NZ Truck & Driver March 2019

NZ TRUCK & DRIVER

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| March 2019

March 2019 $8.50 incl. GST

BIG TEST The Limestone Cowboy | FLEET FOCUS Truck-mad Mike goes Nationwide | FEATURE Mountain mail run

FLEET FOCUS Truck-mad Mike goes Nationwide

FEATURE

Mountain mail run

The Official Magazine of the

ISSN 1174-7935 Issue 221

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CONTENTS Issue 221 – March 2019 2

News The latest in the world of transport, including….TR is to introduce three electric trucks to its rental and lease fleet; a spate of truck fires sparks concern and theories; new FUSO Canter New Zealand’s safest-ever light truck

22 Giti Tyres Big Test It’s the name that sparks it – Coronado.

And the fact that PGF’s new Freightliner is hauling lime from Te Kuiti to Auckland.

Writer Dave McLeod gets on a Wild West theme and can’t help seeing driver Woody Apperley as The Limestone Cowboy.

The ride from the non air suspension passenger seat only adds to the theme

37 Transport Forum Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..regulations are pointless without proper enforcement, points out RTF CEO Nick Leggett; protection likely for dependent

contractors; the Forum is winning the fight on unfair late payments

80/ PPG Transport Imaging 81 Awards Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets….including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist

46 Fleet Focus A passion for trucking has taken Waikato’s Mike Mathieson from a dispatcher on wages, to a transport operator with 11 trucks running in his Nationwide Livestock colours…all in the space of just seven years

COLUMNS 81 Sector Workforce Engagement Programme

FEATURES

Accelerated licensing process provides a faster path to a Class 4 or 5 licence

60 Mountain mail run It’s got to be one of the best (if not THE best), the most scenic, ridiculously spectacular, regular truck runs in New Zealand

73 Castrol Vecton Truck Driver Hero When the collision occurred, Gabe Stoltz’s boss couldn’t help but think some pretty negative thoughts about him (even though he’d rated him one of his top drivers). But then Gabe went from zero to hero

85 RTANZ When it comes to reducing the road toll, engaging people and communities is critical, chief exec Dennis Robertson believes

87 National Road Carriers Association CEO David Aitken reveals his 2019 road transport wish list

89 TRT Recently Registered

77 Profile New Iveco NZ boss Jason Keddie has pretty much done it all in the automotive industry

MANAGEMENT Publisher

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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 Dave McLeod Hayley Leibowitz Cory Martin Robin Yates

ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production Luca Bempensante Zarko Mihic

EQUIPMENT GUIDE AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Advertising Don Leith 027 233 0090 don@trucker.co.nz AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND Advertising Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz

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Truck & Driver | 1

NEWS

Fires spark concern, theories THE TR ANSPORT AND INSUR ANCE INDUSTRIES ARE being guarded in their response to the recent spate of truck fires, a number of them in curtainsider trailers.

There are concerns about the potential ramifications of the fires, such as increased insurance premiums for companies running the kind of units involved….possibly even legal action.

The fires have occurred often enough since spring 2018 that at least one major insurer confirms that it is now investigating the incidents.

The well-publicised fires included loads not considered a high fire risk.

The fire in a curtainsider on the Canterbury Plains, for instance, in which the driver continued on to find a place to stop where it wouldn’t set off a grass fire, was reportedly in a load of milk powder.

One insurance industry heavy vehicle assessor points out that fires in curtainsiders are not a new phenomenon – but agrees that the incidence appears to be increasing….even allowing for the fact that there are more curtainsiders on the road now than there were five years ago.

In the past, he adds, fires have often been put down to overheating brakes or wheel bearings – the exact cause difficult to determine due to the often severe fire damage.

Factors now being discussed as possible causes of fires include curtainsider trailer design changes and an increased use of mezzanine floors – some with adjustable floor heights – to optimise freight space.

The assessor doesn’t believe the fires are a major issue – and certainly

haven’t reached epidemic proportions.

His company is awaiting reports from investigators on fires involving clients’ trucks, to try to pinpoint any particular problems.

The boss of one major freight transport and logistics company confirms that it has experienced fires in a couple of its curtainsider units. He believes they were most likely caused by metal friction involving the mezzanine floors.

The company is installing fire blankets under the floors and Teflon hooks to reduce the chances of heat friction buildup resulting in ignition.

Apart from the obvious safety issues for the driver and other road users, he points out that it’s not a good look marketing-wise to have a truck catch fire out on the highway. It could lead to increased insurance premiums, which is the last thing the industry needs, he adds.

He believes that while the curtain material may be quite flammable, the heat to spark and initiate a fire is probably generated elsewhere.

He raises the question of whether the use of different metals in the construction of mezzanine floors may be more prone to generating heat friction buildup by movement between adjacent parts of the floor, compared to materials used previously.

Other possibilities include a change in the design of the mezzanine floors in recent years, or the way they are installed.

It’s understood that the fires have occurred in vehicles built by a number of different manufacturers. T&D

Traton muscles-up financially TRATON, THE UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR THE MAN, Scania and Volkswagen truck brands, is reportedly taking the next step towards its target of becoming the world’s No. 1 truckmaker.

Reuters says that Traton is talking to a handful of Swedish institutional investors about being cornerstone shareholders – ahead of a public share offering.

The news agency says that the initial public offering (IPO), tipped for next month, is expected to see the VW Group sell shares worth five to six billion Euros, with Traton possibly being valued at 20-25billion Euros.

The IPO will raise the backing to fund Traton’s global expansion.

VW trucks boss Andreas Renschler used to head Daimler’s truck unit, the world’s biggest commercial vehicle manufacturer by revenue, before 2 | Truck & Driver

taking up the VW role in 2015.

He has driven improved co-operation between Scania, MAN and VW’s heavy truck business in Brazil.

So far, in the bid to match (and overwhelm) Daimler and Volvo’s global spread, Renschler has broken into the North American market with a shareholding in Navistar International (which he has said could eventually extend to a buyout), a co-operation agreement with Hino in Japan and a beefed-up Chinese JV with Sinotruk.

Daimler Trucks, of course, has Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, FUSO and Bharat-Benz, plus a JV with Foton in China.

The Volvo group comprises Volvo, Renault, Mack and UD – plus a major shareholding in Chinese truckmaker Dongfeng. T&D

NEWS

Electric light duty trucks, like FUSO’s eCanter, are now in daily operation in cities around the world. Now New Zealand operators will have a risk-free and relatively low-cost means of trialling etrucks....via TR Group. It’s not been announced which electric truck make TR is buying

TR switches on TR GROUP, NEW ZEALAND’S GIANT TRUCK AND trailer lease and rental business, is aiming to give electric trucks a boost in NZ by introducing its first three etrucks.

TR says it hopes to increase the uptake of electric trucks here “by providing transport operators easy and risk-free access to trial and learn about this technology.”

The company, which has a fleet of 1300 heavy commercial vehicles for rent or lease nationwide, has committed to the etruck launch, having secured funding towards their cost from the Government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

EECA, via the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, will co-fund TR Group in the purchase of three electric 4x2 curtainsiders with taillifts and an 11 tonne GVM. The trucks are aimed specifically at the metro pickup and delivery market.

Says the company: “In turn, TR Group can focus on providing competitive, economical access to electric vehicles while we work to understand the longterm economic viability for heavy commercial electric trucks in NZ. “The support of EECA will also assist us while we work on developing preventative maintenance programmes and servicing schedules for these vehicles.”

TR Group general manager Brendan King says: “I believe we have a very strong position in the transport industry – one that we’ve worked hard on over many years, in conjunction with the loyal support of our many customers.

“Because of this position we believe we have a responsibility to show leadership and help the industry evolve with this type of technology.

“This means taking risks on their behalf and doing the learning about electric trucks – how they work, what are the pitfalls, what are the advantages, and how to make the most of them. This is what we intend to do.”

TR Group managing director Andrew Carpenter says that the trial wouldn’t be possible without the support of EECA and the Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund.

“We are incredibly excited about the potential positive impact that electric trucks can have in the heavy commercial vehicle sector and look forward to working with our customers to prove out their longterm economic viability and, of course, their positive impact on our environment.”

The Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund is an initiative in the Government’s electric vehicles programme – aimed at increasing the uptake of electric vehicles in NZ, by offering up to 50% of the funding for specific projects. T&D Truck & Driver | 3

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NEWS

Fuso New Zealand says that the new Canter’s suite of safety features makes it the safest light truck on the market

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New Canter safest ever

THE NEW-GENER ATION FUSO CANTER WILL BE NEW Zealand’s safest light truck, Fuso NZ reckons.

The light-duty 4x2 Canter, available from next month, comes jampacked with a suite of safety features that includes active emergency braking, lane departure warning, an electronic braking system, electronic stability control, a reversing camera and passenger airbags as standard.

They join existing safety features including a brake priority system, fourwheel disc brakes, driver’s airbag, hill start assist, heated rear-vision mirrors and a reinforced, ECE-R29 rated cab.

Fuso NZ says it amounts to “the most comprehensive safety package ever seen in a light truck in NZ.” The radar-based active braking system helps to avoid or reduce the seriousness of collisions (with other vehicles or pedestrians) – automatically initiating emergency braking if the driver doesn’t quickly respond to visual and audio warnings.

The lane departure warning system operates at over 60km/h, sounding visual and audio alerts if the truck strays out of its lane without the indicator deployed.

The electronic brake system is an addition to the long-offered ABS – controlling the braking pressure applied to each wheel…automatically taking into account the loading and road conditions.

Electronic stability control uses steering and yaw rate sensors to detect loss of control – applying appropriate braking to each wheel to aid steering control and improve stability.

The 34-model Canter range also comes with a new seven-inch touchscreen – compatible with Apple Car Play and Android Auto – linked to a reversing camera.

And it has a five-year/200,000-kilometre extended warranty, which Fuso NZ believes is the first of its kind in the light-truck market.

Fuso NZ managing director Kurtis Andrews says of the warranty: “It’s

simple. The warranty extends from 36mths/100,000kms out to a whopping 60 months/200,000kms. This is a huge amount of value, delivered at no additional cost, with the only stipulation being that the customer services the vehicle at an authorised FUSO dealer.”

Andrews says that the arrival of the new Canter “signals the beginning of an exciting period for Fuso NZ. “Over the next 12 months, we have some exciting product developments to share with the market. Canter is one of our most important models, so it’s fitting that it should lead the charge.”

Fuso NZ is also launching a new “We look after our own” brand positioning – reflecting its undertaking to “support customers’ businesses through exceptional value, trusted service and advanced technology…. improving overall performance, return on investment and, most importantly, enhancing driver and road user safety.”

Says Andrews: “When it comes to safety, we take our responsibility to drivers, other road users and the transport industry as a whole extremely seriously. The new-generation Canter is our first step towards improving safety across our range and building a safer fleet on our national road network.”

Since the Canter was launched in NZ 45 years ago, more than 11,000 of them have been sold here.

Adds Andrews: “We understand what operators expect from a truck and have always been committed to delivering on that. Canter has always been one of the most popular light trucks in NZ – a tried and trusted investment for single-unit owner-operators….to giant multinationals.”

The model has, he says, already achieved class firsts with the Duonic AMT and a limited slip differential in its tippers.

“Canter’s new safety offering is the next step in this iconic truck’s evolution, placing a premium on the wellbeing of our drivers, which is vital to the future health of our industry.” T&D Truck & Driver | 5

NEWS

A contributing factor to Isuzu clocking up its 19th year in a row as NZ’s No. 1 truck make was the parent company’s commitment to the Kiwi market – even sending execs and engineers to see operating conditions here first-hand

It all adds up to Number One A KEY ELEMENT IN ISUZU’S RECORDBREAKING SUCCESS IN claiming the Number One spot in New Zealand new truck sales for the 19th consecutive year – also leading the light, medium and heavy-duty sectors – is enhanced reliability and renewed focus on the end users, the company believes.

Isuzu Trucks NZ general manager Colin Muir pinpoints these as major factors in the make’s milestone achievement, which he believes may be unique globally for Isuzu.

“We have worked closely with Isuzu in Japan to ensure our product resonates with Kiwis, as we have a burning desire to be the ‘go-to’ brand when someone has a need for a new truck,” he says.

An example of this was the extensive high-country testing of a 6x4 automated manual transmission tipper in a variety of challenging situations, he says: “It’s all very well explaining a particular condition on a conference call with executives in Japan, but nothing beats a team of Isuzu engineers, as well as R&D staff, coming to the top of the South Island to witness an Isuzu in action in such a unique environment.”

Other contributors to Isuzu’s success, Muir says, include a continuation in the growth of the service side of the business, “considerable” investment into the brand by dealers and an Isuzu commitment to technicians’ training.

“Our ultimate aim is to have a network which is never any more than a one-hour drive away from any point around the country, which is a lofty ambition but one we’re dedicated to achieving,” says Muir.

New technology in the latest trucks is another factor identified by Muir: “It’s no longer correct for people to perceive Isuzu trucks as lacking technology. They now offer options – like advanced driver assistance safety systems – akin to what is available in a car or SUV, such as lane departure warning, front collision alert and pedestrian alert,” says Muir.

Isuzu has also launched a new AMT version of the CYZ heavy-duty tipper and the VN97 N Series light-duty range has advanced emission controls without the need for a particulate filter or AdBlue. T&D 6 | Truck & Driver

Colin Muir

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NEWS

PACCAR Australia managing director Andrew Hadjikakou (left) and its director sales and marketing Brad May (right), with Southpac CEO Maarten Durent (second from left) and chairman Graeme Gibbons, at the awards function

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NEWS

Southpac’s DOTY double FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR – AND against a field of more than 25 dealers across Australasia – New Zealand’s Southpac Trucks has been awarded Kenworth Dealer of the Year.

The award is made to the dealership with the highest ranking across five main areas: Truck sales, overall dealer performance, parts sales and customer support.

The award was presented at PACCAR Australia’s annual dealer event, fittingly held this year in Queenstown.

Southpac backed-up the premier award by also taking the 2018 PACCAR Australia Service Dealer of the Year, “for exceptional standards in service and support.” Southpac has also won this award two years in a row.

Managing director of PACCAR Australia Andrew Hadjikakou presented the Kenworth Dealer of the Year award to Southpac Trucks CEO Maarten Durent and chairman Graeme Gibbons – congratulating their team for their professionalism, outstanding customer support and for setting a strong example for other dealers, not only within the Kenworth network but the industry as a whole.

“Focusing on the most important factor in the business – the customer – Southpac Trucks has again shown the highest standards of service and professionalism.

“The Kenworth Dealer of the Year award is not about who sells the most trucks, but which dealer provides the best overall performance for the customer – encouraging all dealers across the Kenworth dealer network to strive for customer excellence.

“Southpac’s ongoing commitment to the industry and continued investment in their people and facilities is commendable, providing customers with the latest products and services and industry knowhow.”

Durent dedicates the award to his team for “their hard work, dedication and passion, which shows through in all they do.

“We are again extremely honoured to win this award and for being recognised as the top-performing dealer amongst an alreadyoutstanding cast of dealers.

“The relationship we have with our customers is paramount to our success and we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and support.

“The Southpac team is committed to quality in all they do and has made winning this award possible.”

Durent says that Kenworth’s contribution to Southpac’s success also needs to be noted: Hadjikakou and PACCAR Australia’s director sales and marketing Brad May, he says, “are very supportive of NZ customer requirements” – as demonstrated by engineering projects to develop models specifically to “meet NZ’s tough legislative and customer requirements.

“One such example is the Kenworth T659 8x4, used in bulk tipping and logging: It has been an outstanding success….just one example of many.” T&D

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NEWS

The impressive new facility in Christchurch is the South Island base for Penske NZ’s brands....as well as being Heavy Commercials’ new home

Penske goes big down South

Y

PENSKE NEW ZEALAND HAS OPENED A BR AND-NEW purposebuilt Christchurch base.

The NZ importer and distributor of Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle trucks and MTU and Detroit engines opened the Hornby facility last month.

To coincide with the opening, local commercial vehicle dealer, Heavy Trucks, joined the Penske NZ “family” and relocated its operations to the site.

The facility provides full retail sales, parts, and service support for all of Penske NZ’s brands.

Penske NZ says: “Customers will continue to receive the great experience to which they were accustomed with Heavy Trucks, while also benefitting from the broader Penske NZ network,” which includes Auckland and

Tauranga locations.

Penske NZ director Jim Livermore says that with the new facility, “we will be able to build on the great reputation that Heavy Trucks has earned in the South Island for exceptional customer service.”

Situated on a 11,500m square metre site in Headquarters Place, Hornby, the purposebuilt facility comprises 1860 sq. m. of workshop space, a 500 sq. m. parts warehouse, and 900 sq. m. of office space and amenities.

“The state-of-the-art workshop houses 18 truck bays, a machine shop, a drive-through wash bay, and two full-length service pits fitted out with the latest servicing equipment – providing exceptional amenities for our staff, our customers and their assets,” says Livermore.

Penske NZ has 13 commercial vehicle dealers and an additional 17 accredited Detroit dealers. T&D

Nikola adds battery-electric trucks

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HYDROGEN FUEL CELL-POWERED electric truck developer Nikola has announced the surprise addition of battery-powered models.

The company’s point of difference to Tesla has until now been its focus on fuel-cell electric trucks.

But in a series of tweets, the US-based company says it’s now adding battery-electric versions of its Nikola Two and Nikola Tre shorthaul models.

So a much-hyped Nikola World launch event

for its flagship Nikola One hydrogen fuel-cell longhaul tractor unit next month in Arizona will also see one of the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) Nikolas unveiled.

One Nikola tweet says: “You will be able to order both trucks (Nikola Two and Tre) in 500kWh, 750kWh and 1mWh options BEV…..

Hydrogen long haul, BEV short haul.”

Although it’s adding the BEV option, the company tweeted that it’s not shifting its main focus from hydrogen: “Zero implications on

hydrogen.

“Hydrogen for long haul, over 700 stations going up and over 14 billion in pre orders for H2 and rising every day. BEV customers don’t compete with hydrogen as they are mainly for inner city and much less range.”

Nikola says that longterm it predicts that sales of hydrogen fuel-cell trucks will outstrip BEVs 50 to one. The hydrogen fuel-cell trucks are 2267 kilograms lighter, with lower operating costs in longhaul applications. T&D Truck & Driver | 11

NEWS

The accreditation of East Coast Heavy Diesel & Machinery gives FUSO operators in the eastern Bay of Plenty easy access to approved FUSO parts and service

Further Fuso expansion FUSO NEW ZEALAND HAS FURTHER EXPANDED ITS parts and service dealer network, with the addition of Whakatane-based East Coast Heavy Diesel and Machinery (ECHD).

The arrangement extends FUSO’s reach within the Bay of Plenty region and builds on what is now a 20-strong network.

The business, established by father and son Glenn and Scotty Hale 10 years ago, will provide a “one-stop service shop” for customers in the area.

The business covers a range of light to heavy-duty vehicles and machinery and prides itself on offering a full range of vehicle services under one roof – something that general manager Robert Gatward says sets it apart from local competition.

“Our business ethos is all about making things as easy as possible for the customer and building strong, long-lasting relationships in the process.

“We’re always looking for ways to work faster, smarter and better, so having access to the excellent training and facilities that FUSO has to offer is a great chance for us to polish up and make improvements in the business.”

“We’re proud to join the FUSO network and looking forward to building on our existing reputation.”

Fuso NZ managing director Kurtis Andrews says ECHD was identified as a potential FUSO authorised parts and service dealer because of its proven experience and customer service focus.

