NZ TRUCK & DRIVER
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| September 2019
September 2019 $8.50 incl. GST
BIG TEST Fit for a legend | FLEET FOCUS Its own best customer | FEATURE A very heavy Star
FLEET FOCUS Its own best customer
FEATURE A very heavy Star
Issue 227
legend
Fit for a
The Official Magazine of the
ISSN 1174-7935
A new millennium begins Y2K passes without widespread computer failures Olympic Games in Sydney Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Queen Mother dies
2000 2001 2002
Bali bomb kills 203 people Brazil wins Soccer World Cup Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Boxing Day Tsunami causes widespread devastation First privately funded human spaceflight Janet Jackson suffers ‘wardrobe malfunction’ at Super Bowl
2003 2004
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Wikipedia goes online
Population of New Zealand exceeds 4 million Saddam Hussein is captured Space Shuttle Columbia destroyed during re-entry killing 7 astronauts Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2005 2006
Italy wins Soccer World Cup Google purchase YouTube for $1.65m
Slobodan Milosevic arrested over war crimes Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ Five cent coins are dropped from circulation
9/11 Twin Towers are hit by passenger planes
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans Prince Charles marries Camilla Parker Bowles Pope John Paul II dies Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2007
Apple introduces the iPhone Bomb kills former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto
Barack Obama elected first African American US President Global Financial Crisis Sir Edmund Hillary dies Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
First Canterbury earthquake causes widespread damage Julian Assange, co-founder of WikiLeaks, is arrested Chilean mining accident, remarkably all 33 miners rescued Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ Summer Olympics open in London
2008 2009 2010 2011
Willie Apiata receives the Victoria Cross, the first New Zealander since World War II Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Michael Jackson dies First New Zealand rocket launched into space Swine Flu declared a global pandemic Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
U.S. troops kill Osama bin Laden All Blacks win Rugby World Cup
2012
Kate Middleton marries Prince William Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Mars Rover successfully lands on Mars Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Malaysian airliner goes missing
2013 2014
Russia is reportedly in control of Crimea ISIS take control of Mosul Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2015
Pope Francis first Latin American elected Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gives birth to a baby boy Nelson Mandela dies at age 95 Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
All Blacks win back-to-back Rugby World Cups Paris terrorist attack
Donald Trump elected US president
2016
Flowing liquid water found on Mars Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
NZ highest ever Olympic medal tally UK votes for Brexit Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
2017
Team New Zealand win the America’s Cup Facebook hits 2 billion monthly users
12 Thai boys and their football coach are rescued from a cave
2018
Jacinda Ardern becomes Prime Minister
Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
Meghan Markle joins the royal family New Zealand picks up 2 medals at the Winter Olympics Isuzu Trucks No.1 in NZ
ONE THING HASN’T CHANGED SINCE 2000. Thank you for 19 consecutive years at No.1 in New Zealand. ISZ14753_19-Years_NZDT_FP_R01.indd 1
8/04/19 16:58
CONTENTS Issue 227 – September 2019 2
News
48 Fleet Focus
The latest in the world of transport, including….sale ends historic Gough Group Caterpillar era, adds more weight to Sime Darby NZ’s presence; Scania builds big Kiwi operation; Fuso NZ takes steps in bid for No. 1 return
20 Giti Tyres Big Test Heikell Transport’s new Scania S650 – the first one on the road in NZ – has been named Legend 2. Driver Jim Baker reckons it’s simply because his last truck, an R620 Scania, was one of the first of the so-called Legend series here. The boss says it’s also down to Jim himself, his work ethic and his driving abilities. Either way, both truck and driver appear to live up to the moniker
Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..driver-facing cameras should be seen as a proven safety enhancement, not as a means of spying on drivers; MITO’s ShiftUp programme provides the perfect pathway from school, into the industry; RTF takes over responsibility for future development of SWEP
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher
Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz
Advertising
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
REGULARS 80/ PPG Transport Imaging 81 Awards Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets….including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist
89 TRT Recently Registered
FEATURES
New truck and trailer registrations for July
64 Top dog bows out After 38 years with Mack importer Motor Truck Distributors, longtime GM Murray Sowerby retires – with a look back at the highs and lows of his time as Mack’s top dog in NZ
COLUMNS 77 NZHHA The NZ Heavy Haulage Association is continuing its campaign for “as of right” access to NZ’s three toll roads for oversize loads
71 Driven
37 Transport Forum
MANAGEMENT
The Pye Group’s 15-strong truck fleet is a remarkable thing: The South Canterbury operation exists largely to service just one customer – itself! In the form of the wider Pye Group, that is. It all makes perfect sense when you come to understand the scale of things
A drive up and down the hills between Auckland and Whangarei reveals Volvo’s new I-Shift Dual Clutch to be one smooth bit of work
81 A very heavy Star When Bay of Plenty’s Pollock Cranes went shopping for a heavy-haulage tractor unit, it had to look overseas – unsurprisingly, since it wanted a prime-mover with a 260-tonne GCM rating
Gerald Shacklock Dave McLeod Hayley Leibowitz Trevor Woolston Hayden Woolston Olivia Beauchamp Peter Owens
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 Dion Rout 027 491 1110 dion@trucker.co.nz
79 RTANZ The industry needs to get behind the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme – for its own good
87 National Road Carriers Association NRC-backed workshops and demonstrations, in which drivers and cyclists swap places, are helping overcome misconceptions by both parties….and improving cyclist/truck safety
ADMINISTRATION Sue Woolston MANAGER accounts@trucker.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS Sue Woolston accounts@trucker.co.nz NZ subscription $80 incl. GST for one year price (11 issues) Overseas rates on application ADDRESS Phone +64 9 571 3544 Fax +64 9 571 3549 Freephone 0508 TRUCKER (878 2537) Postal Address PO Box 112 062, Penrose, AUCKLAND Street Address 172B Marua Road, Ellerslie, AUCKLAND Web www.alliedpublications.co.nz PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Printer Nicholson Print Solutions Distribution Gordon & Gotch Publication: New Zealand Truck & Driver is published monthly, except January, by Allied Publications Ltd PO Box 112 062, Penrose, Auckland
Contributions: Editorial contributions are welcomed for consideration, but no responsibility is accepted for lost or damaged materials (photographs, graphics, printed material etc). To mail, ensure return (if required), material must be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. It’s suggested that the editor is contacted by fax or email before submitting material. Copyright: Articles in New Zealand Truck & Driver are copyright and may not be reproduced in any form – in whole or part – without permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by, the publisher.
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Truck & Driver | 1
NEWS
This is exactly half of the 50 staff that the newly-established Scania NZ is actively recruiting. MD Mattias Lundholm is in the centre (in the tan pants)
Scania muscles up SCANIA NEW ZEALAND, PART OF THE GLOBAL Traton truckmaker group, is muscling-up its new Kiwi operation – with “a recruitment blitz” under way. Scania says it’s making its largest-ever investment here, with its new HQ in Penrose and a satellite operation in Wellington now up and running – with a Christchurch base to follow. “Performance teams and service divisions will be in situ very soon,” the company says. Led by managing director Mattias Lundholm, who has been over 20 years with Scania – the last six years as the vice president of connected services and solutions for Scania global – Scania NZ is in the throes of recruiting 50 staff. This, it says, will ensure that its team has the “industry expertise and credentials” to “marry up with the technology, safety features and fuel efficiency which characterise Scania trucks.” Recent key appointments include network director Colin Bowden, performance director Rob Covich and sales director Deon Stephens. In addition, Scania NZ says its head office “is brimming with a freshly hired business controller, executive assistant, marketing and communications, and people and culture execs.”
It says of its growing Kiwi presence: “For more than two decades, model after model from Swedish trucking heavyweight Scania has arrived into the country then been customised, showcased and distributed by third party CablePrice. “But no longer. Scania NZ’s localised presence is here. “With an unwavering commitment to sustainability, fuel efficiency, safety and parts/repairs service – delivered across every truck model, featuring all of the premium and luxury touches expected from Scania – rapid growth is expected.” It accepts that its expansion moves “fly in the face of ANZ Truckometer’s most recent expectation – that economic growth will bottom out mid-year.” But Scania’s 2019 new truck sales have been up on recent years. To the end of July it had registered 111 new trucks (with a GVM above 4.5 tonnes) – 98 of them in the premium (23t to maximum GVM) heavy-duty sector. That indicates that it’s on target to improve its 167 2018 sales by around 13% this year. Lundholm says this is “an exciting time and I’m confident that Scania NZ staff will follow through on a simple proposition to current and potential customers: We’ll be quicker to complete repairs and get the parts you need, and quicker getting you back on the road.” T&D
Euro CO2 cuts set EUROPEAN TRUCKMAKERS MUST reduce CO2 emissions from new heavy-duty trucks by an average of 15% within six years….and by 30% from 2030. The regulated reductions, proposed by the EU Parliament and now formally adopted by the European Council, are based on the CO2 emissions level from current model Euro trucks. By 2025, truck and bus manufacturers must also 2 | Truck & Driver
ensure that zero-emission or low-emission vehicles account for at least 2% of all new vehicles sold. Originally, the EU Parliament had called for even tougher targets – reducing the CO2 levels by 20% from 2025, and by 35% from 2030. The Council says that manufacturers who fail to meet the targets will have to pay an excess emissions premium. It says that the measuring and monitoring of CO2 emissions will be “robust and transparent” –
using data obtained through onboard devices that monitor fuel and energy consumption. The EU Commission says that heavy commercial vehicles cause about 25% of road transport CO2 emissions….and about 6% of all CO2 emissions (from all sectors in the EU). The Council has also set binding targets on member countries to include zero-emission and lowemission vehicles in all public contracts. T&D
NEWS
Gough bought by Sime Darby
The Gough Caterpillar business was extended to include trucks in 2012, when NZ became the second country in the world (behind Australia) to launch (the ultimately short-lived) Cat highway trucks
A NEAR 90-YEAR ASSOCIATION BETWEEN GLOBAL machinery giant Caterpillar and a prominent Canterbury family is about to end, with the proposed sale of Gough Holdings to Malaysian industrial/ automotive conglomerate Sime Darby Berhad. In a deal said to be worth $211million, Sime Darby bolsters its status as a giant of New Zealand’s new vehicle industry – adding to its widespread car representation, ownership of the Truck Stops service and repair network and distribution rights for Volvo, Mack, Hino and UD trucks. Gough Group says that the deal follows a strategic review process by the historic business, commenced in 2018, to consider options for its longterm growth. Gough Group chairman Keith Sutton says the process allowed the board and shareholders to focus on the best interests of the company and its customers, suppliers and employees: “We are confident that, under Sime Darby’s ownership, the outlook for the business will be strengthened, service to customers enhanced, and opportunities for our employees improved. “Although it is sad to see the end of the almost 100-year legacy of Gough family ownership, all our stakeholders should be excited about the future direction of the business.” For several years, two branches of Tracy Gough’s family have been embroiled in a legal battle over control of the Group. Prominent members of one faction include property developers and investors, brothers Antony and Tracy, and Tracy’s son James – a Christchurch City councillor. They have been opposed by Antony and Tracy’s cousin, Ben Gough and his sister Gina Satterthwaite. Ben is board deputy chair and executive director of the Group. Caterpillar is the flagship brand for the Gough Group, which was founded
in 1929 by Tracy Gough as Gough, Gough & Hamer and secured a Cat dealership three years later. Today the Group’s subsidiaries are active in the transport and materials handling sectors across Australasia. As well as Caterpillar, global brands represented include SAF, Palfinger and WABCO for the transport industry, Hyster and UTILEV lift trucks, and Sany concrete handling equipment. In NZ, Gough TWL is a leading parts and equipment supplier to the commercial transport aftermarket, while Gough Transpecs is a prominent supplier to commercial trailermakers and truck body builders. In Australia, Gough Transport Solutions plays a similar role to Transpecs and TWL. The Gough Group employs close to 1000 people in over 50 locations in the two countries, and last year had revenue of $540million, up 18% on 2017. Sime Darby Berhad has been on the NZ automotive scene since 1999, when it bought Continental Car Services in Auckland. It now sells car brands including BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Ferrari and Nissan. Its entry into NZ new truck sector came in 2004 with the acquisition of the Truck Investments group, which included in its portfolio Mack, Hino and UD representation, plus the Truck Stops network. In 2009 the distribution rights for Volvo were added. There’s a significant synergy in the acquisition for Sime Darby: It says it’s one of the world’s oldest and biggest Caterpillar dealers – the exclusive Cat agent for Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and seven mainland Chinese provinces. In Australia, it already owns Queensland-based Caterpillar dealer Hastings Deering, which also represents the brand in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia and is one of the top five Cat dealerships worldwide. T&D Truck & Driver | 3
LOW COST container handling SAFE no wire ropes YARD FRIENDLY lowest wheel loadings
Australia +61 (07) 3811 5049 New Zealand +64 (0) 21 991 287
NEWS
New role next step towards
No. 1
FUSO NEW ZEALAND SAYS IT HAS created a new national sales manager role as the “next step” in its quest to return the Japanese make to the No. 1 position in the market. It says that the appointment of career-long vehicle salesman Cameron Childs to the role is a key move in its continuing growth strategy. Childs, it says, “brings a wealth of industry experience and passion to the evolving business. “He arrives at a time when next-generation technology in Canter, Shogun and the soon-toarrive eCanter is rolling out the door – delivering greater levels of safety and efficiency under the new brand direction, ‘We look after our own.’ ” His role is to “deliver on that commitment at
Cameron Childs ground level, working with individual dealerships across the country to ensure a unified approach to customer service that is second to none.” Childs has worked in the trucking industry for the past 16 years and reckons he has transport in his blood: “I love this industry, and FUSO is a business that is really going places. “Behind all the new product being rolled out this year is a committed team full of great people – all working towards the common goal of being the best in the market. That’s an exciting culture to be a part of.” Working with “a business that prioritises safety as one of the central features of its new product range has been a big draw for me,” he
adds. He will work with Fuso NZ dealers, to “build on the successes they have already achieved. “There’s always room for improvement – we want to go from good to great and provide every dealer with the same opportunity for success, wherever they are in the country.” Fuso NZ MD Kurtis Andrews says that the creation of the national sales manager role “demonstrates our commitment to customers – that we really do look after own. “That means building a trusted relationship with operators, providing whole fleet solutions and remaining invested in the success of their businesses for the long term.” T&D
EROAD clocks milestone EROAD HAS INSTALLED ITS 100,000 TH TELEMATICS unit, taking less time to reach the milestone than other global telematic industry rivals, it says. The achievement is, it says, “a clear indication of EROAD’s capability of remaining a significant player within a global industry anticipated to be worth $US750billion by 2030, according to a recent report. The McKinsey and Company report identifies the willingness of governments to mandate regulatory telematics services because of their potential to increase road safety, improve driving behaviour and align insurance premiums with actual need. “Although many commercial vehicle operators have been early to recognise the improved fuel economy, efficient regulatory compliance and more effective management of vehicle fleets delivered through telematics, the report also outlines the low penetration of telematic services within each country,” EROAD says. “While the total addressable market is sizeable, this is not an industry where many providers survive. Few companies can self-fund the R&D investment to maximise advancements in technology and survive the rigours of scalability.” EROAD, led by Steven Newman, solved this problem by becoming listed on the NZ Stock Exchange – this providing access to capital to fund future growth. Newman personally delivered the 100,000th unit to Hilton Haulage in
Timaru – a company that EROAD says reflects its customer base – “loyal followers who have grown alongside the company.” The Ehubo was installed in a new DAF CF85 addition to Hilton’s fleet of 600-plus trucks. EROAD, which has recently announced a 40% increase in revenue for the last financial year – and a 24% increase in total contracted units – says that its technology now collects 46% of NZ’s Road User Charges. By March this year, EROAD had collected $NZ2.5billion for the NZTA in RUCs. T&D EROAD CEO Steven Newman (left) and Hilton Haulage GM transport Richard Smith at the handover of the 100,000th Ehubo
Truck & Driver | 5
NEWS
The Driving in Difficult Conditions training aid is reckoned to be “the world’s most comprehensive online driving course to focus on driving in bad weather”
Bad weather driver training…online AN ONLINE TRAINING COURSE TO help drivers cope better with driving in bad weather has been launched by TR Master Drive and DT Driver Training. They say that overseas research shows that around 21% of vehicle crashes are caused by drivers not adapting to poor weather – rain and snow increasing the risk of a crash by 34%. Their response is Driving in Difficult Conditions – “the world’s most comprehensive online driving course to focus on driving in bad weather.” It covers driving on ice, in snow, fog and
smoke, dealing with sunstrike and variable light, high winds, rain and flooding. Its content is tailored to drivers of heavy or light vehicles: “Modules also include vehicle dynamics, vehicle checks, route planning, emergency procedures, recognising dangerous situations, cornering and braking, and reading the road ahead.” Drivers can take the training modules at any time, 24/7, on any device. They can repeat modules they don’t understand fully and take it at their own pace. They can also track their progress through the modules, and so can their
supervisers. DT Driver Training GM Darren Cottingham says that vehicle crashes “can be devastating for families and businesses. “Companies can help their drivers upskill, to have more confidence and improved driving abilities when the weather is challenging.” Master Drive Services GM Neil Bretherton says: “Truck drivers are often exposed to extremely unpleasant road conditions. Giving them the skills to make the right driving decisions keeps them safe, keeps the load safe and helps preserve the vehicle.” T&D
Road to Zero strategy flawed THE GOVERNMENT’S ROAD TO ZERO STRATEGY makes some laudable statements, but largely glosses over the facts and complexities of living up to its name, says Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett. The RTF has taken part in the now-closed consultation on the road safety strategy and has lodged a submission on the plan. But Leggett says that “throughout the consultation process, the RTF has felt there is a lack of knowledge about – and indeed interest in – the role trucks play in keeping the New Zealand economy moving and food on people’s tables. “The strategy is so geared to endorsing the Government’s ideology, Ministers have made pre-emptive announcements ahead of completing consultation – including about installing more median barriers, roundabouts and safe cycling infrastructure on a further 2430kms of NZ roads. Such moves risk bringing the whole consultation purpose into question.” The RTF believes that “more attention needs to go into road surfaces and 6 | Truck & Driver
driver behaviour, and a concerted effort to bring the wider NZ community along for the ride. If communities are not engaged, you will not get a change in driver behaviour.” Leggett adds: “The strategy is at times confusing… On the one hand, there is a passion to make roads safer, but on the other there is both a reluctance to spend money on new roads and road surfaces – and the Government’s relaxed attitude to recreational drug use, including plans to decriminalise marijuana. “Drugged drivers are responsible for more deaths on our roads (71 last year and 88 the year before) than drivers over the legal alcohol limit. There is incredible complexity in aligning the pieces of legislation that cover road users and workplaces with legalising marijuana, but no one in Government seems to be addressing this.” “On the road front, adding longitudinal median barriers and acoustic edge treatments does not compare to investing in foundational road design. Often it is better to invest in new roads than in aftermarket treatments, especially on roads where the surface has a limited life.” T&D
This is Japan’s most advanced truck.
The new FUSO Shogun sets new standards in efficiency, comfort and safety. — Efficiency The new 10.7 litre engine is available with 400 or 460 horsepower and, coupled with the new 12-speed ShiftPilot transmission, gives effortless power that is tailor-made for New Zealand conditions. The OM470 engine is more efficient, giving less fuel consumption and extended oil change intervals. — Comfort The new Daimler-inspired seat has an integrated seatbelt and improved ergonomic cushioning. Add to this easy-to-use steering wheel switches and a new Silent Cabin Package and you get unprecedented levels of driver comfort.
— Safety Shogun’s new advanced safety features are based on world-class Daimler technology and take trucking safety to a new level. Shogun is fitted with Active Attention Assist - a driver monitoring system using an infrared camera which monitors the driver’s face and eye closure. It also features Active Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control. — New 7” Touchscreen and Reversing Camera Featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for safe, hands-free communication and navigation via smartphone.
The new FUSO Shogun is a game-changer designed to get you home safely, night after night. Check it out at fuso.co.nz/shogun
We look after our own
NEW TEAM. NEW ERA.
