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| December 2018/January 2019
December 2018/ January 2019 $8.50 incl. GST
BIG TEST No-frills FUSO | FLEET FOCUS Fit for purpose | FEATURE World famous in Temuka
FLEET FOCUS
Fit for purpose
FEATURE
Issue 219
s l l i r f o N
World famous in Temuka
FUSO
The Official Magazine of the
ISSN 1174-7935
A new millennium begins
2000
Y2K passes without widespread computer failures Olympic Games in Sydney Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Queen Mother dies
2001 2002
Bali bomb kills 203 people Brazil wins Soccer World Cup Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2003
9/11 Twin Towers are hit by passenger planes Slobodan Milosevic arrested over war crimes Wikipedia goes online Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Population of New Zealand exceeds 4 million Saddam Hussein is captured
Boxing Day Tsunami causes widespread devastation First privately funded human spaceflight. Janet Jackson suffers ‘wardrobe malfunction’ at Super Bowl
2004 2005
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Five cent coins are dropped from circulation
2006
Space Shuttle Columbia destroyed during re-entry killing 7 astronauts Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans Prince Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles Pope John Paul II dies Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Italy wins Soccer World Cup Google purchase YouTube for $1.65m Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2007
Apple introduces the iPhone Bomb kills former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto
Barack Obama elected first African American US President
2008
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Global Financial Crisis Sir Edmund Hillary dies Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Willie Apiata receives the Victoria Cross, the first New Zealander since World War II
2009
Michael Jackson dies First New Zealand rocket launched into space
First Canterbury earthquake causes widespread damage Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, is arrested Chilean mining accident, remarkably all 33 miners rescued
2010 2011
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
U.S. troops kill Osama bin Laden All Blacks win Rugby World Cup
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Summer Olympics open in London
Swine Flu declared a global pandemic
2012
Kate Middleton marries Prince William Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Mars Rover successfully lands on Mars Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2013
Pope Francis first Latin American elected Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gives birth to a baby boy
Malaysian airliner goes missing
2014
Nelson Mandela dies at age 95 Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Russia is reportedly in control of Crimea ISIS take control of Mosul Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2015
All Blacks win back-to-back Rugby World Cups Paris terrorist attack
Donald Trump elected US president
2016
Flowing liquid water found on Mars Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
NZ highest ever Olympic medal tally UK votes for Brexit Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2017
Team New Zealand win the America’s Cup Facebook hits 2 billion monthly users
ONE THING HASN’T CHANGED SINCE 2000.
Jacinda Ardern becomes Prime Minister
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Thank you for 18 consecutive years at No.1 in New Zealand.
ISZ13508_18Years_NZTD_FP_R01.indd 1
14/03/18 11:18 AM
CONTENTS
Issue 219 – December 2018/January 2019
2
News The latest in the world of transport, including….Nikola announces hydrogen fuel cell electric cabover – targeted at Europe….and NZ; Government-supported training centre aims at qualifying hundreds of new drivers a year
FEATURES 60 World famous in Temuka Temuka truckie Johnny Baxter started out trying to save more fuel than his mate Hamish….and ended up Volvo’s Fuelwatch Challenge world champion!
75 All on board!
18 Giti Tyres Big Test Just when the FUSO brand is rebuilding in NZ, they go and introduce a no-frills range of trucks. Built in India, with a proven Daimler powertrain…but without many niceties. Risky business? Or an inspired move to meet market desire?
35 Transport Forum
As it is with the truckmakers, so it is too that, at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Germany, the world’s biggest suppliers to the industry are heavily focused on electromobility, autonomous driving and connectivity. Yes, even with tyres, axles… fridge units
97 TRT Recently Registered New truck and trailer registrations for October
COLUMNS 89 Road Transport Association NZ Why the NZTA should be there to both educate…and regulate
91 National Road Carriers Association Recent delays in getting import and export freight through the Port of Auckland highlight how – for many reasons – the supply chain is changing…and everyone needs to change with it
87 Truck Shop
Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..farewell from retiring Forum CEO Ken Shirley; Transport Minister Phil Twyford staunchly defends Government policy….but also delivers a wee bit of good news; disruption is inevitable for the NZ road transport industry, a leading economist warns
44 Fleet Focus
New products and services for the road transport industry
96/ PPG Transport Imaging 97 Awards
93 SWEP
Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets….including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist
A partnership between the industry and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology has resulted in a Road Transport Cadetship in the Bay of Plenty
It’s an Auckland company with 34 trucks…. but not one single person employed as a dedicated truck driver!
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
Gerald Shacklock Hayley Leibowitz Steve Sturgess Robin Yates Crossed Up Media
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
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Truck & Driver | 1
NEWS
Government’s driver training boost
A NATIONAL COMMERCIAL DRIVER training programme given a $2.8million boost from the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will have the ability to train up to 700 drivers and machine operators a year, reckons Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones. The PGF money will go to the Manfeild Park Trust in Feilding – to expand its current Class 1 driver training programme into a full suite of driver and operator training, covering trucks, diggers, 4WDs, forklifts and rollers. The funding will also support capital works required to build new training facilities at the Manfeild site, including specialist training tracks. Jones says there is “a real demand for skilled drivers and machinery operators nationally,” and there are major construction projects in the
Manawatu-Whanganui region, including the Manawatū Gorge alternative road route and the establishment of a new KiwiRail hub near Palmerston North. The region also has an expanding role as a major distribution centre for the lower North Island, says Jones, adding: “We know that ManawatūWhanganui has high levels of unemployment and under-utilisation. This investment will ensure more people in the region have the opportunity to gain meaningful employment. “This will be the most comprehensive vehicle training facility of this type in the lower North Island. This is an opportunity for the region to lead this kind of training nationally as well. “Through the PGF the Government is responding to local needs, by funding projects which will make a real difference to regions and
their people.” Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley welcomes the PGF investment and says it’s “an acknowledgment of the importance of skilled commercial drivers to the economy and the employment opportunities available to those who undertake such training, especially in the regions. “It’s well-known that NZ is lacking in skilled commercial drivers. RTF has estimated that the road transport industry alone is around 4000 heavy vehicle drivers short – a situation that is duplicated in many other developed economies,” adds Shirley. “RTF and the road transport industry welcome this investment and look forward to working with the Government in other policy areas, such as immigration, to find further solutions to the current workforce shortage.” T&D
RTF representative John Anderson presents a cheque to Pukerua Bay School deputy principal Andrew Wooster as students and Capital Journeys’ Darren Varcoe (left) and the RTA’s Sandy Walker look on
Thanks, Pukerua Bay THE ROAD TRANSPORT FORUM has made a $1000 donation to the Pukerua Bay School as a thankyou for the support that the local community gave to truckies trapped there by highway closures in October. “With hundreds of drivers trapped for 16 hours, the Pukerua Bay community took it upon themselves to look after them,” says RTA area executive Sandy Walker, who presented the donation with local operator John Anderson of LG Anderson 2 | Truck & Driver
Transport. “The locals really stepped up and we’ve heard nothing but praise from our drivers for what the Pukerua Bay residents, school and businesses did to keep them comfortable. “We’ve received reports of people paying for pizzas out of their own pocket to give to drivers, local shops and residents offering refreshments, and barbeques being fired up to feed everyone. The good folk at Capital Journeys were also on hand all day
and provided port-a-loos for everyone stranded.” RTF chairman Neil Reid says that the Pukerua Bay support “once again proves that New Zealanders understand what an important role truck drivers play in our communities, and are appreciative of the challenging job they do.” The donation, he adds, “is a mere token of our industry’s gratitude.” He says that the NZ Transport Agency also deserves praise for doing its best to keep operators informed during the enforced parkup. T&D
NEWS
The Nikola Tre shares the North American market Nikola One and Nikola Two conventionals’ hydrogen fuel cell, fully-electric power system
New Nikola etruck for Europe….and NZ By North American correspondent Steve Sturgess FULLY ELECTRIC, HYDROGEN-FUELLED HIGHWAY tractor unit developer Nikola now has a cabover model to sit alongside its streamlined North American conventional. The Nikola Tre is squarely aimed at the European market – but New Zealand, Australia and Japan are also part of its cabover plans, says Nikola founder and CEO Trevor Milton. Announcing the cabover and releasing photos of a slick cabover that bears some resemblance to the new Mercedes-Benz Actros, Milton says that it’s been designed “in response to widespread interest from European customers. “This truck is a real stunner and long overdue for Europe. “It will be the first European zero-emission commercial truck to be delivered with redundant (backup) braking, redundant steering, redundant 800Vdc batteries and a redundant 120kW hydrogen fuel cell – all necessary for true level 5 autonomy.” Says Milton: “We believe we will have the same success in Europe that we have in USA. Both markets are emerging into zero emission markets.” In fact, Nikola says that within a week of announcing the European cabover, it receives over $US380million worth of orders for the Tre and is now in discussions with some of the biggest fleets and brands in Europe: “It’s not a bad start for a new European and Australian brand,” says Nikola’s CFO Kim Brady. Milton says that now Nikola is “funded and oversubscribed, we are kicking it into high gear and preparing for Nikola World – a media event in April, where it will show the Nikola Two prototype in action and the Tre. The Nikola Tre will have 500-1000 horsepower/372-745kW and up to 2000 lb ft/2700Nm of torque, with a range of 300-750 miles/5001200kms). The Tre (tre is Norwegian for three, and Norway is where the cabover is scheduled to begin testing “around 2020,” according to Milton) will use the
same powertrain as the Nikola One long-haul sleeper cab tractor unit and Nikola Two regional day cab tractor North American concepts. It comprises a battery pack, an electric motor and controller system for traction and a 120kW hydrogen fuel cell as a range extender. Tre announcement photos show a typically Euro 4x2 but Nikola says the cabover will be available as a 6x4 and 6x2 – and production should begin around the same time as the Nikola One and Two models…in 2022 or 2023. The Tre has the potential to be used as a fully autonomous, level 5 platform with automated steering and braking. As with the Nikola One and Two, braking is predominantly regenerative – returning kinetic energy back to the batteries. The drivetrain will be Nikola’s proprietary independent electric motor suspension system, with integrated e-axles. The running gear is derived from the Nikola One and Two, with fully independent suspension at each wheel position. Milton says that the Tre has been designed in-house, with European design support – and with much commonality between the two models. However, restrictive length regulations in export markets such as Europe and the Asia-Pacific mean that the cabover will have a reduced maximum range compared to the North American conventionals ….simply because there’s less room to accommodate the hydrogen tanks. The hydrogen is stored at 10,000 psi (700 bar) and can be refuelled in as little as 20 minutes. Nikola says that the European hydrogen refuelling infrastructure will follow the North American mode, whereby the company says it will have more than 700 hydrogen stations across the USA and Canada by 2028, each capable of 2000-8000kg of daily hydrogen production. Nikola says its plan is to have European stations start to become operational around 2022, to cover most of Europe by 2030. T&D Truck & Driver | 3
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NEWS
Longtime Mack Trucks NZ boss Murray Sowerby with his honorary membership from the NZ Heavy Haulage Association
Big Mack, Volvo exec changes THE LOOMING RETIREMENT OF LONGTIME MACK Trucks’ New Zealand boss Murray Sowerby has triggered major senior executive changes in Motor Truck Distributors (MTD) – the Mack and Volvo business within the Sime Darby Commercial Group. Clive Jones, who was Sime Darby’s national sales manager for Volvo Truck & Bus in NZ for nine years – until becoming vice-president of sales for Volvo Trucks across Australia, NZ and Oceania just last August – is returning to Palmerston North to become Sowerby’s immediate replacement as general manager of MTD. Clive Jones has more than two decades’ experience in the NZ transport industry, primarily involved with Volvos – starting out driving them. He’s well-known for his passion for the brand. Meantime, Paul France has been appointed to Jones’ former role – as national sales manager Volvo Truck & Bus for NZ. He has over 20 years’ experience in commercial business development, marketing, sales and service operations, including sales management roles with The Gough Group and Titan Plant. Most recently he was City Care’s national business development manager. Sime Darby says that in the leadup to Murray Sowerby’s retirement
in June 2019, he will assist in hiring and mentoring a new national sales manager for Mack Trucks. Sowerby has had “an illustrious career,” spanning 47 years in the transport industry – 38 of them with Mack. Sime Darby jokingly reckons that his blood is “reputed to contain Mack DNA.” The company acknowledges that “he has made a considerable contribution to MTD and to the heavy transport industry” – from a start as a truck driver to his role in managing the MTD business. His contribution to the industry was recently recognised by the NZ Heavy Haulage Association awarding him an honorary membership. One HHA member recounts: “Buying a Mack from Murray was a pleasurable experience, from start to finish. It was just easy. We were absolutely rapt with the end result – and, better still, we have someone who we can call a friend for life.” The MTD business (including the Mack distributorship) was acquired by Sime Darby in 2004 as part of its purchase of the Truck Investments Group. MTD then acquired the Volvo Truck & Bus franchise in 2009. In another appointment, Scott Penny has become the national fleet account manager for Volvo Truck & Bus. T&D
EROAD wins safety award EROAD HAS WON AN AWARD from the road safety charity Brake for the positive influence its Ehubo2 in-vehicle telematics system can have on safer driving, vehicles and roads. The Fleet Safety Product Award recognises the achievements of those working to help reduce the number of road accidents involving working drivers. EROAD says that health and safety “is something we take very seriously at EROAD.”
And it focuses on safer drivers and vehicles every day, it says – “through the in-vehicle driver feedback and coaching provided by our Ehubo devices, the reporting and analysis we provide through our Depot desktop application and our vehicle inspection applications. “A high standard of driving across our customers’ fleets doesn’t just protect their business’ reputation and improve the bottom line, it also protects drivers and can reduce incidents and accidents.” T&D
The EROAD team receiving the Brake award (from left): Rebecca Kemp, Alisha Francis, Guy Hocquard, Tony Warwood, Andrew Davies, Chris Evans and Grace Godwin
S Truck & Driver | 5
NEWS
A new Hiab crane installation completed for Taranaki’s Q Transport
TRT new Hiab distributor GLOBAL ROAD TRANSPORT LOAD-HANDLING equipment giant Hiab has chosen Tidd Ross Todd (TRT) as the new exclusive New Zealand distributor for its entire product range. The Hamilton-headquartered TRT took over from NZ Trucks in late November as the sole distributor of Hiab cranes, Zepro tail-lifts, Multilift demountables and skiploaders, Jonsered log and recycling cranes and Moffett truck-mounted forklifts. Hiab says that its new distribution arrangement has been made “in order to serve our current loyal Hiab customer base and new customers in the best possible way in the NZ market.” The agreement, it says, “supports Hiab’s goal of expanding its market in NZ and ensuring our customers are our number one priority.” TRT has been a leading player in NZ’s crane and manufacturing sector for over 50 years. It has four business divisions – cranes, manufacturing (including heavy transport trailers), truck and trailer parts and service – “and
is ideally placed to manage Hiab’s distribution in NZ,” says Hiab. It has a comprehensive, nationwide sales and service network and Hiab says that a key part of TRT’s role will be stocking genuine aftermarket parts and supporting nationwide fitting agents and service outlets. “TRT has an experienced team, with the internal systems and structures in place to manage all aspects of our distribution and maintenance,” says Steve Coonan – Hiab’s head of sales and service, SEA and importer markets. “This partnership will give NZ businesses access to specialist advice, equipment and maintenance – all from one company at multiple locations,” he adds. TRT engineering director Robert Carden says the company is “committed to a seamless, focused service for Hiab customers.” TRT chief operations officer Lawrence Baker says that the Hiab distribution partnership “continues to build on our growth and aligns perfectly with our overall business strategy.” T&D
Road and rail should work together – KiwiRail boss THE ESTABLISHMENT BY KIWIRAIL OF A NEW inter-modal freight hub near Palmerston North will mean that “rail and road can work together to meet the freight demand in central New Zealand – while growing the Manawatu-Whanganui region,” says KiwiRail boss Todd Moyle. KiwiRail will “work with key customers on major infrastructure requirements to encourage freight businesses into the area,” says Moyle – KiwiRail’s acting chief executive. The Government’s has committed a $40m Provincial Growth Fund investment in the freight hub and Moyle says that it will ready the region “for the coming freight growth. “Palmerston North is already a critical freight distribution point, with goods coming through from the upper North Island, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and Wellington, and freight volumes expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. “To best manage this growth, it’s crucial that we make the most of multiple 6 | Truck & Driver
forms of transport. With an airport nearby and NZTA planning a freight ring road and a replacement road for the Manawatu Gorge, there is a need for a distribution zone near the city. Rail is a vital part of that development.” The PGF funding will see KiwiRail purchase land for the rail/road freight hub in a location easily accessed by distribution companies and other businesses. Although Moyle is inclusive of road freight’s role in the hub’s planning and operation, he also says: “The Government recognises the important role rail plays in driving sustainable and inclusive growth in NZ. Every tonne of freight carried by rail has 66% fewer carbon emissions than heavy road freight. “Getting more freight on rail also reduces road congestion and road maintenance costs and improves road safety.” Once the new hub is established KiwiRail will, over time, move its operations from the present Palmerston North Freight Yard, established 54 years ago…and now surrounded by urban development. T&D
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* The advertised recommended selling price (RSP) of $44,900 applies to the manual transmission FUSO Canter 616 City Tipper and the advertised RSP of $56,900 applies to the manual transmission FUSO Canter 816 Tipper; both prices exclude GST and On Road Costs. On Road Costs to be advised upon contacting a FUSO dealer. Advertised price does not include body lock or load anchorage points; these will incur additional costs if required. Offer available until 31 December 2018, or while stocks last. For full terms and conditions or to find out more, please contact a FUSO dealer. †Finance offer available to approved business customers of FUSO Financial on a Business Credit Agreement. Based on a 60-month term, with a fixed interest rate of 5.99% p.a. Daily payments are calculated by 12x monthly instalment/365 days. Payments to be made monthly. Standard documentation and PPSR fees of $765, credit assessment and lending criteria apply. Offer only available on the FUSO trucks displayed in this advertisement. Vehicles must be registered and settled by 30 December 2018 to qualify.
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NEWS
Entire TIL fleet to get EROAD system ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST LOGISTICS AND transport firms, TIL Logistics Group, is upgrading its in-vehicle regulatory telematics technology – the deal involving up to 2000 trucks and trailers. TIL says it’s adopting EROAD’s Ehubo2 “to make the most of advanced electronic health and safety compliance services.” TIL Logistics CEO Alan Pearson says the company is using its contract renewal with EROAD to ensure all its fleets are equipped with the latest hardware, enabling it to provide its drivers, fleet managers and customers better support throughout the logistics supply chain. “Looking after our people as well as our customers is at the heart of how we operate. EROAD’s second-generation driver support, vehicle monitoring and other health and safety services are an important part of this,” says Pearson.
H&S regulations, emphasising chain of responsibility, mean that operators need to know with much greater certainty what’s occurring in its work environments, he adds – and EROAD’s services enable better support to drivers and more transparent accountability and compliance. EROAD’s chief executive Steven Newman says the company is “delighted” to extend its six-year partnership with TIL Logistics Group and to further enhance services to its fleets. Newman says that regulatory compliance will “increasingly rely upon electronic services and digital communication. “The move from paper-based checks and monitoring to more reliable and easier-to-manage electronic systems is at the heart of this.” TIL offers freight, transport and warehousing services NZ-wide, its 11 trucking company brands including Pacific Fuel Haulage, TIL Freight, Hooker Pacific, TNL, NZL and Move Logistics. T&D
Hi-Tech Transport Engineering Specialized Transport Engineering Services Matt Scheele - Manager
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8 | Truck & Driver
t
NEWS
Are you a sales star? Keith Andrews is looking for a dynamic Truck Sales Rep. Why join Keith Andrews Trucks? • Be part of an award-winning team • Base yourself in Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton or Bay of Plenty • Work in a friendly, family-owned business The towering Astra is capable of carting a 41-tonne payload
Biggest, toughest Iveco here THE BIGGEST AND TOUGHEST TRUCK IN THE IVECO STABLE – THE Iveco Astra HHD9 off-highway dumptruck – has been introduced here. The first 8x6 extra-heavy-duty dumper brought into NZ by distributor AdvanceQuip has gone to work for Isaac Construction in its McLeans Island quarry near Christchurch. The 2.9-metre-wide purposebuilt offroad hauler, which is used extensively in mining, quarrying and earthmoving applications elsewhere, has a 63-tonne GVM and is capable of carrying 41t of rock in its 20 cubic metre tipper body. The HHD9 has lockable diffs on all axles, a 540-horsepower 13-litre Iveco Cursor engine and uses a 16-speed ZF automated manual transmission (with an Allison automatic an option). The Cursor’s engine brake is supplemented by a hydraulic transmission retarder. The Astra is manufactured in an Italian plant dedicated to building the offroaders and military vehicles. Astra has been part of Iveco (which, in turn, is part of the CNH industrial giant) for over 30 years. Astra says that, compared to ADTs, its dumptrucks offer lower total cost of ownership, better fuel efficiency, power and payload (AdvanceQuip points out that the 20m3 body compares well with the 17m3 of 40t ADTs widely used in NZ construction), faster cycle times, lower maintenance costs and superior driver comfort. Isaac industries manager Jeff Collins settled on the HHD9 when looking at identifying potential efficiencies in the company’s fleet. The company already had ADTs and he felt “there had to be a more efficient way to haul gravel on relatively well-formed haul roads. Would it be possible to increase production and simultaneously reduce cost? How about something that was less expensive to buy and to operate? Perhaps with more comfortable ride quality for the operator – but without compromising safety?” Quarry manager Adam Waite says the company is carrying out a major equipment renewal and is “trialling this truck to see how efficient it is for us. On paper there’s better fuel efficiency and less ongoing costs.” AdvanceQuip MD Steve McLean says the Astra has “great potential” in NZ – filling “an obvious gap between road trucks and articulated dumpers in offroad applications.” T&D
Keith Andrews Trucks is a strong and successful Mercedes-Benz dealership and the No.1 FUSO dealership in the country, with branches in Whangarei, Hamilton, Bay of Plenty and Auckland and more than 150 staff in sales, service, parts and administration. Do you have the attributes to become a top Mercedes-Benz Truck Sales Rep? You must: • Be resilient and highly motivated • Have knowledge of Mercedes-Benz trucks • Have excellent customer service skills • Quickly build professional relationships • Have a winning attitude • Have good computer skills • Be highly organised Preferred: • Previous sales experience • Mechanical knowledge and/or heavy diesel experience • HT licence To apply for this job, go to: http://keithandrews.recruitmenthub. co.nz/vacancies and enter ref code: 4371593. Applications close 31 January 2019.