“We want to partner with businesses that operate on shared values with our own and which have the skills and expertise to back it up.

“Operators in central and eastern Bay of Plenty now have easier access to the best possible service for their FUSO vehicles.” T&D

Amazon trying Embark self-driving trucks?

AMERICAN AUTONOMOUS TRUCK developer Embark looks to have secured the support of Amazon, the world’s biggest online shopping provider.

Neither company has confirmed it, but their apparent involvement has been pretty public – with a tractor unit and semi-trailer bearing the logos of both spotted on the I-10 interstate highway.

Embark, which runs its automated systems in trucks built by mainstream manufacturers, has previously done lots of autonomous (but not driverless) truck testing on the same highway.

In fact, its systems have clocked-up more than 200,000 kilometres of autonomous driving in the United States in less than two years.

The apparent Amazon linkup emerged recently when photos of tractor units and semi-trailers with Amazon and Embark branding, on the I-10, were posted on Redditt.

All Embark has had to say since the story broke is that it has been a pioneer in autonomous truck operation – completing cross-country deliveries, operating in fog and rain. The company is, it adds, advancing the development of autonomous trucks.

In earlier autonomous truck testing Embark has done the metro pickup and delivery sections of long-distance trips with a driver at the wheel of a standard tractor unit.

The semi-trailer is hooked up to a tractor equipped with the Embark self-driving system for the I-10 highway haul, ending at a transition point outside the destination city.

A driver sits at the wheel the whole time (with hands on the steering wheel, in fact), monitoring the road and the system – ready to take control at any time (which is Level 2 autonomy). T&D

12 | Truck & Driver

Fuso Ca

DADDY’S HOME

New Canter gets you home safely night after night.

The number one selling light-duty truck will now be in even greater demand. This year’s model boasts some significant safety improvements: Active Emergency Braking System Takes independent action to initiate full emergency braking to avoid accidents with vehicles or pedestrians.

Electronic Stability Program Improves vehicle stability and the risk of roll over by detecting skidding and applying brakes to individual wheels.

Lane Departure Warning System Warns the driver when vehicle moves out of it’s lane.

New 7” Multimedia and Reversing Camera Featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for safe, hands-free communication and navigation via smartphone.

Passenger Airbag An additional airbag to enhance passenger safety.

These new active safety features will help you get home safely night after night.

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Auckland

8 Oak Road, Wiri, Auckland

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Christchurch

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Design includes: • High-tensile chassis offering reduced tare weight & increased strength.

• Structurflex curtains standard option on curtainsiders, mezzanine floor ready. Excludes mezzanine floors, hooks, trees, floor poles & load binders.

• Nationwide support from TMC’s Auckland & Christchurch workshops & authorised service agents.

NEWS

Ford Turkey’s electric, autonomous F-Vision concept is an extreme example of the kind of slippery aerodynamics that will become more practical with new EU regulations

Euro ok for aero trucks AERODYNAMIC TRUCKS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME popular in Europe following a decision by the European Union to fast-track regulations that will allow longer trucks – specifically so the front of truck cabs can be streamlined.

Until now such fuel-saving measures have come at the cost of load space and thus have not been embraced by truckmakers….except in concept trucks.

Acceptance by the EU that such aerodynamic designs can reduce fuel use and thus exhaust emissions has led to the move – which will see a committee of the EU Council begin negotiations with the European Parliament to amend the directive governing the overall length of trucks.

The EU says that “rounded, aerodynamic lorry cabs provide drivers with

improved comfort and visibility, leading to an increase in road safety for lorry drivers and other road users.

“Due to current EU restrictions on the length of goods vehicles, fleet operators planning to introduce aerodynamic cabs must reduce the amount of space allotted to cargo to compensate.”

More streamlined cabs have been in use for many years in the United States – and now the EU says it wants to bring the changes into force as soon as possible.

Says the EU: “The amendment acknowledges changes in the needs of the market and developments in transport technology; and emphasises that the European Commission should allow the derogation (exemption) of current length restrictions to come into effect as soon as possible.” T&D

Mainfreight joins Aussie trucking industry group NEW ZEALAND’S TRUCKING AND logistics giant Mainfreight has been welcomed into the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) – the Aussie industry’s lead organisation – as a corporate member.

The ATA, which represents the 50,000 businesses in the Australian trucking industry, has officially voted-in Mainfreight as a new member at a general council meeting.

The Kiwi-founded company is a global logistics supplier, with branches across Australia,

China, Europe and the United States, as well as nationwide in NZ. ATA CEO Ben McGuire says that “just like the ATA, the team at Mainfreight are very future-focused and will bring significant value to the wider ATA community.”

With the company having also recently joined ATA member organisation, the South Australian RTA, McGuire says that Mainfreight’s membership “will strengthen our relationships and commitment to ensuring the industry

remains safe, professional and viable.”

As an ATA member, the company can participate in the development of association policy, internal committees and its general council. Its membership will also, says McGuire, “allow for future collaboration opportunities, including grassroots based conversations about safety, conferencing and networking with industry leaders.”

Mainfreight began its Australian business in 1989 – 11 years after its NZ startup. T&D Truck & Driver | 15

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NEWS

KAT finds new service boss inhouse

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KEITH ANDREWS TRUCKS (K AT) Auckland has gone inhouse to find its new service manager – appointing Cory Dainton, who’s been a technician with the company since 2013.

Dainton started with KAT as a parts rep in Kerikeri and has developed into an employee “held in high regard for his technical ability and desire to take on the hard tasks,” says the company.

Dainton says he’s looking forward to his step-up in roles: “KAT Manukau is an extremely busy shop – and now, instead of managing one job at a time, I’ll have 18

Cory Dainton

technicians to oversee.

“It’ll be a steep learning curve, but it’s an awesome team and I’ve got heaps of support.”

He credits Fuso NZ’s training programme as a “massive” aid in his career development: “It’s well led, very hands-on and applicable to everyday work – I always come back having learnt heaps.”

Dainton says his aim is to ensure that his team delivers “servicing at 100%.

“That means every customer leaves 100% satisfied that they’ve received the best possible service. It’s a big ask, but that’s our goal and a good team should be able to deliver that.”

KAT Auckland branch manager Martyn Dawson says that wherever possible, the Keith Andrews network “will always look to appoint internally.

“We have high standards and bringing people through who are already clear about those expectations and can lead on that basis makes all the difference.

“Cory’s technical ability is highly respected among his colleagues and Fuso NZ. He strives to exceed dealership standards and expectations and his promotion is a great example of the opportunities and pathways open to KAT employees.” T&D

NZTA decision to pay is the right way A CHANGE OF MIND BY THE NEW ZEALAND Transport Agency – reversing its earlier decision to not pay for the costs of recertifying towbars previously okayed by suspended Auckland certifier Patrick Chu – has been welcomed by the Road Transport Forum.

Chief executive Nick Leggett says the decision is “the only fair outcome.

“I think most people would agree that it is unfair for road transport operators to cover costs of recertification of their towing equipment. There is no fault on the side of these operators and they shouldn’t have had to pay twice.

NZTA had previously said that towbars certified by Chu would have to be recertified at the owners’ expense – leaving operators in the situation of having had towing equipment signed off by a registered certifier…..only to find out later that those certifications would be revoked.

Leggett says that the effected businesses had probably already experienced significant disruption and cost as they were forced to remove vehicles from the road.

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NZTA had previously funded recertification works in the South Island involving engineer Peter Wastney.

Thus, in the case of the Chu suspension, “we had advocated to NZTA that they should fund this work and we are very pleased that they have now agreed to do so,” says Leggett.

“The Road Transport industry believes the outcome is fair and congratulates NZTA for their change of position.”

NZTA says it will cover the costs of new inspections, recertifications and any necessary repairs or replacements.

“While the Transport Agency believes the liability of covering the costs lies with Mr Chu, this decision has been made in order to lessen the impact of the revocations on vehicle owners.

“Safety is the Agency’s top priority, which is why the decisions to revoke some certifications have been made. We make no apology for putting safety first, but we know that this action has had an unfortunate impact on some businesses and individuals.” T&D Truck & Driver | 17

NEWS

An artist’s impression of the bypass, looking north. In the foreground is a walking track to the existing tunnel

Awakino Tunnel bypass scheduled ROADWORKS TO BYPASS THE AWAKINO TUNNEL ON State Highway 3, between Taranaki and the King Country, are now scheduled to start late this year.

The work is part of the New Zealand Transport Agency’s wider $250million-plus Awakino Gorge to Mount Messenger Programme, designed to improve 58 kilometres of narrow, winding and hilly road.

The 2.3km Awakino Tunnel bypass will take traffic away from the single-lane tunnel, which was built in the 1920s.

The new route will include two bridges over the Awakino River, a passing lane, landscaped rest area and walkway to the tunnel.

NZTA systems manager Ross I’Anson says the bypass scheduling comes at “an exciting time, as we continue to make safety, resilience and route availability improvements” on that stretch of state highway.

“Safety improvements and efficiency gains will benefit the 2300 vehicles which travel this road, of which 20% are heavy vehicles.”

Construction on the $28.9million bypass is scheduled to start in October – the contract having now been awarded to Fulton Hogan.

It should be finished by May 2021. l’Anson says that because most of the work is away from the existing highway the project is unlikely to cause travel delays.

The overall project achieved what the NZTA termed “a major milestone” in December with the granting of resource consents for the Mt Messenger bypass project.

That comprises a 6km stretch of new highway which will bypass the existing steep, narrow and winding road and its single-lane tunnel. T&D

Contractors critical of infrastructure planning SHORT-TERM GAPS IN THE infrastructure pipeline are causing longterm headaches for the country’s civil infrastructure contractors, Civil Contractors New Zealand says.

Chief executive Peter Silcock is critical of the Government’s “vague forward work programme” that sees roading projects down nearly $3billion in the next two years.

Silcock says that despite promises of “record investment” and a “year of action” from the Government, poor visibility over new projects coming to market is starting to have a serious impact.

As highway projects such as Auckland’s northern and southern corridor improvements, the Waikato 18 | Truck & Driver

Expressway, Peka Peka to Otaki and Transmission Gully wind down, these should be replaced by the next wave, says Silcock.

But the only major NZTA projects confirmed so far are the $360m SH1 Papakura to Bombay improvements and the Manawatu Gorge Replacement, with a much smaller than anticipated range of small regional improvements, says Silcock.

While it’s was understandable that a new Land Transport Policy Statement will need some adjustment time, it’s also important for new projects to come to market in a reasonable timeframe, he adds.

“An about-turn of infrastructure policy was always going to be challenging. The reality is

we have not seen the promised array of small to medium-sized regional improvements come to market – or had a reasonable indication of when much of the work will begin.”

The lack of a clear roading work programme is just one delay – along with many others, Silcock says, citing the country’s need to improve coastal infrastructure resilience, water and broadband networks among the problem areas.

“We know there’s a lot of work to be done, and we want to be able to get on with it. The country’s skilled workforce of civil construction workers is ready and waiting, and NZ needs work happening on the ground here and now rather than over the horizon.” T&D

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NEWS

BYD’s 7.5 tonne T6 light-duty etruck, an electric yard tractor with a 46t rating and the T3 evan were introduced to Europe at a launch event in Spain. The electric forklifts were already on the market in Europe

Chinese etrucks into Europe CHINESE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MAKER BYD (BUILD Your Dreams) has launched its electric trucks, vans and forklifts in Europe.

BYD says it’s been the world’s biggest electric vehicle manufacturer for the past three consecutive years (it has sold more than 113,000 plug-in electric vehicles worldwide, including about 40,000 electric buses).

It’s already established in the United States market, with a heavy-duty electric tractor unit in testing with the Port of Oakland and the first of its HD electric residential refuse trucks now in everyday operation.

It says that its recent launch of an electric light truck, van and yard tractor in Spain is the start of its commercial vehicle rollout across Europe.

BYD’s etruck range and vans have been proven in China and “certain other global markets,” but haven’t until now been offered in Europe.

The first trucks available to European customers are the T6 light truck, with a 7.5 tonne GVW and BYD’s Q1M yard tractor – purposebuilt for port, airport and distribution centre work – which is rated to a 46t gross combined weight.

It also launched the fully electric BYD T3 van. It has already been selling electric forklifts in Europe.

BYD Europe MD Isbrand Ho says the launch was “a highly significant step for BYD – the introduction of a whole range of proven and competitive zero emission vehicles spanning key sectors of the commercial vehicle sector.

“Our previous pure electric products have cemented their position in their respective categories – taxis, city buses (we are now the market leader in Europe and have recently produced our 50,000th ebus worldwide) and forklifts (this year we expect to have completed deliveries of 3000 units to European customers).

“We are confident that this fourth product range – etrucks – will also win sales success even though the European CV sector is intensely competitive.”

BYD established its European electric truck division in 2018 and has been testing two prototype etrucks across Europe. T&D

Aussie industry opposes price-fixing THE AUSTR ALIAN TRUCKING Association has unanimously reaffirmed its opposition to the Labor Party’s new national policy of enforcing fixed prices on all parties in the supply chain.

The ATA, which represents 50,000 businesses and over 211,000 people in the trucking industry, is opposed to the possible re-establishment of the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT).

“This unified decision highlights the power of our council,” says ATA CEO Ben Maguire.

“Through robust and respectful discussion, we reached a unanimous agreement on the ATA’s position and role on this important issue,” he adds.

The meeting reaffirmed the council’s opposition to government-imposed price fixing, with concerns raised about Labor’s new fixedprices policy.

“Our council agrees that everyone in the industry should be paid sustainably and promptly. We particularly support practical measures that would assist owner-drivers and small fleet operators, including mandatory 30day payment terms,” Maguire says.

“The ATA is keen to work with the Labor Party to make sure its policy approach would improve safety and working conditions for everyone, without creating a fixed pricing regime, based on spreadsheets in a Fair Work

Commission office rather than real-world costs and practices.”

McGuire adds: “The industry’s safety record is continuing to improve, including since the abolition of the RSRT, although we recognise that we still have much to do.

“The most recent data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics shows fatal crashes involving articulated trucks decreased 16% in the 12 months ended September 2018, compared to the same 12-month period a year earlier.

“In NSW alone, we have seen a 28% decrease of heavy vehicle fatal crashes in the 12 months to February 2019,” he adds. T&D Truck & Driver | 21

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BIG TEST

The brand-new sleeper cab PGF Coronado and its equally fresh Feldbinder tanker semi make for an impressive-looking combination

22 | Truck & Driver

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Truck & Driver | 23

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PGF’s Bryce Poole bought the Coronado primarily because it was immediately available, but is impressed with how it’s performing

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CAN’T HELP IT: MEETING UP WITH KEVIN (WOODY) Apperley and his brand-new Freightliner Coronado 114 – running burnt lime from the comparatively rural lands of Otorohanga to Silverdale (or should that be Silverado?), north of Auckland – immediately has my mind straying to thoughts of the wild, wild west.

I guess it’s something about this thing being as American as stars and stripes, its Tex-Mex(ish) name…and that Glenn Campbell song! So in my mind the Coronado’s a stallion….and Woody’s The Limestone Cowboy.

And this is even before I get to experience the Coronado’s bucking, bronco-ish ride in the strictlystandard-issue (ie no air suspension) passenger seat.

Yee-hah!

Our 8am start in Otorohanga is a “late one” by Woody’s standards. Really late: “I prefer to be on the road around 3am to avoid the congestion on the Southern Motorway heading into Auckland,” he explains. And, quite frankly, who wouldn’t! But as trucks photograph better during daylight, he’s happy to accommodate us city-slickers.

As the sun rises over the Rangitoto Range, the goodlooking, long-faced bonnet of the Freightliner Coronado 114 comes into view, its handsome, dramatic appearance accentuated by it being dressed in the bright yellow colours of PGF Transport.

We take a walk around its exterior. Despite its 5550mm wheelbase, a 30,500kg GVM and a 65,000kg GCM, the Coronado 114 8x4 tractor unit carries its size well.

From the near road-touching extended bumper and massive grille to the twin exhausts and rooftop aerofoil,

huge amounts of chrome take dominance over the front, but the extended nose and 34” sleeper cab setup offers a majestic flow that’s in keeping with the Coronado name (which is Spanish for crowned – ie regal). It’s also very easy on the eye.

Underpinned by a relatively lightweight chassis, this Freightliner 114 comes with twin Meritor FG941 steer axles on leaf spring suspension and Meritor 46-160 diffs on AirLiner 46K air suspension, with it all riding on Michelin 275/70 R22.5 rubber, fitted to Alcoa Dura Bright alloys.

The heart behind the long face is a 560 horsepower/ 418 kilowatts Detroit DD15 engine, with an Eaton UltraShift Plus FO20E318MXP automated manual transmission.

The PGF tractor unit pulls a brand new Feldbinder quad-axle semi trailer fitted with one of the German company’s 43-cubic-metre aluminium silo tankers. The tractor unit has a Holland Kompensator fifth-wheel mounting, which was installed by Transport & General.

It’s one of a pair of the spectacular-looking tanker units just bought by PGF – the second one to go behind a new Kenworth T659 about to join the fleet.

The Coronado/Feldbinder combo tips the scales at 16,500kg – the tractor at 10,300kg and the trailer at 6200kg, giving it a payload capability of 27.5 tonnes with its current 44t sticker.

Climbing up into the Coronado cab takes a bit of negotiation, which isn’t helped by the fact that there aren’t grabhandles right where you need them.

However, once inside things get better: I find an expansive area that over-delivers in storage space. The Truck & Driver | 25

flat-floor, high-roof configuration gives you plenty of room to breathe (even with Woody’s large aftermarket chilly bin taking up space between the two seats). Aside from the obvious places such as glove compartments, door pockets and dashboard trays, the Coronado’s storage areas also run to a full-width space above the two-piece windscreen.

Then, of course, there’s the 34” sleeper area. For Woody the benefits go beyond the obvious onboard bed: “With the rear cabin wall of my previous cabovers, I couldn’t recline my (driver) seat enough. This space to move makes things far more comfortable for the driver.”

The woodgrain-finished dashboard has a plethora of switches and dials, but the white background behind the speedo and tacho displays catch my eye. So too though does the broken piece of fascia trim nearest to me. Should it really be broken on a truck that’s only seen 3000kms of tarmac running?

The stereo seems plain and pretty basic and (as Woody tells me later) it lacks Bluetooth for handsfree phone connection.

The leather seats are covered in black sheepskin – the driver’s one is air-suspended and looks comfortable, whereas my passenger seat….? Well, let’s just say not so

26 | Truck & Driver

much. Sheeesh, it’s going to be a long day.

Now, according to Freightliner dealer Mark Wright, the Coronado has been enjoying a recent lift in sales and interest in New Zealand. One reason, you’d imagine, might be the looming end of the Freightliner Argosy – the popular cabover heading towards new truck market extinction next year…to be replaced by the introduction here of the Cascadia conventional.

Yep, the Coronado’s got a bonnet – and the Argosy (of course) doesn’t. But the conventional has also got a low tare weight and a big-bore engine, just like its cabover brother.

So what swayed PGF’s Bryce Poole to buy this, the second new Coronado in the Benneydale-based company’s 33-truck fleet?

Simple: “When a person wants a truck, he wants it now,” he says, with no discussion of Argosy v Coronado, nor any other truck for that matter.

There was, as well, the satisfactory performance of the 6x4 Coronado he bought for the business a few years ago: “It was a demo truck that was well priced, with a good tare. It’s now gone 428,000kms with no problems.

It’s a bloody good truck.”

