fatigue
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 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 Damon Cooper, Executive Officer 09 636 2952 021 2710 109 damon.cooper@natroad.co.nz
mandating of the logging devices. It has argued that not only will most of the costs associated with it be borne by hundreds of thousands of small businesses, but also that the rule is unconstitutional. The Association believes that the devices infringe on a trucker’s Fourth Amendment rights, which prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures. They claim that the rule does far more than authorise administrative inspections of business premises, but rather unfairly invade a driver’s privacy. There is significant concern that this will further exacerbate the industry’s labour-force problems, with older drivers unwilling to work under the rigid scrutiny of the devices. According to RTF technical manager Kerry Arnold the mandating of electronic logbooks is not quite on the horizon yet in NZ: “The nature of commercial driving in the US is very different to what the industry typically does here. “Multi-day interstate journeys are common over there and are done within the tighter parameters of fewer drive-time hours.” A number of US sources admit that compliance is haphazard and therefore logbook cheating can be pretty widespread. And Arnold says: “The industry in NZ is probably a lot more compliant when it comes to hours of work, so a move to compulsory electronic logbooks and the associated costs that go along with it are seen to be unnecessary.” T&D
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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Story Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock
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FLEET FOCUS
Robbie Allen is – on so many levels – not your average transport operator. In fact, almost unbelievably, he turned around a harrowing early life to find success in trucking and parcel freight
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Five Robbie Linehaul staff and two of its trucks are based in Tauranga. One of the two is being loaded here at the Tauranga NZ Couriers depot
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OBBIE ALLEN IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL TRANSPORT operator. Now THAT is a ridiculous understatement. Factually correct, but absurd. Ludicrous even. On appearances alone, he’s unique – the only trucking company boss I’ve ever met who, at 63, looks more like a gangsta rapper than the owner of a business running 12 trucks. There’s the tatts that stand out on virtually every patch of skin uncovered by his T-shirt and shorts….except his face. There’s an eyecatching wristwatch he says used to be Willie Nelson’s and is a diamond-encrusted Rolex. And there’s the skull rings, the mix of heavy gold chain and greenstone/pounamu. His personal style extends to his custom car collection – an H2 Hummer on 28-inch mags (!) and a V10 Dodge Ram pickup truck that’s shaven, tubbed and bagged, a wild 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible with a NASCAR V8 and airbrushed with a Matrix theme throughout (he even had carpet custom-made for it in Sweden), and a supercharged ‘76 Chev Corvette (which he says puts out 1000-horsepower). Plus he’s recently bought two late-‘60s Cadillac DeVille convertibles to do up and an ex-US Army H1 Hummer. And then there’s the pride of this spectacular fleet – a 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost V12 twin-turbo…black on black, even down to its woodgrain interior. Like all of his other cars, he bought it in the United States – reckons it was formerly owned by a rapper and, he adds happily: “It’s me – it’s gangster!” The cars, he reckons, he had valued recently – at $1.6million worth. This kind of show of wealth and his appearance are, to say the least, noticeable – and he reckons the police haven’t held back from giving him the occasional once-over…interested in how he makes his money. But all of this – along with his six-metre aluminium pleasure boat, which is emblazoned with graphics depicting his favourite singer, Bruno Mars…this is just cosmetic, skin-deep. The stuff that shows. Just scratching the surface of Robbie Allen’s life. It’s nothing, for instance, compared to what he’s achieved in the last 33 years – with a transformation that took him from the unenviable status of being broke and bankrupt, an alcoholic in rehab, recently divorced and alone, and with a 52-conviction record of crime and violence….
To having won a position of trust with a major parcel freight company, to building on a relationship that began as a lowly-paid night job – sorting freight. To starting out in business on his own account with a van, then another van….and then buying his first truck. Since then he’s bought many more. But all of that – remarkable as it is – is NOTHING compared to the dark, harrowing story of the first half of his life. He tells a story of a family stricken by physical and sexual abuse, of horrific child and teen violence visited on him…and of him, in turn, growing into a vicious, callous young man addicted to alcohol and living mostly on the proceeds of a life of crime. Of taking, as he saw it then, what he was owed – with no feelings of guilt. In fact….no feelings at all. Robbie Allen was born in Te Aroha, to a Pakeha father and Maori Mum. His Dad started out a train driver, but epileptic fits put paid to that: “And back in those days, when he had a fit they would lock him up in the loony bin. So every time he had a fit and lost his job, we used to run away because otherwise something would happen. “There was about nine or 10 of us and he used to go from job to job – we used to go from place to place, school to school. And we’d have debtors banging on our door. I remember when I was about five or six my Mum would huddle us if there was a knock on the door. And I’d be full of fear – like a panic attack – because she would like get us under the table. “I used to think something was going to happen – like we were going to get killed or something. It really traumatised me actually.” His father, he reckons, “went bankrupt four or five times – and the last time he went to jail.” But that wasn’t the worst of it: “I totally hated him, because he used to bash my Mum up…” It became part of a nightmare ritual, he reckons, that would start when his Dad came home, sat down in his chair: “She’d pass him the paper. He had a special chair and he’d go (flicking the paper to fold it) and change the channel to what he wanted – even though he wasn’t watching it. “My Mum knew her role: She got him a cup of tea while she was doing dinner, but by the time he’d get to it, it’d be cold!” And then Truck & Driver | 47
the downhill spiral into violence would start. “I wanted to kill the c****. Seriously!” In fact, initially the best he could muster was to “call him a whole lot of names – and run away.” By the time he was nine, he reckons, “I used to run down the hall and tackle him. Like a rugby player, around the legs and through the window. “He had plaques on the wall about Jesus and all this. I hated everything he stood for eh, because he was a lunatic….a f***ing maniac. “I couldn’t understand it because he never drank. I thought that only pissheads did that, you know.” His father was so controlling “my Mum never went out of the house – she couldn’t! She just cooked and cleaned. I loved AND hated her….hated her for not standing up. “There was a couple of times when he went to work and she lined us all up with all our bags. But when we got outside to the road she had nowhere to go.” The family had an even darker secret life – one in which physical and sexual abuse played a sinister part: “The whole thing,” as he puts it, was “dysfunctional.” The troubled kid was eventually sent to stay with a relative – a farmer who was also “a Maori doctor.” He was, Robbie reckons, “even worse. He said: ‘I’m going to make a man out of you if it kills me!’ I was only 10! He had this cane and all he used to do was whack me.” He wasn’t allowed to sleep in the house: “He said ‘you’re an animal – you belong in the cow shed.’ ” He reckons he was regularly thrashed – for spilling the water they manhandled from the river, for crying, for not being able to spell barked-out words. On horseback pig-hunting expeditions into the bush he was expected “to hit them on the head with the axe to kill them.” He reckons that his older brother would visit the farm and his relative “would set us up in fights. I used to go wild! I was very
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angry! “These are the things that I didn’t want to do….that made me into that person.” The person, that is, whose anger spilled over everywhere: “I got in trouble from then on with the police. I stole things. I had a bad attitude! “Everything was mine – I was entitled to it! I was a king baby… everything revolved around me. My head was right up my arse!” He reckons he felt that everybody owed him, so when he stole from someone, it was only what he was due: “It was debt pay – a big hole that never got paid!” Unsurprisingly, he ended up a state ward for seven years, spending time in borstals and boys’ homes around the North Island. By the time he was 24, he reckons, “I had a Lockwood twostorey home, a section, a Mustang and a couple of other cars – all from criminal activity. “I never did drugs, because too many guys wanted to top me and if I was off my face I would have been an easy target.” It wasn’t just stealing. He loved to fight. And he visited violence on his wife and others: “I was married at 17. It was like a death sentence for her…you can imagine, being with me. I used to beat her up, like my Dad had! Boot her, drag her by her hair down the road… “All the neighbours hated me. So I would kick down their fence or smash their door down. It was never-ending. Dumb, but people just needed to look at me and straight away I would think ‘they think I’m a c***’…which I was! I just didn’t want anybody to add to it!” He reckons that gangs weren’t part of his scene, although “I ran with a lot…I didn’t need to be part of something. They said, ‘join the club, join this.’ I’m like ‘I’m not a joiner – I’m a loner. I like just doing my stuff.’ ”
He also liked to drink and drive – even with his wife and kids along for the ride: “We had old customised Fords and we would go on a trip – no warrant, no rego, stolen petrol. It used to be me, a box of stubbies in the middle, and my wife – and the kids in the back. “This one particular time she said to me ‘you’re going a bit fast honey.’ I stopped the car and said ‘what the f*** did you say?’ So I ended up driving at like five miles an hour – people tooting at me. “One time she was pregnant and I booted her out of the car. I had no scruples bro: Hard to believe I did that. It’s bad, but it’s the truth – it’s what happened! I was a real prick!” Unsurprisingly, when he did get a job, it never lasted: “I kept on getting into trouble – going to jail.” Finally, a magistrate ordered that he get treatment for his alcoholism: He could either go to Hanmer Springs (a now-closed drug and alcohol rehab centre) or go back to jail. He reckons he went to Hanmer with “a leather jacket and long hair that came down over my face and a ‘f***-off’ sneer.” He clashed with staff, scoffed at the highly-emotional group discussion sessions, refused to get involved – dismissing them: “What a bunch of f***ing wooses!” His first breakthrough was hearing another guy talk about a life so awful that what he was saying snapped him out of his ‘another boring guy, same old…no-one’s had a bad life like me etc.’ ” This guy’s story was worse than his own: “He’d spent all his life in jail over something stupid, and he was f***ing incredible. “When this guy was sharing, I stood up and changed…I actually had a heart. First time! I had a conscience – that’s what it was. I never had a conscience before – that’s why I didn’t care. “So that was the change in my life – right there.” It prompted an outpouring from him to his group: “I shared and cried. And
f*** it was awesome! I did a 360-degree turnaround. “I couldn’t control it….it just happened. It was overwhelming. It was like all this stuff built up and I was free, simple as that. I didn’t know what was happening to me – it was out of my control. I’d been out of control in a criminal way, now I was out of control in this way.” The next big moment in turning his life around came when the Hanmer Springs patients were told to invite their parents to visit. He was “blown away” when (after initially refusing) his Mum and Dad agreed to go. Part of the treatment required the patients to role-play – do “skits…to find out what triggers you. “Mine was I used to come in the room and someone would act as my Dad and my Mum. My Mum would be at the kitchen sink and my Dad would be reading a f***ing paper. “I used to come in, grab a broom and turn it around like a gun and say ‘I hate you c****!’ …Boom…! And the guy would fall over. And I’d be like ‘yeah, take that!’” “Every day….the same shit, the same shit. But one day I grabbed the broom and said ‘why didn’t you tell me you loved me c****!’ After, I was like ‘did I say that!’ I didn’t have the words, but I wanted to say: ‘Why are you treating me this way. Why do you hate me. Why don’t you love me?’ Isn’t that crazy!” When his parents visited, this skit was played out in front of them – with predictably traumatic results: “Mum starts crying – bawling her eyes out…..beside herself. And my Dad starting crying. He saw himself!” Eventually, “they had to stop (the skit) because my Mum was getting like a panic attack…so as a medic helped her they (the group) got into my Dad and said ‘what’s your life story?’ “And my word, when I heard his…..mine’s f***ing nothing! His family was quite wealthy but they disowned him because he was with Mum. How he had epilepsy and his fits and that was why he was a lunatic. Because he didn’t want to go to a loony bin they
Half of the Robbie Linehaul fleet are Isuzus. They were brought together for the official handover of the brand-new GIGA 530 AMT in the centre of the picture
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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: __________________________________________________________________________________________
TD16163
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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NSPIRATION CAME FOR NATIONWIDE LIVESTOCK’S name and logo in an unusual environment – the office of owner Mike Mathieson’s accountant. He explains: The logo, he says, “was sort of built from the name. When we started we were having a meeting with our accountant and he just suggested – because we do a lot of inter-island work and that – ‘so why not Nationwide Livestock?’ “So I thought okay…and I had a sort of a picture in my mind.” From there it was “a few hours spent muckin’ around.” He came up with the basic plan – a map of New Zealand, with an N and L each side, and arrows top and bottom indicating a circle. He also wanted the trucks to be painted a baby blue – simply because “there was no-one really around in that lighter blue. There’s plenty of darker blues, but in that shiny, metallic blue there was no-one… “So we basically said ‘that’s where we’re going to head colour-wise.’ That was me and the first driver who started with me.” Initially, when the company started five years ago, the Nationwide Livestock colour scheme and logo had to wait: Mathieson’s first truck was a 530 horsepower Isuzu GIGA and a four-axle trailer bought secondhand from Benneydale’s PGF Transport. “Because we’d just started, we kept the old PGF colours going – because we needed the truck on the road. “I always wanted it in my colours, but time didn’t allow us at the start. The emphasis was on getting the business off the ground.” For Mathieson, who’d quit his job as the dispatcher for Gordon’s Transport – having previously filled the same role with another (now-defunct) Waikato livestock carrier, LBT Transport – starting his own trucking company was the chance of a lifetime.