Keith Andews, 50 Rewarewa Road, Whangarei, 0800 4 TRUCKS
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NEWS
Scholarships for women truckies NZ Express driver Samantha Fraser enjoys working in the industry and looks forward to her future in trucking TWO SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP WOMEN GET STARTED in a career in road transport are to be funded by Fuso New Zealand and TR Group. The $1145 scholarships have been donated to the Women in Road Transport (WiRT) organisation and will be awarded to women keen to get a start in trucking but facing obstacles – such as financial difficulties, lack of employer investment or lack of confidence. WiRT will interview scholarship applicants to choose the two “who best demonstrate their motivation and commitment to pursuing a career in the industry.” They will then be enrolled in an intensive, fully-funded driver training course run by TR Master Driver Services – fast-tracking participants to Class 2 licences (rather than having to wait the standard six months). WiRT chair Meryn Morrison says that the scholarships will help to overcome some of the barriers facing women keen on a career in trucking: “Women have a lot to offer the industry, but are often faced with negative perceptions, unconscious biases and incorrect assumptions about their capabilities. “Our ultimate goal is to shift the industry dynamic as a whole and we’ve found that to do that, we have to support women by building their confidence.
“Initiatives like this one are exactly the way to do that, so it’s great to see Fuso NZ and TR Group helping to spearhead that change.” Fuso NZ managing director Kurtis Andrews says that “diversity is important in any business or industry – to challenge convention and enable it to evolve. “As a people-centric business, we’re committed to improving opportunities for those involved (or looking to get involved) in our industry wherever we can. “From a business and industry perspective, this is a win-win – it will hopefully encourage more women to get involved and also help to meet the demand for qualified drivers,” says Andrews. TR Group general manager Brendan King says that “through our daily interaction we are acutely aware of the challenges the industry faces in finding drivers. “We hope the scholarship will help create a pathway for more women to enter the industry. “Ultimately, more qualified and experienced drivers reduces pressure on transport operations, making them safer and more productive. Women are under-represented in the transport industry and I can’t see any good reason why. Creating these opportunities makes perfect sense.” T&D
EROAD adds marketing experience ELECTRONIC COMPLIANCE SERVICE SUPPLIER EROAD is building its marketing capabilities with the creation of a new chief marketing officer role – and the appointment of much-experienced Kiwi Genevieve Tearle to fill it. The University of Waikato-educated Tearle has worked in major marketing roles globally – with Philips in Europe, India and Asia, working in consumer durables, consumer electronics, lighting and fast moving consumer goods. Most recently she was chief marketing officer for Fisher & Paykel Appliances. EROAD CEO Steven Newman says that “improving marketing
competencies has become increasingly important….as we continue to expand beyond our strong base in NZ, across the USA and into Australia. “Genevieve brings a wealth of international experience gained in global markets, and we look forward to her bringing this expertise to benefit EROAD. “We’re delighted that Genevieve has agreed to join EROAD and build our marketing team and competencies. We look forward to her having an impact on the commercial success of the business.” The new role, he adds, “will enable us to build global marketing capabilities. In particular, the business is focused on developing capabilities in marketing strategy, demand generation and product marketing management.” T&D Truck & Driver | 11
NEWS
MAN intros emergency braking
All new premium and elite spec MAN TGS and TGX models are now getting Emergency Brake Assist as standard
AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BR AKING IS NOW a standard fitting on all new premium and elite spec MAN TGS and TGX models sold in New Zealand. MAN’s Emergency Brake Assist will actively intervene to avoid a collision with a vehicle ahead if the driver doesn’t take evasive action quickly enough. The system uses a front-mounted camera and a radar sensor to constantly monitor the road ahead (including the lane markings) and the distance, speed and direction of travel of any object immediately in front of the truck. It also analyses data from the truck, including accelerator and brake pedal positions, its speed and the use of turn indicators. When the EBA system detects a potential collision it first warns the driver with audible and visual alerts, mutes the radio and hands-free control, reduces engine torque and activates the brake lights.
If the driver doesn’t react, the EBA brakes autonomously – also activating the hazard lights. Adoption of EBA for the specified models follows Penske NZ’s recent addition of adaptive cruise control to MAN’s safety package. Penske NZ national sales manager – trucks, Dean Hoverd, says that MAN’s EBA “uses the latest technologies to improve safety – for truck occupants as well as the larger community. “Not only hugely important in high speed areas, the highly-intelligent EBA system also provides critical assistance in low-speed areas,” he says. “In built-up areas where drivers are active behind the wheel, the EBA system warns the driver and applies the brakes later than it normally would at high speed – to allow for highly-populated areas. “The EBA system really does provide peace of mind for drivers behind the wheel and gives MAN a great advantage in the market.” T&D
CablePrice upsizes in Nelson CABLEPRICE HAS OPENED A NEW, purposebuilt Nelson branch twice the size of its former facility – meeting a growing demand from Nelson and Marlborough forestry and construction customers. The new, high-spec building is located on the same site as CablePrice’s original branch in Stoke, Richmond. It features four machinery bays (there were two in the old branch building) – allowing the team to service up to five machines at a time under cover. The new building also includes a showroom, a wellstocked parts department, service reception and a customer waiting lounge. The workshop features state-ofthe-art tooling, including a specialist flow meter, thermal imaging equipment with data logging and a hydraulic 12 | Truck & Driver
cylinder reconditioning table. Operations manager Justin MacLean has hired three new technicians to keep up with demand, two of them based in Marlborough. The additions take the regional team to 14 staff, including one sales rep and two apprentices. Says MacLean: “The forestry and construction sectors are thriving in our region. With the larger space and bigger team, we’re thrilled we can offer a faster turnaround time on servicing – both in our workshop and on-site. “Customers love that they can get their machines into the workshop faster, as we now have more room. And the team is loving the new clean, bright workspace too. It’s a win-win for everyone.” T&D
The new branch is an upsize and an upgrade on the former CablePrice facility
alued v r u o l l a To taff. s & s r e m custo es & Best wish thank you ar. e y t a e r g for a
QUALITY YOU CAN DEPEND ON PATCHELL INDUSTRIES Peter Elphick | 021 595 873 | peterelphick@patchell.co.nz PATCHELL STAINLESS Wayne Gardner | 021 741 042 | waynegardner@patchell.co.nz SWINGLIFT Mark Janssen
| 021 350 000 | markjanssen@patchell.co.nz
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NEWS
The flush-mounted tandem Skylift can take two trucks at a time.... or a fully-laden B-train
“Unique” Iveco workshop NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST FLUSH-MOUNTED TANDEM Skylift is a groundbreaking and key part of Iveco’s new, multi-million-dollar Kiwi HQ in Auckland. Sulco, the NZ agent for the Netherlands-built Stertil-Koni Skylift, reckons that the workshop setup in the Wiri complex is “unique – not only in NZ, but in the world.” The Skylift has one 12m and one 10m hoist that can accommodate two individual trucks or one fully-laden B-train combination. The workshop also has a roller-brake tester which has the rollers lift out of the floor – allowing a technician to do Certificate of Fitness pre-checks and axle load simulations immediately before driving the truck onto the Skylift pad. Sulco equipment manager Brett Higgins says this is a world first: “Even the Europeans are saying that what we’re doing is really out of the box.” Higgins says that the flush-mounting of the tandem Skylift is its other point of difference – specified because “instead of having a pit, Iveco wanted a solution that is safer and more efficient. When the beams come up, instead of leaving a cavity, it has an auto recess coverplate that fills the void,” Higgins says. The Skylift, he says, is the safest, fastest way of having a technician carry out
a vehicle service – achieving Iveco’s requirement, that it be able to provide high speed lubrication and repairs. Says Higgins: “The system allows a technician to walk over a flush floor without having a trip hazard to worry about. It also allows the technician to roll all sorts over it – welders, rollcabs, transmission jacks and more. All while saving floor space.” The flush-mounted Skylift also overcomes any difficulties involved in dealing with heavier and longer HPMV units – including getting the combination off the hoists. Having a flush mount means that a combination doesn’t have to clear the lift before beginning to turn – as it would on a conventional lift. Along with the Skylift, the Iveco facility also has NZ’s first high-capacity, two-post truck hoists installed. Rated at seven tonnes each, they’re capable of handling HPMV vehicles. New Iveco NZ dealer principal Jason Keddie says that the company wanted to have “the best and safest gear go into the new workshop….something that was flexible, safe and productive. It covers all of those bases. “It is flexible – we can have two vehicles on at one time, which is good for us. I really like the workshop: It was a good decision.” T&D
NZTA review the right move A NEW ZEALAND TR ANSPORT Agency decision to review its compliance files and toughen-up its enforcement is necessary to restore confidence in the Agency’s compliance functions, says Road Transport Forum CEO Ken Shirley. “A number of failures have been exposed in NZTA’s compliance regime in recent times and each one of those results in a loss of confidence from road transport operators and the general public in the Agency’s ability to carry out its core functions,” says Shirley. “The issues we’ve seen with heavy vehicle
certifiers were extremely disappointing and had a major impact on many road transport operators whose vehicles were forced off the road, through no fault of their own. “It also dented public confidence that the heavy vehicles they shared the road with were as safe as they could possibly be.” Shirley says that “fair and thorough” compliance and enforcement are fundamental to maintaining a safe, efficient and fair regulatory environment: “We simply cannot condone a system where the compliant are subsidising the non-compliant, or where corners are cut and
safety is therefore compromised.” The Forum is pleased that the Agency has admitted its deficiencies in this area, he adds – “as that is the first step in the necessary overhaul of its compliance and enforcement functions. “Road transport is an extremely competitive industry with very tight margins and heavily relies on strict compliance to make sure that everyone competes on a level playing field.” RTF and its associations remain committed to working with NZTA to help design the best and fairest regulatory compliance regime possible, Shirley adds. T&D Truck & Driver | 15
KEEP IT COOL THIS SUMMER! TR F LEE T SALES GUIDE R E E F E R TRA I L ERS N OVE MB ER/ DECEM B ER 2 01 8
There’s only one choice when it comes to used reefer trailers. Truth is, you can purchase heavy commercial vehicles anywhere, so why buy one from TR Fleet Sales Centre? What makes our used reefer trailers better is the expertise and experience that go into managing and maintaining every trailer that we sell. Whatever reefer trailer you’re looking for, we’ll make sure that you’ll get just what you need and if we don’t have it, we’ll find it for you.
1999 Fairfax Reefer Dual Temp. Fibreglass Floor
2002 Maxicube Reefer Dual Temp. Airflow Floor
10,000
$
plus GST
29,000
$
2003 Maxicube Reefer Single Temp. Alloy Plank Floor
$
plus GST
10,000
Nationwide delivery, finance available. Full service history on selected trailers.
We’ll make it happen for you ®
TRG_0864_Reffer Ad NZT&D.indd 1
AUCKLAND & NORTH ISLAND TR Fleet Sales Team
SOUTH ISLAND Mark Kenworthy
027 437 6623
0800 555 678
www.trgroup.co.nz
plus GST
Over 50 reefer trailers available. Imagine what you could do with them! Perfect for: Mobile office! Mobile storage! Community club!
2 Axle Reefer Trailer Year
Make
Description
Single/Dual
Floor
Price
Rego
2003
Maxicube
2 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
10,000
B205L
2003
Maxicube
2 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
10,000
B655J
2003
Maxicube
2 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
10,000
B958J
2004
Maxicube
2 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
15,000
D137F
2005
Maxicube
2 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
20,000
F125W
SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!
3 Axle Reefer Trailer Year
Make
Description
Single/Dual
Floor
Price
Rego
1997
Fairfax
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
10,000
1586G
1998
Fairfax
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
10,000
8411K
1999
Fairfax
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
10,000
9847L
2000
Maxicube
3 Axle
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
20,000
L553Z
2001
Fairfax
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
26,000
2902U
2001
Fairfax
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
10,000
8296Y
2002
Fairfax
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
25,000
468AS
2002
Maxicube
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Air Flow
25,000
604AP
2002
Maxicube
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Air Flow
25,000
786AH
2002
Maxicube
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Steel
25,000
911AQ
2003
Maxicube
3 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
30,000
B195L
2003
Maxicube
3 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
30,000
B951J
2003
Maxicube
3 Axle
Dual Temp
Alloy Plank
30,000
B266F
2005
Maxicube
3 Axle (Thin Wall)
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
35,000
F475U
2008
Fairfax
3 Axle
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
45,000
M795P
SOLD!
SOLD!
4 Axle Reefer Trailer
plus GST
Year
Make
Description
Single/Dual
Floor
Price
Rego
2002
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
35,000
304AW
2002
Maxicube
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Air Flow
29,000
A571R
2002
Maxicube
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Air Flow
29,000
A736Z
2002
Maxicube
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Air Flow
29,000
A598T
2003
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
40,000
A133U
2003
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
40,000
B757H
2003
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
40,000
B755H
2003
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
46,000
B758H
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
39,000
D641T
2004
Maxicube
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
45,000
C925Y
2004
Maxicube
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
45,000
D585A
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
45,000
D718F
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
45,000
D844K D532P
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Alloy Plank
51,000
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
45,000
E196F
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
51,000
D537P
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Alloy Plank
45,000
D540P
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
39,000
D656T
2004
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
45,000
D699F
2005
Maxicube
4 Axle
Single Temp
Alloy Plank
56,000
H401A H602H
2006
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
55,000
2006
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
61,000
H462F
2006
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
55,000
H665A
2006
Fairfax
4 Axle
Dual Temp
Fibreglass
55,000
H673A
We’ll make it happen for you ®
AUCKLAND & NORTH ISLAND TR Fleet Sales Team
SOLD!
SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!
SOLD!
SOUTH ISLAND Mark Kenworthy
027 437 6623
0800 555 678
www.trgroup.co.nz 12/11/18 4:06 PM
s l l i r f No
FUSO Story Hayley Leibowitz & Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock
The FUSO Enduro is not yet a common sight....but it seems like it soon will be: Over 100 of them have gone on the road here in just eight months
18 | Truck & Driver
Truck Tyres
BIG TEST
Truck & Driver | 19
Innovation in Transport. 36 PALLET B-TRAIN
$188,800 + GST
HARDOX BODY 4 AXLE TIPPER
$113,000 + GST
www.tmc-trailers.co.nz YEARS
Auckland
8 Oak Road, Wiri, Auckland Ron Price - 021 701 098 Sales - Taupo North
Christchurch
56 Edmonton Rd, Hornby, Christchurch Paul (Skippy) Goodman - 021 701 110 Sales – Taupo South Richard Currie - 021 482 259
Truck & Driver 297x210mm Oct 2018.indd 1
Finance available:
Design includes:
Prices are for standard TMC build spec and are valid for one month from magazine publication date. Delivery dates quoted based on standard build, while stock lasts. Trailer images above are sample only and may include some non-standard options. Finance subject to approval.
• High-tensile chassis offering reduced tare weight & increased strength. • B-train suitable for 1200mm – 1250mm turntables. • Structurflex curtains standard option on b-train, mezzanine floor ready. Excludes mezzanine floors, hooks, trees, floor poles & load binders. • B-train fitted with disc brake axles, air suspension, Wabco EBS, forged polished alloy wheels. • Tipper fitted with drum brake axles, air suspension, Wabco EBS. • Nationwide support from TMC’s Auckland & Christchurch workshops & authorised service agents.
TMC’s standard t&c’s apply.
9/10/18 2:19 PM
The low-horsepower, low-price workhorse is targeted at truck-only metro tipper operations
I
N MARKETING-SPEAK IT’S A “MUDDY IT UP AND wash it out, no-nonsense range of trucks, built with one purpose – getting the job done.” The sales pitch for the new FUSO Enduro range of trucks calls them workhorses – with “value that’s hard to beat”….emphasising their “state-of-the-art Daimler build quality, proven heritage and a three-year manufacturer’s warranty.” So here it is….straight: The Enduro is a range of FUSO trucks built in India – constructed at a world-class Daimler Trucks plant and using a proven Mercedes-Benz engine and transmission…. But going without “all the latest bells and whistles” of their Japanese equivalents, and taking advantage of India’s lower overheads and labour costs – that combination meaning that they’re also cheaper than the FUSO Canter and Fighter ranges that they borrow from. Or, as Fuso New Zealand managing director Kurtis Andrews prefers to term it, they’re “more costeffective….less-expensive.” They are, he says, “valuefor-money, working-man’s trucks.” Trucks that are “still built to Daimler’s global standards,” but are “just not the latest and greatest.” So is there really a market here for this Enduro? Isn’t this risking undermining/competing with FUSO’s already-established Kiwi market presence? And just when newcomer Fuso NZ is driving sales back up after years when the make had slumped badly from its onetime Number One status? Well, unsurprisingly, Fuso NZ hasn’t rushed into this lightly. Firstly, the Enduro isn’t a direct competitor to
a Canter, a Fighter, or an HD, but is another kind of beast altogether. A sub-range, you could say – with some features that simply aren’t available in Japanese-built FUSOs. Like its 210kW/285 horsepower 6.4-litre OM906 six-cylinder engine having 30-40% more torque (1120Nm/826 lb ft) than its closest Japanese equivalent. And full crosslocks on the diffs of its 6x4 and 8x4 models. Fuso NZ spent much of last year testing 25 Enduro vehicles here and seeking customer feedback on them, before finalising the exact spec. As Andrews summed up when announcing the planned launch of the range: “We’ve spent a lot of money on research and one of the common things that came from customers is that they just wanted a basic truck.” So how is all of this working out? While they’re not yet a common sight on NZ roads, the 25 preproduction test trucks and 85 production models have been sold in the eight months following the Enduro’s February launch. And the sales momentum seems to be picking up, with 20 of them registered in September alone. So, indications are that the pre-launch feedback was genuine, accurate. Says Andrews: “It’s going well – really starting to get some regular volume now, particularly the eightwheelers and the six-wheelers.” Certainly, in the case of national civil construction and infrastructure company JFC (John Fillmore Contracting), it’s been a welcome addition to the Truck & Driver | 21
2:19 PM
Clockwise, from top left: The 8x4 FO models are the biggest in the Enduro range, with a 31 tonne GVM.... the new JFC truck tips off a load at a new school construction site in Huapai....Fuso NZ says that the Enduro doesn’t have a Japanese FUSO equivalent.... no sign of any bling around here: The truck comes with a steel fuel tank and steel wheels
market. In fact, as transport manager Amanda Hohenberger says, the company’s existing good relationship with the FUSO make, the spec of the Enduro and its price made it “a no brainer” to buy…not just one, but four of them. The Enduro, she says, has “slotted in nicely with our fleet replacement programme.” And even given that the Enduro is a new truck to the Kiwi market – and the first Indian-built truck to be seriously promoted here – quality wasn’t a concern, she adds….not given its Merc running gear. There’s also, no doubt, the reassurance of a longestablished and clearly satisfactory relationship with Fuso NZ and its products: Most of the trucks in JFC’s 80-plus fleet of tippers are FUSOs. And there’s huge transport experience behind this operation: This year it’s celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding. In other words, these guys must know what’s important and what’s not in the trucks needed for their transport task….carting bulk construction materials around the country in support of JFC’s civil construction jobs, and for external clients. But just 285hp/210kW? Doesn’t seem like a lot – but then again the 8x4 Enduros are among the 13 trucks on the fleet that operate as truck-only units…..this because they can get into sites too difficult to access with truck and trailer units. Hohenberger reckons that the Enduro fits right in: “It’s versatile and does the job. It’s the ideal truck for 22 | Truck & Driver
