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BIG TEST Full cream Kenworth | FLEET FOCUS Profitability from connectivity | FEATURE A handful of the best

FLEET FOCUS

Profitability from connectivity

FEATURE

A handful of the best

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CONTENTS Issue 229 – November 2019 2

News

50 Fleet Focus

The latest in the world of transport, including….big change in Daimler Trucks’ dealer scene in NZ, with Trucks & Trailers going nationwide; Swinglift’s overseas rights sold; MirrorCam Mercedes-Benz Actros arrives in NZ; new TRT Traction Air system breaks into European market

REG FEATURES

22 Giti Tyres Big Test Kenworth’s new (wider, better) cab project has filtered down from the successful T610 to the more modestly-powered T410. The first 8x4 version has gone to work for Mangonui Haulage – running some tough country (and rough roads), carting milk in Northland. We see how that’s working out

Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..CEO Nick Leggett picks up on a message from the RTF Conference – for people in the industry to look after their health; to be successful these days, operators need to tune-in to The Millennials; NZ Road Transport Industry Awards highlight the industry’s diversity

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

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

87 National Road Carriers Association Overworked, stressed-out heavy vehicle certifying engineers deserve a big thankyou from the industry

69 A handful of the best The Road Transport Hall of Fame 2019 adds a new handful of honorees – a very diverse bunch covering many areas of the industry

89 RTANZ Under-investment in roads is going to catch up with us – and it will cost us more eventually

77 Out of America

39 Transport Forum

MANAGEMENT

REGULARS

American trucking company C.R. England is a mix of old-school family business – it’s about to turn 100 and the fourth generation of the England family is now in charge – and a high-tech pioneer….a new-age company that absolutely lives by the data that comes off its 4771 trucks

Truck cab air suspension pioneer (and world leader, it says) Link Manufacturing reckons it’s come up with a revolutionary advance in cab ride comfort

91 TRT Recently Registered New truck and trailer registrations for September

81 GATS’ custom delivery Electric, hybrid and driverless trucks don’t get a look-in at the Great American Trucking Show. This is Texas, after all

Gerald Shacklock Dave McLeod Steve Sturgess Olivia Beauchamp Cristian Brunelli Rod Simmonds

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

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 Bluestar Retail Distribution Ovato 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.

NZ Truck & Driver Magazine

Net circulation – ended 31/03/2019

11,360

www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz

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Truck & Driver | 1

NEWS

A Swinglift sideloader on show at the last Transport & Heavy Equipment Expo at Mystery Creek

Swinglift overseas rights sold INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS TO manufacture and sell New Zealand’s Swinglift sideloaders overseas have been sold to a French sideloader manufacturer. In what Patchell Group general manager Brent Whibley terms “an exciting development for the Swinglift brand,” Boxloader SARL assumes the marketing of the brand outside NZ. Whibley stresses that the deal doesn’t change anything so far as Kiwi Swinglift customers go: “The Group will continue to be responsible for the manufacture, sale and distribution of the Swinglift product for the NZ market….. “While Boxloader is responsible, along with partners such as the Drake Group in Australia, for the rest of the world.” Whibley says that the relationship with Boxloader “will allow us access to the BXL

product range” – thus expanding its NZ offering with the addition of the French sideloaders. “Boxloader and Swinglift each have a significant market position: Swinglift with its proven light tare inline Leg-Over design and Boxloader with their single stage or two stage telescoping daggerleg model, giving safe heavy lift capabilities. “Swinglift and Boxloader have also both devised robust safety control systems in the application of their sideloader models, both surpassing other current providers in the market.” Whibley says that the combination of the two companies “will deliver a significant dominant player in the marketplace, with both entities continuing to provide constructive end solutions to customers, thus making it an easy decision to merge the business processes. “Over the coming months, the new

arrangement will start taking shape within the world marketplace. Swinglift will keep manufacturing as efficiently as it has always done…” As well as working alongside Boxloader, “sharing its know-how to continue to improve the products as much as possible when needed.” The first Swinglift was designed in the late 1960s by an innovative Kiwi engineer and the NZ sideloader has been on the market here, in Australasia and other parts of the world for more than 40 years. In 2005, Patchell Industries secured the intellectual property rights for the production of Swinglift container sideloaders from the original creator. The company currently manufactures a series of Swinglift products in its Rotorua factories. T&D

Huge e-van order from Amazon GLOBAL TECH GIANT AMAZON has followed up its $US440million investment in electric vehicle startup Rivian, by ordering 100,000 delivery vans from the American company. Rivian hadn’t until now shown an e-van in its lineup – just the R1T ute and R1S SUV. But both of them use the same so-called “skateboard” chassis platform….which presumably can also be used for the delivery van. 2 | Truck & Driver

And Amazon says it plans to start using the first of its Rivian vans by 2021, with 10,000 of them on the road that year…..and all 100,000 in work by 2030. Its landmark order (the largest so far for electric delivery vehicles) will eventually save four million tonnes of carbon per year, it says. Meantime, Amazon says, it’s using the most efficient, cutting-edge vehicle technologies and is maximising efficiencies on its existing

fleets – with aerodynamic skirts, mudflaps and automated tyre inflation systems used in North America and double-decker trailers in Europe. Rivian announced in April that Ford Motor Company had made a $US500m equity investment in the company – and in September it said that global automotive services company Cox Automotive had invested $US350m. T&D

NEWS

Trucks & Trailers has until now operated out of sites in Palmerston North, Wellington and this one, in Manukau City, Auckland

Trucks & Trailers goes nationwide IN A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN DAIMLER TRUCKS’ New Zealand dealer network, North Island dealer Trucks & Trailers has gone nationwide – purchasing South Island-wide dealer Prestige Commercial Vehicles. The family-owned business has operated as an official sales, service and parts dealer for Mercedes-Benz trucks, vans and utes and Freightliner trucks, out of dealership sites in Auckland, Palmerston North and Wellington. Prestige (PCV) has been in operation in the South Island for the past decade, providing sales, service and parts support for FUSO as well as Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner trucks. Trucks & Trailers’ purchase of PCV adds sites in Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, Invercargill and Greymouth, seeing the company now with 200 employees in eight locations. Trucks & Trailers directors Mark and Shannon Wright say in a statement that the opportunity to purchase PCV fulfills “an important objective” in their ambition “to be a leading heavy and light commercial vehicle supplier across NZ. This passion, they add, is shared by their team – “who know firsthand their people-first business philosophy has set them up well for this exciting transition. “Our business is built on longterm, personal relationships and acquiring PCV is about looking to the future and doing the right thing for our customers, staff and suppliers,” say the Wrights.

“By bringing PCV into the Trucks & Trailers family, we aim to provide more opportunities for our dedicated team and at the same time lift the bar in commercial vehicle service and support on a national level – creating greater efficiencies and reduced downtime for our customers.” According to the statement, the directors of Prestige Commercial Vehicles “are extremely happy passing on the baton to another NZ-owned business.” “They believe the move cements a positive and bright future for their loyal team and customers alike,” the statement adds. Trucks & Trailers is the only Daimler Elite Support-certified dealership in NZ. It has a long history with Daimler Trucks brands: Just four years after Don Wright founded the business in 1987 – servicing and repairing trucks from the back of a ute – the first Trucks & Trailers branch was opened…. and another three years on it became an authorised agent for MercedesBenz heavy vehicles. Say the Wrights: “We see a very bright future, with the excellent range of product that we have to offer – not just now but in the future. “Early in 2020 we will see the arrival of two brand-new trucks from the Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz stables which will further consolidate our unique position, where we can offer state-of-the-art product – from a 2WD ute to a 250-tonne heavy haul truck….and everything in between. “We have the ability to bring to the table product that is setting new benchmarks in safety, sustainability, connectivity and productivity.” T&D

The Prestige Commercial Vehicles Christchurch yard. The acquisition adds FUSO representation to Trucks & Trailers’ existing Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz offerings

Truck & Driver | 3

Customer benefits of the new ROR SL9 LIGHT TARE WEIGHT HIGH STABILITY (compare the SRTwith other brands) TRAILER TRACKS LIKE ITS ON RAILS PROVEN STRENGTH (copy of CS9 ) LOW PARTS COSTS

QUAD SKELETAL TRAILER manufactured by TMC Trailers Ltd for Wilson Bulk Transport Ltd – Ashburton, axles and suspension light weight ROR SL9 Series, 22.5 super single disc

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NEWS

The new-generation Actros has winglet cameras (above right & bottom left), which provide rear vision via screens on the A-pillars inside the cab (top left). It will be launched here in the second quarter of next year

MirrorCam Merc arrives here MIRRORCAM HAS MADE IT TO NEW ZEALAND – Mercedes-Benz running a validation version of the high-tech new-generation Actros, which has cameras in place of rear-vision mirrors. It has also announced that it plans to launch it on the market here in the second quarter of next year. The cameras, mounted in streamlined, wing-like housings, send their pictures to two large screens mounted on the A-pillars in the cab – giving drivers “dramatically” improved rear vision, Mercedes-Benz says. It also does away with the mirrors that block some of the view from the driver’s seat. And, the company adds, it “can help deliver a fuel efficiency saving, thanks to the reduced drag of the small camera pods that replace the regular mirrors.” The reduced size of the camera wings compared to standard mirrors is also likely to reduce the risk of damage. However, in the event one is damaged, Mercedes-Benz expects the cost of replacing the camera assembly will “be in line with, or less than, replacing a traditional mirror assembly.” Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus Australia Pacific director Michael May says the make is “determined to continue its momentum in the NZ truck market. “Many NZ customers have embraced the current generation Actros thanks to its remarkable efficiency, reliability and comfort, which has been fantastic for us. “But Mercedes-Benz will always look for new ways to improve the experience of our partners,” he adds. May points out that the new Actros brings a range of improvements –

“features that make life easier for drivers and continue to push down the cost of operating a transport business.” It has a new multimedia interface system, with two high-resolution, tabletstyle screens that can be customised according to driver preference – much like the dash displays in prestige Mercedes-Benz cars. The latest model also has new push-button controls added to the steering wheel, allowing drivers to easily change what information is displayed on the two large screens. And it features new GPS-assisted Predictive Powertrain Control for increased fuel efficiency, enhanced connectivity and the latest generation of advanced safety technology. Mercedes-Benz says a comprehensive NZ validation programme with the new-generation model will begin soon, with selected customers able to evaluate the truck in their home areas, in both the North and South Islands. Says May: “We’re committed to working with our customers to determine the ideal model specification for the unique conditions of NZ.” The first Kiwi reveal of the system coincided with the news that MirrorCam has earned Mercedes-Benz Trucks’ head of development, Professor Uwe Baake, the Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize, for his role in its development. Baake pointed out that MirrorCam doesn’t only help reduce fuel consumption – courtesy of its more aerodynamic housing – it also “assists the driver, especially in critical driving situations. “Not just on the motorway, but also in cities, where the aim is to better protect the weakest road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.” T&D

Big honours for Brizzy show

TD30146 TD27300

THE BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW has won two major honours in the Australian Event Awards. This year’s show was named Australia’s Best Corporate Event and Best Exhibition, Trade or Consumer Show. The awards are judged on all aspects of event management including best practice, innovation, marketing, stakeholder engagement and management, sustainability and event

legacy. And Todd Hacking, chief executive of Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia – the show promoter – says that given the calibre of other finalists, the award is “a great honour that should be celebrated by the entire heavy vehicle industry. “The Brisbane Truck Show is your show – it’s owned by industry, for the benefit of industry – with every cent reinvested in the industry association’s work programme.”

The 2019 show introduced new innovations including a much more visible presence around the city, a jobs hub and a link to NatRoad’s annual conference. Event manager Noelene Bradley says the show “fulfilled its key objective, as the Southern Hemisphere’s largest automotive business event.” The show, which attracted 37,000 visitors, is next scheduled to be staged in May 2021. T&D Truck & Driver | 5

NEWS

Fleet management has people focus FINDING, RETAINING AND DEVELOPING TALENT is a top investment for around a third (32%) of New Zealand businesses that run fleets, according to an annual study. The 2019 NZ Telematics Benchmark Report finds that, more than ever, fleet management is as much about focusing on people as it is about managing vehicle fleets. The report, conducted by global GPS tracking technology and services supplier Teletrac Navman, examines best practices, trends and current issues influencing fleet management in NZ. Teletrac Navman says that, with NZ’s unemployment rate “sitting at the very low 3.9% mark, businesses need to remain focused on attracting and retaining the best drivers. “Interestingly, whilst there’s been a marked jump in driver monitoring, safe drivers are not necessarily being rewarded. On top of reduced risk of incidents and injuries, the wider benefits of improving driver behaviour includes the reductions in fuel use, vehicle wear and tear and compliance risk.”

Around one third (32%) of respondents said finding, retaining and developing talent is one of their top investments for 2019, while around a quarter (24%) cited it as one of their top challenges. Around two out of five businesses (44%) are experiencing driver shortages, as 56% of businesses plan to increase fleet size. Top recruitment methods include online job boards (51%), print media/ trade publications (39%), referrals (39%) and social networking (36%). Fleet businesses expect it will take 11.4 years until autonomous driving will impact their operations. Popular retention methods include increasing pay (35%), driver appreciation programmes (23%) and upgrading equipment (20%). Three in 10 (32%) businesses reward safe drivers. Driver monitoring has increased year-on-year. A majority of companies are monitoring driving (68%) – this growing 38% since 2018. The report is based on survey responses from 132 NZ fleet operations and fleet management professionals. T&D

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NEWS

To meet the needs and challenges of the extreme northern European environment, TRT has developed a new Traction Air system, with new wheel ends and pressure cells, as well as a new ECU and software

NZ CTI system now selling in Europe KIWI CENTR AL TYRE INFLATION system manufacturer TRT is introducing a new version of its Traction Air system to the European market. TRT developed Traction Air 22 years ago, with the first installations on roadtrains in the Australian Outback. Since then the system has been installed on 4000 vehicles in New Zealand, Australia and the Asia Pacific region. TRT hasn’t looked to market it further afield….until, four years ago, “we looked at CTI in Europe, and in particular Scandinavia,” says TRT national sales manager Gavin Halley. “With some of the most extreme operating environments, we wanted to understand how, and if, Traction Air could be adapted for any condition. “With a bit of TRT blue-sky thinking, an investment in research, development and product testing in NZ and Sweden over the past two and a half years, we have created a brand new CTI system – with greater capabilities… that integrates with the vehicle using common BUS protocols.” Its new Traction Air E Series is the result of that research project – designed for European

conditions, but also, Halley says, with “a direct spinoff for our loyal local customers,” as it’s being introduced in TRT’s existing markets as well. The company says that the central tyre inflation system has “undergone a complete evolution in technology and its look” – the new E Series multi-channel system offers options from single axle to drive, steer and trailer axle solutions. In addition to this versatility, the new Traction Air system has required TRT to develop a completely new system – from the ECU and software to the wheel ends and pressure cells. For example, the pressure cell is now made of stainless steel to withstand the challenge of Europe’s salted roads. It’s also capable of operating in temperatures down to -40°, Halley says. In addition to its advanced technology, the Traction Air E Series also has a new look. The system is still autonomous, but allowances have been made in the design for it to be interfaced with the vehicle and with other third-party applications in the future. Halley clarifies that the new system doesn’t replace the current G Series Traction Air

system: “This is a new option for our customers to consider. While some fleets may choose to migrate to the new E Series, we will be fully supporting both systems for the foreseeable future.” In Scandinavia TRT is distributing Traction Air CTI - E Series through axle manufacturer Bevola, and is selling directly into the United Kingdom market. It says that a number of commercial installations in Europe are “in progress.” Traction Air’s website says that the new system has added safety through its GPS Speed Up feature, which it says is “at the cutting edge” of CTI control. “In principle we use a GPS receiver to measure the ground speed and match this to stepped pressure intervals. As the truck increases speed the system pumps itself up. “This feature provides peace of mind for the fleet owner, knowing that the driver can no longer drive down the road with the tyre pressure at too low a setting for the speed of the vehicle.” The system is fully programmable, it adds, and can be set for specific fleet requirements and operational terrain. T&D Truck & Driver | 9

NEWS

Stopping the Bleed aims to save lives A HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS SUPPLIER IS CAMPAIGNING to raise public awareness of how to stop life-threatening severe bleeding after accidents on our roads. Pharmaco Emergency Care’s Stopping the Bleed New Zealand campaign is drawing attention to the speed at which accident victims can die from loss of blood, before emergency services arrive: In as little as three minutes, if a major artery is severed. Last year NZ saw its highest road toll in a decade, with 380 people dying as the result of crashes – some of them, Pharmaco believes, as a result of severe bleeding. Pharmaco product and clinical standard manager Pip Cotterell says

there is the potential to save lives if the right training and tools are close at hand: “It is highly likely you may come across a bad road crash at some point in your life, so raising awareness about how to provide immediate first-aid is incredibly important. “It’s about getting priorities right in a situation where there is obvious severe blood loss….when blood is spurting or pouring from a wound as the heart pumps. “People dying from loss of blood is tragic, but what’s more heartbreaking is people not knowing how to save them. Kiwi lives are lost every year simply because people don’t know what to do to stop the bleeding for long enough – so that person will live until emergency services can take over,” she says.