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“I’d always wanted to have my own business – I was living away six nights a week and, you know, with a young family….it was time to do something about it.” After driving the Isuzu for a month, he put a fulltime driver into it…and within a few months bought a new International Eagle – and at that time finalised the livery. He’d already settled on the metallic Velocity Blue base colour – so it was painted in the factory. And then he took his outline plan for the colour scheme to Cliff Mannington at Truck Signs in Mount Maunganui “and let him tinker with it. “We didn’t have much of a clue at the start….we said ‘there’s a blank pad. We want something different – come up with some ideas and some stripes….’ “And so we basically just let him go. He’s someone who’s got a real passion for trucks, you know – and he’s got a real pride in what he does.” The livery as it stands is what Mannington came up with – adding double silver striping along the sides of the crates and cabs, zig-zagging in a stylised Z on the driver’s side (reversed on the other side), with metallic orange shading airbrushed onto the vinyl on the cab sections. The main stripes turn down and out each side of the grille. The logo (on the doors, aerofoils and crates) has a green NZ map, with N and L each side, and arrows circling the country – both in the same silver and orange as the stripes. The finishing touch is the
TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS
Picture Rod Simmonds Main picture, below: Nationwide Livestock contractor Herring Haulage’s new Kenworth K200 shows off the standout company colour scheme Above, left & right: One of Mike Mathieson’s International Eagles (right) carries the original company livery, while O/D Prime Livestock’s two Inters wear the same signwriting....but on black paint instead of baby blue
intricate hand-painted scrollwork, picked out in orange. Mannington says when told that the truck was going to be baby blue, “I though ooh, that’s going to be interesting.” But, like Mathieson, he’s delighted with the end-result. “We haven’t changed anything at all,” says Mike: He’s been happy with the minor adjustments Mannington has had to make for the original Isuzu and the other makes and models added to the Nationwide Livestock fleet since. In addition to more Inters, there’s been a Freightliner Argosy (bought secondhand), a new Scania R620 and a little Scania four-wheeler, plus a new Kenworth K200 recently on the road for owner/driver Herring Haulage. Well, while Mike Mathieson hasn’t changed anything at all, one of his owner/drivers – Prime Livestock’s Aaron Robinson – did want to do something different with the livery on his two new International Eagles. So, with Mike’s agreement, he had them painted black…. with Truck Signs doing exactly the same signwriting and scrollwork on them. Mathieson is happy with the same/only different-looking Inters: “Nah, I wasn’t fazed. It’s something different….and it does still look good.” His trucks that haven’t come out of the factory in Velocity
Blue have been painted by Fleet Image in Te Awamutu – along with the crates, which are built by Nationwide, on Jackson Enterprises decks and trailers. There are now seven trucks – six owned by Nationwide and one O/D unit – in the original blue livery, and Robinson’s two in the black variant colour scheme (plus another O/D truck not in the fleet colours). The fleet can be seen (as the company name implies) anywhere around the country, with lots of inter-island work. Having good-looking trucks is important – a belief that’s kind of been inherited, Mathieson reckons: His Dad Robin is a career truckie (he ran Regional Transport for 25 years before semi-retiring – is now working part-time for Nationwide) and Mike says he was “always brought up with clean and tidy gear. “We run a pretty tight ship in terms of tidy gear. We have people in to wash the trucks every second weekend – they’re scrubbed on the outside for the drivers. And everyone’s got access to washing and materials. “Our customers like to see something nice and tidy coming down the driveway to pick their cattle up. “They see nice, tidy gear and guys coming in and doing the job right and, you know, you get the repeat business. So that’s a key thing for us.” The metallic pale blue has turned out to be an inspired choice, Mike says: “Actually the blue hides a lot of the dirt. It’s got to be completely filthy to look bad.” And yes, he is very happy with the look of his trucks: “We’ve put a yard in now and you turn up on a Saturday morning and the boys are cleaning their trucks and they’re all parked there and you do get a sense of pride...” T&D
This picture, top left & poster Gerald Shacklock Truck & Driver | 3
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Above, left: This Isuzu, festooned with lights and stylised images of Robbie on the aerofoil and the back, was the company’s first truck. Son Robbie, now 27, is the boy posing with three of the company’s freight sorters at the time Above right: Robbie Allen doing a job he says he loves – sorting courier freight just put him on valium. They said he was actually addicted…he was on valium for years. He was a drug addict and I didn’t even know.” At the end of it, “I felt sad for them! He came through all his life with that shit.” Another role-playing session revisited one of his own hangups – his wife telling him to put the rubbish out: “I hated it when she said ‘when are you going to mow the lawns or take the rubbish out?’ ” The day he missed the rubbish guy for the second time in a row “I lost it.” He kicked the door down, tipped the rubbish bin onto the lounge floor and kicked over the couch: “My kids were there, but I never thought of them – only me!” It was ludicrous….a stupid life!” As lifechanging as Hanmer was, back home in Hamilton he still “went backwards. A bit of the old me – ‘I can do it my way!’ – returned. I went to AA a couple of times and then I stopped – I just did it on my own.” Things went downhill – his marriage over, he was living alone. The drainlaying business he’d been a partner in was going under. And – even after his treatment and self-discovery at Hanmer – he still thought of himself as “garbage, crap….stink. …I was just an arsehole.” Things quickly spiralled downhill: “I ended up drinking again… and then I got disqualified (from driving)…and I had debtors knocking on my door. “And that was the first time I thought of topping myself. Yeah, because I HAD changed and I knew a difference – I didn’t want to 50 | Truck & Driver
go back to it and I thought I would! The only way was to end it!” One of his sisters turned up – and turned out to be his saviour. She’d also been ordered to go to Hanmer Springs for treatment, and asked him to take her. When they arrived, “I saw a few of the facilitators that I knew….and I broke down and cried.” And so they got him back into treatment: “I thought from the first course I’d poured a lot of shit out.” But this time was truly cathartic – the trigger for it coming innocently enough, at the end of a group discussion, when staff and patients joined hands. The way the facilitator beside him grabbed his wrist took him back 20 years – to the horror of being sexually abused: “It was like somebody shot me back to my history. That was what XXXXX used to do to me to drag me into the bedroom.” He’d previously spoken about the abuse and “thought…I’d got it all out. But nah!” It triggered a raging physical reaction that had never been possible when he was a kid: “I didn’t have the power to kill him back then, I just did what I was told.” Not this time: “I was like a raging bull and I wanted to kill somebody. I was looking around and crying and I just went to the concrete wall and I faced it and powered into the wall” – smashing it with his fists. The facilitator ordered Robbie’s alarmed, frightened fellow patients not to intervene. That, he says, was “probably a good thing, because if someone would have touched me I would have turned on them.” He didn’t stop till he was too exhausted to punch any more. By then his fists were bloodied and raw and his knuckles broken. But it was the start of his new life: “When I left Hanmer I was 30 years old and I felt like a three-year-old baby. I actually walked
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“Before I was safe and now I’m an open book – vulnerable!” out of there like a virgin mind. I felt like a kid.” At the end of the Hanmer treatment “they get you to write down everything that happened – your story” and then read it to the centre’s minister. The words poured out – he filled a whole pad overnight, but dumped so many tears on it much of it was virtually illegible. He even confessed to “the things I’d stolen and never got caught for. The cops came to Hanmer and took a statement off me. They said ‘out of all these burglaries you’ve done did you make a profit?’ No. ‘Out of all these burglaries did you hurt anyone?’ No. And they said ‘well, you’ve got a clean slate.’ ” Then the minister told him to go out into a paddock, soak the pad in lighter fluid and burn it in a bucket: “When that thing went up, that was when I was uplifted. I felt fantastic. “But then, the next day, something happened. I went back to the minister and I said ‘I’ve got a problem – I can get hurt now!... how am I going to handle that? Before I was safe and now I’m an open book – vulnerable!’ “He said ‘it’s good to be vulnerable and honest and it’s good to be an open book.’ He said ‘the power is in healing – and you can’t heal if you don’t get hurt.’