our urban projects division, where sites and access are tight.” What’s more, she adds, “with the way fuel prices are going, we’ll make a saving on it being lower horsepower – while still being a very good aroundtown truck.” The test Enduro is a ready-to-go 8x4 model that came already fitted with a Hardox body, built by Cambridge Welding Services. Hohenberger says that the first Enduro had a hoist issue, which was quickly fixed – and the trucks so far in work are performing well. The FO3128 model has a recommended selling price of just $156,850 (that’s without GST and onroad costs added). Without the CWS body, the price is $124,850. Fuso NZ’s Andrews says you can’t compare that with any other FUSO product imported from Japan….simply because there is no similar product in the Japanesebuilt lineup: That was the whole point of bringing the Indian-built truck into NZ – “it’s a unique product in the market.” Probably the closest thing they compare to pricewise is a more powerful secondhand 8x4 truck: “For the same money you might be able to go and buy an eight-year-old tipper with 500,000ks on the clock,” Andrews suggests. And that is, he adds, “a good place in the market” for the Enduros – where typically a company might have instead bought a secondhand truck, they can now buy a new Enduro – “a short-wheelbase truck that’s great for around town – in and out of tight
sites and that sort of thing. Very rarely will it pull a trailer….” “The ready-to-goes, certainly with the tippers, have hit the right note with customers.” Those, that is, who don’t demand their own unique custombuilt body specs. The Enduro range starts with an FA917 4x2, running a 3.9-litre 170hp/125kW engine with 520Nm/383 lb ft of peak torque, a six-speed gearbox, a nine-tonne GVM – and a $49,850 price tag. Two FI1217 4x2s have the same drivetrain, a 12t GVM and $59,850 and $66,850 prices. Then, running the same 285hp/210kW engine and nine-speed transmission as the test FO, are five FJ models – including a 6x2 ready-to-go curtainsider and a 6x4 tipper with a CWS body (at $136,850 recommended), each of them good for a 25t GVM. Finally, after the two twin-steer FO models – one with a CWS body, the other without – there’s a 4x2 FZ tractor unit, with the same powertrain and a 40t GCM rating. So what does career truckie Paul Veldhuizen think of his latest drive? He instantly identifies himself as an Enduro fan: “She’s a very nice truck to drive. Very comfortable. Got everything a truck driver needs,” he says in his matter-of-fact way. Now with JFC five years, he does concede that “she’s not the most powerful – but she does her job and is very handy.” Climbing hills “when you’ve got a little bit of a load on, she can be a little bit slower – because they
haven’t got the biggest motor. “It’s a little bit lower power – but I’ve driven another truck like this one with a few more kilometres (this Enduro is just a day or so on the road at the time of our test).” And he’s confident it will start “going a bit better as it loosens up.” It would help, he reckons, if the truck wasn’t governed to 90km/h in top gear: “If they (FUSO) removed that you might have a bit better power. I don’t know why they have it on this truck. Other trucks don’t have them.” Andrews says Fuso NZ, in line with its safety philosophy, is beginning to introduce the option of speed limiters/governors on its trucks. The power, for sure, is modest – even at the FO’s 31t maximum GVM: It will cruise at 80km/h at 1900rpm…but getting to 90k pushes the revs up to 2150rpm. Still, the loyal Veldhuizen says that the Enduro can reach a reasonable speed if its fully synchromesh gearbox (still “a little tight….because it’s new”) is used correctly. The G131-9 manual is effectively an eight-speed… with a deep reduction extra. It has a side by side, double H-pattern shift – its hydro-pneumatic rangechange achieved (between fourth and fifth gears) by tapping the gearstick to the right…and vice versa for downshifting, of course. When we meet up with Paul and the new Enduro, he’s about to head off to the Hunua Quarry to pick up the first of two loads of metal for a new school being Truck & Driver | 23
Left: It’s a high-riding truck....and there are just two steps, so it’s a hellishly long stretch climbing in and out
Right: Driver Paul Veldhuizen isn’t too bothered by the modest horsepower or the basic appointments in his new ride. In fact, he reckons “she’s a very nice truck to drive”
built at Huapai, northwest of the city. Visually, the overwhelming first impression of the Enduro is how tall it stands – riding on 8.25 x 22.5 steel wheels and 295/80R22.5 Bridgestone tyres, with load-sharing parabolic springs (with anti-roll bars) on the Reverse Elliot steer axles (each rated at 6600kg) and semi-elliptic spring suspension on the FUSO IRT390 drive axles, with torque rods. The rear axles, with a 22t combined rating, have inter-axle and crosslocks. The Cambridge Welding Hardox body has an Edbro hoist and a Kiwi tarp. There’s a stainless steel toolbox, a 260-litre fuel tank and a 60-litre AdBlue tank. This model Enduro does have a 36t gross combined rating – but, given that JFC is using its Enduros for tightaccess sites, they go without trailer couplings. Unsurprisingly, given its no-frills approach, the truck has a manual cab-lift jack – which Paul obligingly uses to reveal the six-cylinder OM906 engine – used in the past in Mercedes-Benz Atego models. It’s an engine that produces its 210kW/285hp peak output at 2200rpm – with 205kW/275hp of that available from 2000-2300rpm. Peak torque of 1120Nm/826 lb ft is delivered between 1200 and 1600rpm – with 1000Nm/737 lb ft of it there between 1000 and 1800 revs. The height of the 5175mm wheelbase truck is one of the few things about his new truck that Paul doesn’t like: The problem is the first step is just so damn high – 640mm from the ground, in fact. With just two steps (where three would seem to be advisable), it’s a big stretch getting in and out of the Enduro, even with two well-placed grabhandles on each side. “I don’t know why they’ve only got two steps,” says 24 | Truck & Driver
Paul: “There should be a third step down for safety reasons and to make it a bit easier. I’m a tall person. Someone a little bit shorter would have a bit of difficulty on uneven ground.” From the air-suspended driver’s seat (with its integrated seatbelt), the cab interior is best described as functional. But with the rubber mats, plastic cup holders and plenty of storage – or “places you can put little bits and pieces” – Paul reckons it’s practical. Easy to wipe down, for instance. A flat-faced dash display hosts a basic cluster of essential gauges, surrounding a central digital display, showing gear, trip, mileage (this is just starting its life, with a mere 962kms on the clock), time and outside temperature. Small “thumbnail” icons light up to display other functions. Paul says the controls are within arm’s reach – although the switch for the passenger side electric window is located way off to the left. There’s an aircon and a stereo with CD player and USB and auxiliary inputs. Paul sums it up as “pretty standard” despite being a basic workhorse. The truck is quite noisy when in operation and Paul reckons that the stereo comes in handy in this regard: “When I’ve got the radio going it cancels out some of the noise and gives a bit of a distraction.” Not that he’s complaining: “Some people might have different opinions, but my own opinion is that it is a very good truck to drive. It does what it needs to do. “You’ve got all your wipers, your blinkers, a horn here.....added onto the vehicle. It’s quite good that it’s all on one stick. On the right hand side is your
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Left: Paul would like the vertical exhaust turned away from the driver’s window Right: The high-revving 6.4-litre engine “can be a little bit slower” on hills
retarder (an exhaust and engine brake). It works alright in the lower gears.” Visibility is good, with large upper rear vision mirrors and smaller, convex ones below. Says Paul: “I’m happy with the way the mirrors are. I can quite clearly see where I am. Yes, there’s always a blind spot at the back of your truck, but on the sides it’s all good.” His satisfaction extends to the Enduro’s seat and driving position too: “It’s very comfortable. You can adjust it to whatever size person you are. I’m a fairly biggish chap and find no problems to drive with it. The steering wheel is in the right position and I find it good.” Driver Paul reckons that the full air S-cam brakes and the ABS on the Enduro are “not too bad. Naturally with all big trucks you have to leave a little bit of a distance in front, to the next vehicle – because you’ve got that extra weight that means you can be pushed along if you’re too close…” Publisher and NZ Truck & Driver tester Trevor Woolston takes the wheel for the first run through the last of Auckland’s rushhour morning traffic – detailing his experience with the Enduro in the Pirelli Trevor Test, on Page 30 and 31. He too is happy with the driving position, with plenty of seat and steering column adjustment allowing him to get comfy. The clutch isn’t heavy, but the gearshift action is – although the shift speed is quite good. He does find the ride a bit bumpy, with some road vibration travelling up through the cab on rougher sections of road. It is, he reasons, “to be expected for a truck with this cost and spec.” There’s also some movement in the steering wheel on straight running. With Paul back at the wheel for the repeat of the same run, we encounter heavy traffic on the Takanini Hill on the Southern
Motorway and he has to shift down to third gear: “At too high a gear you lose your revs and crawl up the hill,” he explains. Loaded to just over 25t all-up – with a 13.2t payload – the truck is back up to seventh, at 60km/h and 2000rpm, as we get to the top. Paul says he once drove a four-wheeler with a small engine that was similar to this to drive: “The same thing. You sort of had to use your main power when changing gears. Holding the gears to give more revs to the engine – to give to give it more power to move along.” Further on, in the Waterview Tunnel there’s a slow-moving bus in front of us and Paul changes down to 7th gear to maintain the engine revs at 2200 as we head up the rise out of the tunnel and onto the Northwestern Motorway. As we take the rise at 65k, Paul provides some more feedback on the Enduro: “The clutch is like a car clutch. It’s quite nice.” A more powerful engine would, he says, get up this rise in 8th – “but it’s not a big problem. It’s just the way you drive the truck. The slower speed sometimes might hassle other drivers, but it’s a truck doing what trucks do – they go slow sometimes.” He would like to get rid of the governor though: Fuso NZ says it doesn’t kick in till way above the 2200rpm where peak horsepower is delivered, but Paul reckons he can feel it “holding us back a bit. It would be nice to see what the truck is actually capable of.” He also feels that the truck bounces around “a little bit” on uneven road surfaces, but adds: “I mean, that’s how all trucks are. When she’s loaded she’s not so bouncy – she just goes along quite nicely. When she’s empty she’s a little bit bouncy.” At Huapai another load’s delivered. There are no issues here, Truck & Driver | 27
Above clockwise: No frills means, of course, a manually-jacked cab lift....the cab is functional, with a plain, simple, clear main dash display
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but in sites with poor traction, the diff locks will come in handy. As Paul reckons, “you always get a little bit of wheelspin if you’re on an angle. If you’re on a flat area….no problems.” There is one negative he’s encountered in terms of the Enduro’s manoeuvrability – its turning circle: “You can’t turn around on a normal road – you have to go to another road, turn in and back around.” It’s something you have to be aware of, he says, when going to a new site. He doesn’t entirely blame the truck: “They don’t make roads wide enough for trucks nowadays,” he concludes. The Enduro is low-spec and tough, with not much that’s fancy about it – no cruise control, for instance, nor any airbag for the driver. Still, now going on 61, Paul reckons this is his “dream job. I like the scenery and the good view. I have plenty of warning if anything silly is going on. Plus it’s like playing in a giant sand pit!” You can’t help smiling around this good-natured guy. In between passing on relationship advice (he’s been married twice, the second time happily), he extols the virtues of Filipino beer (only on holiday mind you – not in the working week) and reports on the pranks he likes to play. His philosophy on life’s a good one: “I believe in always being friendly to people. They respond back in the same way. I treat people the way I want to be treated.” His other mantra is that no job is done until the paperwork’s done. He puts his window down – and that triggers his third and final negative with the Enduro: The vertical exhaust behind the cab turns out to the side rather than the back, because of the bin placement. “So when the window’s open you get the occasional whiff of exhaust. They could change it to face more upwards. I don’t think that would be a big expense. “Apart from that, the only problems are that last step and the engine governor. All should be pretty easy to fix. Otherwise it’s a pretty good truck.” He adds that he likes to take care of his trucks and that’s why he was given the new Enduro to drive. After some driver training to learn the ins and outs of this model, he was good to go. “I’ve always looked after my trucks and kept them clean and tidy and I always tell the owners if there’s something going wrong with them. I like my maintenance kept up on any trucks – so, for a reward, they decided to give me the new truck, you know. It was very nice of them.” Amanda Hohenberger confirms that “Paul is very reliable – looks after the trucks. A brand-new truck needs to go to someone who’ll look after it.” Ask him how it compares to other trucks he’s driven, and Paul says that the Enduro is “just as nice – maybe even nicer than some of the other trucks. The cab itself is a pleasant place to be in. Some of the Isuzus we have that are a little bit older are not as nice.” His final comment? “She’s good for her use. A really nice truck to drive. I like the height and the smoothness. I’d like to see what she’s like after she’s done say 300,000kms. Hopefully, still a very efficient truck.” T&D
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Trevor Test
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HIS IS MORE OF A MEDIUM TEST rather than a Big Test: John Fillmore Contracting’s FUSO Enduro FO3128 8x4 is the largest of the Enduro range – but with only 285hp it’s certainly not anywhere near the power nor the GVM rating of the trucks we usually road test. To put it into context, I was driving a 285hp Mack back in the late 1970s/ early ‘80s – and in those days, that was a big truck. In truth it was a bit different, in that it had an 11-litre engine that developed 1464Nm of torque at 1000rpm – whereas the Enduro’s engine is a 6.4-litre, developing 1120Nm at 12001600rpm. Powering the Enduro is the MercedesBenz OM906 six-cylinder Euro 5 engine, hooked up to a Merc G131 synchromesh nine-speed gearbox. It’s actually an eight-speed box with a deep reduction gear and has the double-H shift pattern also found in the ZF boxes we’ve seen in several European trucks over the years – most recently in the manual version of the Iveco Trakker. With its modest horsepower and its 31,000kg GVM rating, the truck is targeted at exactly the kind of application we see it in with JFC – around-town, truck-only tipper work. And, appropriately, it’s fitted with a Cambridge Welding Hardox body and Edbro hoist. I start the Trevor Test out of Winstone’s Hunua Quarry with a load of TNZ/40 that gives us an all-up weight of around 25 tonnes and a payload of 13.2 tonnes. It’s destined for Huapai, northwest of Auckland. The climb up into the cab is a bit of a problem, with an extremely high bottom step that driver Paul and I find less than comfortable. There is a real need here for a lower step – flexibly-mounted, like those seen on many construction trucks, to avoid damage if they get hooked-up. The problem is that in this sort of metro tipper work, the drivers are in and out of the cab many times a day, so cab access is a major issue, particularly with an ageing workforce. Once you get up onto the lower step,
30 | Truck & Driver
there are two very good grabhandles each side of the door opening and the steps themselves are large enough for a good foothold. Inside the cab it’s a very utilitarian finish….which is exactly what you want in this application. There’s a clean, flat finish to all the dash panels and the floors are covered with plastic coverings and rubber mats – easy to keep clean in dusty or muddy conditions. It’s not a bad working environment at all, with all controls in easy reach. Well, except for the passenger window control, which is located a stretch away – on the far left of the central dash panel. Immediately in front of the driver is a tidy instrument cluster with speedo, tachometer, air pressure gauges and a fuel gauge which includes an AdBlue level indicator. There’s good adjustment in the steering column and a right-hand stalk controls the engine brake, while the one on the left controls indicators and wipers, plus dip switch. There’s a fairly standard air seat for the driver with integrated seatbelt, which provides a reasonable level of support. On the passenger side is a rarely seen toady double seat with dual seatbelts. Helpful if two passengers are on board….which is not unusual in the construction business. Across the dash are numerous air vents that deliver a good flow of air from the aircon. Controls for all the ventilation are located at the bottom of the central dash panel. All in all it’s a good working cab, ideally suited for this type of work. Our run out of the quarry is all downhill for the first stretch as we drop down Hunua Road into Papakura. I engage the combined engine and exhaust brake and come down the hill in 6th gear with just a few touches on the
service brake for some of the sharper corners. With a 6.4-litre engine you can’t expect a lot of retardation, but this one does give reasonable control on this and all other descents we encounter on this drive. It’s just after 9am as we come onto the Southern Motorway at Karaka and it’s the usual Auckland roadblock, with a queue on the onramp and then a slow crawl through to Takanini, past the current motorway construction area. Luckily the clutch is not too heavy and the synchro box handles it easily. The gearshift is a bit stiff and this is similar to what I experienced in the Iveco Trakker manual I drove back in mid-2017. I’m sure though that it will loosen up a bit with use. Once clear of the traffic we hit the Takanini hill and it holds top gear, dropping down to 1100rpm as we crest the hill. I take the Southern Motorway right into Spaghetti Junction….which is a mistake: I should have used the new Southwestern Motorway through the Waterview Tunnel, as Paul does on our second load. The few climbs I encounter on the motorway don’t require any downshifts until we get out past Lincoln Road, Henderson, where we lose a gear on the
• SPECIFICATIONS • FUSO ENDURO F03128 8x4 Engine: Merecedes-Benz OM906 Euro 5 SCR Capacity: 6.4 litres Maximum power: 210kW (285hp) @ 2200rpm Maximum torque: 1120Nm (826 lb ft) @ 1200-1600rpm Fuel Capacity: 260 litres Transmission: Mercedes-Benz G131 nine-speed synchromesh manual Ratios: Low low – 14.57 1st – 9.48 2nd – 6.64 3rd – 4.82 4th – 3.67 5th – 2.59 6th – 1.81 7th – 1.32 Fuso NZ is marketing the Enduro range as “no-nonsense” trucks built with one purpose – “getting the job done”
8th – 1.00 Front axles: FUSO Reverse Elliot, together rated at 13,200kg Rear axles: FUSO IRT-390 full
next climb. The truck is speed governed to 90k but I don’t really find that an issue as it’s doing 2100rpm at 90, and I find it more comfortable to run at around 80k anyway, at slightly lower revs. Once off the end of the Northwestern Motorway on State Highway 16 we come across the only major hill, near the Coatesville-Riverhead turnoff. We drop two gears down to 6th gear and 35km/h as we reach the top. It’s a flat run from here on into Kumeu, where I give Paul his truck back for the actual delivery. After recently driving massive-horsepower
trucks it’s a reality check getting into something much more modest – but all of these trucks have a relevance in the NZ market. This truck does have lower horsepower and a lower spec – and it comes from an Indian factory. But it offers a much lower purchase price….which sets it up ideally for this type of work. And the particular Indian factory it comes from has got a great big Daimler sign on the front of it…..and is certainly not a Third World facility. Given the Mercedes Benz parentage of its drivetrain, the Enduro certainly seems to offer a value for money proposition. T&D
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Truck & Driver | 31
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Ken at the NZ Road Transport Industry Awards Dinner – emphasising the need for the industry to get out there and tell its own story
It’s farewell from me… I by Ken Shirley Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ
T IS WITH SOME CONSIDERABLE SADNESS that I inform you that this is to be my last column for New Zealand Truck & Driver magazine in my capacity as chief executive of the Road Transport Forum. As many will no doubt be aware, I am retiring from the role in early December to pursue a slightly slower pace of life in the Bay of Plenty. I have thoroughly enjoyed my eight years representing the interests of the road transport industry and particularly the broader association membership. This is a very special industry full of really good and hardworking people. Yes, of course, the industry has its challenges – and some of those are quite considerable. But in many ways that just proves how important the sector is to the country and the livelihood of most Kiwis.