NEW ZEALAND SCANIA
scania.co.nz
MADE FOR NEW ZEALAND
NEWS
Daimler Trucks’ Indian factory produces four makes
Kiwi FUSOs part of Indian milestone NEW ZEALAND’S FUSO ENDURO TRUCKS, BUILT BY Daimler Trucks in India, are part of a spectacular success story for the global truckmaker’s Indian operation. The Enduro model was introduced in NZ early last year – contributing to Daimler India Commercial Vehicles recently clocking-up its 25,000th export truck. That’s a milestone that’s been achieved in just six years of exports, with
50 countries – mostly in Africa, South America and the Middle East – importing the trucks built at Daimler Trucks’ world-class factory near Chennai. Daimler Trucks says that its Indian plant is an integral part of its global production network for trucks and buses and is the only Daimler location worldwide that produces engines, transmissions, trucks and buses for four brands (BharatBenz, FUSO, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner). T&D
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NEWS
13-Tonne Vertical Lifting Load Simulating Roller Brake Tester Model BM18200
Meets NZTA requirement for 60% design axle weight CoF B testing For WoF and CoF B testing 255mm (10”) lifting height of roller bed 16-tonne lifting capacity Retrot without civil work into most popular sub frames ■ IT system using latest app technology for smart phone and tablet ■ Hot galvanised for long lifetime Proven BM Autoteknik Danish ■ The most comprehensive load design with over 750 roller brake testers in use every day in NZ! simulation system programme ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
PPG’s Mark Brearley (left) presents the commemorative trophy and the travel prize to 2018/2019 PPG Transport Imaging Award winners Joanne and Neil Wood
Good-looking trophy…to go with goodlooking trucks STANDOUT BOMBAY TR ANSPORT OPER ATION N&J Wood now has a good-looking trophy to go with its spectacular-looking trucks. In fact, the trophy is BECAUSE of its fleet livery: It goes with the 2018/2019 PPG Transport Imaging Award it won last month. And in recognition of the N&J Wood colour scheme, which was the runaway winner in this year’s awards contest, the trophy is accompanied by a $2500 travel voucher. PPG Industries New Zealand national commercial transport manager Mark Brearley, who was impressed with the Wood fleet’s “very modern, sleek look,” presented the trophy and the voucher to Neil and Joanne Wood. The Woods have declared themselves “very honoured…very proud” of their fleet livery being judged by an industry panel as the best of the year. T&D
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NEWS
One fuel card, three networks The Z, Caltex and Challenge networks are now all accessible with one account and one fuel card
NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST TR ANSPORT ENERGY company, Z Energy, has launched a new flagship business fuel card offer – giving small and medium-sized businesses access to one of the country’s biggest fuel networks, it says. Its Z Business Plus combines the Z, Caltex and Challenge networks, giving customers access to over 550 service stations and truck stops with a single account and one fuel card. Z’s general manager of commercial, Nicolas Williams, says Z asked small and medium Kiwi businesses what mattered most to them – and used the findings to design Z Business Plus to meet their needs. “In NZ there are around 150,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employing between one and 50 people,” says Williams. “It was important to Z that we created a product designed specifically
for these businesses and the 400,000 or so self-employed people around the country.” Williams says that Z Business Plus will help SMEs improve productivity by freeing up time spent on low-value activity, like refuelling their vehicles: “We’ve combined our networks so that drivers have more sites to choose from and won’t need to take as many detours to fuel up.” The scale of the combined network “will help business owners save time, fuel and money” – cutting the distance driven and time behind the wheel and “improving driver productivity and safety,” says Williams. In keeping with market research indicating that SMEs want to be rewarded for loyalty to their suppliers, he adds, “Z Business Plus gives them 8 cents per litre fuel discount at any Z, Caltex or Challenge site, as well as the chance to earn Fly Buys or Airpoints on their accounts.” T&D
IVECO adds more parts, accessories TO BETTER CATER FOR operators with multi-brand fleets, IVECO New Zealand has expanded the range of aftermarket parts and accessories its dealers sell. It has agreed a deal with German-based Diesel Technic (DT), which it says is one of the world’s largest suppliers of vehicle parts and accessories. The move, says IVECO, positions its dealers “as true one-stop parts and service outlets for all European-made trucks,” with DT parts that “can be relied upon to ensure the continued high performance of these vehicles at all stages
of their lifecycle.” IVECO dealer principal Jason Keddie says that the deal with DT means that operators – “regardless of what brands and models they run in their fleets” – can have all their service and maintenance requirements “met by one reliable outfit. “They can leave all their trucks in the safe hands of our professional, experienced technicians and know that they will receive the best parts and service available.” IVECO says that Diesel Technic, founded in Germany in 1972, sells its parts and accessories
in 150 countries: “Its DT Spare Parts and Siegel Automotive brands are renowned for their quality and reliability.” IVECO dealers will be able to access a simple online Diesel Technics portal that “ensures that all DT parts are readily available to all dealers, when and where they need them, reducing owner downtime.” The deal, says Keddie, “adds up to better service for our IVECO NZ customers. It means that, more than ever, we can deliver those we serve a comprehensive, hassle-free free maintenance experience.” T&D Truck & Driver | 13
NEWS
Autonomous trucks race A Peterbilt equipped with TuSimple’s autonomous technology, running on the highway in the States. A driver must be in the cab at all times under current US law TWO UNITED STATES AUTONOMOUS TRUCKING startups say they have been quietly delivering commercial loads on public highways in self-driving trucks – albeit with “safety drivers” in their cabs. Parcel giant UPS has taken a minority stake in TuSimple, which it says has been doing Level 4 autonomous deliveries in Arizona for several months. The investment is reportedly the first buy-in by a major fleet operator into an autonomous truck developer. While TuSimple’s autonomous technology – installed in otherwise standard heavy-duty trucks – does the driving (calling on inputs from computers, digital cameras, radar and laser lidar sensors), a driver and engineer are on board at all times…as required by US law. TuSimple is one of a handful of startups racing to commercialise autonomous truck operation – the group including Waymo, Kodiak, Starsky Robotics, Embark and Aurora. No doubt adding impetus to UPS’ desire to be a leader in autonomous trucking is the fact that one of its major customers, Amazon, has itself invested in Aurora.
And Kodiak Robotics says that it too has started making autonomous commercial deliveries….with a safety driver behind the wheel. Kodiak says it has trucks operating autonomously on “middle mile” highway routes – with first-mile and final-mile control entirely in the hands of a driver. Kodiak, which was founded just 17 months ago, says it has already completed “extensive testing – in simulation, on closed test tracks, and on public roads in California” – and is now expanding its operational fleet in Texas…for both further testing and carting paying loads. UPS’ Scott Price says that “while fully autonomous, driverless vehicles still have development and regulatory work ahead, we are excited by the advances in braking and other technologies that companies like TuSimple are mastering. “All of these technologies offer significant safety and other benefits that will be realised long before the full vision of autonomous vehicles is brought to fruition — and UPS will be there, as a leader implementing these new technologies in our fleet.” T&D
Lister’s the winner CAREER TRUCKIE LISTER CLEARY, from Pukekohe-based AS Wilcox, has won the Volvo I-Shift Fuel Efficiency Challenge – run during the recent nationwide demo tour by an Anniversary Volvo FH540….showing off the new dual clutch I-Shift and Volvo Dynamic Steering. He was one of 10 drivers randomly selected from over 200 entrants to test their driving skills with 200 kilometres behind the wheel of the FH540. MTD driver trainer Sean Webb was “looking for drivers to roll off the throttle earlier and use the truck’s weight to travel through sections of the road – maintaining a constant speed. The
way in which drivers approached and negotiated intersections and roundabouts to conserve fuel was critical.” Impressed as he was with all of the participants, Webb says that Cleary “took this to the next level and really worked with the vehicle – harnessing the truck’s ability and adapting quickly to the feeling and feedback he got from the truck. “His anticipation was also very good, and he was very engaged with what was going on — load and road.” Cleary says his winning driving style is “all to do with coasting as often as possible and for as long as possible to maintain a steady speed and use the truck’s momentum in your favour.”
Cleary, who’s been driving for 30 years, has just recently started driving a brand-new Volvo FH16 Globetrotter, the replacement for a 25-year-old Kenworth. He sees the dual clutch AMT being very beneficial on Auckland’s congested roads: “It would be brilliant in the stop/start heavy traffic. The dual clutch makes it much easier on the truck and the driver. “I thought that the dual clutch would make changes smoother, quicker and easier under load, but I was blown away by the reality: It was just like driving a good car. You don’t need to bury your boot, just a touch of the accelerator does it. It’s quite an amazing piece of machinery.” T&D
14 | Truck & Driver
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NEWS
Hug A Rig under cover THE 11TH CONSECUTIVE SOUTHLAND HUG A RIG EVENT moved indoors this year – heading just out of Gore to the Southern Field Days exhibition centre at Waimumu. The event again attracted strong support from the Southland transport industry, with a fleet of trucks and drivers turning up to take around 50 special needs invitees for much-appreciated 20-minute rides. Local livestock truck driver Grant Dickson, who’s been involved with the Hug A Rig event since it started and who’s also a life member of the Southern Field Days, was instrumental in organising the move to Waimumu – with the field days trust donating the huge covered venue and supporting services to the rides day. The new venue allowed the trucks to pull into the building to load their passengers and gave riders, drivers and families welcome shelter from the weather. Hug A Rig organiser Dianne Elstob was delighted with the under cover move – and with the “more than magnificent” support from the industry. The trucks were joined by a fire engine, special interest cars and motorbikes – all taking passengers on the drive. Hug A Rig passengers each receive a “goodie bag,” that includes gifts from local retailers and everyone is treated to tea, coffee and food by the Compassion Charitable Trust and a thankyou drink of another kind is also provided to participating drivers and helpers by the Mataura Licencing Trust. As Grant Dickson says of the event: “It is the least we can do for those not as fortunate as ourselves.” T&D
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Above: Trucks line up ready to take on their special passengers, inside the giant Waimumu building Opposite page: Driver and co-organiser Grant Dickson reckons the day is “the least we can do...”
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The Combilift Xpress can drive at up to 25km/h and is highly manoeuvrable
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Faster container shifter A NEW STR ADDLE CARRIER THAT HAS RECENTLY entered service at the Lyttelton Port Company’s (LPC) MidlandPort inland operation at Rolleston, south of Christchurch promises to significantly enhance efficiencies at the site. The Combilift Xpress (also known as the Combi-XC) is a mediumsized unit whose strength lies in an ability to move containers over longer distances at comparatively high speeds (up to 25km/h). Manoeuvrability, light wheel loading, a narrow footprint and the ability to move under lower canopies are other features that the machine boasts. At MidlandPort, the Combi Xpress is used primarily to shift containers from the central hub to customers in the adjoining IPort distribution complex. The containers are delivered in the first instance by road or a dedicated rail shuttle from Lyttelton and unloaded and stacked in the central area using conventional equipment. When required, they’re quickly transferred to the distribution centres at IPort by the Xpress, using a purposebuilt accessway. A global search showed the Xpress to be the most efficient solution given the distances involved, says Sean Bradley, LPC’s general manager, inland ports: “Using it means a container never has to go on the public roads between Lyttelton and its final destination. “lt also has a low operating cost and carries containers end-on, which means it can move them along thinner roadways and through narrower gates. A conventional reach stacker carries the container at right angles, meaning the length of the box is the width of the assembly.” Though the shuttle work is the machine’s primary focus at MidlandPort, the Xpress is also a dab hand at unloading from trailers or rail wagons. Because the load is carried centrally it doesn’t require a heavy counterweight and consequently can be fitted with a less powerful engine than conventional reach stackers, says Dave Comber, Combilift NZ’s regional manager. “It is also very operator friendly. Because the cab sits above the load
and rises and lowers with the telescopic legs, the operator always has an optimal view.” Four-wheel-drive and four-wheel steering make for enhanced manoeuvrability, he adds, while an automated warning circuit for the twistlocks ensures that they are always safely engaged. Combilift is an Irish company, established just 21 years ago. In the time since it has built up a reputation for market-leading innovation in the field of material handling and, as one of its cofounders puts it, “...the mass production of customised innovative products.” To date, it has sold over 40,000 units in 85 countries. MidlandPort, situated close to SH1 and the junction of the south and west rail corridors, is rapidly becoming a key strategic hub for Canterbury and South Island shippers. In May of this year it accounted for 11% of LPC’s entire containerised volume, a proportion that is still rising, says Sean Bradley. T&D The new straddle lift demos its capabilities. In fact, it’s not dedicated to unloading trucks or trains, but to shuttle containers from a central hub to surrounding DCs
Truck & Driver | 19
Fit for a
legend Story Brian Cowan Photos Gerald Shacklock
Steady rain and a narrow farm access track constitute a challenge for a loaded stock truck, but the new Scania is well up to it
20 | Truck & Driver
BIG TEST
Truck & Driver | 21
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N THE ONGOING CONTEST BETWEEN EUROPEAN TRUCKMAKERS as to who has the most luxurious, best appointed and most driver-friendly cab interior, Scania has a new contender. In fact, the second generation of its PRT heavy range – and in particular its all-new S-Series sleeper cab, with its high roof and completely flat floor – is a potential winner. That’s no big surprise: Scania has had the benefit of calling on some impressive expertise in the newcomer’s development. The Volkswagen Group, which owns Scania, by way of its Traton truck subsidiary, has an enviable reputation for the quality of the materials used in its car interiors….and a similar standard has now been applied to Scania’s premium trucks. At a more fundamental level, the design of the new range’s cabs was contracted out to the famed Porsche Engineering – another VW Group subsidiary. That’s seriously heavyweight competence to have in the family. The first of the new model in service in New Zealand is a V8-powered S650 run by Heikell Transport, a livestock operator based at Thornton, just outside Whakatane. There’s a nice symmetry at play here – as HTL bought its first Scania in 2001 and has stuck with the brand ever since. Currently the only non-Scanias on the fleet – a Volvo and a Hino – are run by owner/drivers. The H-rated 8x4 S650, which is the subject of this month’s Giti Big Test, is hitched to a five-axle Jackson trailer and carries Nationwide alloy crates – both brands standard across the fleet. It’s about to be joined by an identical sister truck. HTL’s owner Dave Benner says he’s had a great run – not only out of his Scanias, but also from his crate and trailer suppliers….and sees no reason to change any of them. It’s just on dawn when we meet the truck and its driver, James (Jim) Baker at HTL’s yard. Jim’s new ride carries Legend II signwriting each side, above spectacular reflective murals featuring the Scania griffin. Pressed to explain the background to the name, he reckons it
comes from his previous R620 Scania, which was one of the first of the so-called Legend series in the country…but comments from the Benner family also suggest that Jim himself and his abilities and work ethic during the 15 years he’s been with the company contribute in no small way to the moniker. There’s also a bit of self-promotion in the mix, laughs Dave Benner: “Jim often tells people he’s a legend...and the tag has stuck!” It’s still dark – and beginning to rain – as we head out from the yard. Jim demonstrates the power of the S650’s LED headlights, both on dip and high beam, and points out that the driving lights mounted above the cab are capable of not only lighting up the road for hundreds of metres ahead, but also can be adjusted from inside the cab. We’re on our way north along the coast to Matata, where we head inland to a property on a back road that meets the Whakatane-Rotorua highway near Lake Rotoma. As we climb into the foothills Jim comments that apart from on downhills, he nearly always leaves the Scania’s Opticruise AMT in Auto mode, because it reacts every bit as quickly and appropriately to varying slopes as an experienced driver. The property we’re picking up from is a former dairy farm, now converted to beef. The access driveway is long and narrow, winding up a hillside with no immediate view of the yards. Jim admits that he’s only been here once before and jokes that he hopes his memory hasn’t failed him, meaning we could be at the wrong place entirely! Eventually however, we find the pens and the loading chute, adjoining a turning circle that once serviced the now-unused milking shed. It’s grassed, on a slight slope, and the rain is now settling in with a persistence that will extend to the whole day. What would have had Fonterra tanker drivers concentrating in the old days now looms as an even more formidable challenge to Jim, the Scania and its five-axle trailer. But he’s not fazed: “We get quite a lot of tight situations in this area. When you get into the backblocks of the East Cape it’s often Truck & Driver | 23
Main picture: Good steering lock and central tyre inflation are appreciated in tight, muddy conditions
Above: In a world that’s largely gone over to sixes, Scania remains faithful to a V8 in its premium models
Opposite page: There’s quite a lot of back and forward to get in and out of our loading area. The combination of a longer truck crate and shorter trailer compared to the HPMV norm, makes things a little easier
a case of truck-only, but we should be pretty right here. Dave has set this unit up with a longer, 25ft, truck crate and a shorter, 34ft, trailer than you would normally find – for just this sort of situation.” His confidence is not misplaced...though getting into line for the narrow chute takes a good deal of back and forward work in the confined space. He finds the AMT gearbox’s manoeuvrability mode (the 14-speed has 12 forward gears and two crawlers) works
24 | Truck & Driver
well in this type of situation, providing a gentle takeup from rest. And when conditions become even more fiddly, Scania provides another level of ability in the shape of an override manual clutch pedal, which enables the driver to dictate an even more precise engagement than the automated system delivers. Jim’s got the inter-axle power divider engaged, but not the axle crosslocks, explaining that though this helps traction, it compromises the steering. The truck is also fitted with central
tyre inflation, which he finds is a real plus in a wide variety of situations. The rain is actually a minor positive, he laughs and explains: “Because it makes the surface more slippery, when we’re backing and the trailer is on full lock it will slide a bit sideways to give a touch more room for the next run forward.” He’s not as positive though about the positioning of the power window and mirror switches on top of the wide door cappings,
demonstrating how quickly they’re spattered with rain when he brings his window down to get a better rear view: “They’re really exposed up here. I’m sure Scania designed them to be waterproof, but I wonder how many years they could take of getting wet before some water would get into the wiring.” With the rear trailer lined up, the passengers are guided aboard – 26 heifers and 20 steers headed for the Silver Fern Farms processing plant at Whakatu near Hastings. Now comes the
Truck & Driver | 25
Left: There’s room in the S650 for a comfy bunk, a microwave, a fridge and a dining table to eat at
Right: Legendary truck, legendary driver. Jim Baker has long been a Scania fan, reckons the newcomer is a step further forward again
challenge of getting the loaded unit turned around and back out of here. With the rain now coming down even harder, Jim calmly coaxes the combination backward and forward until finally – and surprisingly with only a few instances of traction loss – we’re on our way back out the driveway. He grins as we head back towards Matata: “It handled that pretty good, eh? The only thing I find really awkward in situations like that is this (and he gestures to a largish, flat working surface fitted to the top of the dash). “I’m sure that would prove really useful for resting documents and the like on when you’re travelling down a European motorway, but it blocks the view to the left front. Like when we were trying to get lined up with the chute back there I was finding it difficult to tell how close I was coming to the fence around the milking shed, while on a narrow road like this it makes it more difficult to tell how close you are to the side. I reckon it might be coming off quite soon.” The working surface is only one of dozens of comfort and convenience features offered by the S650’s cab. On top of all its abilities as a truck, the new Scania offers an outstanding work environment. You want storage? The Scania seems like it’s got enough storage space to swallow the contents of an average living room. The S-Series high-roof sleeper cab sports six big lockers – three 26 | Truck & Driver
above the windscreen and a matching trio above the single bunk, with the centre one in the front hosting a full-sized microwave oven. Then there’s the more or less standard pullout fridge and matching bulk bin under the bunk, two pullout trays in the centre fascia, cup and bottle holders and open oddments bins in numbers, big door pockets, document slots above the windscreen, plus the pièce de résistance – a dining/writing table that folds out from a seemingly too small section of the dash in front of the passenger seat. As Jim comments, there are so many storage spaces he’s not yet worked out a standard spot for every item, but goes on to add that on the intermittent times he has to spend a night away from home, the truck offers as much space and comfort as he ever needs, plus the ability to prepare meals. Coming out of the R620 (now close to six years old, and with around 800,000 largely trouble-free kilometres behind it), Jim is well qualified to comment on the new S-series, which he reckons is “streets ahead” of the R in several areas. One of the main differences, he reckons, is the comfort of the ride and the truck’s accuracy and stability on the road: “Don’t get me wrong, the previous one was great, but this one is a step up yet again. The suspension feels a bit heavier, but it doesn’t seem to affect the ride.” In fact, the ride is so good he has the air driver’s seat locked down, explaining that in this mode it offers better support for his
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back, without detracting from overall comfort. The Jackson trailer’s faithful tracking adds to the overall excellence in this area, he adds. Also notable is the low wind noise at highway speeds. Many trucks achieve quietness via a well-insulated cab, but few are as silent with the windows down, a tribute to the cleverness of the Porsche Engineering design. Another aspect that comes in for praise is the all-round vision (dashtop table excepted). A-pillars that are more vertical than previously and impressively slender have banished a blind spot that marred the R620 experience. Dropping back towards Matata after leaving the farm, Jim points out that he has slotted the Opticruise lever into Manual before applying the retarder: “Because the gearbox and the retarder are linked together, as soon as you apply the retarder the box shifts back a ratio to help out. But that often leaves the engine revving too high, in my opinion. I know that’s the way it’s designed, but if you keep it in a higher gear in Manual, you still come down at the same speed and under full control, but with it sounding less