But it still comes back to the fact that this “second one

Main pic: The eight-axle unit is currently stickered to run at 44 tonnes, but that will soon be upped to 48t

Opposite page: The PGF tractor has plenty of shiny stuff – on the grille, bumper, sunvisor, vertical exhausts, mirrors, steps and guards Left: The unit came with twin 454-litre fuel tanks

was built for someone else that didn’t take it. I wanted one pretty sharp and this one had a bigger GCM – 44 tonne at the moment, but we’re permitting it for 48t. And, again, it came at a good price.”

“Getting specced trucks ordered, built and here takes ages. As it comes from Europe, the tanker alone can take 12 months to get here. The 8x4 was already built and the salesman, Callan Short did a real good job – great service.”

Most of the trucks in the PGF fleet are Kenworths – a mix of K200 cabovers and T409 and T404 conventionals – but Poole is also happy with the company’s Freightliner experience so far: “The Freightliners are good-looking units and are doing a good job.

“There’s also good backup from Trucks and Trailers, with service in Tauranga and Auckland. Mechanically the Coronado’s good – I’m pretty happy with the Detroit engine.”

The 8x4 and 6x4 Coronados “both have their place: The three-axle gets where the four-axle wouldn’t, if you know what I mean.”

Wright, the boss of Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz dealer Trucks & Trailers, says that the Coronado is “definitely at the pointy end” of the current new truck

market: “With its tare weight and powerful engine it lends itself to being one of the most user-friendly in the market, in terms of productivity.”

The truck has not, he concedes, “been as popular as it could be – mainly because customers have gone for the Argosy. It’s similar in dimensions, but with a few extra cab options.”

The Detroit engine is no drawback: “Cummins has always had a strong following in NZ – but so has Detroit.

The DD15 platform has been excellent and all motors are evolving. I think it’s becoming less about brand versus brand and more about the improvements. And this drivetrain is super stable.

“The Coronado is a premium product – it’s very capable and a good-looking truck. But it’s also highly productive, with a low tare weight and a low cost of running it. It makes sense on a balance sheet….the economics work.”

So what happens when the Cascadia is launched – will the Coronado still be around? Says Wright: “Eventually it will be transitioned across. People do tend to go for the latest and greatest – but the Coronado is still a fantastic product.”

Back to the test. Today’s load is around 27.5 tonnes

Truck & Driver | 27

All pictures: Driver controls and gauges are all easy to see and/or reach, particularly with the SmartShift paddle on the steering column. The 34” sleeper makes for extra driver-friendly space too....but the broken piece of dashboard trim, the jolts through the cab and its many squeaks and rattles are not so welcome

of burnt lime, headed for the roads north of Auckland – with NZ Truck & Driver publisher and test driver Trevor Woolston taking the wheel for the first leg out of Otorohanga. I ride shotgun to see how he feels about the new Freightliner.

Even pulling out of the depot he seems immediately comfortable with the truck, scanning the mirrors and the main gauges as we go. He confirms that it all seems as it should be in terms of getting comfy, seeing out and seeing the important gauges: “Getting in is a struggle though,” he adds. In some odd way this pleases me: I had been thinking that I must have simply missed a grabhandle!

Heading north along State Highway 39 towards Pirongia – a well worn piece of tarmac that in many parts offers narrow, tight turns and a variety of gradients – it’s a route that demands concentration and respect.

For his driving impressions of the Coronado, check out the Pirelli Trevor Test on the following pages. But suffice to say he reports good pedal placement, good legroom, enough power and torque from the DD15 to keep him happy….plus nice, crisp gearchanging from the Eaton UltraShift Plus AMT. He says that the steering wheel provides good feedback from the road. But both of us can’t help but notice that the cab is reacting to the uneven road surface with more than a small amount of protest – and there are rattles and squeaks around the cab (particularly from the driver’s door) that are not befitting a vehicle with so few 28 | Truck & Driver

Ks (3000) behind it.

Once the majority of the twisty stuff is out of the way, Woolston pulls over and it’s time for Woody to take the reins.

Given his background in the logging and timber industry, it’s a pretty easy assumption to guess that’s how he gained his nickname. But you know what they say about assumptions!

Turns out he’s nicknamed after the likeable barman off the old tv show Cheers – a favourite comedy of mine from the Eighties: “I worked behind the bar at our local pub many years ago and somehow the name stuck.”

Woody is a native Otorohongan and proud of it. He’s a man who has battled cancer, and bankruptcy…and had more than his fair share of mishaps. But he’s still come out the other side of it all with four successful children, a calm demeanour and, remarkably, a naturally positive attitude.

The latter shows when I quiz him about some of the Coronado’s perceived failings….which he immediately shrugs off: “It’s just a new truck so still has a few things that need to bed in.”

With only a few thousand Ks on the clock he feels that there’s plenty of time to get better acquainted (probably around 997,000kms to be more specific).

So what were his first impressions? “Picking up the Coronado in the dark meant that I had trouble with the switches on the dashboard. The white dials don’t seem to give off an easy read of speed or revs – that’s why I have

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Above: The DD15, which uses EGR technology to achieve the Euro 5 exhaust emissions standard, powers the Coronado effortlessly up the Bombay Hill

Opposite page: The lack of a good grabhandle on the right makes getting in and out of the cab difficult – with the protruding middle step adding to the challenge

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that GPS system,” he says, pointing at the aftermarket black box stuck to the dash.

Is the Coronado comfortable? “Yeah, the sleeper means that I can recline my seat a little – don’t feel so cramped as with the cabover.”

Woody explains that he’s “spent most of my time in cabovers so they are what I know best.

“But for highway driving I prefer the safety of a bonnet upfront. It did take a bit of getting used to with road positioning, especially on the tighter bends, but now it’s all good.

“It’s just about where to point the centre. I like the split screen, just in case it breaks – less cost to repair.”

He continues: “The brake and accelerator pedals are a little close together, especially with my big boots – but there’s more room for my left leg than with the Kenworths (a T409 and a T404 that were his two previous drives).

“The rest of the cab is good – loads of room and the sleeper is good for the downtime, which there’s plenty of when delivering onsite.”

Taking pride of place in the sleeper is a funeral order of service, which Woody picks up and hands to me: “It’s for my old man. He was hanging out for a ride in this truck, but died 10 days before I got it.”

I look through the pages. His Dad was a long-range rifleman and won a Queen’s Medal for his marksmanship – representing NZ in Australia. I tell him I’m sorry for his loss and we take a moment.

Then it’s back to the truck. What about the ride? Says Woody: “It is a bit jarring, but it seems a bit worse because of the sharp rattles,” he reckons, as he points to the driver’s door.

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Truck & Driver | 31

Clockwise from top (left & right): Tightly-packed DD15 puts out 560hp/418kW and 1850 lb ft/2508Nm....Feldbinder semi tanker is a class piece of work....

Kevin (Woody) Apperley is a naturally positive man and shrugs off the Coronado’s minor flaws “We don’t have a full load either. The last compartment in the silo is basically empty – not sure if that would make a difference.”

He hasn’t had the opportunity to drive PGF’s 6x4 Coronado, so “can’t comment. But it is a lot better than the 404. The 404 had done a lot of Ks and wasn’t a comfortable truck to be in – seat was flat and I got a dead leg.

“The 409 was a lot more comfortable than the 404 and has an edge on the Coronado. I think the 409 has got things a bit better worked out for the NZ conditions.

“But this new vehicle is like a new set of clothes – a bit uncomfortable at first, but growing on me. I’m really enjoying the auto transmission, especially for the Auckland traffic.”

As we head along the Waikato Expressway past Hampton Downs, Woody engages the cruise control and relaxes further – enough for a bit of social chatter…about what he does in his spare time, for instance.

“I design things. I’m an engineer by trade and when driving I get a lot of time to think about things and I come up with solutions. I made a cover that goes over the sprigs on my son’s footy boots – then someone came up with the same idea.

“I made a horseshoe-style clip for the hoses back there too, instead of the R clip. Makes sure you don’t lose it.”

As expected, the traffic slows up as we near Takanini.

Woody picks the middle lane and sticks to it: “People weave in and out of lanes, but they all end up going at the same rate. I leave a fair gap from the car in front – but not too much, as cars see it as an invitation.” He points to a car running beside us and tuts: “You still see so many people on phones, texting.” He shakes his head.

We climb over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and the AMT barely drops a gear: “It’s a really powerful engine,” Woody says approvingly.

32 | Truck & Driver

I notice that he often likes to manually decide when to change gears, particularly when decelerating or leaving the highway at a junction: “It’s not that there’s any problem with the gearbox – I just find that it sounds a bit boy racerish when it steps down in gears!”

We pull off the motorway at Silverdale and circle the roundabout up the top of the hill. The Coronado seems easy to manoeuvre and a few blocks later we arrive at Hiway Stabilizers. Once parked Woody sets about connecting-up for offloading.

As with all good Westerns, I would have prefered to watch Woody and his Coronado ride off into the sunset…. but as it turns out I’m the one to leave Woody offloading the burnt lime into the Silverdale plant.

However, as I pull out of the yard I check my rearview mirror for one last look at the PGF truck. I swear that the chrome on the yellow nose of the Freightliner is glinting in the sun like the spurs on a cowboy’s boots!

After our test, I raise the issues of this truck’s broken trim and its rough ride with Mark Wright, who responds: “I haven’t driven that truck myself. But many trucks go through a local upgrade – things like different stereos and stuff. It could have happened there. I’m sure it’s a fiveminute fix.

“As far as the ride goes, it could be a setup issue. Once a truck has spent some time on the road we get the unit back and recheck that it has the right balance, front to rear.

“They are a firm ride though and the cornering is outstanding – not roly-poly, as many customers are used to. There’s not much pitch or roll – but either way it can be fine-tuned.

“We make the truck our responsibility and go back to the customer asking how we can make it better for them.

We’ll keep working with the PGF boys: There is a softer ride available.” T&D

­

Trevor Test

I

T’S BACK TO MY OLD STOMPING GROUND IN SOUTH WAIKATO to catch up with this month’s test truck – PGF’s new Freightliner Coronado 8x4 tractor unit, hooked up to a new Feldbinder quadaxle silo tanker.

We’re carting burnt lime – another throwback to my past. And we’ll be running up the Otorohanga to Hamilton route via Pirongia – a road that I must have driven hundreds of times.

It’s a great looking unit in the loud PGF colours and with the brand-new trailer behind.

My usual beef comes with the cab entry, which – as it is on so many 8x4 bonneted trucks – suggests that getting the driver in is an afterthought….once all the axles have been placed.

There are three reasonably spaced steps up into the cab, but the combination of the second step extending further out than the bottom one, the positioning of the door over the steps and no grabhandle at all for the right hand makes it a less-than-ideal cab entry.

Once inside, the interior’s not bad looking and is spacious, thanks to the 34-inch sleeper.

All gauges are well laid out in front of the driver, with a large central panel housing all the various switches, brakes and ventilation controls. All the gauges have a nice white background which makes for a nice light display that’s easy to read at a glance.

Unfortunately, with only just a little more than 3000 kilometres on the clock, the left-hand panel of the dash is already in danger of falling off and will need attention at the first service.

Gear selection is by way of the usual Freightliner AMT control on the right-hand stalk of the steering column, with indicators on the left.

Brake and throttle pedals are well positioned and are both at the same height, making for easy foot movement between the two and there is plenty of room for the left leg to stretch out.

Given that there’s a 560hp/1850 lb ft DD15 under the bonnet, linked to an 18-speed Eaton UltraShift Plus automated manual transmission, there’ll be a lot less gearchanges than in the old days in my Macks.

We pull out of PGF’s Otorohanga depot with an all-up weight of right on 44 tonnes and pick up gears quickly, with the very smoothshifting Eaton.

The run out of Oto, once you clear the 50k area, is alongside the Waipa River and the road through here isn’t the smoothest. But even allowing for that I find that the ride in the Coronado is affected by a very sharp jarring coming up through the cab.

I’ve experienced this before in Freightliners and it’s further evidenced by our Go-Pro camera mounted on the inside of the windscreen: It shakes really badly – something we’ve experienced before in Freightliners. I can only assume it’s something in the Freightliner suspension and chassis setup that causes it.

Another result of it shows in the number of rattles that we’re experiencing in the cab – one particularly bad one in the driver’s door. It’s something else that should also be looked at in the first service.

It’s also a very windy, narrow bit of road through this first stretch

34 | Truck & Driver

and the truck handles this well, with easy positioning on the road and good tracking from the quad semi. The steering gives good feedback and is not vague at all – in fact, it’s very positive.

There’s a few small jump-ups on the stretch nearing the Kawhia turnoff, but they don’t knock the DD15 back much at all. We clear the first two in 14th gear, with just two full-gear downshifts – and then, The Coronado handles the tight, twisty stuff on the “back road” from Otorohanga to Ngaruawahia beautifully....but the bumps, slumps and potholes provoke jolts, rattles and squeaks

on the third one just before the Tihiroa school, which has a 55km/h corner halfway up, it drops down a full gear downshift, then a half-gear… and then another full gear. We end up in 13th and it’s all very much in line with what you’d select if you were shifting manually.

With this narrow road the mirrors are well used and they give very good vision back down both sides, with a very large upper flat mirror and a lower convex mirror all housed in a single shroud. At a quick glance you can see where your left side wheels are positioning through the tightest corners.

Despite the bumpy ride in places the driver is well looked after – the Freightliner air suspension seat giving good support and absorbing some of the jarring. The poor passenger, in this case writer Dave McLeod, isn’t so lucky: His seat is not air-suspended, so he’s “enjoying” the full effect of the ride.

Thankfully he has a dictaphone, as it’d be hard to imagine him being able to write readable

notes!

Despite the road we’re able to maintain a good road speed, thanks to the lively engine performance and clean, quick gearshifting.

This is a well-used truck route, so traffic is heavy, and drivers need to treat it with respect and caution as there have been numerous accidents on this road over the years.

But for us it provides a great test route for this North American truck and its handling, which is up to the task. I have to be a bit critical of the ride and I’m backed up by driver Woody, who confirms that the ride falls well short of that in his previous two trucks (both Kenworths).

All-up it drives well, with a nice cab (apart from a few fit and finish issues that need attending to) that’s a very roomy and practical workspace, enhanced by the integrated sleeper.

It’s a great looking unit and has great presence on the road, with its very obvious North American styling. T&D

• SPECIFICATIONS • FREIGHTLINER CORONADO 114 34” SLEEPER 8x4 Engine: Detroit DD15 EGR Capacity: 14.8 litres Maximum power: 418kW (560hp) @ 1850rpm Maximum torque: 2508Nm (1850 lb ft) @ 1225rpm Fuel Capacity: 908 litres Transmission: Eaton UltraShift PLUS FO20E318B-MXP automated manual Ratios: 1st 14.40 2nd 12.29 3rd 8.56 4th 7.30 5th 6.05 6th 5.16 7th 4.38 8th 3.74 9th 3.20 10th 2.73 11th 2.29 12th 1.95 13th 1.62 14th 1.38 15th 1.17 16th 1.00 17th 0.86 18th 0.73 Front axles: Meritor FG941, combined rating of 13,000kg Rear axles: Meritor RT46-160, combined rating of 21,000kg Auxiliary brake: Integrated Jacobs engine brake Front suspension: Leaf springs Rear suspension: Freightliner Airliner 46K GVW: 30,500kg GCM: 65,000kg

Truck & Driver | 35

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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

News of certification issues with towing connections highlighted NZTA’s compliance failings in early 2018

Regulation only works with proper enforcement T

by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ

HE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT’S REVIEW of the New Zealand Transport Agency ’s performance of its regulatory functions and its compliance failings is a timely reminder that regulation is an absolutely pointless exercise without the appropriate resources dedicated to enforcement.

The whole integrity of the road transport system – not just the rules around heavy vehicles – relies on having a regulator that is focused on making sure that vehicles, their assessors, and vehicle operators are compliant.

Otherwise, it’s like having a game of rugby without the referee. Sure, some of the obvious infringements will still get picked up by the touch judge, but players will quickly realise that they can get away with breaking the rules and will therefore gain an unfair advantage by standing offside, going off their feet at the ruck and illegally screwing the scrum.

Understandably, there is significant concern from the

general public that a substantial number of vehicles that they’ve been sharing the road with are not safe or fit for purpose.

The media focus on heavy vehicle non-compliance has served to further undermine public confidence in trucks and the overall acceptance of the critical role that road transport plays in the economy.

The Road Transport Forum is extremely disappointed with the situation that road transport operators now find themselves in, especially as we’ve been cautioning NZTA about its lack of regulatory oversight for many years. It’s fair to say then that, from our perspective, this review is not before time.

The fact is that if everyone is playing by the same set of rules – and those rules are fairly enforced – then every

Continued on page 40 Truck & Driver | 37

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Protection likely for depe

Most operators take the wellbeing of their drivers very seriously, however research suggests this is not always the case within the industry

SPECIALTY PRODUCTS

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

ependent contractors U

NLESS YOU WERE PURPOSELY IGNORING THE news over the summer holiday period, which can be a pretty sensible thing to do, you will be aware of some negative publicity that came the road transport industry’s way in relation to a piece of research into the health and wellbeing of truck drivers.

The AUT research (which formed the basis of a PhD thesis) and the media interest that it generated focused heavily on drivers’ working conditions, unreasonable expectations placed on some drivers resulting in breaches of the worktime rules and high levels of stress and fatigue.

The research and subsequent media coverage highlighted the absolute worst examples of driver exploitation, which was unfortunate for the majority of operators and owner/drivers out there who fully comply with the rules and take health and wellbeing seriously.

“For those operators it is extremely unfair that their reputations are also tarnished by the actions of some unscrupulous rogues in our industry,” says RTF chief executive Nick Leggett.

“Nevertheless, the findings of the research cannot and should not be ignored. You can be assured that the Road Transport Forum and our constituent associations certainly take the issue of driver welfare seriously.

“No matter what the situation is and what the demands of the freight

task are there’s no excuse for non-compliance with the worktime rules, especially when we know that fatigue is a cause of so many serious accidents on our roads.”

Thirteen-hour days and 70-hour weeks are extremely generous in an international context, says Leggett: “Very few countries in the world have longer worktime hours, and quite frankly there are very few other industries in this country where such long hours would be acceptable.

“RTF has always seen these hours as an absolute maximum. To hear that drivers are carrying around multiple logbooks to cheat the system and that many of the breaches are never picked up is very disappointing.

“Until we stamp out these practices, we will never be competitive in the labour market and will forever be fighting a rearguard action on issues of safety,” says Leggett.

“Also, why would 18-year-olds – with all the employment choices that the modern economy has to offer – want to work such long hours and expose themselves to chronic fatigue and all the safety implications that come with that?”

He points out that the PhD research focuses quite heavily on the plight of a number of contractors and owner/drivers: “These people are, for all intents and purposes, bound to the company they contract to

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

but exist without the legal protections afforded to employees.

“While, for many contractors, this situation works well and provides them a degree of autonomy and flexibility, it is undeniable that there is exploitation happening in some instances and people are having to break the rules just to stay afloat.

“With significant capital costs to bear, particularly the purchase of a vehicle, as well as the expenses associated with driving for a specific company, some contractors are put under significant pressure to work beyond what is reasonable or even legal and do whatever it takes to keep the company happy.

“Employment law commentators expect that it’s likely that the current UK model, where there are three categories of workers, will be adopted and the Government will look to create a middle ground between the current employee and independent contractor categories, known as dependent contractors. They will receive some of the same rights and entitlements as employees, to reflect the reality that their

livelihood is tied exclusively to the company that they contract to.”

Leggett believes that “none of this should come out of the blue for road transport operators – as Labour and the Greens proposed reform in this area during their 2017 election campaigns.