I’m not going to go through a list of issues and initiatives that RTF has been involved in during my eight years here as that would be extremely tedious, but a key overarching theme that I have sought to promote through our advocacy work has been just what a critical part of the economy the road transport industry is and how important it is to remind people of that. As ancient Chinese general and political strategist Sun Tzu said, “the line between disorder and order lies in logistics…” Domestic freight transport is not conventionally thought of as “adding value” when it comes to the production side of our economy and is more often than not perceived as a deadweight expense. However, that incredibly narrow view could not be further from the truth: Without the thousands of trucks Truck & Driver | 35
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
and tens of thousands of men and women who run them, milk would curdle at the farm gate, logs would be rotting on skid sites and export-bound wine would pass its use-by date in vats. Our economy would literally grind to a halt. Rather than a wasted expense, freight transportation is the key economic enabler. No matter what the political, regulatory or economic climate is, road transport will always be relied upon to move things around. The transportation of a product from producer to consumer is critical to the ultimate value of that product. What is remarkable is how seamlessly the road transport industry performs this vital task. The reality, as we in the industry know, is that logistics is far from easy. The problem is that road transport operators and logistics companies in this country are so good at what they do that the public has got used to taking the rapid movement of freight for granted. Our industry’s success has in some ways created a rod for our own back and has led to an under-appreciation of how well we do such a difficult task. RTF has therefore really tried to emphasise the importance of the industry to our economic way of life and that, no matter what business you’re in, road freight transport will inevitably play a major part in it. I recently highlighted this issue at the NZ Road Transport Industry Awards and made the point that we as an industry need to get out there and confidently tell our own story. We have many detractors who do not understand our industry and purely focus on what they perceive to be the negative impacts of it. It is therefore vitally important that we publicly and proudly recognise the wonderful achievements of our industry and of those who work within it. There’s no use hiding our candle under a bushel if we want to be appreciated and respected for the important job we do. Over the last few years RTF and our associations have reignited the NZ Truck Driving Championship and the NZ Road Transport Industry Awards. These initiatives are designed to recognise the considerable achievements and talent of those in the industry who are at the top of their game. People like Greg Inch of Special Rigs for Special Kids – who won this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Road Transport Award – or Phil Newton, who won the Truck Driver Hero Award for saving a young woman’s life in the Waikato, also show off the incredible community-mindedness of many within our industry. We must not be afraid to celebrate and promote such stories and remind people that the guy or girl behind the wheel of that big scary combination vehicle is a key person in their community. It would be remiss of me not to take the opportunity to address the giant elephant in the room that is the fragmentation of the sector through the multiplicity of associations competing for relevancy. In the 21st Century there really is no longer room for four different associations replicating each other’s efforts and diluting the outcomes and impacts. Frankly, the current situation is not providing the sector with the united authoritative voice that it deserves. You only have to imagine just how much political influence a single unified industry body would wield with the weight of the entire sector behind it to understand where I’m coming from. Let me be clear: I am not advocating a depowering of the regions and a centralised corporate organisation only focused on the big end of town. The traditional strength of the associations are the regional representatives and the relationships they have with operators in every corner of the country. 36 | Truck & Driver
5
• Mu ma • Mi • Dr • Re • Ne • Wi • No • Fu • Mi • Eco • Eas • Sa • Inh
Red resi doo Will free boa Red Rap env
RD RD
Incoming RTF chief executive Nick Leggett However, a single-unified body with a bottom-up philosophy that nurtures, fosters and empowers its grassroots with strong and effective regional representation must be the ultimate goal. I can now only urge the sector to keep striving for this objective as I would like nothing more than to see a single national body providing the robust advocacy and representation that this industry deserves and needs. In the meantime, I feel confident that I am leaving RTF in capable hands: My successor, Nick Leggett, is well qualified for the role and will bring with him significant leadership experience from his distinguished career in local government, including time as Mayor of Porirua. I wish him, the staff at the Forum, the associations, and the entire industry every success with the challenges that lie ahead. I am in no doubt that the next decade will be a time of great change for road transport in NZ and it will be exciting to watch this industry do as it has always done…and rise to the task. T&D
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Tough-talking Twyford delivers mixed news on highways
I
T’S OFTEN SAID THAT “WHAT ONE HAND giveth, the other taketh away,” and Transport Minister Phil Twyford’s presentation to the RTF Conference in Dunedin recently was definitely a classic case in point. In a forthright and honest 50-minute session, Twyford presented a staunch defence of the Government’s transport policy direction and the recently announced National Land Transport Programme. He spoke about the role the Government wishes to see both rail and coastal shipping play to help move nontime-sensitive goods around the country and alleviate the pressure on the roading network. W hile the Minister made sure to emphasise the predominance of road transport in the freight system into the future, safety and environmental factors were introduced time and again as key considerations for the change in Government policy direction. The Minister spoke about the technology changes ahead for the transport system, including GPS pricing and congestion charging but warned that the Government does not see such technology as a “white knight that’s going to come along and solve all our problems.” Government policy changes, he argued, are necessary to reflect the “kind of economy and…communities we want to live in.” While Twyford’s speech effectively summarised the Government’s broad policy direction, there was nothing new in it. Rather, it was his no-nonsense responses to questions from the floor on specific highway issues that are worth recapping. As Aucklanders will be well-aware, the East-West Link project has been on the backburner since the announcement that the Government would not be continuing with the previous National Government’s proposal for the project. Many people had therefore given up hope on it, especially given the attitude of some of the Government ministers to new highways. Twyford, however, delivered us a wee bit of good news. He reiterated that the Government recognises that the Penrose-Onehunga corridor is over-congested and is a significant problem for the freight system. The Government, Twyford told Conference delegates, “had looked at the plans that had been developed under the former Government and we thought that they were goldplated and way over-blown. That project had got out of control. “What I said to NZTA was the old plan for the EastWest Link did not reflect the overall priorities we set and we wanted them to go back to the drawing board…and
38 | Truck & Driver
they are shortly to come back to us with a new package… “We have earmarked $800million that has been set aside for whatever the new East-West Link looks like. They know it is a priority: I ask my officials (about it) on a weekly basis,” he said. So, while there is no new project proposal yet, it is clear from Twyford’s comments that the Government intends to do something about the route. All consents and notices of requirement for the corridor remain in place and are ready to be used when the time comes. The industry should be encouraged by the Minister’s openness to engage on the issue, however we mustn’t rest on our laurels, according to RTF chief executive Ken Shirley. “The ball is now in our court to keep the pressure on and make sure that the Government, the board of NZTA and Auckland Council are consistently reminded of just how important an East-West Link alternative is and why we need a solution as soon as possible.” The other interesting insight from the Minister came from his tough-talking about what the Government was doing on the state of the roads in Northland and the controversial mothballing of the State Highway 1 RONS project. “We are a Government committed to value for money,” Twyford emphasised: “Four-laning from Warkworth to Whangarei will cost $5billion. It carries 11,000 vehicles a day…now that is not value for money. “We are committed to making the safety improvements to state highways that will save lives – that is why we are re-evaluating 10 different state highway projects. But we will not do what the previous government did and piss away 40% of the transport budget of the entire country on a handful of roads carrying 4% of vehicle journeys. That is economic madness and we will not do it.” Twyford went on to explain that this Government had made a 56% increase in the funding for local road improvements: “If you want to talk about local roads in the north – yes, State Highway 1 is unsafe and needs work… and we are going to do that. But what about the entire roading network in the North: It has been neglected.” So, while the industry may not necessarily agree with some of this Government’s policy direction, and especially the 18% reduction in state highway funding, delegates at the Conference were left in no doubt that Twyford was a Minister of Transport who has a good grasp of his portfolio, knows his beans and is not afraid to passionately defend his corner. Those qualities demand respect. T&D
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Minister of Transport Phil Twyford addressing delegates at the 2018 Road Transport Forum Conference
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Some of the 100,000 anti-Brexit marchers at Whitehall in London earlier this year. Photo:“Stop Brexit March 9232,” by ClemRutter, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Disruption will
affect your business
I
F YOU THINK THE BUSINESS environment will remain relatively unchanged over the next five to 10 years, then you’re burying your head in the sand. That’s according to economic commentator and former ANZ chief economist Cameron Bagrie, who delivered a stark warning to road transport business owners at this year’s Road Transport Forum Conference. Disruption, argues Bagrie, is already having a major impact on businesses here in New Zealand – and there’s no avoiding it. While many of the reasons for disruption are out of our control and are related to larger geopolitical and economic factors, it is the complacency of NZ businesses to this coming change that has Bagrie concerned. Half of all NZ firms have faced disruption in the last five to 10 years, according to a recent survey – yet only one-third expect more disruption in the future. That “she’ll be right” attitude, according to
Bagrie, is not only complacent but incredibly risky, as all indicators are that the causes of disruption are likely to increase rather than decrease in the near future. RTF chief executive Ken Shirley agrees: “Technological advancements alone are threatening to completely change the way in which people and freight are transported. This must lead to adaptation amongst transport-based businesses, as the whole nature of the transport task is likely to change.” As Bagrie introduces the disrupting influences in the economy, it’s apparent that many of these are immediately relevant to the road transport industry. Factors such as changing demographics, government policy changes and climate change are already apparent to trucking businesses and explain the prevalence of industry issues such as low staff recruitment and ever more costly regulatory compliance. Bagrie explains that the NZ economy, while pretty strong, has some structural weaknesses
that must be considered when trying to predict how we would fare in a future global downturn. High levels of household debt, the existence of high debt levels in the dairy industry, an uncertain global scene and low levels of productivity are significant warning signs for us. The global economy is also in reasonable shape, with strong near-term growth in China and the United States, falling global unemployment and buoyant commodity prices. However, there are plenty of causes for concern overseas as well – with weak global productivity, an aging population and debt levels that are higher than they were in 2007, before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). The increase of protectionism around the globe and its development as a significant factor in global politics is also a major disrupting influence, according to Bagrie. The election of Donald Trump, the UK’s vote for Brexit, as well as the rise of other nationalist
(continued on page 43) Truck & Driver | 41
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Road Transport Forum was established in 1997 to represent the combined interest of all members as a single organisation at a national level. Members of Road Transport Forum’s regionally focussed member associations 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
The election of Donald Trump is widely acknowledged as one of the most economically disruptive events in recent times. Photo: “Donald Trump,” by Matt Johnson, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
(continued from page 41) movements across the world are partly driven by political populism, but also by an unbalanced global economy and resentment from a swathe of the population feeling left behind by the strengthening economy. This protectionism is particularly bad for a small, exportbased economy such as NZ’s and should be an ongoing worry for Kiwi businesses. Bagrie warns that, with the current political climate in the United States and elsewhere where self-interest is likely to trump any move towards a global response, the world could be left with limited policy ammunition to combat another global accident such as the GFC. Says Shirley, in support of Bagrie’s hypothesis: “One only has to compare the piecemeal response to the Great Depression in the 1930s with the more globally coordinated response to the GFC to get some understanding as to just how badly it can get when governments choose to shield their economies through protectionist and isolationist policy instead of working towards global solutions. “Our industry is inexorably linked to the success of NZ’s businesses in the international market, so any threat to their success is a threat to us. We also have to confront the reality that we are now doing business in a time of almost unprecedented economic disruption – and as Bagrie states ‘the pace of change is not going to slow. The pace of change is only going to accelerate.’ ” T&D
National Road Carriers (NRC) 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 Jason Heather, Executive Officer 09 636 2950 021 771 946 Jason.heather@natroad.co.nz Tom Cloke, Executive Officer 0800 686 777 021 193 3555 tom.cloke@natroad.co.nz Road Transport Association of NZ (RTANZ) 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
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 NZ Trucking Association (NZTA) 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) www.rtfnz.co.nz/womeninroadtransport wirtnz@gmail.com
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
Truck & Driver | 43
R O F T I F O P R U P ck hacklo S d l a Ger hotos P z t i ow ey Leib l y a H Story
City Contractors has done over $150million worth of water and fire mains, road rehabilitation and park upgrading work in Auckland in the last 19 years
44 | Truck & Driver
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The company has a fleet of 34 trucks, 11 excavators, 20 trailers and a variety of smaller machinery and equipment
A
UCKLAND’S CITY CONTRACTORS HAS 34 TRUCKS….BUT not one dedicated truck driver! That’s even though transport is an integral part of this busy civil contracting operation. As the name implies, City Contractors works in and around New Zealand’s biggest city – primarily doing water mains and roading. MD and owner Mark Bason explains: “Our company philosophy is you don’t come here to do one job – you come here to be part of the team. “So you need to know all the facets of it and you need to be experienced in everything. It’s difficult work. You’re digging around Chorus ducts and Vodafone ducts and power cables and gas lines.” Trucks and drivers alike are equipped with all the skills and tools to carry out the specialised work they do. And everyone employed by City Contractors is multi-skilled: “We don’t have a single person that all they do is drive. We do have a few guys who drive most of the time,” Mark explains. City Contractors dates back to 1999, when three small companies got together to tender for a major footpath maintenance contract in Auckland. Whittaker Contracting, Nayler Contracting and Siteworx simplified things by working together under the City Contractors name. They won the contract – “a big coup for them, because they were little guys at the time,” says Mark, who joined Whittaker Contracting a year later, to supervise and manage its contracts. As a young bloke, Mark had earned a New Zealand Certificate in Civil Engineering, did a cadetship with Wilkins and Davies,
then gained “fantastic experience” at a nuclear power station in the United Kingdom for close on five years. “It was awesome. One site, 2500 workers, 22 mobile cranes and tower cranes, their own batching plant, their own steel plant. So it was a really eye-opening experience.” Returning to NZ, he did project management for HEB Construction, followed by more engineering and design work and an entry into contracting. Fortuitously he met Bill Whittaker and contracted to him on health and safety: “That’s when he said ‘Hey, why don’t you come on board and we’ll make this bigger and better? I need another guy in my business. I can’t do it all myself. Join up with me and we’ll go from there.’ ” Mark made the change and when the original maintenance contract came to an end, the three companies went their separate ways – with Mark and Bill retaining the City Contractors name. “From there we started building our company,” says Mark, speaking from the Mount Wellington premises the company has occupied since 2001. “We had six or seven guys then, plus Bill and myself and Bill’s wife. We started doing water main projects for Metro Water, back when it still existed. “The company was built in those first five years by doing bigger and bigger projects, taking on more staff, buying more gear. Turnover increased, staff numbers increased and we were reasonably successful.” In 2006 everything changed for Mark, when Bill “had a massive stroke” – prompting Mark’s purchase of the business: “I started running it myself and we’ve just grown from there.” Truck & Driver | 47
Clockwise, from top left: The company’s light and medium-duty trucks are also called on to shift its diggers on two-axle trailers....one of the company’s traffic control units.....the job, of course, includes reinstatement after water mains have been laid....all staff are put through an informal “apprenticeship” to teach them water reticulation skills....the hydro excavation unit at work
A turning point was the Global Financial Crisis in 2009. When that hit, he says, “we had to take a good hard look at the business, because there wasn’t much work around – and that’s when I decided to focus on water mains. “I saw water mains as an area where there were less competitors, the margins were probably slightly better than the cut-throat work there was in Auckland at the time, and we were able to specialise – and continued specialising right through the GFC…and came out the other side with that being 80% of the business’ focus now. “It’s worked well, mainly because every man and his dog was doing reinstatement work – you know, footpaths and concrete – and there weren’t that many doing water mains. “It was hard because we had to downsize considerably and I had to put money in to buoy the business, but I came out the other end stronger and wiser. “We’re in an industry that is an essential service – upgrading a network that’s 50 years old, so there’s ongoing work. People can survive without power and Telecom but they can’t survive without water.” City Contractors’ bread and butter contracts are now with Watercare and its maintenance contractors. In its 19 years of operation, the company has done over $150million worth of water main and fire main installation, road rehabilitation and park upgrading work. The work’s seen staff numbers grow to close on 50 – some of them with the business for even longer than the company has existed! “When it was still Whittaker Contracting, Bill already had a 48 | Truck & Driver
couple of guys with him and those guys are still here, so it’s over 20 years. And probably nearly half our guys now have been here 10 years or thereabouts.” That kind of loyalty is no surprise when you hear the amount of time and energy Mark invests in his staff: “We generally train the drivers internally so anybody who hasn’t got a licence, we push them through into a restricted and then we push them into a full. “And we’ve had a lot of guys who have started here with no licence and are now driving a Class 2 truck, because we’ve got a philosophy behind making sure guys get licences and training as much as they can, as soon as they can. The more skilled the staff, the more we can achieve, the more vehicles we can move around Auckland,” he explains. So they start with their Class 1 licence – then, as soon as they’re able to, “we’d push them into getting their Class 2 learners. And we organise it for them, so we basically give them the books, we give them some training, we make a booking for them down at the testing station. “And, as soon as they’ve got their Class 2 learners, we put them on a course and they get trained by an external trainer in driving small trucks and get their Class 2. So we get these guys trained as soon as possible, get them experienced, get them some licences, so that they’re able to actually do more.” In the midst of a “massive shortage of drivers,” Mark’s approach works well. And word gets around, with most of City Contractors’ drivers coming through “the guys who work here. “So they’ll ring me up out of the blue and say ‘hey, my cousin’s just come back from the islands. Have you got any jobs?’ ”
Mark emphasises that this “rolls a bit” with the company’s family philosophy, whereby “if these guys introduce someone into the company, they’ll look after them. “They’ll make sure that they’re doing their job well and not letting themselves down – and not letting their cousin down, or uncle down, or whoever they’ve come in through. “And then we provide the training for them – get them skilled up so they’re able to do their job even better.” The result is loyal staff including three dedicated Class 4 drivers who are experienced with Roadranger 18-speed manual gearboxes – so they can drive the three biggest trucks in the mostly light-duty to medium-duty fleet…a readymix concrete truck, an 8x4 tipper and a 6x4 tipper. “And then we’ve got probably about 25 to 30 guys that are Class 2. They’re part of a team, so they’re doing a whole range of activities. But for five or six of them, their focus is being the driver for that team. So they’re running all our Class 2 tippers around town, doing stuff. “And I’ve got a guy fulltime on a hydro-excavator. I’ve also got a guy on a pipeline pressure-testing truck fulltime. Again the emphasis is on multi-skilling and multi-tasking. One of the Class 4 drivers can, for instance, also drive the company’s hydro-excavator, the 8x4 tipper and a digger. Adds Mark: “And he can put together water mains. So he’s multi-skilled. And we’ve got a number of people like that.” The apprenticeships and upskilling extend to all of the on-site roles involved in City Contractors’ work. “We do the same thing as with the driver training,” says Mark: “We bring young guys in, generally through word of mouth…(via)
cousins, uncles, brothers. “We put them into training with our guys as an apprentice and the apprenticeship scheme we’ve got running is continuing all the time. There’s always guys upgrading. So those apprentices do about a year with a fitter. They learn the trade and then we put them through a NZ Certificate in Water Reticulation.” Currently the company has 12 or 13 staff either qualified or working on their qualifications: “So, as well as having a Class 1 or 2 licence to drive a truck, they’ve also got to have the experience to use the tools in the truck itself. “So as the guys come through they tend to get a year of training, then they start doing their water reticulation training.” Some staff come in with no licence or experience – “no nothing. So you can imagine, it takes what – 18 months to get a Class 1 licence these days? So…by the time they’ve done their 18 months and got their Class 1, they’re actually in the trade and they’re learning the trade – so it all ties in quite nicely. “So they can start with nothing. Then, three years into it, they have a Class 2 licence, have their water retic certification and are driving their own truck and doing their own fittings. It’s not a recognised apprenticeship scheme so to speak, but it’s just so hard to find people, including drivers, that we tend to upskill them in-house.” Nine-year City Contractors employee Ray (Rocky) Smith, who talks openly about an awful early life, followed by decades of violence while he was a member of the Black Power gang, is testament to the company’s commitment to its staff and the opportunities it offers. Rocky wanted to turn his life around – and Mark Bason gave Truck & Driver | 49
Top: In recent years Mark has lent heavily towards Hinos for his fleet replacement programme Left: Just as City Contractors employees get put through their driver’s licences, they get trained too in the skills required to work around power, gas, phone and broadband fibre lines
him a chance: “I told them everything – 38 years in and out of jail – and they still took me in. “When I first started and my partner passed away the company gave me support – both emotionally and practically. “And at that stage they didn’t know me from a bar of soap. I started young in crime and gangs. I needed to make a change from that dark world. I came to this world and lawfully, properly, honestly, I’ve made a life for myself.” He says that the job with City Contractors has taught him skills in dealing with people: “This job kept me going.” He’s now a site traffic management supervisor for the company – AND he drives water trucks, tippers….anything, in fact, from the traffic control trucks to the water mains units and the sucker truck. “The company is great in giving training skills to young and old. And they always include our families.” In addition to his wide-ranging practical skills, Rocky carries out health and safety duties for the company: “Guys talk to me if they’re too shy to talk to management. And I do truck checks every day. These trucks are our bread and butter, they carry us around. “Mark’s given everyone a chance. I’m walking proof that people can change. This company gave me the knowledge to deal with the public. I was angry when I started but I’m not a kingpin any more – now I’m a mediator. There’s no turning back.” It works both ways, Mark points out: “Since Rocky started
working for us he won’t have a bad word said about our company. If anybody says anything negative about City Contractors he’s instantly there – flying the flag and backing up the guys. “The way I look at business and the way I look at staff is that anybody coming to work needs to enjoy their day and be treated the same way as I’d expect to be treated if I was an employee. So we do have a family type philosophy behind what we do,” Mark says. Water main supervisor Tony Laiman has been with the company 18 years. When NZ Truck & Driver spends a day with City Contractors, he’s at a job site in Titirangi – where the company’s doing a month-long water main renewal project… laying some 950 metres of new pipeline. It’s one of City Contractors’ bigger projects. “Mark’s a good boss,” Tony volunteers: “There are a lot of opportunities here and with all the training we have some of the most qualified water fitters in Auckland. They give guys opportunities to upskill.” Another company stalwart (and classic company all-rounder) Tapoki (Puki) Inatoa says he enjoys “doing a bit of everything.” Staff are encouraged to look out for each other and work as a team and Mark says: “We have a very strong sense of camaraderie amongst the guys – to the point that if someone’s on the site and something’s going wrong they can pick up the phone and what we say is, ‘the cavalry will come.’
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“So five or six guys will come from other sites and give them a hand to sort out the issue and deal with it, so that guy is not left by himself trying to deal with the problem.” Given the nature of the work, with water mains shutdowns overnight and on weekends, extra help can often be needed: “When the water’s turned off, all the residents have no water so we have a certain window in which to put our fittings in and connect it back and line it up again. So when they come across problems on the ground, that’s what we say: ‘Call the cavalry.’ “I’m also big on family. I’m big on making sure you’re there for your kids because the people who suffer when these guys are spending all night on a water mains shutdown are the families – their wives and the kids, who don’t see their dads. “I often see big corporates and the way they operate and people become just a number….just someone in the system who’s doing their job. They have a title. They have a pay scale. “We’re a bit different: We pay guys on merit. So if they’re awesome they get paid more than the guys who’re not awesome. It works well for those who want to put the effort in. “The structure’s reasonably flat though ‘cause we don’t have a hierarchy system – there’s no ‘I’m the boss.’ Health and safety is a strong focus. When the guys get to 60 days of no harm, Kath (Mark’s wife) and I cook them a big breakfast.” Kath and one of their two children, daughter Danielle, are involved in the business – helping out when it’s busy. Some memorable company jobs have included replacing the mains down Queen Street – Auckland CBD’s main street. That included reconnecting all the shops and redoing all the paving – the entire City Contractors workforce involved in that over a 48-hour period, in rolling shifts. Another big contract was draining and installing new valves on a 600 millimetre diameter water main in Nelson Street that services the CBD. Mark mentions a couple of other “good little projects,” like the pedestrianisation of One Tree Hill and a new water reticulation transmission line for Snells Beach. The nature of the work is characterised by the company logo, which incorporates a silhouette of the Sky Tower: “I thought that represented us well, because we operate in Auckland city, we’re called City Contractors and we’re generally working for Auckland Council, Watercare and council organisations. The Sky Tower represented all of that for us.” As for the fleet, 13 of the current lineup of 34 trucks are tippers, another nine have dedicated water fitting bodies – each of them equipped with generators, welding gear and a full array of the necessary tools – and three are traffic control trucks (also with specialist bodies set up to carry road cones, signs and so on). There’s also a hydro-excavator unit (a FUSO Fighter), a vacuum/sucker unit, a 6x4 readymix concrete truck, two flatdecks, a butt-welding truck, two water testing units and a double-cab unit with a tray that’s dedicated to concrete and hotmix reinstatement work. Sixteen of the 34 are Hinos (with another one on order), eight are Isuzus, five are FUSOs/Mitsubishis, there are pairs of Fotons and Toyota Dynas, plus a 23-year-old