frantic.” He admits to being a bit of a traditionalist in not liking to see an engine revving too hard, despite the retarder producing its best work around 2200rpm. The fact his outgoing R620 had a manual gearbox and he’s still getting used to the Opticruise AMT is also a factor, he adds. As it is, the big Scania V8 is the very model of relaxed grunt. In its 650hp guise, it makes peak torque of 3300Nm between 950 and 1350rpm and peak power at 1900rpm, by which time torque has dropped to 2400Nm. Matching the power curve is long-legged gearing that sees just 1390rpm on the tacho at 90km/h in top gear. The V8 uses Scania’s XPI commonrail injection plus SCR to achieve its Euro 6 emissions rating. The exhaust aftertreatment is handled in a big canister that integrates muffler and SCR functions. Jim Baker quite quickly found that it posed a bit of a negative, in that its outlet pointed directly down: “What was happening was it was blowing grit up from the road surface and this was getting all over the paintwork. I wasn’t happy with that, I can tell you!” In the absence of an accessory exhaust
Above: Driver’s door capping carries lots of electronic switches. Jim Baker wonders about their longterm resistance to rain Opposite page, clockwise from top left: Dash-top table is handy, but obscures view to the close front...steering wheel switches abound....pullout table is a clever feature on the passenger side....you want storage? Scania has oodles of it
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Clockwise, from left: Loading’s under way, but first the steers and heifers have to be sorted....on the way to the morning’s pickup. LED headlights give great coverage and illumination...this is the first S650 in the country....TractionAir tyre inflation system helps in slippery conditions offroad
extension from Scania NZ, the fix had to be DIY, he explains: “One of our O/Ds is a pretty clever engineer, and he got a stainless steel bend and welded it on. Now we have an exhaust that exits to the side and everything’s sweet. And as well as getting rid of the rubbish being blown up from the road, the fix also changed the exhaust note for the better. Before that it was a drone – almost as if a driveshaft was out of balance. Now it’s great.” The auxiliary braking system on the Scania is about as sophisticated as you could find, with all the elements of normal braking, retarder, gearbox and cruise control integrated into a unified package. Depending on the setting chosen by the driver, a light application of the main brakes also triggers the retarder, while a quick tap with the cruise control engaged dictates the speed for the rest of the downhill. Instead of the more common Jake-style engine brake, Scania has opted for a hydraulic retarder at the back of the gearbox. The system also brings an exhaust brake into play in the highest of its five settings. It’s rated at 500kW (670hp), making it more than capable of holding the heaviest loads on the steeper slopes. A further feature of the unit is that when not activated it automatically declutches from the drivetrain to eliminate drag. The truck’s adaptive cruise control is another clever bit of work that uses a forward-facing camera and radar to maintain a consistent gap (set in seconds) to the vehicle ahead when the speed is below the preset level. In city driving, Jim has found that setting a conservative separation buffer often acts as an invite for
car drivers to dive into the hole, and admits he’s not yet confident enough of the electronics to close the distance up and so deter such behaviour. Integrated with the cruise control is something that Scania calls Advanced Emergency Braking, or AEB. Whereas in normal operation the adaptive cruise control constantly adjusts accelerator and retardation to keep the desired spacing, when the software decides a potential conflict is looming all anchors are thrown overboard, far quicker than a human driver can react. Jim has found that the system can sometimes be spooked, recounting the recent occasion when a truck ahead of him had indicated to turn left and was part way through the manoeuvre: “Had I carried on at the same speed it would have been well clear of the turn by the time I got up there, but the system read it that the truck had suddenly stopped in front of me and went into full crash mode. I can tell you, it was quite dramatic!” After the pickup, we head back to Matata, rejoining SH2 but shortly afterwards cutting across to SH30, the Whakatane-Rotorua road. However, we’re not on that for long before swinging off towards Kawerau. When heading to the Hawke’s Bay, HTL trucks have permission to use McKee Road through Kaingaroa Forest, thereafter travelling through Waiotapu, Reporoa and Broadlands to pick up the Napier-Taupo Highway at the eastern edge of Taupo. As Jim points out, it’s a worthwhile shortcut, taking around 40 minutes off the journey time and throwing in the extra benefit of the lightly-trafficked and well-designed forest road. Truck & Driver | 31
Left: It’s a long way up to the cab, but four well-placed steps and grabhandles both sides of the opening make for an easy climb. The S cab also features a completely flat floor Right: The big V8 is neatly laid out, delivers its maximum torque from a low 950rpm
He has had extensive experience with stock cartage, having done four years with Farmers Transport in Putaruru and six years with Transmata in Matamata before joining HTL. His transport heritage was pretty solid, he says: “Dad drove for United Carriers in Whangarei, and would often take me with him, so when I was young, all I wanted to do was drive. “But I didn’t get into transport straight away. Instead I worked at Marsden Point for some years, then I got the opportunity to run a dairy farm in Matamata. My rugby coach there was a part owner of Transmata, and I did part-time driving through him, so when – after a few years – I decided to get out of dairy, the driving quickly became fulltime.” From the beginning at HTL, he says, he made it clear he preferred not to work Sundays – though that’s an impossible target during the four to five months of the bobby calf season. And he’ll also stump up when the fleet is busy, but if possible, his Sundays are taken up with “fishing, or mountainbiking with my wife.” He adds that maintaining a healthy work/life balance (especially compared with the average stock transport company) is easy at HTL, because the fleet at large doesn’t work on Saturdays. The location of some of the trucks also helps reduce the need for drivers to be away from home on longer trips, he explains: “We have a guy based at Opotiki and another couple at Gisborne, plus three more here who cover Gisborne when they’re busy, leaving another four of us to look after this area primarily. “It wasn’t always the case. When I started here, we regularly made runs to the South Island. At the time you could get great money for it, but after a while other companies realised how good a deal it was and the competition heated up. Soon the rates had dropped so much it wasn’t worth the bother, so Dave stopped it. M Bovis has also knocked the stuffing out of stock movements even in the local area, though things now seem to be easing a bit.” Like most stock drivers, he loves the variety and challenge of working with animals...but admits it does have its perilous side. He’s had a couple of falls off crates, one many years ago that resulted in a broken arm, and a much more serious incident five years ago that left him with a wrecked left shoulder and right hip. 32 | Truck & Driver
He explains what happened: “I had my weight partly on a pen door that wasn’t properly latched when a beast backed into it and down I went, landing on my shoulder. I then tried to kick the door shut with my right foot, just as the animal came charging back out and hurdled over me, smashing my leg back with the door, so that dealt to my hip.” Rehabilitation was long and painful, but fully successful – Jim crediting the wonderful support of family and friends as a key factor. He also says he brought the incidents on himself: “Both times I was rushing a bit, and that is a guaranteed recipe for trouble.” The big Scania makes easy going of the run through the forest and on to Taupo and a late breakfast at the Rangitaiki Tavern, where NZ Truck & Driver publisher Trevor Woolston takes over for the balance of the run. The Napier-Taupo is always a benchmark for any truck – and today the route has an added edge, with the rain making the surface treacherous in places. In its fourth setting, the retarder handles the first big downhill near Waipunga with ease, holding the combination in seventh gear in the main box at just under 50km/h and 2100rpm, dropping another ratio in the tighter bends. The slog up Tarawera is accomplished with the same lack of drama. Woolston uses the accelerator kickdown to drop to fourth for the tight lefthander at the bottom of the steepest section, but as soon as the combination clears the bend the box shifts up smoothly. And so it goes, past Titiokura, over the Mohaka, through Napier and all the way to Hastings – at close to 49 tonnes all up and barely drawing a deep breath over a challenging road. Scania has thrown down a serious challenge to the rest of the industry in terms of doing it well, doing it easy, and doing it in style. And here’s the thing. Despite bulging with creature comforts, the HTL unit is still a way short of what Scania can offer if you wanted to go mad and tick all the options boxes. As Dave Benner puts it: “You’ve got to call a halt somewhere. If you picked the lot it would start to cost as much as a house...and then you might as well live in it!” T&D
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W
E START OUT IN WHAKATANE for this test of Heikell’s new Scania S650 8x4 livestock unit, running a Jackson stock deck, a matching five-axle trailer and Nationwide alloy crates. The mid-winter rain has set in by the time we pick up a load of steers and heifers in the hills behind Matata, destined for Silver Fern Farms’ meatworks in Hastings. James has the tough job negotiating a muddy, tight situation at the cockey’s yards, but has no trouble, thanks to the great steering lock and traction delivered by the Scania. He also had Traction Air CTI if needed. I get to take over the driving duties at the Rangitaiki Tavern after a nice hot coffee and lunch before we head over the major part of the Taupo-Napier Highway. The climb up into the Scania cab is a good four steps, then up onto the flat floor. It has good, wide, deep-set steps and grabhandles both sides. By the third step I find it easier to grab the steering wheel, rather than using the rear grabhandle for the final climb up into the cab. I familiarise myself with the controls, adjust the steering with a column
34 | Truck & Driver
adjustment latch. The gear and engine brake controls are on the right-hand stalk and wipers and indicators on the left. On the steering wheel are all the usual controls for stereo, phone, cruise control, cursor control for the diagnostic digital display screen etc. With its high roof it’s a very nice spacious cab, despite it not being that deep. There’s a great suspension seat but James has it locked out as he prefers to drive it that way, which is a testament to a great riding cab. Up in the cab you certainly feel you’re way up high, but a flat tray on the top of the dash still tends to cover your view of the side of the road, meaning it takes a bit of time to get a good feel for the Scania’s road positioning. Apparently James is looking to have it removed for that very reason. Pulling out from the Rangitaiki Tavern and heading for Napier there are some steady climbs and descents up to the top of the Waipunga Falls hill, but the big Scania is soon up into top gear. The retarder is holding us fine on the downhills and to slow us down for corners, without any need
Trevor Woolston
for the service brakes. Under the cab we’ve got 650hp, with a nice flat power curve from around 1350rpm to 2000rpm, plus 3300Nm of torque from 1000rpm to almost 1400rpm. This ties in nicely with gearing delivering 90km/h at 1400rpm and delivering great lively acceleration and pulling power at low revs. I’m not sure of our all-up weight but we have a load of good-sized heifers and steers on board so I don’t think we’re running skinny.
• SPECIFICATIONS • Dropping down the hill just past the Waipunga Falls I use the retarder in its fifth stage but have to keep dropping back to stages three and four to stop over-braking. It’s raining heavily and has been all day so the road is very slippery and there is the occasional feeling of a slight loss of traction on the front wheels even at the slower speeds we’re doing in the wet. So I keep a close eye on our speed through this section of road. Despite the rain and spray the mirrors are clear and give me a great view of what’s going on behind. Luckily…as I look back at one point and find a car sitting beside us – just as the straight we’re on is running out. There’s a blind brow looming and the driver’s not even putting his foot down! I have to back off to get rid of him before something comes the other way and takes him out. Typically, after passing us he hardly pulls away from the Scania – even on a slight uphill climb. Motorists need to understand this road needs respect. The mirrors are excellent, with large moulded housings holding flat and convex mirrors – heated and electrically adjusted. I always say the best test for any AMT on the Taupo-Napier is the Tarawera Hill, no matter which way you come at it. Today it starts with the tight left-hander down the bottom. I come into it and kick down one gear with the throttle as I enter the corner, as it’s tight, with a steep climb out of it. We go through nicely, staying in the economy rev band – and then it makes a nice upshift after we straighten and continue the climb to the top. It’s not a long hill but
that corner certainly tests out engines and gearboxes. Noise levels in the cab are very low, making it easy to hold a conversation. And the ride, despite the road surface – which in places is very bumpy – is great. Up there with the best of them. Dropping down towards the Mohaka River, the retarder holds us back well as I use it in stages three, four and five, depending on the gradient. Despite being caught behind a cockey on his tractor at the bottom of Titiokura we quickly pick up gears and make the climb at around 38km/h in 7th gear. The rest of our run down to Esk Valley, where I give James his truck back, further confirms what a great truck this is to drive. With a far-from-perfect road surface, plenty of corners, climbs and downhills, the drive has been easy – with a great retarder to slow us on descents and going into speed-restricted corners… And with plenty of power and torque to make acceleration easy. Even a day of continual rain can’t put the dampers on a great drive. In fact, it only makes the comfort and ease of driving the Scania more noticeable. T&D
SCANIA S650 8x4 Engine: Scania DC16 118 Capacity: 16.4 litres Maximum power: 479kW (650hp) @ 1900rpm Maximum torque: 3300Nm (2430lb ft) @ 950-1350rpm Engine revs: 1390rpm @ 90km/h in 12th gear Fuel capacity: 500 litres Transmission: 12+2-speed Scania GRSO925 AMT Ratios: Low L – 13.28
Low H – 10.63
1st 9.16 2nd 7.33 3rd 5.82 4th 4.66 5th 3.75 6th 3.00 7th 2.44 8th 1.96 9th 1.55 10th 1.24 11th 1.00 12th 0.80 Front axles: Scania AM420S, combined rating of 15,000kg
The Napier-Taupo trip behind it, the S650 delivers its load at Hastings. The spectacular side murals mean the truck is unmistakable
Rear axles: Scania AD400SA, combined rating of 19,000kg Auxiliary brakes: Exhaust brake, four-stage hydraulic retarder Front suspension: Parabolic springs, shock absorbers, stabiliser bars Rear suspension: Air springs, shock absorbers, stabiliser bars GVW: 32,000kg GCM: 52,000kg
Truck & Driver | 35
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Cameras about safety...not spying Mainfreight owner/drivers can choose individually whether to install cameras in their trucks. Photo: Mainfreight truck, Walmsley Rd 7/10/15, by (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ
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HERE HAS BEEN A BIT OF DISCUSSION in recent weeks about the place of cameras in truck cabs. What I’m talking about here are driver-facing cameras, rather than those facing forward – pointed at the road ahead. Unions have voiced concerns and have claimed that these cameras are leading to drivers quitting the industry. The argument is that having a camera pointed at the driver is invasive and leads to a perception that the driver is being watched at all times. The reality is that the two types of cameras – eventsbased, triggered when a critical event like hard-braking is engaged…..and sleep detection cameras that sound an alarm if they detect a driver falling asleep – are there to help all road users stay safe, including the drivers they are monitoring. There is also a growing body of evidence, both here and internationally, about the effectiveness of these devices in lowering accident rates. One camera provider in the United States claims that they have seen a 50% reduction in critical events in just four months of having the cameras installed in their clients’ trucks. Technology is also improving rapidly and it is now becoming commonplace overseas for trucks to carry devices that can record both the road and into the cab. The key is that if this Government is about safety – and they continually tell us they are – then they need to demonstrate that in policy. We know that 93% of accidents across all vehicle types are down to poor driver behaviour. It
is therefore likely that more tools will be used to reduce driver errors. It is also likely that if the case for this technology can be proven to reduce accidents further, then they could become mandatory at some stage in the future. The fact is that the Privacy Act allows for the use of employee video surveillance. Nearly every other sector, particularly retail and wholesale, accommodation and hospitality, rely on employee and customer surveillance for a variety of reasons. Many childcare centres have recordable video surveillance, as do banks and bars. It is also true that many drivers who were initially opposed to having cameras in their cabs, have accepted the cameras as safety devices and have also found comfort in the evidence that they have provided in circumstances where the driver or company is faced with litigation arising from an incident. I know through my discussions with the insurance industry that they are considering very seriously the role of dash cameras in the future of New Zealand’s vehicle insurance market. While I acknowledge people’s concerns over a growing surveillance culture, this is not the ground to be fighting that battle on. Everybody, whether they are commercial drivers or members of the public taking their kids to school, is entitled to be as safe as possible on the road. And frankly, we should all take reasonable steps to make the roads as safe as they can be. RTF is therefore not opposed to the use of these devices – and given the high wellbeing value we should all be placing on our drivers and the costs Truck & Driver | 37
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
of the vehicle and value of the goods they are transporting, the transport service provider is entitled to take appropriate actions to protect their business, their people, and their reputation. In a not-unrelated matter, I must admit to being very disappointed recently to hear comments from Justice Minister Andrew Little demanding a higher legal standard and tougher sentences for professional drivers involved in fatal accidents. “In my view, professional drivers should be held to a higher standard,” Little said. “They are subject to a number of regulations to manage fatigue with them. If sentencing is not reflecting a higher standard for professional drivers then I will look at the
statutory guidance in the Sentencing Act.” The comments were given in the context of some highprofile sentencing decisions that involved truck drivers; however, I do not think they are fair. Our drivers do tens of thousands of kilometres per year, driving some of the largest and most demanding vehicles on some pretty shoddy roads. No driver, professional or not, sets out to have an accident. Minister Little is also traversing a very fine line regarding judicial independence and breaching the rules around ministerial direction. RTF has approached Minister Little’s office for justification of his position and for evidence supporting it. I look forward to his response. T&D
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Proposed NAIT rules cause for concern T
HE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO IMPROVE compliance, with the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme, is causing significant concern for livestock transport operators. Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor and MPI officials are redesigning the NAIT scheme so that transporters will play a significant role in enforcing compliance. The proposed new rules will make it an offence to transport untagged animals that do not have an exemption and will carry some high-cost penalties for failure to comply. NAIT, originally set up in 2012 and applying to cattle and deer, is supposed to record the location and movement of individual animals. However, lack of uptake from farmers has meant that the scheme has been ineffective in recording stock movements. “The Mycoplasma bovis outbreak is the single biggest biosecurity event New Zealand has faced and it highlighted flaws in the NAIT scheme and Biosecurity Act: We’re putting that right,” Minister O’Connor said in announcing broad changes to the biosecurity system. NAIT is a primary tool to counteract biosecurity incursions and RTF fully supports the necessity of it. However, primary responsibility for animals must lie with the people who are selling and buying them, or those at the animals’ end destination, the Forum believes. “The transporters are the meat in the sandwich on this one,” 38 | Truck & Driver
says RTF’s Nick Leggett. “We don’t believe they should be burdened with checking that animals are tagged. NAIT is a tool to primarily protect farming, yet farmers have consistently failed to use it and the regulator failed in its enforcement.” The Government is suggesting that transport operators protect themselves by getting written assurances from farmers that all loaded livestock are tagged. It has also suggested that operators look at the tags themselves to audit the animals as they’re loaded. RTF and the National Livestock Transport & Safety Group (NLTSG) believe these proposals place an unfair burden on transport operators. As a response to the proposed new rules, NLTSG chair Don Wilson and the RTF’s Mark Ngatuere, arranged a series of meetings around the country to hear from members of transport associations that operate or manage a business in the livestock transport sector. RTF and the NLTSG are grateful to those operators who took time out of their busy schedules to attend. Says Leggett: “Operators’ feedback from those meetings will help to better inform us of the sector’s specific concerns around NAIT and allow us to pursue solutions that reduce what we see as an unfair compliance burden.” The NAIT meetings were held August 6-9, so their outcome did not make the deadline for this publication. T&D
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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
ShiftUp students at Williams & Wilshier. Photo Gisborne Herald
The perfect pathway from school to industry M
I T O’S R O L E, A S A N I N D U S T R Y training organisation, is to provide qualifications and training programmes to upskill the workforces of the industries it supports, including the road transport industry. But it also has another key function – to promote careers and encourage a pipeline of new entrants to industry. One of the many ways MITO does this is through secondary school programmes that provide opportunities for students to obtain work experience, micro-credentials and NCEA credits. The road transport industry has such a programme, titled ShiftUp. New in 2019, ShiftUp offers secondary school students in Years 11, 12 and 13 the opportunity to gain a microcredential through a mix of eLearning theory and practical experience in the workplace. Credits are earned, leading towards the next step of a MITO traineeship in the road
transport industry. MITO chief executive Janet Lane says: “ShiftUp offers work experience leading towards a number of career opportunities – including transporting goods, warehousing, distribution, logistics and administration services. “The programme provides significant benefits to secondary school students as their NZQA Record of Achievement will capture their micro-credential achievement.” ShiftUp covers topics including health and safety, vehicle documentation, general systems and components, driving hazards and risk reduction strategies. “Key to the success of ShiftUp is support from industry to provide the workplace practical assessment and work experience one day a week,” says Lane. “It is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain firsthand knowledge of the industry, and for employers to offer work experience, ideally securing their next MITO trainee.” Truck & Driver | 41
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Warwick Wilshier, managing director of large logtruck operator Williams & Wilshier, agrees: “We have said for a long time that it is a shame that we can’t have young people out in trucks. “However, we now have the means to expose young people to the industry, enhancing an enthusiasm for trucking.” This year, Williams & Wilshier is hosting two students from Gisborne Girls’ High School. Year 11 students Mellissa Down-Campbell and Trista Bailey were MITO’s first ShiftUp enrolments. “Growing up I spent a lot of time with my Dad, who drives trucks, and I loved it,” says Mellissa. “When I visited the careers expo earlier this year, I had the opportunity to go on a simulator and this confirmed to me that I wanted to do a work placement in the transport industry. I am loving MITO’s ShiftUp programme, as I spend every Monday in the yard learning new skills.” Mellissa’s Mum, Melissa Down, says that her daughter is loving her work placement and is always up early on Mondays to get to Williams & Wilshier on time: “She loves it. She comes home and doesn’t stop talking about her day – and the drivers are not shy to answer all the questions she has.”