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Stertil-Koni ST-1085 EARTHLIFT Column Lifts With an average of only five litres of blood in our bodies, severe bleeding can rapidly lead to unconsciousness and death. Stopping the Bleed NZ follows similar campaigns in the United States and Australia, where widespread training programmes exist, including how to use a high-quality tourniquet. St John medical director Dr Tony Smith welcomes a focus on how to provide first-aid for major bleeding: “If someone severs an artery the fastest ambulance or helicopter isn’t always going to get there in time to save their life. Nine times out of 10 it will be someone you know – a colleague, friend or loved one, or a bystander. “We see accidents where someone could have been saved if the bleeding had been controlled, but people need the knowledge and, ideally, the right equipment nearby – such as in a vehicle or building. “We don’t have NZ stats but international ones show that up to 20% of people who have died from injuries could have survived with quick bleeding control. And, unfortunately, every year we see deaths that were preventable had people stopped the external bleeding. “Anyone can do this. In a nutshell, the key is putting full bodyweight pressure on the wound to stem the blood flow – and doing this for as long as possible. That’s why we say “push hard. Don’t stop.’ “The two mistakes people make are not applying enough pressure, and not pressing for long enough. Use a bandage, item of clothing or a cloth to push hard on the wound and keep pushing.” Pharmaco is recommending tourniquets be included in firstaid kits and carried in cars, trucks and other vehicles, so they’re available at more accident scenes. Dr Smith says that the use of tourniquets is not routinely included in first-aid training in NZ but this is under review. T&D

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NEWS

AXL the autonomous Scania

Scania engineers say that AXL’s monitoring systems are fine for simple mining operations.....but not yet street-smart SCANIA HAS UNVEILED A CABLESS AUTONOMOUS concept truck, which it says will be capable of working safely in mining operations. The AXL driverless heavy truck is “a significant step towards the smart transport systems of the future, where self-driving vehicles will play a natural part,” says Scania’s president and CEO Henrik Henriksson. “We continue to build and pilot concepts to demonstrate what we can do with the technology that is available today.” The AXL is equipped with cameras, radar, lidar and GPS receivers – providing what Scania autonomous systems development engineer Magnus Granström says is a relatively good overview of its surroundings: “The system isn’t yet street smart, but it’s certainly smart enough for being used in mines. “In this case, we see what we need to see. Driving in a mine is fairly simple

and predictable. If you’re driving in a more dynamic and less predictable environment, more work is needed.” The AXL has been developed by a group of Scania experts from different fields – using Scania’s modular system as the heart of the design. The concept, for instance, brings together traditional and new technologies: It’s powered by an internal combustion engine, which uses renewable biofuel. Scania’s head of R&D Claes Erixon says that AXL’s cabless design “changes the game significantly” from the Traton make’s previous selfdriving trucks – some of which are running in customer operations: They all accommodate a safety driver, “who can intervene if necessary. “The development in self-driving vehicles has made great strides in the past years. We still don’t have all the answers, but through concept vehicles like Scania AXL we break new ground and continue to learn at great speed.” T&D

From container to super-centre A TYRE BUSINESS THAT STARTED UP IN 2011, working out of a shipping container in a transport yard, has just opened a new Christchurch base. SuperTyre’s Hornby Super Centre has been designed for “maximum efficiency to get you back on the road faster,” says company MD Dayne Drummond. Drummond describes SuperTyre as a “challenger brand, with the ambition of being New Zealand’s most sought-after tyre solutions business.” It was “born from the need to reduce costs and deliver reliability in a transparent, sustainable way. “From humble beginnings, it was the will to succeed from a small team of dedicated battlers that established the foundation on which the company was built.” SuperTyre, which Drummond says is founded on three values – “We find ways, we build trust and we keep safe” – now has four branches…in Auckland, Nelson, Blenheim and Christchurch. It employs 25 staff and runs a fleet of 40 vehicles. Says Drummond: “While numbers are important to providing a commercial return, the importance is placed on developing and encouraging 12 | Truck & Driver

growth in the staff so that SuperTyre can continually enhance the customer experience. “The future looks bright and the opportunities continue to flow in. The SuperTyre team remains determined to be solutions-focused, while providing genuine commitment to service.” The opening was attended by Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett. It also saw truckie Dallas Aitken presented with an RTF award for his outstanding contribution to the transport industry over a 50-year career. T&D The new Hornby SuperTyre super-centre

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NEWS

The award-winning DAF LF light truck

DAF LF wins...for the third year in a row THE DAF LF HAS BEEN NAMED THE UNITED Kingdom’s Truck of the Year – its third win in a row. DAF also claimed the Manufacturer of the Year award at the annual Commercial Fleet Awards. “A hat-trick of awards for the LF is hugely gratifying – and testament to the longevity of this highly versatile all-rounder,” says DAF board of management member and marketing and sales director Richard Zink.

“The fact that this award comes about as a result of feedback from owners and fleet operators is very important. There’s nobody better to judge the performance of our products and services than those who depend on them every day. “Those same operators demand high levels of productivity, ultra-reliability and maximum uptime. And, of course, our fantastic DAF dealer network must take credit for delivering unrivalled levels of aftersales support.” T&D

Measured response needed on NZTA WHILE IT’S CLEAR THAT THE Government needs to take action on the regulatory role of the New Zealand Transport Agency, it needs to be a “measured response,” says Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett. Documents released by the Government, detailing the past performance of the regulator and its monitoring agency, “make for sober reading,” says Leggett – noting the tension between the NZTA’s regulatory, infrastructure and investment roles. Says Leggett: “Our view is that road safety is about more than just a strong regulatory approach – you need infrastructure and investment to ensure safe roads in the first place. “The behaviour of drivers and professional operators is one thing, but if the infrastructure they’re using is not safe, it’s academic – accidents are going to happen. “We would like to see a measured response to these reports that balances the roles of the

NZTA. We don’t want to see a pendulum swing into over-regulation and more expense put on road users to pay for that over-regulation. “The reports show there has not been the right regulatory experience at governance and senior leadership levels, which is not unexpected. We want to see empowerment of the staff who do have this experience to be able to use good judgement and decisionmaking. Governance should always sit above that operational level anyway. “We also want to see a return to good data gathering to inform strategy and practice. The reports show there is a lack of data integrity and a good regulator needs good data. Evidence-based decisionmaking from accurate and informative data is what we expect to see from government agencies.” Leggett says the RTF agrees in principle with the Government’s initial response to the recommendations – to develop a new regulatory strategy and operating model; establish a

Statutory Director of Land Transport; refresh the NZTA’s regulatory objectives, functions and powers; strengthen regulatory capability on the NZTA board; and review regulator coordination and cohesiveness. “However, we have some concerns about what the reality will be of the role of the Statutory Director of Land Transport and the Government’s proposal to spend $45million initially and recovering costs in future via the National Land Transport Fund. “We don’t want all the eggs going into the regulatory basket. It is imperative there is equal weight given to infrastructure and investment. Additional costs on road users are not appropriate in the current economic environment. Business owners are struggling as it is. “We also don’t want to see more compliance functions and costs – quite the opposite. If there can be some streamlining, for example, on the implementation of the health and safety regulations, we would support that.” T&D Truck & Driver | 15

7:45 AM

NEWS

Kenworth delivers… for Kenworth WHEN PACCAR AUSTR ALIA NEEDED A NEW CR ANE delivered to its Bayswater assembly plant, as a critical part of a $37million expansion project, it called-on an appropriate truck for the task. Naturally, it had to be a Kenworth – and what better than an iconic Legend 900, owned by Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire….which runs a fleet of Kenworths, designed specifically for high GCM work. It hauled the one-of-a-kind V-type double girder crane, which is over 20 metres long and has dual hoists and a 16-tonne load capacity, from Sydney to Bayswater, outside Melbourne. The Bayswater site expansion, announced last year, comprises a 1500-square-metre factory extension, with a 2.1m framing robotic

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cell, upgrades to the paint shop including four new paint robots, and improved layouts for frame, cab build, cab trim, engine assembly and final line stations. To allow more production space, the final test operation is also being relocated away from the main plant. And a new 9300-square-metre onsite warehouse is to be constructed, providing greater onsite storage for components and a reduction in lead time for parts. Completion is scheduled for 2021, to coincide with PACCAR Australia’s 50th year of manufacturing. The expansion will increase efficiency, quality and safety and enable future growth plans for producing Kenworth and DAF trucks in Australia, the company says. T&D

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The Membreyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kenworth Legend 900 delivers the crane to the Kenworth/DAF assembly plant at Bayswater

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Truck & Driver | 17

NEWS

AI tech leader new Teletrac Navman boss MOBILE ASSET MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY developer and supplier Teletrac Navman has hired an artificial intelligence technology specialist as its new president. Dr Jens Meggers has more than 25 years of organisational and technology leadership and Teletrac Navman says he will drive the strategic direction of the company – ensuring product evolution with a focus on AI. “The transportation and mobility markets represent huge opportunities, which is why we’re putting significant investments in the company and bringing on a phenomenal leader who will continue to help Teletrac Navman push this industry forward,” says Gilbarco Veeder-Root senior vice-president Martin Gafinowitz. “Jens’ extensive product background will be key as Teletrac Navman continues to expand its product footprint and innovate. His proven ability to understand market needs and lead a team to develop technology solutions ahead of the curve will be a tremendous advantage to the company and its

Dr Jens Meggers

customers.” Meggers has extensive experience leading both large-scale enterprise companies and technology startups. Most recently he was part of the leadership team at a game-changing AI technology startup, Huddl.ai, based in California. Previously he was senior VP and GM for Cisco Corporation’s Cloud collaboration business and held senior exec positions at cybersecurity giant Symantec Corporation. Meggers, who has a PhD in Computer Science, says that the transportation and construction sectors “are at a pivotal time in their digital transformation. “There is a substantial market opportunity ahead for Teletrac Navman to bring in the latest technology and intelligence to these organisations. Using an AI-first approach, we are doubling down on our product development to give our customers previously unachievable visibility and insight into their mobile assets.” T&D

Manawatu-Tararua Highway four-laning welcomed NEW ZEALAND’S HEAV Y-HAULAGE operators have welcomed a “commonsense” change in the plans for the proposed ManawatuTararua Highway, which will now see it fourlaned for its entire length. The NZ Heavy Haulage Association says that the NZ Transport Agency’s design revision will provide safer travel for all road users. The concept designs for the replacement for the Manawatu Gorge road had allowed for only two lanes on a flatter section at the top of the range. On the steeper uphill and downhill sections, the addition of a crawler lane essentially four-laned 18 | Truck & Driver

that part of the highway. NZHHA members were concerned about the safety of having other road users coming up behind large transporters still not up to normal travel speed at the top of the hill – where the road would have narrowed. Association chief executive Jonathan BhanaThomson says the change in design to continue the crawler lanes over the top of the hill will mean “that other road traffic approaching from behind will be able to pass oversize transporters, not be held up. “And there will not be safety issues with lines of

traffic gathering behind the wide and heavy load.” NZHHA board member Tina Ware, of Manawatu-based JP Ware Transport, says: “Currently we have to grind up the hill over the Saddle Road, and with the increased traffic on the Saddle since the Gorge was closed, this does result in lines of traffic behind us – although we let them past where we can. “The continuation of the two lanes in each direction over the top of the hill on the new road will mean that there will be less frustration from other road users and it will result in safer travel for everyone.” T&D

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“This year we are celebrating another milestone in our company’s long history. 50 years ago T&G pioneered the manufacture of the country’s very first aluminium tipping body and matching three-axle trailer. This weight saving innovation has seen the industry embrace aluminium and, in the process, establish T&G and the Transport Trailers brand as the industry leader.

We would like to acknowledge and thank our customers throughout New Zealand. We have forged strong relationships with so many companies over the decades. There are thousands of aluminium bodies on the roads from Invercargill to Northland supported by our T&G Service Provider network.” MIKE STEVENSON | MANAGING DIRECTOR

Ingrained into T&G culture — uncompromising quality, a commitment to innovation, constantly improving, fostering long-term partnerships with our customers and suppliers, passion for our brand, nationwide service and support, a commitment to the transport industry and a 100-year vision for the company. This is who we are.

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The Mangamuka Gorge, in the Maungataniwha Range, presents a great test for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first new Kenworth T410 8x4...the rain adding an extra traction and handling challenge

22 | Truck & Driver

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Truck & Driver | 23

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The Okaihau hill is the last big challenge before the Fonterra plant at Kauri. A slower truck early on in the climb sees the Roadranger down to 3rd high

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ANGONUI HAULAGE DRIVER BRUCE GREGORY IS emphatic: His new Kenworth is “the best truck I’ve ever pulled liquids with.” Maybe so, you may be muttering, but who the hell is this Gregory fella – and why’s his opinion relevant? Well, there’s a few things: He’s the guy who’s driving New Zealand’s first ever T410 8x4 on tanker work. He’s also a bloke who’s done over 40 years behind the wheel – fully 25 of them driving tankers: “From petrol and diesel to water and milk, I’ve carted a lot of liquids around in my life – in everything from International T-Lines to Kenworths…” So when he reckons this modestly-powered Kenworth newcomer is the cream of what he’s driven on tanker work (sorry, but I do love a good pun), you can be pretty sure he knows what he’s talking about. The new T410 is the latest development of a process that Kenworth parent company PACCAR began over a decade ago, with investment numbers that would make your milk curdle (boom – got another one in!), when it launched its new-generation product (NGP) project. That was mostly about building a better cab for a new Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt 579 for North America – wider, taller, roomier, better quality, stronger, better fitting than their predecessors. More modern and high-tech too. PACCAR stumped-up another $20million to modify the American cab for Australasia – resulting in the launch of the T610 two and a half years ago….promoed as “the best-ever Kenworth built in Australia.” This year Kenworth Australia has taken the next step in making the most of PACCAR’s $420million investment in the NGP cab – using it in two little brothers to the T610…replacements for the old T359 and T409. So far as the cab exterior goes, the new T410 and T360 share exactly the same cab as the T610, with some changes inside. While the T610 comes with the Cummins X15 engine, ranging from 485 horsepower/1650 lb ft to 600hp/2050 lb ft, the junior T410 has a PACCAR MX13 (which started out as a DAF engine), at either 460hp/1700 lb ft or 510hp/1850.