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Nissan Condor (which is the sucker/vacuum truck. In the first two years of its life under Mark’s ownership, the company could only afford to buy secondhand trucks. For its water mains installation trucks, Mark found that the operation could get by with secondhand beverage delivery trucks. Well, in fact, says Mark, “they only sort of did half the job for us. So when we started buying new trucks we said, ‘well, let’s fit these new trucks out exactly how we want them.’ ” So the bodies for all new trucks going onto the mainstream water mains installation work are custombuilt, fitted out with equipment including electrofusion welding and butt welding gear for PE pipes. “Because of that, every truck has to have a generator in it – and not just your average one. It’s got to be a 7 KVA generator, so it’s a big one,” says Mark. “And then each truck also has numerous tools. There’s torque wrenches, there’s spanners….a range of stuff: Work lights, flashing lights.” Plus a tool body and roller doors. “So we get the drivers involved to consult with the body fitter (Eastern Motor Bodies) when we’re putting them together – because they all like things a little bit different. Some of them like the generator on the side of the truck, some of them like it on the back. Some of them like to have shelves, some of them like draws…” Other specialist units include a butt-welding truck “that’s set up with a really big generator and all the welding gear for putting the pipes together.” The need for its own readymix concrete truck arose because
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the trucks and the concrete needed to be ordered two weeks in advance – and if it rained on the pouring day, they’d lose their booking, says Mark: “So we bought our own concrete truck – just to make life easier.” One truck that Mark reckons is one of the most useful vehicles on the fleet is the old Nissan Condor sucker (vacuum) truck: “We bought that a good 12, 13 years ago. Since then we’ve given it a paint job and a birthday and upgraded the pump. “It’s such a valuable truck because every time we do something we make a mess. Like when we’re cutting concrete, we create slurry. If we’re digging a hole we create dirt. So the sucker truck drives around Auckland cleaning that up.” There is, he adds, “a massive environmental focus in Auckland. The last thing we want to do is pollute waterways or put concrete slurry down drains because concrete slurry kills fish because of the PH levels. Back in the old days people used to dig a hole, leave the dirt on the side of the road then cut some concrete and let the slurry run down the drains. Well you can’t do that now.” The first new truck Mark bought, in 2008, was an Isuzu: “Don’t tell anyone,” he jokes, adding that it’s still in the fleet now, having done just 149,000kms. “You know, it’s quite a proud moment when you buy a brandnew truck. It wasn’t expensive. It was only a little one but it did us well. “It’s got a little box body on the back, which the guys quite like because when it rains they can jump on there and sort their fittings out inside the truck, rather than outside. “Most of the new trucks we set up these days have got roller Truck & Driver | 55
Top left: A tipper and two of the purposebuilt water fitting trucks on the job in Titirangi
Above: Putting on its own readymix concrete truck overcame problems in getting other operators’ units if there were rain delays on jobs Right: Rocky Smith credits Mark Bason and City Contractors for helping him turn his life around....after 38 years in and out of jail
doors….and then a tray on the back for putting the heavy stuff on – but they don’t have the undercover setup.” For the next four years it was back to secondhand, until Mark committed to a fleet renewal, starting in 2013: “We needed a fleet that was modern, good looking and reliable. That’s when we started buying new Hinos to replace the secondhand trucks we had, which were getting a bit old.” Hinos have recently been the favoured make, Mark explaining: “I think they’re smart….a good looking unit.” Plus, he adds: “Hino give me competitive pricing. I get quotes off them for the type of trucks we’re looking for and compare that with other quotes – and they’re favourable. “We’ve had experiences with buying new Fotons, for example, and we won’t buy any more – because they start off alright but then, when they start to break down a year into a brand-new truck, there’s issues.” The Hinos, on the other hand, are “a good, mechanically-solid truck. Reliable.” Also, he adds, service-wise “they’ve got Truck Stops attached to them, which is just down the road for us. We can drop a truck off there at six o’clock at night, once the guys have finished their shift. They’ll do the work on it in the evening and we can pick it up in the morning. “So that’s a really good feature because most mechanics only 56 | Truck & Driver
work during the day – but that’s when we need to be on our work as well, and having a truck off the road for a day or so is a bit of a pain for us.” Back in 2002/2003 the company did its own maintenance: “But it just wasn’t successful. It was hard work and we had to get mechanics in for specialised stuff.” So around 2007 City Contractors outsourced all of its fleet maintenance to Quattra Mechanical, which still does all of the maintenance work on the fleet…except for the new Hinos. The company has a fleet of about 20 single or dual-axle trailers, which the trucks tow to shift its 11 excavators and other assorted machinery. So Mark also appreciates the hill start assist on the Hinos. It is, he says, “quite good, especially if the truck’s loaded up and has a digger on the back. “Suddenly you’ve got eight and a half tonnes trying to start on a hill – and a driver who might have only been in the seat for a year or so. So that’s a good feature that comes standard with the trucks.” The trucks and their custombuilt bodies and specific equipment are crucial to the smooth everyday running of the company. As Mark says, the trucks have “got to be fit for purpose – set up so they can do exactly what the guys need them to do. “So at 2.30 in the morning on a Sunday when they’re out
Clockwise, from top left: Water main supervisor Tony Laiman has been with the company 18 years...Isuzu tipper working on a job in Orakei....some of the company’s 40-odd staff. Everyone is trained in multiple skills....Tapoki Inatoa enjoys “doing a bit of everything”
there in their truck, they’ve got all the right lights, they’ve got all the right gear, they’ve got all the right generators, noise suppression…. “You know, everything is there available for them and the truck’s reliable. It’s going to get there – it’s going to get home again. Because when they shut off a water main in the middle of town on a Sunday night (like we did in Commerce Street on Sunday), you’re pretty much shutting off all the businesses there. “If we don’t get the water back on again, you can imagine the issues that would produce. Work is all planned. You could call it planned emergencies. So yeah, the trucks are critical to our operation and being able to get a job done in a short window.” Ask Mark what he’s most proud of in City Contractors and he’s quick to say it’s his staff: “There are guys who’ll say ‘I’m not leaving the job until I get this finished and the water is back on.’ Sometimes we’ll be taking in bucketloads of KFC for the boys at two o’clock in the morning, you know – because they all want to stay and they all want to get it finished.” As to the future, Mark says the water main industry will, of course, continue to be a necessity: “We want people to think of
us as the best in the business – and also very good at what we do with respect to quality, health and safety. The whole package. “We are going to continue to upskill our young guys and keep them up to speed. If we grow it’ll be controlled growth – I’m resistant to growing very quickly. Then you lose that sense of loyalty and camaraderie.” Ask what makes him successful in this business and Mark reckons that, although he never expected to be where he is today, he does remember his father saying to him as a youngster: ‘You can make more money with your mind than you can with your hands.’ “And I’ve taken that philosophy to heart. If you use your head and you’re smart, you can train people, you can manage people, you can buy gear…you can put them all together and you can create something that makes some money for you. “I’m not necessarily driven by money – I’m more driven by success. Having longterm staff, having guys who will go the extra mile, who are really committed to getting the job done well…that to me is the crux of the business. That’s a measure of success.” T&D Truck & Driver | 59
WORLD F IN
Inset top: Early on our return run from Temuka to Darfield – running empty on the way north – the Dynafleet display has us on 2.6kms per litre fuel use. Johnny will aim to keep it at no worse than 2.5 or 2.4 for the trip home
Inset bottom: The dash display shows that Johnny’s in his element – cruising along “happy as Larry” at bangon 90km/h in top
60 | Truck & Driver
FEATURE
D FAMOUS TEMUKA Story Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock
Main picture: The modest Johnny Baxter at work in his Canterbury home environment. He reckons he can’t believe how an ordinary bloke from Temuka became a world champion
Truck & Driver | 61
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At just 27, Baxter was the youngest-ever winner of Volvo’s FuelWatch Challenge world final
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OUTH CANTERBURY TRUCKIE JOHNNY BAXTER NEVER set out to become a world champion driver – he just wanted to beat his mate Hamish. Outdo him, that is, in notching-up better fuel economy in the Temuka Transport Volvo FH they shared. Next thing you know (well, let’s call it three years on), here’s Johnny Baxter – not merely world famous in Temuka….but truly a global champion! The 27-year-old Baxter reckons he was surprised enough when first he became the winner of the New Zealand round of Volvo’s worldwide Fuelwatch Challenge – which he’d gone into thinking: “Righto, a trip to Feilding for the weekend....if I make the finals that’ll be a pretty good achievement for a young fella.” When they announced the results, he reckons: “I thought ‘ooh… strange. This is interesting.’ And so she all unfolded.” What he means is that as the Kiwi champion, Volvo paid for him to go to Sweden late last year for the global Fuelwatch final. And when he won that – beating 11 other finalists from around the world – well, that was “absolutely amazing. Yeah, nah – she was pretty good. Pretty exciting times actually! “When I won the NZ one I thought it was quite cool. I never once dreamt of ever doing anything like this…..” He reckons this driving-on-less-diesel-thing all started when his boss at Temuka Transport, Garry (Gutsy) Aitken at once embarrassed and surprised him: “Gutsy pulled me up one day – says ‘there’s a brand-new truck in the yard – do you want it?’ I was like ‘no – I’m too new, there’s lots of guys above me…I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes to get a new truck.’ ” The Dunedin-born truckie, who’d started work with Fulton Hogan at 17 – “on a lollipop, a broom, and shovelling shingle and chip,” then advanced to driving a truck and trailer with them before moving north – had only been with Temuka for about three years. Anyway, in the end “Gutsy said ‘I don’t care – do I have to go and
take the gear out of your truck and put it in the new truck?’ ” The 2014 Volvo FH 540 came with Volvo’s Dynafleet fleet management system in it – part of which monitors the driver and comes up with a fuel efficiency score…taking account of speed, braking, acceleration, anticipation, gearshifting, using the engine to its best advantage and stopped time. The truck was going to be doubleshifted – and Johnny’s fellow Temuka driver and good mate Hamish Norton volunteered to do the night shift. So the scene was set for their own personal fuel challenge: “Him and I sort of took it on ourselves to prove everyone wrong…. Aw, not prove them wrong, but just go ‘well, Gutsy’s given a young guy a new truck. Let’s actually make sure it was a good decision….’ ” The pair initially aimed to beat each other in Dynafleet’s fuel and efficiency scores: “We were trying to get anything above 98%.... every day.” Doing a lot of short bulk milktanker running, between Fonterra’s Clandeboye plant and Ashburton, they found it pretty straightforward to get high scores – ‘specially since there was a lot of flat, main road running and no idling time en route. So then the pair “started challenging each other on fuel burn,” trying to outdo one another as they did the same run – day in, day out – with the 8x4 truck and trailer unit. They worked “on the theory that 2kms per litre was pretty standard” for a unit like theirs, running at 44 tonnes all-up. “We were trying to get it up anywhere from 2.2 (kms per litre) to 2.5, depending on the run. “And then we started going with the fact that whatever (fuel figure) we could get empty, we should be able to get very close to, running full, coming home.” For instance, on the run north to Fonterra’s milk-concentrate plant at Tuamarina, just out of Blenheim, they’d run empty at 2.7kms per litre – “and coming home (loaded), it’d drop to 2.6, 2.5. Truck & Driver | 63
“The way we thought about it was you only had the one set of hills, the Hundalees, to battle with and then from there to home it was all virtually downhill.” A month or two into their personal comp, on the ClandeboyeAshburton run, with the combination at 44 tonnes all-up, Hamish managed to average 3.1kms per litre (which equates to 32.25 litres per 100kms, or 7.29 miles per US gallon). “We agreed that if I gave the truck back to him 0.1 of a litre worse than that, that was good – because I had more traffic during the day.” Johnny reckons his best was bang on 3.0kms per litre. And he concedes that “in truth, Hamish won. Him and I were very neck and neck – but I daresay he would have pipped me at the post.” He reckons that, with the combination of Volvo’s good low-down torque and its Dynafleet, this fuel saving business isn’t all that difficult: “It’s all in the throttle…. There’s actually a reason there’s a green band on the dash – because that’s where the torque of the motor is. “Like, I’ll take off driving and I’ll only use a third of the throttle, because the motor is so torquey it makes nearly full power even with half-throttle. It might take you another couple of hundred metres to get up to speed, but you’re not foot flat and it’s not revving out to 2000rpm when you change gear…. “It’s just cruising along, happy as Larry, and then – once you get up to sixth and seventh gear you start leaning into it a wee bit more – because the gears are a bit longer.” Dynafleet, as he sums it up, measures the driver “on engine revs and gear, time in top gear, engine load, engine overrun – quite a few
A LLO Y B O D I E S
other parameters: Use of cruise control, anticipation, your braking, your coasting.” The heavily-Volvo Temuka fleet was an early adopter of Dynafleet and now has 35 trucks running the system. Unsurprisingly (given his world champ pedigree) Johnny Baxter has been asked by Gutsy to help other company drivers get the best out of it. When he joined Temuka Transport, Johnny had been driving for a year or two – and credits Fulton Hogan drivers Stu Mowat, Brendan Blair and Allan Anderson as “some of the good men who taught me how to pedal a truck – along with a few of the other boys.” Dynafleet is the key to his success, he reckons: “It was good when you were first learning. It’ll tell you off” – for the likes of leaving the engine brake on, or driving it in manual. “The scoring system isn’t perfect – but it is valuable. It has very much relaxed me as a driver. And you get a sense of pride out of it, because it’s actually you versus the machine. “People get a bit funny about it, because of some of the ranking systems in it…. Like I’ll run at 54t but my mate’s running at 44 – and in the ranking systems it’ll put him over me because his fuel burn is less. “But it’s not really about you versus him as such – it’s you versus the machine.” He tells other Temuka drivers now aiming for good Dynafleet scores “not to get too hungup” on some elements of it: “There are days that I won’t go for a 100% score – I’ll go for (the lowest possible) fuel burn. And there are some (fuel-saving) techniques you do that Dynafleet will score against you – like putting it in manual a bit so you can skip shift.”
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Clockwise, from top left: Behind the wheel, Johnny is a picture of calm and minimal effort – letting his fingers and thumbs do much of the work.... The all-important stalk on the right of the steering column gives him quick and easy control of the Volvo Engine Brake and the I Shift’s Automated and Manual modes..... In its 144,000kms on the road so far, Baxter’s FH 540 has averaged 2.2kms per litre....Johnny reckons that Volvo’s Dynafleet driver-scoring system is the key to his success
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The champ’s best effort behind the wheel of a Temuka Transport FH saw him average bang-on 3.0kms per litre On the other hand, “if you use the exhaust brake and take the cruise off, it’s not counted as a brake hit.” So that makes for a better score. Same thing with coasting in gear a lot more – using the engine to slow the truck down. “One thing I got taught in Sweden is that every gearchange is wasting fuel – because every time the clutch is engaged there’s no drive and the wheels are just free-spinning, so you’re losing momentum.” So a key to good fuel economy is trying to “minimise your gearchanges on hills. It’s also picking your gear for the hill. “Because I could go up a hill in say 7th gear at 2000rpm, wringing it out. Or I could go up in 8th – still working it too hard, and risking a downshift. Therefore, go for 7th gear, drop the rpm back to the green zone (on the tacho) and just play with the throttle to keep it there.... while only dropping 1-2km/h up the hill. He spends a lot of time in cruise control – including the likes of “the long, boring drive” through Ashburton: “I’ll set my cruise for 50k. I can’t get done for speeding – the truck won’t go over it. And if I need to slow down I’ll just touch the brake. It kicks it off and then you just touch the restart button.” Much of what he does to control the truck is off the throttle pedal and one stalk on the steering column – where he can select Automated mode or Off for the I Shift AMT and the first, second or third stages of the Volvo Engine Brake. It’s easy to regularly put it in and out of Automated mode to suit his preferences. On a lot of descents – in keeping with his belief that “there’s only one way to go down a hill….and that’s slow” – he might choose to hold the truck in gear, but letting it coast, rather than allowing the I Shift to go into I Roll…where it selects neutral and uses the truck’s momentum to save fuel. In many cases, he explains, this “natural coasting,” still in gear, means he’s better able to use the slight resistance from the engine “just to hold you back” a little bit off a hill: “You might only hold it in gear for 100 metres then bang it back into I Roll (by going back into Automated mode). “In A it will drop into I Roll and coast for miles. In Off it will stay in gear, with less fuel burn – but the coast is much shorter. Perfect off a hill that’s just too steep for I Roll. The natural coast will just hold you back a little bit. “Same theory works on switchbacks on gravel roads, where you gain and loose speed. I Roll might take off on you, but the natural coast will hold you back just enough.” TD28898 TD27300
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Unlike some Dynafleet devotees he does also use another option – the footbrakes: “Brakes are there to be used – it’ll tell you off for not using them as well, because you need to use them….I think it’s five times an hour. If you need to stop and if your brakes are cold they’re not going to work as efficiently as warm brakes.” He guesses that being a young bloke, it’s been easier for him to pick up on how best to work with all of this technology than it is for some of the older guys – who were taught, for instance, to never coast or run in neutral. He suggested to one of the other Temuka drivers who was deadset against coasting, but wanted to improve his Dynafleet score to just try it: “I said ‘why don’t you, instead of engine braking into a corner, run it in gear. Just come off (the throttle) 100m, 200m before a corner, just to get the momentum off the truck. And then turn in and power back on.’ ” He tried it – “and his score went from 88 to 98…with just one little thing.” He’s adamant that this backed-off driving style doesn’t actually add much (if any) time to trips: “That’s the funny thing…. When you first start, we’re all gung ho – ‘gotta go….gotta go!’ But I sit on 92k in the truck (it’s 90k on the GPS) and this is me – day in, day out.” And in terms of trip times, he reckons, “if anything, I’m quicker!” He provides evidence – like the guy who was doing the same run (and the same load) as him, in a 600hp Volvo truck and trailer unit. His approach was to habitually run at around 96km/h – “he wanted to get into it and get the job done.” Johnny reckons that at 90km/h and with his easygoing driving style he did the same trip 10 minutes quicker….and still return 2kms per litre fuel use on the loaded run. “A lot of people I’ve talked to, their average speed has gone from 69k to 71k – because you’re more aware. “So like, through towns and that I’ll look a set of traffic lights ahead, or I’ll look five cars ahead. And if they touch the brakes, nine times out of 10 the rest of the cars are going to touch the brakes… but I’m already coasting or I’m ready to jump on the brake. So then you’re not losing time. So it’s very much a constant momentum thing.” Improved tyre wear is another spinoff of driving to score well on Dynafleet: “On my old truck I got 240,000ks on a set of drive tyres and just on 200,000 on a set of steer tyres. “And we pulled the wheels off at 200,000 and the front brake pads weren’t even quarter worn. So it’s not just saving fuel.” When Gutsy told him he should enter the NZ Fuelwatch Truck & Driver | 67
Picture Crossed Up Media
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Above: Unhurried as he is in his Volvo, in his Nissan Silvia drift car Johnny’s a man transformed!
Right: Johnny’s fuel-saving journey started when boss Gutsy Aitken (right) put him in a new Volvo FH....with Dynafleet in it
Far right: On our run with the worldbeater, he’s in Dynafleet’s economy zone 91% of the time
competition, “there weren’t really any expectations put on me by myself. And Gutsy didn’t put any pressure on me. “He just sort of sent me there as a bit of a learning curve – ‘see if you can learn some things from them.’ We were just trying to gearup Dynafleet a bit better than what we had.” The world final in Sweden, understandably enough, ratcheted-up the pressure and nerves – and when he set off on the first of two practice runs over the contest’s 8.5km course at Volvo’s customer centre in Gothenburg, things didn’t go terribly well. With the world title riding on just one, all-or-nothing run the next day, there was, as he says with exaggerated understatement, “a wee bit of pressure, of course. A few nerves. But I was just trying to suppress them as best I could and not let on. “I thought ‘oh well, I’m just gonna go out there and drive the truck pretty much like I do every day.’ ” That seemed to fit well with the 12m30s time limit for the test too – which meant “you couldn’t exactly muck around, which was good. It replicated real life. You don’t come to work to just sit on 40k all day and fluff about do you. You’ve got to get the job done. So you couldn’t coast for too long – couldn’t afford to lose any time.” The two-lap course included a hill, roundabouts, stop signs, room to get up to 60km/h…and a very, very steep hillclimb: “You had to sort of pick a gear at the bottom and stay in it if you could. A couple of guys went up in too high a gear and ended up with downshifts and stops and starts.” “My first (practice) drive was horrible – like, worst drive of my life! I left it in Auto on the hill – I was sort of panicking and nervous.” The I Shift was forced to make a fuel-burning downshift, leaving him lamenting the fact he hadn’t selected Manual mode and held the correct gear. And his confidence took another knock when a Volvo driver trainer inquired why he was coasting at different points and why he was staying in Auto: “I got out of the truck and I was a wreck – ‘I know nothing! Why am I even here – I’m out of my depth!’ ” It prompted a rethink. He explains: “The aim of the fuel challenge was minimal fuel burn, so I drove the truck in a way that I wouldn’t 68 | Truck & Driver
use any fuel. I do use a lot of the same practices day to day – but there are some that I wouldn’t…. because it might hamper the performance and longevity of the truck.” For instance: “Instead of engine-braking down the short hill… I just literally left it in a higher gear and rode the brake down the hill, instead of letting the truck do some work and hold the truck back. “Using the engine brake it would have chopped it down a gear and revved out too much.” In the winner-takes-all final the next day, “I tried to treat it like it was just another drive,” telling people he wasn’t nervous. Yeah, right! Nerves or not, he “aced a couple of points that I mucked up the day before.” He had figured that “if I get these better, then I’m really in with a chance.” And he knew he’d done well when the judge, riding alongside for the run, clapped as he got out of the truck! “I was super happy with my run.” And so he should have been: Volvo said later that he’d used a remarkable 10.1% less fuel than the two runners-up. Translated into a realworld context, his fuel use would save 5000 litres for an average Euro longhaul truck clocking up 150,000kms in a year. Even so, he had to wait all day and then endure a nervewracking wait through the entire awards ceremony. It goes without saying that for him “the night dragged on.” Until, finally, the second-placed Chinese driver and the Australian woman who was third were announced as the runners-up. “I was thinking: ‘There’s only one place left!’ My heart’s going a million! ‘You’ve either binned it…..or you’ve won it!’ ” Seconds later, on the big screen in the auditorium the words came up: “Our youngest competitor…travelling the furthest…. And all of a sudden my picture popped up on the wall: ‘It’s me!!’ “It was like ridiculous….everyone was cheering…I got up, shaking everyone’s hands and hugging people. I was lost for words. “Crazy really. I never really expected anything…..I’m just a truck driver from Dunedin, from Temuka. Just driving a truck has led to flying around the world.”
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Temuka Transport director Brian (Slim) Aitken, who was present, “was over the moon.” When Johnny got on the phone to Gutsy back in Temuka, he reckons his boss “was a bit shell-shocked.” Gutsy confesses he was rocked: “To see where Johnny had come from and to see what he achieved – seriously mate, it gave me goosebumps.” When Johnny got back home after a week in Sweden, his workmates and bosses “were over the moon. It was a bit weird actually: I come home and all I wanted to do was just jump in me truck and go back to work, but every person you seen it was ‘congratulations’ and shake the hand. “It was amazing, don’t get me wrong – but I didn’t want to come home and get put up on a pedestal. I’d done my thing.” Now, a year on, he can take stock: “It’s certainly amazing to know that I took out a competition with near-on 5000 drivers worldwide. Even winning the NZ round….oh it was great. I met a lot of great guys and learnt a lot off them as well. There’s a lot of outstanding drivers locally, let alone worldwide.” And how has fame and fortune treated him? “Pretty good. Well, it’s just the fame – still waiting for the fortune!” he laughs. “Honestly, it’s pretty good really. No-one treats me any differently.”
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Above: In achieving its 2.2km per litre lifetime average, Johnny’s FH has regularly ventured OVER the mountains as well as alongside ‘em Opposite page: First prize at the world final was a flash-as trip to Capetown to spend time with the team in the Volvo Ocean Race So why is he such a good driver? He looks embarrassed: “Ummm… Oh that’s a hard one. I guess it’s trying to have a good understanding of the truck....and working with the Dynafleet system to actually get the most out of the truck.” It is as simple as keeping the engine revs in the green band on the tacho – “because that’s the optimal area where they work. And if you can keep it within that most of the day… “And, of course, if you’re gentle on the throttle off traffic lights. And, you know, you just play with the first third to half of the throttle a lot.” He drives in Auto mode “probably 99% of the time. Sometimes going up a hill, if I really just want to lock it in gear and forget about it, I’ll pull it into manual.” And sometimes he’ll go manual when the truck’s empty, so he can skip-shift. The I Roll function on the I Shift sees him doing “anywhere up to 20% coasting a day. Between 10-20%.” Johnny’s current nine-axle FH 540 truck and trailer unit tares at “just on 20t” and is rated at up to a 54t GCM, “but generally we’re 50MAX for everywhere and 54t on specific runs.” He reckons it’s loaded about 65-70% of the time – although at times that’ll drop to 50%.