Likewise, Trista has always had an inclination towards the transport industry: “I am a practical, hands-on person and have always thought I would like to be working with trucks. I am enjoying this programme because every Monday I am at the workplace, helping out. “At the moment I am learning how to throw the big chains over the logs. It is hard, but I know I’ll get it soon! I’m also making good progress with the eLearning theory.” Gisborne Girls’ High School Gateway co-ordinator Jo Graham is excited to see the girls so engaged with the ShiftUp programme: “Their confidence and self-esteem have grown immensely across all aspects of their learning. Fellow colleagues have said the girls have a new lease of life!” Adds Warwick Wilshier: “ We think the ShiftUp programme is a great initiative, enabling the connection between schools and industry. “There is more to our industry than just driving. Logistics and health and safety are a big part of our business, with many roles filled by young men and women. MITO have recognised the gap and developed the perfect pathway.” For more information about ShiftUp and hosting a student at your organisation, contact MITO at www.mito.nz/shiftup T&D
CentralFocus 2019 Road Transport Forum Conference run by CentralFocus NZRTA Region 2 and CARTA
2019 Road Transport Forum Conference run by Region 2 and CARTA Tuesday 24thNZRTA and Wednesday 25th September 2019
Wairakei Resort, Taupo Tuesday 24that and Wednesday 25th September 2019 at Wairakei Resort, Taupo REGISTER NOW AT REGISTER NOW AT www.rtfconference.co.nz www.rtfconference.co.nz
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
SWEP comes under RTF umbrella T HE ROAD TRANSPORT FORUM HAS TAKEN over responsibility for future development of the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme (SWEP). This move means that RTF can incorporate developing and retaining a sustainable workforce into business planning and overarching industry strategy, says the Forum. “We can bring our expertise and voice in Wellington into properly advocating for workforce pipelines and appropriate education and training,” says RTF’s Nick Leggett. “We want the public image of the road transport industry to be such that people want to work in the sector and can see clear pathways, both for entry into the industry, and to develop a career within it.” RTF is committed to getting the best data to match solutions to where the needs are: “Different parts of New Zealand provide different workforce challenges, and we want to be able to tap into the likes of the prisoner-towork programmes or work with the Ministry of Social Development on matching unemployed people with employers,” says Leggett. “Government has a lot of data we can use, including how many people hold different classes of driver licences in specific areas around the country. “We can also focus on education and training in the regions most likely to be a source of future employees, and we’re keen to see the development of a formalised cadetship programme with clear parameters
and appropriate levels of recognition and opportunities for cadets. “To this end we are also undertaking market research on public perceptions of road transport in NZ and how those perceptions are impacting on attracting the right kind of people to join our industry. “RTF is committed to sharing this information with our membership once it is completed,” Leggett says. T&D
The challenge is to provide clear career pathways for those interested in entering the road transport industry
THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING
Craig Membrey and his youngest son Jack
Mental health and wellbeing a key Conference focus
A
USTRALIAN TRANSPORT COMPANY OWNER and passionate mental health ambassador Craig Membrey will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming RTF Conference – highlighting “the importance of looking after the mental health and wellbeing of ourselves and those we share our time with,” says RTF CEO Nick Leggett. And that, he adds, is a key aspect of the September 24/25 Wairakei conference’s Central Focus theme: “The fact is that mental health and depression are serious issues for New Zealanders,” says Leggett. “Every year around 500 Kiwis take their own lives, while many more attempt suicide. It is also estimated that around one in five of us suffer from anxiety and depression.” Craig Membrey was born into a trucking family and has run the successful heavy haulage and crane hire family business in Dandenong, near Melbourne, for many years – but has also gained wide renown in Australia
for his tireless campaigning for Beyond Blue, a not-for-profit organisation that helps people with depression and anxiety. Craig got involved with the charity after losing his son Rowan to suicide in 2011. His death understandably had a devastating effect on Membrey and almost cost him the family business. But he addressed his grief by becoming an ambassador for Beyond Blue: “I’m trying to turn a bad thing into a good thing and see if I can help people out,” he explained a few years ago. “It rips me open to talk about it in front of everyone, but people need to understand that there are people to help you out there. You’ve got to step forward and speak up. It might feel like you’re in a dark place, but there is help, don’t be embarrassed by it.” Beyond Blue, which is chaired by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, aims to reduce the impact of depression, anxiety and suicide by supporting people to protect their mental health and to recover when they Truck & Driver | 45
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 Membrey’s Transport & Crane Hire doing what it does best, transporting big, awkward loads
are unwell, reduce the stigma and discrimination attached to mental health, improve the opportunities for effective support and deliver initiatives such as the Beyond Blue phone and online support services. Says Leggett: “Craig will discuss his personal experiences and, while this will be a confronting issue for some in the audience, it is something we must get better at addressing in order to recognise and help those that need it.” The conference, which this year is run by RTANZ Region 2 and CARTA, has Central Focus as its theme and its attention to mental health also includes presentations from Dr Tom Mulholland and Dr Lucia Kelleher. Dr Mulholland is an emergency department doctor and best-selling author, who began his career working in forestry, before going on to medical school. In his talks he provides the audience with tools to deal with their physical health and mental resilience. Dr Kelleher is a behavioural neuroscientist with decades of experience helping businesses develop people in safetycritical roles. She will talk about Busy Brain Syndrome as the root cause of autopilot behaviours – when you think you’re focused, but you’re not. The Conference will also cover economics, business and HR practices, and delegates will also hear from Transport Minister Phil Twyford; Forestry, Infrastructure and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones and National Party Transport spokesperson Chris Bishop. You can read more about the speakers, other Conference events and complete registration online at www.rtfconference.co.nz Where to find help and support for mental health: • Need to Talk? – call or text 1737 • Lifeline – 0800 543 354 • Youthline – 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat • Samaritans – 0800 726 666 • Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 • Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) T&D 46 | Truck & Driver
National Road Carriers (NRC) PO Box 12-100, Penrose, Auckland 0800 686 777 09 622 2529 (Fax) enquiries@natroad.co.nz www.natroad.co.nz David Aitken, Chief Executive 09 636 2951 021 771 911 david.aitken@natroad.co.nz Paula Rogers, Executive Officer 09 636 2957 021 771 951 paula.rogers@natroad.co.nz Grant Turner, Executive Officer 09 636 2953 021 771 956 grant.turner@natroad.co.nz Jason Heather, Executive Officer 09 636 2950 021 771 946 Jason.heather@natroad.co.nz Tom Cloke, Executive Officer 0800 686 777 021 193 3555 tom.cloke@natroad.co.nz Road Transport Association of NZ (RTANZ) National Office, PO Box 7392, Christchurch 8240 0800 367 782 03 366 9853 (Fax) admin@rtanz.co.nz www.rtanz.co.nz Dennis Robertson, Chief Executive 03 366 9854 021 221 3955 drobertson@rtanz.co.nz Area Executives Northland/Auckland/Waikato/ Thames-Coromandel/Bay of Plenty/ North Taupo/King Country Scott Asplet 0800 367 782 (Option 2) 027 445 5785 sasplet@rtanz.co.nz
South Taupo/Turangi/Gisborne/ Taranaki/Manawatu/Horowhenua/ Wellington Sandy Walker 0800 367 782 (Option 3) 027 485 6038 swalker@rtanz.co.nz Northern West Coast/Nelson/ Marlborough/North Canterbury John Bond 0800 367 782 (Option 4) 027 444 8136 jbond@rtanz.co.nz Southern West Coast/Christchurch/ Mid-Canterbury/South Canterbury Simon Carson 0800 367 782 (Option 5) 027 556 6099 scarson@rtanz.co.nz Otago/Southland Alan Cooper 0800 367 782 (Option 6) 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
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Apart from a small amount of special supplements the Group grows all the feed supplies for its own stock
T
RUCKS ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY MAJOR FARMING operation, and New Zealand’s transport industry has many examples of farmers who’ve started out looking after their own trucking needs…. And have progressed on to making a little extra on the side, carting stuff for other people – then eventually morphing into stand-alone trucking fleets. South Canterbury’s Winchester-headquartered Pye Group has in some ways followed a similar path – but it’s also unusual…. probably unique. For one thing, its 15-strong trucking fleet is modern, efficient, meticulously-audited and arguably capable of footing it in the wider transport market. And then there’s the fact that its reason for being is largely about servicing just one customer – itself (in the form of the wider Pye Group). Any work done for outside clients is generally backloading, to reduce the costs of its core activity. How a single client can support a fleet this big can be best appreciated when you understand the scale of the Pye Group. It’s a truly massive agricultural operation, encompassing 10 dairy farms that carry around 10,000 cows and heifers, two potato farms in the Rakaia area that supply the McCains processing operation in nearby Timaru, and a carrot-growing operation that provides over 15,000 tonnes annually for Juice Products NZ. In addition, the Group handles virtually all the feed requirements for the dairy farms, including year-round grazing
for replacement stock, and the growing of kale and fodder beet for winter feed. The Pye Group is owned by Leighton and Michelle Pye. The couple are also partners with Ken and Cushla Caird in Central Feeds, an agricultural contracting and stock feeds business that in 2014 was hived off from the main Group as a separate business unit – though there still remains a high level of crossover, including the Pye Group fleet looking after Central Feeds’ transport needs. Historically, the Group was born of the efforts of Leighton’s parents, who in the 1960s and ‘70s developed an agricultural contracting business and potato farms in mid-Canterbury. This expanded to take in major fresh vegetable cropping and dairying operations, both here and in Australia. Originally Leighton was a partner with his parents and brother in what was to become the Pye Group, but he and Michelle became full owners when father Allan wanted to concentrate on other farming interests. Following a period of rapid expansion, the Group went through a significant reorganisation about six years ago. The process included the building of a new office block at the company’s base, and the appointment of an operations manager, Tony Gould. Long-serving office manager Maree Wardell recalls a time before that when the HQ was a small office on the property, backed up by a converted shipping container that did duty as a smoko room when a few more staff were added: “In the Truck & Driver | 51
Main picture: The Southern Alps are a constant backdrop to the Pye Group’s activities on its extensive holdings
Top pictures: The ubiquitous Ford D Series was a mainstay truck model during Allan Pye’s early years as an agricultural contractor...giving way in time to Mercedes-Benz, which remains the dominant brand today
beginning there was Leighton, Michelle, Ken Caird and myself – that was it as far as admin and management went!” Tony Gould’s responsibilities cover the transport operations, as well as servicing the dairy farms, which are run by contract managers who hire their own staff but are otherwise supported by the Group. From a family background perspective he’s well-credentialled for the job – with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather involved in trucking before him. Great-granddad was a partner in Gould & Co. in Timaru in the 1940s, Dad was a transport manager with Mount Cook Lines and, prior to coming to Pyes, Tony was with Hilton Haulage for eight years, in its bulk transport division. In 2012 he took a year off to work with the International Red Cross in the Philippines as a logistics adviser, looking after the organisation’s supply chain operations. He’d previously been involved with the Red Cross rescue team locally and had,
52 | Truck & Driver
in fact, spent a month or so in Christchurch after the 2011 earthquakes, so when the opportunity came up for the stint in the Philippines he took it. It was a different approach to trucking, he says: “The trucks were often used more as people carriers than for carting bulk goods, and the standard of maintenance was variable, to say the least. “One day a truck came steaming into the big roundabout outside our warehouse near the port and was cut off by a Jeepney. The driver stood on the brakes and the windscreen fell out! He just jumped out, threw it in the back and carried on. It remained like that for several weeks.” Helping set the Pye Group transport operation up as an identifiable cost centre was one of Tony’s primary tasks when he started five years ago. It hadn’t always been that way, he says: “Before then it was all pretty amorphous. We could be getting through a million litres of diesel a year across the
divisions, and you couldn’t tell where precisely it was going. It had just evolved like that. “We now use iCOS logistics management, linked to tablets in the trucks, which gives us a real-time handle on costs. In essence, the transport division exists mainly to service Central Feeds and the farms, so you could say that as long as it breaks even that’s all we need – but having an accurate picture of costs means that you can make a more informed decision on things like truck replacement and identify maintenance issues as soon as they crop up. “Plus it gives you an accurate view of how each division is going. We charge Central Feeds and the farms at market rates, the only difference from a conventional transport company being that the invoicing is internal. “As far as gear goes, the transport division looks after its core equipment – trucks, trailers, spreaders and a few utes – with the wider Group responsible for diggers, loaders and the
like. That means that, if need be, the transport could easily be set up as a standalone business. “When I first started, our ORS wasn’t all that good. When we had a quiet period, we would pile all the vehicles into the testing station, find all the things that were wrong and then take them away and fix them. Now we are five-star (ORS rating-wise) and have been for some time, because we treat the transport division like a standalone fleet and have full maintenance programmes.” The majority of the fleet is Mercedes-Benz – a mixture of older Actros and newer Axor and Arocs – with the balance being mainly Volvo: Two FMs, an FMX and an FH with a tipper body used for shingle. The only outsider is the Sterling that’s used primarily for low loader duties. It’s probably the lowest-mileage Sterling in the country, reckons Tony: “It started off doing heavy haulage in Central Otago, then….it had a spell carting a drilling rig for Hadlee and
Truck & Driver | 53
Right: Winter’s a time for maintenance of cattle races and the like. The Group has shingle extraction consents for local rivers Below, left: A young Leighton Pye and little sister Bernice with one of their father’s Mercs
Below, right: In the 1970s, a lineup of some of the company’s first Mercs - NG and L-Series models
Brunton – neither being the sort of jobs that you’d rack up big distances on.” Mercedes has long been the mainstay, with Allan Pye being among the very first customers for the brand in NZ. The latest additions to the lineup have been two Arocs 580s, both fitted with Merc’s unique turbo clutch/retarder. Though the option adds $25,000 to the cost of a truck, it’s worth every cent, says Tony: “When you’re in a spud paddock, stopping and starting, and crawling along at a super-slow walking pace, they’re brilliant. “With a five-axle trailer hooked up and an all-up weight of 56t, you can just put your foot down and it’ll pull away. Before, we were going through clutches like nobody’s business.” Ashburton’s Lusk Engineering has provided several of the trailers and bodies, though there’s also a Transport Trailers unit with a heavy-duty alloy bin. It’s quite heavy, says Tony, but it is ideal for track rock, river run and gravel, and still looks like new after a couple of years’ work. The lighter Lusk bins work well for the carrots. Because of the wide variety of cargoes, versatility is a key factor in the fleet. Several bodies and trailers are dropsides, while custom-made bins have been built for chopped silage. They’re J-bolted to the truck decks, and when not being used sit on purposebuilt stands, offering an easy transfer on and off the truck, which just has to drive underneath and raise the airbag suspension. They also sport easy rollover tarp covers. Bulk potatoes are carted in self-unloading V bins that are twistlocked to the flatdeck trucks. At the processing factory, they’re hooked to three-phase power to deliver the product. They also feature drop-down side doors, to ensure that for the first part of an offload the harvester doesn’t have to drop the potatoes from too great a height. Once the bin is half full, the doors are swung back up. 54 | Truck & Driver
The Group has two full workshops, one for the farms, the other for Central Feeds. Apart from minor stuff like replacing mudflaps and the like, not a great deal of work is done on the trucks, which are for the most part under warranty. Because the distances they travel are so small compared to their running hours, they’re serviced at much shorter intervals than would be normally recommended. Stock movements are for the most part short-distance, so the Pye Group has yet to set up its own stock transport operation – instead relying on St Andrews Transport for the bulk of the work. As Tony explains, the issue is that when stock trucks are needed, it typically isn’t just one...but half a dozen. He adds that this sort of situation is relatively rare, as the runoff land (planted in kale or fodder beet and used for winter grazing for the dairy cows) is integrated with the farms themselves, and is generally no more than a short drive (or even a walk) away from the summer standings. Traditionally, several of the trucks in the Group were painted a John Deere green, reflecting the dominance of that brand in the contracting division….and hence the ready availabilty of that paint for touchup purposes. However, says Tony, there was also a motley collection of other colours, meaning little consistency in the image. So, five years ago, the company undertook a rebranding exercise. The result for the trucks is simplicity itself, yet quite distinctive and recognisable – a white base with a broad green horizontal stripe, overlaid front and sides by the Pye Group name and accompanied by four logos representing contracting, dairying, cropping and grazing. Michelle Pye says the rebranding exercise was intended to do more than just make the fleet look good: “It was about creating a brand that people would recognise and respect. We wanted to
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establish ourselves in our community as being a good employer, good operators and good for the community. “This doesn’t just come from a fancy logo, but from a lot of things we do both internally and externally. It’s a continuous journey and one that we’re constantly working on.” The transport operation is an integral part of the Group’s high-technology approach to environmental impact, explains Tony: “For example, the spreaders are all linked to GPS mapping of the paddocks, so if one of them is in the wrong area the spreader won’t turn on. “The paddocks are dotted with moisture meters set just below ground level, so if the water has penetrated far enough to cause a danger of leaching, the application rate can be backed off. The fertiliser is only needed in the top little bit anyway, so it’s simply a waste of money to have it leach further below the surface. “Because we have full control over our own units, it’s no hassle to have them a little bit here and a little bit there. A contractor isn’t going to want to come all the way to us, via the store, to put on just 500 to 600kg, and that in dribs and drabs. But that’s the sort of thing we can do. “If an area doesn’t need a great deal and we’ve got some still in the spreader bin, there’s always another paddock or another farm. And in the unlikely event there’s nowhere close by, we just bring it back to the bunker. “Having that level of control over the whole operation adds immensely to efficiency. The money you spend upfront might seem high, but in many cases it comes back almost
straight away. Take the computer control of the spreading as an example. The computers cost around $10,000 per unit, but consider that just 1% overlap of the application has been estimated to cost us $40,000 per year in extra fertiliser! A 5% overlap could mount up to the cost of a whole new unit, and that’s even without taking into account the environmental impact of the over-application.” A significant feature of the transport division is the work flexibility it offers individual staff, he adds: “For example, when things are a little quiet we rotate drivers through the contracting division – give them two or three weeks at a time on diggers and the like. It offers them an opportunity to experience other aspects of the overall job. “The swap-over of staff isn’t one-way either. For the summer harvest season, Central Feeds uses visa workers from the UK, and at the end of the summer those who have the equivalent of a Class 5 licence will often stay on for several weeks to work on the potato harvest – meaning that they can help the transport division handle a significant hump in its year without having to bring on temporary drivers locally....who are difficult to find. “Flexibility is one of our real strong points, and it leads to a high level of efficiency. Because most of our work is done internally, we don’t have the problem of deciding between jobs as you would if you were dealing with outside clients. “For example, the trucks could be involved in general projects, like delivering gravel for farm tracks, and we could get a change in weather that means Central Feeds is suddenly flatout on harvesting, and it’s easy for us to drop everything else
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Above: Operations manager Gould, who comes from a four-generation trucking family, ensures that the trucks earn their keep within the wider Group
Above, right: Wide open pastures are what the Pye Group is about. The logos above the company name signify the different areas of activity Right: The spreader lineup is mainly Mercedes, but also includes this British-built Multidrive all-terrain unit
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Clockwise from top left: Bulk cartage plays a big part in the trucks’ work, but bodies are regularly swapped for other duties.... Leighton and Michelle Pye and their children.....until a few years ago a lot of the gear was plain white. New livery is distinctive and attractive.....trainee drivers from an Ara Institute course at Pye HQ. The Group is a keen supporter of the scheme
and be there straight away. And when the core contracting work drops off, there’s always something to do to fill in the gaps. “There’s a good balance across the various activities the transport division is involved in – carting bulk fertiliser and shingle for the farm tracks from our river consents, spreading, shifting feed grains, straw and silage for Central Feeds in their harvest season, carting spuds and carrots when they come on stream. I wouldn’t want to lose any one (of them), because together they provide steady work pretty well across the whole year.” On average, less than 10% of the transport division’s work is for outside clients – and generally then by way of picking up a backload for Group activities. In addition, explains Tony, the internal work provides synergies of this sort. For example, trucks carrying carrots one-way to the wash facility can be fitted with dropsides and cart calf meal to the dairy farms on the return leg. The external backloads are dependent on the outward cargoes, and they in turn are dictated mainly by seasons and climate. In dry times, straw harvested on the Group’s properties will often be carted to drought-affected areas. A couple of years ago the destination was Southland, giving the trucks the chance to cart coal back to Clandeboye, which is just down the road. It varies from year to year, depending on the weather, says Tony: “Last year we were carting to Westport. A lot of that stuff fills in the quiet times. We cart for Central