The T410 that Bruce Gregory drives was specced by his Mangonui Haulage bosses with the 510hp rating – along with an 18-speed RTLO20918B Roadranger manual transmission and Meritor RT46-160GP diffs. So, we ask Mangonui’s Sean Sparksman about the choice of the little-bro’ T410, rather than the full-cream (sorry!) T610, for instance – when it came to putting on a new tanker for its linehaul run, from a milk transfer station in Kaitaia down to the Fonterra plant at Kauri, 12 kilometres north of Whangarei. Part of it was timing, he reckons – with Mangonui already “toying with the idea of buying another couple of trucks to put into the milk”….. When Kenworth NZ dealer Southpac Trucks’ Mark Tucker “came to us, and said ‘we’ve got this new model, right now – it’s a 410 and they really want to get an eight-wheeler done so they can get it signed off in Australia and that opens up the market in NZ.’ “So we agreed to take it on. We’ve got a few DAFs now with that MX13 motor and they’re going well – they’ve got good fuel consumption, the drivers reckon they pull pretty good – so we just thought it’d be a good truck for doing the milk run at 46 tonnes. “It’s always a bit of risk having the first of something. But we ended up getting two of them!” Another plus was that “it’s got the wider cab – like the T610.” And it didn’t have the “rigmarole” of mixing Euro and North American trucks and their 12-volt/24-volt electrical, says Sparksman: “DAF has got an engine management system that runs 12v – the same as what the Kenworth trucks are. We thought it would be a good fit for what we do.” There’s also the fact that “we’ve started to align ourselves a bit with this sort of product (PACCAR), so it made sense.” And the nature of the work had them leaning towards an eightwheeler DAF as the only other option. Says Sparksman: “We started to go towards a little more horsepower as we started to get to 50 tonnes and that sort of thing. “We’re still a bit hamstrung up here with a lot of our roads: We can Truck & Driver | 25

Main picture: Once the milk seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over, the T410 will swap its tanker body for a log setup Opposite page, top left: Mangonui Haulageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sean Sparksman says that the T410 seemed like a good fit with both the DAFs and the other Kenworths in its fleet

Opposite page, top right: The unit rumbles by the Ohaewai pub en route to the Fonterra plant at Kauri

26 | Truck & Driver

run 50 (tonnes) but we can’t run a lot of HPMV stuff up here. ` “We run a lot of eight-axle units at 48t and run a few big ones at Kaitaia at 58t on set routes – but we can’t get 54t on a nine-axle to Marsden Point.” The milk season, of course, is just that…a seasonal thing. So what is this new T410 going to do when it’s not busy “on the milk?” That’s easy: “It’ll get a subframe put on it with bolsters and it’ll go into logging after Christmas.” Apart from the engine “it’s exactly the same running gear as a 610 (or 659 for that matter)” – and that suits him just fine. What about the technology? “I haven’t had a lot to do with it but it looks like there’s a lot of DAF influence in the cab there, as far as the dash goes and different switches. It’s definitely next-level. That was the big thing: It’s your general run-of-the mill Kenworth chassis, axles and driveline…” At first sight, it’s easy to see that there’s something different about the T410 compared to its predecessor. Of course – the cab’s 300mm wider than the old T409’s. Doesn’t sound like much, but it is. Visually, that’s backed up by a more aerodynamic, more steeply-

sloping bonnet that gives better vision out-front: It’s one of the improvements that Kenworth Australia was able to engineer into the new models – since they had a bit of work to do anyway. It also positioned the new cab further forward on the chassis than on its T359 or T409 predecessors, thus giving the new models shorter bumper to back of cab (BBC) dimensions. The T410 also has a lower floor height than its T610 big brother – giving it a distinctly different look as well as easier and safer cab access. There are also new LED lights, big chrome mirrors mounted securely below the A-pillars. On top of the burnt orange and brown Mangonui Haulage colour scheme it all adds up to making quite the bold roadside statement. Under the day cab are dual Meritor MFS66-122 steer axles (with a 13.2t rating). The three steps that lead up into this new 2.1m-wide, air-suspended cab are deep, well-spaced and grated, offering plenty of workboot room. Grabhandles are located on the A and B-pillars, with the stowage compartment on the triple-skin door offering extra holds. The interior feels spacious, aided by the one-piece curved windscreen allowing plenty of light in. It’s finished in garnet red, diamond-pleated

Truck & Driver | 27

All pictures: The daycab T410’s interior is a mix of the traditional – with its woodgrain finishes and pintucked burgundy vinyl – and the latest new technology, including the new, wider, better Kenworth cab

vinyl and a grey hard trim. There’s a wood finish to the dash and the gauges (of which there are many) have a chrome bezel finish. A particular point of interest is the brake pedal/throttle pedal relationship: There’s a nice, easy slide possible between the two. Bruce Gregory begins to back up his high opinion of the T410 as a primo tanker, starting with the interior: “The finishing is good and easy to clean. No hidden recesses for stuff to get in…you don’t have to bend over backwards to get into them. At the end of the week, if all you want to do is get away for the weekend, you don’t want to spend hours cleaning it. “This work isn’t that dirty but the logging…especially in this type of rainy weather, you’re dragging shit in all day long. When you’ve got the heater on to dry out, it dries the dirt and next thing you’ve got a big dust pile! “This would be one of the cleanest, tidiest jobs around – no stress. It’s a good day: Start at 6am and finish by 6pm or even earlier, depending on the milk flow or how the (farm pickup) teams are positioned when you come into Kaitaia…how long you’ve got to wait for them to come in and pump them over. “We take the load down to Kauri, get it tested….then they give you the okay to unload it. Once you’ve unloaded, you flush out, then head over to Dargaville to pick up a load out of the silos over there – and bring that back, either to Kauri or they might divert you to Maungaturoto or somewhere else.” If it’s Maungaturoto, he adds, “you’ll probably end up getting 28 | Truck & Driver

a product, like cream, back up to Kauri. But yeah, it’s a pretty straightforward job. “Fonterra are very health and safety conscious people, so you’ve got to watch what you do, wear the right gear and just abide by the rules at the end of the day.” The weather is rather nasty and the roads are wet as we head off from the Mangonui HQ to the milk transfer station in Kaitaia, which is based in Mangonui’s yard there. Bruce was driving Mangonui’s T659 before stepping into the T410 so he’s in a good position to compare them in terms of their relative suitability for this work. “I had the 659 brand-new a couple of years ago. It’s a very nice truck – but this is more driver-friendly and comfortable. You can’t really see the bonnet – you know exactly where you are on the road all the time. It’s like driving a cabover.” The bonnet is arguably one of the most aerodynamic in the business. It slopes away, quickly out of sight, with just the added bug deflector visible. So can he use that as a reference point for road positioning? “You can use that if you want, but it’s not really necessary. In the other Kenworth I had, you used to use the V in the middle – put it on that white line and that would give me an indication that I was inside the centre line. “This one’s the same – you can put it on there. But like I said, this cab is so well designed it just feels like you’re driving a cabover truck – so you don’t actually have to look for that point.”

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I want to know his thoughts about the location of the mirrors, fixed as they are to the side of the cab, just ahead of and below the A-pillars: “I didn’t like them at first, but I’ve gotten used to them now. It takes a little getting used to backing up on them ‘cos they’re all at different angles. “They stick out a long way, so you’ve got to be conscious of them when you go into the workshop….where the other ones used to be closer to the cab. The cab was a lot narrower too. There’s better visibility though – you’ve got more vision out to the far side of the road on both sides. “I thought these big columns (the A-pillars) might have been a bit of a vision thing…but they seem to mold in pretty good. You don’t seem to have any blind spots.” Our conversation is interrupted by a call from the NZ Truck & Driver team travelling in convoy with us – reporting that there was a strong smell of hot brake-pads as we went by. “It doesn’t feel like one is dragging but we’d better stop and have a look,” says Bruce. That appears to be a wise decision as a small fire has started in the disc brakes on one wheel on the trailer. It’s nothing that a small water bottle can’t contain. After a quick call to the mechanic, Bruce backs off the disc brake pads and we’re back on the road. So how does Bruce like the dash display and the controls in the T410? “Beautiful setup – easy to read, everything’s there and at your fingertips…don’t have to reach for anything. Plenty of lights to illuminate them, so good in the dark.” We cross over the so-called ‘Winston’s bridge’ at Taipa and enter laned road cone territory. The cones leave only a narrow lane, but negotiating them isn’t a problem. Says Bruce: “With the longer bonnet

on the 659, you were conscious of the cones all the time, but this is like sitting in a cabover. You’re in the middle of the lane. “The steering is very good and the different positions you can get the wheel in make it really comfortable. It doesn’t wallow either. “It’s a little bit slow when you’re backing up on anything – just the response, especially with a trailer with a short drawbar like this one. Trying to keep up with the drawbar is a little slow. Just got to get used to it.” Overall, he says: “I prefer this to the 659. It’s a lot more comfortable….nothing I really miss. Accessibility is a lot better: The 659 was very steep getting in and you tended to hit your head if you didn’t bow down as you came through the door. “This one, you just come up and the natural step brings you up and you curve straight into the cab.” Bruce has driven as far afield as Hawke’s Bay in the T410 and reports that the 510hp MX13 handles the hills really well: “It felt so good, you know.” It helps too that the driving posi is very comfortable: “The pedals are really light – like a normal DAF – and the foot space is brilliant for the left leg by the firewall. Plenty of room for it and it’s at the right angle.” The cab feels quite spacious – and Bruce agrees: “There’s heaps of room – just that 300mm wider makes a huge difference. It’s really made them – they’re a beautiful truck now.” The finish looks good: “Yeah, they’re very particular in their finishing aren’t they – always have been. Beautiful seating – very comfortable…. really adjustable. You can get them right back.” The driver’s seat is an air-suspended ISRI 6860/870 PRO – in burgundy (to match the rest of the cab trim) and it comes with two armrests, which Bruce isn’t fussed about: “I’ve never been an armrest

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Top left: Bruce Gregory reckons that the T410 is the best tanker truck he’s experienced in 25 years Left & top right: The PACCAR MX13 engine expands its presence in the Kenworth lineup

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guy. I want to be in control, not having a rest!” He’s complimentary though about the Roadranger 18-speed manual transmission: “Very good gearbox….very smooth, very light, no clonking or anything. Selection is very easy, even when you’re tired. It changes very smoothly – you’ve got to do something pretty stupid to muck a gear change up in this thing.” I wonder what’s impressed him the most: “The all-round comfort and quietness, visibility, the way it sits on the road…you don’t have to look for the white line to check that you’re in the lane. “It’s a really, really nice truck. It’s a truck that you can drive your full logbook hours in, without getting out at the end of the day and feeling absolutely knackered.” NZ Truck & Driver tester Trevor Woolston gets his chance to sample what the T410 has to offer when he takes over the wheel for the first part of the trip south from Kaitaia, with its liquid load not far off 30 tonnes in the tanks on the truck and its four-axle Piako Transport Engineering (PTE) trailer. The unit – the Kenworth with its demountable tank tareing at close on 11t and the tanker at 5.52t – runs on a 46t HPMV permit Woolston’s immediately impressed with the ride. This stretch of State Highway 1 is in notoriously poor condition, with more than its fair share of undulations, potholes, camber issues and very little (or no) runoff on the verges. The T410 doesn’t seem to care. Its ride comes courtesy of the taperleaf springs on the steer axles and Airglide 460 air suspension on the Meritor RT46-160GP rear axles (which come with full locks). Along with the airbag and shock absorber under the cab, they render this road quite uneventful. Pretty soon we’re near the start of the Mangamukas, the hills that should provide a good test for the T410. We’re in top gear and Woolston just has his foot resting on the throttle pedal as we sit at 70km/h and 1300revs – simply cruising.

We pass a “Slippery when wet” warning sign and, given the spiteful weather, Trev errs on the side of caution. But as we take one corner where the climb bites, the gearshift doesn’t go through cleanly…and he has to go for the low box. That, he agrees, is more driver than truck. We soon recover to 5th low and the MX engine pulls nicely at 1500 revs and 40km/h. A split higher sees us at 1300 – and even when the incline and the corners rob us of a bit of speed and rpm the 13-litre holds on. It helps that the unit tracks nicely through the corners, but the MX engine is also a good performer – producing its 510hp/375kW at 1500rpm and the 1844 lb ft/2500Nm at 1000 revs. We go by the slow vehicle bay in 5th high at 1500rpm and an easy 40km/h before the revs start to drop, prompting a split at 1000rpm. It’s not enough: The road steepens and tightens more than expected, so Woolston has to go for the low box again. For the descent, he selects 4th high, with the engine and exhaust brake on full, but soon shifts up a full gear, where the MX engine revs at 1400 and we hold 40km/h, aided only by some footbraking for the first big corner because of the wet and slippery conditions. At Mangamuka, Bruce climbs in to take over wheel again and we talk about the dash – with its good range of gauges as well as the usual central digital info display – and the rest of the controls. “It’s got heaps of stuff, but I don’t really fiddle with it – just got the phone connected up,” he reckons. “I use cruise control all the time when I’m out on the highway – sort of kick that into gear. I love it – it’s real good. Up here it’s not that good at the moment – there’s heaps of roadworks going on. But once I get to Kawakawa I stick it in straight away. “Fuel economy can be pulled up on the computer, to see how efficiently you’re driving. It’ll give you a tick as you progress through your trip. Whether you’re riding the brake, working it too hard, flogging it sort of thing and it’ll give you a running total. Truck & Driver | 33

Good mirrors and good steps add to the driver-friendliness of the T410 “The trip I did to Hastings the other day I had all the ticks, except one – for not changing gears quick enough. I was quite proud of that.” He sums up his approach to gearshifting: “I’m not a half-gear man until I get up higher. The old fella taught me years ago, ‘why change all those gears when you’re just wearing out the parts?’ “I split when I get to around sixth or seventh. You’re just using more fuel, using the clutch more, I can’t see the point in it myself. “I skip gears on a hard pull. Along the Mangamukas, I’d just let her lug down until about 900 or 1000 revs and then go a complete gear.” Aside from the mirrors has there been anything that Bruce has had to get used to, after the T659? “No, just when I jumped in it, everything was there ya know…. Visibility…approaches onto these one-lane bridges: Before you’d have to look to see where your bonnet was – now you don’t even have to look. You just drive onto the bridge and it’s good.” The truck and trailer unit seems stable on the road? “Oh yeah, it just sits there nicely – doesn’t wallow around the road like the older models. You’d be all day on the steering wheel! This just sits there like glue. “The weight is pretty good. You can feel the road – it’s not as if there’s no feel there.” I mention how well it handled the rough road just south of Kaitaia when Woolston was driving: “Yeah, the ride is really smooth. There’s no sudden jarring through the steering wheel. On some of the others, the potholes would sometimes give the wheel a flick – this one just carries through.” We head towards the big Okaihau hill, our last challenge before the milk factory. We get slowed down a little by another truck early on and eventually we drop down to 4th high, still pulling at 39km/h and 1400 34 | Truck & Driver

revs as the speed begins to drop. Bruce downshifts to 3rd high, with the 13-litre at 1700rpm and our road speed at 32k. Even when the engine fan kicks in, we don’t need to shout to be heard. Says Bruce: “It’s a long hill – sorts a lot of trucks out, this hill. You see a lot of trucks stuck on the roadside – take it too cheap, miss a gear and all sorts of stuff.” He’s clearly impressed with the PACCAR engine and points out: “As it does more kilometres, more work, this will get better and better. It’s still pretty tight. It’s only done 2800 kilometres – so plenty to go.” To the crest, he upshifts to 4th high, then 5th high and we cruise along at 1200 revs and 50km/h: “Effortless,” he says happily. So what makes the T410 so good? “Just widening the whole cab, it’s put you out, sitting on this line. Visibility, the shape of the bonnet – the dropoff is brilliant. You don’t know you’re in a bonneted truck. “It doesn’t weave around on the road – you’re not on the steering wheel all the time, correcting it. The truck’s just sitting where it’s naturally supposed to sit. “I know that with new trucks it’s a novelty to drive them for the first week or two….then you get used to them and start picking them to pieces. But so far I haven’t found anything to pull apart on this.” So, you could say that, compared to its big-brother T610 – with its 600hp engine option – this new T410 is kind of the truck equivalent of the skimmed version of the milk it hauls. But given the new, wider, more spacious and much better-appointed cab, the comfort of its ride and the ease with which it does its job, this milk run unit is definitely a full cream Kenworth. T&D

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Trevor Test

T WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT EDITOR WAYNE Munro and sales director Hayden Woolston travelled over to Melbourne for the launch of the Kenworth T410 and T360. Now we’re with the first T410 to hit New Zealand roads – up in the not so sunny Northland, with Mangonui Transport. It’s a transformer truck…which today is in its tanker configuration – the setup that sees it regularly hauling milk from a transfer station in Kaitaia, down to the Kauri Fonterra plant, just north of Whangarei. It’s a transformer truck as its set up with twistlocks underneath the stainless steel tank – so when it’s not carting milk, it can be reconfigured into a logger. I get my opportunity to put this newcomer to the test at the transfer station – where the tankers that collect milk from farms around upper Northland transfer their loads. The climb up into the T410 8x4’s cab is easy, with three wellspaced steps between the two steer axles and grabhandles front

36 | Truck & Driver

Trevor Woolston

and back of the door opening. However, because of its height, the front one only comes into play when you’re up on the first step – but I find that the door bin provides a good hand-hold from the ground for the first step anyway. Under the bonnet is the 510hp PACCAR MX engine, developing

• SPECIFICATIONS • 1844 lb ft of torque at 1000rpm, coupledup to an Eaton Fuller RTLO20918B 18-speed overdrive transmission. Even though we’re just under 46 tonnes all-up, our run through Kaitaia is effortless, as the MX provides good, lively performance and the 18-speed shifts smoothly, with a nice light clutch. The T410’s shortened bonnet seems almost non-existent – disappearing down the front and giving the driver a nice, uninterrupted view. It’s complemented by the bug deflector on the front of the bonnet, which gives a great reference point for positioning the truck through the tight urban streets. Once out of town, I await our first test of the ride quality of the T410 as this stretch of road from Kaitaia to the Mangamukas isn’t one of the smoothest roads in NZ. The ride is impressive. Journalist Dave McLeod and I are impressed with how well the T410 smooths out the bumps, compared to some other similar trucks we’ve tested recently. Inside the cab it’s a quiet and comfortable workplace with one of the best driver seats – an ISRI 6860/870 PRO air suspension model. It’s easy to set up for a comfortable ride, with plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering column to suit any driver. The T410 cab is a wider version of the traditional Kenworth cab, following on from the T610 model and this gives a great feeling of spaciousness. The dash layout is very user-friendly, with tachograph, speedo, temperature, oil pressure, fuel and air pressure gauges, along with the PACCAR digital information centre right in front of the driver. Engine oil and diff temp gauges are located in the centre console, along with suspension loading gauges and various switches, including those for the climate control and the stereo. Also, for driver convenience, there are several functions on the steering wheel – stereo controls on the left and cruise control on the right. Column controls operate the engine brake stages on the right and indicators and wipers on the left. Footpedals are well positioned, with both brake and throttle set at the same height – making movement between the two easy, with no need to lift your foot when going from one to the other. There’s also plenty of room around the clutch pedal to stretch out your left leg.