And now, with 145,000kms on the clock, the average whole-of-life fuel use is sitting at 2.2kms per litre. That, even by our modest world champ’s estimation, “is not too bad.” And it’s not all down to flat running around the Canterbury plains. The truck regularly runs across the Southern Alps to the West Coast, sometimes heads up to Auckland, regularly goes to Nelson (during the apple season) and quite often to Gisborne (during the wine season). Experiencing how a world champ drives is a lesson in taking it easy…but also in how much you can think ahead and avoid unnecessary slowing….and then accelerating. It’s like he says: “Volvo’s got a power button – I don’t know why! I’ve never used it the four years I’ve been in this model truck nor the three years in the previous one…” So he takes off gently (and silkily smoothly), he lifts off the throttle at what feels like a long way before a corner or intersection and he’s regularly popping the I Shift in and out of cruise control and switching between Automated and Manual modes. At one point he leaves cruise for no apparent reason. Why? It was precautionary, he explains: He saw “a bit of mud on the road” ahead. Approaching intersections, he doesn’t use the engine brake –
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The path to Johnny’s world champ victory started as a bid to simply beat his mate Hamish Norton in the Volvo they shared
preferring to coast up to the junction in gear. On hills he often holds a gear via the shift lever. But the I Shift, left to operate automatically, is a clever thing. “See,” he says at one point: “That was just down to 900 in 9th. It knows to behave itself.” Unsurprisingly, since his world title victory, he’s helping other Temuka drivers improve their fuel-saving: “Gutsy sort of said ‘you know a lot about it – you deal with it.’ ” Johnny has forged a close relationship with Volvo Trucks NZ driver development trainer and Dynafleet manager Sean Webb: “Sean rang me early in the week and this time last year our fleet average was 1.96kms per litre and this year we’re at 2.06.” But the fleet score on Dynafleet “has only gone from 86% to 88% – so there’s still a lot of room for improvement.” Gutsy Aitken credits Johnny with leading a change in “the whole driver culture” in the fleet – triggered by “Johnny and Norts” engaging in their initial Dynafleet contest. “What it done mate was it changed their attitude towards work. You could sense that they really wanted to come to work. Instead of the mundane, same-old, day-in-day-out job, it brought a whole new challenge to the table.” Other drivers couldn’t help but notice: “There’s probably half a dozen younger ones coming through who jumped on straight away with it.” And now it has jumped again – to include not only the younger drivers…but extending also to the next generation: “And it’s slowly embracing the whole company. “As much as some of the older fellas say ‘no it’s not’ and ‘it’s bullshit….and I’m not changing my driving habits,’ you can actually see them changing. And the results are the proof of the pudding. “You know, like gone are the five pies and tattoo on the right arm and bloody Jake Brake screaming… “Now you’ve got a driver who knows you don’t need white knuckles hangin’ onto a steering wheel. You actually let the truck do all the work for you – and you get out refreshed.” Garry also credits Temuka’s partnership with Volvo, which is “second to none. And with what we’ve got, with where it’s going and with the new-age driver coming through, you’ve gotta have relationships like that.” 72 | Truck & Driver
Volvo has fully supported Temuka’s embrace of the Dynafleet system – with resulting spinoffs in improved driver satisfaction and reduced truck maintenance and fuel use, he says: “Well, if all my drivers drove equivalent to how say my top five drivers are driving….we worked out that we’d probably save in excess of $448,000 on our fuel bill alone…for one year. “And that was when the fuel price was down! In today’s environment it could probably be $600,000, $700,000.” To improve the fleet’s overall Dynafleet score is his challenge, says Gutsy: “At the moment I’ve probably got a team of 30 dedicated drivers that are out there, doing it. And as a coach I’ve gotta bring the other 70 on to adapt to what those 30 are producing…” He’s doing it with Johnny’s help: “He’s not a big-headed boy… he’s educating where he can and he knows how far to push the envelope. His maturity is way beyond his years – and seriously mate for him to adapt, to achieve and then to pass it on as he has…he’s done a shitload for the industry. “And I am so proud that he got to represent not only Volvo, but also Temuka Transport on the world scene.” Johnny’s access to the Dynafleet data for all the Temuka drivers whose trucks run the system is “not a way of me spying on them,” he stresses: “It’s more for if they come to me (for help), I can dig into it a bit more.” He understands that often it’s easier for younger guys to get their heads around the fuel-saving technologies – but enthuses about the skill level of some of the older drivers: “I mean there are guys in the company who are amazing drivers – getting amazing fuel figures and everything – even if they don’t do coasting or I Roll.” His best advice to any driver interested in saving fuel: “Slow down – start watching what’s going on. Just sit back and relax.” Ironically, that is exactly what he ISN’T doing for his leisure pursuit: He’s built himself a Nissan Silvia drift car that’s allowing him to indulge his passion for motorsport. He’s so far only done “a wee bit of racing” in club events, but has previously crewed for a top Aussie drifter during his NZ tours. Johnny can’t really explain these two extreme contrasts in his driving life: “I don’t know – polar opposites really. Maybe I vent enough on the racetrack and don’t need to vent on the road.” T&D
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FEATURE
IAA Commercial Vehicles, Hanover, Germany
ZF reveals that it will spend around $NZ20billion on e-mobility and autonomous driving technology in the next five years
ALL ON BOARD!
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WITCHING ON, GETTING CONNECTED AND BECOMING less dependent on mere humans are the major driving forces for the world’s truck and trailer component suppliers, tyremakers, enginemakers and the like. That, at least, is the clear primary focus of many (if not most) of those who exhibit at the world’s biggest truck show – IAA Commercial Vehicles, in Hanover, Germany. I guess that’s not so surprising….considering that the same buzzwords – automation, connectivity and electromobility – are what’s grabbing the attention of the world’s leading truckmakers in their IAA presence. And, after, all the suppliers are the people supplying the truckmakers – feeding their outside needs. What is unexpected though is just how far you can go (and these suppliers are already going) in pursuing these three mega-trends….in components that at first don’t appear to offer much opportunity – like trailer axles, tyres, brakes, suspensions. But then you get to see the likes of electric truck and trailer axles, tyres that are autonomously monitored for wear as trucks drive out of a transport operator’s yard (or as they drive along the road)… And you hear about the huge resources being poured into electromobility, autonomous operation and connectivity – by the likes of global engineering and electronics company Bosch, for example:
At IAA, the chairman of its mobility solutions business sector, Dr Rolf Bulander, reveals that it has no fewer than 2600 engineers working on “the truck powertrain of the future.” And his biz division alone will soon employ over 54,500 R&D “associates” – 5000 of them added in the past 12 onths. Astonishing. And much of their focus is on electric trucks and other alternative powertrains. After all, Bulander quotes a spectacular projected rate of change from diesel: While 80-90% of all trucks globally will be diesel-powered in 2025, just five years further on “one in four new commercial vehicles worldwide (nearly one in three in China) will be electrically driven.” No wonder then that, as he adds, “Bosch has set itself the goal of being the international market leader in electromobility.” To this end, it already has electrification options ranging from 36-volt power packs for cargo e-bikes, an e-axle for delivery vans, fuel-cell powertrains for 40-tonne trucks (this in partnership with US etruck startup Nikola)… and a fuel cell vehicle partnership with Chinese truck enginemaker Weichai Power. It also already has an electrified axle that can be retro-fitted on trailers – generating electricity during braking and feeding it into the trailer’s power units. For a refrigerated trailer, Bosch reckons it could save the equivalent of $NZ20,000 a year. Truck & Driver | 75
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Cummins shows off this Kenworth T370, which is powered by its diesel/electric hybrid drive powertrain
The company predicts double-digit market growth over the next decade for electrified and automated commercial vehicles. And when it comes to telematics, Bosch’s board of management member responsible for commercial vehicle business, Dr Markus Heyn, says that “nearly every new truck in Europe and the United States is part of the internet.” Bosch service centres have already gone beyond the realms of remote software updates and predictive diagnostics – to now use its sensor systems to monitor the condition of especially critical deliveries of goods (blood plasma, for example) around the clock. So far they’re annually monitoring nearly 40,000 high-value truck loads in transit. It’s also using the internet of things to automate delivery tracking – with sensors on goods and containers transferring location, temperature and vibration info to the cloud. Says Bosch: “Initial experience in the field shows that these realtime logistics solutions mean that dispatchers can cut their search and inventory effort by more than half. Moreover, they increase the availability of reusable containers by as much as 30%.” When it comes to delivering freight in cities, this is using e-mobility, says Heyn, “where it really makes sense.” And yes, that does mean electric vehicles – ranging from the cargo e-bike...up to vans and light trucks using Bosch electric powertrains, to handle last-mile deliveries. Its eCityTruck powertrain comes with or without a transmission, for LCVs ranging from two tonnes to 7.5t. The aim is to supply a powertrain that can quickly be integrated into vehicle manufacturers’ differing requirements. Heyn says that it “has the potential to change the face of urban delivery traffic” – the concept combining an electric motor and power electronics into a single unit, thus “making the powertrain not only far more efficient, but more affordable as well.” Renowned diesel enginemaker Cummins stole some etruck limelight from Telsa, Nikola and others in 2017 when it unveiled its own prototype electric tractor unit targeted at short-haul heavy-duty applications. Now, at Hanover, it expands its alternative powertrain portfolio by presenting its PowerDrive suite of plug-in hybrid electric powertrains for light, medium and heavy-duty applications. Cummins reckons it is the “most versatile hybrid system on the market today.”
On show is an appropriately Cummins-red Kenworth T370 mediumduty rigid – set up, equally-aptly, as an electric vehicle service truck – with the PowerDrive 6000 paired with a Cummins B6.7 diesel engine. Together they give the US Class 6 truck, which has a 15 tonne GVM, a range of 80kms under pure electric power, and 480kms running on its diesel engine…while cutting exhaust emissions “by up to 80% compared to standard diesels” and reducing fuel costs by 40-80%. Cummins says that the PowerDrive system has already travelled almost 10million kilometres in fleet operations in the US and China and is scheduled to soon be introduced in Europe. It can operate as a series hybrid – whereby only the electric motor provides power to the wheels… Or as a parallel hybrid, with the engine and electric motor combining to both provide the drive to the wheels. Meantime though Cummins also stresses that “our other key message at IAA is that the diesel engine is not standing still.” Says Cummins’ Tim Proctor: “With our technical advancements, we see diesel remaining as the primary source of power in the commercial vehicle sector for the foreseeable future.” And to that end it unveils a concept emissions control system that it says is “the future of diesel” – achieving low emissions levels “previously thought unfeasible.” It amounts to “the next leap forward in diesel engine evolution” – the systems reckoned likely to meet the as-yet-unscheduled and unspecified Euro 7 standard. They also improve fuel efficiency, Proctor says. Cummins reckons that other work it’s doing to reduce friction and parasitic losses will make the diesel engine “even more productive and energy efficient.” It’s also using new design tools and advanced materials such as composites to reduce the weight of components and improve productivity. Driving home just how serious the world’s biggest trucking suppliers are about the three super-trends, the boss of global driveline and chassis technology giant ZF reveals here that it will invest around $NZ20billion in e-mobility and autonomous driving in the next five years. That’s equivalent to about a fifth of the current Government’s Budget for running NZ for a year! That’s because, says CEO Wolf-Henning Scheider, the logistics industry is overtaking the passenger car sector when it comes to the Truck & Driver | 77
automation of driving functions – because, in trucks, autonomous operation reduces operating costs and improves safety and efficiency. ZF shows off technologies which Scheider says are “revolutionising the ‘last mile,’ so packages can be delivered more cleanly, safely and on time.” The aim is to have these technologies in series production within two years. He says, for instance, that ZF is “in concrete negotiations” with several customers for its electric, autonomous Innovation Van to go into production. The urban delivery van’s intended to work with a delivery driver – but is able to drive itself autonomously through city streets, staying in its lane even if there are no road markings, says ZF. It can recognise traffic lights and road signs, detect and drive around obstacles (including double-parked vehicles) and react to sudden hazardous situations. And where it makes more sense for the driver to walk between close delivery addresses on foot, the Innovation Van can be directed to follow…“as if on a virtual leash.” Or “the driver can send the vehicle ahead to the next stop, where it will look for a parking space on its own.” But there’ll be earlier adoption of autonomous operation using ZF technology, says Scheider, off public streets – in transport company yards, distribution centres, airports and sea ports. This, he adds, will happen “in the near future” – driven by cost cost, safety and efficiency benefits for customers. ZF’s Innovation Truck and its Terminal Yard Tractor are both able to autonomously manoeuvre swap bodies, trailers and containers – improving efficiency, safety, speed and environmental-friendliness in these controlled environments. They can also reduce damage and help relieve the growing shortage of skilled logistics workers.
ZF says it has already has a volume-production order for its new CeTrax electric central drive, for use in shunting vehicles. The electric axle drive system for LCVs will go into volume production in mid-2019. For heavy-duty trucks its TraXon Hybrid transmission, jointly developed with DAF, is capable of all-electric manoeuvring, saving 5-7% fuel use in some applications. Global braking, safety and connectivity systems supplier WABCO embraces electrification with the prototype of its first electric trailer – developed to optimise operating efficiency and lower fuel consumption. The eTrailer uses an intelligent electric motor control to capture energy generated by braking, which can then be reused to help with the combination’s traction or to operate onboard electric auxiliaries. Integrated with a truck equipped with WABCO’s intelligent braking and stability control systems, the eTrailer will be capable of saving up to 20% in fuel use on short haul routes and up to 10% in long hauls. WABCO head of engineering Dr Christian Brenneke says that the eTrailer’s point of difference is that it targets “best-in-class energy recuperation in every mode of operation. WABCO is mobilising the increasing intelligence onboard and between trailers and trucks to empower fleets to gain further efficiency and improve fuel economy, while reducing CO2 and noise emissions.” WABCO says that “there is no existing powertrain solution in the industry today that integrates vehicle controls (braking system and electronic stability control) and electric motor controls. So, in a new partnership with Nidec Motor Corporation, it aims to change that. They intend to develop a fully integrated, electric drivetrain, “combining WABCO’s industry-leading vehicle dynamics and controls with Nidec’s leading-edge motors and inverter technologies.” That will, it adds, bring “breakthrough efficiencies” for fully-electric
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78 | Truck & Driver
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BPW’s electric drive axle, powered by a BMW i battery system used in its electric cars, gets the once-over
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Truck & Driver | 79
Top left: Meritor shows off its eAxle at the show
Top right: Continental’s Conti e.MotionPro concept tyre was designed specifically for MAN’s electric metro delivery concept truck, the CitE Right: Bosch’s electrification projects for last-mile metro deliveries even include the power pack for this cargo e-bike
buses, trucks and trailers.” For Carrier Transicold, going electric isn’t all that new: Here, in fact, it’s celebrating the 20th anniversary of its “industry-changing” E-Drive all-electric technology – a patented innovation, which it says “continues to deliver high standards of efficiency, reliability and performance to the transport refrigeration sector.” E-Drive technology, which is at the heart of Carrier’s Vector trailer and Pulsor van refrigeration systems and ECO-DRIVE GenSet power modules, removes mechanical transmissions found in belt-driven truck and trailer refrigeration systems and transforms engine power into electricity through a generator – reducing the risk of leaks and emissions. It also significantly reduces fuel consumption and results in a lower carbon footprint and quieter operation compared to a diesel engine, says the company. Carrier Transicold says that as its pioneering, next-generation refrigeration technology has evolved over the years since its launch, now “customers are able to combine it with current and future sustainable energy sources to maximise overall efficiency – and dramatically reduce the environmental impact.” Electric CVs demand purposebuilt tyres and tyremaker and technology supplier Continental says it’s now working with partners to develop and supply them. In fact, here it shows off its Conti e.MotionPro tyre designed specifically for MAN’s electric metro delivery concept truck, the CitE. Like the truck (which has a low entry, flat floor, low driver’s seat, extensive glass and blind-spot cameras for excellent all-round vision), the tyre is a study. It looks the part – with an eyecatching electric blue stripe on the sidewall, a hand-carved profile and blue grooves in the tread pattern. But Continental’s aim is to have tyres with cutting-edge technologies specifically designed for electric trucks ready for the start of widespread etruck series production. The tyremaker’s Klaus Kreipe says that electric powertrains “and
80 | Truck & Driver
the new vehicle concepts that are sometimes associated with them will change the requirements for commercial vehicle tyres. “Optimising the vehicles’ range requires low energy consumption, ie optimum rolling resistance. New vehicle concepts can also mean changed centre of gravity position, wheel loads and torques, and thus present potential challenges for the load capacity or wear resistance of the tyres.” Continental also unveils its latest tyre monitoring technology. ContiConnect Live, which it will have on the market before mid2019, is capable of warning operators if there’s a problem with the temperature or pressure of a tyre…even while the vehicle is on the road. The data is transferred to servers and the web by a new ContiConnect Driver app. It’s a development of its ContiConnect Yard, which is already in use globally – monitoring pressures at reader stations installed in operators’ depots. Hiab, which stole some serious limelight at the 2016 IAA show with its pioneering HiVision truck crane operation system – which involves the operator wearing virtual reality goggles, supplied with pictures from cameras mounted on the crane – concentrates this time on something much less exciting… Well unless, that is, you’re into big hooklifts – like the Multilift Ultima, which gets its world premiere here. Hiab terms it the next generation of hooklifts, “with several industry-first innovations that will enhance productivity, ease of use and operational safety.” Hiab says the predecessor Multilift XR range is the market leader – and the Ultima now adds “state-of-the-art technologies such as cameras, smart sensors, and advanced connectivity features, to make operating the hooklift easier and safer than ever before.” Its industry firsts include HookliftAssist, which gives operators three different levels of camera-based assistance to guide loadhandling operation. SafePositioning is a detection system designed to safely slide containers into a preset position, based on their length. It automatically stops containers from dropping off rear rollers and
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WABCO is working on many high-tech fronts, including its own electric trailer – so far in prototype form
prevents damage to other equipment such as truck cranes. Truck transmission specialist Eaton is here with a new four-speed transmission specifically developed for electric medium-duty trucks and buses. The AMT, says Eaton, “solves the primary issue related to singlespeed (direct) drives: Contradictory requirements for high efficiency at top speeds….and increased torque at launch and low speeds.” It already has a contract to supply the new transmission to a major bus manufacturer. The new lightweight transmission has a torque capacity of up to 1200Nm (885 lb ft) and electric gearshift actuation that will allow OEMs to use smaller, more efficient motors. The fine-pitch helical gears ensure smooth, low-noise operation and the shifting strategy is designed for maximum efficiency, thus extending both range and battery life. Says Eaton: “Road tests have shown a 20-30% efficiency improvement under normal driving conditions, compared with a direct drive transmission, and a 10-15% improvement compared with a current two-speed solution.” Goodyear launches its most fuel-efficient truck tyre range yet at the show – the Fuelmax Performance tyres its first to use full silica tread compound technology. The new tyres anticipate proposed EU legislation to reduce heavyduty vehicle CO2 emissions by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. “The new Goodyear Fuelmax Performance tyres demonstrate our understanding of the challenges and opportunities that environmental objectives pose for our customers,” says Goodyear’s David Anckaert. “They further show our commitment to supporting OEMs and fleets in achieving those objectives and reducing costs.” The new tyres have radio frequency ID tags embedded inside them, which allows simple identification by an external device that links to tyre management systems – ensuring future connectivity benefits. “Tyres are only part of the wider picture. Goodyear Proactive 82 | Truck & Driver
Solutions and other tyre-related services that we offer are key to optimising tyres’ full potential to further improve profits and reduce emissions,” says the tyremaker. The Proactive Solutions mobile phone apps – one for fleet managers, another for drivers – provide access to up-to-the-minute tyre data. A fleet manager can see an overview of the entire fleet, with reports available on each tyre on every vehicle. Drivers get a “live” report on their vehicles’ tyres. Urgent warnings are triggered whenever a potential issue is detected. Also on show is Goodyear’s Drive-Over-Reader – a ground-based plate that automatically measures tyre tread depth, pressure and axle load in seconds whenever a vehicle drives over it and enables potential wear issues to be identified. Hydraulic, lifting, loading and handling system supplier Palfinger goes electric with a new truck-mounted access platform. The P370KS E is its first electrically-operated platform – quiet, efficient and emissions-free, thus ideally-suited for night-time urban or indoor work as well as for use on construction sites in urban areas. It combines diesel and electric drive systems. Also getting their world premiere are new models in the TEC series of Palfinger’s 30-40metre-tonne, truck-mounted heavy-duty loader cranes….and a new crawler crane. The loader cranes include the new flagship of the TEC series – the PK37.002 TEC7, which has “all the advantages of a heavy-duty crane, in a medium metre-tonne class.” The new PCC 115.002 crawler crane has “exceptional” crosscountry mobility, with its crawler chassis, powerful drive and extra ground clearance allowing it to work on difficult terrain, says Palfinger. But it also has compact dimensions and an ability to work in confined spaces…and can be broken down into crane, crawler and counterweight modules – with the crane able to be mounted on a truck. The modular format also means it can be separated for transportation. There’s also a prototype of the first Epsilon Triple-Z crane from the Next Epsolution series – specifically designed for container and
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recycling work. It has a much-increased reach of 10.3m and is 200kg lighter. SAF-Holland is another introducing electric trailer axles powered by energy harnesssed from the drivetrain. Its SAF TRAKe and TRAKr electric axles use energy recovery to lower fuel consumption and emissions from a combination – with the TRAKe axles also using the stored energy to support the main drive of the tractor unit…on difficult terrain, for instance. The axles will help manufacturers and operators meet new regulations on noise and exhaust emissions, says SAF-Holland. They’re also are well-suited to inner-city deliveries at night – particularly of chilled freight. Energy recouped during braking is converted into electrical energy, which is stored in a lithium-ion battery and can also be used for the likes of heaters, tail-lifts, pumps or cooling systems in the trailer. The company says that “almost all” of the energy required can be generated and captured during normal driving – with no increase in fuel use. Thermo King and Frigoblock have all-electric and hybrid diesel/ electric refrigeration units launched at the IAA. Its first all-electric battery-driven B-100 ECO refrigeration unit is designed for small electric vehicles and there’s a new E-200 allelectric unit for vans and trucks below 3.5tonnes, with performance independent from the vehicle and plug-and-play installation. Upgraded SLXi trailer refrigeration units with GreenTech engines include the SLXi Hybrid system, which uses a Frigoblock alternator installed on the tractor engine and an inverter-drive system to provide constant electric power and operate in electric mode. The standard connectivity and geo-location feature automatically switches the power between diesel and electric mode as required or necessary – allowing the unit to operate in inner-city low emission zones. Bridgestone announces at the show that its truck and bus tyres will soon start to be supplied with electronic tagging system radiofrequency identification installed. The addition of RFID will help fleet customers “by enhancing the 84 | Truck & Driver
traceability of their tyre casings and providing a time-efficient and accurate system for data sharing and entry,” says Bridgestone. “Customers will be able to freely access their report findings, which will ultimately help to educate the business and optimise their total cost of ownership.” Bridgestone also showcases its “revolutionary” ologic tyre technology, developed specifically for electric vehicles and now applied for the first time as a concept on electric trucks and buses. It uses a larger diameter and narrower tread to deliver “outstanding” fuel efficiency, without compromising safety. Also introduced at Hanover is Bridgestone’s new-generation Ecopia tyres for trucks and buses – using an innovative pattern concept and a new compound technology that together “significantly” reduce fuel consumption…as well as providing “excellent wet grip and uncompromised mileage.” Also introduced here is FleetPulse, a three-in-one solution comprising a mobile app, a centralised website and tyre pressure monitoring system hardware. FleetPulse automatically collects data on tyre pressure, relaying the results back to drivers and managers through the FleetPulse app and online dashboard in real-time to ensure that tyre pressures are optimised. Fleet managers can use FleetPulse to access status updates for their entire fleet via the cloud – including defects and damage and performance data. They can then make individual requests to drivers and technicians directly through the app. Hendrickson uses the show to introduce its ULTIMAAX advanced severe-duty rubber suspension to Europe – offering a low weight alternative to the steel spring mechanical bogie rear suspension widely used on the Continent for trucks working in tough terrain and with heavy loads. Hendrickson says that in-fleet testing in Austria has won support for the suspension’s light weight, mobility and stability. It delivers a 250kg weight saving compared to a mechanical bogie suspension, but has been designed and tested for continuous overloading at three to eight tonnes.