Feeds to their customers when we can, and they often come to us first. “It’s a bit of a treat for the boys, to get out of town and stretch their legs. But we always have to be careful this sort of work doesn’t get in the way of our core work of backing up the Group. “I’m of a mind that if we wanted to go bigger in terms of outside work, we’d need to go the whole hog. It would be unfair and unreasonable to say to clients that we can handle the work only when it suits us. “There would be definite downsides to making that move. We would lose the lovely flexibility we have at the moment in covering our internal work, and the way agriculture is in South Canterbury, when we are busy, everybody is busy. “In other words, it would make our busy time even more frantic, and if you are handling that OK then you would need a lot more gear that would be doing nothing during the quiet times. “At the moment I think we have a fairly good balance by way of consistent year-round work for the staff. There’s also a good level of variety for individual drivers. In the contracting season they’ll be working from maybe 10am to midnight for four or five months. “Then, with the spuds it’ll switch to a 5am start for eight weeks, allowing for a bit more social time at night – while in winter it’s more like 8 till 6. And, before you know it, you’re Truck & Driver | 59
Top, left: High-tech agricultural equipment and the trucks combine for the potato harvesting
Top, centre: A classic shot of a mid-Canterbury harvest. Dairying has replaced a good deal of the grain crops Top, right: Fertiliser spreading uses permanent soil moisture meters to ensure optimal application rates
Bottom row, from left: A wide range of truck bodies is employed....Brendan Harkness, previously a driver, now handles fleet dispatch.....Sterling does the low-loader work, backs up with a flatdeck trailer to cart hay at harvest time
back into the contracting season. “The low-loader also gives the guys a chance for a bit more variety, because we often have to shift tractors or diggers from one farm to another.” With a reputation as a good place to work and with several experienced longtermers on staff, the Group doesn’t have many problems with driver recruitment – with the contracting side often acting as an alternative for outside applicants looking for jobs. Tony is sanguine about the attrition rate of young drivers who have been trained up within the Group, only to be tempted by what look like greener pastures when they gain their Class 5, and subsequently leave: “At the very least that’s another driver the industry has gained, so it’s improving the overall situation. And it’s surprising the number who stay. “We have a young man, Andrew (Red) Grey, who started with the contracting side straight out of school, worked his way through tractors and the like, but who has always wanted to be a driver. He recently gained his Class 5 and has come over fulltime to the fleet. He reckons he’s going to retire here – couldn’t think of working anywhere else. Putting it simply, you can’t afford not to train people.” There’s another pool of potential drivers the Group is very much involved with: The day NZ Truck & Driver visits, several students from the local Ara vocational training institute are also onsite. They’re partway through their NZ Certificate in Commercial Vehicle Operation, with the company a major supporter of the course, along with several other local transport firms. As Tony explains, the Group is ideally placed to help out: 60 | Truck & Driver
“Even if they have gained their licences, driving here means a lot less stress for them, because they don’t have to fire off into traffic straight away. There are plenty of opportunities on the farms – carting bales and the like – for them to gain more experience and confidence.” Tony helps out with the course, training the students in basic driving skills and heavy truck operation, and has found that the female students are by and large right up with the males. Of course, he adds, it doesn’t help that the activity is carried out at the Levels Raceway: “Because of the venue, the guys almost automatically want to go hard, whereas I’ve found the girls are generally calmer and more focused. And to be honest there’s not much in the job these days that requires a great amount of physical strength, so there’s no bar to women being every bit as good as the men.” One of the mentors for the students is longtime Pye Group driver Bill Warahi. And in the group he’s currently helping is his daughter Jasmine, who’s well on her way to a Class 5. Despite several drivers having come from the contracting side. Tony’s just as happy with traffic going the other way: “We could have a driver decide he wants to drive a tractor. That would be no problem. You’ve still got a good worker, so you haven’t lost anything.” The growth in the Group (and, by extension, the transport side) has been so explosive that a year ago one of the drivers, Brendan Harkness, was appointed fleet dispatcher, relieving Tony of a stack of work. Brendan sometimes still drives during the spud season, but in the harvest season he’s riding the desk pretty well all the time – the day often starting before 7am with the spreader drivers
needing instructions…and stretching through till after midnight with the contracting. Among Maree Wardell’s responsibilities with the company is health and safety, and among the H&S concepts she’s introduced is a healthy eating initiative. For a modest fee staff can sign up for breakfast and/or a make-your-own lunch deal, choosing from a variety of healthy foods set out in the smoko room or stocked in the fridge. She explains that the initiative was set up in the first instance for the contracting staff, who – when the weather’s fine – work all the hours of the day and often eat poorly: “We reimburse people for food expenses on the job. I used to pay the wages, and I was shocked at the dockets for unhealthy takeaways that would come in every week, and I realised there was a health and safety component to all this. “Last year we trialled it, and the takeup was so good that it’s now been extended to the whole Group. Central Feeds has a cook who looks after the food. We’re really keen on it. Because they’re eating well the people aren’t as tired, and those with medical or dietary conditions can be looked after as well.” Adds Tony: “There was a time when we tried to feed people out in the field during the season, using takeaways – but that meant managers and supervisers had to drive miles around all the various sites. And by the time they got to the furthest-away the poor devils would get stone-cold tucker. “This way, they pack whatever they prefer themselves...and the cost is under what they’d pay for even the most basic of bought food.” The only drawback to the scheme is that the kitchen/smoko room is rather small for the food preparation, and also doubles
up as a training venue, meaning it regularly has to be packed away. However, within a few months that will be a memory: The headquarters complex is in the process of being more than doubled in size, and in the reorganised layout will be a larger, dedicated kitchen area. Annual health checks for the drivers is another safety-related initiative that often picks up issues that need addressing, says Tony: “It could be as simple as needing glasses for vision, but it can also uncover other potential conditions like diabetes. “In the beginning some people wondered about the need for these checks, but now it’s so accepted as a part of what we do that nobody remarks on it anymore. In fact, the guys who in the beginning reckoned the whole health and safety push was a waste of time are now its biggest supporters.” Staff are encouraged to think safety at all times and to report issues as they notice them. Maree ‘fesses up that in the beginning she had to resort to gentle bribery to get people on board: “When someone reported a safety issue we gave them a grocery voucher. It sounds terrible, but that’s the way human nature is, and people quickly became enthusiastic.” Tony points out that the emphasis is not just on negatives: “We also encourage people to report and comment on positive safety activities, like using a man-cage instead of standing on the bonnet of a ute. When a company is doing things well, it’s important to celebrate them, and reinforce the good habits.” Maree adds that keeping it fun is a key part of getting people to buy into a culture of safety: “We get things sometimes posted on the notice board in the smoko room winding-up people about their minor boo-boos. Health and safety isn’t Truck & Driver | 61
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about blindly following the regulations, but rather thinking about what’s best for your business, then getting the culture into line so that people are thinking safety all the time. “It goes even further that. In our staff reviews we always ask people what ideas they might have to improve their work. They’re the ones who actually know best what could be needed, and when their ideas are picked up it not only improves the
efficiency of the company, but gives people a real sense of engagement. We’re trying to set up an organisation where people will want to work.” Tony concurs: “Money doesn’t drive everyone. What’s even more critical is a sense of inclusion. We don’t have management functions – we have work functions. So that somebody who’s on a tractor on a dairy farm feels as valued as anyone else.” T&D
Opposite page, left: Maize silage is one of several crops grown by the Group
Opposite page, right: Office manager Maree Wardell also looks after health and safety...and has introduced a popular and effective nutrition initiative. On the counter are honours won by the Pye Group, including the supreme award in the 2017 South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce business excellence awards Above: Another load destined for winter fodder is readied to leave the field
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ACK’S RECENTLY RETIRED “TOP DOG” IN NEW ZEALAND, Murray Sowerby, clearly remembers the very first new Mack he sold…but hasn’t a clue how many others followed. It’s a number that will surely run to many hundreds….at the very least – seeing as he was a salesman for the Bulldog brand for the best part of 21 years. And then there’s the estimated 3000-plus Macks and Renaults (out of a total of 8000 new and used trucks) that were sold by Mack, Volvo and Renault agent Motor Truck Distributors during the 28 years that he was its national sales manager or GM. The very first new Mack he sold, by the way, was an R797 – an R Model with a long bonnet (to accommodate its Mack V8). That was in 1982, a year into his 38-year MTD career – and soon after he switched from selling used trucks, to becoming the new truck salesman for Wellington and the Manawatu. The R797 went to work as a bitumen tanker for Bell Spray, a Higgins contractor in the Manawatu. The R797s were “big trucks – 375-horsepower. I think it cost $180,000 or something like that,” he recalls. Was he a happy man at getting his first sale on the board? “Shit yes,” he says with passion: The thing is, it was a particularly tough time for new truck sales in NZ. “It was pretty hard going – it was before the deregulation of NZ’s road transport industry. Unless you had perishable goods you couldn’t cart against the rail. “You know, you’d go to Wellington and see someone and they’d say
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‘how the hell am I gonna make a Mack pay for itself?’ They were that bloody dear. “But we had a few good customers down there who were buying trucks. “I can’t remember what my first year was – it wasn’t massive. Like I might have sold eight or 10 trucks.” Sowerby was just 28 – but had already been driving trucks for 11 years. He’d left school at 15 to work on his Dad’s Manawatu farm for a year, then drove tractors, harvesters and (once he turned 17) an old 4x2 Thames Trader and a TS3 Commer for a local farmer/agricultural contractor. “I learnt a lot in a short time…about trucks and trailers and what you could do and what you couldn’t do – just by being very hands-on. And it soon became pretty apparent that was something I was pretty keen to carry on doing.” After that he’d driven International ACCOs for Feilding carrier T.J. Cook – doing livestock, wool, field tiles, stock food, concrete posts, peeled log posts….pretty much anything and everything. “So that was my intro to commercial trucking really…” His next driving job was with Feilding bulk fertiliser spreaders Doughty Contractors – mostly driving a D1000 Ford 2418 tipper, but also spending time on its old 1113 Mercedes-Benz and ex-Army Dodge spreaders. The Dodges – were they cabovers or conventionals? “Neither,” he laughs: “They had no cabs …just a windscreen in front and you were sitting with the engine right next to you!”
FEATURE
Above: One of the big success stories to come out of MTD’s Palmerston North modifications shop is the 8x4 version of the Super-Liner – with a 685hp Mack MP10, Murray Sowerby reckons it’s “a fantastic truck” Opposite page, left: The very first Mack made in NZ – an FR700, built in 1972
Opposite page, right: Murray Sowerby (right), talks with assembly manager Brent Cooksley back in 2000 – just before the production line was closed. Cooksley still runs the mod centre, having been with MTD for 42 years!
After four years he started thinking “ah, do I wanna keep doing this? Do I wanna be a truck driver?” He loved trucks and loved “driving big gear” and new challenges behind the wheel. On the other hand, he was “on horrendous hours – and we weren’t making a lot of money. When you looked, there was a lot of bigger gear going on the road – and there was no opportunity for me to get up into that area. When MTD sales manager Danny Claasen called into the Feilding Transport Centre’s so-called Blue Room – “where the boys used to go and have a beer after work, if you were back in time” – he told everyone that MTD was looking for a new salesman.....‘and any one of you guys could do the job.’ Within a week he’d applied….and got the job, starting on March 3, 1981, selling used trucks: “I valeted and repaired and did some mechanical work and got CoFs on every truck that was on the yard (usually about 50 of ‘em) and then I’d sort any walk-ins we got.” After a year of that he got his start on new truck sales – selling a range of models all built in Palmerston North by MTD. Under the direction of founder Ron Carpenter, MTD (and its predecessor) had been building Macks in Palmy for 10 years – initially importing SKD (semi knocked down) kits from Australia… And then, in ’74, moving to CKD (completely knocked down) assembly, with the components shipped in from the States. As Carpenter told NZ Truck & Driver back in 2002: “What MTD does isn’t really assembly. It’s much more accurate to call it Mack manufacture. Then, as now, only the engines and gearboxes were
imported complete – the rest of the truck was assembled from the parts stock in the MTD warehouse. Chassis rails were delivered as blanks, cabs were brought in as shells…and converted to right-handdrive, and most major components were built in the plant.” At the time, Murray confesses, “I took it all for granted. But looking back now, to go and work for a company like that – that was actually building trucks here in NZ from scratch – it was a pretty cool industry to be involved in….a pretty unique opportunity.” When he started selling new Macks, the make’s Kiwi lineup ran to R600 and R700 conventionals and FR600, FR700 and MC cabovers, each in six-wheeler or 8x4 versions and with six-cylinder or V8 Mack engines. “The R engine options ranged from 200hp to 285, 320 and later on we went to 350. We didn’t put in anything that wasn’t Mack in those days – Mack transmissions and Mack bogeys.” The lead time for deliveries was around six to eight months. This period turned out to be Mack’s heyday in NZ: “Our biggest year when we were building trucks was in 1983 – we built 153 trucks. We did a big amount for Freightways, for TNL down in Blenheim, Provincial Freightlines up in Thames, of course. United Carriers, Winstones….a lot went into Forest Products, Bay Milk Company. We had some big fleets.” “Mack people,” Murray reckons, “bought a brand. They bought it for a reason. Their truck was dearer than anybody else’s at the time – well, Mack and Kenworth were the dearest by miles. “But in those days there was a big benefit from the durability point Truck & Driver | 65
of view. They were a bloody durable truck in their day – you couldn’t really kill ’em and they were light in tare weight.” There was also, unquestionably, Carpenter’s pioneering commitment to providing 24/7 service – having set up a team of mobile mechanics in utes early on. Says Sowerby: “We were the first company in NZ to do that. We’d drive parts through the country all night in a car, we’d fly someone to do a gearbox on the side of the road….we did camshafts on the side of the road. “If a truck rolled over there’d be someone dispatched from Palmerston North to have a look at it that day – and, if possible, we’d have it back in Palmerston North within a day.” They’d be stripped down…and “go back down our assembly line… and we’d rebuild them again… I can remember trucks being repaired and having new cabs on them within two weeks.” After Murray had been selling new Macks for a couple of years, in 1984 Carpenter wanted him back on secondhand – as MTD’s used vehicle sales manager, primarily because (in addition to starting the Truck Stops service network and taking up the importation of ERFs) the company had taken over Clyde Industries…and its Hino distributorship. Suddenly, says Sowerby: “We had a huge number of used trucks. When we took over Clyde Industries, there were bloody used trucks everywhere and no-one knew what they were worth or anything.” Ron Carpenter’s direction was simple, Murray reckons: “Nobody trades in a truck unless you’ve looked at it.” So for the next four years 66 | Truck & Driver
he did just that – “every truck we traded, from North Cape to Bluff, I looked at it personally! So I was never home.” When, in quick succession – in 1991 and ’92 – first Claasen left, then Ron Carpenter bowed out of the business, Sowerby was in turn appointed national sales manager….and then GM. He’d only been in the boss’ job about four years when Mack advised that it would be ceasing production of its MH Ultra-Liner cabover in three years’ time. That, he says unequivocally “was one of the toughest times. You know, without that as part of our Mack lineup, we really didn’t have a business…because NZ’s a cabover market. Ultra-Liner would have been about 40% of our sales. “I thought ‘shit where are we gonna go here now! We’re gonna lose a lot of our big customers!’ “At that stage, Provincial Freight Lines, Tuapeka Transport, Renall Transport, Clutha Valley Transport – all those guys – all they bought were Ultra-Liners!” Before production ended in the US, “we bought up quite a few cabs – as many as we could – to try and keep our production going.” But the last Ultra-Liner was built here in ’99. Mack in Australia had eased the pain of the Ultra-Liner’s demise by building a 6x4 Mack Qantum cabover. Says Sowerby: “All they did was buy a Renault basically – used the Renault chassis rails and put a Mack engine in it. “I didn’t think that was the right thing to do – what we should be
Photo Robert Dick Clockwise, from above: Tuapeka Transport’s lineup of Kiwi-built Mack Ultra-Liners, before the pin was pulled on Mack cabovers in ‘99....Murray Sowerby on his last day at his desk....the MTD assembly line just before it was closed in 2000....Mack loyalist Tuapeka’s Mack Qantum – MTD’s combo of a Renault cab on a Mack chassis, with a Mack engine and gearbox doing is sticking with our Mack chassis and grafting a Renault cab onto it. So they let us go ahead and do that.” Finnish truckmaker Sisu was building heavy-duty cabovers using Renault cabs, so Sowerby visited them, came away convinced it would work for NZ, “ordered some cabs and some parts, got the go-ahead from Renault to do it, got the pricing right…and so we built eightwheeler Qantums, on CH rails. “It was an inhouse deal, with a small team of guys with a bit of cando attitude. We must have built a couple of hundred I ‘spose.” Initially they were unique to NZ…but then Mack Australia switched to the same concept – “after ours turned out alright!” he says, laughing. From then on, the Kiwi Qantums – first with 470hp Mack engines, then Cummins – came out of Australia. But the loss of a genuine Mack cabover inevitably proved costly to Mack’s NZ sales: “We were the market leader from the early ‘80s through to about ’88 – North American, that is. Of course, when we lost our cabover, Kenworth just took over.” Will it come back to Mack? Even he has to be realistic: “Yeah nah – no show. If you took bonneted trucks only now, we’re 25% of the market, Kenworth’s 50%.” Hard on the heels of the Ultra-Liner’s demise came another heavy blow: In the wake of Volvo buying Mack and absorbing Mack Trucks Australia, MTD was told that its NZ production line was no longer sustainable. Henceforth, NZ’s Macks would need to come out of the Volvo Group’s Brisbane factory – completely built up. So, in 2000 – after 27 years and over 1900 trucks – the Palmy operation was reluctantly shut down. Said Murray at the time: “If it was strictly our choice, we’d keep on doing what we’re doing. But it’s not viable. A free market doesn’t make it easy to manufacture in NZ. The only reason we’ve been able to keep going as long as we have is the dedication of our staff.” The Volvo Group’s rationalisation of models – “if you want to buy a cabover now, you buy a Volvo. If you want to buy a bonneted truck, you buy a Mack” – and the integration of engines, transmissions and
diffs across the brands, triggered “a lot of feeling” among customers. Says Murray: “Well, you know, it’s a culture. You put your name out there – this is me, I’m a Mack man. And then they come along and tell you, if you want one of those, you have to buy a Volvo, you know. Well that just doesn’t go down well.” As GM he had “some reasonably robust discussions” with the Volvo Group powers-that-be, but in the end accepted the inevitable: “I took the philosophy that you can fight and bash your head against the wall as much as you like. But if you’re not going to change anything, why do it? “So let’s just suck it up – fight the fights you can win….and try to get the good things out of it. “And to be fair, Mack wouldn’t have survived if Volvo didn’t buy them. So you can put your head up your arse as long as you like, but those are the facts. Like all North American companies, they thought bigger was better – but in actual fact it wasn’t. So Volvo saved their arse. “And MTD probably wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the Volvo product as well – having the two brands. Because we wouldn’t have been able to sustain our 18 workshops, with the volume of trucks that we’re doing. It just wouldn’t have worked.” In 2004, under Murray’s management, MTD had its best-ever year – selling 154 new trucks (one more than in 1983). How good that was is put into perspective by the last five years – when sales have ranged between 55 and 73, averaging 63. Still the job was sometimes challenging: “When the first of the Macks came out with the Volvo componentry…we’d say ‘it’s a Mack engine.’ You know, that was what we had to say…. “But a lot of the components had that V on it – in the castings, you know. And yeah, we had people asking us to grind them off! ‘I don’t want that on my truck! I didn’t want a Volvo – I bought a Mack!’ So yeah, for one or two guys we did it.” He did have to manage worse problems: “Umm, I’m not gonna blame Mack for this one. The toughest period I went through was the introduction of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). That’s probably the Truck & Driver | 67
biggest nightmare really – caused us more heartache than anything else.” The Mack MP8 EGR engines were troublesome – “the same problems as everyone else had with the EGR.” The problems were made worse by the EGR era coinciding with the 2007/’08 recession, caused by the GFC: “So the only people buying new trucks during that timeframe were very well-established customers. “So all our very best customers – like the Richardson Group and the McCarthys and Williams & Wilshiers…..all ended up with EGR trucks.” So how did MTD save its reputation? “We just paid….just kept shelling money out. That’s all you could do. Support. It was all about support.” On the upside, Sowerby managed some nice Kiwi successes – like MTD getting the go-ahead to develop and modify 6x4 CH and Vision models into twin-steers. “We’d lost our cabover, but we still had an eight-wheeler market – and that’s when the quad tractors and all that started becoming popular, so we built them. Gave us another market niche which we hadn’t had before – so that got some of our market back that we’d lost with our cabover.” A couple of years back he got approval to do the same thing with the current model Super-Liner: “Everyone was saying ‘it can’t be done… it can’t be done….can’t be done.’ And I had Bryan Menefy (Palmerston North operator with a love of Macks) chomping in my ear for two years telling me ‘you must be able to do it, you must be able to do it.!’ “So I kept chippin’ away and in the finish, Big Dog, Dean Bestwick (Mack Trucks Australia vice president) said to me, ‘listen, just order the f***ing thing and get on with it will ya!’