“But it is true: Before, I didn’t get that I was hurting people – but now people hurt me. But it’s okay.” Now, he says happily, “I’m a giver: I did that 360-degree turnaround.” How did all this lead to a new life as a trucking company owner? Well, back in Hamilton, that started with his AA meetings and another recovering alcoholic who, each week, introduced himself: “I’m Bruce. I’m an alcoholic and I’ve got sore feet.” Says Robbie: “The next week was the same. The week after that the same – and so on, until I went up to Bruce and said ‘what the f*** do you do?’ ” Hearing about the sore feet every time was driving him crazy. Bruce said he sorted freight: “I said to him ‘I’m bankrupt and every bloody thing…I’m doing nothing. What time do you start? I’ll come and give you a hand.’ So that’s what I did – gave him a hand….to shut him up! I didn’t want to hear any more about his feet.” The job, with Freightways-owned Post Haste, turned out to be the kind of work that he was made for, Robbie Allen reckons: “The process is very complex….you’ve got to know all the businesses in that area, so you put the parcels on the right courier. You don’t want them to have to come back for one parcel because you
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52 | Truck & Driver
The Volvo FH is Robbie Allen’s favourite truck. It’s based in Tauranga, along with the Isuzu behind
Truck & Driver | 53
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Robbie Allen’s eye for other commercial opportunities outside trucking has created a business which sees his wild custom cars rented out as extreme special-occasion vehicles – for weddings and the like. He’s pictured with (from left) his H1 Hummer, ‘66 Lincoln Continental, Rolls Royce Ghost and V10 Dodge Ram
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misdirected it! “So it’s all up here (as he taps his head) – and I’m very good at repetition. It’s the only way I learn. You give me something to read and I wouldn’t have a clue. But you get me to go and do it physically and I will go and do it – and do it better than you. “So I was helping him maybe two or three months – under the radar, because nobody is supposed to help him. But then he went AWOL: Picked up a nice-looking hitchhiker…said ‘Rob I’m going to chuck my job in.’ ” So, naiively, Allen applied for the job. He got an interview with the boss and when he said “tell me a little about yourself,” Robbie stuck with the brutal truth: “I said ‘I’m a recovering alcoholic, I’ve got 52 convictions and I’m bankrupt.’ “He was looking at me and looking around while I went on talking. You could see his face – like, ready to laugh. And he was like ‘have you got a camera here somewhere? Are you for real? You’ve just come into my office for a freight-sorting job where you’ll be unattended with millions of dollars of customers’ products – including alcohol – and you’ve got 52 convictions! You’re unemployable to us.’ “I said ‘well, that’s a shame! For one, I already know your system and two, you’re going to let go one of the best guys you could ever employ!’ ” He explained how he’d been helping Bruce and when the disbelieving boss fired detailed questions at him about different Hamilton courier runs, he answered instantly: “And he was like ‘my god, you DO know it!’ “So I just turned it around and said ‘look, I just told you I’m an alcoholic – but a recovering alcoholic, and there is a difference! When I get paid on Thursday I will still be here Thursday night… and Friday. “I’ve got 52 convictions for fighting and stealing. I’ll give you a key to my place and you don’t need written permission to search
it at any time. And yes, I’m bankrupt – I had a business but I was an alcoholic and I pissed it all up the wall. You know me inside and out – the whole story. I know this system. Give me a break.’ He said ‘you’ve got three months.’ “And that’s how it started. So, I had the three-month trial and then went onto permanent. They were paying me (virtually) nothing, but I didn’t care.” His plan was to work for three years and then, when his bankruptcy ended, start another business. When he’d clocked-up four years, he duly put in his resignation, and one of the bosses came to have a chat – telling him “I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about you!” And he offered him a job as the freight sorter for a new Freightways division, Parceline Express – created specifically to provide linehaul services to Freightways’ express package and business mail businesses, using a network of independent contractors. He said yes. A few years in, the company urgently needed a temporary replacement for a contractor running a van and a small trailer: “So the big boss from Parceline said: ‘We’ve got nobody to do it....can you jump in the van and do this?’ “I didn’t really know what to do, but he coached me through it, using an old brick mobile phone. He was like ‘great job Robbie – can you do tomorrow?’ ” And then “I just kept doing it…starting with just a van and then a van and a trailer.” Amazingly, at an AA session another recovering alcoholic offered to fund him into a new van. “I said to him ‘are you joking – you don’t even know me?’ He said ‘what do you mean – you’ve been sharing for a year! I know you very well.’ “He said ‘someone gave me a chance and I’m giving you one.’ I got the van, but I was so paranoid about it I gave almost all my wages to him until I paid it off – took me two years.” Pretty soon he went from a van and a trailer to two vans and a trailer. One night in Mt Maunganui “this cop sees me hop out of the Truck & Driver | 55
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Allen got as many of his staff as he could along to the handover of his latest Isuzu. Pictured here (from left) are Peter Leger (who’s been with him eight years), Tony Herbert (five years), Tahi Wharakura, Buddy Wilson, Bruce Lorimer, Trish Wilson, Katrina Tynan, Grant Daniels (21 years), Karl Neal, Jeremy Parslow (over 16 years) and Barney Galloway (18 years)
van with my shorts and tattoos and all these things in the back of the van, so he rings it in – thinking I’d done a big burglary.” The cops descended on him – but were soon apologising. Still, they did find one thing wrong: He had no Goods Service Licence – never knew he needed one! The subsequent test for the licence sent him into a panic – just reading the book (to study from) “and I was getting overwhelmed, sweating.” He failed the first test: “They had to stop me because I was taking so long – and I’d only done a quarter of the book!” Next time he furiously scribbled an answer to every question he wasn’t sure about – but finished. And passed. Except that the woman taking the test decided he wasn’t “a fit and proper person.” A sympathetic cop intervened…and he got the licence. In the mid-1990s he stepped-up from two vans and a trailer, to his first truck – a little four-wheeler Isuzu: “I was so excited….I had 50 lights on it and a picture of me on front and a picture of a big guy on the back – like me, with long hair, but bigger muscles. I called it Pass the Liner – just me being different.” He figured that was funny – but what others laughed at was his light show: “I was the joke of the road and I didn’t even know it! They used to say ‘here comes Huntly Power Station’ – you know, with all these lights,” he laughs. “Another guy would say ‘how many generators you got on there!’ And I was like ‘how many trucks do you own?” For many years, he did a mix of sorting freight and driving – only stopped trying to squeeze in both when he got a scary lesson on just how tired he was. He got his throat trapped between the tail-lift and a freight cage. After that, he hired someone else to do the freight sorting, so he could concentrate on driving. By then he’d remarried – and he eventually began to resent that 56 | Truck & Driver
the job was necessitating him boarding in Tauranga all week and was costing him a normal family life: “Why I ended up getting a driver for that run was I would come down the Putaruru Hill (each night) and I could see this house, which always had the curtains open – and the family would be sitting there watching their tv. And I hated it! I’d be thinking ‘my wife and kids are at home – what am I doing!’ ” He had just the one run for about four years – then the company announced it was going to rationalise its contracts, settling on just one contractor for each region: “I thought I was out! These other guys were organising to take over my run and I couldn’t afford to do anything, so I thought my fate was sealed. “I just kept working, and then I got this phone call to say ‘we want you to come to Auckland.’ I walked into a room with a big round table and all the managers. They said ‘Robbie….we want you to run the whole lot’ (for the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and King Country, plus runs to Auckland, Taranaki and the Manawatu). I looked at them and was like ‘you’re kidding!’ ‘No, we’re not kidding – can you do it? The biggest question is, can you do it… financially?’ ” It was a good question: “I went to several banks to see if they would give me a loan for a million bucks.” Remarkably, the bank he’d been with when he went bankrupt said yes. “I’m still with BNZ. They gave me a million-dollar revolving credit account and a $100,000 overdraft. At first, I leased a truck and bought a couple, but I found out leasing was a bad way to go so I bought another truck.” That, he says, “was when Robbie Linehaul really started up.” Until then, he really hadn’t bothered with a meaningful company name. The three-truck operation boasted a UD and two Mitsubishis –
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Above, left: A company Mitsubishi Shogun, about 18 years ago. Allen drove it, helping clock up over one million kilometres Above, right: Grant Daniels, with Robbie Allen for 21 years, is his right-hand-man Below: The company’s two Volvos and one of its six Isuzus at the Hamilton NZ Couriers depot initially running truck only, then adding trailers to each about a year later. Every year since, he reckons, the business has expanded – “my accountant can’t believe it, but I have not had a bad year.” Robbie Linehaul has built gradually to its current 12 trucks, doing a total of 10 runs. He admits that the growth isn’t down to some grand business plan: “Things just happen – I don’t think about it or plan it, I just do my job.” Robbie Linehaul trucks now do one run to Taumarunui, three to Auckland, a day run to Thames, another to Whitianga, a couple to Tauranga, one to Whakatane and another to Rotorua. “And not once have I said ‘let’s go get this.’ They’ve been like ‘Rob can you do this? Here’s the price – what do you think?’ And off I go!” The fleet comprises 8x4 rigid curtainsiders, except for one little four-wheeler – “I always keep one, for upcoming drivers, like my son” (also named Robert), who’s now working with him. Six of the 8x4s are Isuzus, the others a mix of Volvos and Hinos. He’s settled on the three makes as his preferences. Says Robbie: “With banks, lawyers and mechanics I’m loyal to everyone – until they f*** me over.” Robbie doesn’t really love trucks – with the exception maybe of the fleet’s 2016 Volvo FH 540: “It’s state of the art.” Not that he gets to drive it: “The guy in Tauranga gets all the new trucks…because he’s got the biggest run.” It clocks up around 1300
kilometres a day, running to Hamilton and Auckland and back, then to Hamilton return and, finally, Auckland and back. The trucks are not specifically bought with fuel economy in mind – “but I do know that the Isuzu 530 is $100 a week cheaper on fuel than the Volvo 540 on the same run (out of Whakatane).” But really, he adds, “repairs and maintenance is the killer. That’s why I buy new. I go to about 860,000km and then I’ll replace it. I might keep that truck on a shorter run – say Thames or something flat – and when it’s done 1.2 or 1.3, then I sell it.” Well actually, he tends to hang on to one or two older trucks as backups – rationalising that he’d probably only get $20,000 for them. And when he needs a backup, “I can make 20 grand....using them! Unless they break down!” he adds with a laugh. In recent years, his trailers and truck bodies have come from Roadmaster. The trucks all are equipped with EROAD’s GPS tracking and electronic RUC management system. For the last 10 years or more Robbie’s been out of fulltime driving and back in the depot, dealing with the freight as well as overseeing the transport operation: “That’s what I do – I’m with the boys, sorting freight and I’m on the forklift. I love it! He has 17 freight sorters, 15 of them based in Hamilton. They start work at 6pm and sort the freight accumulated during the day, ready for the first wave of truck and trailer units to arrive – at around 8pm. In a typical night they’ll process 13 or so truck and trailer units – each loaded with parcel freight contained inside totally collapsible pallets (TCPs), that are roughly 1.8 metres long, 1.5m high and 1.1m wide.