Clockwise, from bottom left, opposite page: Goodyear’s Drive-Over Reader scans tyre tread depth, pressure and axle loads with a laser....so much to see at the IAA....Palfinger shows off a new flagship heavy-duty loader crane, along with an electric access platform....Hiab drags the crowds to its stand to see its World Crane Championship fought out Hendrickson also shows a range of its latest “Engineered for efficiency” suspension systems for trucks, buses and trailers and says that, while it is supplying its supensions to OEMs around the globe, it is looking “to expand our footprint, especially in Europe.” “Our recent purchase of a European component manufacturer exemplifies our commitment and capability to supply integrated suspension solutions to OEMs worldwide,” says Gary Gerstenslager, Hendrickson president and CEO. Tyremaker Hankook puts on show its “prospering” commercial vehicles products, including its first tyre for electric urban buses – with very low rolling resistance and capable of dealing with the added weight of such buses (because of their battery packs). The company’s presence at IAA drives home its success “as a global top-tier truck tyremaker” – with international original equipment supply deals with MAN, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Scania and trailermaker Schmitz-Cargobull. Hankook supplies 43 tyre dimensions for original fitment for the European market. It also showcases a new tyre lineup for mild onroad and offroad use and releases an expanded range of its ultra-efficient and fuelsaving e-cube Blue tyres – now extended from trailer tyres to include truck steer and drive tyres. Global transport industry component supplier BPW puts on show an electric drive axle for heavy vans and light trucks, which will go into small series production in early 2019. It says that the electric drive system, developed in a partnership with BMW i and using its battery technology (as used already in the BMW i3), will initially be used to retrofit standard diesel and/or petrol vans and light trucks with a GVM of up to 7.5t. BPW uses two of the BMW i high-voltage lithium-ion systems to produce a total 84 kilowatt-hours of power. And BPW also presents a drive concept at IAA for using the BMW i axles in trucks with a 26t GVM. Allison Transmission announces at the show that it has developed an electric hybrid system – that will also run for a
limited distance in fully electric mode. And it reveals that it’s going global with a new nine-speed fullyautomatic transmission for medium-duty trucks. The new electric hybrid system can run up to 15kms in electriconly mode. In buses this will allow it to operate with zero emissions approaching, while stopped at and leaving bus stops. “Right now is an exciting time to be part of Allison and our industry as a whole,” says David S. Graziosi, president and CEO of Allison Transmission. “There is more rapid change in our industry and more Allison initiatives under way today than at any point during the last decade.” The new nine-speed transmission, says Allison, delivers “significant fuel savings.” US-based drivetrain, braking and aftermarket components supplier Meritor launches its Blue Horizon brand in Europe at the show. The brand comprises the company’s emerging platform of advanced technologies, centred on electrification, efficiency and connectivity solutions for heavy and medium-duty commercial vehicles. Blue Horizon was launched earlier in 2018 in the US and the company says it’s now conducting real-world testing of its electrification products with school bus, drayage and refuse truck operators and hopes to have 30 all-electric drivetrains in testing by year’s end. The products include its powered eAxle drive axle, which is shown here, offering up to a 10.5t rating and 250kW peak power. It fits existing axle housings. Other Blue Horizon products focused on here include a “disengageable” tandem drive axle that delivers the efficiency of a 6x2 with the traction of a 6x4, and a composite driveline built with advanced materials to reduce weight AND increase payload. “Blue Horizon will offer a product pipeline that meets accelerating global demand for efficiency, connectivity and electric solutions across multiple applications,” says Meritor’s Krista Sohm. “The brand reinforces our commitment to being the leader in developing the industry’s technologies of tomorrow.” T&D Truck & Driver | 85
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TRUCK SHOP
This picture: Functioning as a barcode reader is just one of the FZ-T1 handheld Toughbook's many capabilities Right: The FZ-L1 tablet
Tough enough for trucking A
NEW RUGGED TABLET AND A HANDHELD BUILT specifically for industrial use have been launched by Panasonic New Zealand – with trucking and logistics operations targeted as prime customers. The Panasonic FZ-L1 tablet and FZ-T1 handheld are purposebuilt for harsh working conditions, says Panasonic business development manager Peter Walker. The Toughbook products have been exposed to heat, water and impact testing during their development. “While other companies will take one device and drop it from a height, then another and submerge it, then another and put it in a heat chamber….we do all these tests with ONE device,” says Walker. He says that one of the most common causes of damage to retailgrade tablets used in transport is heat – because they’re often left in the cab, attached to the dash. And there they can be exposed to a great deal of heat. Over time that can damage the product beyond repair. Panasonic says its Toughbook FZ-L1 and FZ-T1 overcome that problem. Says Walker: “The low total cost of ownership is due to the longevity of the product.
“A consumer product will only last around 15 months – and even in that time can have a failure rate of up to 30%. Of the 160 units being used by one of our customers we had a return rate of nine. Of those nine, two were found to be due to out-of-box failure.” The FZ-L1 is a light, rugged Android tablet with a seven-inch display, glove mode and seamless telematics integration. It has a rigid exterior and magnesium-reinforced components, but at 440g is still light enough to carry around. Unlike earlier Toughbooks, the L1 is built on a mobile platform that will ensure Android support far into the future. It also has a wide range of hardware and software customisation options. The FZ-T1 is one of the thinnest and lightest five-inch handhelds available – with handheld, smartphone and barcode reader functionality as well as a reputedly near-indestructible, military-certified Toughbook design. The T1 has an IP68 water-resistance and dustproof rating, a 1.5-metre drop resistance and the ability to withstand as many as 8000 impacts after falling 1.8m. It’s also customisable – can incorporate finger scanners, RF antenna, independent GPS kits, revised software, thermal cameras and more. T&D
Hi-Tech by name …and nature
A
NEW TRANSPORT ENGINEERING BUSINESS HAS started up in Invercargill – aiming to specialise as well as offering general engineering services. Engineer Matt Scheele says that general transport engineering work like building log trailers, bulk tipper bodies and trailers and dropsiders is “the bread and butter” for the Hi-Tech Transport Engineering operation that he and business partner Brent Fryer launched recently. But Scheele, who has 25 years' experience in the industry, says that HiTech also aims “to go above and beyond the standard stuff ” – to install truck cranes, rollover protection structures and cabs, waste management bodies, harvesters, drilling rigs and carry out other more specialised work. “We have a fully working hydraulic shop on site,” says Scheele: “That’s our point of difference.” Hi-Tech works closely with engineering design firm Transtec Dynamics
Hi-Tech owners Brent Fryer (left) and Matt Scheele – an association that’s a critical element in the business, says Scheele, “as we buy their drawings and design work.” Hi-Tech will, says Scheele, “look into more-specialised services for the future: What we’re building today isn’t what we’ll be working on in five to 10 years’ time. Trucks are becoming more and more advanced and we want to stay on top of that.” T&D Truck & Driver | 87
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Road Transport Association NZ
Be careful what you wish for By Road Transport Association NZ chief executive Dennis Robertson
R
ECENT EVENTS HAVE REMINDED ME OF THE OLD SAYING: “Be careful what you wish for.” This came with the news that the New Zealand Transport Agency has found a problem with the process it has used to manage heavy vehicle certifiers…. And the additional news that two more heavy vehicle certifiers have been suspended. Along with the certification of 34 heavy vehicle towing connections revoked, we’ve also seen the law firm Meredith Connell engaged to assess 850 cases of compliance….after NZTA failed to properly check the companies that certify vehicles as safe for road use. Sixty-three of the 152 high-priority cases have been reviewed and the tally of heavy vehicle certifiers suspended has risen to four, after two more were pulled last month. I have said in the media that the problem has its roots in the fact that constant restructuring by the NZTA over the past 10 to 15 years has taken its toll – as it has clearly lost a lot of experienced staff in this area. All those heavy motor vehicle people with this expertise in the Agency….they’ve all gone: It has lost that intellectual capacity and hasn’t replaced it. My take on it is that the Agency hasn’t had the skilled mechanical engineering people who can go out and look at these things and say “we have a problem here.” One of the problems I see for our industry is that NZTA – to create a new platform to explain how this problem occurred and the “fix” it will introduce – will make up a bit of a story to sell this to the public.…PR spin at its best. And we have now started to see this. The chair of NZTA, Michael Stiassny, has said that self-regulation and a focus on educating operators instead of enforcing the rules hasn’t worked. While there are no accidents that could be shown to relate to these issues at this point, it is clear that the Agency is concerned about the 850 open compliance files, where 152 higher-risk cases were being given priority. But again, none have caused or resulted in an accident. But these cases have been used to justify a change in approach, as set out by Stiassny.
Road Transport Association NZ chief executive Dennis Robertson
But is this warranted? I do not believe so. This is just PR spin and we should be cautious about this. No one would say that NZTA should not be involved in the enforcement of the regulations – it is the regulator after all. But to stop this “educational” and “self-regulation” approach is crazy – given that this is still a critical part of the mix that’s needed in this complex sector. To say that it hasn’t worked and it’s going to be chucked out is simply bollocks. I was involved in a similar situation recently. After the Canterbury Earthquakes, everyone had to get their houses fixed and to do so you needed a building permit and all that goes with it. We had a problem with the fix as the building was constructed before the last changes to the building code, so it crossed two codes. To fix this issue we invited Christchurch City Council building inspectors to come on site and advise what we needed to do to fix the problem. Their response was that, as the regulator, they could not give any advice or tell us what to do. We had to work it out for ourselves – and if they thought the final solution didn’t comply, they wouldn’t issue a Code of Compliance. To say the least, this must be the most unhelpful approach you could imagine. I don’t think for a second that we want to see this in the transport sector: The NZTA should be there to both educate and regulate. So be very careful what you wish for when you rush off and say that the NZTA is the regulator and this is what it should do. We have a very good relationship with the Agency and this has come about by getting together and alongside each other. To go entirely back to the good old/bad days is a step in the wrong direction. T&D Truck & Driver | 89
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National Road Carriers
Supply chains are complex By David Aitken, CEO of National Road Carriers
I
T’S NO SECRET THAT THE PORT OF AUCKLAND RECENTLY HAS not been operating as smoothly as we all would like. As a result, imported freight has taken longer to deliver and exporters are also encountering delays getting their goods away. The situation has come from a number of factors at various stages in the supply chain, some of which have arisen thousands of kilometres away from the Waitemata Harbour. The net result is that the road freight transport industry is having to increase its charges for delivering freight to and from the port to cover these additional costs. What is apparent is the domino effect of any problems. Hold-ups anywhere can flow all the way through the supply chain to its end, whether the cargo is inbound or exported. The supply chain is changing and everyone needs to change with it. It will involve better planning....and increased costs that we should pass on to our customers. A combination of events this year has highlighted the situation: Severe weather events in Asia – like typhoons – have delayed the arrival of ships. Others were diverted to Tauranga due to the delays at Auckland caused by a straddle-lift accident. Delayed arrivals out of their berthing window added to the congestion at the ports with other vessels. That resulted in freight having to be picked up in the Bay of Plenty and taken to Auckland, while exports booked on those ships had to be transferred to Mt Maunganui. Shipping companies book berthage space at the port weeks ahead. When there are weather delays or hold-ups at other ports overseas (before arrival in New Zealand), this upsets the local port’s allocation of staff to handle the ships. When late-arriving ships eventually berth sometimes there are not enough shift-hours staff available at short notice to work the vessel or the capacity to work ships, due to bunching. At the moment the Port of Auckland is installing an automated straddle system for the container terminal. This involves laying 25 kilometres of fibre-optic cable and new lighting towers progressively
through the terminal. At any one time, about 20% of the terminal space is not available for regular operations, so it’s only working at around 80% of capacity and this is likely to continue until late 2019 when the project will be completed. There is also less space for truck grids as they work towards automation. So the growing demand to get containers through the port in both directions is being compromised. Finding containers, since they are stacked higher because of the restricted space, is also taking longer. Booking space in the vehicle booking system (VBS) to pick up or drop off a container is becoming more problematic because of the wide variety of delays and reduced available slots. We in the road freight transport industry are caught in the middle. We are storing containers at freight hubs longer, which adds costs for double handling, or are delivering goods later than originally expected because of delays in shipping or processing through the port. Some of our clients are holding export goods longer than expected because we don’t know when to collect them to take them to the port – a consequence of the late arrival of the ship they’re due to be loaded onto. There are delays in getting to and from the port through Auckland’s increasingly clogged roads. Other operating cost increases include fuel, RUCs, the regional fuel tax and the shortage of staff driving up wages and salaries. The cost of getting all imported and export freight across our wharves is increasing and we have to make our clients aware of the reasons why. There is a fair chance that not all our customers know or understand all the complicated links in the supply chain that are changing. It’s up to us to make them aware of how the supply chain is changing and the need to adapt to what has become the new normal. It will need better planning from everybody and acceptance that the costs are going to increase. T&D Truck & Driver | 91
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The new intake of students in Toi Ohomai’s Commercial Road Transport Programme. Now, in addition, a new cadetship has been created by Toi Ohomai and the Bay of Plenty industry....combining training and employment
BAY GETS CADETSHIP By Steve Divers Director – career pathways – road freight transport Sector Workforce Engagement Programme (SWEP)
I
N PREVIOUS ARTICLES I’VE TOUCHED ON CLUSTER groups and tertiary programmes – a combination that in one important transport area has been developed into a regional road transport cadetship. Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, a leader for some time in the training area, last year collaborated with Northtec, Eastern Institute and Whitireia Polytech to redevelop their Level 3 Commercial Road Transport Programme. The key changes involved designing the programme around learning outcomes and not just about unit standards – hence creating a five-part modular course, where students record their in-work experience and upload this to Google Classroom. This means that students can video themselves performing a task and then upload it to be evaluated, thereby dispensing with the need to put pen to paper. I’ve seen this used regarding vehicle startup procedures – with the student talking into a smartphone and describing his/her actions – and it’s
a world away from sitting in a classroom and writing about something that the person is yet to experience. Toi Ohomai has had a couple of personnel changes and the great work started by Adrian Bowen (now at TR Masterdrive) is being continued by Peter West and his team of experienced driver trainers. What comes through in our conversations is their passion for the industry and enthusiasm for skilling new people. It’s clear that the last thing they want is to produce someone with a licence….but with no capability. A partnership between the Freight and Logistics Action Group (FLAG), Toi Ohomai, and the Bay of Plenty transport industry has resulted in a Road Transport Cadetship, primarily aimed at younger, new entrants to the workforce. Students complete the Level 3 programme while in employment and over an 18-month period. After each block of training at the Logistics Training Centre, the cadets return to their workplace for approximately 16 weeks – there gathering evidence of their ability Truck & Driver | 93
Top left: NZ Young Truck Driver of the Year David Rogers spends some time with Toi Ohomai’s first cadet, Dayna Callender
Above: Lead driver trainer at Toi Ohomai Peter West (left) and Glenn Berridge, one of the three other trainers on the staff Left: Four students from the current intake have already been identified as cadetship candidates
94 | Truck & Driver
Rotorua Forest Haulage, Winstone, Dairy Fresh, Fonterra, TR Group and Orion Haulage for their support. A standout moment at the event was Toi Ohomai allowing students to drive its training vehicle under a driver trainer’s supervision – this leading to a number of inquiries regarding the cadetship. This event was put together by a small group, with the support of FLAG, which meets regularly to promote and discuss logistics in the Bay of Plenty. Toi Ohomai keeps in contact with former students and when I visited recently it had a couple of former students (now employed in the industry as drivers) call in with their trucks, to talk to the new intake of students. It provided real feedback from successful former students and highlighted that passion for the course and the industry is infectious in the Bay. There is still work to be done, to continue promoting this excellent course into schools. Relationships have been formed with a number of schools and we’re keen to see another showcase event next year to keep the fires burning. One such relationship is with Sue Boyne and Lyn Parlane at Priority 1, who – with support from Rotary – co-ordinate the Tauranga Careers Expo. Sue and her small team ensured that transport and logistics careers had a real presence at the Expo. Their work, together with that of FLAG co-ordinator Tahlia Hopkins, mean that many school career advisers are now linked in with our industry. I encourage any operator wanting to become involved or learn more about the Toi Ohomai Road Transport Cadetship programme to get in contact with Peter West by dropping him an email at peter. west@toiohomai.ac.nz T&D TD28879
to perform tasks…this to be reviewed remotely by the trainers. The tasks follow their progression in licensing and gaining driving experience. Brian Dillon, faculty leader of trades and logistics at Toi Ohomai, says this is an excellent example of partnering with industry to meet a need: “Barely 12 months ago the local industry was expressing concern about the future of driver training in the Bay. “Once we identified the real issue, the solution was obvious – create a part-time offering, where someone can complete their qualification while working, much like an apprenticeship. The industry input was crucial, and it’s great to see five cadets already enrolled.” The first cadet was Dayna Callender, who started in early 2018 and has been the trailblazer for the programme. The current intake of students started in October and Peter has identified another four as being suitable for the cadet programme, so it is already gaining traction. The programme is currently supported by a small cluster group of employers, including Priority Logistics, McLeod Cranes and Tranzliquid. The team at Toi Ohomai is keen to expand this support group into other areas such as Rotorua, and are talking to a number of companies to that end. Toi Ohomai operates the courses from its flagship premises at Baypark, Mount Maunganui, Waipa (Rotorua) and Tokoroa, and so far has 56 students who are either currently in training or have completed the fulltime course in 2018. Another key SWEP initiative has been to support industry Big Day Out events – like that held at Baypark in August (covered by National Road Carriers’ Jason Heather in the October issue of NZ Truck & Driver). Thanks go to Priority Logistics, McLeod Cranes, Tranzliquid,
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Kapiti’s Piling & Drilling Services has put this new Mack Trident 6x4 tipper to work. It has a 535hp MP8 engine, an mDrive AMT and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Mack air suspension. It has a Rowe Engineering Hardox bin and a 70-tonne GCM.
All set now for best-ever year A
BOUNCEBACK TO RECORD-BREAKING NEW truck sales levels in October – after fading in the previous two months – has the market on target for an alltime record 2018 total. With two months’ sales to come, the overall market (4.5 tonnes GVM and over) was at 4414 – making 2017’s 5209 best-ever annual benchmark looking likely to be beaten. The 449 trucks (4.5t and above) registered in October was a new record – 2.3% up on the same month last year, while the YTD total at the end of the month was also a new benchmark, 1.4% up on 2017. Says analyst Robin Yates, whose Marketing Hand consultancy
prepares this report for New Zealand Truck & Driver: “These may be small improvements – but, importantly, they’ve reversed the downwards trend following the mini slowdowns in August and September.” And the trailer market, while 21 units behind the best-ever October (in 2014), was still ahead (albeit by just two units) of the same month last year – also putting it well and truly on track for a record 2018. October’s 146 trailer registrations pushed the year-to-date total out to 1458 – 13.6% ahead of last year’s recordbreaking market. Yates points out that the trailer market “traditionally has a strong finish to the year – so, with two months to go, the alltime full-year Truck & Driver | 97
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Alfriston’s Samut Earthworks has put this new Volvo FM 13-500 value-spec, sleeper cab tipper to work around Auckland. The 6x4 has a 500hp engine, an I Shift AMT and a Transfleet Hardox steel body and a matching five-axle trailer.