“We’ve probably done 20 by now and we’ve got a big order bank for them. It’s been really good for us. That 685hp engine….it’s the highesthorsepower bonneted production truck you can buy in the world. That’s a fantastic vehicle – absolutely fantastic.” It’s got Mack back into heavy-haulage, as well as bulk cartage and tanker work. And it’s been enough of a success, he says gleefully, that “the Aussies are looking at trying to build something there now!” While Murray Sowerby, at 65, is very happy to settle into retirement, he’ll be staying in touch with the industry – partly because youngest son Kurt is working for the Volvo Group in Brisbane: “He’s a technical guru for big fleets.” And he’s looking forward to next year’s launch of the new Mack Anthem: “It is essentially a new cab, but there’ll be a lot of changes come with that – because it comes with the next generation of electronics.” He particularly likes that it will allow Mack to have the Group’s deepreduction AMT as well, “which we really need. Because all those big trucks we’re building at the moment, we’re putting a Joey box in them.” As for personal highlights from his MTD career? “The thing I’m most proud of really is being able to retain the small business philosophies, while still being owned by a corporate.” (MTD was owned by Truck Investments from 1986 till 2004, then for a few years by Cycle & Carriage, and since about 2008, by the Malaysian Sime Darby group). He adds: “MTD only had 28 to 30 (of the best) people – and that’s including the integration of Volvo. And I was still able to run it like it was pretty much when I went there.” “And then to have had the opportunity to be general manager for 27 years – running that whole business, with a lot of success financially… it sort of makes you feel quite proud.” T&D
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Clockwise, from top left: Macks take over Palmy, with a parade through town in 1987 to celebrate the building of the 1000th NZ Mack....Murray enjoys a beer at good customer McCarthy Transport...a big turnout at Murray’s farewell dinner
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The 25 Year Special Edition Volvo FH is on a nationwide demo tour – showing off the dual-clutch I-Shift
Story & photos: Trevor & Hayden Woolston
SMOOTH OPERATOR
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T’S THE FIRST FROST FOR THE YEAR AND WE’RE meeting up with Volvo’s FH demonstrator for a run up to Whangarei and back – to have our first look at its new dual clutch technology. Frosty mornings in Auckland mean a nice day weatherwise, but a little chilly, as the team assembles just on daybreak to meet the truck and familiarise ourselves with the 540-horsepower FH “25 Year Special Edition” unit. The I-Shift Dual Clutch is available on the FH, coupled with D13 engines that make 460, 500 or 540 horsepower. Dual clutch doesn’t mean two pedals, in fact it’s the usual I-shift AMT with no pedals at all. Dual clutch isn’t a twin plate either – it’s a totally new truck clutch system similar to what’s been seen in cars previously and now adapted by Volvo for the first time ever for truck operation. It is, in fact, two separate clutches connected to the gearbox by dual input shafts – one being a
hollow outer shaft and the second shaft running through the centre of it. Inside the box, one shaft is connected to one set of reduction gears and the other to another set. This allows the box to select the next gear while still driving in the current gear and the shift is made when the current drive gear clutch disengages….at the same time the waiting gear is engaged, delivering a constant drive with no break in the drive from the engine to the diffs. These shifts are known as power shifts and are available for all gearchanges when engine load is over 60%, except during a range change. This delivers more rapid shifts without breaking traction or momentum loss, making it ideally suited to New Zealand’s hilly topography. It also allows for overdrive gearing to be used instead of lower gearing that results in shift delays in standard drivelines. Today we have a quad-axle Fairfax semi on behind, loaded to an all-up weight of 40 tonnes. It’s fitted Truck & Driver | 71
with the recently offered JOST axles, so we’ll get a chance to see how they track on some of the tighter sections of road on our drive north. As we head off from outside Alliance Truck and Bus’ yard in Manukau City, the overdrive box is immediately noticeable – with a slightly slower liftoff than expected. But after the first two shifts you really notice the third change – where suddenly it picks up with smooth Power Shifts as we accelerate away. While I couldn’t find out anything definite, it feels like there may be some kind of driveline protection programmed into the truck for liftoff – and that’s probably why Power Shift only works with over 60% of engine load. We decide to take the Waterview Tunnel and Upper Harbour Drive route north rather than running the State Highway 1 gauntlet through the centre of Auckland. Even using the alternative route, there’s still heavy traffic, with plenty of stop/start traffic jams…which, once again, highlight the extremely smooth, seamless shifting of the I-Shift with Dual Clutch. While we don’t have any call for emergency braking, the Forward Collision Warning system and Lane Change Support certainly make heavy traffic operation more relaxing. Once clear of Auckland’s traffic it’s an easy run up the motorway to Puhoi and we get to take in the great features of this truck. With it being early morning and the sun still low in the sky the electrically operated sunvisors are a nice option, allowing easy adjustment to counter sun-strike and
then quick removal when not required. Our first real hill is Schedewys Hill, up onto Windy Ridge, and when we get to the top of the first passing lane we need to slow down for slow traffic – and once again the nice, smooth shifting is really noticeable. In fact, it’s very easy to drive it on light throttle and there’s none of that severe downshifting you encounter when you lift off on an uphill. It just keeps pulling at a lower speed. We come across this again as we come up to Dome Valley, where I choose to sit behind a much slower logger and let the cars use the passing lane to get around both of us. This means we have to follow the slower truck through the Dome Valley – but once again it’s just a matter of using a nice, light throttle pressure and the box makes these nice, smooth shifts as required. We follow the logger through Wellsford and then he pulls over to let us pass before Te Hana. Thanks mate. Both the passing lane just past Te Hana and the one before Kaiwaka demonstrate the extremely smooth downshifting of this box. On the next hill heading north out of Kaiwaka we really get a great demonstration of the power-shift capabilities of this truck when I come up on one of Rotorua Forest Haulage’s Scania loggers, fully loaded, on the passing lane. I let the queue of cars pass and then when it’s clear I put the foot down and pull out to pass. As we get up beside the Scania the I-Shift does an upshift – but instead of the usual loss of momentum during an upshift, the only thing you notice is the change in revs as we smoothly sail past.
Opposite page: The dual clutch AMT makes for a spectacularly-smooth driving experience
Right: Hayden Woolston reckons that the dual clutch has made something that was already “at the top of its game,” even better
The Brynderwyns are a continuation of the same smooth shifting as we head up the windy south side. On the climb I also get to see the JOST trailer axles at work and they track nicely through the tight uphill corners. Then, as we drop over the top I ease up on the gas and apply the VEB+ engine brake for the descent. While still in auto I drop down one more gear and we cruise down with only a slight touch on the service brakes on one of the steeper parts of the descent. It’s a smooth run into Whangarei to the Truckstops branch, where a few locals are going to have a quick look at the Dual Clutch truck before we head back. Before I drove the Dual Clutch I was really wondering if there would be any noticeable difference in the drive – given how smooth the I-Shift has been on previous trucks. But it would be fair to say that that doubt certainly goes out the door once you drive the Dual Clutch. This is another level up again, where the only thing you notice when a gearshift is made is the rev change. Or, if you have a window open, the change in engine noise. In both upshifting and downshifting the unbroken drive provided by the Dual Clutch makes for a
smooth increase or reduction of speed, which must lead to not only more useable engine performance, but also increased fuel economy. Certainly, watching the Volvo Dual Clutch introductory videos – featuring two identicallyspecced and equally-loaded trucks, except that one has Dual Clutch – really says volumes about the performance gains of this technology: The Dual Clutch truck easily pulls past the other one on a hill. Hayden takes over for the run back to Auckland. The following is his experience with the Dual Clutch. We head out of Truck Stops Whangarei and I notice on takeoff that the first two gearshifts are rather slow, just as Trevor mentioned. And then from there the gearchanges feel nonexistent as the truck changes up through the box – with smoothness being the only word to describe this gearbox and what it does. On SH1 just south of Whangarei I go through some tight roadworks with some serious NZ pot holes and the Volvo Dynamic Steering doesn’t allow for any change to the steering wheel’s alignment. It’s like the pot holes aren’t even there. On the Ruakaka straights I use the cruise control and the truck holds the speed very well on the slight inclines and declines in the road. Truck & Driver | 73
Opposite page, left: It’s an easy climb in and out of the FH, aided by well-positioned grabhandles and steps
Opposite page, right: Longtime truck tester Trevor Woolston reckons that the only thing you notice about the dual-clutch gearshifts is the rev change. Or, if you have the window down, the engine note
“The Dual Clutch has made the I-Shift something that was already at the top of its game even better” I particularly like that you can turn off the adaptive cruise control. I don’t do this during my drive but I think this would be great for multi-lane highways when coming up on slower traffic: You can pull out and pass without the adaptive cruise slowing the unit down. In my car I can’t turn it off and I notice that the adaptive cruise slows you down before you can get out and pass, unless you change lanes well in advance. As we hit the bottom of the Brynderwyns the truck changes down through the box with ease and we settle at about 55km/h heading up the hill. We pull off into the rest stop halfway up to get some photos of the truck and trailer before heading off again. As I pull out of the rest stop back onto SH1 it’s a sharp left turn and straight into the hill. As we
pick up speed and gears I comment to Shaun, the product trainer sitting next to me, that you won’t find another truck that takes off on a hill so quietly and smoothly as this does. Heading down the south side I leave the box in Auto and it makes one change down from the top and all I have to use is the service brake a few times. The three-stage engine brake does the rest. We hand the truck back to Volvo at Puhoi and let it go on its tour of the country – so that others get to experience what we have today. It’s been a great drive and one that you wouldn’t mind doing all day every day: This clutch and all of Volvo’s other driver aids make for a great and enjoyable driving experience. The Dual Clutch has made the I-Shift something that was already at the top of its game even better. T&D
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Mark Madelin Auckland and Robin Hanson Feilding Fruehauf NZ Ltd would like to introduce our two new Operations Managers both come at an exciting time in our business and make a fantastic addition to the Fruehauf NZ family that you have come to know for its excellence, high quality and attention to detail. MARK MADELIN – OPERATIONS MANAGER AUCKLAND Mark is our Auckland Operations Manager and responsible for the Auckland Branch Service/Repair and Manufacturing. Originally from the UK growing up in a manufacturing family background and then serving his time as an apprentice Mechanical Engineer, Mark transferred to New Zealand in 2001 whilst working for a U.S. based multi-national Hydraulic and Motion Control Company. The move was, to lead the engineering support function in a high speed, high precision manufacturing plant in Auckland. After almost 20 years’ service spanning UK, Europe, U.S. then New Zealand, Mark joined another U.S. multi-national as Manufacturing Manager for an iconic New Zealand brand of Commercial Refrigeration. Overseeing the full end to end process from procurement through production to final hand over, to installation. From there Mark spent the last decade before joining Fruehauf NZ Ltd as the Upper North Island rolling stock maintenance Manager for Kiwi-Rail based in Auckland. This involved multi-site Management and maintenance of an active fleet in excess of 2800 units, as well as field services and incident management and recovery.
ROBIN HANSON – OPERATIONS MANAGER FEILDING Robin comes from South Africa with 25 years specialised truck and trailer experience. The 5 years preceding this saw him working with Mercedes Benz to complete his Mechanic Apprenticeship. Robin’s career quickly catapulted within a specialised truck and trailer manufacturer in South Africa where he worked as a Sales Representative and Assistant Manager. Robin then moved to Ireland with a focus on trailer spare parts, growing the parts sales by 40% in his first year. After this Robin returned to South Africa and moved into a Super Truck and Cab company for a couple of years as a Salesperson. He then moved onto a multi-national Trailer Manufacturing company, Henred Fruehauf Trailers as an Area Development Manager primarily focusing on developing branches across South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique. After 10 years with this company, Robin branched out into his own business, maintaining ties with the former Truck and Trailer Manufacturer and established a Trailer Service Centre with a focus on Service, Repair, Full Refurbishment and the Sale of Spare Parts. While Robin is new to the New Zealand market and the Fruehauf NZ Ltd family, he is well versed in all aspects of Trucks and Trailers. As the Operations Manager he will work closely with our existing Production team, lead the Service and Repair team and maintain our strong relationship with our existing clients and develop relationships with our new clients.
AUCKLAND BRANCH AND HEAD OFFICE 21 Hobill Ave, Manukau, Auckland, Phone +64 9 267 3679
FEILDING MANUFACTURING PLANT
10 Mahinui Street, Feilding, New Zealand, Telephone +64 6 323 4299 TD29910
www.fruehauf.co.nz
New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association
Even several years ago, when this photo was taken, the heavy haulage route through Orewa was fraught with potential risks. Things have only got worse since this
Oversize loads need access to toll roads By Jonathan Bhana-Thomson – chief executive, New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association
I
T WILL BE FAR SAFER FOR ALL ROAD USERS IF OVERSIZE LOADS are permitted ready access to the nation’s toll roads, as they provide a much more appropriate road environment for transporting the biggest loads. At present, toll road travel is only allowed by special permission, and often there is no timely response from the New Zealand Transport Agency to a request for travel. The NZ Heavy Haulage Association has been continuing its campaign to get “as of right” access to the three toll roads in NZ, as we know that it will provide less risk and be more efficient than using the alternative routes In particular, we’re concerned about having to use the route through the builtup area of Orewa – with all its pedestrians, car users and other activities – when the Northern Gateway Toll Road is a four-lane, median-divided road which does not have the potential safety risks and constrained road environment that the route through Orewa has. Meanwhile, in the case of the Tauranga Eastern Link road, the alternative is through the builtup area of Te Puke…which has had changes made to make it more pedestrian-friendly – and, therefore, far less suitable for large, oversize loads. In addition there is a “do not cross” bridge on this route for many overweight loads. The association has made four different submissions to the NZTA on this point since 2015 and this year has written to Associate Minister of Transport Julie-Anne Genter twice in order to get some commonsense applied to this issue. The response from the agency has been that users of toll roads are paying extra for the use of these roads and do not expect to be held up by oversize loads on these routes.
The reality is that what we’re seeking is for normal travel restrictions to apply. So the largest oversize loads would be travelling at offpeak times overnight, and the amount of traffic travelling behind the loads is very low at these times. Any smaller loads that are permitted to travel in the area during the day, are not permitted to travel at peak times. And the design of the roads, along with Jonathan Bhana-Thomson the accompanying pilots, would mean that any other road users would easily be able to pass these loads in the centre lane and not be unduly delayed. Contrast this with increasing the risk to more vulnerable road users, by forcing oversize loads to use the local roads through the builtup and urban areas mentioned. In addition, oncoming traffic has to be managed and pulled over on these two-lane urban roads, whereas on the median-divided roads there is no oncoming traffic to control. We urge the Minister and the NZTA to make the right decision and put safety first – and put toll roads on the same regulatory basis as the alternative routes. This will remove the need for heavy haulage operators to get explicit permission to travel on toll roads. In this way transport operators in the oversize industry will be given certainty about the ability to travel on toll roads – and other roads users will be significantly less affected by the movement of large loads in these areas. T&D Truck & Driver | 77
www.iveco.co.nz
Road Transport Association NZ
Why we should support Dennis Robertson
By Road Transport Association NZ chief executive Dennis Robertson
B
ACK IN 2011, I WAS INTRIGUED TO READ A REPORT FROM the president of the Southland branch of the Road Transport Association, presented at its 1984 AGM. He noted in the report that the most concerning issue the industry faced was that of an impending driver shortage, which needed to be the focus of attention for the road transport sector – otherwise it would have dire consequences in the future. Now, 35 years later, very little has been done to address this problem and, as he predicted, it is having dire consequences. One of the key initiatives to address this issue has been the establishment of SWEP. If you don’t know what SWEP is, it’s the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme, which is a cross-government initiative to help employers get access to skilled regional staff. Many of the projects and initiatives in this programme are being funded through the Provincial Growth Fund, which has the aim of creating jobs – now and into the future. This is a major opportunity for New Zealand’s regions to grow their local workforces.... And to grow the skills and capability of working people in regions: To equip them for sustained work and pathways to higher incomes. SWEP aims to improve employers’ access to skilled labour – working across industries like horticulture and viticulture, dairy farming, road freight transport, construction, tourism, hospitality and aged residential care. SWEP works by partnering with industry to develop solutions to improve its access to labour and create training pathways for local people to enter local industry. To date, since SWEP was established as a pilot in 2016, 950 NZers have been placed into employment through SWEP-facilitated initiatives, with more than 3000 people supported into recognised training whilst in employment, and 50 people supported into apprenticeships.