Truck & Driver | 59
Top, right: Allen and CAL Isuzu MD Ashok Parbhu (right) during a function to hand over the keys to Robbie Linehaul’s latest Isuzu....and to mark two of its other Isuzus clocking up one million Ks Top, left: Allen says he was “blown away” by CAL turning on the function, attended by most CAL and Robbie Linehaul staff Right: One of the Robbie Linehaul freight sorters loading TCPs onto a company truck
There’s usually a second and third wave of trucks over the rest of the night. The way he describes it, it’s like a juggling act – not only dealing with the trucks working around his home region, but also making sure that the units passing through en route to Hawke’s Bay and Taupo from Auckland have enough space on board for the freight out of Hamilton for those destinations. He still gets excited about the challenge of it all: “Oh, its magic – on a busy night at one time we’ll have four truck and trailer units and three eight-wheelers in. With four forklifts we can turn over a truck in 15 minutes – and that’s unloading and loading.” It’s all done with a minimum of stress, the Robbie Allen philosophy being: “I don’t want to be yelled at – nobody talks to me like an animal.” And the same rules apply to everyone else. He also has a system to always ensure he has a backup driver, for when things don’t go to plan: All but three of his freight sorters have truck licences – “so, if need be, I can say ‘go home, have a sleep, come back and drive.’ I’m never stuck. “I learnt that really early….I’m like ‘that is never going to happen again.’ ” Robbie makes no attempt to run the admin side of the business: “I’m uneducated, so I’ve got this accountant girl Megan (she’s like the wife I never had – she’s fantastic!) who gets my mail and all my bills. “And on the 19th of the month I just go see her and go through all the bills and she pushes the button and pays them all. If you ask all my creditors, I’m a AAA – I’m debt-free every year! I owe nothing!” Staff retention hasn’t been an issue for Robbie Linehaul, he reckons – and backs it up by reeling off how long his employees have been with him. Even with the passing of two of his long-servers, Tony Rongo (who’d been with the company 12 years) and Kevin Heute (14), 60 | Truck & Driver
there are five who’ve done a decade or more – headed by 21-year veteran and second Hamilton superviser Grant Daniels, Rotorua superviser and driver Barney Galloway (18 years), Tauranga driver Jeremy Parslow (16), driver Daniel Topia (12) and Tauranga-based driver Chris Robinson (10). Another 11 have been with Robbie Linehaul between four and nine years. He says it’s partly down to the fact he pays between $19 and $21 an hour for his freight sorters and $24 an hour for his drivers. Better than that though, they work five-day working weeks…. at worst. Ten years ago, he cut his own hours back to four nights a week (he’s now down to three) – and two years later put nine of his longest-serving employees on a four-day working week…while still paying them for five nights. “That’s my way of saying ‘you’re doing a really great job.’ And I know from my story that it’s not only about the money, but about spending time with their families. We chose a way to earn our money to feed our families, but we don’t always want to do what we have to do. I just want to make it a little bit easier. “If you chase the money, you don’t get it, but if you look after your workers you get it back. I truly believe that if you treat people right it will come back to you somewhere down the road. “When I was driving trucks and I’d see a car broken down I’d feel for the family, so when I finished my run, I’d go back with Coke and pies and give it to them if they were still there. “There was this time I came across a family at a gas station, their car broken down. Kids crying – snotty noses. Dad pissed off. So I said ‘you ok mate?’ “He said yeah, but I went down to the local motel in Cambridge, booked them in and came back and told them to get into the truck. I dropped them off. “I did this purely because I used to be like that and nobody helped me – and I swore black and blue if I could do something, I would. The homeless down in Frankton know me – I share it
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Above, left: Company driver Peter Leger loads up his truck before his night run from Hamilton to Auckland Above, right: Allen also has a business importing artwork made in the Philippines into Australia and NZ. The giant vases are a mix of metal, natural materials (like bamboo, shells and coconuts), worked metal and resin around.” He doesn’t mention it, but one of his longserving employees – Grant Daniels, who’s been with the company for 21 years – tells us that Allen once turned up with a surprise “bonus” for him – an old, fully-restored Ford Cortina – because he knew he’d love it. Similarly, even though less spectacularly, he’s put a number of employees through the Landmark personal development programme that he reckons has helped him at tough times in the past three decades. When his second marriage ended up on the rocks he turned to the programme, which has been his substitute in recent years for the Hanmer Springs treatment programme: “When I was married to my second wife, I just started crashing – I thought I was going loony. I had all this sadness. “I’ve done about four courses...it’s like Hanmer, but it’s all wrapped up in three days, where Hanmer takes six weeks! I’ve put about six of my workers through and all my family here and in Australia.” It is, he says, all about teaching you ways of discovering yourself – “and what holds you back. You’ve got to change your way of thinking.” He’s even put people from the Hamilton garden centre café he frequents through the programme. It’s the kind of programme that’s always interested him – led him into other (unusual) business ventures. He worked with his third wife in a business organising Liberty League personal
development tours to the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico to hear inspirational speakers and attend conferences. And, he adds: “When I was in Amway in the 1980s I even did skin care! When I believe, nothing stops me!” His passion for cars has also been parlayed into a business. They’re hired out as “extreme wedding and special event” vehicles, through his Bridal Beast business. And with his last wife, he started a business that imported and sold expensive art, vases, lamps and sculpture created in the Philippines. In six weeks, he says, they sold $40,000 worth of it in NZ. At a home show in Sydney “we ended up selling three containers worth $130k.” Outside of business, Robbie Allen reckons he’s closer now to his siblings and to his own offspring (he has eight children, 11 grandkids and three great-grandkids) than ever before. Currently one daughter, Lily, and son Rob work for Robbie Linehaul: For some reason, he reckons, “all my kids have a heart of gold.” But he and Rob junior used to clash – and “because he’s a bit like me,” he’s been in and out of the business a few times. Now, he says, things are much better between them: “I think with Rob he needed to know that someone isn’t going to give up on him. And this time he’s different – he thanks me and loves doing his job.” Allen made his peace with each of his parents before they died and he’s become close to his brothers and sisters. Truck & Driver | 63
The harm done to him when he was a young kid “made me into a person – and I wasn’t that person.” Underneath the violence and sense of entitlement back then, he reckons, “I was a loving, caring person and I knew it. And that’s how I am now: I’m a vegetarian now – I don’t need to kill an animal to eat.” The hurt he visited on people, still remains with some: He’s been sober now for over 30 years, but his first wife, he says, “still thinks ‘how long is this going to last for?’ And when I talk to her it’s like she’s still living it all those years ago!” When Robbie’s third marriage ended two years ago, he felt the need to go back to Landmark, “to top up – to just reassure myself, about myself. All it does is give you tools, but like I said, when I came out of Hanmer I was like a new-born baby – but true life deals you shit and then you’ve got to unclutter again.” His current partner inspired him to get the word “Sunshine” tattooed on his neck: “She’s a special-needs schoolteacher – beautiful inside and out.” Late last year CAL Isuzu invited Robbie and as many of his employees as he could muster, to come to a little ceremony at its dealership, to hand over the keys to his latest Isuzu – a new CYJ530 AMT…. And to thank him for being a standout customer, with a couple of 460s having clocked-up over one million kilometres…and with six Isuzus now on the Robbie Linehaul fleet. A NZ Truck & Driver staffer present says people were shocked and moved when Robbie Allen dispensed with the usual pleasantries of such occasions and proceeded to tell some of his life story. The bottom line of his message: “A person on the wrong road can turn his life around.”
For all of his out-there appearance, the wild cars and spectacular jewellery, Robbie Allen appears to be a modest man – and the CAL Isuzu function, he reckons, “blew me away.” His speech there, he says, was prompted by one of the mechanics, who was “asking me some stuff…and he said ‘you should say something, because these guys only know you as Robbie Linehaul – and half of them think you’re a drug addict.’ “This guy that works for me too – he said his lawnmower guy said, ‘oh you work for the druggie guy.’ ” The fact that he shocks people – be that by speaking about his harrowing past, or merely by his heavily-tattooed appearance – doesn’t bother him: “People judge you anyway, you know. It doesn’t matter – they don’t know anything until they speak to me. “I’m not going to change myself – I’m not going to remove my tattoos or wear a suit. I am who I am.” One of his ex-partners used to tell him not to put “truck driver” or “freight sorter” on his immigration cards when he travelled: “She’d say, ‘you’re a business owner.’ I’d say ‘aww it doesn’t matter: I am what I am.’ ” His proudest achievement, he reckons, is “becoming sober, because without that I wouldn’t be here – I’d be dead or locked up. I didn’t know myself then – just who I pretended to be. I took on a lot of personas until I actually lost myself.” He says he’s happy with his life now – and with the person he’s been in the last half of his life so far. And truly awful as his first 30 years were, he can even take a positive out of them: “I like the result now,” he says, and adds: “And for me to get that result I had to go through all that!” T&D
Earn $130,000 plus and only work 39 weeks of the year 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 theleading 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.
• 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 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.
TD27980
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The latest truck on the fleet, this Isuzu runs between Whakatane and Rotorua
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Contact: Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 | Don Leith 027 233 0090 | Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 | Matt Moir 027 491 1110 trevor@trucker.co.nz don@trucker.co.nz hayden@trucker.co.nz matt@trucker.co.nz
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Truck & Driver | 65
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Going the Extra Mile
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FEATURE
Fuso has now begun limited production of the eCanter fully-electric light truck, spearheading its new eFuso brand
Story Wayne Munro
A
SK DAIMLER TRUCKS ASIA BOSS MARC LLISTOSELLA WHAT he thinks about electric truck startups like Tesla and Nikola and he instantly comes back with a dismissive: “Hollywood!” It’s a blunt response, but not unexpected: Daimler was an early adopter of electric trucks, first with its diesel/electric Fuso Canter hybrid….and, more recently, the fully electric eCanter. Now Daimler’s gone into series production with the eCanter; it’s announced a 2.6 billion Euro R&D budget (with electric heavy-duty trucks in mass production by 2021 a critical part of it); and will soon start real-world trials with a medium-duty electric MercedesBenz eActros. But still….it’s Elon Musk and his heavy-duty Tesla electric tractor unit – and, to a lesser degree, startups Nikola and Thor with their takes on the theme (and even Cummins getting into the electric act) – who are stealing most of the electric truck limelight. So lately there seems to have been a perceptible shift in Daimler execs’ comments about these upstart startups – they’ve been pointedly explaining that these others have so far only come up with prototypes (which is a world away from electric trucks coming off an assembly line)…and questioning the soundness of some of their claims. Llistosella, a little surprisingly, given his initial summation of
them, reckons that in one way “it’s good that they (the etruck newcomers) are there.” Because, he suggests, the mainstream truckmakers had become “a little bit too self-confident… “Very fixated on what everybody was saying” – that electrifying trucks “is not going to happen…..makes no sense: You need thousands of kilograms of battery to make it happen. “So, this is still valid, but the thousands of kilograms are now reduced by a factor of two, which is not bad,” he says. And adds that he’s “pretty sure” there’s more battery weight-loss to come. And now, seemingly every day (for sure, it’s at least every week), there’s something new from these Johnny-come-latelies. Llistosella has a theory on that: “If you want to sell your company, you have to make headlines. I don’t speak of Tesla – I speak about other companies: The very best is to be an attractive target for acquisition.” So, if you make headlines, “then someone comes to the conclusion eventually: ‘Why should we not buy them, and then we have the technology.’ ” But, I say to Llistosella during the longtime Fuso and Daimler Trucks Asia boss’ recent flying visit to Auckland, there are some well-respected industry players also coming out with heavy-duty, Truck & Driver | 67
NEW HAMILTON R&M SUPPORT CENTRE
On 1 April T&G’s Hamilton-based R&M division is moving to a new building at 29 Horotiu Road, just minutes from the Waikato Expressway.
We are excited to be improving our service and support for all of our Waikato-based customers and transport companies within the golden triangle.