23,001kg-max GVM 2018
4501kg-max GVM 2018 Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO MERCEDES-BENZ KENWORTH VOLVO DAF UD IVECO SCANIA MAN FREIGHTLINER MACK FOTON FIAT SINOTRUK RAM HYUNDAI INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR RENAULT OTHER Total
Vol 962 736 603 321 272 248 247 226 211 157 102 61 60 44 33 28 23 21 21 21 1 16 4414
% 21.8 16.7 13.7 7.3 6.2 5.6 5.6 5.1 4.8 3.6 2.3 1.4 1.4 1.0 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.0 0.4 100.0
October Vol % 116 25.8 48 10.7 63 14.0 41 9.1 28 6.2 28 6.2 21 4.7 30 6.7 23 5.1 11 2.4 8 1.8 6 1.3 5 1.1 3 0.7 5 1.1 6 1.3 2 0.4 1 0.2 1 0.2 2 0.4 0 0.0 1 0.2 449 100.0
3501-4500kg GVM 2018 Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ FORD PEUGEOT CHEVROLET LDV RENAULT TOYOTA VOLKSWAGEN IVECO OTHER Total
Vol 317 94 18 18 17 14 11 10 8 7 2 516
% 61.4 18.2 3.5 3.5 3.3 2.7 2.1 1.9 1.6 1.4 0.4 100.0
October Vol % 68 70.1 6 6.2 4 4.1 5 5.2 6 6.2 3 3.1 0 0.0 1 1.0 2 2.1 0 0.0 2 2.1 97 100.0
4501-7500kg GVM 2018 Brand FUSO ISUZU MERCEDES-BENZ HINO IVECO FIAT FOTON RAM HYUNDAI JAC VOLKSWAGEN RENAULT Total 98 | Truck & Driver
Vol 332 237 215 119 98 33 31 23 13 2 1 1 1105
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% 30.0 21.4 19.5 10.8 8.9 3.0 2.8 2.1 1.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 100.0
October Vol % 21 17.9 30 25.6 21 17.9 20 17.1 14 12.0 5 4.3 2 1.7 2 1.7 1 0.9 0 0.0 1 0.9 0 0.0 117 100.0
Trailer market leader Patchell (188/13) remained well in command... 2018 Vol 358 176 167 52 27 13 9 8 6 3 1 6 826
% 43.3 21.3 20.2 6.3 3.3 1.6 1.1 1.0 0.7 0.4 0.1 0.7 100.0
October Vol % 38 55.1 10 14.5 10 14.5 9 13.0 0 0.0 1 1.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 69 100.0
15,001-20,500kg GVM 2018 Brand HINO UD FUSO ISUZU IVECO SCANIA MERCEDES-BENZ MAN SINOTRUK DAF CAMC Total
Vol 65 46 42 35 16 16 15 9 4 3 2 253
% 25.7 18.2 16.6 13.8 6.3 6.3 5.9 3.6 1.6 1.2 0.8 100.0
October Vol % 9 31.0 6 20.7 3 10.3 3 10.3 2 6.9 1 3.4 1 3.4 1 3.4 2 6.9 1 3.4 0 0.0 29 100.0
20,501-23,000kg GVM 2018 Brand HINO UD ISUZU FUSO DAF MAN MERCEDES-BENZ Total
Vol 30 11 5 4 1 1 1 53
% 56.6 20.8 9.4 7.5 1.9 1.9 1.9 100.0
Vol 331 272 248 240 222 182 141 117 84 83 66 61 60 23 21 21 5 2177
% 15.2 12.5 11.4 11.0 10.2 8.4 6.5 5.4 3.9 3.8 3.0 2.8 2.8 1.1 1.0 1.0 0.2 100.0
October Vol % 1 20.0 2 40.0 1 20.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 20.0 0 0.0 5 100.0
October Vol % 44 19.2 28 12.2 28 12.2 20 8.7 23 10.0 14 6.1 10 4.4 13 5.7 18 7.9 6 2.6 7 3.1 6 2.6 5 2.2 4 1.7 1 0.4 2 0.87 0 0.0 229 100.0
Trailers 2018
7501-15,000kg GVM Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO UD IVECO FOTON MAN HYUNDAI MERCEDES-BENZ DAF SINOTRUK OTHER Total
Brand ISUZU KENWORTH VOLVO DAF HINO FUSO SCANIA UD MERCEDES-BENZ MAN IVECO FREIGHTLINER MACK SINOTRUK INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR OTHER Total
Brand Vol PATCHELL 188 FRUEHAUF 138 MTE 114 DOMETT 103 ROADMASTER 96 TMC 80 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 71 MAXICUBE 59 TRANSFLEET 52 JACKSON 47 FREIGHTER 45 FAIRFAX 40 TES 33 EVANS 26 KRAFT 24 CWS 20 HAMMAR 19 MILLS-TUI 18 CHIEFTAIN 13 LUSK 13 MAKARANUI 12 TIDD 11 HTS 10 ADAMS & CURRIE 9 MTT 9 FELDBINDER 8 TEO 7 COWAN 6 MORGAN 6 PTE 6 TANKER 6 TRINITY 6 WHITE 6 GLASGOW 5 GUY NORRIS 5 KOROMIKO 5 LOWES 5 NICKEL 5 SEC 5 DOUGLAS 4 MORBARK 4 DT5 3 MD 3 MANAC 3 SDC 3 OTHER 107 TOTAL 1458
% 12.9 9.5 7.8 7.1 6.6 5.5 4.9 4.0 3.6 3.2 3.1 2.7 2.3 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 7.3 100.0
October Vol % 13 8.9 21 14.4 8 5.5 12 8.2 10 6.8 6 4.1 8 5.5 3 2.1 4 2.7 4 2.7 5 3.4 6 4.1 5 3.4 4 2.7 1 0.7 3 2.1 4 2.7 1 0.7 0 0.0 2 1.4 1 0.7 3 2.1 1 0.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 1.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 1.4 2 1.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.7 0 0.0 1 0.7 1 0.7 1 0.7 1 0.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 10 6.8 146 100.0
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record of 1577, set last year, should easily be beaten….possibly even by the end of November!” In October’s 4.5t to max GVM truck market, things returned to a more established norm after September’s market-leading 127 from FUSO – with Isuzu notching-up its sixth 100-plus month for the year, with 116 registrations, according to official NZ Transport Agency data. That saw its 2018 monthly average at 96.2 – shy of its 103 in 2017, but it was still well ahead of FUSO’s 73.6 average so far this year…and Hino’s 60.3 per month. Between these three and UD, Japanese-sourced trucks accounted for 57% of the market YTD. At the end of October, Isuzu’s registrations totalled 962 YTD and 116 for the month. FUSO (736/48) was next – some way behind. Then came Hino (603/63), Mercedes-Benz (321/41), Kenworth (272/28) and Volvo (248/28) – the latter overtaking DAF (247/21). UD (226/30) remained eighth, ahead of Iveco (211/23) and Scania (157/11). MAN (102/8) was the only other manufacturer to reach triple digits for the year so far. In the crossover 3.5-4.5t GVM segment, Fiat (317/68) blitzed the field, followed by Mercedes-Benz (94/6), with Ford and Peugeot sharing third-equal on 18 YTD. In the 4.5-7.5t segment, FUSO (332/21) retained the lead from Isuzu (237/30), Mercedes-Benz (215/21), Hino (119/20) and Iveco (98/14). Fiat (33/5) swapped places with Foton (31/2). RAM (23/2) retained eighth, followed by Hyundai (13/1) and JAC (2/0).
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In the 7.5-15t division, Isuzu (358/38) extended its lead over F USO (176/10), with Hino (167/10), UD (52/9), Iveco (27/0), Foton (13/1), MAN (9/0), Hyundai (8/0), Mercedes-Benz (6/1) and DAF (3/0) in order behind. Hino (65/9) increased its lead in the 15-20.5t segment, followed by UD (46/6), FUSO (42/3) and Isuzu (35/3). Iveco (16/2) moved up to join Scania (16/1) in fifth-equal. Mercedes-Benz (15/1) lost one spot, MAN (9/1) held its place – as did Sinotruk (4/2). DAF (3/1) lost a place. In the 20.5-23t segment, Hino (30/1) continued to dominate, ahead of UD (11/2) and Isuzu (5/1). MAN joined the class. In the premium 23t to max GVM division, Isuzu (331/44) increased its lead over Kenworth (272/28) and Volvo (248/28) moved clear of DAF (240/20) for third. Hino (222/23) retained fifth, ahead of F USO (182/14), Scania (141/10) and UD (117/13). Mercedes-Benz (84/18) overtook MAN (83/6), while Iveco (66/7) retained 11th, ahead of Freightliner (61/6) and Mack (60/5). Trailer market leader Patchell (188/13) remained well in command, while Fruehauf (138/21) led the monthly sales for the second time this year – opening a gap on second-place rival MTE (114/8). Domett (103/12) retained fourth, followed by Roadmaster (96/10), TMC (80/6), Transport Trailers (71/8), MaxiCUBE (59/3), Transfleet (52/4), Jackson (47/4), Freighter (45/5) and Fairfax (40/6). T&D
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This is the first of several new DAFs going to work for JJ Richards, collecting refuse in the Auckland area. The day cab FADCF75.360 has a nine-litre PACCAR engine, an Allison auto trans and a Meritor/Airglide rear combination. The operator’s own engineering company in Australia built the body, fitted cameras and other safety systems.
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This new 38-pallet, nine-axle Freightliner Argosy HPMV unit is now in work for G&T Nichols, carting for Countdown. It has a new Domett curtainsider body and matching five-axle trailer, running SAF Intradisc 19.5” axles, with Wabco EBS braking with Smartboard and Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels.
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Kruck Logging has this new nineaxle Freightliner Argosy logger doubleshifting on carting export logs to the Gisborne port. It has a 560hp DD15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission and 46-160 Meritor diffs on air suspension. It has a Patchell shorts setup and pulls a multi trailer.
Taranaki’s Freight & Bulk Transport (FBT) has added the first new Kenworth T610 to its operation, hauling logs in Taranaki and the central North Island. Croydon Donaldson drives the 8x4, which has a 550-578hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission and Meritor 46-160 diffs. The truck has full disc brakes and Patchell logging equipment, plus a matching five-axle trailer.
102 | Truck & Driver
Ruakaka’s Aotearoa Haulage has added this new International 9870 90TSHD to its six-truck operation, carting logs around the North Island. The 8x4 has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton Ultra Shift AMT and Meritor 46 160 diffs.
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Choosing the right seat will make your day or night easier! Help reduce fatigue, improve safety and your health. TRT’s truck seat experts can help. View our truck seat range at www.trt.co.nz or call us today!
CALL US TODAY
to talk with our parts team!
Ham: 07 849 4839 Akl: 09 262 0683 Chch: 03 741 2261 www.trt.co.nz
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
UPGRADE YOUR SLEEPER CAB MATTRESS
I NDEPENDENT T RUCK S PRAY
Talk to us today about custom building your mattress to suit your requirements and comfort.
We manufacture mattresses for trucks, boats, caravans, motor homes with a full range of beds for your home.
WAIKATO BEDDING
Paddy - m: 021 335 739 e: paddy.its@gmail.com
TD28939
• Cab and chassis painting
• Trailer painting • Custom Painting
• Fleet spec painting • Sand blasting
TOLL APPROVED APPLICATORS
Your Sleepland Store
Come in and see us now Mon – Fri. 9am – 5pm Sat 9am – 2pm. Riverlea Rd, Hamilton Ph 07 856 0393 sleepland@waikatobedding.co.nz
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Manufacturers & Distributors of:
TD26073
• Roof Air Deflectors and Side Skirts • Fibreglass Sunvisors • Windscreen Stoneguards • Weathershields • Headlight Covers • Bonnet Bug Guards • Tipper Skirts
106 | 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
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434 Church Street East, Penrose, Auckland
TRANSPORT, DIESEL & MARINE
THE RIGHT PARTS…THE RIGHT PRICES…RIGHT HERE! ROADRANGER RTLO16610 REMAN TRANSMISSION $4000+GST
STEMCO HUBO’S
ALLIANCE 12 VOLT 2 SPEED CAB FAN
FIVE YEAR/500,000KM WARRANTY
CHROME WITH CAST STEEL BASE $63.00+GST
DELCO STARTER MOTOR FACTORY REMAN 12V 11TH 39MT $450.00 450.00+GST
SPICER 15 X 2 CERAMIC SOLO CLUTCH KIT 2050 FT LBS
CAB BLOWER KIT WITH FITTINGS $41.80+GST
$800.00+GST
SP209701-25
MERITOR RPL23-160 FRT DRIVE HEADS 3.58 & 4.30 RATIOS
NATIONAL SEATS HI & LOW BASE
AVAILABLE FROM $6000+GST
EATON 6109, 8209, 8309
FACTORY REMAN TRANSMISSIONS AND PARTS AVAILABLE
EG28930
Can’t find the parts you need? Let us find them for you
Ph: 0800 501 133 www.tdm.co.nz
Specials valid while stocks last.
8 Prescott Street, Penrose, Auckland Fax: 09 525 6161
Email: ray@tdm.co.nz
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
New Zealand’s First 1000 Macks
To order your copy please email: mansell@orcon.net.nz or grant.gadsby3@xtra.co.nz
TD28429
From the stock carriers of the South Island to the off-highway loggers of Kaingaroa, Mack trucks were seen hauling the biggest loads in every corner of our country. Soon these mighty machines will be celebrating 50 years of service to Kiwis and to commemorate the occasion, Ed Mansell, Paul Livsey and Grant Gadsby have collected the best photographs of these trucks, supplied by many of New Zealand’s top truck photographers, to combine into a book of the finest photography. The book follows the “lives” of the first thousand Mack trucks assembled at Motor Truck Distributors in Palmerston North, from brand spanking new, through their subsequent owners until their inherent demise, or in some cases complete preservation or restoration. Due for release in 2022 to coincide with fifty years of service, we are asking for expressions of interest in purchasing this complete anthology of New Zealand’s first thousand Mack trucks. The book will be a hard covered, coffee table styled book in full colour, of approximately 500 pages. We intend to limit the number to one thousand copies, allowing any Mack owners the possibility of purchasing their trucks equivalent book number. Once your order is placed you will be guaranteed to receive a copy should you wish to proceed at the time of publication. No payment is expected at this time, but we may require a deposit be paid early in 2022. A price indication is approximately $135 plus, but this may change due to the quantity finally printed, and inflation, over which we have no control. Numbers will be limited so get your name on the list for this once in a life-time book. This book will not be reprinted after the initial production run.
Airplex Industries Ltd 21 Saleyards Road, Otahuhu, Auckland Phone +64 9 276 9826 Toll Free: NZ 0800AIRPLEX Fax +64 9 276 9836 Email: info@airplex.co.nz
the auto accessory specialists Manufacturers & Distributors of:
Roof Mount Air Deflectors Sunvisors Windscreen Stoneguards Headlight Protectors Door Weathershields Bonnet Guards NZ Made Truck Accessories!
Ute Accessories: SteelTop® Ute Canopies, Hard Lids, Nudge Bars, Bonnet Guards, Door Weathershields, Tailgate Assist - Prolift, Bed Liners, Ironman 4x4 Winch Bars, Sports Bars, Tonneau Covers, Side Steps, Slide Drawers, Roof Racks, Towbars..... and so much more!
108 | Truck & Driver
TD28440
LCV28647
• • • • • • •
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
KEEP YOUR MAGAZINES FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
R A D I ATA L O G G I N G
PURCHASE A BINDER TODAY! KEEP YOUR COLLECTION IN TOP CONDITION For your binder simply fill in this form and return it to: NEW ZEALAND TRUCK & DRIVER MAGAZINE along with $32.00 (GST, P&P incl) Name: Address:
The ideal Christmas present for the mad keen trucker.
Phone: Fax: Mastercard
Amex
Cheque (Make payable to Allied Publications Ltd)
Card No.
Name of Card Holder: Expiry date: Signature:
For just $48-00 plus postage of $6-50 you can get this limited edition publication.
LIMITED EDITION
Security#:
Post to: NEW ZEALAND TRUCK & DRIVER MAGAZINE PO Box 112062, Penrose, Auckland or Fax: 09 571 3549
TD23623
Visa
TD16969
The latest in the collection of historic pictorials by Gavin Abbott moving into the early years of the Radiata Pine Harvesting in the Bay of Plenty area. Many fleets of the past as well as current day fleets are featured in this must have for the trucking collector.
For your copy contact: Paper Plus Opotiki, PO Box 37, Opotiki Ph 07 315 6263 Fax 07 315 7133 Email opotiki@paperplus.co.nz
Order online: www.alliedpublications.co.nz
Now released in time for Christmas Volume 3 of the much sought after From Low Gear to OVERDRIVE. Bring your collection up to date with this latest edition or get all three issues. The best historic record of the central North Island road transport scene, featuring many well known fleets of the past and the people behind them.
r fo nt se re p as m st ri h C t ea gr A fe. li r u yo n i st ia us th en ck u tr at th ORDER FORM
NAME................................................................................................................ ADDRESS.......................................................................................................... .........................................................................POSTCODE.............................. EMAIL................................................................................................................ DAYTIME PHONE ( ).................................................................................
AS A GIFT
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PAYMENT
o
$........... $........... $........... $........... $........... $........... $........... $........... $...........
(please tick method used) Direct Credit: (use your name as ref) A/C No: 03-0426-0226242-00 o OR by cheque made payable to: Taumarunui & Districts Historical Society Inc Box 329, Taumarunui 3946 or order online at http://www.rollbacktheyears.co.nz/
TD23878
ORDER
From Low Gear to Overdrive Vol.3.............copies @ $65.00 each From Low Gear to Overdrive Vol.2.............copies @ $65.00 each From Low Gear to Overdrive Vol.1.............copies @ $65.00 each Special Deal All three volumes......................... copies @ $180.00 Postage: NZ $5.50 for 1 or 2 books Multiples of $5.50 for each increase of 1 or 2 books Australia @12.50 per volume USA $25.00 per volume TOTAL
Truck & Driver | 109
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
OPOTIKI TRANSPORT CO. It all started with the Opotiki flood of 1918 when farmer S.S Brewster lost his farm and started suppling fire wood in Opotiki to provide an income for himself. Starting out with a horse and cart then as motor vehicles became available he purchased one and started the Opotiki Transport story.
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The full story of this pioneering company complimented by Gavin Abbots fine photo library, another collectors must have.
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LIMITED EDITION
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For just $40-00 plus postage and handling $7-00
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For your copy contact: Paper Plus Opotiki, PO Box 37, Opotiki Ph 07 315 6263 Fax 07 315 7133 Email opotiki@paperplus.co.nz
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WAITARA
23 Mayne St, Waitara Craig Midgley (Manager) 06 754 7145 027 560 4345 craig@brokerspnp.co.nz
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40-42 Geddes Rd, Rotorua Rick Osborne (Manager) 07 346 2089 027 277 2653 rick@brokerspnp.co.nz
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Kurt Broker (Director) 027 699 9612 – kurt@brokerspnp.co.nz
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Two locations across Central North Island – www.brokerspnp.co.nz
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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!
110 | Truck & Driver
Isringhausen leads the way in the application of modern technology to driver’s seating. ISRI has a full range of driver’s seats to suit every application. Isringhausen have a
ISRI 6860/875 NTS PRO
ISRI 6860/870 NTS
ISRI 6800/337
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Folding Head Restraint, Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt & Isolator
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Head Restraint Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt
Automatic Self Levelling Air Suspension Seat Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt Head Restraint Included
range of accessories to compliment every ISRI seat. at. This includes optional armrests, head restraints, seat belts, swivel plates and isolators. Note: Seat fabric may vary from what is shown. Armrests and head restraints are optional accessories. Additional information on the full range of ISRI seats is available from the exclusive
ISRI 6500/517
ISRI 6000-517
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat IPS Pneumatic Lumbar Support
Automatic Self Levelling Air Suspension Seat Pneumatic Lumbar Support
Mechanical Suspension Seat Adjustable Weight Mechanism Manual Lumbar Support
Note: Headrest & Armrests Not Incl
Note: Trimmed in Black Fabric
Note: Trimmed in Black Fabric TD24929
New Zealand Agent
ISRI 6860/880 NTS
Geemac Trading (NZ) Limited. Phone (09) 630 1856 or Fax (09) 630 1855 email: sales@geemac.co.nz www.geemac.co.nz / www.isringhausen.co.nz
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
MY DETAILS NAME: ADDRESS:
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AP27602
ADDRESS: CARD HOLDER NAME:
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Entry Form
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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:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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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An old/new
Barker look
HAT DOES A FLEET DO WITH ITS LIVERY WHEN it’s been part of a wider transport organisation with a very distinctive colour scheme...and a major division of the group changes hands? That was the slightly tricky challenge facing Bulk Lines, part of the James Barker Group of companies, following the sale two years ago of Freight Lines, Bluebridge and Streamline Freight to the Australian-based Champ Private Equity Group. How to forge an image as an independent operation, yet not lose the time-tested power and historic value of the original livery? The International ProStar which features as this month’s finalist in the PPG Transport Imaging Awards shows what can be done to balance history with innovation…and changed circumstances. The lime green that’s long offered an eyecatching contrast to the dark base green of the companies that sprouted from the original Otorohanga Transport of more than 50 years ago has been extended to the previously-black truck and trailer chassis. And the company logo has been substantially revised. The instantly-recognisable outline map of New Zealand that for years has been the centrepiece of the branding for the late “Big Jim” Barker’s group of companies is still there….but it’s
2 | Truck & Driver
now more stylised, has moved from the centre of the logo and features new, koru-like swirls running through it. As Bulk Lines managing director Peter Barker explains, it was important to try to keep the map element: “It goes back originally to the formation of Freight Lines, when the desire was to identify it as a NZ company – and one that covered the length of the country. “In their turn, Bulk Lines and Stock Lines had similar logos, to project the same message. “There are also sentimental reasons for keeping the map, because it retains the family connection. “We have a lot of Maori staff and families associated with us, so the koru effect of the lines in the map seemed very appropriate. We also changed the font and shadowing on the company name to help it stand out more.” So far the new livery has been applied only to the Bulk Lines fleet’s latest additions – the first two of three International ProStars – but in time it will be rolled-out across the whole lineup. In the interests of improved visibility and safety the Inters also feature reflective stripes – now applied in decal form, where previously the stripes were painted on. The painting and signwriting work on Bulk Lines’ trucks
TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS
Clockwise, from top left: Early the new Bulk Lines logo, including its stylised, koru-inspired version of the NZ map....days of the longstanding Barker colour scheme...two International ProStars are so far wearing the new livery, which includes the revised logo, lime extended to the chassis of the truck and trailer and new striping – now in reflective vinyl decals....the Bulk Lines livery (and logo) as it has been until the recent changes
has been done for many years by Hobo Butcher – and, more recently, his son Paul – from Spray & Bake in Otorohanga. It also looks after repair and maintenance painting for the fleet. But the ProStar stripes and pinstriping were applied by Truck Signs in Mount Maunganui – because, as Peter Barker explains, “the Internationals come from NZ assembler Intertruck Distributors with their cabs already painted in the base dark green. “And, with Truck Signs being virtually down the road from the Intertruck factory, it made sense for the job to be done there. Intertruck also applied the light green to the truck chassis.” Pinstriping and light green keylines around guard edges and headlights have long been a feature of the Barker company colour schemes, and this approach is retained with the new Bulk Lines design. Until the early 1980s the original Otorohanga Transport colour scheme was dark green and white. Then the distinctive lime green was introduced in a two-tone layout, before evolving into the broad white-bordered stripe that has been the trademark of the companies in the group for many years. Both the shades are registered as Otorohanga Greens. While the broad stripe effect works well with bonneted
trucks, cabovers can be tougher to get right, admits Peter: “Over the years we’ve had a few different goes at that, and they can be a challenge, that’s for sure. “Each one is different by way of grille size and location when you try to bring the stripes around to the front. Generally, we leave it up to Spray & Bake, and they modify the base design for the best effect with each different model. “Despite the variation in cab designs, we’ve been able to achieve a good consistency. You’ll find more of a variation across Freight Lines trucks, as their high proportion of ownerdrivers means you get more people wanting to put an individual stamp on their machines. “With Bulk Lines, the machines are 98% companyowned, meaning a higher level of visual consistency can be maintained.” Looking at the new Bulk Lines ProStars, you’re left with the feeling that a tricky balancing act has been pulled off well: Tradition still rules, but the repainted chassis and redesigned logo present a fresh new face to the world – and stamp the company as independent in its own right. That seems to be a widespread opinion. Response to the revised livery has been very positive, says Peter Barker: “I don’t think we’ve had a negative comment yet.” T&D
Truck & Driver | 3
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TAURANGA Shape & Spray (07) 578 5933
HAMILTON Fleet Image NZ Ltd (07) 850 1100 MORRINSVILLE Greenville Auto Painters Ltd (07) 889 3655
TE PUKE Peak Panel & Paint (07) 573 7551 WHAKATANE Haddock Spraypainters (07) 308 8317
TE AWAMUTU Fleet Image NZ Ltd (07) 871 6780
WAITARA Brokers Panel & Paint Ltd (06) 754 7145 PALMERSTON NTH Alro Truck & Trailer Repairs (06) 357 4100
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ROTORUA Brokers Panel and Paint (07) 346 2089 HASTINGS Hastings Panel Repair & Spraypainters (06) 876 7297 MASTERTON Rob Walker Spraypainters (06) 377 3739
CHRISTCHURCH Reliance Panel Repairs (03) 348 3758 Wilcock Truck Painters (O3) 343 2001
DUNEDIN Bridgman Street Panelbeaters Ltd (03) 455 3276
INVERCARGILL Sievwright Auto Painting (03) 215 8584
TD28865
PPG Industries New Zealand Pty Ltd, 5 Vestey Drive, Mt Wellington, Auckland. Call 0800 4 PPG CT (0800 4 774 28)
Web: www.ppgfleetpool.co.nz