SWEP is the only comprehensive programme that exists within the road transport industry and it is looking at the multi-layered issues we all face with the driver shortage. It focuses on developing a joint solution with Government ministries and agencies and the industry. I’m intrigued when I go around the country that people still do not appreciate or understand what this is doing for our industry nor what it potentially can do, even given the amount of information out there about this. I’m also intrigued by the amount of misinformation, ill-informed individual opinions, narrowminded thinking and personal agendas that exist in our industry about SWEP. That makes the report by the president of the Southland branch of the Road Transport Association even more relevant today. I encourage you to better understand what this programme is about – and to get behind it and support it. There’s an old saying that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Well, this is the closest we’ll get to a free lunch and this is an opportunity to deal to our skill shortage – but it will only work if you are committed to help deal with this problem. This issue is not going to go away with individuals doing individual things: The only way that this problem is going to be addressed is if we tackle it systematically and come together and support it. I am confident that the work that’s being done, the enthusiasm that’s been generated, the changes that are taking place, and the understanding that Government and government departments now have of our industry, are all converging to make this a solution for us. Now is not the time to abandon this programme, but rather to T&D support it. Truck & Driver | 79
FEATURE
The big Western Star is already becoming a familiar sight out on New Zealand highways – here heading through the Waikato with one of the company’s cranes on board
A very heavy
Star
Story Hayley Leibowitz & Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock
W
HEN BAY OF PLENTY’S POLLOCK CRANES went shopping for a heavy-haulage tractor unit to tow a new low-loader transporter, it couldn’t find anything suitable…anywhere in New Zealand. Not so surprising really, considering the Pollock Cranes team specifically wanted a prime mover with a 260-tonne gross maximum capability, to easily cope with its biggest shifts – including moving its own large cranes around the country. And to future-proof it with a capability beyond its current 180-tonne GCM needs. It was soon obvious, says Pollock Cranes’ operations manager Thomas Slater, that the choice was either get something brand-new and purposebuilt, or buy
secondhand in Aussie. When they spotted a giant Western Star Constellation 6964 FXC roadtrain prime mover for sale, on an Australian truck website, they called in the help of NZ secondhand truck and trailer dealer AllRoad to secure the deal and import the truck. The result? The recent commissioning of the Pollock fleet’s new flagship – a spectacular 2013 model Western Star tractor unit….with the required 260t GCM and suitably heavy-spec running gear. The big sleeper cab 6x4 has a Cummins ISX 16-litre engine rated at 600 horsepower/473 kilowatts and producing 2050 lb ft/2779Nm of peak torque, with Truck & Driver | 81
Clockwise, from top left: The TRT six rows of eight platform trailer arrived a few months before the new tractor unit....Pollock Cranes’ heavy-haulage driver Matt Kendrick is the lucky man now in charge of the Western Star....the truck has retained its Aussie-given Vilin 2 nickname....the 6964 FXC with a relatively modest load...the interior is absolutely top-end spec
an 18-speed Eaton Roadranger RTLO-22918B manual gearbox, plus an Eaton AT-1202 two-speed auxiliary transmission. It has Sisu FR2P32 hub reduction diffs, rated at 31.5 tonnes, on Hendrickson RS650 walking-beam suspension, rated to 155t. Upfront it has an 8.6t Meritor FL-941 axle, on taper-leaf springs. Its past life in Australia also saw the truck specced with six long-range fuel tanks, big alloy bullbars, an icepack aircon system for the sleeper, high-rise air intakes and exhaust stacks, plus a stainless dropvisor and an onboard weighing system. The big unit was built for Heavy Haulage Australia – the company that was the star of an Aussie reality tv series, MegaTruckers. MegaTruckers reckoned it was about the people who hauled “huge loads across the treacherous Australian terrain to the most difficult-to-reach places on earth.” But HHA was put into voluntary administration in mid-2015, reportedly with $AUS65million of debt. At the time the 16-year-old business, started and co-owned by Jon Kelly – the key figure in the MegaTruckers show – had 120 staff, 55 prime movers, 120 trailers and 15 cranes…all of which, the voluntary administrators said, would be sold off. Australian newspapers reported at the time of the company’s failure that HHA had always prided itself on buying top-quality gear and staff – quoting the highprofile Kelly: “We’ve spent a lot of money on buying the best equipment.” But the voluntary administrator said the company’s fixed cost base was too high and reckoned it had been buying machines with specifications “beyond what’s required to get the job done.” According to AllRoad the ex-HHA Western Star is the only one of its kind in NZ…and was one of just four built. Pollock Cranes completed the purchase after flying to South Australia and spending a few hours checking 82 | Truck & Driver
out the big prime mover, which had only clocked up 130,000 kilometres. It’s understood the truck hadn’t been used since HHA went under: Thomas Slater confirms that it had “sat still for two to three years.” For that reason, once the Western Star arrived in NZ, Pollock Cranes ordered-up a complete refurb, to restore the tractor unit to as-new condition. Says Slater: “It got painted and everything got polished – and what needed replacing got replaced. All the shiny bits.” “It was blue (HHA’s livery) but we painted it into our company colours – orange. It was basically a complete strip-down and rebuild – everything re-polished and brought back to brand-new.” Emt Workshops in Mount Maunganui was responsible for the refurb – spending about 50 hours to strip it…. and 250 hours to put it all back together. Says Emt’s Mike Dean: “We pretty much stripped it down to be sandblasted and arranged to get it stainless steel polished, and then refitted everything.” Thomas Slater says his brief was simple, to the point: “This is the biggest truck in the country – I don’t want it back anything but immaculate!” Nationwide Transport Refinishers (NTR) did the chassis sandblasting and repainting, NTR’s Ross Harris explaining: “We’ve been involved with Pollock Cranes for many years and their pet hate is colour variations between different shops, so we keep colour consistency on everything we do for them, using the Resene Chromax HDC paint system. “Everything had to be removed from the truck – including the diesel tanks – and then blasted and painted. It was a major job. A full respray from the ground up. We had it about three weeks but all-up it took a good six weeks for the whole job.” Mike Deans says that because the Western Star “had been sitting for a while” all the brightwork was meticulously polished: “Although there was nothing
wrong with it, it needed polishing because they do lose their shine after a while. It had been looked after though. “We were asked to strip it right down and make it look like a new truck again. It had to look new and if you didn’t know better, you’d think it was.” “It was also our responsibility to get the certification and CoF and all that drama done.
“It’s a big, heavy-duty road-going truck that can cart big loads and there’s nothing like it in NZ other than off-highway ones, so it created quite a bit of interest. “There was a lot of paperwork involved to get the vehicle certified for NZ roads but it went very smoothly, with just a few minor hiccups.” One thing that wasn’t changed from the Western Star’s former life with HHA is its nickname – Vilin 2. It
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now also has a matching Vilin2 personalised licence plate. The Pollock Cranes paint job was completed with spectacular striping and murals of cranes and a masked man – to suit its nickname – the work carried out by Marty’s Signs at the Mount. Since it’s gone on the road for Pollock Cranes, the Western Star has been busy shifting cranes, heavy machinery, rail wagons…even an oil rig. Thomas Slater says all of the cost and effort involved in getting the truck brought in from Australia and having it extensively refurbished has been worthwhile: “To drive our cranes on the road costs X amount of dollars – and for us to drive them onto the truck and transport them is half the price, because of the road user charges. It’s Jacinda’s fault!” Not that he begrudges having the big rig and its eight-month old six rows of eight TRT low-loader on the 14-truck Pollock Cranes fleet: “Oh f*** – it’s perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing. I take my hat off to Mike Dean.” And it doesn’t stop at its looks: “It pulls really hard. Goes really well uphill with a good load on. I had the first load on it myself.” Best of all, says Slater, even with the shipping and the refurb costs, the low-kilometres tractor unit came in at a bargain price – less than two-thirds of the cost of the only real alternative, a new Kenworth.
With the TRT platform trailer currently in a six rows of eight configuration, with a two-axle dollie added, the unit is capable of comfortably shifting loads weighing 100 tonnes… “but everything is rated to a 130t payload.” Adding extra axle modules onto the platform trailer will allow that payload...with a 180t GCM. The Western Star itself tips the scales at 14.5t and the whole unit – the TRT transporter and dollie included – tares at 53t. At present, Pollock’s biggest crane is a 6400 Grove (with a 400t lifting capability), which weighs 76-78t. As Pollock Cranes’ heavy haulage superviser, Peter Hinton – a specialist in over-dimensional loads – explains: “We wanted the 260t rating in case we get more axles on the new trailer.” The FXC, he says, “goes very well…..does everything it’s supposed to and is a very comfortable ride too.” He adds that it’s “got everything in it,” including a fridge, microwave, tv, king-sized bed and walk-through cab. AllRoad’s David Parsons says it’s “a very special truck,” with a high level of factory customisation and the inclusion of “everything – from a microwave to a digital tv. “We’re really proud to have imported it for Pollock Cranes. At the end of the day, the nature of our business is delivering what the customer wants and having a happy customer.” T&D
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National Road Carriers
An Allied Concrete toolbox meeting looks at truck/cyclist scenarios to improve understanding of how to share the road safely
Truck drivers, cyclists swap seats for road share campaign M
ISCONCEPTIONS BETWEEN TRUCK DRIVERS AND CYCLISTS are being overcome by National Road Carriers Associationbacked workshops and demonstrations, in which drivers and cyclists swap places. The practical initiative is part of the New Zealand Transport Agencysupported Share the Road Campaign, which aims to improve road safety by changing negative attitudes between heavy truck drivers and cyclists. Cyclists are very vulnerable when they collide with a truck. In 2017, 10 of the 18 road accidents where a cyclist died involved a truck. The trucking industry is therefore a key focus for the Share the Road Campaign and NRC has participated in the programme since it started in 2013. The campaign holds workshops that mimic different transport environments, and truck drivers get to “ride” real and virtual reality bikes…while cyclists are given the opportunity to sit in a truck. The experience gives each group a better idea of what the other road-user manages during their commute. NRC members support the initiative by attending driver workshops and Blindzone Demonstrations, often providing vehicles from their fleets to use for the cyclist workshops. Over 10,000 participants have attended 438 workshops and demonstrations, with the opportunity to sit in the driver’s seat of a truck being the most popular. Education and experience is vital for changing how truck drivers and cyclists respond to each other. An important part of the campaign is changing perceptions – and most people who attend the workshops can’t believe what they see when they get into a truck or out on a bicycle. Having our members’ support with providing vehicles for cyclist workshops and attending driver workshops means attitudes are changing, slowly but surely. So far almost 1600 truck drivers have attended the workshops and Share the Road campaign manager Richard Barter says people often miss the big picture and forget the important role trucks play in our economy.
By David Aitken, CEO of National Road Carriers Association A long-standing NRC member, Barter drives trucks from time to time for workshops and says it’s not just an issue between truck drivers and cyclists. Recent NZTA research shows that almost a quarter of Kiwi motorists feel negative towards cyclists in general, particularly lycra-clad cyclist groups – and the majority of those riding do not feel safe on the road. Everyone experiences the road differently and the workshops help humanise the topic. All road-users are travelling for a reason and should be able to get home safely at the end of the day. Statistics from the workshops show 80% of participants reported an increase in positive attitudes and 75% of those surveyed say they retain their Share the Road knowledge six months after the workshops. The campaign’s key stakeholder group includes representatives from the Road Transport Forum, Road Transport Association NZ, NZ Trucking, Bus and Coach Association, Log Transport Safety Council, Cycling NZ, Cycling Action Network (CAN), NZ Police, Accident Compensation Corporation, Auckland Transport and NZTA. Nationwide cycling advocacy group CAN collaborates with the organisers of the campaign to ensure a neutral and co-operative venture between heavy vehicle drivers and cyclists. Currently workshops are run on a demand basis for heavy truck drivers and cyclists. A new partnership between CAN and Fonterra has also been established so that workshops are being held with school cycle teams around the country. T&D Truck & Driver | 87
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EW NEW TRUCK REGISTRATIONS No ZEALAND’S matter the job, a Hino can take care Inofthe it.trailer market, the 910 registrations to the were still at record levels at the end of July – end of July were 10.5% down on last year’s 1017 Y TD even though the sales for the month fell just total at the same point. CHECK OUT OUR 300, 500 AND 700 SERIES TIPPERS. short of CHECK July last year. July’s overall truckTIPPERS. market (4.5-tonne GVM and OUT OUR 300, 500 AND 700 SERIES WWW.HINO.CO.NZ/CARRYITALL The 3096 sales through the first seven months of above), saw Isuzu again topping the registrations WWW.HINO.CO.NZ/CARRYITALL this year set a new benchmark. July’s 475 sales was – its 103 sales taking its Y TD total to 706. F USO (continued on page 92) just nine short of the same month in 2018. Truck & Driver | 89
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Wiri civil construction company, Traffica Roading Services, has added this new F USO Enduro tipper to its operation. The FJ2528 model has a 280hp engine and a nine-speed manual gearbox
23,001kg-max GVM 2019
4501kg-max GVM 2019 Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO MERCEDES-BENZ VOLVO KENWORTH UD DAF IVECO SCANIA MAN SINOTRUK FOTON FREIGHTLINER MACK HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN INTERNATIONAL FIAT WESTERN STAR RAM CAMC OTHER Total
Vol 706 485 426 197 195 172 153 153 149 111 72 64 43 37 32 28 25 18 11 9 4 3 3 3096
% 22.8 15.7 13.8 6.4 6.3 5.6 4.9 4.9 4.8 3.6 2.3 2.1 1.4 1.2 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 100.00
July Vol 103 68 54 51 23 28 21 27 27 21 10 12 4 3 5 5 3 2 3 1 1 3 0 475
% 21.7 14.3 11.4 10.7 4.8 5.9 4.4 5.7 5.7 4.4 2.1 2.5 0.8 0.6 1.1 1.1 0.6 0.4 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.6 0.0 100.00
3501-4500kg GVM 2019 Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ FORD CHEVROLET RENAULT PEUGEOT LDV IVECO TOYOTA VOLKSWAGEN FUSO NISSAN Total
Vol 136 41 21 19 16 16 9 5 3 3 2 1 272
% 50.0 15.1 7.7 7.0 5.9 5.9 3.3 1.8 1.1 1.1 0.7 0.4 100.00
July Vol 15 5 2 2 3 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 34
% 44.1 14.7 5.9 5.9 8.8 8.8 2.9 2.9 0.0 5.9 0.0 0.0 100.00
4501-7500kg GVM 2019 Brand FUSO ISUZU MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO HINO FOTON VOLKSWAGEN HYUNDAI FIAT RAM Total 90 | Truck & Driver
Vol 206 183 92 90 79 30 25 19 11 4 739
% 27.9 24.8 12.4 12.2 10.7 4.1 3.4 2.6 1.5 0.5 100.00
July Vol 29 28 35 16 13 2 3 4 3 1 134
% 21.6 20.9 26.1 11.9 9.7 1.5 2.2 3.0 2.2 0.7 100.00
In the trailer market, clear leader Patchell – with 23 July registrations – pushed its 2019 total out to 114 7501-15,000kg GVM 2019 Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO UD IVECO FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ HYUNDAI DAF OTHER VOLVO Total
Vol 302 146 127 33 20 13 10 7 5 3 1 667
% 45.3 21.9 19.0 4.9 3.0 1.9 1.5 1.0 0.7 0.4 0.1 100.00
July Vol 46 19 33 9 1 2 2 1 1 0 0 114
% 40.4 16.7 28.9 7.9 0.9 1.8 1.8 0.9 0.9 0.0 0.0 100.00
15,001-20,500kg GVM 2019 Brand HINO UD FUSO ISUZU SCANIA SINOTRUK IVECO MERCEDES-BENZ DAF MAN VOLVO CAMC Total
Vol 45 32 26 17 11 7 7 7 6 4 2 1 165
% 27.3 19.4 15.8 10.3 6.7 4.2 4.2 4.2 3.6 2.4 1.2 0.6 100.00
July Vol 5 3 0 1 1 0 2 4 3 1 2 1 23
% 21.7 13.0 0.0 4.3 4.3 0.0 8.7 17.4 13.0 4.3 8.7 4.3 100.00
20,501-23,000kg GVM 2019 Brand HINO FUSO UD ISUZU SCANIA MAN SINOTRUK Total
Vol 23 10 9 4 2 1 1 50
% 46.0 20.0 18.0 8.0 4.0 2.0 2.0 100.00
July Vol 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 5
% 60.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 20.0 0.0 0.0 100.00
Brand ISUZU VOLVO KENWORTH DAF HINO FUSO SCANIA MERCEDES-BENZ UD MAN SINOTRUK FREIGHTLINER MACK IVECO INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR CAMC HYUNDAI Total
Vol 200 192 172 142 133 116 98 88 79 67 56 37 32 32 18 9 2 2 1475
% 13.6 13.0 11.7 9.6 9.0 7.9 6.6 6.0 5.4 4.5 3.8 2.5 2.2 2.2 1.2 0.6 0.1 0.1 100.00
July Vol 28 21 28 23 14 5 19 10 9 9 12 3 5 8 2 1 2 0 199
% 14.1 10.6 14.1 11.6 7.0 2.5 9.5 5.0 4.5 4.5 6.0 1.5 2.5 4.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 0.0 100.00
Trailers 2019 Brand Vol PATCHELL 114 MTE 77 ROADMASTER 73 FRUEHAUF 67 TMC 67 DOMETT 63 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 63 TES 36 TRANSFLEET 36 JACKSON 28 FREIGHTER 18 EVANS 17 MAKARANUI 15 MILLS-TUI 15 HAMMAR 15 NEWZELOHR 15 KRAFT 14 CWS 13 TIDD 12 FAIRFAX 12 MAXICUBE 10 CHIEFTAIN 8 MORGAN 5 HTS 5 KOROMIKO 4 LUSK 4 LOWES 4 WARREN 4 TEO 4 WAIMEA 4 IDEAL 3 SEC 3 DOUGLAS 3 WARNER 2 OTHERS 77 Total 910
% 12.5 8.5 8.0 7.4 7.4 6.9 6.9 4.0 4.0 3.1 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.1 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 8.5 100.00
July Vol 23 20 5 7 12 7 8 6 10 5 0 3 0 2 2 6 2 4 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 23 150
% 15.3 13.3 3.3 4.7 8.0 4.7 5.3 4.0 6.7 3.3 0.0 2.0 0.0 1.3 1.3 4.0 1.3 2.7 0.0 0.7 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.3 100.00
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(continued from page 89) (485/68) retained second for the year, ahead of Hino (426/54). Mercedes-Benz (197/51) moved up two positions into fourth position, ahead of Volvo (195/23), Kenworth (172/28), UD (153/21) and DAF (153/27) In the 3.5-4.5t crossover segment, Fiat (136/15) continued to open up its already dominant lead, ahead of Mercedes-Benz (41/5) – which was, in turn, well ahead of Ford (21/2), Chevrolet (19/2) and Renault (16/3). In the 4.5-7.5t class, F USO (206/29) edged further ahead Y TD, from second-placed Isuzu (183/28), with Mercedes-Benz (92/35) – the division leader for the month – jumping ahead of Iveco (90/16) and Hino (79/13). Foton (30/2) was fifth Y TD. In the 7.5-15t division, Isuzu (302/46) extended its lead on everybody, with Hino (146/19) and F USO (127/33) next – well ahead of UD (33/9), Iveco (20/1), Foton (13/2) and Mercedes-Benz (10/2). In the 15-20.5t segment, Hino (45/5) edged further ahead of the pack, led by UD (32/3), F USO (26/0), Isuzu (17/1), Scania (11/1) and Sinotruk (7/0), Iveco (7/2), Mercedes-Benz (7/4) sharing sixth-equal.
With a Bigfoot onboard With a you’ll Bigfoot monster any onboard you’ll surface
www.trt.co.nz
There were no surprises in the tiny 20.5-23t GVM segment, which continued to be led by Hino (23/3), followed by F USO (10/1) and UD (9/0). Isuzu (4/0) was fourth, ahead of Scania (2/1), which went past MAN and Sinotruk (both 1/0). In the premium 23t-maximum GVM division, Isuzu (200/28) opened up a lead gap on second-placed Volvo (192/21) YTD, with third-placed Kenworth (172/28) matching Isuzu as equal-number one for the month. Its PACCAR stablemate DAF (142/23) was second for the month, moving ahead of Hino (133/14) for fourth. The rest of the top 10 held their positions, with F USO (116/5), Scania (98/19), Mercedes-Benz (88/10), UD (79/9) and MAN (67/9) filling the last spots. In the trailer market, clear leader Patchell – with 23 July registrations – pushed its 2019 total out to 114. MTE (77/20) moved up two places to second Y TD, at the expense of Roadmaster (73/5) and Fruehauf (67/7) – the latter joined in fourth-equal by TMC (67/12). Domett (63/7) and Transport Trailers (63/8) were next, ahead of TES (36/6), Transfleet (36/10) and Jackson (28/5). T&D
WAIMEA CONTRACT CARRIERS
monster any surface Make light work of any surface using the OptiTraction footprint with a Bigfoot Central
TM
Make light work of any surface using the OptiTraction footprint with a Bigfoot Central
Features of the Bigfoot Central Inflation Tyre System Designed and tested in some of the worlds harshest conditions
T. 07 347 7066 / info@bigfoot.co.nz
92 | Truck & Driver
TD29878
Easy to use in-cab control unit Built in safety features prevent operating outside safe Lor emlimits for selected tyre pressure Precision manufactured in New Zealand using only ipsu Lore Full after m sales service and parts network Full manufacturers warranty
The brain behind the Bigfoot system is the Bigfoot OptiTraction control module. and makes monitoring and adjusting tyre pressures simple. The display also provides visual and audible alarms.
www.bigfoot.co.nz
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Longtime South Taranaki operator Sandford Bros has added two new DAF CF85 tippers to its fleet. The 6x4s have 510hp PACCAR MX engines, 18-speed Roadranger manual transmissions and Meritor 46-160 diffs, with full crosslocks – on Airglide suspension. Transfleet alloy bulk bodies, B-pillar blind-spot cameras, heated driver seats and factory-fitted fridges are included in the package on each.
Authorised ZF Service Partner Authorised BOSCH Common Rail Repairer TURBO CHARGERS REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
FUEL PUMP & INJECTOR REPAIR G A PA I R S N OR REPLACEMENT A RE UR X ALL BRANDS TA O NUI B
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Commercial Vessels & Pleasure craft
MANUAL & AUTO SHIFT TRANSMISSIONS
TD27320
ECOSPLIT, ECOMID, ECOLITE, AS-TRONIC
09 525 0830
www.dieselservices.co.nz Truck & Driver | 93
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1 Feb 2020 Bombay Rugby Club TO HELP YOU #3 $)3# /2 $2 5- !8,% COMPETITIVE 3530%.3)/. PRICES !33%-",9 ,IGHTWEIGHT VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE VERY LOW MAINTENANCE WITH HIGH ROLL STIFFNESS
COMPETE
To compete you need to make sure you’re paying what you should be. Throughout our network of fuel and diesel stops we offer competitive prices and our fuel cards offer great value for vehicle fleets. And because we are located in many of the places where the oil giants have left, you’ll find dealing with us to be very convenient. We’re competitive ourselves, so we will always offer competitive prices to make sure we all stay ahead. Download the Waitomo app from the App Store or Google Play to find your local Waitomo Fuel -IRA TRACK TEST HAVE Stop today.