Our new 10,000 square-foot facility will also house additional truck build assemblies to meet the increased demand for our Transport Trailers product in 2018. Long-serving T&G employee Neil Saxton will oversee the additional Truck department and Joel Bradley will manage the R&M division. Location
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Marc Llistosella, head of Fuso and Daimler Trucks Asia, provides a frank and insightful look at Fuso’s future.....which has a strong electric truck focus
long-range etrucks – enginemaker Cummins, for instance. Yes that’s true, he concedes – “but it’s all prototypes. It’s one vehicle – and you have some manufacturers who build a small series of trucks. There was, for instance, Smiths in the US: These were basically hand-manufactured – so they are taking a series vehicle and they exchange the engine with non-serial battery parts. And they sell large amounts of these. “But there hasn’t been any manufacturer who went into series production who was electric – that is only Fuso at the moment.” There is, he stresses, one exception – and it’s a big exception: “There’s only one which we take very seriously – BYD, the Chinese company. This one is very advanced and they are also starting a lot of different activities – not only in China, but also in California, for example. They are doing (electric) buses, they’re also doing (electric) trucks.” Llistosella says that one thing the “Hollywood” etruck ventures like Tesla have done is changed people’s thinking. I ask if he thinks that there’ll be such a rapid rise of electric trucks that diesel-engined new trucks will be gone in the foreseeable future: “In the next 15 years there won’t be massive changes – I don’t think so.”
But then again, he quickly adds, when the bosses of both Nokia and Microsoft were asked about the iPhone’s likely success about 10 or 11 years ago, “they said ‘we don’t foresee any form of mass market for the iPhone – because why should anyone invest 750 for a phone?’ “Nokia had to sell to Microsoft in 2012 and Microsoft is now, with their phones, at 1% market share – and iPhone is at 40% market share!” So you do need to take into account, he reckons, that “mostly our forecasts are completely narrow to our experiences. We’re like racehorses – we know how to race, we know how to be fast…. but we know only our circuit. So….sometimes it’s good to have an expert coming in and he tells you ‘why are you always going in circles?’ ” But, says Llistosella, the future of electric trucks is not only about clever people working commercially to make them a mass production reality….it’s also now about politics. China, he says, “has a master plan – and this master plan has nothing to do with the rest of the industry. “China wants to be completely in a new game. China wants to be in a leadership position. Currently in the car industry…they Truck & Driver | 69
Fuso has not only launched the 100% electric eCanter into series production, it has created an entire eFuso brand, with the stated aim of having a complete model range of electric trucks
have spent billions of Euros and dollars. They wanted to compete with the existing players. And it’s obvious that in the Euro 6, Euro 6d and so on, China is lacking – they are not coming up. “So what China is now doing is massively investing into e, because for them this is the way how to step into the car industry independently and this means we will have one huge competitor. “And I don’t care whether its BYD, Dongfeng or whatever – it’s irrelevant because they can change the brands anyway tomorrow – it is the industry which has a clear plan: ‘We want to go for BEV’ (battery electric vehicles) – and they do it. “China has just announced one month ago in the press…they want to invest $US25billion into charging infrastructure in China. “And they want to have by 2020! I don’t know whether they will, but they announced it and normally they do what they announce – they want to have 4.2million power-charging stations in China. Currently we have 750 in Europe. They speak of 4.2million. This is amazing. “And this is where we see also the pressure. Everybody looks to the Americans for these Hollywood celebrities. Yes, good – but what is much more pressurising us…is China. “They do it and they do it massively. And they do it brutally. And they do it just by legislation. “And you know what they ask us? They ask for……from 2019 onwards, they ask Mercedes-Benz and all the others for an 8% share of their fleet to be BEV. Ah huh. And they know exactly why they do that – because they want this industry not produced and developed in Europe. They want it in China, out of China, and for China. 70 | Truck & Driver
“And if they get an advantage there – good, good. If they have an advantage they will not hand it back to us, so we have to be very competitive.” “This is why we have to be fast.” Why Fuso/Daimler Trucks has launched its limited series production of the eCanter. “Yeah you can say ‘but this is only 500 units, you should do 50,000 units.’ You have to start. It’s the hen and the egg – you have to start and then accelerate it.” Already, he says, “what I heard is that (in China) in the second half of 2017 nearly 40% of the new registered intercity or city buses were electric. Buses – not trucks…but if you can do a bus, you can do a truck. “What is difficult is a long-hauling truck. That is difficult.” Which leads to him questioning some claims about how fast the batteries of a longhaul highway etruck can be recharged. To achieve some quick-charge times would require trucks to be hooked-up “to the grid,” he reckons. And then there’s the question of whether such super-fast charging will seriously reduce the life of the battery packs. The eCanter, Llistosella again stresses, “is the first seriesproduced truck, so it is not a prototype. A prototype is easy.” The eCanter goes down the assembly lines alongside standard Canters – with battery packs and electric engines installed where the standard models get their fuel tanks and diesel engines. The huge advantage over the new, high-profile etruck startups is that Fuso thus relies for all but the e parts on its normal, highly-refined supply chain…. “which is not the case, for example, for our friends in America where they have ‘the production hell,’
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Mercedes-Benz announced in February that it’s putting 10 medium-duty eActros trucks into customer fleets, in a trial intended to be a leadup to full production. The eActros has a 25-tonne GVW and a 200km range
they call it. “In fact it is mainly a supply chain hell because the supply chain is not prepared for the massive increase of product and speciality parts. That we don’t have. “So you see we have already plans to do the medium-duty (etruck) – by 2020, because we think we have to go further, with 150-200kms. It is possible, we know that, and there is a new battery technology where this will work.” Beyond that “we are very confident that we could change the technology” and put on the road a heavy-duty etruck, sometime after 2021.” Clearly, given this serious focus on etrucks, with the creation last year of the new eFuso brand and the promise that it will eventually produce electrified versions of its entire Fuso truck range, Llistosella, Fuso and Daimler Trucks are e believers – sure that extensive electrification is coming to global trucking. All the indications are there, he says: “More and more, in the markets which we call the triad markets – NAFTA, Europe and Japan – we see trends which are undisputably coming. And some of the trends we want to be ahead of the crowd in – for example in electrification.” By 2021 eFuso aims to have a medium-duty electric truck on sale – one that Llistosella says will be capable of running at 25 tonnes, up to 200kms: “This is still not a 40 tonner, long haul.” The eFuso trucks will, “sooner or later” begin to take away sales from the Fuso brand, he concedes – then adds: “But if
we don’t do it, someone else will do it for us and then we are completely out of the game.” But why this rush now to switch-on in trucking? He calls on some startling figures to back up his view that a huge global trend for urbanisation is the key driver for not only electrified trucks, but also autonomous trucks and connected trucks. Whereas in 1985 41% of the world’s then 4.9billion population lived in urban areas, 15 years on, that had grown to 47% of 6.1bn. Then on to 54% of 7.4bn in 2015. The projection is that by 2030, that will be out to 60% of 8.5bn. Says Llistosella: “I heard that Auckland real-estate prices are skyrocketing since two and a half years – this is exactly as a reflection of this trend, because everybody goes now to the big cities. “In Japan we have 95% of people living in urbanised and metropolitan areas like Tokyo. Tokyo has now 38 million people in the area, so the challenges for them are getting more and more: You need concentrated infrastructure – on electricity, on water, on water treatment, on everything. “And now you can say for Tokyo it’s okay. But then I tell you how this looks in Lagos in Nigeria – then it’s not so ok.” And it’s an even more overwhelming prospect for the likes of India’s already-bursting cities: Currently only 26-30% of the Indian population is living in urban areas. “That means we will see in the next 20 years a massive shift of people going from the rural areas to the metropolitan hubs. Truck & Driver | 73
Above left: The eCanter’s batteries can be recharged either with a regular AC charger...or a DC charger which can cut charging time to around one hour
Above right: Llistosella sees the biggest challenge to Daimler Trucks’ etruck leadership coming from China Right: The eActros shows off the new-era, electricoriented dash display
74 | Truck & Driver
energy sources (eg hydro, solar or wind), the overall well to wheel efficiency leaps to “up to 75%.” This, says Llistosella, is what he thinks “in NZ would be very interesting, because you have a lot of renewable energies.” Now the Daimler Trucks Asia boss asks – and answers – his own question about the seemingly conservative eCanter series production: “Now, when everything is so bright and super, why are you not doing it more? And I will come to that because at the end of the day, the idea is good…but the execution is not so simple.” There are, Llistosella details, issues with the cost of battery modules, with the lack of widespread recharging infrastructure, the weight of the batteries versus the power they deliver and, always to the fore, the range of the etrucks. But the prices of batteries are predicted to fall – the price per kWh (kilowatt hour) tipped to drop from 175 Euros today, to 75 Euros in the next three years. In the same time-span, the batteries’ energy density – and efficiency – is expected to rise from 140 Watthours per kilogram, to 240. Since the start of the eCanter project two or three years ago, the first prototype had a “really limited payload because of the weight of the battery. And now the batteries, they have a weight of 720 kilograms – six batteries with a range of 100-120kms. “So that means you’re having only a disadvantage to a combustion engine equivalent of not more than 200kgs. So the payload disadvantage gets diminished every year.” CAL0948
“And when you see Mumbai, it’s collapsing every day. When you see Delhi, it’s completely collapsing. And when you see Kolkata or Chennai – when you imagine that they will double or triple, that means in the cities we have to do something!” When most forms of urban transportation are diesel, the resulting exhaust emissions levels are devastatingly damaging to human health. “So that means….we need as an OEM an answer. We have to give an answer. “And now,” says Llistosella, “we come close to the answer…..” This as he shows a Powerpoint slide which shows the energy efficiency of the 100% electric eCanter compared to a standard diesel version…. And measuring the energy efficiency from well to wheel – from the source – rather than, as some in the industry do, from the tank to the wheel…on the basis “this is in our responsibility, this is what we can influence.” The eCanter has an impressive 85% energy efficiency on the vehicle – tank to wheel – compared to just 15% for a dieselengined Canter. When the likes of the energy costs of drilling oil wells, running refineries and shipping are factored in, a diesel Canter’s overall well to wheel energy efficiency ends up at 15 to 20%. An eCanter powered with electricity drawn from a standard grid, where the energy creation is still from fossil fuel, will end up with around 45% overall well to wheel efficiency. Whereas, in an eCanter powered with electricity from renewable
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The eCanter and other electric trucks from Daimler will come into their own as more and more of the world’s major cities impose bans on dieselengined trucks
The eCanter launched on the market in Japan, the United States and Europe last year is version 1.0. We’re already working on the 1.1 – it’s like an update on the phone,” with many software and battery improvements already. By next year there’ll be an eCanter 2.0 and Llistosella says Fuso NZ boss Kurtis Andrews has already begun discussions about launching the etrucks here – “so we have to make sure that the infrastructure is there for that.” In terms of extending the range of etrucks, particularly once eFuso closes in on launching medium-duty and heavy-duty electrics, for one thing, Llistosella says that there is a lot of work being done on using hydrogen fuel cell technology as a range extender for etrucks. But hydrogen fuel cells alone as an alternative remain a challenge because they’re not energy efficient and require large storage. It’s a problem that’s discussed by Daimler and “big companies like Shell, BP….they’re all investigating this, and they are very interested. “But there is not one red path. This makes this industry now so, so interesting – because, for the last 100 years it was always clear: We have the gasoline, we have the diesel, we have the injection, then we have the commonrail – but this was always one direction. “The direction was clear. Now the direction is not clear. Nobody knows that. Nobody knows even whether the BEVs will be based on lithium batteries in five years.”