The mirrors are great – mounted on good, solid arms and set in chrome aerodynamic covers with the usual flat upper mirror and lower convex mirror. Positioning on the road is easy and the steering gives a good positive feel. Not too light. These roads aren’t the widest and there is no hard shoulder so there’s no room for error as we get towards the Mangamukas. The four-axle trailer tracks well and there’s no surge from the liquid load – but, in saying that, I am driving conservatively for the wet conditions. The Mangamuka hill provides a real good test for any truck so I’m looking forward to putting the T410 over it and it’s good to have an 18-speed manual for a change, rather than the usual AMTs we have been driving. As we hit the hill, we steadily drop down gears – finally settling in 5th high for the major portion of the climb at around 40km/h. Not only do you have to contend with the steepness of the climb, but also the numerous, very tight corners – with zero visibility around them and plenty of traffic. So caution is required. The MX pulls nicely up the hill and allows us to drop and recover revs easily as we slow for some of the tighter corners, then accelerate out of them. It’s not until we encounter a steeper stretch up near the top that I have to consider dropping another gear and I get caught out a bit by not being familiar with the road – forcing me to drop down into the low box for the last few corners up to the summit. As we crest the climb, I select 5th low for our descent, but after a few corners I shift up to 5th high, with the PACCAR engine’s exhaust brake on its maximum setting. Throughout the descent I gradually decrease the retardation and only need the occasional touch on the service brakes for a couple of extra-tight corners. It’s a very well-controlled descent and we’re soon running out of the hill down towards Mangamuka village…where I have to give the T410 back to its regular driver Bruce. This new Kenworth is positioned in the marketplace as a lower-spec truck, accordingly with a lower price tag. But it certainly doesn’t present as one: I find it a comfortable and easy truck to drive and, while it may not have 600-plus horsepower, it certainly isn’t lacking on a very testing hill, loaded at 46 tonnes. T&D

KENWORTH T410 DAY CAB 8x4

Engine: PACCAR MX510 SCR, ADR80/03 Capacity: 12.9 litres Maximum power: 375kW (510hp) @ 1500rpm Peak torque: 2500Nm (1844 lb ft) @ 1000rpm Fuel capacity: 450 litres Transmission: 18-speed Eaton Fuller Roadranger RTLO-20918B Ratios: Low L – 14.40

Low H – 12.29

1st low – 8.56

1st high – 7.30

2nd low – 6.05

2nd high – 5.16

3rd low – 4.38

3rd high – 3.74

4th low – 3.20

4th high – 2.73

5th low – 2.29

5th high – 1.95

6th low – 1.62

6th high – 1.38

7th low – 1.17

7th high – 1.00

8th low – 0.86

8th high – 0.73

Front axles: Meritor MFS66-122, 13,200kg rating Rear axles: Meritor RT46-160GP, rated at 20,900kg/46,000 lb Auxiliary brakes: PACCAR MX integrated engine brake Front suspension: Taper-leaf springs Rear suspension: Kenworth Airglide 460 air suspension GVW: 32,000kg GCM: 70,000kg

Truck & Driver | 37

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14/10/2019 12:37

19 12:37

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Keynote speaker Craig Membrey’s tragic firsthand experience with losing a loved one to suicide set him on the path of becoming a powerful suicide prevention advocate

Time to look after our health T

by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ

HE RECENT RTF CONFERENCE AT Wairakei Resort, near Taupō, gave me an opportunity to catch up with delegates from all over the country. It was a really good chance to hear about what is challenging them in their businesses. These chats are important for me, as a lot of the time I am in the Wellington bubble, lobbying government. I am conscious of regularly being in touch with what is affecting operators in the regions, and I travel as much as I can to ensure that. The overall impression I got was that the industry is in good heart, but we face some challenges: The economic and political climate are uncertain and there is understandable concern at the goings-on at the New Zealand Transport Agency. Transport Minister Phil Twyford’s recent NZTA board

cleanout hasn’t necessarily alleviated these concerns. One of the key challenges we face, and this is true of many male-dominated industries, is to properly look after our health. You only had to look around the room at Conference to see that many of us, and I don’t exclude myself from this, are too busy in our careers to worry about such things as our physical and mental health. I hoped that some of the speakers we had at Conference would help to wake up delegates to the dangers of that complacency and why it is leading to such bad health outcomes among men in this country. Dr Tom Mulholland’s presentation was punctuated with plenty of comedy and he told some incredibly

Continued on page 40 Truck & Driver | 39

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Tuning-in to a work f T

HE AVERAGE AGE OF TRUCK DRIVERS IN NEW Zealand is 54, which means that over the next 10-15 years we can expect a significant proportion of our workforce to retire. This alone presents one of our industry’s biggest risks and is something that the RTF, its associations and many operators are grappling with. The answer is to employ more young people to fill the gaps. The 22–39-year age group, known to most of us as The Millennials, will be 75% of NZ’s workforce in a decade. By necessity, they will have to be a big part of the road transport industry. However, we’re struggling to attract them, especially millennial women. As generational recruitment and leadership expert Melanie Boyle told the RTF Conference, the reality is that “we must change and adjust.” As she explained, millennials are different: “They are the least engaged part of our workforce and recruiting them costs money and takes time.

“They want to know they are valued, what their purpose is, and why their job is important. They do not want to feel stifled through a lack of professional development.” Boyle dispelled the myth that young millennial women leave jobs to have children: “The reality is they leave because they aren’t being paid enough, they don’t get enough development, career progression and meaningful work. “Equality and diversity are their big things. Before they apply to work for you they are going to Google you, they are going to walk all over your website and your social media and they want to see evidence that you really believe in equality and diversity and you see the benefits of having women in your workforce. And if they don’t see it then they are unlikely to apply.” The interesting thing is, this also applies to male millennials, according to Boyle: “This is what they have been brought up to understand – equality and diversity. You have to think seriously about how you are being perceived by the people that you want to get in.”

Continued from page 39 entertaining stories from his time in public health advocacy and also from his own life. However, this light-hearted discussion did not water down the message, which was that no matter how good you think your state of health is, you need to get a health check and regularly visit your doctor. Dr Tom told stories of seemingly active and fit guys, marathon runners even, who neglected to go to the doctor and very nearly found out too late that they were suffering from dangerous, potentially life-threatening conditions. For those of us who are husbands and fathers, we might not like going to the doctor but we have a responsibility to those who love and rely on us to take responsibility for our health, get checked up and – if we need to – start changing our lifestyle to better look after ourselves. Dr Tom also touched on the importance of looking after our mental health. He told the story of his own brush with suicide following his marriage breakdown and showed that even for a successful, smart guy with a great career and with two kids who loved him to bits, how easy it is to descend into a state of desperation and depression. That mental health message followed on from the hard-hitting presentation from Craig Membrey, who was keynote speaker on the Conference’s first day. Craig runs a successful heavy haulage and crane hire business near Melbourne and eight years ago mental health wasn’t even on his radar. That all changed when his son Rowan committed suicide, in 2011. Craig subsequently threw himself into suicide prevention advocacy work, spreading the message about the dangers of depression and anxiety. Craig’s simple message – and one that resonated with me – is that “suicide is 100% preventable.” It sounds so obvious and is often overlooked, but it should give us a lot of hope. There is nothing to prevent us from beating suicide, except ourselves. Like Dr Tom, Craig urged delegates to seek help, share their problems and surround themselves with family, friends and work colleagues. He

40 | Truck & Driver

Dr Tom Mulholland asked us to look out for each other and if you see someone struggling, to put an arm around them and listen to their problems. There’s something about the NZ male culture that suggests we must suffer in silence. That is the worst thing we can do and has led NZ to have some of the highest rates of male suicide in the world. I hope every delegate who heard Craig and Dr Tom at the Conference has taken their messages on board and is at least considering changes to how they look after themselves. Finally, let me thank Region 2, CARTA and the Conference organising committee for the work they did in putting the Conference together. Running such an event is a difficult undertaking. Thankyou also to all the sponsors and delegates for contributing to a truly enjoyable two days.. T&D

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

k force of millennials

So, how do we get it right? Said Boyle: “Communicate and be clear and drive recruitment with the purpose of including learning, development and career progression opportunities. “Flexibility is expected and while it can be a hard challenge for road transport, they (millennials) are not willing to sacrifice a good personal life for work. They are not driven by pay, but they are not going to work for peanuts either. If you are paying them badly, they will leave. “If you can get this stuff right, you are going to retain them and they will be loyal to you.” Melanie Boyle also touched on the importance of leadership style being instrumental in attracting younger workers. A change from a “command and control” type of leadership to a more collaborative style is what is required. “Millennials don’t want a manager or a boss, they want a coach. They want someone who is invested in their growth and development and is helping them be the best they can. “They want to collaborate and contribute. They want to make you successful by you allowing them to help you. They want meaning in their work and to know that they are doing something that is bigger than them. “This is a big cultural shift and is the evolution of leadership for the younger generation.

Melanie Boyle delivering some hard truths about the workforce challenges in front of the industry

“This is not about pandering to the young – but remember, they will dominate the workforce and we must learn how to shift and adjust.” Her final message was about the importance of a good culture: “Culture determines brand. So, what is your brand? How do you want to be perceived by people looking for a job? “What do you want them to experience when they go Googling or look through social media? And if you do say you’re this, make sure that is the reality.” Says the RTF’s Nick Leggett: “So, while we can complain about the changing demands of a younger generation of workers and that they don’t hold the same attitude to work, the reality is that they will dominate the workforce and it is up to us to adjust to this. “When it comes to careers, millennials have an unprecedented range of choices, so to remain competitive in the modern labour market, we need to take on board the advice of experts like Melanie.” T&D Truck & Driver | 41

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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Diversity the feature of industry awards

Above left: EROAD Young Driver of the Year, Summer Ratima Thompson Above right: The Castrol Truck Driver Hero, Rex Temm (right) receives his award from NZ Truck & Driver publisher Trevor Woolston

ORKFORCE DIVERSITY HAS NOT traditionally been a strength of trucking in New Zealand, but the Road Transport Forum believes that – importantly for the industry’s future – significant progress is now being made to rectify this. And this year’s NZ Road Transport Industry Awards, held during the recent RTF Conference in Taupō, illustrated the changing face of our industry and the exciting potential of the young people coming through it. “While we have appropriately rewarded those who have been in the industry a long time, we added two awards this year to recognise women and young drivers specifically. In fact, of the five awards, three went to young women,” says RTF’s Nick Leggett. “If we want a greater supply of younger workers with better skills and great attitudes, we need to demonstrate we are an industry open to their diversity and prepared to pay them a competitive wage. “We must be open to a diverse workforce and be prepared to welcome that diversity and include a place for it in our workforce. “I know from experience how hard it is to be a young person in a leadership role. It takes strength in your convictions and perseverance to overcome the perception of inexperience, and Carla Seymour Mansell, who took out the EROAD Outstanding Contribution to Health and Safety Award, certainly has those qualities.” Carla runs Seymours Transport Ser vices in Gisborne and demands the highest standards when it comes to health and safety in her company. As she pointed out during her acceptance speech, “everybody has the right to return home from work safely to their whanau.”

The first ever Teletrac Navman Outstanding Contribution by a Woman in the Road Transport Industry Award was presented to Ayna Shamim, who owns and runs Angel Transport in Auckland. She is a young woman who has already achieved much in the industry, after switching from a career in nursing. She employs three female drivers and is seen as a role model for other women wanting to enter road transport. On accepting the award, she acknowledged her family and NRC chief executive David Aitken as providing her with the critical support she has needed to succeed as a young female company owner. Women in Road Transport chair and award judge Meryn Morrison says: “It is really pleasing that the inaugural women in the road transport industry award went to someone like Ayna. “Women are so important to the future of this industry and we are keen to encourage many more like Ayna to get involved in it.” Summer Ratima Thompson, from GJ Sheldrake in Tokoroa was named EROAD Young Driver of the Year. Summer was working as a barista when she talked her Graham Sheldrake, now her boss, into employing her to drive logtrucks. At 27 she has achieved what takes many others years to achieve. She thanked Graham for taking a punt on her, while admitting that it can still be difficult being a young female driver in a male-dominated industry. The Castrol Truck Driver Hero Award and a $3000 travel voucher went to Rex Temm, from Pukekohe-based Riordan & West. Rex, who is described by his workmates as “one of the industry’s good buggers,” saved a young toddler who was about to wander into the middle of State Highway 1, near Tokoroa. Truck & Driver | 43

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Above left: Winner of the VTNZ Supreme Contribution to NZ Road Transport Award, Jeff Mear • Above right: Teletrac Navman Outstanding Contribution by a Woman in the Road Transport Industry Award winner, Ayna Shamim Below left: New RTF life member Steve Doughty (left) and special long service award recipient Calven Bonney • Below right: Winner of the EROAD Outstanding Contribution to Health and Safety Award, Carla Seymour Mansell of Seymours Transport Services

Rex’s quick thinking and skill in positioning his combination to corral the boy away from the road and the heavily-laden logging truck coming the other way undoubtedly averted an extremely traumatic incident. As Rex described it on receiving his award, “the alternative and what could have been is devastating to think about. When I return to that spot the hairs on my neck stand up.” NZ Truck & Driver’s Trevor Woolston says that the award “recognises our ambassadors out there on the road. Truck drivers are caring individuals who go far beyond the call of duty when required.” Jeff Mear from Fruehauf NZ received the VTNZ Supreme Contribution to NZ Road Transport Award. He started in the industry sweeping the factory floor under the watchful eye of his late father Pat. Now national sales director at Fruehauf, Jeff is passionate about providing the industry with the best possible equipment to do the job. “My business is focused on doing things right and building the right equipment for our customers – not leading people down the wrong path,” says Mears. 44 | Truck & Driver

TR Group’s well-respected driver training guru John Essex was runner-up for the supreme award. The awards night also recognised Calven Bonney – for over 20 years of service to the RTF board – as well as Steve Doughty, who was presented with an RTF life membership. Both men spoke of their continuing passion for the industry and their satisfaction at its achievements over the years. Nick Leggett says that “Calven’s service to the RTF is almost unbroken since its creation in 1997, and Steve continues to be a critical part of our governance team. “We are thrilled that this year’s awards illustrated some different faces and told some different stories to what people might expect to see in the trucking industry. “There are some outstanding women and young people who are making their careers in trucking, as well as older hands passionate about the industry, with the experience and mana to help mentor the young ones. “It is this diversity that will stand the industry in good stead as it looks to the future.” T&D

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Your industry needs you! F

OR OPERATORS WHO USE AND BENEFIT FROM RTF ’s quarterly Road Transport Cost Index, it ’s time to help your industry out by participating in the online cost comparison survey necessary for the future reliability of the Index. “Every few years it is necessary for us to update the information the Index is based on to ascertain operator costs on a regional, sector and size basis,” says RTF technical manager Kerry Arnold. “It is absolutely critical to the accuracy of the Index over the next four to five years that as many people as possible complete the survey.” Usually the survey is conducted every five years, but it has been brought forward slightly, “because the market movements in truck cost inputs have been quite dramatic in recent times.”