“Labour Party policy described dependent contractors as ‘workers who are effectively under the control of an employer, but who do not receive the legal protections that are currently provided to employees under the law.’ ” He suggests that “the way that work is evolving in the 21st Century probably demands an update of workers’ rights and obligations.

“Present legislation only caters for two categories of worker, which means that so many people are inappropriately categorised and do not receive the protections that their job deserves.

“RTF will wait and see what the Government comes up with as it is important that any changes address the issues that actually exist and do not overreach into areas where the Government has no business interfering.” T&D

Regulation only works with proper enforcement Continued from page 37 operator gets the opportunity to succeed in what is a very competitive industry.

Unfortunately, like every industry, there is a small minority of ratbags who aren’t bothered too much with the rules and will take any opportunity possible to break them and get a leg-up on their opposition.

These are the people who have benefitted from NZTA dropping the ball on compliance – and it’s the rest of the industry that suffers because of it.

RTF and our associations can only adopt a position of zero tolerance to cheating the rules. We have been warning NZTA for a number of years that its education-first policy on matters of regulatory vehicle compliance was not working and that the stripping back of its technical expertise was leading to major gaps in the compliance regime.

Inevitably the overall result of the review will be a major swing towards a far stricter enforcement approach. No matter what specific recommendations come out of it, it’s likely that road transport businesses will need to adjust to significant changes.

Naturally, RTF’s concern is that this will be an over-correction that

40 | Truck & Driver

unfairly affects the majority of road transport businesses that remain compliant and work within the rules. Excessive compliance processes that have a major impact on doing business are a real risk to the industry and that’s something that the Forum will do its best to remind government of.

It’s also worth stating that any costs associated with these regulatory changes must be passed on through higher freight rates. It is just not practical for operators to try to soak up the extra cost of added compliance.

We will therefore be keeping a careful eye on what the specific recommendations are and what NZTA looks to do in response. We have been told that the findings of the review will be released at the end of this month.

NZTA has also recently announced another review that is to sit alongside that undertaken by the Ministry of Transport – looking at the appropriateness of the current Operator Rating System (ORS). This review is scheduled to begin by the end of this month.

Operators will know that the ORS hasn’t been fit for purpose for a long time and leads to some pretty skewed results. NZTA is aware of these concerns and is keen to amend the system to address the problems within it.

We support the ORS review, but again we caution the Agency against applying an overly legalistic approach.

Any changes need to be workable and allow businesses to comply and keep their vehicles on the road. Possible adjustments to the kind of compliance data required and also a reworking of the weighting criteria would be worthwhile proposals and things that should be welcomed by operators.

RTF looks forward to discussing these proposals with NZTA as the year goes on.

Any association members who wish to have their say on any of these reviews are welcome to contact RTF and we will make sure their concerns are included in T&D our submissions.

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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

RT F

winning the fight on late payments Small Business Minister Stuart Nash (pictured) and Commerce Minister Kris Faafoi have been keen to tackle late payments since RTF met with them in early 2018

T

HE ROAD TRANSPORT FORUM IS PLEASED THAT its advocacy in opposition to late payment terms has helped to convince the Government – resulting in the release of a discussion paper on the issue.

“RTF has lobbied Government ministers, ever since they took office in 2017, to find a legislative solution to protect small business against late payment terms,” says Forum chief executive Nick Leggett.

Late payment terms, or unilateral deferred payments as they’re often called, are typically used by large companies to extend invoice payment times out to two or three months, in order to exploit small suppliers as a cheap source of finance.

This has a major impact on many small New Zealand business including a number of transport operators.

“It first came to our attention a couple of years ago, when a number of transporters dealing with some very large primary sector companies were struggling under the stress of late payments,” says Leggett.

“Unfortunately, as is often the case in a small market like NZ, those transporters are not in a position to just walk away from their biggest customers.

“Cashflow is always a challenge for transport businesses and it is therefore critical that they are paid for their services within a reasonable timeframe, which for most is at the end of the month.

42 | Truck & Driver

“RTF has always considered the imposition of late payments terms as a cynical practice and when we met with ministers Kris Faafoi and Stuart Nash early last year, their attitude towards the practice was equally resolute.

“While the gears of Government tend to grind away very slowly it is pleasing that it managed to release the discussion document for public consultation before Christmas.”

Leggett adds: “The simplest solution from our point of view – and what we continue to lobby for – is to simply extend the provisions of the Fair Trading Act that currently protect consumers from unfair contract terms, to also apply to small business contracts as well.”

The other options that ministers are considering include seeking to introduce “unconscionable conduct” into law. That would aim to deal with the much broader issue of imbalances of power and the enforcement of contractual rights.

Says Leggett: “RTF does not at this stage support introducing this in NZ as we believe it is a difficult concept for courts to enforce and we do not consider it the role of Government to interfere too deeply in the competitive business environment.

“Nevertheless, we will be carefully studying the various options put forward and will submit on behalf of the industry.”

The discussion document is titled Protecting Businesses from Unfair Commercial Practices and is available on the MBIE website. T&D

Freightliner Coronado, maximum payload.

New Coronado day and sleeper cabs available now.

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Trucks & Trailers 0800 327 777 www.trucksandtrailers.co.nz Richard Gordon | Upper North Island | 021 824 203 Adam Corbett | Auckland & Lower North Island | 021 771 335 Callan Short | Central North Island | 021 403 959

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Immigration reform no substitute for homegrown talent Sector Workforce Engagement Programme (SWEP) coordinator Steve Divers

T

HE WELCOME NEWS THAT THE GOVERNMENT is looking at major changes to temporary work visas should in no way lead to complacency that our workforce issues are over, according to Road Transport chief executive Nick Leggett.

“Ever since truck drivers were taken off the Immediate Skills Shortage list a number of years ago, transport operators have struggled to keep up with New Zealand’s ever-growing freight demand,” says Leggett.

“Subsequently, a lot of work has gone into trying to fill this gap by boosting the industry’s profile and the career opportunities available to young NZers. From streamlining qualifications, to developing career pathways through the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme (SWEP) coordinated by Steve Divers, attracting new people to the industry has been a major focus for RTF and our associations.”

Adds Leggett: “While immigration will never be a longterm substitute for developing homegrown talent, it is pleasing that the Government has recognised that some sectors require short-term workforce solutions to meet demand.”

The highlight of the Government’s plan is the institution of sector agreements in order to assist employers with workforce issues in industries that traditionally rely on migrant workers.

The quid pro quo of this is that employers who benefit from sector agreements will need to commit to employing more NZers over time and reduce their reliance on immigration. Employers will need to commit to improvements to industry productivity, investment in the 44 | Truck & Driver

training and development of domestic workers as a longterm solution to their workforce issues and provide better conditions for both domestic and migrant workers.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway, in announcing the new visa proposals, described the current system as “overly complex,” with a number of different visa options, and said it “isn’t adequately responsive to sectoral or regional differences in the labour market.

“Sector agreements would help businesses in need source migrants easily, in return for commitments by the sector to employ and train more NZers and to address their workforce needs more effectively.

“Ensuring that enough training opportunities are available to put young people on the pathway to skilled employment will be essential for addressing our longterm workforce shortages. However, in the short term our immigration settings provide a mechanism for employers to fill more immediate needs.”

The Government’s proposal is that the sector agreements are negotiated with representative industry bodies and made compulsory for employers seeking to recruit migrants in that sector.

The agreements would set out specific occupations covered by the agreement, employer accreditation standards, how the labour market test will be applied, required wages and conditions, caps on the total numbers of migrant workers that can be recruited, training commitments and any special regional or other considerations.

The agreements would last for three years and then be renegotiated to reflect changing conditions.

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 Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@rtf.nz 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

The Government is proposing that negotiations begin with the residential aged care sector and the tourism and hospitality sector in mid-2019, with these agreements to come into effect by early 2020. This would be followed by engagement with the road transport and dairy farming sectors in 2020.

Says Leggett: “The road transport sector agreement, while having the potential to alleviate some of the most acute shortages for operators in certain parts of the country, does not mean we need to stop trying to attract young NZers into the industry. “ The Government ’s proposal, if it sur vives the consultation process, doesn’t just grant employers carte blanche access to migrant work visas. The obligations that the Government is proposing really put the onus on the industry to develop and train our own domestic workforce in the long term.

“What it does do is provide us a little more time to properly bed in the recently-amended industr y qualifications and attract new young people to our businesses.

“I encourage all those with an interest in this to provide the Forum with your feedback so that we can include that in submissions to support the Government’s T&D proposal.”

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 | 45

Truck-m a goes Nationwide

Story Cory Martin & Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock

This Kenworth K200 is one of four owner/operator units in the 11-truck Nationwide Transport fleet

46 | Truck & Driver

m ad Mike

FLEET FOCUS

Truck & Driver | 47

Mike Mathieson doing what he does – working at the coalface....or in his case, the saleyards

I

T’S BEEN SPECTACULAR – CAREER TRUCKIE MIKE Mathieson’s rise.

Just seven years ago he was a dispatcher for a Waikato livestock operation, continuing to learn his trade in the industry he’s been hooked on since he was a kid.

Now here he is, the boss (with wife Paula) of his own thriving trucking company, with 11 trucks running under his Nationwide Livestock banner (albeit with four of them owner/driver vehicles).

His trucks aren’t just old clunkers either. Far from it – they’re standout vehicles. So good-looking, in fact, that the baby blue truck and trailer units, with their silver and orange striping, earned Nationwide last year’s annual PPG Transport Imaging Award – much to Mike’s delight.

Mathieson, introduced to trucks and trucking by his Dad Robin – who’s been in the industry for his entire working life – is living out his boyhood fantasies. Dreams formed in the passenger seat of the Leyland Crusader and Volvo FLs his Dad drove for Provincial Transport (and predecessor Sarjents before that) in Paeroa.

First off, he wanted to drive livestock trucks – just like his Dad. But there was more: “It was always a dream to have an operation of my own. I worked hard and long over the years for different guys, which gave me a lot of experience….but I really wanted to give it a go myself.”

Not everyone, of course, likes to see someone else succeed – and the 43-year-old says Nationwide’s rapid development has at times made him the target of some detractors.

“People think I’ve done things that are simply untrue. People have called me a rate-cutting rogue….or have said that my money has come from Chinese backers.

“People don’t know how I’m doing it – so they make up stories.

I just focus on providing quality service and working hard. That’s what gets results.”

That’s always what’s got results for Mike – ever since he left school at 18 and got his first job – at Provincial, alongside his Dad. That was almost 26 years ago. Mike started out in a Nissan four-wheeler livestock truck – later moving up to an International 3070. He loved it: “I was out seeing the countryside – out in the fresh air. It’s just that I was sittin’ on the other side of the truck, I suppose.”

But two years on, the opportunity came up to move to Hamilton, to drive a fairly new 370hp Isuzu stock unit for the now-gone Allstock Haulage. The move, he says, “was just a change…the chance to see a bit more of the country” – the work including occasional inter-island trips.

After three years in Hamilton, he moved to Te Kauwhata and a job driving a new 450 Isuzu for local operator Carleys Transport.

He ended up staying there for 10 years – the first eight or so as a driver, and then moving into the office as a dispatcher.

He could see the potential for growth in the role – and he enjoyed the job: “I learnt a lot about the business doing the dispatching. I enjoyed the challenge and you learn how to put everything together to make it work.”

Next came the opportunity to learn even more about the business – taking on a job with Otorohanga-based livestock operator LBT Transport, owned by cattle trader Gerry Bourton.

LBT ran a handful of Scanias (which soon became nine of ‘em), primarily carting the livestock he bought and sold, and Bourton also owned several farms.

Mike was hired more as a dispatcher/manager than a driver and revelled in the new challenges and the experience gained.

Truck & Driver | 49

Main picture: Secondhand Isuzu was the truck that got Nationwide started, six years ago....still works fulltime, close to home

Opposite page, left: Standout Nationwide Livestock livery was recognised last year – as the winner of the PPG Transport Imaging Awards

Opposite page, right: Four-wheeler Scania was bought specifically so Mike could take on young guys and train them as livestock drivers (although Charlie McGillivray, pictured here, is a Class 5 driver filling-in on the 4x2)

But, only 18 months or so after Mike joined LBT, Bourton died – and within six months his family had decided to close the trucking business down.

In the wake of Bourton’s death and the demise of the LBT business, Mike took up the offer of a job as a driver with Gordon Transport in Taupo, initially as a driver (in a 580 horsepower Scania) and then as a dispatcher. He took with him, he says, “a lot of existing clientele” from LBT. Eighteen months to two years later, a major stock and station agent in the region approached him. He was looking for a new transport provider to take over the cartage of the livestock he bought and sold – and he wanted Mike to take it on, by setting up in business on his own account.

Mike saw it as the chance of a lifetime. It helped too that his clients from the LBT days were still keen for him to do their work.

The agent effectively guaranteed “quite a chunk of work” – more, in fact, than Mike initially realised.

What he did fully appreciate was that, as well as providing a way to achieve his dream, starting his own company would also allow him to be closer to Paula and their two kids – who were still living in Te Kauwhata. It’d mean the end of a few years of tedious commuting (first from Otorohanga and then from Taupo).

“It was a bit of a battle working in all these different places,

50 | Truck & Driver

while still living in Te Kauwhata,” he confirms: “I was away from the kids a lot and away from home a lot, which I really didn’t like.

And the thing with dispatch is that you’re always on call.”

Thus he and Paula decided in 2013 to set up Nationwide Livestock, buying a secondhand 530hp Isuzu which he figured would handle a tough working life (and which has, he says, duly proven to be a real workhorse).

“It went everywhere – all across the country – and did the hard-yards. It just does more local jobs these days, because it’s getting a bit older.”

Starting the business was a big undertaking reckons Mike, mostly due to his lack of business experience. He gives a lot of credit to Paula, their accountant, finance company and loyal clientele for the company’s success.

“My wife has always played a large part in the business. It was her dream to own her own business as well. She’s an equal partner in the operation and does equal work. Behind the scenes she does all the paperwork and knows what she’s doing.”

In some ways, things just fell into place – Mike quickly cemented good relationships with his key client and others….and with people who helped him in the business side of things.

“I sort of had a chance meeting with an accountant and gave him an idea of what I wanted to do. A finance guy soon followed

– and I was on my way. Both of these guys have been mentors to me and have given me a lot of help and advice.”

There was no shortage of work – right from the get-go: Enough to keep his Isuzu and “probably five or six others” busy all the time.

Initially, Mike contracted in all of the extra trucks. Then, early on, he began signing-on owner/drivers.

Within 18 months Nationwide itself started buying more trucks – the first addition an ex-Martinborough Transport Freightliner Argosy. That was soon followed by its first new truck – a 2014 International 9800 Eagle with a 615hp Cummins ISX engine. A year on he bought another Inter – this one with an automated manual transmission rather than a Roadranger.

About the same time it also put on a secondhand

4x2 Scania P230, partly to meet the changing nature of the work (which was moving from predominantly carting to meatworks, to taking in a lot more farm to farm, and saleyards to farm work)…

And partly also “so we could put young guys on” as drivers and work them through their licences: “We had a young guy come to us, who wanted to get into the industry, so we made the move.”

Initially the work for Nationwide’s No. 1 client provided about 90% of the company’s work. It has continued to supply the majority of its business as the company has grown – albeit with

Truck & Driver | 51

Nationwide owner/operator Prime Livestock initiated its own black-based alternative to the baby-blue company colours

the share maybe having faded slightly, to something like 80%, says Mike.

Until two years ago, Nationwide went without a yard – Mike running things from a home office in Te Kauwhata and commuting around the Waikato to meet his key clients.

Trucks were parked-up at nights and weekends outside drivers’ houses, spread out around the Waikato.

As of this month (with the addition of two brand-new company units – a Scania R620 and a Volvo FH16 700) the fleet running in Nationwide’s colours is up to 11, seven owned by Mike and Paula, the rest by owner/operators.

Along with the two newcomers, the Mathiesons’ lineup now comprises the original Isuzu, one Inter 9800, the four-wheeler Scania, the 2015 Scania R620 and (unfortunately, says Mike), the Argosy. That is, he says grimly, “a truck I’d give away in a heartbeat.” All of Mike’s trucks have Jackson Enterprises bodies and trailers, fitted with Nationwide stock crates.

Owner/operator units comprise Prime Livestock’s two Inter 9800s, a DAF XF105 owned by R&M Ogle and a Herring Haulage K200 Kenworth.

Just as Mike was personally prepared to go wherever he needed to go to take on a new challenge during his years as a driver, then as a dispatcher, Nationwide was clearly founded on the same “whatever it takes” preparedness….Mike happy to send the trucks anywhere necessary to meet his clients’ needs.

Hence the name – actually suggested by his accountant as the business was being set up.

It fits perfectly the nature of the operation, says Mike: “We really do go anywhere – from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South. And the key to success for us is providing 52 | Truck & Driver

quality service, having tidy gear and hiring quality drivers.

“It’s mostly about looking after your clientele and getting the best staff and gear that you can up their driveways – and providing the services that they require.”

It’s this approach that results in the standout baby-blue-based livery which won Nationwide last year’s PPG Transport Imaging Awards.

The colour scheme, dreamt-up by Mike and Nationwide’s first driver and perfected by Cliff Mannington at Truck Signs in Mount Maunganui, was always intended to make the company truck and trailer unit “really stand out. We want clients to see that we take care of the gear – every drive we go down.”

The three newest trucks on the fleet are Euros, reflecting Mike’s interest in securing “a bit more driver comfort” as well as tapping into the Scania and Volvo maintenance programmes: “The new gear keeps your maintenance costs to a minimum.”

Having modern, good-looking gear has helped too in getting good drivers: Mike says he believes that “the driver shortage in the livestock industry is very widespread – but, touch wood, I haven’t had that worry.”

The seven drivers he has now mostly came to him, he says, without advertising – just “word of mouth. Things get around…. everyone knows who’s short on drivers.”

The owner/operators too have helped meet the work demand – while being able to enjoy “opportunities….to further themselves here.”

Mike has also “given chances to some young guys wanting to enter the industry.” Two trainees have, for instance, started out on the little four-wheeler and have been taken through to their Class 5 licences.

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It’s nice, he adds, to “have guys working for you, where you’ve trained them to do things the best way.

“The way the industry is going, there aren’t as many highlyskilled guys around. So starting new guys from scratch means they learn to do things right in the first place.”

Of course, there is a risk that you end up training people…for someone else’s benefit: The first driver he trained, for instance, “got his licences and decided he wanted to go elsewhere.”

However, there has been a happy outcome: “He’s starting back here on Monday morning,” Mike laughs, while adding that it is a danger with younger guys that “the grass is always greener on the other side. But I’m glad he’s coming back.”

In livestock cartage, the drivers can’t be just good drivers – they have to be good with animals….and with compliance.

Everyone involved – operators and drivers – have to know the rules for the transportation of livestock…“and follow them to the tee.

“Getting your head around having to do all of that for yourself – after just having to point trucks in the right direction – was tough at first,” he recalls. Especially since he and Paula were also learning how to run a business.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), continues Mike, “plays a huge role in the transportation of stock – and operators have a raft of rules and responsibilities they have to follow.”

One of the major challenges comes when the rules change – and an integral part of the business is making sure that everyone knows about them.

Mike: “They brought all these changes to the responsibilities of both farmers and drivers on ensuring the welfare of the animals.

You can get big fines if someone stuffs up, so it’s a matter of

making your staff and the farmers aware of the rule changes and processes you now have to follow.”