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What is known is what’s possible now, with the likes of the eCanter: By replacing 1000 diesel Canters with 1000 eCanters in Auckland, 16,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions would be removed – the equivalent effect of a dense forest the size of Rangitoto Island absorbing harmful CO2. “So this is the reason why we’ve said ‘okay, we have to do something’…..and we do something.” Of course, there is also the fact that this out-and-out city truck (it has a range of around 100kms between stationary charges) can meet the demands of the growing number of big cities around the world that are banning diesel-engined trucks – because of their noise and exhaust emissions. There are “some customers,” who – regardless of such regulation – are adopting etrucks. But as Llistosella adds, “they are unique….very, very special customers. “But a huge customer who is in daily competition with others, sorry to say, he has to go for the TCO (total cost of ownership), he has to go for ‘what’s the payback?’ And if the payback is not given, he will not go for it.” On the other hand, if the City of London bans diesel from innercity deliveries, or even limits them to certain hours, “then it’s the customers who are going to demand it. “So far the business case is very simple: An electric truck is currently more expensive. But when you have no business at all in the city, then it is no longer a business case comparison. Then you say ‘ok, no business – or business? I go for the business.’ ” T&D
Truck & Driver | 77
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TALL STORY Above: Ross McFaul and Jock, the giant crane, mounted on a new 10x6 Scania R560 Right: The Palfinger crane, with its reach of almost 50m, allows easy access to difficult work sites
A
TRUCK-MOUNTED KNUCKLE boom crane that’s the only one of its type in the Southern Hemisphere is now in operation in New Zealand. The $1million Palfinger PK200002L SH crane, mounted on a 10x6 Scania R560, will become a key part of the country’s construction scene, operating initially throughout the South Island, says its owner, Southland’s Hire Frankton. It’s the largest knuckle boom crane produced by Palfinger, with a 50-metre reach and an ability to work in confined spaces….even to reach right through a building and do lifting work on the opposite side to where it’s parked. Ross McFaul, owner of the Invercargill-based Hire Frankton, says that the company bought its first knuckle boom crane five years ago – a Palfinger PM36 mounted on a 700 Series Hino. In mid-2014 a secondhand PK56002 was
purchased, which he says, is “a very good crane and had more reach and could lift more – but still lacked distance and capacity.” The need for greater lifting capacity and versatility prompted him to simply get the biggest knuckle boom crane on the market – ordering the PK200002 a year ago, through NZ distributor Gough Palfinger. He says of the new arrival: “For a crane of this size and reach it’s remarkably quick and efficient to set up. For example, we can set up on the side of the road or in narrow spaces between buildings with no disruption to traffic flow, no requirement for elaborate traffic management plans, but with a safe and efficient result. “I could park this crane on the goal-line of a rugby field and it could pick up a 500 kilogram weight near halfway, with the boom configured parallel to the ground. That’s its reach!” The crane’s extension boom and fly-jib have
a reverse linkage system that can reach through low door openings and work inside a building: “Its versatility is amazing – and it’s so easy to operate. The crane, nicknamed Jock, is operated with a remote control, which enables monitoring of all safety features of the crane. McFaul and Goughs Palfinger GM Duncan Phillips underwent training and handover in Austria. McFaul says he owes thanks to NZ Transport Agency staff, “who have helped immensely on this project – as there was an initial concern that this crane might be too big for our roads.” Initially the PK200002 will work on Christchurch earthquake rebuilding construction projects, maintenance and repairs, installation of new plant and possibly wind farm repair work. It can be moved easily around the country, as required. T&D
Lightest trailer wheels A NEW 19.5-INCH ALLOY TRAILER wheel that’s reckoned to be the lightest on the market has been launched in New Zealand by TATES. The forged aluminium 19.5” x 7.5” ALEXRIMS wheels, rated at 3000 kilograms, are said by TATES to be “over one kilogram lighter” than the equivalent Alcoa or Speedline wheels. They also have the largest hand-holes of any similar wheels on the NZ market, adds TATES – their 57mm holes making for easier inflation
of tyres on inner wheels and the fitting of tyre inflation systems, as well as better ventilation for brakes. The ALEXRIMS wheels come in two finishes – polished and polished A-shine, which TATES says is “the equivalent” of the Alcoa Dura-Bright finish. The wheels with 26mm stud holes weigh 16.6kg, while those with 32mm stud holes weigh 16.5kg. The ALEXRIMS have been tested in NZ conditions for the past four years. T&D
The ALEXRIMS wheels are reckoned by TATES to be lighter and allow for the easier inflation of tyres on inner wheels and the fitting of tyre inflation systems Truck & Driver | 79
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OUT OF AMERICA Almost 96% of all Freightliner Cascadias sold last year had Detroit DD13 or DD15 engines under the bonnet. In the New Casacadia (pictured) 93% of the trucks sold also had the Detroit DT12 AMT
Number One... and aiming to improve By North American correspondent Steve Sturgess
T
HE FREIGHTLINER DOMINATION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN market rolls on – and with it also comes a new dominance for the Daimler powertrain. Check these figures: Last year, Daimler Trucks North America consolidated its leadership in the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) with a 39.8% share of the sales of all trucks in Class 6 and above – that’s from 26,001 pounds/11.8 tonnes and up. But an even more remarkable figure cited by DTNA president Roger Nielsen is the penetration of the Daimler powertrain – with
a spectacular 96% of all Cascadia conventionals sold last year running 13-litre or 15-litre engines from Daimler’s inhouse engine division, Detroit. In addition, 73% of the Cascadias and the lighter Western Star 7300s sold were also equipped with Detroit’s DT12 automated 12-speed transmission. And in the fuel-conscious New Cascadia, this inhouse automated transmission penetration is running at 93%. This illustrates the huge shift in heavy truck purchases in Truck & Driver | 81
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the NAFTA region, which only a couple of decades ago was a horizontal market – where customers had a choice of engines from three different manufacturers and just about every over-thehighway truck had a manual transmission. It also reflects the increased cost of fuel and the levels of optimisation that have led to trucks that today are achieving 10 miles per US gallon – in metric terms, 23.5 litres per 100 kilometres, or 4.25kms per litre. The 10mpg average number was trumpeted at last year’s Run On Less demonstration that ended at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in September. In that demo, seven carriers had each entered a Class 8 truck with everyday specs and ran regular service routes and loads to end up with an aggregated average 10.1mpg (US) or 23.3 l/100km. The tractor/semi-trailer combinations’ results easily exceeded the national average of 6.4mpg….and beat the 9mpg goal of the 17-day demonstration. The North American Council for Freight Efficiency, which ran the demo, has – by the way – just released more indepth findings from the Run On Less trial, including its conclusions… That 10mpg is possible in real-world working settings – but
weather and road conditions do make a difference, achieving such fuel figures requires effort in many areas, and telematics reports and data logging will contribute to a good result. The trucks, which were 2015 models or newer, could only use commercially available technologies for the demo – the potentially-fuel-saving features that were common to all seven participating trucks including tractor aerodynamics, such as sloped bonnets, bumper dams, aerodynamic mirrors, chassis fairings, full-height roof fairings, cab extenders, vented mudflaps and drive wheel fairings with wheel covers. They all used low rolling resistance tyres on most wheel ends, automated manual transmissions, downsped powertrains, low viscosity engine lubrication and engines that were programmed for idle shutdown and diesel-fired heaters for idle reduction during cold weather. All the trailers had automatic tyre pressure management systems and aerodynamic aids underneath and behind. Telematics of various kinds were used on all the combinations. Other factors that were dissimilar between the participants were various axle configurations (4x2, 6x4, 6x2 tag and 6x2 liftable), engine capacities ranging from 11-litre to 15-litre, idle reduction Truck & Driver | 83
Above, left: Daimler Trucks North America boss Roger Nielsen
Above, right: Freightliner’s New Cascadia, already heavily-loaded with new technology, is now also getting Meritor EX+ L disc brakes all around
Opposite page: Nielsen dropped hints that Daimler will be announcing a medium-duty electric truck in North America soon – probably a derivative of the eActros just launched in Europe
technologies, a variety of tyres (some wide and duals, but also different tyres for 6x2 drive and tag axles) and a variety of trailer aero devices including different tail, side-skirt and nose cone aids. NACFE also notes that the drivers involved were “some of the best at maximising mpg. It takes skill and experience to make use of the technology, and even among this group, it can be strenuous. In fact, drivers commented that maximising fuel economy takes constant vigilance.” NACFE recommends using downsped powertrains and AMTs, educating and incentivising drivers, using tractor and trailer aerodynamics, optimising cruise control and vehicle speed, keeping vehicles properly maintained and ensuring you have the appropriate axle configuration. It also suggests using low rolling resistance tyres, providing the means to reduce idle time and building a culture of methodically choosing fuel-saving technologies. Getting back to Daimler boss Roger Nielsen: In a world of safety suites that includes emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, lane keeping and rollover protection, Daimler is adding Meritor EX+ L disc brakes all around on its New Cascadia. Nielsen says that “Driving future technology” is one of his six goals for the year, along with leveraging the Daimler group’s global resources and its “cutting-edge technology.” But customers, he acknowledges, “don’t want new technology for the sake of technology – they want new technology because they believe it can give them a competitive edge in the marketplace, or can 84 | Truck & Driver
reduce their real cost of ownership.” He says, for instance, that DTNA is finalising plans for a major fleet customer to start real-world platooning tests – using working trucks and working drivers, carting real freight, for real customers. And he adds, that customers are “interested in this new technology – but only if it will pay off. It has to be safe, it has to be reliable, and it has to be durable.” Nielsen also mentions upcoming improvements for Detroit Connect 4.0 which includes stationary object recognition and full brake application using service brakes, engine retarder and automatic gear-down for maximum retardation in an emergency situation. Detroit Connect is already on nearly 90% of Daimler’s North American heavy trucks – the telematics solution now including over-the-air updates for its latest trucks. DTNA is working on predictive analytics – with a likely first step the ability to recognise in the data patterns that “can predict an imminent failure 500 to 100 miles out.” That will give the company the ability to be able to call up a customer and tell them that an injector is about to fail, for instance – so the truck should be brought in and repaired under warranty, while the driver takes his compulsory break. Nielsen gives an example of how the Detroit Connect suite’s remote updates can help cut fleets’ total cost of ownership: “We had one customer who wanted to increase the cruise control speed limited to 65mph (110kmh). With the size of his fleet, that would normally take four months – for each truck to be brought
in for 30 minutes to be reprogrammed. Using remote updates, it only took a few minutes to change the cruise control speed of all his trucks.” Nielsen also points out that Detroit Connect has access to other systems on the truck. Agreements with the suppliers means that there are fewer SIM cards on a truck and lower communications charges as Detroit Connect interacts with fleets’ back office software. Even though 2017 was a record for DTNA sales, Nielsen expects more of the same for 2018 – providing market conditions remain stable….with January and February sales at or exceeding record levels. However, that prediction may come into question with President Trump’s announcement of his intent to place import tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum produced offshore. Given the content of both materials in all forms of highway vehicles, such action would inevitably drive prices of cars and trucks up – a point being made most vocally by the auto industry in response to the proposal. Nielsen also addresses progress with electric power for the worldwide Daimler commercial vehicle offering. It’s definitely on the watch list, he says – unsurprisingly since Daimler has invested more than 500 million euros ($US620million) in electric and autonomous truck research. DTNA has shown its intent with the creation of new roles to work specifically on this future technology, with Sanjiv Khurana the general manager of
connectivity and Andreas Juretzka heading up the electric mobility group. Nielsen hints that there will be an electric truck announcement for North America within a couple of months – possibly along the lines of the heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz eActros electric truck currently going into selective service in Europe. Nielsen says it’s his objective to ramp up production to meet the anticipated growth in sales…but it’s already too late to order trucks for delivery before the end of June. He cautions that if sales run as predicted, the supplier side of the truck manufacturing industry will be stressed to maintain its high levels of production. “We are a global company with a global supply chain, and frankly the difficult part of the task now is to manage the supply chain and make sure everyone keeps pace with demand,” he says. And those levels do not necessarily mean growth in trucking – Nielsen saying that the new truck sales are mostly replacing trucks currently in service. However, all the trucks sold are working today: “There are none parked against the fence.” Nielsen says he sees no special circumstances impacting sales through 2019. But then again, he says this BEFORE Donald Trump’s proposed tariff on steel and aluminium imports. It’s doubtful that he was anticipating that – or the potential knock-on effect through the United States economy. Or the worldwide impact on free trade that could follow. T&D Truck & Driver | 85
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Hamilton’s Pemberton Transport has put this Mercedes-Benz 2663LS Actros to work, shifting earthmoving machinery for Pemberton Civil and its clients. The 6x4 tractor unit, driven by Dion Henderson, has a 625-horsepower OM473 engine, a G330 PowerShift 3 AMT and a 2.5-metre- wide Stream Space sleeper cab. It pulls a TRT three rows of eight transporter and can usually be seen working around the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland.