RTF Technical Manager Kerry Arnold

The aim, adds Arnold, is to get “at least 200 operators to participate.” The University of Waikato School of Management’s New Zealand Institute for Business Research (NZIBR) has been commissioned to conduct the survey. Says Arnold: “Our intention is to get the most accurate information we possibly can to inform the Index going forward, which is why we have again got NZIBR to run the survey. They are extremely experienced in this type of data analysis. “However, the reality is that no matter how good NZIBR are at number crunching, the survey will always rely on the participation of operators. If the industry fails to participate in the required numbers

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46 | Truck & Driver

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

the result will be an inadequate supply of information that will risk the accuracy, or even the existence of the Cost Index at all. “ This would, of course, have a major impact on transport businesses that rely on the Index to help them set their rates and prices – and they may find themselves far more vulnerable to greater cost pressures as a result.” The survey questionnaire asks operators for mainly financial information related to the year ending March 31, 2019 (or the equivalent – eg June 30, 2019). The survey itself is confidential, the submissions are coded and all information submitted, analysed and reported is based on code numbers only. Access to the coding database is restricted, meaning that operators’ information will not be available to anyone else, including the Road Transport Forum. All information is reported as averages and percentiles, therefore no individual organisations can be identified. To make the individualised report more meaningful, road transport businesses are categorised into the following subgroups (subject to sample sizes) for comparison: • All road transport participants • F leet size group and engaged in the same activity (ie intercity, or metropolitan-only transport etc.) • Income group (ie $500,000 to $1,000,000) • Income group and same fleet mix group (ie separated into fleets having predominantly single-unit trucks, combination

vehicles, or a mixture of truck sizes). • Activity group and same fleet mix group Says Arnold: “Operators taking part in this survey will get access to the information it collects – anonymised for collective purposes. They will also get a free individualised report, presenting information about how their financial overheads and returns compare with the rest of the industry.” Registration for the survey can be done at www.management. ac.nz/register/rtfnz. Once registration is confirmed, participants will be emailed login details to access the online questionnaire. Operators should be aware that the survey may take some time to complete and it may be necessary for many operators to have their accountant assist them in the process. Only those businesses that can separate financial information specifically related to their road transport operations should register. Says Arnold: “Last time we did the survey we struggled to reach the necessary number of respondents, which resulted in data gaps that had to be compensated for by some very smart modelling. “However, every time we do that the integrity of the Index is slightly eroded, so we desperately want to avoid that situation this time around.” If you have any questions, please contact RTF on 04 472 3877 or for um@r tf.nz or NZIBR on 07 838 4013 or mrc@waikato.ac.nz T&D

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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

RTF FIGHTING BACK ON UNFAIR NAIT RULES A

S WAS FLAGGED IN THESE PAGES A couple of months ago, the Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor and his officials have redesigned the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) scheme to ensure better tagging and tracing of animals. Unfortunately, the Government has decided to burden transporters with an unreasonable level of responsibility in order to enforce compliance with this rejigged regime. The National Animal Identification and Tracing Amendment Bill (No 2), which is currently going through Parliament, proposes new rules that will make it an offence to transport untagged animals that do not have an exemption and includes heavy penalties for transporters who do so. NAIT is intended to be designed by farmers for farmers. It is farmers who ultimately must be responsible for compliance with a scheme that’s designed to safeguard New Zealand’s biosecurity. 48 | Truck & Driver

Truck drivers, on the other hand, have no control over the NAIT tagging system. The sole responsibility must lie with the farmers who raise the animals and are the ones who primarily profit from them. The proposed new legislation however means that livestock transporters may be issued $400 fines for transporting untagged animals. RTF and the National Livestock Transport and Safety Group find this to be unreasonable. It is even more unreasonable that the fine is the same quantum that the farmer or person in charge of animals (PICAs) would incur for presenting or receiving untagged livestock. The potential fine for transporters is, in reality, an admission of the likely failure of the new NAIT rules – as untagged livestock should never be presented for transport in the first place. “Transport operators and drivers are just not prepared to shoulder this blame and cost when clearly the PICAs – the person sending the animals on the transport and the

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.

Farmers ultimately must be responsible for compliance with a scheme that is designed to safeguard New Zealand’s biosecurity Photo:“Cows” by Katie (alaskahokie) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

person receiving them at the other end – have primary responsibility,” says RTF’s Nick Leggett. “For an untagged animal to be loaded onto a livestock truck would require the person in charge of the animal to knowingly present that uncompliant animal for transport.” RTF and NLTSG believe ‘mens rea’ culpability applies when a PICA presents untagged livestock for transport: This means that a person is knowingly doing the wrong thing by presenting untagged livestock for transport and is quite different from an unwitting transporter – with limited time to assess livestock – transporting untagged animals unknowingly. “We believe it would be completely unfair of any judicial system to infringe an unknowing party in the same way as someone who knows and is intentionally acting unlawfully,” says Leggett. There are also practical issues with the Government’s assumption that transporters are in a realistic position to identify untagged livestock. Loading often takes place in the dark and involves dozens of animals being loaded in a very short timeframe. It also must be remembered that the truck driver suffers from a power imbalance – making it difficult for him or her to refuse stock: Farmers are valuable customers in an intensely competitive industry and livestock truck drivers are, more often than not, employees of a transport company without the necessary autonomy to refuse a job. RTF and the NLTSG continue to lobby Parliament on the Bill, says Leggett: “We have already met with the Minister and his officials and held a number of meetings around the country to canvass the opinions of livestock transporters. These meetings were invaluable to inform our select committee submission, which is now available on the RTF website.” RTF and NLTSG also presented an oral submission to the Primary Production select committee, strongly advocating that transporters be removed from the Bill’s penalty schedule. It is very telling that Federated Farmers, whose members are directly affected by NAIT, fully support RTF’s position. “We see no value in transporters having to become policemen,” Federated Farmer’s NAIT spokesperson Miles Anderson was quoted as telling the select committee. He added that having transporters involved would complicate an already clunky and hard-to-navigate system. T&D

Road Transport Forum NZ PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 forum@rtf.nz www.rtfnz.co.nz Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@rtf.nz National Road Carriers (NRC) PO Box 12-100, Penrose, Auckland 0800 686 777 09 622 2529 (Fax) enquiries@natroad.co.nz www.natroad.co.nz David Aitken, Chief Executive 09 636 2951 021 771 911 david.aitken@natroad.co.nz Paula Rogers, Executive Officer 09 636 2957 021 771 951 paula.rogers@natroad.co.nz Grant Turner, Executive Officer 09 636 2953 021 771 956 grant.turner@natroad.co.nz Jason Heather, Executive Officer 09 636 2950 021 771 946 Jason.heather@natroad.co.nz Tom Cloke, Executive Officer 0800 686 777 021 193 3555 tom.cloke@natroad.co.nz 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

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

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

Truck & Driver | 49

Profitability from connectivity Story Wayne Munro Photos Cristian Brunelli & CR England

50 | Truck & Driver

FLEET FOCUS

In the close on 100 years since Chester England (inset) started the business, C.R. England has become one of the biggest family-owned trucking companies in the United States

Truck & Driver | 51

Above: Kenworth was the primary truck of choice from the late 1940s until the 1980s

Far left: Other makes have featured over the years, including Mack Left: The company’s support for a foodbank programme has seen it provide two million meals for kids in need

MERICAN TRUCKING COMPANY EXEC RON HALL’S JOB is to know his trucks…inside out. Actually….no – his knowledge goes way, way beyond that: He knows them in extreme detail. In order to extract the best fuel economy out of giant Utah carrier C.R. England’s fleet, he knows, for instance, exactly what “the sweet spot” is when it comes to diff ratios (2.16:1), engine horsepower (455 horsepower)…and precisely what speed to allow its trucks to run to. That’ll be 65 miles per hour (the equivalent of 104km/h) on cruise control…or 63mph with the foot on the throttle pedal. That’s anywhere between five and 20mph lower than legal limits across the US. He knows that running super-single tyres might help fuel economy…but they don’t stack up when it comes to return on investment. Understands that driver-facing cameras might help reduce accidents (or they might not)….but they’re simply not worth the negatives that accompany them….. And that active tyre pressure monitoring is worthwhile on trailers – but not worth the money on tractor units. He even knows that running perforated mudflaps (reckoned to help save fuel by reducing aerodynamic drag) is worthwhile….but not as fuel economy aids – simply because they last longer than the standard item. ROI mate (yep, return on investment). None of this is down to guesswork, personal preference, popular opinion or stuff Ron Hall read somewhere. It’s all proven…. ascertained by this Salt Lake City-based company itself. This company, which has a fleet of 4771 tractor units and 6300 semi-trailers (all but 1000 of them refrigerated units), likes to run its own test programmes. Trying out potential fuel-saving measures, operational changes, technology or componentry offering potential cost savings….trying things that might attract or retain drivers…. trialling new safety features. Making all of this possible is the connectivity of modern trucks

– delivering the ability to tap into exactly what’s going on in one truck….or the whole fleet. To analyse it, make business decisions based on that first-hand data. It’s a real-life example of what Freightliner, for instance, is talking about when it reckons that its Detroit Connect suite of onboard services “is like inviting a business analyst, service technician and experienced consultant into your new Cascadia to monitor performance data and empower your business decisions.” So England does the testing – employing two fulltime drivers running two dedicated tractors and trailers (with identical concrete weights permanently loaded) and a fulltime analyst…on fuel economy testing alone – and the onboard connectivity delivers it the means to drill down into the data and see what works and what doesn’t. Spending half a day with Hall, C.R. England’s VP equipment and fuel, and Doug Kading – the company’s VP of maintenance – is a real eye-opener. They provide a remarkably frank and forthcoming insight into how this giant American trucking company (it was ranked the second-biggest refrigerated truckload carrier in the US last year by Transport Topics – and 25th for-hire carrier overall) goes about its business. The opportunity comes during a helter-skelter US visit as part of a group of Kiwi and Aussie trucking industry writers hosted by Freightliner – designed to give us an insight into its new Cascadia… just in time for its arrival here next year. Okay, so it’s no surprise then that C.R. England just happens to be a very, very good Freightliner customer – and has been for years. Thus, in the last 35 years it’s bought around 22,000 of Daimler Trucks North America’s prime products! Freightliner has been the company’s primary truck of choice since 1991 – when the once Kenworth-dominated fleet wholeheartedly embraced the Freightliner FLD…. because its double-bunk sleeper was perfect for teams, because of its fuel economy…and because it Truck & Driver | 53

Main picture, below: The company has been heavily Freightliner oriented for the past 35 years. Now 93% of its 4771 trucks are Cascadias

Top, left to right: Company logo remains old-school – but the operation is as high-tech as they come.....the company HQ in Salt Lake City.....England pioneered a three-day US coast-to-coast freight service, using a fleet of Kenworths

came with a guaranteed residual at trade-in time. So today 93% of the England fleet is supplied by DTNA. That’s 4437 Freightliners….versus just 334 examples of other makes! But this is no sweetheart deal, based on discounted prices, blind brand loyalty, habit or whatever: Just as everything else is put to the test by Englands, its new trucks are too. Sure, in the Cascadia, England has found a make and model that’s long since become its benchmark. But each new version of the Freightliner flagship still has to prove itself – with the company also buying similarly-specced models from other manufacturers, as Hall details: “We generally purchase competing specs to test against Freightliner, and we do that because we want to make sure we understand what the marketplace represents….how Freightliner compares against the other makes. “Every year I purchase a group of trucks outside of Freightliner, put them through the fuel economy testing. We have drivers go through them and give us feedback on….what they like, what they don’t like. “We put them on the road, see how the maintenance performance is. We look at what the spec comparisons are…. “We’ll continue to do that. It’s important for us to see what the marketplace has to offer.” Drivetrain-wise, Hall says, its testing shows that the Detroit engines in the Cascadia are the best performers, followed by Cummins…and then the proprietary engines from other manufacturers (ie PACCAR, Mack/Volvo and International). Aerodynamically too, he says, the Cascadia wins – whereas the Mack Anthem, for example, “performed very poorly in our fuel economy testing.” That, he reckons, was predictable: “I could look at the aero on that and I could tell immediately it wasn’t going to perform well. “Now, it’s a little harder with some of the other brands because they do have a slick design….but there are specific brands that I could tell were not going to play well from an aerodynamic standpoint. And haven’t.” These for-comparison test trucks are the reason why you see the occasional Mack Anthem, International ProStar – even a LoneStar – in the bright red C.R. England colours. The relative oddities are treated just the same as the Freightliners – kept in the fleet for 37 months/500,000 miles

54 | Truck & Driver

(around 800,000kms). That’s the long-established trade-in cycle for all of the company trucks. C.R. England reveals itself as an operation that is at once a leader in tapping into cutting-edge technology…and a very historic, oldschool family business (which is now seeing the fourth generation of the England trucking dynasty running the show). The company was started in 1920 by the late Chester Rodney England – a man who came from a long line of farmers in Plain City, about 80 kilometres north of Salt Lake City. With the idea of offering a farm to market carrying service to Utah farmers he bought a Ford Model T truck and started CR England. The family remembers him as “very entrepreneurial….a get-itdone sort of a guy.” A man with the attitude that allowed him to be successful in difficult times “because he didn’t worry too much about the challenges. He just woke up the next day…and did it again.” His son Bill reckoned that one of his business tactics was to go get a haircut – knowing that the local farmers “were always talking to the barber.” So he’d say to the barber: “Give me a haircut….but while we’re talking, tell me what’s going on.” It turned out to be a very successful way to find work. The business grew – justifying a bigger truck. But then the Great Depression of the 1930s arrived. Said son Gene: “It was the bottom of the Depression and he knew how tough it was. But Da was never without work.” His hard work and determination inspired the same qualities in Gene and his brother Bill while they were away in World War 2. As Chester kept the business going back home, the boys saved everything they could – to invest in the business when they got home. Gene didn’t smoke, so sold his cigarette rations “for big money.” He also successfully sought a transfer from a headquarters company to a service company – simply because it meant his Master Sergeant pay doubled to $300 a month. At the end of the war, along with the Bronze Star medal awarded to Gene for bravery under fire in Okinawa, the brothers returned home with $5000 in savings.

Within two weeks they’d bought the company’s first Kenworth – six years old, “but it was the best we could find,” Gene said later. Chester was able to ease out of running the business as his two boys took the lead – steadily growing the freight operation, primarily with new Kenworths, over the next decade or so. They were, according to Dean – one of Gene’s four sons – “the epitome of working hard.” His brother Dan added: “They were willing to make whatever personal sacrifices they had to make to get the job done.” Bill summed up the England philosophy as well as anyone: “Get in there and dream big dreams – and then get in there and work and make it happen.” So, as Dean says, “that’s who we are. We’re entrepreneurial because we’re always looking to do something bigger, better, greater, more.” In 1959, Bill and Gene came up with a doozy of an idea – a pioneering move that not only set CR England up for the future…but also transformed the industry. Their idea? They launched a coast-to-coast service that promised customers a three-day delivery. As Bill recalled later, it was something of a sensation: “To be able to go to a receiver back East, and say ‘hey you can buy something in California….and in 72 hours it’s here.’ It was completely new to them.” Current CEO Chad – one of the fourth-generation Englands now playing key roles in the business – is in open admiration of what they achieved: “That’s hard for drivers today! They did that before the federal highway system was in place, which was an amazing feat.” The trans-America service boomed, prompting company expansion outside Utah, right through the 1960s and ‘70s, despite federal regulations that restricted the type of freight and the regions carriers could serve. Big as that was, 1980 brought an even bigger opportunity – with deregulation of the US trucking industry

providing huge expansion opportunities. Third-generation Englands, brothers Dean and Dan – who joined the business with siblings Todd and Cory in the mid-1980s – explain that the opportunities didn’t come easy. Says Dan: “Things were very difficult. Rates were falling. Companies were going out of business all around us. We had to figure out a way to succeed. We’d purchase trucks and we’d fill them.” Dean: “Deregulation was a challenge, no question, but it created an opportunity for us and we had the ability to go and capture business that was now available.” Bill recalled it later with obvious pleasure: “Here we were just little punks down the road – but we were better than the big-shots!” The company flourished again in the wake of deregulation, but the “significant” growth brought new challenges and increased risk…. which CR England responded to by taking a lead in new directions. Dean England sums it up: “As we started to grow, we saw that we had to have a safety programme within the organisation that was second to none. We just had an obligation as a carrier to protect the people on the highways. We significantly raised the bar – both in terms of the people that we hired, also in terms of existing drivers.” Dan: “We became much more stringent in enforcement. We insisted on compliance.” Dean: “You know, after putting a lot of effort into place, we got a lot of recognition for that nationally and I think it vaulted us to that next level.” With CR England’s new focus on safety, the company reduced accidents significantly and won three national safety awards. With a drive to stay safe and find better ways of doing business, the company looked to computer technology in the 1990s. Dan England says that its computerisation and automation

Truck & Driver | 55

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meant that “we were able to accommodate more equipment, more people, more loads and I think that was one of the real catalysts to our growth. “We….were able to operate more efficiently through new technologies – and more safely.” Fourth-generation England, Josh – part of the current management team – says proudly: “We were one of the pioneers of the satellitebased technology that we put on our trucks. It was basically email…. before email.” Through the ‘90s and into the 2000s, the Englands created separate national, regional, dedicated, Mexico and intermodal divisions and a wholly-owned logistics subsidiary company – all aiming to offer their customers widely-based solutions. Says Dean: “The big value that we offered is capacity – and capacity across many solutions.” With so many different offerings to customers, the company grew into a billion dollar operation….and soon after that it transitioned into the current fourth generation of leadership. Dean reckons that the siblings and cousins enjoy working together – and their generation “comes much better prepared than we ever were.” Chad: “As I started working here and I started meeting people and learning the business, I developed a passion for it. Now that’s what I wake up in the morning for….to really try and push us to be the best trucking and transportation company in the world.” Co-CEO and current president Josh England adds: “I’ve seen the legacy of those who’ve gone before and the tremendous value of what they’ve created. It just makes me want to continue that and to build that.”