This is made a lot easier if the transporter gets along well with its clients: “We have good relationships with the farmers.

They know that everyone is under the gun, so we have to work together to prevent either of us getting done for something.”

But in the rare case that push comes to shove, Mike says he will always back his drivers on animal welfare concerns: “At the end of the day, it’s their call. If they have an issue with an animal they call me and let me deal with it rather than them going toe to toe with a farmer over it.

“There are those rare situations where a farmer will try to get on an animal that shouldn’t be going on – and drivers just have to stand firm.”

The way you deal with these situations, understandably, ultimately affects “how you’re perceived by a client. Drivers and farmers are only human – talking it out is the best thing to do.

“We are educated in what we need to do – and we expect them to do the same. If everyone does their bit then there aren’t many problems. When there are….they’re easy to resolve.”

However, the livestock transport business does have grey areas that can become traps for operators, says Mike: “At the end of the day, truck drivers aren’t vets – and there are a lot of discussions that need to be had on situations where animals are going lame during transport. I do understand that MPI is just doing its job and wants the best for all parties.”

But it all comes down to interpretation, he says: “You get three different interpretations depending on who you talk to – a driver, a vet or a farmer. All you can do is know the rules back to front.”

It was a big hurdle for Mike in starting the business – but

Three-year-old Scania R620 has now been joined by a brand-new sister truck

Truck & Driver | 55

knowing how it all works has made it easy for him to pass the necessary knowledge on to his drivers, especially the younger ones.

“It can be difficult training the young guys on it, but they have to learn it and follow the rules carefully…I give them as much support as I can and it gives them peace of mind knowing that they can call management anytime, about any problems that come about.

“We don’t want them to get fined and it would also make us look bad. So we work through it with them and help them learn as they go.”

In all aspects of the business, Mike reckons that ongoing education is key to keeping everyone safe and out of trouble: “Whether it’s driver training, site safety, or compliance stuff, there is a lot of training we do here. I also look to hire guys with common sense, you know? Having new gear is also important – and it has to be well maintained or the results might not be pretty.”

A lot of this was put to the test for Nationwide Livestock when the Kaikoura earthquake hit in 2016. Like every other operator needing to run between Christchurch and Picton, Mike was forced to send his trucks through the treacherous inland route….which his drivers were definitely not fans of.

“It was a big job – not only logistically, but in terms of safety.

The boys did it willingly, but they did not like the inland road.

These guys are experienced drivers but scary things happened on that road and it put a lot of stress on them,” he says.

It also meant increased travel times – a whole day extra, in fact: “That extra day made it harder work for the driver, but I

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Above: Secondhand Freightliner Argosy is one truck Mike reckons he’d “give away in a heartbeat”

Opposite page, top: Robin Mathieson inspired his son to follow in his truck driving footsteps, now spends three or four days a week at saleyards organising loads for his boy Opposite page, bottom: Nationwide Inters, in their contrasting colours

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Truck & Driver | 57

Both pictures: The company trucks operate (as per the name) all over New Zealand

don’t think that the stock were affected, as they were given the normal breaks, with food and water. If the animals are prepared right you don’t have any issues with them,” he adds.

Now the Mathiesons are in the midst of another major step in Nationwide’s development – building a new family home and company base at a rural property at Matangi, just east of Hamilton.

The benefits, Mike reckons, will be twofold – great for family (starting Nationwide was also about Mike, Paula and their kids achieving more family time) and putting the business geographically in a more central location for the bulk of its work.

Until 2012, says Mike, “I had to spend a long time away from my home in Te Kauwhata – five or six days a week. I have two kids (Riley, 9, and seven-year-old Corey), and I really wanted to spend more time at home with them.

“And I’ve commuted everywhere for a long time for work. Te Kauwhata to Hamilton isn’t bad….but the core of our business is around Hamilton and I want to be close to it,” he says.

“I take a large number of calls a day just from one client. It’d be nice to be within arms-reach if things need to be sorted out.

Also, my kids will love it down here: One’s farming mad and one’s truck mad!”

Since the early days of Nationwide, Mike has spent little time 58 | Truck & Driver

behind the wheel: “If we’re a man down I’ll jump in a truck. I still enjoy it – doing a run every now and then. But it’s the nature of the business – most of the time I’m here in the office or out at the saleyards, where I organise all the loads,” he says.

In that, he’s helped these days by his Dad: “He probably goes to three or four sales a week. He organises things with the clients – and then works with the drivers to get all the loads on. He gets on really good with all the drivers.”

He thanks his key client, whose work got Nationwide started and has been its mainstay ever since, “for the opportunity to start up. He’s been very good to me. I am very grateful for the opportunity that he gave me.”

His success since then has been about, he adds, “making the most of that opportunity – and doing the best for my clients.”

Now 43 and with 25 years in the industry behind him already, Mike Mathieson says his love of the industry is as strong as ever: “I have a lot of enthusiasm for the business. Since day one I’ve been passionate about it. Driving into the yard every morning gives me a lot of satisfaction. We’re a closeknit group of guys here, which also makes life good. I wouldn’t change anything about it or what I’ve done. I’ve always dreamed of doing it and now I’m there.

“I wouldn’t do anything else – put it that way.” T&D

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mail run Story Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock

Main picture: The truck starts the trip back down the valley, the Southern Alps providing a stunning backdrop Inset: The mail run services nine properties along Double Hill Run Road

60 | Truck & Driver

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Truck & Driver | 61

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The scenery is jaw-droppingly beautiful at every turn. But it’s a place for paying very close attention to the road - given how tight some of the bridges, culverts and corners are

I

T’S GOT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST – IF NOT THE BEST. THE most scenic, ridiculously spectacular regular truck run in New Zealand, that is. Probably in the world.

Once a week a truck heads off from Methven on the unique job – soon leaving behind the Canterbury Plains to skirt around the northeastern side of Mt Hutt, then head slap-bang into the mountains.

It follows the beautiful, braided Rakaia River to its upper reaches – on a gravel dead-end road that fords streams, negotiates giant shingle and rock slides, clings to a rock face high above the river.

And all along the way, for about 40 kilometres out and the same back, views of the river and the mountains all around that are so stunningly beautiful they force from you inanities like “oh wow!”

“Far-out!” “Shit – look at that!” These tend to grow in the intensity with which they’re uttered – and in frequency – the closer you get to where the road runs out.

That’s at Glenfalloch Station, Double Hill, a 10,000 hectare highcountry station that is, in fact, just 65kms from Methven (and 90 minutes from Christchurch)….

But is, effectively, in another world – one dominated by the magnificent scenery supplied courtesy of the fact that Glenfalloch is right at the foot of the South Island’s Main Divide/the Southern Alps/ Kā Tiritiri o te Moana.

Do a 180-degree scan: Wow, Wow, WOW, WOW! One of NZ’s biggest braided rivers in the foreground – and a dozen or more peaks over 2000 metres high towering over the landscape. A few of them are even over 2600m tall – like Mt Evans (2620m), Mt Whitcombe (2650m), Mt Arrowsmith (2781m), Red Peak (2637m), North Peak (2628m) and more.

From here, in a straight line, it’s only 20-odd kms to the glaciers and streams that give birth to the mighty Rakaia. Hell, if you fly west over the mountains, Okarito, on the West Coast, is just 90kms or so away.

The reason behind the Philip Wareing truck doing this 130km round trip every Friday (providing only that the road’s not been

washed out, a rock slide hasn’t blocked the road and the snow’s not too deep)?

Simple: The Methven-based transport operation is fulfilling its contract – doing the rural mail run for the upper Rakaia River Valley….

Delivering the mail – even picking up the locals’ milk and bread and groceries in town and dropping them off too, old-school-style – to the nine sheep and cattle stations dotted along Double Hill Run Road.

And, of course, carrying in and out whatever else the station owners, their families and staff need.

Often there’s wool, hay, fertiliser, farm machinery, feed, seed or building materials, as well as the mail that’s stowed in boxes inside the cab of the Wareings DAF CF85 curtainsider truck and trailer unit.

The general freight unit doing the run today is one of the flagships of the Wareings fleet, thanks to the spectacular high-country murals that cover its curtains. Ironically, they feature views from the other side of the mountain ranges – so the truck takes a little bit of the Ashburton River valley…up the Rakaia River valley.

The freight demand varies a lot and today the 8x4 truck and its five-axle trailer are only lightly loaded with fence posts as Dean (Dino) Adams drives out of Methven soon after 9am. The late start has given him time to load the freight and pick up any extras that people are after – in this case, just some groceries.

The 52-year-old ex-military policeman is one of those happy, glasshalf-full characters. Just about everything he says is punctuated with giggles or laughter.

But he’s even happier than usual today, because he’s back on his favourite run – which he pretty much gave up about 18 months ago in favour of taking over this 2016 DAF 50MAX unit.

He wasn’t about to turn down the chance of driving the then year-old DAF. Being offered it “kind of told me I was doing something right,” he reasons…then adds: “Either that or they had no-one else!”

Cue much laughter.

Understandably the HPMV unit is mostly put to work on runs where its 30-tonne payload potential can be put to good use.

Truck & Driver | 63

Below: It has to be one of most spectacularly scenic regular truck runs in NZ....probably in the world

Above left: Willy Ensor still gets groceries picked up in town every week and brought out by the truck Above right: Postie Dean sorts the mail for the next delivery

So he’s now mostly doing general freight runs to Christchurch, Ashburton…wherever: “I love doing the freight, because every day is different.

“When I was taking over this truck I knew I was going to lose the this run – because, to be honest, it should only be coming up here if it needs to. Week in, week out – it’s not necessary. I understand: Wareings are running a business.

“But I still do it every so often.” It has, in fact, been four months since he’s been “up the valley.” Whereas, he had done it every week for over two years.

“I used to love coming up here – it’s a great Friday. Yes, the people up here – I get on well with all of them.

“I see it as a perk run. But some people don’t like it – they think it’s boring. But how could you say it’s boring! The scenery you’re gonna see is some of the best in the world. It’s unbelievable.”

The views start in earnest about 20k out of town, when we turn off the main Rakaia Gorge Rd, onto Blackford Rd….which soon runs out of tarmac and becomes Double Hill Run Rd. “I’ve had people who do know the road say ‘how the hell do you take your truck and trailer up there?’ “Really carefully!” he reckons, laughing uproariously.

Dino first came “up the valley” soon after starting with Wareings on November 16, 2015 – “the same day I started driving trucks.”

He’d got a Class 4 truck licence during his 11-year stint in the Army, but only had his Class 5 learners. Wareings hired him – and he had his full trailer licence within a week.

Another driver introduced him to this run, then he did it on his own – and within a few weeks he was up here with a truck and trailer: “I thought ‘my God – they’re trusting me a lot!’ ” Actually, he had been up the Rakaia valley before – years ago, when he was fresh out of high school: “I did a six-month stint with the council and we used to come up here and we’d go up the mountain and grub Nassella tussock, which the sheep won’t eat (and

64 | Truck & Driver

which spreads so prolifically it’s regarded as a damaging weed).”

Unlike today, sometimes the truck and trailer comes in here fully loaded – “for example, 30 concrete (water) troughs in the trailer and a heap in the truck as well.

“We also bring in a lot of bulk bags of fertiliser….basically anything these guys want, we’ll bring up for them.” Gas bottles for their kitchens…to new concrete beams for farm bridges. Well actually, the beams had to come up on a sidelifter container unit.

“And we pull 90% of the wool out of here too. Like I can go in to Double Hill Station and pull over 100 bales of wool out.”

We drop down a steep little hill to the Little River bridge. It’s still on the tarmac – but that actually sometimes adds to its challenges, as Dino explains: “I got stuck around here one day coming out. It was fine going in, but coming out I was about half full of wool and the snow was probably two inches thick on the road here – and no-one had been up it.”

He’s been stuck on this road a couple of times: “One time it started raining and a big slip come down and washed the road out…and you’ve gotta wait till it gets cleared.

“You come up here some weeks and you go (jokingly), ‘oh, it’s so bland!’ So in the space of an hour the weather decides ‘well f*** you’ and it turns to absolute shit…. ‘Would you like some white shit. Would you like some rocks.’

“I’ve never seen the snow really deep – because if it was deep, deep we wouldn’t bring this up here. Couple of inches and that’s about it.”

At the foot of the hill is Cleardale Station – Ben Todhunter’s place.

He’s a member of one of two family dynasties that have both farmed the high country around here for over 100 years – the Todhunters and the Ensors.

Dino will stop here on the way back to drop off the fence posts – an arrangement that suits him fine, since the weight will give the truck better traction on the rough road ahead (which does demand

Below: The DAF heads through the early part of the run

Above left: Crossing one of the impressive (but potentially hazardous) rock slides along the route Above right: Dino in his favourite place – his smoko spot near the top end of the road

the help of the difflocks on occasions).

Now on the gravel Double Hill Run Rd, the spectacle rating for the views across and up the river starts to climb dramatically.

When I let out another “far out – that’s just gorgeous,” Dino says flatly: “Prick of a place to work isn’t it,” then giggles.

The road climbs up and around a bluff above the river, then negotiates a ford through Hutt Stream: “This was all washed-out last year.

“Been in here in some terrible weather. You don’t get flooding but the road gets washed out….

“And it can get bitterly cold – the wind that comes through here.

There have been days when you haven’t been able to do the run (with a truck) – whether there’s been too much snow or the road’s washed out – and we can’t get anything but 4WDs in here.”

Communications-wise there are black spots in here – for phone, R/T and GPS. But, on the other hand, “there are vehicles up and down the road all the time, which is good – because if you have an accident or something like that, there’s always someone around.

“The first time the road washed out on me, thank God I was truck only – so I could turn around and go back to Redcliffes (Station)… because I can get reception there.”

In the midst of the beauty we go through Terrible Gully – which lived up to its interesting name in February 2018, after torrential rain delivered by ex-Cyclone Gita turned the rock slide into a scary, seemingly never-ending, fast-flowing river of rock!

Cleardale Station’s Donna Field posted a scary video on Facebook of what looks like a giant concrete pour, racing down the stream bed. The roar, she told Stuff News, “was really loud (and) sounded like when a gravel truck tips all its load – but if you were right underneath it!”

Every tricky bit seems to have a story: Here’s Whisky Creek – “this is the one where I just come up the hill and the road had washed out. It’s happened two or three times.”

He reckons it reputedly once claimed a truck and trailer unit – caught in a rock slide. They’ve now built a concrete culvert under the road, reinforcing Dino’s view that the council has done “a hell of a lot of work” on this road over the last few years.

In fact, he adds, “the council’s been complaining about the amount of work they’ve had to do. And they’re talking about trying to make the residents up here pay more.”

There’s not a cloud to interrupt the view of the Alps, so we’re seemingly in no danger of rivers of rock today.

First stop on today’s run is at Redcliffes, about 10k along the gravel, where Willy Ensor provides a bit of local history. He grew up at Glenrock Station – up the valley.

“Mum and Dad owned Glenrock – my grandfather bought it in 1917.” He’d been farming near Oxford, with a leasehold run in Lees Valley: “The government bought him out of that for soldier settlement during the First World War.” So he bought Double Hill Station, then went into a partnership with a brother-in-law to buy Glenariffe Station (now split into Glenariffe and Glenaan)….and with another brother-in-law to buy Glenrock.

Glenrock alone was a vast run-holding – even more so when Willy’s Dad picked up a lease that extended to Pudding Hill, west of Mt Hutt.

It ended up about 48,000 acres/19,400 hectares.

“Me and my brother, we split Glenrock in half in 1983 – and I moved out here.”

Before that Willy had been away at boarding school, then “I was away mustering for about three years – and overseas for a year.”

Ask if he’s ever taken this beautiful place for granted and he says honestly: “Oh I ‘spose at times I did – but as I get older I think ‘oh shit, this isn’t a bad view! You see a few other countries in the world and you realise, well this is not too bad at all.”

This view, this environment – and “we’re only half an hour from Methven.” The road, in his view, “hasn’t got any better for 40 years.”

Truck & Driver | 65

Below: The top end of the Rakaia, in all its glory

Above left: Unsurprisingly, the road does sometimes get overwhelmed by rocks or gravel

Right: Negotiating The Bluff on the way home. We stop seconds later for a peaceful rest halt – blocking the road.

There’s no traffic...so no problem you just ring up Wareings and say I’ve got something to be picked up from somewhere in Christchurch, or some posts from Ashburton and the job’s done.

“The beauty of it for us is if I wanted to send that tractor (which has broken down) down to Ashburton, or pick one up or anything, I just wait till Friday. Give them a call and it’s not a special trip for anyone.

“They’ve always offered a very good service. There’s also been times when they’ve forgotten something and they’ve sent a ute up with it – or agreed to meet us on the road somewhere.”

Willy’s brother sold Glenrock some years ago to Andy Chapman, while Redcliffes – which was a 26,000-acre/10,500-hectare property – has become significantly smaller in recent years.

Willy and wife Sarah decided to engage in a tenure review – a process involving giving up some of their pastoral lease (which then comprised all of the station except for 600ha of freehold land) in return for freeholding some of the productive land.

Under tenure review, pastoral leases of Crown land – created in the 1940s and ‘50s, with 33-year rent reviews but also a continual right of renewal – can be carved-up into good economic farming land, which is released to the leaseholder as freehold land…

200718_Scania_Urban_v2

But the vehicles are better (which makes driving in and out easier and safer) – “and they’ve got better toys for fixing it.”

He’s a fan of the mail run: “Yeah, we do get quite a bit of freight on it – wool often goes out.

“We’re actually probably the last ones up here who still get some groceries every week on it. Back in the day, because no-one up here got phone lines until 1980, we had this radio link with Methven…there used to be a radio at the (Methven) post office.

“There were set times of the day when everyone would come on line…so everyone used to put their grocery orders in. For a long time it was Mid-Canterbury Transport who did the run, and they’d go as far as Glenrock.

“And the mail would be in a big sack and we used to sort it all for all the different farms and everyone would come down to Glenrock – pick up their mail and their groceries.

“I guess now, everyone’s up and down the road every week so they pick up their own (groceries). But it’s a great service – and doesn’t matter how big or small it is you can get it picked up: Fencing material, bags of fertiliser, building materials – basically whatever you can’t fit on the ute.

“And the fact that they pick up from Ashburton and Christchurch –

66 | Truck & Driver

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And high-country land that’s part of the lease is returned to full Crown ownership, most of it becoming part of NZ’s conservation estate.

So it has been with Redcliffes. The only trouble is….it took 16 years! The end-result was 7000ha of the station’s pastoral lease land passing to Land Information NZ – becoming part of the 300,000ha of pastoral leases that have been turned into conservation parks.

And Redcliffes ended up with 2020ha of freehold farmland. By changing the way they farm – intensifying the farming of the lowerlying land, even running “a couple of hundred cows” – the Ensors “actually produce more off the farm now than we did.

“All the stuff that went with the tenure review – like that high stuff up there (Mt Hutt used to be on our boundary)….it was a bit of country where we chucked a couple of thousand wethers out on during the summer. Then you’d have a muster in the autumn and bring them all back in.”

As for the future, he’s hoping that the station will stay in the family – that one of their four daughters “might move back soon. A couple of them would be pretty keen to come back home…. We’re just sort of having those discussions now with the family.”

I could talk to Willy for hours…but there’s mail to deliver. So the milk and mail is handed over and we’re off – heading for the next mail drop along the road, the letterbox for Black Hill Station, owned

by Duncan and Fee Ensor: “The truck’s too big to go in there,” Dino explains.

I’m back in scenery swoon mode: “Whoah – look at this view mate!