Rego records run on N
EW ZEALAND’S NEW TRUCK SALES continued at a record-setting level in February – outdoing the same month in 2017’s best-ever year
by 12%. The 383 additions to the national truck fleet (above 4.5 tonnes GVM) was 42 ahead of the sales in February last year. It also contributed to a new year-to-date record – with 721 sales, 14% up on 2017. Official NZ Transport Agency registration data shows that the trailer-building industry was also in record-breaking form in February, the 121 trailers registered just edging February 2017’s 118 and the YTD record (from 2015) by 2.3%. Industry analyst Robin Yates points out that the new truck industry has so far been insulated from the discovery of stink bug beetles on ships arriving in Auckland loaded with vehicles from Japan. To protect NZ horticulture, the ships were ordered out of NZ to be properly fumigated – blunting the bull run in Kiwi car sales due to a resulting temporary shortage of used and
new cars, according to reports. The longer turnaround time between landing and registration for trucks compared to cars means that the effects clearly hadn’t impacted February’s truck registrations, says Yates. It could however have a delayed reaction in the coming months, he adds. In the overall market (above 4.5 tonnes), Isuzu reclaimed the lead by registering 106 trucks in February – 58 more than Fuso…and 38 more than Hino. Thus, at the end of February, Isuzu was the overall leader, with 155 YTD sales to Hino’s 114 and Fuso’s 103. It was Hino’s highest placing in 14 months, whereas it was Fuso’s worst YTD ranking since the the make began its comeback, under a new distributor, just over a year ago. PACCAR siblings Kenworth (20/52) and DAF (27/48) continued their early momentum, holding third and fourth places respectively – DAF having overtaken Mercedes-Benz (21/46), UD (17/39) and Iveco (13/35). Volvo (15/32) and Scania (9/21) retained ninth and 10th positions. Truck & Driver | 87
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Another new Hino 700 Series has joined the Les Harrison Transport fleet in Hamilton – the 2848 6x4 kept busy towing a TMC six-axle B-train. It has a 480hp engine, an AMT and a four-stage retarder. It’s usually toting containers to Tauranga or Auckland. Pic Larry Beesley
7501-15,000kg GVM
4501kg-max GVM 2018 Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO KENWORTH DAF MERCEDES-BENZ UD IVECO VOLVO SCANIA MACK MAN FREIGHTLINER FIAT FOTON RAM HYUNDAI WESTERN STAR INTERNATIONAL SINOTRUK
Vol 155 114 103 52 48 46 39 35 32 21 15 15 13 8 6 5 4 4 3 3
% 21.5 15.8 14.3 7.2 6.7 6.4 5.4 4.9 4.4 2.9 2.1 2.1 1.8 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4
Total
721
100.0
February Vol % 106 27.7 68 17.8 48 12.5 20 5.2 27 7.0 21 5.5 17 4.4 13 3.4 15 3.9 9 2.3 8 2.1 7 1.8 9 2.3 3 0.8 3 0.8 2 0.5 3 0.8 2 0.5 0 0.0 2 0.5 383
100.0
3501-4500kg GVM 2018 Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ TOYOTA FORD IVECO VOLKSWAGEN LDV RENAULT
Vol 51 14 7 2 1 1 1 1
% 65.4 17.9 9.0 2.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
Total
78
100.0
2018 Vol 45 37 25 23 9 8 5 3 2
% 28.7 23.6 15.9 14.6 5.7 5.1 3.2 1.9 1.3
Total
157
100.0
88 | Truck & Driver
Vol 52 30 26 11 3 3 2 2 2 1
% 39.4 22.7 19.7 8.3 2.3 2.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 0.8
Total
132
100.0 2018
Brand HINO UD FUSO IVECO ISUZU MERCEDES-BENZ SCANIA DAF MAN
Total
100.0
% 27.5 21.6 13.7 13.7 9.8 5.9 3.9 2.0 2.0
51
100.0
February Vol % 8 28.6 7 25.0 4 14.3 3 10.7 3 10.7 0 0.0 2 7.1 1 3.6 0 0.0
Vol 5 2
% 71.4 28.6
7
100.0 2018
Total
Vol 61 52 46 42 32 25 19 16 16 15 15 13 12 4 3 3
% 16.3 13.9 12.3 11.2 8.6 6.7 5.1 4.3 4.3 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.2 1.1 0.8 0.8
374
100.0
In the premium 23t to maximum GVM division, Isuzu blitzed the field... Trailers 2018
February Vol % 39 20.4 20 10.5 25 13.1 28 14.7 15 7.9 9 4.7 7 3.7 6 3.1 10 5.2 8 4.2 6 3.1 9 4.7 5 2.6 2 1.05 0 0.0 2 1.05
Brand PATCHELL MTE DOMETT FRUEHAUF ROADMASTER MAXICUBE TMC TRANSPORT TRANSFLEET TRINITY JACKSON CHIEFTAIN FAIRFAX TES EVANS MAKARANUI HAMMAR KRAFT MILLS-TUI DOUGLAS HTS MORBARK NICKEL WHITE KOROMIKO ADAMS & CURRIE TIDD LUSK MARSHALL PENNY PTE TEO OTHER
191
Total
28
100.0
February Vol % 3 75.0 1 25.0 4
100.0
23,001kg-max GVM
83
100.0
Vol 14 11 7 7 5 3 2 1 1
2018 Brand HINO UD
February Vol % 22 26.5 30 36.1 10 12.0 10 12.0 4 4.8 3 3.6 2 2.4 1 1.2 1 1.2
100.0
77
20,501-23,000kg GVM
Brand ISUZU KENWORTH DAF HINO VOLVO FUSO SCANIA IVECO MERCEDES-BENZ MACK UD FREIGHTLINER MAN WESTERN STAR INTERNATIONAL SINOTRUK
32
February Vol % 34 44.2 19 24.7 13 16.9 3 3.9 2 2.6 0 0.0 2 2.6 2 2.6 1 1.3 1 1.3
15,001-20,500kg GVM
Total February Vol % 19 59.4 6 18.8 3 9.4 2 6.3 1 3.1 1 3.1 0 0.0 0 0.0
4501-7500kg GVM Brand FUSO ISUZU MERCEDES-BENZ HINO IVECO FIAT RAM FOTON HYUNDAI
2018 Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO UD FOTON IVECO HYUNDAI MAN MERCEDES-BENZ DAF
100.0
Vol 31 19 19 18 17 16 14 9 7 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11
% 13.9 8.5 8.5 8.1 7.6 7.2 6.3 4.0 3.1 2.7 2.7 2.2 2.2 2.2 1.8 1.8 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 4.9
223
100.0
February Vol % 11 9.1 10 8.3 13 10.7 9 7.4 13 10.7 9 7.4 9 7.4 6 5.0 4 3.3 0 0.0 1 0.8 5 4.1 3 2.5 4 3.3 2 1.7 2 1.7 1 0.8 2 1.7 2 1.7 1 0.8 1 0.8 2 1.7 1 0.8 1 0.8 0 0.0 1 0.8 1 0.8 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 7 5.8 121
100.0
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4HE ARMS ARE RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE AXLE IN A SPECIAL PATENT PENDING JOINT THAT PROVIDES A PROTECTIVE AXLE @GRIP THAT ACTUALLY EXTENDS THE AXLE LIFE DUE TO THE STRESS SMOOTHING DESIGN 4HE TRAILING ARMS WILL LAST THE LIFE OF THE RUNNING GEAR
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Christchurch Chemcouriers owner/driver G.J. Carriers is picking up and delivering dangerous goods around Hornby and Middleton with this new UD Trucks PK17-280AS 6x2 curtainsider. Graeme (Possum) Jackson has at his disposal a 280hp/883Nm engine, a six-speed transmission and a UD diff on rear air suspension. It has an 8.5m Hale Manufacturing curtainsider with a Zepro tail-lift and a chassis-mounted DG box. Pic Alix Houmard
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Palmerston North-based NZ Post contractors Mike and Teresa Pickford have put this new DAF CF85 Space Cab 8x4 to work on a daily run to New Plymouth. It has a PACCAR MX engine, a 16-speed AS Tronic AMT, a threestage Intarder and MT23 rear axles on Airglide 400 suspension. Extras include Alcoa DuraBright alloy wheels, a fridge, wood-finish dash, overhead spot lights and driving lights.
Heavy Metal Haulage from Te Kowhai in the Waikato has put this new Kenworth T610 SAR bulk tipper, nicknamed Axel Rock, to work. The immaculate 6x4 has a Cummins X15 engine, a Roadranger 18-speed manual and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide 460 suspension. It’s fully optioned, the spec including Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels and a Transport and General alloy bulk bin and a matching four-axle trailer.
90 | Truck & Driver
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A world-first for its spec, this new Volvo FH 750 8x4 tractor unit is now in work for Palmerston North’s Menefy Trucking. The unit carts oversize loads and “anything that will fit on the deck.” The 750hp engine is mated to an I-Shift AMT and it has a resting package, a fridge, tv, rain-sensing wipers, Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels and a custom fuel tank and paint, including a Swedish flag done by Capture Signs.