With the fourth generation at the helm, the company is continuing to innovate. And it’s a reflection of how things are in the States in terms of the driver shortage that a major focus is working to make CR England “the best place to work in the entire industry.” Josh England explains: “I think our greatest challenge – and opportunity – is to attract and retain the best driver force in the industry. “My aspiration for the company is to have it be a great place to work – where people feel like they’re part of a family.” Driving trucks is, he adds, “a challenging lifestyle….a challenging job. And we rely on them to work through difficult situations like that.” Chad: “If we’re going to be the best at delivering for our customers, we’ve got to be the best at supporting our drivers. It’s a company rule that exec team members all have to have commercial driver licences, so they better understand the driving challenges. Says Chad: “We know what it’s like on the road. We know how hard it is. And we appreciate their efforts so much.” Okay, so it’s easy to talk the talk….but CR England’s actions also stand up to scrutiny…. And then some! Prospering as a business – perhaps even survival in business – depends on it, say company execs. Until last year, says Hall, the company “had been facing a serious driver shortage.” So what are they doing about it? He provides a rundown: “We benchmarked our pay against other carriers and, in response to that review, adopted the largest driver pay increase in company history” – hiking wages up to 20%. He doesn’t reveal England’s pay rates, saying that depends on the application: Drivers may be on a set wage or a payment per mile

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driven. (The American Trucking Association says that the median wage for drivers in private fleets is $US73,000 – around $NZ115,250). Continues Hall: “We’ve also implemented several other initiatives to improve driver retention, like set runs that improve driver home time, shortening of the time drivers wait for a truck assignment, establishing of a recognition programme for high-performing drivers….” And there’s been a “heavy focus on improving call centre responsiveness” when would-be drivers make contact: Time was when the industry standard response time was somewhere between 24 and 48 hours. Now, says Hall, when anyone shows interest to one of its call centres – triggered by the company’s own recruiting centre or its ads in a variety of media – “we respond same hour…. That’s what’s required to capture the interest….” Driver comfort and preference are factored into speccing trucks. Given that around 50% of the company’s 6400 drivers work in two-up teams, its trucks are all fitted with two air suspension seats – with dual armrests. Mentioning armrests may seem a little odd, says Hall, “but for just a couple of months, we pulled the outboard side armrest off the driver’s seat – and got crushed with feedback! We very quickly added that back into the spec.” In deference to driver feedback the company also backed-off fuel-saving measures that saw truck ECMs set for a maximum 400 horsepower – down from 455 – and cut governed top speed from 65mph to 62mph. This was at the same time as it introduced 2.16 to one rear diff ratios. Says Hall: “We were getting a lot of complaints from drivers that 400 horse wasn’t sufficient to allow them to merge with traffic (entering freeways) and it was also robbing them on the hills….” By working with Daimler Trucks North America engineers – a “really unique and helpful way that our integration with Daimler benefits us” – the company was able “to develop a fuel map for the ECM that allowed us to keep the 2:16….but move our spec back to 455 horse.

“Now we get the speed when we need it, but we also have been able to achieve the fuel economy with the ultra-low ratios. For the kind of engineering resource that was required for that adjustment, you can’t get that without very deep integration with your supplier.” For driver-friendliness and safety, every company truck has Bluetooth hands-free comms, plus automatic tyre inflation, driver grabhandles and steps as standard fittings on the back of the England semi-trailers…and pretty much every truck has an AMT. Says Hall: “Our drivers love automated transmissions. There was a conversion time where we had to sell an AMT, but now they’re fully behind it – even senior drivers.” In fact, apart from the company’s Class 8 tow truck, “I have not bought a manual transmission since May of 2015.” Interestingly, he admits that when the company first moved to AMTs, “we thought the retention benefit would be more than it was. And the reason that it wasn’t….is because all the other large fleets adopted as fast as we did.” There’s also a driver-friendliness element in the 37-month/800,000km CR England trade-in cycle. That is “pretty aggressive for the industry,” Hall says and adds: “Part of that is to continue providing new equipment to drivers.” That new equipment in the heavily-Freightliner Cascadia fleet critically includes adaptive cruise control. When an early version of the Detroit Assurance collision avoidance system triggered some false alerts that disabled the adaptive cruise, drivers made their feelings known: “It was driving them nuts! There was a constant complaint stream whenever adaptive cruise was not available to them. They use the heck out of that. They love that feature…” Cab headroom is also critical in truck specs: Hall reckons that for a number of years it wouldn’t even test a Peterbilt – simply because it didn’t have sufficient headroom: “If a normal-sized person can’t stand up, it’s not for us.” Not unexpectedly, it turns out that once again this understanding of what drivers want isn’t based on guesswork: “Every quarter we do a driver survey, where we try to get all of our drivers to give us feedback on a number of different areas, spec included.” Truck & Driver | 61

Top: England trucks parked up back in the 1960s

Above: Dan England (centre) surrounded by his sons – the fourth generation of the family and now holding key exec positions in the company Opposite page: Running trucks out of Salt Lake City involves some decent climbs

To suit drivers it’s company policy not to “slip-seat” – routinely swap trucks on drivers. And it has an “elite awards” recognition programme that measures driver performance on fuel use, safety, utilisation, service… with drivers given rankings within their divisions. The rankings are published weekly – and even though “there’s no compensation tied to it….you’d be amazed at how competitive drivers are when it comes to the areas that they control. Being in the top 10% means a lot. Being in the bottom 10% means way more than a lot!” Finally (and most dramatically) a key CR England initiative has been establishing five driver training facilities of its own, supported by a training fleet of 150 trucks and 200 trailers…yep, devoted entirely to the training task. The training operation, Ron Hall believes, makes CR England “the largest driver trainer in the industry – definitely in the refrigerated industry.” The figures are mind-boggling: A staggering 200 students a week are trained by the company – the trainees signing-on on the basis that the $US5000-$6000 cost of the training is their liability….but will 62 | Truck & Driver

be written off after they’ve driven for the company for eight months. A tour of the CR England HQ includes a walk through its driver training centre/driver relaxation area, which includes its own modern motel for trainees…and comes complete with its own food hall, bank, physio, rec centre and more! Despite all of this effort, the company’s driver turnover stats prompt a complete WTF! reaction from the Kiwi/Aussie tour party. Says Hall: “Our turnover…..we’re in the 150-160 (percent) range…. on percent of turnover, if that makes sense. Do you understand the metric?” Ah…no, we don’t. So Ron explains: To maintain a driving workforce of 6400 “we’re bringing in, in a year, 1.5 times that.” So, over 9600 trainees – new recruits! Brought on board every year! Far out! Hall sees our incredulity and explains: “It sounds high, but keep in mind we’re a training fleet – so a lot of folk we’re bringing in didn’t understand the industry when we brought them in….” Thus they don’t stick around long (US reports confirm that there is a growing industry trend for more drivers to quit new jobs sooner – a staggering 35% lasting less than 90 days!). Even so, it sounds a bit like England is training a lot of drivers for

other carriers. Hall confirms it: “We absolutely are. We could talk at length about our legal position on employment contracts, but it’s a necessary part of that model. We’re not the only large fleet that has a driver training programme….but we have a number of drivers that get poached by other trucking companies, because they know the volume of drivers that we train and the quality of that training programme.” In terms of the cost of doing business, Hall reckons that driver “wages are typically slightly more than 25% of our total expense, fuel is typically slightly less than 25%, and tractor rents, maintenance, and safety are typically between 5% and 10% each.” To improve fuel efficiency, the company has gone to extraordinary lengths – its standard spec including low rolling resistance tyres and auto tyre inflation on the semi-trailers, aero skirts on the side of the trailers and extended fairings over the fuel tanks on the tractor units and behind the cabs, high-efficiency fridge units, the 2.16 to one axle ratio, air-smoothing wheel covers and a 42-inch trailer gap. It also includes ECM settings that restrict engine idling times, when that doesn’t negatively impact driver comfort (meaning idling is okay in extremely low or high temperatures) and locks out manual mode on the AMTs. Again, everything is based on first-hand testing….none of it on assumed manufacturer promises or hype. In fact, says Hall, the company’s fuel efficiency testing programme, which even goes to the extent of running a fuel cell and weighing the fuel for optimal accuracy, discovered during prototype testing of an earlier-model Freightliner that “when there’s a crosswind there’s a significant degradation of fuel economy” – rendering it less fuel efficient than its predecessor. That, says Hall, “blew everybody’s mind!” But DTNA engineers quickly understood that they’d “never tested in the wind tunnel at yaw. All of the fuel economy testing had been done straight-on.” Very quickly, the DTNA wind-tunnel had a platform installed that allowed tractor units to be tested at various angles – “which was great validation for us. “Once their engineers understood our test results, they understood where the opportunity was and they very quickly fixed it and we saw great fuel economy improvement….” England’s decision to lock out manual mode on the AMTs in its Cascadias was made after the introduction of the Detroit DT12 transmission: Initially its drivers could select manual mode, but Hall says, “we found drivers were using it for the power option, not for safety options and so we disabled that.” Also disabled is the AMT’s kickdown function (the Americans call

it pass smart), which gives an extra 3mph (5km/h) for overtaking – “because we found that 80% of the time, it was used in the first 30 minutes of driving. So we had to make some changes there.” Governing top speed to 65mph on cruise, 63 on the pedal aims to “incentivise the driver to use cruise, because it’s more fuel efficient, by giving them an extra 2mph.” About those perforated mudflaps mentioned earlier: They are more expensive than a standard mudflap and in testing the company found that “the ROI (return on investment) did not come in on fuel economy alone.” It was, he adds, around a 0.25% saving. But still the company went ahead and ran perforated flaps on 100 trucks and 100 trailers for a year – “and we found that that ROI was made up with durability.” So they’re now part of the standard spec. Super-single tyres were tried and rejected because they didn’t make the ROI threshold…..for several reasons. That’s even though they “do offer a significant weight advantage.” Doug Kading explains that “they don’t last as long as a dual” … and “they’re highly subject to shoulder damage – so they’re nonretreadable. About 30-40% of the tyres will fail-out before they can be retreaded.” Whereas “we can retread the dual tyres three, four times – as long as they’re not damaged.” There was also an increased risk of workers getting hurt – just from handling the much heavier tyres. The attraction of super singles has also faded in the last five to seven years because of much-improved performance from low rolling resistance duals, he adds. The company trucks don’t carry spare wheels, in part because remote tyre changes reduced the recovery of tyre casings for retreading…and partly too because of the negative aerodynamic (and fuel economy) effect of carrying spares – even when they were tucked away behind removable chassis fairings. Unfortunately, says Hall, the removable fairing sections were also “getting left on the side of the road – so it wasn’t a great option for us.” Experimenting with different gaps between the truck and trailer during fuel economy testing saw the gap reduced to a standardised 42 inches. As he says, “that’s a very precise gap. It keeps us from damaging the cab but also is optimal on fuel economy.” England’s Salt Lake City hometown, in Utah’s “high desert,” is a hilly place to run trucks out of, as Hall details: “If we drive west, we get about 400 miles before we get to a 6% gradient – actually it’s closer to 7% – that persists for probably, I’ll bet 50 miles…across the Sierra range. A long, long harsh grade. “And then if we drive east, we get about 10 miles before we hit Truck & Driver | 63

a 15-mile 6% grade (at Parley’s Canyon), so those two grades are aggressive.” The run up Parley’s Canyon climb is an integral part of the fuel economy testing – along with three runs “on the flat out west…” So far as the current engine ratings go, Hall is delighted with the changes made last year – resulting in the 2.16.1 axle ratio, the 455hp max power and peak torque at 1750 lb ft. This is for trucks running at 80,000 lb all-up (36,287kg). “We love the low axle ratio and the fact that we’re still able to get 455 horse. It took a lot of work by Daimler to get us there. At 65mph the engine’s revving at about 1150rpm.” As Kading says, making this kind of downspeeding possible are the AMTs – “because you have to have driveline protection. With the automated manuals in there, we’ve been able to get more and more and more efficient – and when you compare the 400/1750 to the 455/1750, when you’re running it below 1200rpm, they produce the exact same amount of torque…..and the exact same amount of horsepower when you’re cruising on the flat. “So you still get the same efficiencies between the two ratings when you’re running on flat ground, but as you get into the mountains and you need a little bit more power and slightly more rpm, that’s where the 455...produces more of an ability to climb.” Going up Parley’s Canyon, the 455hp rating means the trucks run at 32mph rather than 28mph at the 400hp setting. Seems you can ask about almost any innovation that might cut the fuel bill, and Englands has already tried it – like trailer tails. Ron Hall bought 1200 of them and put them into service for six months, then did an audit…which found that “38% of the tails were deployed when

they arrived on the yard.” They’re an inconvenience to drivers – to have to close them when they stop somewhere. And there’s a high damage rate from them being backed into loading docks and the like. Solar-powered electric fridge units have been investigated for the reefers, but “don’t allow enough cycle time in between recharges to run cool enough for us….” But the fleet does include six Hyliion diesel/electric hybrid drive units, which use one electric drive axle to supplement the primary diesel-powered driver. Hall says they’re in testing but “they’re not bearing out, so far….. At this point it’s not a technology we would expand.” One of the issues with that, says Kading, is the distances its trucks run: “Our length of hauls are over 1000 miles. Drivers don’t stop….we have teams in a lot of the trucks. We don’t get that battery storage re-energised all the time like you would if you were running shorter distances.” And, surprise, surprise (not)….England has discussed zero emissions trucks with Daimler…and with startups Tesla and Nikola. It also participates in Daimler’s Electric Vehicle Council. But, as Hall sums up: “While we find the concept interesting and will follow the evolution of this technology, it does not yet meet our needs from a range perspective.” So, has all of this fuel-saving research paid off? Has it ever! Spectacularly, you’d have to say, as you gaze upon a Powerpoint slide that Hall shows us, saying as he does: “Just to give you a sense what fuel economy has done for us with our integration with Daimler over the years – back in 2005, our average fuel economy was