Just beautiful isn’t it.” We’re looking across the Rakaia now towards Castle Rock and the Craigieburn Range.

Dino, in a deadpan voice: “It’s alright. You get used to it. Oh – is

there a view out there? I’m watching the road.” Then he cracks up laughing. He concedes that “the first couple of times you come up, it is hard to watch the road.”

I’m not, I tell him. He reckons: “Trust me, you’ll be watching the road soon.” More laughter.

What he’s on about is that we’re now climbing towards The Bluff – a narrow corner high above the river, where the road’s been hacked out of the rock…with the huge Black Hill towering above it.

Dino appreciates that the five-axle Roadmaster trailer “tracks really well. Which is just as well, considering how tight a couple of the corners and entries onto cattle stops are.”

The view shows off a wide expanse of the Rakaia…plus its junction with the Wilberforce River, now looming up on the opposite side.

It’s not actually scary (although it is a hell of a drop!) – it’s too spectacular to worry about any of that.

The road drops down to Glenrock Station – another where the mail has to be left in the letterbox. While Dino’s doing exactly that, a car pulls up and a couple hop out and greet him like an old mate. It’s Mark and Belinda (BJ) Ensor, from Glenariffe Station.

Dino’s going to miss out on his usual coffee and a “chinwag” – at their place: They’re off to town for a funeral.

He reckons they usually “want to know what’s all the goss” from Methven: “And I say ‘well you tell me – you seem to know more than me what’s going on! I work hard, you know!’ ” He giggles to himself about this.

Mark, 40, says he’s Willy’s “second cousin, once removed.” His parents, Alastair and Pru, have just retired and moved away.

Mark started school here – but that closed in 1987, when the roll fell to about four. Later he lived “in town” – in Christchurch – for a

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Above: It’s not all mountains and tight bends. There are a few river flats as well Left: Dean delivers the mail to letterboxes at a couple of properties which the truck can’t easily access Right: Mark Ensor did try city living: “Never again,” he vows

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number of years: “Never again.

“I was gonna go and do something else. And then you come back up here.... Oh yeah – it’s a brilliant place to live….definitely a special place up here.”

He goes so far as to suggest that the climate is even better here than it is out in Methven: “I tell you, people don’t realise that the weather up here is like this 80% of the time.”

I rave about the place and Belinda agrees: “I know – it’s pretty cool isn’t it. I’m from Sheffield on the banks of the Waimak – a flat-land farmer.”

And then they grab their mail and head off – leaving us to cross the Glenrock Stream…and the Te Araroa Trail beside it.

Up the driveway at Glenaan, the dogs are soon out for the traditional postie’s welcome. Luckily they’re all bark, no bite.

But they bring Paul and Pru Ensor out of the house to greet Dino.

Paul has been away and lived in cities in NZ, Canada and Britain, including London. Now the upper Rakaia is home again.

We bypass Glenariffe, drive on about 9kms and drop the trailer roadside for the next two stops – first Double Hill Station, then Glenfalloch…at the end of the road.

Double Hill owners Tim and Anna Hutchinson run a farm lodge and helicopter business as well as the station.

The mail’s delivered, Dino has a quick chat and we’re off – copping views as we drive back down the hill that he rates the best of the trip.

Now it’s break time – and he’s got just the place for it.

He puts mail in a box for Manuka Point Lodge….which just happens to be on the other side of the Rakaia, right on the confluence of the Rakaia and the Mathias River.

Manuka Point is a 10,000ha property owned by professional hunter Don Patterson and wife Julie – a place with a long history as a trophy hunting property. It now also features a luxury lodge and reportedly attracts hunters from around the world – prepared to pay big money to bag trophy stags.

The Lodge has a Mercedes-Benz Unimog to come and go across the river, following the same route that stock trucks bringing in stags to stock the property use – towed by a tractor – reckons Dino.

We head down to the riverbank – for the most amazing view yet.

“Yeah,” says Dino drily, “personally I think Wareings should sell 70 | Truck & Driver

tickets for this trip!”

It’s around 10k further on to Glenfalloch, where Chas and Dietlind Todhunter have added heli-skiing, tourist accommodation and a conference venue to the business of running the 10,000ha station.

A private station road from Glenfalloch heads west along the river valley towards the Arrowsmith Range then south to Lake Heron Station, owned by Philip and Anne Todhunter.

Dietlind, told that we’re doing a story on this mail run, invites us to drive on a K or so on that track – to soak up the very best of the Glenfalloch views. It’s a gobsmacking panorama of the mountains of the Southern Alps – rising up just across the river.

It’s 2pm when we start back down the road from Glenfalloch – cruising along. Says Dino: “I enjoy coming up here, but when I do I really take my time. You’ve got to.”

He owes it to Wareings to look after the DAF. Besides, it’s in his own best interests – “because every minute this is off the road means I’ve got to go and do something else…or drive a shitbox I don’t want to, or something like that!”

And for sure, when this road was made 100 years ago, “it wasn’t designed for big long trailers like this.” You notice that each time it just fits on the little bridges and culverts.

He’s reminded as we go back past Glenariffe, that he’s done quite a lot of hay (or “idiot-bricks” as he prefers to call them) out of here for Mark Ensor and others.

Doing the hay, or wool, at the height of summer is tough yakka, he reckons: “In the middle of summer it gets bloody hot up here – well into the 30s some days. They’re the days when doing wool’s a bit hard.

“You’re loading in and you’re up on the third layer – and you’re actually bent over slightly and you’ve got that tin roof on top of you.”

As we approach The Bluff, he inquires how my view is – down the sheer drop to the river – and jokes: “One of the things about driving this – I’m never actually that sure of where exactly that front left-hand corner of the truck is!” He laughs hysterically at that.

“Nah really, after the trust they’ve put in me I don’t want to crash the truck! I tend to take my time here.” This as we negotiate what is quite a tight rock overhang.

There’s also the little matter of avoiding the rocks that have come

Opposite page: The Rakaia is one of NZ’s biggest braided rivers

Above, both pictures: The wow factor rises the further you go up the valley down the steep hillside above us: “You’ll come around a bend one day and there’ll be a humongous one….with a road cone on it! So you can see it till they can get a digger or a tractor out here and move the bloody thing.”

He pulls to a halt – yep, on the road, at a spot where it’s so narrow we’re effectively blocking it – and we hop out so we can fully and safely appreciate the view. Says Dino as we peer over the edge: “You can see if you dropped a wheel over here you’d be pretty much buggered. You’d be trying to climb out the window.

That’s why I couldn’t believe you still had your seatbelt on!” He loves his jokes does Dino.

But now even he’s saying it: “Look at that view. Amazing.” He

reckons this is his smoko break. Instinct says we shouldn’t be blocking the road like this – that we’re really going to piss off the first driver who comes across us.

But this is Double Hill Run Rd. Nobody comes. We enjoy the serenity and the beauty of this place for six or seven minutes – our reverie unbroken.

Dino sums up his feelings about this special run: “I’d be happy coming out here every week if they want me to. Or once a month if they want. But I never want to lose touch with the people up here.

“I love this job. I love being out with these people.” And then one last joke: “Sorry I couldn’t get some nice scenery for you!” T&D

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From zero to hero Gabe Stoltz blocked the path of a stolen car....which had a police officer hanging off it!

W

HEN AUCKLAND DRIVER/SENIOR OPERATOR GABE STOLTZ went “off the air” after an accident – with reports coming in that he’d damaged his truck by pulling out in front of a car – his boss couldn’t help but think some pretty negative thoughts.

Rowan Murray, field operations manager at hydro and air excavation, vacuum loading and drain-cleaning specialist Hydrovac, confesses that, with the lack of any contact from Gabe after the reported crash, he and another manager “had a bit of a chat…and we thought ‘well, if he’s gonna be like that, you know, with damage to the truck and all that…

“With it being non-drivable – that’s some pretty hefty mistake to be making for someone of Gabe’s calibre.’

“Everyone automatically thought the worst. We were kind of in shock. It was very unsettling for me, you know, to have to deal with a guy who’s been so good – great customer service on sites, always got the jobs done. Even some of the toughest jobs. Always soldiered on.

“So that was kind of daunting for me. So I was pretty much just pacing – waiting for him to come back to the yard to give him whatfor.”

Story & photos Hayley Leibowitz But when he heard “what actually happened” Rowan forgave everything: Gabe instantly went from zero to hero! To the extent that Rowan has nominated him as a Castrol Truck Driver Hero.

It turned out that Gabe, a senior operator for Hydrovac, had come to the rescue of a police officer being dragged along the road by a stolen car!

The 49-year-old had just arrived at a job site in Otahuhu back in March last year – called there to vacuum up some sewage overflow – when he heard sirens and spotted “a white car in the middle of the road with a cop car behind it. So I thought, ‘what’s going on here?

Why’s the cop pulling the car over in the middle of the road?’

“Then the car took off again. I looked in my mirror and saw a yellow hi-vis hanging out from the driver’s side door. I looked again and realised it was a police officer!

“My first instinct was to try and stop the car so that the police officer could get off. So I pulled my truck (a 2009 Volvo FM 8x4 heavyduty hydro-excavation unit) in front of it to block it.

“The police officer dropped to the ground and then the car driver

Truck & Driver | 73

“Your actions are an exceptional example of members of the public doing what they can to keep our community safe.”

Right: Gabe’s boss Rowan Murray (left) initially thought the worst after reports came in that Gabe had pulled out in front of a car. Now he’s very proud of him Opposite page, left: Gabe and his Police Certificate of Appreciation Opposite page, right: The incident, which led to the police officer sustaining only minor injuries, did $14,000 worth of damage to the Hydrovac Volvo tried to take off again – but it (the car) hit my truck’s right front side, then hit a kerb, went over the lights and, with all that damage, came to a stop about 15 metres on….”

Gabe thinks that the cop may have been trying to grab the keys out of the ignition of the stolen car when the driver took off: “The cop thanked me but I didn’t see him again. I went down to the police station for about two hours after that. It was quite a procedure.”

While his boss, Rowan Murray, was thinking the worst back at Hydrovac HQ, Gabe – separated from his phone, which was still in his truck – was also worried that he was in big trouble.

The South African-born permanent NZ resident feared he was going to get fired…or worse!

“I thought I was going to get locked up for attempted murder or deported back to South Africa! I thought ‘oh no, here goes. I’ve tried to make a life here in NZ and it’s all gone in a split second.’ ” During the incident, he says, “instinct kicked-in and I didn’t think about the consequences. It was quick….like a split second. I wasn’t worried about my safety – I was high up in the truck.”

Immediately afterwards, he concedes, “I was a little bit shaken…..but not too bad.”

Later still though “I was shaking in my boots, because a lot of things could have gone wrong for me. First thing I asked the police officer was: ‘I hope nothing’s going to happen to me!’

“And she said to me: ‘No, no, no, no! You helped one of our mates – you’re all good.’ ” He got the same reaction when he finally got back to Hydrovac, and a face-to-face with the boss.

Says Rowan Murray: “As soon as I heard what actually happened, he was off the hook instantly. I was so relieved when I found out what he’d done. And extremely proud.”

It turned out that there was close to $14,000 worth of damage to the Volvo. Hydrovac drivers “normally pay the excess if an accident is their fault” – but the company recognised that asking Gabe to do so “would be like punishing him for doing the right thing,” says Murray.

“Although we don’t encourage people to put the trucks on the line – losing a couple of weeks’ worth of earning potential, plus the

74 | Truck & Driver

rigmarole with insurance – we can’t fault him.

“I’d hate to think that he was able to do something but didn’t for the fear of a cost. His instincts took over and he made the right call.

“When you realise the situation – that someone’s life could have been in danger….especially a policeman! You know, so many people these days don’t like the police…So it’s just really good to see that respect for an officer and that he actually did something.

“Everyone here at Hydrovac is extremely proud – the directors, the GM, operations and field operations managers...everyone. Just last week he finally got to take his family out to dinner on us.”

For his actions that day Gabe has been awarded a District Commander’s Certificate of Appreciation by the NZ Police. The Police say that the officer involved in the incident sustained only minor injuries “and was understandably shaken as a result of the incident.”

Gabe definitely doesn’t see himself as a hero: “Any human being should be helping another person. After it happened, everybody said I should get a medal or something and I thought: ‘I don’t really need it.

I’ve done my good deed.’ ” He says he was “surprised but grateful” for the appreciation certificate from the Police.

The certificate reads: “With no regard for your own safety or concern that your vehicle would be damaged, you intervened to stop a vehicle that was dragging a Police officer down the road.

“Your actions are an exceptional example of members of the public doing what they can to keep our community safe.”

Laughs Gabe: “The boss won’t be happy if I do it too often!”

Then he’s serious: “The first thing that went through my mind is ‘that person’s got a family to go to – a wife, kids, a mother, father….whatever.’ That’s what triggered me to just do it.

“Because I’d expect somebody else to help me out if that happened to me.”

He also concedes “that’s just me – I just like helping people, so yeah.”

Rowan says he isn’t surprised that Gabe, who’s been with Hydrovac for two years, intervened that day: He has, he says, “always done right by everybody here. He’s always putting his hand

up to help other people. Even if it might be his day off, he’s always willing to help the team out. There’s not many guys like Gabe around.”

For his part, Gabe says it was always his dream to be a truck driver: “As a kid I’d see the big trucks come past and ask them to blow the air horn. That’s where it started.”

But he ended up working on the railways for 23 years before he finally achieved his truck driving dream. Now he’s doing it, it’s everything he hoped for: “You meet different people and different challenges every day. I love driving.”

Ask if he’s ever done anything similar to this before and he’s adamant: “No – never ever.” Then he thinks a moment: “Actually there was once… Back in South Africa I used to work on the railways and there was a lady who tried to jump on a moving train.

She slipped between the train and the platform and me and my buddy went and pulled her out.

“Otherwise she would have been pulled in underneath. So that was actually the first one. This is the second one,” he laughs, looking slightly surprised at the recollection of it. That time, he simply went about the rest of his day’s work in his own humble fashion – his action going unrecognised at the time.

Now, in retrospect, he feels “proud” that he got involved in the Otahuhu incident: “My wife and daughter do too. They said I did a crazy thing….but a good thing.”

As a Castrol Truck Driver Hero, Gabe will receive a $500 prezzy card and merchandise from Castrol – and will be a finalist for the annual Castrol Truck Driver Hero Award (which last year carried with it a $3500 travel voucher). T&D

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FROM TECHNICIAN… TO TOP JOB Story Cory Martin

Jason Keddie’s automotive industry experience ranges from his start as an apprentice technician, to various roles as a business consultant.... then leading Iveco Australia’s national product support

N

EW IVECO NEW ZEALAND BOSS JASON KEDDIE has pretty much done it all in the automotive industry.

The Aussie, who took over as the company’s new dealer principal late last year, started out as an apprentice automotive technician….with dreams of going far beyond simply working on vehicles.

Thus, after qualifying as a mechanic, Keddie moved on from the workshop to the office – carving out a career for himself in Australia as an automotive business consultant, working with a number of truck and car manufacturers.

“I worked my way up, and next thing I knew I was working on implementing cost reduction programmes, customer service programmes, parts and service programmes, sales strategies – all that kind of thing,” says Keddie.

Then, after six years in several different roles at Mercedes-Benz Australia, he was looking for a new challenge – and took up the opportunity to work for Iveco Australia.

Keddie hadn’t done a great deal of work in the truck industry but reckons now that he could see that it had opportunities for improvement: “In Australia the truck industry was significantly behind the general automotive industry in terms of their processes,

systems, tools, and training.

“And Iveco were lagging behind in terms of service.

Even some of their products were hit and miss.”

Keddie was attracted by the challenge of helping to change that – relishing the opportunity to work in a small team with more responsibility – so took up the role of Iveco Australia’s national product support manager.

Management at Iveco wanted to see continued improvement in the business and during his time in the role Keddie oversaw several improvements to the company’s structure and processes.

He explains: “I was involved in areas of the business from engineering to dealer development, because we were too small to have highly specialised roles where you just did one thing. We had a small team and had to diversify.”

Keddie prides himself in having taken a very customer-focused approach to the role, implementing new ways of attaining customer feedback including a customer satisfaction programme – something he says had only been done by one other manufacturer at the time.

“We were trying to transform the business. We wanted to know exactly what customers actually thought about their experience in our dealer network,” Truck & Driver | 77

Clockwise, from above: Keddie says he is working to optimise the benefits of Iveco’s new New Zealand HQ – including this state-of-the-art workshop – for its customers....the new NZ boss has been six years with Iveco Australia in a management role....Iveco NZ posted its best sales in five years in 2018, with 252 trucks sold in the overall 4.5 tonnes-plus market, giving it a 4.88% share he says.

Keddie, who’s been with Iveco for over six years, was shoulder-tapped last year to take on the role of the Italian make’s dealer principal in NZ. He took over last October from acting dealer principal Daryl Thornton.

According to Keddie, the reason why he was chosen for the role is his ability to “easily connect with the Australian wing of the business – and use that connection to our advantage in NZ to support our customers, dealerships and the wider Iveco network.”

Keddie started the job with an open mind on dealing with NZ customers and understanding our market: “I’m just taking everything in and immersing myself in the NZ culture and the people and the way things are done here.

I’m really enjoying it.”

One Keddie aim is to optimise the benefits of the new Iveco NZ HQ in Auckland for customers: “Iveco, being a global truck manufacturer, has significant resources – and investing in a facility in NZ is aimed at improving our customers’ experience,” he says.

He’s also enjoying “going out and meeting our customers and our partners within the Iveco dealer network.” T&D

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ACCELERATED LICENSING TO HELP RECRUIT NEW DRIVERS T

By Steve Divers

Director – career pathways – road freight transport Sector Workforce Engagement Programme (SWEP)

HE DRIVER SHORTAGE REMAINS A BIG CONCERN for industry members. A new process to help members get qualified drivers faster has recently been approved by the New Zealand Transport Agency and NZ Police’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST).

The new process is an initiative by the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme (SWEP), which achieved a 10% increase in Class 5 licences in 2017 – and in the first 10 months of 2018 saw more licences issued than in all of 2016. I’ll update last year’s total when I have the figures.

Upskilling the best way forward A big challenge for members has been finding suitably qualified Class 4 and 5 drivers to recruit.

Unfortunately, a pool of drivers does not exist. This is why the Accelerated Licensing Process (ALP) has been re-introduced.

The ALP allows for a new driver holding a Class 2 licence to accelerate to Class 4 or 5 within 260 hours – significantly less time than it would normally take.

Here’s how the process works, and what association members need to do to take advantage of it:

Making an application The company (operator), the assessor, and the candidate all need to be approved by NZTA in order to take part in the ALP. Companies must have an approved reporting and control system in place (this has been put in place by us), and must hold a four or five-star ORS rating.

They must also have policies in place regarding vehicle maintenance systems and health and safety.

Companies then need to fill out an application form and pay a one-off fee of $65.

The assessor application is for individuals or Truck & Driver | 81

Sector Workforce Engagement Programme

SWE P

Brooks driver Ben Smith is currently doing his 200 hours of unsupervised driving

The driver can then start to accumulate 200 hours of unsupervised driving experience. companies that are already approved as course providers. They must have completed at least six Class 5 assessments in the preceding 12 months to qualify, and must have been audited by NZTA or Mito within the last 12 months. There is no application fee.

Individual candidates must pay an application fee of $194. Those aged 25 and over must have held a full car licence for one year and hold a Class 2 licence, while those aged under 25 must have held a full car licence for two years. This does present some challenges for under25s, which we will be looking into.