CONl RMED THIS IS ONE
EVER PRODUCED BY FUN FOR MUM DADOF THE BEST PRODUCTS AND THE KIDS !RVIN -ERITOR 2/2 Truck driving simulation machine. Remote control trucks on a huge course. WAITOMOGROUP.CO.NZ 0800 922 123 Mini Mack giving kids(and big kids) rides Exhibitors stands Bouncy castles Lolly giveaways Colouring in competition And much much more!! Model truck stand 4HE TRAILING ARMS FEATURE A @# CROSS SECTIONAL PROl LE WHICH PROVIDES A MORE EFl CIENT ENGINEERING STRUCTURE AND FURTHER REDUCES SUSPENSION WEIGHT
4RAILING !RM
0ERMITS REALIGNMENT DURING SERVICE WHICH IN TURNS IMPROVES HANDLING AND TYRE WEAR
0IVOT %YE 4RACKING
2OAD FRIENDLY REDUCES ROAD DAMAGE #ONTROLS THE EFFECT OF WHEEL END SHIMMING VIBRATION 0REVENTS OVER EXTENSION OF AIR SPRING
$AMPERS
4HE ARMS ARE RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE AXLE IN A SPECIAL PATENT PENDING JOINT THAT PROVIDES A PROTECTIVE AXLE @GRIP THAT ACTUALLY EXTENDS THE AXLE LIFE DUE TO THE STRESS SMOOTHING DESIGN 4HE TRAILING ARMS WILL LAST THE LIFE OF THE RUNNING GEAR
!XLE #ONNECTION
)NCREASED FOR AND AFT STIFFNESS )NCREASED ROLL STIFFNESS AND TRAMP COMPLIANCE 0REDICTABLE PROGRESSIVE ROLL STIFFNESS ADDING TO SAFETY 2EDUCED INDUCED STEER
0IVOT "USH
4HE DIRECT TRAILING ARM JOINT TO THE AXLE ELIMINATES @5 BOLTS EFFECTIVELY REMOVING MAINTENANCE AND WEIGHT 2EDUCED TRAILER OFF ROAD TIME
-AINTENANCE
HE E LLLL PP AA TT CC H 299 7777 $ISTRIBUTED IN .: BY 4 ! 4 % 3 .: ,TD
Time to step up? With over 80 years of experience, our dedicated team make it hassle free to get finance, allowing you to drive your business to the next level. If you’re looking for a flexible partner that understands your business and is with you for the long haul, talk to UDC. UDC Finance Limited terms, conditions, fees and lending criteria apply.
Call us on 0800 832 001 or visit udc.co.nz/truck
Kingst13800_TRUCK_C
TD29911
Get the finance that works for you.
POWER IS NOTHING WITHO
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This new UD Trucks PK16-280 is now working for Kaikoura Transport, carrying livestock in its home region. The 4x2 has a 280hp UD engine, a six-speed Allison auto, a Nationwide deck and Delta stock crates. Pic Richard Lloyd
Rotorua’s J.F. Dixon Transport has put its first new Kenworth K200 logger to work around the central North Island. The 8x4 has a 600-615hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission and Meritor 46160 diffs with full crosslocks, on Hendrickson Primaax suspension. The unit has a self-loader crane, with Patchell bolsters and a matching trailer.
A log crane truck capable of lifting its own five-axle trailer, this new International 9870 R8-HD has gone to work for Musson Logistics in Rangiora, carting logs, posts and timber around the upper half of the South Island. Stu McKenzie drives the 8x4, which has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission and Meritor 46-160 diffs. It works with a Mills-Tui multi-bolster log trailer.
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Papatoetoe landscape supplies specialist Burnside Bros has put this new FUSO Enduro tipper to work around Auckland. The six-wheeler has a 285hp/210kW engine and a nine-speed manual gearbox. Burnside’s Shaun Fraser reckons it’s “a good truck…. better than what you’d expect for the price.”
This new Kenworth T659 8x4 has been put to work by Greg and Tania Adams’ Logways operation – carting logs under contract to Aztec. It has a Cummins X15 engine, a Roadranger 18-speed manual transmission and Meritor 46-160 diffs, with full crosslocks, on Airglide 460 suspension. It has Patchell logging gear and a matching new five-axle multi trailer.
96 | Truck & Driver
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Blenheim’s Sheridan Transport carts general bulk freight all around the South Island with its new International 9870 R8 LRS 8x4 tipper. Grant Sheridan drives the truck, which has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton MXP Ultrashift Plus AMT and Meritor 46-160 diffs.
Carters Tyre Service has two new DAF CF85 FAD 8x4s now in work, meeting its transport needs. They have 510hp PACCAR MX engines, ZF 16-speed AMTs and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Kenworth Airglide 400 suspension. They have purposebuilt Alimax curtainsider bodies, with tail lifts and trailer gear to future-proof the units.
BOP Oil Supplies
K & L Distributors BOP Ltd
Auckland Oil Shop
BOP Oil Supplies is a locally owned and operated company and is proud to be the Caltex oil distributor for the eastern bay of plenty covering from Turangi up and across to Opotiki. We pride ourselves on being able to offer the best product backed by the best service in the industry. Along with our oil shop network Caltex lubricants are available in many different locations. Give us a call to discuss quality Caltex lubricants to suit your requirements. BOP Oil Supplies Caltex Oil Distributor 19 Old Taupo Rd,Rotorua PH:07 349 2090 Email: ronnie@bopoil.co.nz
Westland Engineering Supplies 03-768 5720
Parts & Services Ltd 1 Miro St, Taupo PH: 07 378 2673 W L Gracie & Associates 134 Riri st Rotorua PH: 07 348 6938 Jacks Machinery Ltd Main Highway, Whakatane PH: 07 308 7299
TD22116
Caltex Opotiki Cnr King & St Johns St, Opotiki PH: 07 315 6298
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
Building supplies: Aggregate Builders mix Crushed concrete Drainage media Garden stone Landscape rocks Sand Top soil
TD29881
Recycling: Concrete rubble Scrap metal Green waste Builders waste
We are on the look out for past staff and customers who would like to help us celebrate 100 years of business. It will all be happening from 10.00am Sunday 27th October (Labour weekend). Starting with a catch up and look around the depot, Camp oven lunch and finishing off with a trip on the fantastic Gisborne steam train WA165.
If you are one of these people and would like to join us please register your interest A.S.A.P by e-mail to mejukes100@gmail.com
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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
98 | Truck & Driver
Available from your local truck dealership or: Te Apunga Place, Mt Wellington, Auckland. P.O. Box 62182. Phone (09) 276-9086. Fax (09) 276-2909. www.visordistributors.co.nz
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JOST TOW CONNECTIONS Proven in New Zealand across a wide variety of applications including heavy haulage. Get the full JOST range from TRT now!
JTRK500B66500 Coupling
JTJSK37EW-NP Fifth Wheel
JTKZ1012 King Pin Assy
JTKDR4200010K Ballrace Turntable
JTKPGAUGE King Pin Gauge
JTJ1027 King Pin Gauge
BRAKES
PROUDLY NZ
OWNED & OPERATED
We cover the range
Brake drums, brake linings, Lined brake shoes, hardware kits, disc rotors and disc pads for Stemco, BPW, ROR, IMT, Propr-SAF & more...
WIN!
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SHOUT THE TEAM! 1 of 5 Prezzy Cards® loaded with $500
FIND THE HIDDEN CODE inside the latest TRT flyer and enter online at: www.trt.co.nz/entry/
Ham: 07 849 4839 Akl: 09 262 0683 Chch: 03 741 2261
www.trt.co.nz
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
A new name to reflect the new vision of a company that offers a diverse range of services and is celebrating 10 years of business
FORMALLY BROKERS PANEL & PAINT LTD Now with 3 sites across the central North Island Offering:
Waitara 23 Mayne St, Mayne Waitara 23 Mayne 23 St, Waitara St, Waitara PO Box 4346 PO133, Box POWaitara, Box 133,133, Waitara, Waitara, 43464346 Contact: Craig Midgley Contact: Contact: CraigCraig Midgley Midgley 06 7547 06145 7547 06 7547 145 145 027 560 4345 027 027 560 4345 560 4345 craig@brokerspnp.co.nz craig@brokerspnp.co.nz craig@brokerspnp.co.nz
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Please check out our new website
te
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www.brokersunited.co.nz
Rotorua 40-42 40-42 Geddes Road, Rotorua 40-42 Geddes Geddes Road, Road, Rotorua Rotorua PO Box 4346 PO133, Box POWaitara, Box 133,133, Waitara, Waitara, 43464346 Contact: Rick Osborne Contact: Contact: RickRick Osborne Osborne 07 34607 2089 346 07 2089 346 2089 027 277 0272653 027 277 277 26532653 rick@brokerspnp.co.nz rick@brokerspnp.co.nz rick@brokerspnp.co.nz
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Tauranga 80 Glenlyon Greerton, Tauranga 80 Glenlyon Ave,Ave, Greerton, Tauranga 80Ave, Glenlyon Greerton, Tauranga PO Box Greerton, Tauranga, 3142 31423142 PO9234, Box 9234, Greerton, Tauranga, PO Box 9234, Greerton, Tauranga, Contact: Rueben Kelly Contact: Rueben KellyKelly Contact: Rueben 07 578073434 578 34343434 07 578 027 227 0272624 227 26242624 027 227 rueben@brokersnz.co.nz rueben@brokersnz.co.nz rueben@brokersnz.co.nz
TD29855
Heavy Commercial Vehicle Collision Repairs Sandblasting Fiberglass Repairs Plastic Welding Automotive Refinishing Industrial Painting & Protective Coatings
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a
Through the many rural downturns one by one many of these companies disappeared and slowly the rural carrier became a thing of the past.
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Today many of these fleets are gone for ever but once again Gavin Abbot has brought them back to life with yet another of his collector series of books compiled from his extensive photo library, order your copy now of this limited edition collectors series.
a
LIMITED EDITION
For just $45-00 plus $6-50 postage and handling $51-50
For your copy contact: Postage: Gavin Abbot, 34 Elliott Street, Opotiki 3122 Or email: clamyhen@xtra.co.nz 100 | Truck & Driver
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TD29487
Those that survived did so by diversifying and expanding into national operations.
A
Isringhausen leads the way in the application of modern technology to driver’s seating. ISRI has a full range of driver’s seats to suit every application. Isringhausen have a
ISRI 6860/875 NTS PRO
ISRI 6860/870 NTS
ISRI 6800/337
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Folding Head Restraint, Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt & Isolator
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat Integrated Head Restraint Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt
Automatic Self Levelling Air Suspension Seat Integrated 3-Point Seat Belt Head Restraint Included
range of accessories to compliment every ISRI seat. at. This includes optional armrests, head restraints, seat belts, swivel plates and isolators. Note: Seat fabric may vary from what is shown. Armrests and head restraints are optional accessories. Additional information on the full range of ISRI seats is available from the exclusive
ISRI 6500/517
ISRI 6000-517
Automatic Self Levelling NTS Air Suspension Seat IPS Pneumatic Lumbar Support
Automatic Self Levelling Air Suspension Seat Pneumatic Lumbar Support
Mechanical Suspension Seat Adjustable Weight Mechanism Manual Lumbar Support
Note: Headrest & Armrests Not Incl
Note: Trimmed in Black Fabric
Note: Trimmed in Black Fabric TD24929
New Zealand Agent
ISRI 6860/880 NTS
Geemac Trading (NZ) Limited. Phone (09) 630 1856 or Fax (09) 630 1855 email: sales@geemac.co.nz www.geemac.co.nz / www.isringhausen.co.nz
TRUCKERS & LOGGERS FISHING TOURNAMENT
2020
19th to 21st March 2020 Paihia, Bay of Islands. Hosted by the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club (Inc)
REGISTER ONLINE NOW:
www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz/truckers-loggers.html
TEAM NAME:______________________________________________________________
BOAT NAME: ____________________________________________
MOB NO:
VHF RADIO:
______________________________________________________________
YES
NO
ANGLER: 1. _________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________
IF MEMBERS OF YOUR CREW ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A CLUB AFFILIATED TO NZ SPORT FISHING INCORPORATED A TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP OF $25 PER ANGLER IS REQUIRED. PLEASE TICK BOX IF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR ANGLERS.
TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIPS REQUIRED No: __________________ @ $25, TOTAL: $ _________________ (Tick Box Alongside Anglers Name) $125 PER ANGLER, No: ___________________________________________ TOTAL: $ _________________ GUEST ENTRY (non anglers) $50 each, No: ___________________________
TOTAL: $ _________________
WE WILL BE FISHING FROM ANOTHER AREA ON THURSDAY MORNING:
YES
NON-REFUNDABLE 25% DEPOSIT with entry to Tournament. Balance payable no later than Wednesday night briefing. Cheques payable to: Truckers & Loggers Fishing Tournament. DEPOSIT: $ ____________________________
NO
TEAM CONTACT NAME: ______________________________________________________________________
PH:________________________________________
ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TD29912
VISA
MASTERCARD
CHEQUE
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EXPIRY DATE ________/ _________ AMOUNT: $ _______________
SIGNATURE: _______________________________________________________________
SECURITY CODE ________________
TRANSPORT, DIESEL & MARINE
THE RIGHT PARTS…THE RIGHT PRICES…RIGHT HERE! INPUT SEAL REAR/REAR APPLICABLE TO RRL20-145 REAR/REAR INPUT R945009 $60.00 EA+GST
AUXILLARY COUNTERSHAFT
APPLICABLE TO RTLO22918 MODELS A7062 $525.02+GST EA
RECONDITIONED EXCHANGE TRANSMISSIONS + GENUINE PARTS
JAPANESE TORQUE ROD BUSHES
MITSUBISHI CLUTCH PEDAL SHAFT
$25.00 EA+GST
$787.50 EA RRP $1500 +GST
USUALLY
TDM DRIVELINE RANGE
SELECTION OF YOKES, COMPANION FLANGES, UJ’S, STRAP KITS $POA
NATIONAL SEATS HI & LOW BASE
STEMCO HUBO’S FIVE YEAR/500,000KM WARRANTY
CLUTCH HOUSING CAST SAE1 STD MOUNT HALO K3671 $400.00+GST
EG29904
Can’t find the parts you need? Let us find them for you
Ph: 0800 501 133 www.tdm.co.nz
Specials valid while stocks last.
8 Prescott Street, Penrose, Auckland Email: ray@tdm.co.nz | john@tdm.co.nz
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SEE US FOR BIG
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FLEETGUARD FILTRATION SAVINGS
TRUCK AND TRAILER PARTS FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS
S
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$119+ GST
ROADRANGER TRANSMISSIONS
CROSSFIRE DUAL TIRE PRESSURE EQUALIZATION SYSTEM
FACTORY REMAN and TRL REBUILT (all genuine parts)
PIUSU AdBlue Pumps, Dispensers, Hose and Nozzle accessories
Truck and Trailer system’s in stock.
Core Charges Apply
NOW AVAILABLE
Most Models Available
$14.50 + GST
10ltr AdBlue
OFFERS END 30/09/2019
Contact your nearest Transport Repairs for more details: INVERCARGILL
03 218 3059 9 Kinloch Street
GORE
03 208 1618 25 Falconer Road
CROMWELL
03 445 4525 14 Ree Crescent
DUNEDIN
03 478 8324 24 Donald Street
CHRISTCHURCH
03 349 6597 96 Branston Street
READY WHEN YOU ARE
SINOTRUK C7H 8X4 FLAT DECK WITH FIVE AXLE ROADMASTER PLATFORM CONTAINER FULL TRAILER
SINOTRUK C7H 8X4 CURTAINSIDER WITH 5 AXLE ROADMASTER HPMV GLIDEMASTER TRAILER
GVM: 31000kg | GCM: 55000kg | 540HP Emissions: Euro V | Max Torque: 2500Nm | 12 Speed Manual Transmission | 7000mm Long Deck
GVM: 31000kg | GCM: 55000kg | 540HP | Emissions: Euro V | Max torque: 2500Nm | Auto Transmission Body length: 7400mm
TRAILER: Air suspension | Deck Length: 12200mm
TRAILER: Air suspension | Deck Length: 11500mm
$382,500.00+GST
$405,000.00+GST
SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR NEW ZEALAND OPERATORS 0800 SINO NZ | robbie@modtrans.co.nz | www.sinotruknz.com
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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 Box to 112062, Auckland 1642, or email to waynemunro@xtra.co.nz (Remember do not reduceLtd, size PO of images transmit Penrose, 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 Frews factor
ROWN IS FAR FROM THE MOST POPULAR BASE shade for fleet colour schemes these days, but this very rarity factor makes the trucks of Frews Transport – this month’s finalist in the PPG Transport Imaging Awards – easily recognisable and very distinctive. Even from a distance, there’s no mistaking the unique combination of brown base colour and red bumper and chassis, with a stepped trio of chunky red stripes, keylined in white, on the cab sides, the bottom one running through the company logo to wrap around the front. The logo itself, a bold yellow “Frew’s,” set in a black background, adds to the instant identification and the overall air of businesslike simplicity, and is repeated above the windscreen. The apostrophe is a playful nod to the grammatical inconsistencies of English, and adds to the identification factor. The precise derivation of the livery is all but lost in the mists of time...and it has been quite a time, for Frews Transport is only a couple of years short of its centenary: It was incorporated in 1921 as a partnership between E.H. (Edgar Harold) Frew and W. McCrostie to run a traction engine business in Greendale, south of Darfield in Canterbury. According to Evan Frew, in his recently-launched book on the company’s history, the red chassis goes back to 1930
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when Edgar’s son, John, bought the company’s first truck – an American-built Republic. Some years later Republic was bought by the International Harvester Company, which adopted the red for its farm equipment. Meanwhile, Frews has continued to use what became known as IHC Red on the truck chassis. The brown possibly derives from the firm’s first new truck, a Reo bought in 1935 that had a light brown cab. For the next couple of decades the fleet painting was generally done by John’s brother-in-law, Alf Chatterton. Over time he switched to the darker shade used today – possibly to more easily hide imperfections, or maybe to better distinguish the trucks from other local carriers of the era, when light brown was more prevalent in fleet colours. The company name on the door of the first truck was probably white, but during the 1950s it evolved through a primrose shade into the current gold. Occasionally, when time was pressing to get an addition to the fleet into service, the logo would be spraypainted on, using a stencil. In the 1960s Evan banned the practice in favour of a return to a more fiddly – but more professional-looking – hand signwriting. That, of course, has since given way to computer signwriting, but Frews hasn’t followed the path of many other companies that have gone wild on the decorative possibilities of computer pinstriping and scrollwork. Instead,
TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS
Above left: The Frews livery is simple, but distinctive
Above right: Company trucks heading for the works from the Tekapo ewe fair, way back in the 1960s
Opposite page, both pictures: Volvos from the current era and from 2001, show the minor changes that have been made to the livery, to suit different cabs and grilles
the trucks sport at most three or four simple scrolls at the front corners or rear of the cabs, or on their aerofoils. Again, the emphasis is on simplicity. The cab stripes were introduced during the 1960s, on the Mercedes L-Series 338 models the company then ran. In the 1990s Frews Transport had grown to encompass a much wider range of activities than a basic rural carrier. They included long-distance bulk transport, demolition and contracting. John’s three sons – Evan, Merv and Owen – elected to split the company into three independently-owned entities. Merv took the original Darfield operation, Evan the Christchurch-based Frews Contracting, and Owen the Oxford depot – renamed Frews North Canterbury. Apart from the new names and the contracting operation replacing the door logo with the outline of a digger, the colour schemes remained essentially the same. After Owen’s retirement some years ago Frews North Canterbury was sold to Frews Transport, which continues to operate out of depots in Darfield and Oxford. Frews
Contracting remains independent. Frews Transport managing director Dean Frew says the colour scheme’s strength lies not only in its uniqueness, but it’s versatility: “We can easily adapt the stripes to suit different cab shapes. We occasionally put a little yellow line below the stripes to break them up, but the basic design remains pretty much the same. We like to keep it simple. The trucks aren’t for show, they’re work beasts. “When it comes to changing the stripe layout for different cab shapes, we work with Carl Balani of Kiwi Signs, who also looks after our signwriting. We still paint a fair few that we buy. For example, the two Volvo FMs that we recently added to the fleet came with white cabs, because their spec didn’t include factory paint. However, that was no problem, because the job was handled by Peter Higgins, a local painter in Darfield who has done all our painting for years.” An interesting sidelight to the FMs was that the factory supplied them with red chassis in place of the black that’s the norm for Volvo trucks. T&D
The Frews Transport colour scheme is shown off to great effect by one of the company’s four Iveco Trakkers – three 360 4x4 spreaders and a 450 6x6 that doubles as a spreader and a tipper Truck & Driver | 3
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