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2005) to 3.40km per litre…or from 40.69 litres per 100kms, to 29.33 l/100. Except for a plateau in 2013 and 2014, every year has seen an improvement. One that now amounts to a staggering 38% improvement on that 2005 fuel use figure. And that, of course, amounts to a huge saving in cold, hard cash – considering that CR England’s linehaul fleet currently consumes “between five and six million gallons a month of diesel.” Given that the retail price of diesel in the US has been hovering around $US3.0 per gallon this year, fuel efficiencies of that order are going to be worth many millions to the bottom line. In all of this – despite the ECM measures like the manual shifting and kickdown lockouts and the speed and power limiting to improve fuel efficiency – the driver “still has a ton of influence on it,” says Ron Hall. “A driver controls idle – and idle has a ton of negative impact on fuel economy. In the winter months, we run 22-24% idle. We’re up to 43% idle now that it’s hot and summertime. The fuel economy impact of that is probably a third of a mile per gallon from that increased idle.” The AMTs have seen to it that “the range between a poor performing driver and a good performing driver has shortened.” That’s the result of technology “bringing the low performer up. So the ECM is correcting poor performance from the low performing drivers and narrowing the gap – but a really good performing driver can still do every bit or better than the ECM.” Also saving costs, as well as lives, are the safety specs currently adopted by the company – a suite that takes in enhanced stability control, recently-adopted in-cab video monitoring, disc brakes on the semis (introed last year) and the tractor steer axles (recently added) and ugly (but effective) extra hockey-stick mirrors on the guards. It would add disc brakes on the drive axles as well…except they’re too expensive. However, says Ron Hall, they’re working with DTNA on that. 66 | Truck & Driver

Collision avoidance and lane departure warning come with Freightliner’s Detroit Assurance and ECM settings now allow creep mode and in reverse, low-speed only. For sure, says Hall, collision avoidance/active braking has definitely delivered a reduction in trucks rear-ending vehicles in front – and reduced the severity of those that do still occur. The company’s own experience is that since introducing the system across its fleet, the cost per mile of rear-end accidents has come down from 86 cents in 2008, to 26c currently – a rare downtrend, says Hall, at a time when the cost of most other accident categories is increasing “because of the cost of parts, and the cost of litigation. “In the US, the likelihood you’re going to go to litigation on an accident has increased exponentially.” It is now, he reckons, “out of control….we’re seeing regular six-figure awards.” Just this year, the company has begun installing in-cab video cameras. So far they’re operating in 1400 trucks, but will be installed across the entire fleet. The SmartDrive system’s cameras strictly look forward only – but it does also have a driver-facing fatigue sensor (ready for software now in development). The driver-facing device, Hall stresses, is “not a camera – a sensor. We’re very specific about that because drivers don’t want cameras in the cab and we respect that.” It shows a high level of heed for the drivers’ opinions – none of that old-school “like it or lump it” approach, no dictating that safety comes before driver happiness. Says Hall: “There’s certain decisions you can make with a spec that have a benefit that overrides driver opinion. “But….you have to have a driver in the truck to be able to use the safety technology! So, if the drivers’ response is so overwhelmingly negative, you have to take that into consideration. “And we did a 300-unit test of driver-facing (cameras) and active coaching, and the driver feedback was overwhelmingly negative. The way that we tracked that was through turnover and our turnover for that test group almost doubled! And so we pulled back from the

Above & opposite page, bottom pics and top right: The spec of the Cascadias includes very detailed requirements designed to optimise driverfriendliness, safety, fuel economy and return on investment....and includes aero features including wheel covers and shrouds, extended fairings behind and under the cabs, trailer skirts – even perforated mudflaps! Opposite page, top left: VP of maintenance Doug Kading

driver-facing, driver coaching.” Currently the company provides coaching to drivers when onboard sensors or the SmartDrive forward-facing cameras capture safety events – triggering alerts via the Omnitracs safety management software installed across the fleet. They’re measures that haven’t triggered any strong pushback from drivers, Ron Hall confirms: “Not at all. I think they see it as vindication….” When it comes to maintenance on the trucks, Doug Kading knows to the cent what the maintenance cost per mile is across the fleet – and he’s happy that over the past three years it’s held steady at between 67c and 69c per mile…whereas it was up to 84c and 91c in 2014 and 2015. The 37-month/500,000-mile lifecycle of a CR England truck is determined by a number of factors, as Ron Hall details: “I would say it’s maintenance, warranty and residual value – a combination of those three.” The trucks are all owned by England – but are bought under a guaranteed trade-back price. That means the current average age of the fleet is around 17 months for the linehaul division and around 22-23 months for the day cab bulk division. To protect its huge truck investment the company currently has $US32million invested in warranty coverage. Most of the sleeper cab units are on four-year/500,000mile warranties on engine, chassis and aftertreatment. On the day cabs that’s out to five years and 500,000 miles. Doug Kading details that about 75% of truck servicing is done in the company’s own shops, the rest “at either dealerships or truck stops” when the units fall due out on the road. The 500,000-mile trade-in threshold sits well with the likes of the company’s extended service interval for the AMTs – now out to 500,000 miles. So too is the service interval on the aftertreatment system on the new Cascadias, which means that “we should be able to get all the way through the life of our equipment without having to do a service on the aftertreatment systems,” says Kading. Likewise, the proven lifetime of the tyre pressure management system is around that 500,000-mile mark. (That, by the way, is run on the trailers only…because drivers are very good at checking tractor tyre pressures but “weren’t spending a lot of time checking

trailers.”) Thus a number of major service costs and time off the road requirements are removed from England’s time with the trucks. Interestingly, in the lifetime of its trucks the company doesn’t even routinely do wheel alignments or tyre balancing – “not unless there’s a significant wear issue or a replacement of steering components. That’s the only time we do it.” Every Cascadia in the fleet runs Detroit’s Virtual Technician remote diagnostic system – capable of rapidly providing engine or after treatment system fault alerts and details. CR England is clearly expert at mining the data coming off its trucks and using that to most efficiently, profitably and safely transport freight around the United States. But for all it can control in its own business....it cannot, of course, control outside influences on its business. Like the effects on the US economy of the threat of a US-China trade war, for instance. So, as Ron Hall puts it, “we’ve got some interesting challenges right now with capacity. The US market is over-capacity right now and there’s not quite enough freight to go around. But we’re getting through that, and we’re committed to growth.” The contract freight market has shrunk…while the lower-paying spot rate freight market has expanded. It does, as Hall concedes, put pressure on profitability – prompting measures including “catching up on overdue tractor trades, reducing our internal capacity…so we can shed the bulk of our current spot rate business.” Nevertheless, “our estimated revenue by the end of this year should be $US2billion annually.” CR England in 2019 has, he says, a customer focus, a company growth focus…and a community focus. That last one is all about feeding hungry children: It participates in a foodbank contribution programme, “where every load delivered generates one meal for a hungry child. “Within a couple of months, we will have broken the two million mark, for the number of children that we’ve fed.” It reinforces again that this company doesn’t just talk the talk. That Chad England means it when he says: “We’re not here simply to make a buck every day – it’s about enriching people’s lives. And, as we do that, I think we can expect to see ourselves at the front of the line – leading the way for where this industry goes in the future.” T&D Truck & Driver | 67

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HE FIVE INDUCTEES FOR THE NEW ZEALAND ROAD Transport Hall of Fame for 2019 cover arguably the widest possible span of activities within the industry... From the owner of a fleet that handled all aspects of transport in a rural region, through a logging operator who has helped revolutionise trailer safety, a truck sales executive who oversaw the country’s biggest heavy vehicle assembly operation….. And a former driver and fleet manager who, in retirement, has published a range of books on the history of NZ trucking….to the director of the country’s oldest trailer manufacturer – a man who has overseen extensive innovation in the sector. Four are still alive. The fifth, Transport Wairarapa owner Bill Hargreaves, died in 2004 and his award was accepted by members of his family at the gala dinner held at Invercargill’s Bill Richardson Transport World – the eighth annual award ceremony for the Hall of Fame. Hargreaves was born into trucking. His father owned a transport company in Dannevirke and It was expected that Bill would join the business and eventually take over. However, he wanted to be a teacher and to this end gained a degree at Canterbury University. By the early 1950s the family business had grown from a single-truck operation to three more vehicles and a service station, so he returned home to help out – at the same time buying a truck for his own lime-spreading operation. Not long after, his father fell ill and Bill took over the family firm. Over the next two decades he expanded it significantly, with the purchase of other operators in the Wairarapa and Wellington regions. One of the more significant acquisitions was Transport Wairarapa in Masterton in 1965. This became the head office

for the growing Transport Wairarapa group, which at its peak owned more than 300 road vehicles and employed 150 staff. It ran six depots, in towns as far afield as Napier and Petone, as well as a truck parts business in Palmerston North. Services included stock cartage, freight, school and mail runs, fertiliser spreading, wool cartage and bulk fuel delivery (as an agent for Atlantic Oil). In 1989 a new company, Fuel Line Distributors, was formed to distribute fuel to farms and some commercial resellers in the region. In the early 1990s the company hit cashflow problems and was placed in receivership. However, it was able to trade out and repay all debt by selling most of its assets, except for properties in Masterton and Dannevirke. Today it’s a property investment company run by Bill’s daughter and her siblings. During his career Bill was extensively involved with the Road Transport Association, filling several executive posts at both regional and national level, and in retirement served a term on the Masterton District Council. Gavin Abbot’s love of trucks extends back to his very earliest years – he even had drawings of trucks in his children’s prayer book! Born and raised in Opotiki, he left school at 15 to train as an apprentice motor mechanic with a local workshop. During his apprenticeship, he also worked part-time on the weekends helping out a local transport operator, Ron Smith Ltd. And, as soon as he gained his trade certificate, it was off to the same company to work as a fulltime driver. He was to stay with the business for his entire working career, driving for around six years before moving into the workshop. There his mechanical skills were put to good use during the 1960s when the company expanded into log cartage. Among his projects was the conversion of one of the fleet’s Leyland Beavers into a logger. The deck was removed, a swivel bolster Truck & Driver | 69

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Above: Mark McCarthy receives his Hall of Fame award from event founder Scott O’Donnell

Top left: McCarthy, pictured at work 18 years ago. He’s worked in the family firm since he left school Left: Mack stalwart Murray Sowerby receives his award from O’Donnell

fitted and the spare wheel was mounted on the front bumper to help with front-axle loading. During this period, Gavin also designed the country’s first self-steering double-axle trailer, which had an extended pole sliding through a box section on the turntable of the front axle. Relatively early on in his time with the company he became a shareholder and his stake increased after Ron Smith Ltd changed its name to Direct Transport. He continued as East Coast area manager until he retired in 1985. It was then that what you could call his “real career” fully hit its straps, with the restoration of around 30 historic trucks and the publication of nine books on the history of road transport in the central North Island. A lifetime of taking photographs of trucks and collecting memorabilia has seen him amass a unique resource, and he is nationally recognised as a leading authority on the history of road transport in NZ. Gavin is a member of vintage truck associations in the United Kingdom, USA and Australia, and has been a member of the American Truck Historical Society for more than 30 years. Mark McCarthy has been a key player in the log transport

industry for the better part of the past 40 years. McCarthy Transport’s head office might be in Whanganui, but at different times its operations have spanned Northland to Southland...and many points between. Currently McCarthy’s and its associated companies employ more than 240 staff and annually shift around 2.2 million tonnes of logs. That alone is enough to ensure significant status in the industry, but Mark’s work on improved safety in the logging sector has been even more impressive. A founding member of the Log Transport Safety Council, he drove the development of a drop-chassis trailer design that has contributed significantly to a reduction in rollover crashes and has since become an industry standard. After leaving school, Mark joined the family firm – set up by his father and uncle in 1948 to cart sawn native timber from a mill in the Waimarino Forest to the railhead at Erua. In 1959 this expanded into log cartage as well. The formation of McCarthy Wilshier Transport in the 1980s marked a major expansion of the company’s activities. The partnership between McCarthy and Warwick Wilshier was set up to service the McAlpines Timber sawmill in North Canterbury. Truck & Driver | 71

Murray also played a big part in the development of the 685hp Mack Superliner 8x4 Mark took sole control of MWT in 1988 and expanded its operations into Nelson, carting for CHH Forests. That company was sold in 2003, but in the meantime McCarthy Transport had expanded into several other areas, among them acquisitions in Northland, the Wairarapa and Southland. Mark’s transport interests haven’t been confined solely to logging. He is a silent partner in heavy haulage specialist Tranzcarr, and in 2000 travelled to Mexico with Tranzcarr managing director Dave Carr to purchase the trailers needed for the relocation of the ironsands plant at Taharoa, recalling the exercise as a real highlight. Modest though NZ assembly of heavy vehicles might be by world standards, it has been responsible for the development of layouts unique to this country...and a man who for many years has been at the heart of this activity is Murray Sowerby. In a near 40-year career with Palmerston North-based Motor

Truck Distributors, he has overseen several such projects…all for the Mack brand. They included the first tri-drive heavy duty model for offhighway logging and the development of the Mack Qantum 8x4 specifically for the local market. Murray also played a big part in the development of the 685hp Mack Superliner 8x4 – at the time the most powerful conventional highway truck available in the world. His path to general manager of MTD was a relatively roundabout one. Born and raised in Feilding, he began his working life on the family farm, but soon realised this wasn’t quite the life for him and moved to a local cropping operation, where he gained experience on tractors and harvesters before gaining his HT licence and progressing to truck driving. Shifting to a local transport operator, he began an 11-year driving career, though in 1975 this was interrupted by an

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A Right: The late Bill Hargreaves’ family receive his award from Scott O’Donnell

Below, left: Since his “retirement” from a career in trucking, Gavin Abbot has restored 30 historic trucks, written nine books about trucking in NZ and become the go-to man for NZ road transport history Below right: All of the award winners gather on-stage at the Awards

18-month spell spent owning a local dairy, before he returned to the road. Then, in early 1981, a chance meeting with the local Mack Trucks sales manager led to Murray making a career shift, becoming a salesman with MTD in its used truck yard. This progressed to overseeing new Mack sales for the Manawatu and Wellington regions, then through national sales manager and eventually to general manager for the company – a role that included running the Mack CKD assembly operation in Palmerston North. Murray is renowned in the industry for his loyalty to the Mack and Volvo brands, and his commitment to outstanding aftermarket support. He has also been an enthusiastic supporter of a range of industry organisations, and in recognition of this, last year was awarded honorary membership of the NZ Heavy Haulage Association. He retired from MTD in June this year. In common with fellow 2019 inductees Mark McCarthy and Bill Hargreaves, Paul Currie’s career has been primarily involved with a family firm – in his case the Christchurchbased Trailer Manufacturing Company (TMC) founded by his father in 1948. However, it hasn’t been a lifelong path: On leaving school Paul completed an apprenticeship as a tool and die maker with a local company. Finishing his trade training, he took a year off to go hunting – spending time deer culling for the Department 74 | Truck & Driver

of Conservation. During this time he also took a course in taxidermy and started mounting animals and trophy heads, many of which he then sold. He is still keenly interested in hunting. Another lifelong recreation passion has been boating – from the P-Class yachting of his childhhood through 17 years of jetboat racing as an adult. Following his year of hunting, Paul spent the next three years as a marine engineer with Lyttelton boatbuilders Sinclair Melbourne before, in 1973, finally joining TMC. Two years later he became a joint shareholder with his father. During his time at the helm, the company has achieved many significant milestones, including two shifts to successively larger purposebuilt premises and, in 2015, the establishment of a service and repair workshop in Auckland. In 1972 the company built its 1000th trailer. Last year, the tally was out to 4000. Other highlights have included NZ’s first gullwing truck and trailer unit (1988), the best manufacturing award at the Hamilton transport show for its aerodynamic semitrailer (1989) and gaining the NZ and South Pacific sales, manufacturing and servicing rights for Steelbro sidelifters (2013). In his earliest years with TMC, Paul ran the workshop during the day and on nights and weekends at home used an old drawing machine to design trailers. He contrasts that with the AutoCAD and finite element analysis software that’s standard today. T&D

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Going the Extra Mile Truck & Driver | 75

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OUT OF AMERICA

Demo truck does two laps with the older Cabmate suspension, then the new ROI version. The difference is astounding

ELECTRONIC AIR FORCE

Story & photos North American correspondent Steve Sturgess

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Benz nz -Benz

HE PIONEER (AND SELF-PROCLAIMED WORLD leader) in truck cab air suspensions reckons it’s now come up with another revolutionary advance in cab ride comfort. Link Manufacturing, which recently celebrated the production of its two millionth Cabmate air suspension, has now unveiled a newgeneration Cabmate with electronic damping control. Electronic sensing and control enables the real-time adjustment of damper settings – using magneto-rheological (MR) shock absorbers, refreshed 200 times per second – to lessen the amplitude of severe road disturbances. This includes driving on rough gravel roads (or offroad), negotiating railway tracks at speed, driving on old concrete pavement or similarly poor tarmac roads – any surfaces, in fact, that cause the transmission of repeated road shocks to the driver. Link says that Cabmate was the first cab air suspension for North American Class 7 and Class 8 trucks – introduced back in 1980. It says that Cabmate is now “THE standard in premium cab suspensions” and the company these days supplies “more OEM cab suspensions than anyone else in the world.”