There does not appear to be a length of time requirement for holding the Class 2 licence, so once the Class 2 licence has been obtained companies should consider making the driver application.

The other requirement is that they are employed and are on a training programme with an approved employer.

Stage 3: Unsupervised driving The driver can then start to accumulate 200 hours of unsupervised driving experience.

The restrictions on driving and working no more than eight hours per cumulative day remain until candidates have completed at least 140 hours under Stage 3. Once they have accumulated 60 hours of Stage 3 driving they can start driving during the hours of darkness.

During the required 200 hours minimum of unsupervised driving, at least 20 hours must be during the hours of darkness.

Drivers must have daily feedback to address any shortcomings. Once this is done, approval to exit the accelerated licensing process with a substantive licence is made to the NZTA. Approval is then issued, in the form of notice to the driver.

Stage 3: Exit assessment Approval to Commence & Preliminary Assessment: Stage 1 Once candidates are assessed for their suitability to drive a Class 4 or 5 vehicle and are approved by NZTA, they can take part in Stage 1. There is no requirement to undertake Class 4 prior to Class 5, so guidance is taken from the assessor. Practically this means that the candidate has completed the Class 4L or 5L with the assessor or testing agent.

A request is submitted to NZTA with the required information and a notice is issued to the driver which stipulates conditions (see below) and approval to commence Stage 2.

At this point, the candidate undertakes an advanced driving skills assessment. While we’re not able to detail the specifics of this (it doesn’t seem to be a requirement to utilise Institute of Advanced Motorists assessments, for instance), something like Fuel Efficient Driver training or the NZ Certificate driving standard would seem a reasonable assessment to make at this time.

Once completed and a certificate of completion is issued, an application can be made to apply an endorsement to the candidate’s licence.

An effective strategy Stage 2: Supervised driving This is a supervised driving stage where candidates are not allowed to work and drive more than eight hours per cumulative work day in daylight hours, and must maintain a logbook.

They must have daily feedback, with a supervisor sitting next to them in the cab recording progress. The supervisor can be any company employee who has held that class of NZ vehicle licence for at least two years.

The aim is to accumulate a minimum of 60 hours supervised driving experience. Once that’s completed the assessor can make a judgement as to the candidate’s suitability to progress to a Stage 2 assessment – the approved course for the Class 4 or 5 full licence.

A further request is made to the NZTA for permission to progress through to Stage 3, which is, in effect, a restricted licence stage. The NZTA issues a written approval notice with conditions (see below).

This process may appear to be long-winded, with interactions with NZTA at each approval stage. However, the ALP could be a very effective way of supporting an existing company training scheme or encouraging companies to start a cadet or training scheme.

Our first company, Nelson’s Brooks Spreading, has now been approved and is beta testing the process with its driver Ben Smith currently undertaking 200 hours of unsupervised driving, supported by approved driver assessors Tim Pannell and David Semaine from Platinum Driver Training.

Pannell says that the ALP “is allowing drivers to get more experience through training and prove themselves to a higher standard.

“Just obtaining a licence on a standard pathway does not guarantee any driving experience – but the ALP does.”

Operators interested in taking part in the ALP should contact Steve Divers for more details. Contact him on 021 833 334 or email: steve.divers@truckingcareers.nz T&D

82 | Truck & Driver

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Road Transport Association NZ

Have we got the road safety plan right?

I

HAVE BEEN WATCHING WITH INTEREST THE CHANGING TREND in the road toll in New Zealand – and while I’ll be the first to admit that this is a complex issue, with many moving parts, the recent trend is a concern.

Last year the toll increased – and the trend to date is not looking that good for this year.

Clearly the role of trucks in crashes have been a focus for the media and there have been some suggestions that trucks are becoming more involved, which will influence the policy people.

But as the graph below clearly shows, something has changed in our total approach – and it’s not working. The trend is moving back up. This was apparent in 2011, but came back in a one-off improved result in 2013.

I can’t help but think of some significant changes that have been made to the road safety strategy since 2002, and many of the concerns that were expressed at the time with the proposed direction…and the impact it might have in the future.

I was involved in this programme and very much a part of implementing the road safety plan as it was.

The philosophy and the evidence-based research at that time was all around what was called the “3 Es” – in essence, education, enforcement and engineering. All had to play a part to tackle the complex issue of road crashes….which still can best be described as rare and random events.

The key was to have a mix of these activities and to understand how they all contributed to a crash and the consequent result.

Back in 2002 an essential part of this mix were road users – engaging them through the education side of the model so they’d understand that contribution and dealing with them and their behaviour directly.

Most of this was funded through a programme called the Safety Administration Programme (SAP), which provided funds to local communities and local and regional councils to fund road safety coordinators and a range of community-based programmes to assist communities in achieving better road safety outcomes.

But, like all good things that work, it had to change – firstly when the Government reviewed the approach and instead proposed a strategy called the “Road safety outcome by 2010.” The strategy outlined a vision of a transport system that was affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable – to be realised with an integrated approach that was forward looking, collaborative, accountable and evidence-based.

This happened at the same time as Land Transport NZ (LTNZ) was established, to undertake the operational activities of Transfund NZ and

Road Transport Association NZ chief executive Dennis Robertson

the Land Transport Safety Authority, at the end of 2004. The SAP was integrated into the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

The key to transport sector community programmes is that they’re based on community programmes, that promote a community development model…by encouraging community ownership of land transport and hence road safety.

It’s like the old saying: “Give the man a fish and you feed him for one meal. Give him a fishing rod and you feed him for life.” It’s no accident that this model, which aims to help people help themselves, is an effective model….which is now a very small part of the mix.

There seems to be a view that the community approach is somehow blaming communities for the road toll, which it is not. It should be a matter of considering all the contributory factors to the road toll…and setting up a plan to address these parts.

Since 2010 we have seen a move towards what other countries have done to bring down their road toll. This has been rolled out under the Safer Journeys Road Safety Strategy and, more recently, the Vision Zero approach.

In effect what these strategies do is take people out of the equation and move to what we see in countries like Sweden, which has much more emphasis on the key component being engineering.

While this is needed, it’s missing one important ingredient – people!

And, more precisely, their behaviour.

People and the community have to play a greater part in this – otherwise we’ll just keep walking in straight lines.

We are not Swedish – we don’t comply like they do. We push the boundaries. This is what we are as NZers – and this is not a case of right or wrong…it’s a fact.

And we’ll have a problem bringing our road toll down unless we give this more consideration. Think straight lines…and think road safety. T&D

Deaths 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08 20 09 20 10 20 11 20 12 20 13 20 14 20 15 20 16 20 17

By Road Transport Association NZ chief executive Dennis Robertson

Truck & Driver | 85

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My 2019 road transport wish list

By David Aitken, CEO of National Road Carriers

H

APPY NEW YEAR TO ALL IN THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY and welcome to 2019.

Welcome also to new Road Transport Forum CEO Nick Leggett, who has taken over the reins from Ken Shirley. No doubt Nick and his team at the Forum are in for a busy 2019 and we look forward to working with them.

Over the holiday period I had the luxury of having time to reflect on the year ahead and I came up with something of a road transport wish list for 2019. Here are my top wishes for the year.

More collaboration This is the way forward for our biggest issues – supply chain issues, infrastructure and regulation, driver shortages etc. Take supply chain issues: They are complex and involve many moving parts – from suppliers and shippers, to ports, to road transport operators…..to wholesalers, retailers and end users. We need to educate all members of the supply chain and work collaboratively to generate efficiencies.

More sustainable practices Embracing sustainable practices is good for the environment and good for business. In a market where more and more customers are motivated by the sustainability of their suppliers, our industry needs to take action. Not everyone can do the big stuff like electric vehicles, but there are things even sole operators can do to reduce their environmental impact – think waste minimisation and energy efficiency, for a start.

East-West Link We need a resolution to this in 2019. While the Government has ruled out the original plan, the problem in this part of Auckland hasn’t gone away – and this key road transport route needs attention. We look forward to seeing the Government’s plan for this and working with it to deliver an effective, workable solution.

Southern Corridor Let’s make 2019 a year of real progress – and maybe even completion – for this project. We will be asking the project team why it has taken so long, as it feels like it’s been lagging somewhat.

We would like to see more happening on the ground and have the project speed up for a final sprint to the finish line in 2019. This is a critical piece of the highway network that has seen disruption for too long.

More drivers The Government’s SWEP (Sector Workplace Engagement Programme) and the Road Freight Transport Group started to pay dividends in 2018, but we need plenty more new entrants to our industry in 2019. We need to build on that and ramp-up our efforts in the driver recruitment, training and retention areas and encourage more people to take up careers in the road transport industry.

Upper North Island Freight Strategy This shapes as a critical review for the road transport sector in the upper North Island, not to mention a few port companies around the place. We aim to have input into this review and our wish is for constructive and workable solutions when the review team releases its report later this year.

Whangarei to Marsden Point four-lane highway Upgrading this section of highway to four lanes and separating traffic will significantly reduce the high number of fatal and serious injury crashes in the area, many of which involve drivers crossing the centre line and colliding with oncoming traffic. This is a significant road that has high volume of traffic on it daily – and not just to NorthPort, where three million tonnes of freight are handled every year.

Katikati to Tauranga highway The current road between Katikati and Tauranga is one of the country’s most dangerous and we’re pushing hard for a much-needed upgrade. Let’s get the ball rolling in 2019.

Mt Messenger bypass Looking further afield, the Mt Messenger bypass road out of Taranaki has been consented, subject to a couple of appeals. This new road needs to happen, in the interests of safety. Another project that would be great to see construction start this year.

Manawatu Gorge replacement road Some progress in this area last year, with the announcement of a new State Highway 3 route to connect the Manawatu, Tararua district, Hawke’s Bay and northern Wairarapa, to replace the closed SH3 Manawatu Gorge route. Geotechnical investigations and public consultation have begun and 2019 is the year to really push this along.

Road repairs When I talk to our members, the message is clear: Too many of our roads are falling to bits. A key part of our role is to advocate for health and safety for our members and that means safe roads to drive on.

This will be a hot topic in the year ahead.

They may not all happen in 2019, but we’ll be giving each and every one of these issues a good nudge. Watch this space. T&D NRC will be working on behalf of members like Taranaki’s Murray Brothers, to push for David Aitken’s wish list

Truck & Driver | 87

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Water treatment and chemical distribution company Ixom has added this new Kenworth K200 8x4 truck and trailer unit into its bulk liquid tanker fleet, based in Mount Maunganui. Maurice Albert and Andrew Lockyer doubleshift the unit, which has a Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton UltraShift AMT and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide suspension. The unit has NDA tanks, with Domett supplying the trailer chassis and mounting the tank on the truck. Extras include Alcoa Dura Bright alloys and the Bendix Wingman Fusion safety package.

OP Ltd

Record start to the year A

TD24352

FTER A DISAPPOINTING END TO LAST year’s heavy truck sales, which saw New Zealand’s new truck market narrowly fall short of its best-ever year, 2019 has seen the market rebound – with a recordbreaking January.

The 416 trucks (with a GVM of 4.5 tonnes-plus) registered in the first month of the new year was a spectacular 23.1% up on the 338 sales in January 2018 – and that was the previous alltime best.

And official NZ Transport Agency registration data shows that trailer registrations in January were also at record levels – the 111 sales edging the 105 previous best total for the month, back in 2015.

The leaders in both the overall truck market and the trailer market continued where they left off in 2018 – with longtime Number 1s Isuzu and Patchell still outfront.

In the 4.5t to maximum GVM truck market, Isuzu registered 94 vehicles in January, comfortably ahead of last year’s second and third-ranked makes, Fuso (with 69 sales) and Hino (53)

respectively.

Volvo (seventh in the overall market for the 2018 year) got 2019 off to a good start with 50 registrations for fourth, ahead of an also-improved DAF (28), with Kenworth (22) next – down a place from its 2018 standing. UD (17) and Iveco, MAN and Mercedes-Benz (14 apiece) completed the top 10.

In the 3.5-4.5t crossover segment, Fiat (21) led Peugeot (6), Chevrolet (4), Ford (3) and LDV and Mercedes-Benz (two apiece).

Last year’s 4.5-7.5t category leader Fuso started strongly with 31 sales, ahead of second-placed Isuzu (15), an improved Iveco and Mercedes-Benz (seven each). Hino (6), Foton (3) and Hyundai (2) were next.

Last year’s top three held their places in the 7.5-15t segment – Isuzu registering a standout 49 trucks in January, way ahead of Fuso (16) and Hino (14). They were, in turn, well up on Iveco (3) and DAF and UD (two apiece).

The small 15-20.5t category was convincingly led by Hino

(continued on page 93) Truck & Driver | 89

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4501kg-max GVM 2019 Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO VOLVO DAF KENWORTH UD IVECO MAN MERCEDES-BENZ SCANIA FREIGHTLINER MACK SINOTRUK FOTON INTERNATIONAL HYUNDAI FIAT RAM OTHER Total

Vol 94 69 53 50 28 22 17 14 14 14 10 6 6 6 4 4 2 1 1 1 416

% 22.6 16.6 12.7 12.0 6.7 5.3 4.1 3.4 3.4 3.4 2.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.0 1.0 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.2 100

January Vol % 94 22.6 69 16.6 53 12.7 50 12.0 28 6.7 22 5.3 17 4.1 14 3.4 14 3.4 14 3.4 10 2.4 6 1.4 6 1.4 6 1.4 4 1.0 4 1.0 2 0.5 1 0.2 1 0.2 1 0.2 416 100

3501-4500kg GVM 2019 Brand FIAT PEUGEOT CHEVROLET FORD LDV MERCEDES-BENZ RENAULT Total

Vol 21 6 4 3 2 2 1 39

% 53.8 15.4 10.3 7.7 5.1 5.1 2.6 100

January Vol % 21 53.8 6 15.4 4 10.3 3 7.7 2 5.1 2 5.1 1 2.6 39 100

4501-7500kg GVM 2019 Brand FUSO ISUZU IVECO MERCEDES-BENZ HINO FOTON HYUNDAI FIAT RAM VOLKSWAGEN Total 90 | Truck & Driver

Vol 31 15 7 7 6 3 2 1 1 1 74

% 41.9 20.3 9.5 9.5 8.1 4.1 2.7 1.4 1.4 1.4 100.0

January Vol % 31 41.9 15 20.3 7 9.5 7 9.5 6 8.1 3 4.1 2 2.7 1 1.4 1 1.4 1 1.4 74 100

A longtime association with International trucks has been continued by Henderson’s Yelavich Transport with the arrival of this new RS 9870 Sky cab truck and trailer unit. Hare Reneti drives the 8x4, which has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton Roadranger manual gearbox and 46,000 lb Meritor diffs. The curtainsider carts general freight nationwide.

Patchell’s quest to be market leader for the 10th consecutive year got off to a good start...

7501-15,000kg GVM 2019 Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO IVECO DAF UD FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ Total

Vol 49 16 14 3 2 2 1 1 88

% 55.7 18.2 15.9 3.4 2.3 2.3 1.1 1.1 100

January Vol % 49 55.7 16 18.2 14 15.9 3 3.4 2 2.3 2 2.3 1 1.1 1 1.1 88 100

15,001-20,500kg GVM 2019 Brand HINO FUSO UD ISUZU SCANIA SINOTRUK Total

Vol 10 5 4 1 1 1 22

% 45.5 22.7 18.2 4.5 4.5 4.5 100

January Vol % 10 45.5 5 22.7 4 18.2 1 4.5 1 4.5 1 4.5 22 100

20,501-23,000kg GVM 2019 Brand HINO FUSO Total

Vol 1 1 2

% 50.0 50.0 100

January Vol % 1 50.0 1 50.0 2 100

www.trt.co.nz

23,001kg-max GVM 2019 Brand VOLVO ISUZU DAF KENWORTH HINO FUSO MAN UD SCANIA FREIGHTLINER MACK MERCEDES-BENZ SINOTRUK INTERNATIONAL IVECO Total

Vol 50 29 26 22 22 16 14 11 9 6 6 6 5 4 4 230

% 21.7 12.6 11.3 9.6 9.6 7.0 6.1 4.8 3.9 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.2 1.7 1.7 100

January Vol % 50 21.7 29 12.6 26 11.3 22 9.6 22 9.6 16 7.0 14 6.1 11 4.8 9 3.9 6 2.6 6 2.6 6 2.6 5 2.2 4 1.7 4 1.7 230 100

Trailers 2019 Brand Vol PATCHELL 16 TMC 12 FRUEHAUF 9 ROADMASTER 9 DOMETT 9 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 8 MTE 7 JACKSON 4 TES 4 EVANS 3 TIDD 3 FREIGHTER 2 TRANSFLEET 2 FAIRFAX 2 HAMMAR 2 MAKARANUI 2 HTS 2 LOWES 2 IDEAL 2 KRAFT 2 MILLS-TUI 1 LUSK 1 CHIEFTAIN 1 MTT 1 FELDBINDER 1 TEO 1 MORGAN 1 PTE 1 KOROMIKO 1 Total 111

% 14.4 10.8 8.1 8.1 8.1 7.2 6.3 3.6 3.6 2.7 2.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 100

January Vol % 16 14.4 12 10.8 9 8.1 9 8.1 9 8.1 8 7.2 7 6.3 4 3.6 4 3.6 3 2.7 3 2.7 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 2 1.8 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 111 100

TRUSTED

BY DEAN.

“We first bought the vehicles because we needed something that was tough. In this sector they need to be able to bounce around farmland a lot. Probably half their time is spent off-road, in paddocks and so forth, and apart from the bumps they need to be able to handle all the wet weather we get in this part of the world. And they do, they handle it all.”

Dean Frew, General Manager – Frews Transport

For demanding off-road work it’s hard to go past IVECO’s Trakker range, just ask Dean Frew, he operates four of these models in fertiliser spreading applications. Available in 4x4, 6x4, 6x6 and 8x4 configurations, the Trakker range is built on a tough high tensile steel chassis allowing superior articulation off-road, combine this with hub reduction and differential locks on all drive axles and you have a truck that’s ready to go no matter what the conditions. And with GVMs ranging from 19 to 33 tonnes, a choice of three engines with output from 360hp and 1500Nm to 500hp and 2300Nm, availability of manual or automated manual transmission and day and sleeper cab options, there’s likely to be a Trakker model to suit your needs. Why not put one to the test?

For more information visit your local IVECO dealer or phone 0800 FOR IVECO (0800 367 48326).

www.iveco.co.nz

DO YOU KNOW A TRUCK DRIVER HERO? Is someone you know a“TRUCK DRIVER HERO”?

Someone who has significantly contributed to the safety of others such as: helping someone from danger, acting in a consistantly safe way to prevent harm to others or just generally helping other motorists on our roads.

Someone who has contributed significantly to the industry in ways such as: encouraging others to become drivers, advocacy of industry related matters, has been a long-term reliable driver, has gone over and above their call of duty for the business/industry.

LETS CREATE A TRUCK DRIVER HERO

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PRIZES UP FOR GRABS AND A CHANCE FOR YOUR FLEET TO SHINE

FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ON-LINE nztruckanddriver.co.nz/tdh.html Having a winning driver on your team pays huge dividends. There’s enterfree publicity, its a morale boost, a proud flag to fly and just enter ing somebody’s name shows you care. The winning driver and his or her carrier are often used in subsequent stories.

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ch eds. ch

S

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Peter Clune Transport in Te Kauwhata has put this new Volvo FM tipper to work around the north Waikato region. It has a 500hp engine, I-Shift AMT and a steel Cambridge Welding body.