Registrations in the 3.5-4.5t GVM crossover segment were down on recent levels, Yates wondering whether that might be a result of the stink bug beetle situation. The top three positions – with Fiat (19/51) leading Mercedes-Benz (6/14) and Toyota (3/7) – were unchanged, but Ford (2/2) joined the segment in February, demoting Iveco, Volkswagen, LDV and Renault. Fuso (22/45) retained the lead in the 4.5-7.5t GVM segment, ahead of a fast-closing Isuzu (30/37), which leapfrogged Mercedes-Benz (10/25) and Hino (10/23). Iveco (4/9) retained fifth, but Fiat (3/8) lost a place. Ram (2/5), Foton (1/3) and Hyundai (1/2) remained sixth to ninth. In the 7.5-15t GVM segment, Isuzu (34/52) consolidated its lead, while Hino (19/30) overtook Fuso (13/26) for second. UD (3/11) retained fourth, while Foton (2/3) caught Iveco (0/3) and Hyundai and MAN (two apiece) joined MercedesBenz (1/2) for seventh-equal. Another new addition was DAF, with one registration. In the 15-20.5t GVM segment, Hino (8/14) eased away from UD (7/11), which overtook Iveco (3/7). Fuso (4/7) meanwhile drew level with Iveco, while Isuzu (3/5) improved one place at the expense of Mercedes-Benz (0/3). Scania (2/2) and DAF (1/1) joined the segment. There were few registrations and no surprises in the 20.5-
23t GVM class, where Hino improved to five and UD to two. In the premium 23t to maximum GVM division, Isuzu blitzed the field – registering 39 trucks in February to boost its YTD total to 61, leapfrogging Kenworth (20/52) for the No. 1 spot. Hino (28/42) was second for the month, to improve from sixth to fourth YTD, while DAF also did well, registering 25 to lift its 2018 total to 46, retaining third place. Volvo (15/32) and Fuso (9/25) each lost one place, while Scania (7/19) and Iveco (6/16) retained seventh and eighth respectively. Mercedes-Benz (10/16) joined Iveco (6/16), while Mack (8/15) retained 10th. There was little change at the top of the heavy trailer market, with Patchell (11/31) still firmly in the lead, ahead of MTE (10/19), which was again second-equal….but this time with Domett, which tied with Roadmaster as equal-first in February registrations, with 13. That lifted Domett to 19 YTD and saw it jump up from fifth in January, while Roadmaster (13/17) improved from ninth to fifth, just behind Fruehauf (9/18) – down from second-equal in January. MaxiCUBE (9/16) lost two places, TMC (9/14) retained seventh, while Transport Trailers (6/9) gained two places and Transfleet (4/7) picked up one spot. T&D Truck & Driver | 91
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Auckland’s RAC Transport has the first of two new DAF FAT CF85 6x4 bulk tippers working on civil construction projects around the region. It has a 510hp PACCAR MX engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission, Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide 400 suspension, and a five-metre Transfleet Roc-Tuff steel bulk body.
This Hino 700 that’s recently gone to work for Les Harrison Transport in Hamilton is pictured having just arrived back from the South Island, where it picked up its unusual load – two new TMC skeletal trailers. The 8x4 tractor unit, which has a 480hp engine and an AMT, usually carts containers to Auckland or Tauranga. Pic Larry Beesley
Faulks Investments has put this new Kenworth T610 6x4 tipper to work in the central Otago region, based out of Queenstown. Dave Blair drives the new unit, which has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission and Meritor 46-160 diffs.
92 | Truck & Driver
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Contact Matt Keller 021 190 1002 John O’Donnell 027 226 9995 or Hayden Jones 0800 5494 89737 sales@kiwityres.co.nz | 0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 5494 89737) | kiwitrucktyres.nz
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Te Awamutu’s Dibble Transport has this new Mack Super-Liner tipper in work, carting bulk loads around the North Island. The 8x4 has a 685hp MP10 engine, an mDrive AMT and Meritor 46-160 diffs. It has a Transport & General alloy bulk bin and tows a matching new five-axle trailer.
www.trt.co.nz
Queenstown operator Mat Deuchrass’ Mwd Transport has this new UD Trucks 250 Condor delivering Coca Cola around Central Otago. It has extras including a custom body with speakers and lighting in the back, a dash cam, alloy wheels and tinted windows.
O D A R O L O C X U L I H R E G RAN best? is h ic h w t u b ril ood, They’re all egcial Ute-lympics issue on sale Ap
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Nationwide Livestock contractor Herring Haulage has put this new Kenworth K200 Aerodyne to work, carting livestock nationwide. The 8x4 has a 600-615hp Cummins X15, an 18-speed Roadranger gearbox and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Hendrickson suspension. It has a factory FUPs bulbar, nine-inch offset Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels on the front and a Jackson Enterprises deck with a Nationwide stock crate…..and tows a matching fiveaxle trailer.
FREE JOB LISTINGS ONLINE!
LIST YOUR JOB VACANIES. SIMPLY SEND US THE DETAILS AND WE WILL DO THE REST.
AP27950
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CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
Specialists In Heavy Motor Commercial Motor Vehicles, Carriers Liability, Public Liability Insurance
LG23615
0800 55 54 53 info@stal.co.nz
www.sweeneytownsend.co.nz
Panelbeating, Spraypainting, Chassis Straightening, Engineering, Sandblasting and 2 Truck Spray Booths, Body Building, Wheel Alignment
WH
POLISEEL HING
TD27943
0800 ALRO TRUCK 96 | Truck & Driver
(0800 257 687)
Phone Rick: 06-357 4100 Mobile: 0274 905 788
435 Tremaine Avenue. P.O. Box 4438, Palmerston North • Email: rick@alrotruck.co.nz
Axle Brake
NEW
PACKAGES AGES
Buy an Axle Brake Package & Save! ROR - Elsa 19.5” Disc Axle Brake Package
395.00* $395.00*
$
Includes: Rotors 8 or 10 Stud x2, Hub Seals x2, Habcap Gaskets x2 and Disc Pad Set x1.
Meritor - Rockwell Drive Axle 285 PCD Brake Package Includes: Brake Drums x2 and Lined Brake Shoe Kits x2.
ROR - BMX Axle Brake Package
Includes: Brake Drum 8 or 10 Stud x2, Lined Brake Shoe Kits x2 and Hubseals x2.
495.00*
$
* Prices shown exclude GST & freight. Valid 1st - 30th April 2018
Time for a
NEW SEAT?
Choosing the right truck seat will make your day or night easier! Help reduce fatigue, improve safety and your health. TRT seating experts can help.
G SX
This professional driver seat is designed by KAB’s suspension seat experts, providing superior comfort and orthopaedic support.
Looking to refurbish your existing seat?
TRT has options available with workshops and service Nationwide!
CALL US TODAY Hamilton 07 849 4839
to talk with our parts team! Auckland 09 262 0683
www.trt.co.nz
RECRUITMENT TRUCK & DRIVER
wellington
Calling ALL Class 2 Drivers... •
Want to work closer to home?
•
Keen to work with customers?
•
After a better work-life balance?
Give us a call today! 0800 200 018
HOP ON BOARD!
Level 1 Traffic Controller (TC) and Site Traffic Management Supervisor (STMS) courses
Designing of traffic management plans (tmp) WEBSITE: www.professionaltrafficservices.co.nz EMAIL: training@professionaltrafficservices.co.nz
FREEPHONE 0800 432 360 Onsite and offsite available
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
For your copy contact: Paper Plus Opotiki, PO Box 37, Opotiki Ph 07 315 6263 Fax 07 315 7133 Email opotiki@paperplus.co.nz 98 | Truck & Driver
TD27467
Now out the latest edition in Gavin Abbot’s historic collection.
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
WAITARA
ROTORUA
23 Mayne St, Waitara Craig Midgley (Manager) 06 754 7145 027 560 4345 craig@brokerspnp.co.nz
40-42 Geddes Rd, Rotorua Rick Osborne (Manager) 07 346 2089 027 277 2653 rick@brokerspnp.co.nz
Kurt Broker (Director) 027 699 9612 – kurt@brokerspnp.co.nz
Two locations across Central North Island – www.brokerspnp.co.nz
At Brokers Panel & Paint we are specialists in commercial vehicle repairs and painting. We are experienced at all types of automotive painting, sandblasting and panel beating. We can repair anything: Trucks, diggers, coaches, motorhomes, trailers and everything in between.
TD27508
Call us today to see what we can do for you and your fleet!
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Manufacturers & Distributors of:
5
100 | Truck & Driver
Available from your local truck dealership or: Te Apunga Place, Mt Wellington, Auckland. P.O. Box 62182. Phone (09) 276-9086. Fax (09) 276-2909. www.visordistributors.co.nz AP21327
TD26073
• Roof Air Deflectors and Side Skirts • Fibreglass Sunvisors • Windscreen Stoneguards • Weathershields • Headlight Covers • Bonnet Bug Guards • Tipper Skirts
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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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CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
L Coil springs designed and manufactured
the auto accessory specialists Manufacturers & Distributors of: Truck Accessories:
Ute, Car & 4x4:
• Top Air Deflectors • Sunvisors • Stoneguards • Headlight covers • Door Weathershields • Bonnet Guards
• SteelTop Canopies • Tonneau Covers • Nudge Bars • Side Steps • Headlight Covers • Bonnet Guards • Bed-Liners • Tailgate Assist - Prolift
Bushes
Shackle pins
Multi leaf springs and leaves
U/bolts
PARABOLIC SPRINGS & LEAVES
Archers Auto Springs can now manufacture replacement parabolic spring leaves (including main leaves) and complete spring packs for most parabolic sprung vehicles.
Rotorua:
*TRUCK *CAR *4X4
35-37 Sunset Rd, Ph: (07) 348 0169
Auckland:
21 Saleyards Road, Otahuhu, Auckland Phone +64 9 276 9826 Toll Free: NZ 0800AIRPLEX Fax +64 9 276 9836 Email: info@airplex.co.nz
www.airplex.co.nz
39 Tironui Rd, Takanini, Ph: (09) 298 4162 TD24535
TD26595
Airplex Industries Ltd
Hamilton:
116 Colombo St, Frankton, Ph: (07) 847 9343
sales@autosprings.co.nz www.autosprings.co.nz
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. Note: Seat fabric may vary from what is shown. Armrests and head restraints are optional accessories.
Protect your back and reduce driver fatigue CALL US NOW!
102 | Truck & Driver
ISRI 6860/875 NTS
ISRI 6860/870 NTS
ISRI 6860/880 NTS
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Head Restraint Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt
Automatic Self Levelling NTS-NZ Air Suspension Seat Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt Armrests & Head Restraint Optional Extras
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat, Armrests & Head Restraint Optional Extras
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
TD27586
The World’s Best Driver’s Seat
W s
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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I NDEPENDENT T RUCK S PRAY
MANUFACTURERS OF QUALITY ALUMINIUM ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT, SERVICING THE TRANSPORT, MARINE AND AGRICULTURE INDUSTRIES FOR OVER 40 YEARS
434 Church Street East, Penrose, Auckland
TD27933
Paddy - m: 021 335 739 e: paddy.its@gmail.com
• Cab and chassis painting
53 Bridge Street, Bulls Ph 06 322 1575 • Fax 06 322 1351 email info@roadrunnerltd.co.nz
PROUDLY
www.roadrunnerltd.co.nz
OWNED AND
NEW ZEALAND
OPERATED
TD27956
WE SPECIALISE IN MANUFACTURING TO SUIT YOUR OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
• Trailer painting • Custom Painting
• Fleet spec painting • Sand blasting
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• Truck Signwriting - Airbrushing • Curtain Signage & ClearCoating
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Phone Cliff... 021 808 958
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