(continued from page 89) (10), ahead of Fuso (5), UD (4) and Isuzu, Scania and Sinotruk, with one apiece. In the tiny 20.54-23t segment, Hino and Fuso were the only makes to post a single sale.

All of Volvo’s 50 trucks registered in January were in the premium 23t to maximum GVM category – making it the clear leader in that top end of the market, well clear of second-placed Isuzu (29), DAF (26) and Kenworth and Hino (with 22 apiece).

Fuso (16) was next, closely followed by MAN (14), with UD (11), Scania (9) and Freightliner, Mack and Mercedes-Benz each on six.

Patchell’s quest to be market leader for the 10th consecutive year got off to a good start, with 16 sales, compared to TMC (12) and Fruehauf, Roadmaster and Domett (9 apiece).

Following them were Transport Trailers (8), MTE (7), Jackson and TES (4 each), and Evans and Tidd (3 apiece).

Industry analyst Robin Yates, whose Marketing Hand consultancy prepares this registration breakdown for NZ Truck & Driver, has been looking at the changing fortunes of the different market segments over the past decade.

The biggest change has been in the 3.5-4.5t crossover segment, which in 2009 was the second-largest in the overall 3.5t-max GVM market. By 2018 it had almost halved its share, to just 11.3%.

The runaway giant of the market back in 2009, with a 40%

share, was the premium 23t-max GVM category – and that gained strength over the 10 years, improving to 43% last year (when it actually reversed three years of decline with a 3% improvement on 2017).

Within that heavyweight division there were some significant changes in the fortunes of the makes over the 20 years – even though Isuzu was No. 1 back then….and last year.

Behind it though, in 2009 the rest of the top 10 (in order) comprised Scania, Volvo, Freightliner, Hino, Fuso, Kenworth, Mercedes-Benz, Western Star and UD. Last year Kenworth had improved to second, ahead of Volvo, DAF, Hino, Fuso, Scania, UD, Mercedes-Benz and MAN. The other big change in the categories’ market shares since 2009 was in the 4.5-7.5t segment – up from 13% in 2009, to 22% last year.

The flat (and tiny) 20.5-23t segment reached a new low last year (at just over 1%) – just a shadow of its status in the 1980s when, (in the days of lightweight 6x4s), it was the biggest part of the market, says Yates.

Its demise began in the mid-1990s, when manufacturers began increasing GVMs from the typical 22.5t and 190hp to 23.5t and 250hp…and then, after 2000, progressively to 26t and 350hp.

This moved the biggest-selling 6x4s out of the 20.5-23t segment, into the 23t to max GVM division. T&D Truck & Driver | 93

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Gisborne’s R&J Logging has put this new Freightliner Argosy logger to work. It has a 560hp Detroit DD15 engine, an Eaton UltraShift AMT and a 46-160 rear end, plus onboard scales, a central tyre inflation system, an alloy bumper, full custom side skirts and LED lights. It tows a new five-axle Evans trailer and has an Evans shorts setup on the truck.

A LLO Y B O D I E S

www.trt.co.nz

Tranzliquid Logistics has added the first DAF to its bulk products fleet with this new CF85 tractor unit. The 6x4, which is contracted to Road Science and is based in New Plymouth, has a 510hp Paccar MX engine, an AS Tronic AMT with Intarder and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide suspension. It tows a three-axle semi-trailer.

HA RD O X B O D I E S

TD29173

A UT O - MA T T S

D RO P SI D E B O D IE S

CONTACT GARRY

Cell: 021 309 884 Phone: 03 313 1786 www.cowantrailers.co.nz Email: cowantrailers@xtra.co.nz 311 Flaxton Road Rangiora 7400

S

Recently

Registered

www.trt.co.nz

Ngongotaha’s Aruman-Avi Enterprises has put this new MAN TGX35.540 to work in NZL Group colours. The 8x4 curtainsider has a 540hp D26 engine, a TipMatic AMT and MAN hypoid diffs and an XLX sleeper cab. It has a Roadmaster curtainsider body and pulls a matching trailer.

Recently

Registered

www.trt.co.nz

This new MK11 280 6x2 is one of two new UDs put to work by Nelmik Enterprises, delivering Coca-Cola around Christchurch and North Canterbury. It has a 280hp engine, a six-speed manual transmission, air suspension, a 7.5 metre Custom Motor Bodies curtainsider body and a full height Palfinger 2T taillift.

Auckland NZ Post contractor R&O Transport has put this new Volvo FH 540 Globetrotter, the Midnight Postie, on the road - operating between Auckland and Northland. The 8x4 has a 540hp D13C engine, an I-Shift AMT and a Fruehauf curtainsider body‌with a matching four-axle trailer.

96 | Truck & Driver

Elliott and Henry Lingman’s Tama Haulage has put the first of two new Kenworth K200 Aerodyne truck and trailer units to work, running general freight nationwide for TAA Logistics.

It has a Cummins X15 engine, Eaton UltraShift AMT, Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide suspension, Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels and a Bigfoot central tyre inflation system.

TRANSMISSIONS Genuine Eaton Roadranger transmissions, factory or TRT rebuilds. Specs also available for all Japanese & European makes & models including Hino, Fuso, Nissan, Isuzu, Foden & DAF.

Talk to our experts.

Huge stock av

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We are the

DRIVESHAFT EXPERTS For heavy transport, marine & construction

Manufacture Balancing Rebuild Custom builds Spare parts for most major brands

TractionAir Central Tyre Inflation

PROUDLY NZ

OWNED & OPERATED

Forestry, harvesting, spreading, tankers, stock trucks, access equipment and ag work - if your fleet travels off-highway for any reason, TractionAir CTI can improve your performance.

Better tyre life with optimal pressure on any surface at any speed.

Reduction in damage to off-highway sites.

Improved operator safety travelling

off-highway with reduced wheel slip.

Improved site access off-highway with greater traction.

Reduction in the risk of tyre damage moving between road surfaces.

Call us about your options 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

Smarter logistics, together Smarter Smarter logistics, logistics, together together Smarter logistics, together Smarter logistics, together Smarter logistics, together Smarter logistics, together

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Class 5come FCL, ECL operators with side-lift experience Day night shift, metroday runs Road ranger gearbox For more infoand to our container open at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on March 16 at 10am For more info come Is Road ranger gearbox Road ranger gearbox Day and night shift, metro runs Class 5info FCL, ECLtocontainer operators with side-lift experience For ra For more more info come come to our our open open day day at at 373 373 Neilson Neilson St, St, Penrose Penrose on on March March 16 16 at at 10am 10am Class 5 FCL, ECL container operators with side-lift experience gearbox ForRoad moreranger info come to our open day at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on March 16 at 10am c Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on 021 907 523 Send yo Road ranger gearbox For more info come to our open day at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on March 16 at 10am T Send your CV to or Nadine on your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact contact Nadine on 021 021 907 907 523 523 For more infoSend come to our open day at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on March 16 at 10am Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on 021 907 523 a

Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on 021 907 523 Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on 021 907 523 T

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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

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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

98 | Truck & Driver

r full time, casual and owner drivers to join us fo

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

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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

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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

CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER

New Zealand’s First 1000 Macks

Smarter Smarter logistics, logistics, together together Smarter logistics, together

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.

Smarter logistics, together Smarter logistics, together Smarter logistics, together

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Day and night shift,start. metro runs immediate Class Class 5 FCL, 5 FCL, ECL ECL container container

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Road ranger gearbox Road ranger gearbox ForFor more more infoinfo come come to our to our open open day day We are looking for full time, casual and owner drivers to join us for immediate start. For more info come to our open day at 373 at 373 Neilson Neilson St,St, Penrose Penrose on on Day and night shift, metro runs For more info Neilson come to St, our Penrose open dayon at 373 Class 5 FCL, ECL container operators with side-lift experience March March 16 16 atto10am atour 10am For more info come open day at 373 Neilson Penrose Road ranger gearbox For more info St, come ouronopen day March 16 atto10am at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on For more info come to our open day at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on March 16 at 10am 16 at 10am at March 373 Neilson St, CV Penrose Send Send your your CV to toon Marchyour 16 atCV 10am Send to March 16 at 10am Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on 021 907 523 Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz careers@codagroup.co.nz careers@codagroup.co.nz Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or or contact contact Nadine Nadine Send your CV toonon

or contact Nadine on 021 907 523 or021 contact Nadine on 907 523 or contact Nadine on Day and night shift, metro runs 021 907 523 Class 5 FCL, ECL container operators with side-lift experience 021 907 523 Road ranger gearbox

For 100 |more Truck & info Driver come to our open day at 373 Neilson St, Penrose on March 16 at 10am

Send your CV to careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on 021 907 523

AP21327

careers@codagroup.co.nz or contact Nadine on We are looking for full time, casual and owner drivers to join us for immediate start.

021 907 523 021 907 523 careers@codagroup.co.nz

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Tick boxes NZ TRUCK & DRIVER 1 year (11 issues) for $80 incl. GST NZ LOGGER 1 year (11 issues) for $70 incl. GST

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THE RIGHT PARTS…THE RIGHT PRICES…RIGHT HERE! RECONDITIONED EXCHANGE TRANSMISSIONS + GENUINE PARTS

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EG29183

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Specials valid while stocks last.

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Email: ray@tdm.co.nz

CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER

Get your tipper bins re-furbed Sick of polishing your tipper bins? Get them painted in high gloss paint & wash them clean in minutes.

We can blast & paint any alloy or steel surface including already painted surfaces into any colour, including a metallic silver that gives the bins a polished look.

WAITARA

ROTORUA

40-42 Geddes Rd, Rotorua Rick Osborne (Manager) 07 346 2089 027 277 2653 rick@brokerspnp.co.nz

Two locations across Central North Island – www.brokerspnp.co.nz

TD29133

23 Mayne St, Waitara Craig Midgley (Manager) 06 754 7145 027 560 4345 craig@brokerspnp.co.nz

UPGRADE YOUR SLEEPER CAB MATTRESS

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Talk to us today about custom building your mattress to suit your requirements and comfort.

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

WAIKATO BEDDING 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

TD28896

434 Church Street East, Penrose, Auckland

We manufacture mattresses for trucks, boats, caravans, motor homes with a full range of beds for your home.

Truck & Driver | 103

CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER

MAMAKU W E S T

Tr

Many great shots of the Forest Products fleet and some names that have disappeared into the past. Keep your historic collection up to date with Gavin’s latest.

The ideal Christmas present for the trucker in your life.

For just $48-00 plus postage of $6-50 you can get this limited edition publication.

LIMITED EDITION

TD25688

The latest in the collection of historic pictorials by Gavin Abbott moving into the early years of the Mamaku West Trucks and Truckers featuring the fleets and identities of the Tokoroa Kinleith area.

For your copy contact: Paper Plus Opotiki, PO Box 37, Opotiki Ph 07 315 6263 Fax 07 315 7133 Email opotiki@paperplus.co.nz

OPOTIKI TRANSPORT CO.

I t t

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.

•

For just $40-00 plus postage and handling $7-00

LIMITED EDITION

For your copy contact: Paper Plus Opotiki, PO Box 37, Opotiki Ph 07 315 6263 Fax 07 315 7133 Email opotiki@paperplus.co.nz 104 | Truck & Driver

TD28770

The full story of this pioneering company complimented by Gavin Abbots fine photo library, another collectors must have.

• • • •

CoC TraT forf

Transport Transport Transport Repairs Repairs Repairs Ltd Ltd Ltd are are are the the the authorised authorised authorised Parts Parts Parts &&Service &Service Service Distributor Distributor Distributor for for for Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot Equipment Equipment Equipment Ltd Ltd Ltd from from from Canterbury Canterbury Canterbury tototo Southland Southland Southland

With With WithaaaBigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot onboard onboard onboardyou’ll you’ll you’ll monster monster monsterany any any surface surface surface

Make Make Make light light light work work work ofofany ofany any surface surface surface using using using the the the OptiTraction OptiTraction OptiTraction footprint footprint footprint with with with aaa Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot Central Central Central Tyre Tyre Tyre Inflation Inflation Inflation System System System

Drivers Drivers Drivers allall over all over the over the world the world world choose choose choose thethe BIGFOOT the BIGFOOT BIGFOOT CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL TYRE TYRE TYRE INFLATION INFLATION INFLATION SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM so so they so they can they can match can match match thethe tyre the tyre pressure tyre pressure pressure to to theto thethe speed speed speed andand the and the weight the weight weight of of theof the vehicle the vehicle vehicle onon any on any road any road road surface surface surface - at- at- at thethe touch the touch touch of of a button. of a button. a button.

ForFor over For over 25 over 25 years 25 years years thethe Bigfoot the Bigfoot Bigfoot system system system hashashas proven proven proven itself itself itself over over millions over millions millions of of miles of miles miles covered covered covered in in allin all corners all corners corners of of theof thethe globe globe globe andand isand the is the isfirst the first choice first choice choice forfor operators for operators operators who who demand who demand demand accuracy, accuracy, accuracy, endurance endurance endurance andand ease and ease ease of of use. of use. use.

Features Features ofofthe ofthe the Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot Central Central Central InInIn the the the mud, mud, mud, the the the sand, sand, sand, the the the snow snow snow and and and on on on Features Inflation Inflation Inflation Tyre Tyre Tyre System System System the the the road…. road…. road…. with with with Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot onboard onboard onboard you’re you’re you’re • Designed • Designed • Designed and and tested and tested tested in in some in some some of of theof the worlds the worlds worlds harshest harshest harshest conditions conditions conditions the the the master master master ofofof traction traction traction on on on any any any terrain terrain terrain

• •Increase •Increase Increase traction, traction, traction, improves improves improves vehicle vehicle vehicle mobility mobility mobility and and and utilisation utilisation utilisation Higher off-highway off-highway off-highway travel travel travel speeds speeds speeds • •Higher •Higher • •Improves •Improves Improves driver driver driver comfort comfort comfort • •Reduced •Reduced Reduced vibrational vibrational vibrational damage damage damage and and and shock shock shock loading loading loading • •Increase •Increase Increase tyre tyre tyre life life life Contact Contact Contact your your your nearest nearest nearest INVERCARGILL INVERCARGILL INVERCARGILL Transport Transport Transport Repairs Repairs Repairs 0303218 03218 218 3059 3059 3059 9 Kinloch 9 Kinloch 9 Kinloch Street Street Street forfor more for more more details: details: details:

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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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The same…. only different

O MOST PEOPLE, TEMUKA TRANSPORT’S DISTINCTIVE two-tone green and white livery has probably looked much the same for decades.

But, as operations manager Gutsy (Garry) Aitken points out, the look of the fleet is actually constantly evolving – most notably of late by way of swooshes on the cab doors replacing the former zig-zag stripes.

The swirls/swooshes, which are a stylised version of the company logo, were introduced in 2014 – in a branding revamp that also included a new treatment for the company name on the side of the cab. Gone was the old horizontal stripe, framed top and bottom by the company name in the shape of an ellipse.

Ever since then the new look has been gradually introduced – each new truck given the revised treatment as old trucks have been replaced (usually at one million kilometres, or maybe 1.2).

The constant in the colour scheme has been the unusual shade of green that’s been the main colour on the company trucks since 1987, when Temuka Transport bought its first Volvo – the make that has long since become the fleet favourite.

For the previous 20 years, following the purchase of Temuka Transport by Rowdy Aitken and three fellow drivers in 1967, the trucks had been painted primarily blue and white, sometimes with a green stripe.

When the company was purchased in ’67 it had gone into receivership. And the trucks, Rowdy recalled a few years ago, were a motley collection – in appearance, age and mechanical condition. He thinks that probably only 11 of the 20 trucks in the purchase were actually runners.

“They were hard times – working all the hours God gave to get the business back on its feet. But we eventually got it under way,” he told New Zealand Truck & Driver in 2012.

Back in the day, Temuka Transport was very much a

2 | Truck & Driver

traditional rural trucking company, servicing the local sheep, cattle and grain farmers. It also used to pick up cheese from four small factories and deliver it to the railways.

Around 1971, Rowdy and the only remaining partner of the original quartet split the business up – Trevor Walsh taking over the contracting and earthmoving operation, while Aitken held onto Temuka Transport and its rural carrying business.

The 1983 deregulation of road freight transport saw the cheese factories requesting delivery direct to Christchurch – and Temuka Transport began to spread its wings.

To suit the new long-distance runs, the company looked to new trucks, including the very first company Volvo – an F12 bought new in 1987.

With the help of a local signwriter and painter, the green base colour was adopted, with a white stripe and white on the upper cab and stock crates.

The colour scheme has served the company well over the 32 years since, says Gutsy Aitken: “It’s a unique brand. Our ‘South Island green’ is well known.”

The Aitken brothers – Gutsy, Slim (Brian) and Brendan – who now run the family business, have worked with Peter Taylor and Andrew Gibbs at Timaru Signs & Graphix for about 30 years on the branding – modifying things to keep it up to date.

“They’ve helped tweak the livery and logo,” says Gutsy: “We change things about every 10 years to keep it current and fresh.”

The 2014 redo was prompted by the arrival of the first of the company’s Version 4 Volvo FHs – the swooshes on the door introduced to better suit the contours of the new cab, Gutsy explains. They also carry on the theme of the Temuka logo – designed and introduced around 1990.

The company now has 94 of its fleet of around 100 trucks

TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS

This photo & poster photo: Gerald Shacklock

in the latest colour scheme, which is shown off perfectly by the 2016 FH 540 Volvo which is the poster truck this month – as Temuka Transport becomes our latest PPG Transport Imaging Awards monthly finalist.

Good as the livery is, improving it is an ongoing effort: Gutsy says he’s not entirely happy with the logo and the company name as they currently appear on the aerofoils on top of the cabs: “We’re still working on that to get it right.”

It helps the uniformity of the company colour scheme that around 95% of the fleet is Volvo – with just some bulk groundspreaders and a couple of small runabout trucks from other manufacturers.

The Volvos, says Gutsy, were chosen for the style and image they could give the company as well as their comfort and safety. The I Shift automated transmission also makes them easy to operate in the stop-start running through towns that’s part of the South Canterbury road transport scene.

Temuka is a major transport supplier to Fonterra – carting milk, milk powder and milk solids, packaging and coal for the giant co-operative.

It also carts stock feed to bulk storage facilities and still transports livestock, with the emphasis in recent years on dairy cows – a result of widespread dairy conversions in the region.

The Temuka Transport Group runs two other transport operations acquired in recent years – and has steadfastly kept their original names and colours.

Temuka-based MacKenzie Supply Services and Fairlie’s Barwood Motors still run in their own liveries – blue and white and red and white respectively. MacKenzies does rural and refrigerated freight, while Barwoods focuses on livestock, bulk groundspreading and general freight around Fairlie and the Mackenzie Basin.

Says Gutsy: “When we bought into them we respected their identities and the family values they represented.”

Collectively MacKenzies and Barwoods have added another 50 trucks to the group’s fleet.

“We now cover the ocean to the Alps,” says Gutsy.

Temuka and the other companies operate primarily in the Canterbury/South Canterbury/North Otago regions, but work does take the trucks all over the South Island and occasionally across Cook Strait. T&D

Top: The new branding on the side of the cab, first introduced in 2014, is shown off on this 2016 FH 540

Opposite page, left: The distinctive Temuka Transport logo, seen here on the aerofoil of a ‘94 FL10, has been around for about 30 years Opposite page, right: In the old days the blue and white Temuka trucks were mostly British, like this Bedford TK

Below, left: The company’s first new Volvo, this F12 bought in 1987, prompted the change to the white and green colour scheme Below, right: The previous version of the branding on the side of the cabs – on a 2011 FH16 600

Truck & Driver | 3

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