It produced one million Cabmates in 28 years….but has taken only another 11 years to reach the two million mark. As part of Link’s new Road Optimised Innovation (ROI) product line, the new Cabmate ROI is a significant rethink of truck cab airride – the first in nearly 40 years for the company. The new Cabmate ROI still uses the same basic layout of two air springs, each with an associated shock absorber, a height-sensing air valve and a crossover Panhard rod to locate the cab side-to-side. But there is a big change to the shock absorbers – with both ZF and Lord MR units shown off at the launch – in that they are now electronically adjusted to anything between a soft ride to a much stiffer ride…. This according to signals from an accelerometer on the cab attachment bracket and an electronic ride height sensor that also reports to the control unit in the new package. The Cabmate ROI is a development of MR shock absorbers already developed to tune passenger car ride according to road conditions and to react extremely quickly to change the characteristics of the MR fluid. Truck & Driver | 77

Left to right, from above: A new Mack Anthem from Ohio operator Ploger features Link’s lift-axle suspension... The older Cabmate suspension will remain in production and will continue to be offered by North American truckmakers as a standard suspension, while the new electronic ROI will be an option – at around $NZ3170... .Link’s new Cabmate ROI cab air suspension features magneto-rheological electronic shock absorbers that adjust 200 times a second

The resistance in the shock absorber varies over a wide range instead of the linear performance of a standard shock absorber. By this means, Link is able to make the suspension reactive to the accelerometer and ride height inputs. As well as improving the overall cab ride for the driver, the new cab suspension is better able to isolate the cab structure and its increasingly complex electrical systems from severe or fatiguing road shocks. Another side benefit is that the electronic height control means a lot less air is consumed as pressure is added and relieved by the cab suspension airbags. While Link is making no fuel economy claims for the new ROI product, it should result in less air compressor runtime, lowering the load on the accessory drive and contributing to vehicle fuel savings. At the launch, representatives from several fleets are present – Joel Morrow, the technology guru and lead driver at Ohio’s Ploger Transportation; Captain Fausto Velazquez, the boss of Mexico City-based Solutiones Logisticas Integrales; and a driver from Minnesota’s Valley Transportation, Charles McPherson. Each of them has had experience with ready-for-production Cabmate ROI retrofits on demo trucks in their fleets. Morrow, a highly articulate and much-quoted expert on creative speccing, sees the Link ROI Cabmate having significant potential to address driver retention. And he believes he can make a driver retention and equipment life improvement case for the $US2000 (roughly $NZ3170) cost that the new system will likely add to the price of a new truck. Velazquez says his four demonstration systems are operating on the toughest transportation loop in his system – from Mexico City to 78 | Truck & Driver

Tijuana, near the United States border, south of California. This is a very tough route with a 7400-foot (2255-metre) elevation change, on extremely rough highways, and his demo cab suspensions have already clocked-up 345,000 miles (555,200 kilometres) – with drivers so happy they don’t want to give up their trucks. And to date he’s seen no durability or maintenance issues. Valley Transportation’s driver McPherson says he won’t gladly give up his demo unit either – and Morrow confirms that’s his experience as well. He too believes that the smoother ride will help in driver retention and will probably pay back within the 12-month period he wants to see when investing in any new technology. Morrow makes an interesting point about the better isolation during engine off/engine on events when a driver is sleeping. The cab shake when starting or stopping the big truck diesel is often enough to wake the driver. With the ROI system, much of this goes away, he says. Link’s plan is to offer the new Cabmate ROI through truckmakers as an option to the standard cab suspension, which is – most often – a Cabmate air-ride, engineered in association with each OEM. But it’s likely that first there will be aftermarket retrofit package kits available for installation in existing working trucks – the install taking only a few hours. Link says it hopes to keep the option price under $US2000 but the final pricing is set by each OEM. Morrow puts the cost of recruiting and training a new driver into the Ploger system as north of $US15,000 ($NZ23,750) so he thinks he can make a strong argument to step up to the additional cost

Link’s plan is to offer the new Cabmate ROI through truckmakers as an option to the standard cab suspension, which is – most often – a Cabmate air-ride.... to gain the much higher performance and driver preference of the Cabmate ROI cab suspension. To demonstrate the level of improvement offered by the new cab suspension system, Link sets up a ride ‘n’ drive adjacent to its Sioux Centre, Iowa, production plant. Included in the relatively short route are four or five extremely rough railway crossings and we careen across them at speeds no driver would contemplate – first with the existing Cabmate on a 579 Peterbilt that’s Link’s test mule….. Then again with the same truck – but with the new system having been installed during a lunch break. The difference is extraordinary. On one particularly rough crossing, the earlier Cabmate suspension bottoms out….then tops out in a bounce that causes the driver’s seat to go from full deflection downwards to full extension upwards. Riders in the sleeper are tossed about unmercifully. The Cabmate ROI excels in eliminating the upward travel after the crossing – making a major improvement to the experience. Some expansion-strip concrete pavement and repaired asphalt roadway also show off a significant performance improvement for the new product. During a laboratory tour we see a neat confirmation of the realworld demonstrations we’ve experienced: Test fixtures pounding the suspensions on the bench are switched off and on to demonstrate the difference in the amplitude of the motion of the cab. Over simulated regular road surface, the cab doesn’t move at all. Link also takes the opportunity during the press visit to show some of the other products in its suspensions range, including the unique 6x2 setup developed with Volvo and currently available

on Volvo VN and Mack Anthem highway models in North America. Unlike the usual 6x2 with a lifting third (tag) axle, the Link/Volvo design lifts the second axle, thus leaving the rear axle as the driver. Joel Morrow has been involved in the development of this configuration as Ploger has been running 6x2s since 1968 – albeit with lifting tags, until Volvo introduced the unique drive back in 2014. Morrow says that done right, the Link/Volvo 6x2 involves no compromises, but delivers savings of 300 to 400 pounds (136-181 kilograms) in weight, plus low maintenance and superior traction through electronic controls than a 6x4. It is 3-5% more fuel efficient and also more stable in poor weather conditions, since lifting the mid-axle stretches the wheelbase out. Morrow also says that tyre wear is lower with this configuration, with savings on the lifting axle and the steer axle, as the tyre is more often working at its design load. Another highlight of the show and tell is the tandem walking beam suspension, which can be specified up to 85,000 pounds (38.5 tonne). Its advantage is that it has the ruggedness and roll resistance of a traditional walking beam.....with the soft ride of an air spring. For truckers demanding the ultimate off-highway suspension, Link also offers its Triton axle suspension – a tri-axle suspension able to support 105,000 pounds (48 tonnes). The Triton can be found working in the Alaskan Baffin Island iron ore mines. The axles are unique, with either Meritor or Sisu planetary axles. The suspension has plus or minus four inches (10.16 centimetres) of travel and can be used as a trailer suspension. T&D Truck & Driver | 79

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THE GREAT AMERICAN TRUCKING SHOW 2019

FEATURE

GATS’ CUSTOM DELIVERY Story & photos Rod Simmonds

HEY SAY EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS AND THE annual Great American Trucking Show delivers on that promise. Over 50,000 vistors register for this year’s three-day Dallas show, which features over 500 exhibitors….plus the all-important Pride & Polish custom truck show.

Now, Dallas is well known, of course, for being at the heart of USA’s oil industry – but no-one at GATS is showing alternative fuels, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, hybrid trucks, autonomous trucks…or any other future technologies for that matter. And that’s just how everyone here likes it! There is though an obvious emphasis on driver recruitment

Main pic, below left & below centre: Kwiturbitchin is a classic Texas-style custom truck – a 2007 Peterbilt 379 owned by local Daren Click’s American Eagle Exhaust. Sensational detailing, big Texas bumper, long wheelbase and pre-emissions Cat crate engine are finished off with a stunning interior – including genuine leather upholstery and a high-rise gearstick Below right: Whitewalls feature on Texan Darrell Caldwell Jr’s 1989 White Freightliner

Truck & Driver | 81

– and, more importantly, driver retention – with over 250 recruitment and fleet operations tempting would-be drivers with cash sign-on deals, additional medical benefits (a big deal and big cost in USA)….even gym memberships! It’s reported that there is a shortage of over 60,000 drivers in the States, but with driver turnover at some places at 80%, the true figure is probably twice that. The major fleets have over 10% of their trucks sitting idle – so whatever they can do to get the growing freight volume moving they will. For the small group of Kiwis visiting GATS the temptation to sign on (if only US immigration would allow!) was enticing. GATS is a custom truck show (the Mid America Trucking Show in March each year and the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in October, are more the new truck expos), so there’s only a small selection of new trucks that intermingle with many classic glider kits, restored oldtimers and supplier show trucks showcasing a

82 | Truck & Driver

myriad of customising products. Many have been stripped back to bare chassis rails, had transplanted pre-emissions control new crate engines installed and have been customised and finished to such a high standard you’d be forgiven for thinking they’ve never been driven on the roads. A good many trucks are rebuilt glider kits – a means by which all the current emissions compliance standards can be avoided. They feature the likes of the C15 Cats and older Cummins Signature engines, twin-stick manual transmissions, and highspeed diffs. Speed limiting on them is optional – but most are still good for 100-120mph….yes that’s MILES per hour! But the main attraction here is always the Pride & Polish competition, with over 100 heavily customised and polished trucks and trailers….demonstrating simply stunning presentation.

Above: Classy Louisiana-based Peterbilt is not even part of the show – its owner is just taking advantage of the free truck parking available during the show….in a city where security is highly valued Opposite page, clockwise from top left: 2015 Kenworth W900 special edition, Black Cherry, runs pre-emissions CAT C15 550..... 1988 Freightliner FLT pays tribute to US servicemen killed or missing in action.... 2019 Peterbilt 389 out of Iowa catches the eye.... 1980 International Transtar cabover restored by a local rural carrier – to better than original condition!.....one of many heavily chromed and painted old-school engines that boast amazing detailing....wild steam punk-style rat rods get a separate demo area at the show for the first time. In the front is a 1942 International, with Rusty Girl, a ‘47 Chev, behind

Truck & Driver | 83

The large group of judges have an unenviable task of deciding on the winners – working off a detailed and structured checklist, including a 20-minute on-camera interview with the owners, full truck histories, their work duties, operating conditions and the level of customising. Thorough under-chassis inspections are also part of the criteria – along with inspecting wheel drums, braking systems and suspensions. One poor competitor has only fitted polished wheels on the outside of the duals due to time constraints. Suffice to say he/she won’t be doing that again! For the Kiwis visiting for the first time the friendliness and honesty of the locals is a highlight – along with the country music shows, the IRT TV stars and the myriad of exhibitors. It all comes together as a fantastic Texas trucking experience. T&D

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National Road Carriers

Huge thanks to our certifying engineers

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ATIONAL ROAD CARRIERS ASSOCIATION WOULD LIKE TO give a huge vote of thanks to heavy vehicle specialist certifying engineers, who make an outstanding contribution to our industry – keeping our trucks and trailers safe on the road. We have a national shortage of certifying engineers, exacerbated when the New Zealand Transport Agency had to issue safety alerts for work certified by suspended engineers – and consequently revoked certifications of Peter Wastney in the South Island and Patrick Chu in Auckland in 2018. Some certifying engineers are working 16-hour days, seven days a week to try to clear the backlog, but it is going to take time to resolve the issue. So, as a truck operator, when you ring around to find a certifier, please be patient because they are doing the best they can, under trying circumstances. They are very aware of the role they play to keep your business operating. Kelvin Barclay, who runs Kelbar Engineering Design and Certification in Wellington, and also serves as the executive officer of Heavy Vehicle Engineers (HVE) – a technical group of Engineering NZ – says certifying engineers all around the country are doing long days…especially in Auckland. Kelvin says there are about 100 engineering certifiers in the country – and that, he estimates, may be 60% of the number required. HVE and NZTA are working on plans to resolve the issue. A just-completed HVE survey of members shows some are considering retiring early because of stress. The survey finds that certifiers are working 55 hours per week on average. Certifiers are not easy to replace – needing three to five years of tertiary engineering study, followed by another five to six years of mentoring from experienced practitioners and passing NZTA exams to become a competent certifier. Husband and wife Jousef Abraham and Lina Simrin run TranzEC, a heavy vehicle certifying consultancy in Blockhouse Bay, near where Patrick Chu’s business was located. Jousef and Lina both hold Master of Engineering degrees with first class honours from the University of Auckland. Jousef says the workload was very high even before Chu was suspended. By September 2018 Auckland lost several public consulting certifiers due to death, retirement or moving away from the city. As a result, the number of public service consulting engineers in Auckland is about half the number it was four years ago. Jousef says that the number of calls requesting service peaked at almost a call every two minutes. He says client expectations and requirements are best met by explaining

By David Aitken, CEO of National Road Carriers Association the service. The certification process is not just to match a structure to the prescribed code, but is a method of optimising safety, cost and efficiency. Kelvin Barclay says the difference between certification and a certificate of fitness is often misunderstood: “Everyone is used to taking vehicles to a testing station, but certifiers nearly always go to client sites, where we take measurements and photos for a design review to assess whether structures comply with rules and standards. “A small job like a towing connection will typically take one and a half to three hours – but longer if it has been revoked, as you need to check very carefully. Bigger jobs like a crane mount can take a full day.” Jousef says the stress of long hours – 8am until at least 11.30pm every day, with lunch eaten on the go, seven days a week – takes a physical and mental toll. But he is very aware of the importance of certifiers to the industry and to the livelihoods of small and medium-size operators. “If we don’t attend to these jobs, we push operators to the edge, because they can’t run their businesses. One truck off the road might cost thousands of dollars a day. That is a big loss of income for a small fleet.” Heavy vehicle certification is a specialised field. The good news is young people are coming through, but it is going to take years to relieve the pressure. Jousef says becoming a certifying engineer is not an attractive career option for everyone: “Engineers are looking for a future where they can climb the ladder. Most public certifying engineers are sole operators who can’t provide those career pathways due to the nature of the job. Hopefully, the industry will evolve to handle this challenge.” Please understand the pressure certifying engineers are working under and be patient. They are doing everything they can to clear the backlog and keep our vehicles safe on the road. T&D Truck & Driver | 87

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The under-investment in roads is going to catch up with us...and it will end up costing the country more

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It’s time to rethink our roading investment I T SEEMS AN ALMOST DAILY OCCURRENCE THAT WE READ THAT less money is being spent on roads and more is being spent on rail and other forms of transport…like cycling. This is not to say that we don’t need a diverse investment in all transport modes, but it would seem that the lack of proposed future investment in roads and the current obvious cutback in maintenance is going to have a very serious impact for the industry – and, obviously, on the economy. The state of our roads at the present time is alarming. I see weekly and sometimes daily evidence that our main road network, including the state highway network, is breaking up and degrading to a point that it is having a serious impact on vehicle maintenance and repair costs. This is on top of the impact of unsuitable roads. We need to consider seriously what the potential for road safety and the risk of more crashes will be, due to poor surface maintenance if roads are left in this state. I agree that there is a good argument for investment in parts of the rail network that can be shown to be the most effective transport investment. These are few, but nevertheless they should be considered. The investment proposed for Northland and the “golden triangle” is questionable, particularly if it’s designed to move significant freight from road to rail as a serious economic benefit. I think we need to be much more evidence-based when coming up with these ideas. There are clearly parts of the rail network that could work, like the line from Dunedin to Port Chalmers and from Rolleston to the Port of Lyttleton. There seems to be a benefit from both: They appear to be plausible, they can deal with getting freight through congested networks, and they can reduce freight truck movements. They may not necessarily cost less, but the total social costs may be beneficial. Regarding rail, the rest of the proposed investment seems to be a romantic vision that’s somewhere between Thomas the Tank Engine and steam-punk thinking!

By Road Transport Association NZ chief executive Dennis Robertson

By comparison, road transport is not going to stop anytime soon. Not only is 90%-plus of the tonnage carried by trucks…by 2050 (even given a small growth projection), we will need 3040% more truck movements on the network, just to keep up with demand. Clearly, the road network is deteriorating, and the investment needed to fix this is tagged for other things – and this needs to be challenged. So, what will this mean for the roading network? This underinvestment will catch up with us and it will cost more in the long run. We continue to grow Auckland and this growth makes this city a transport nightmare in need of a very large investment. Because we are an export-driven economy that needs transport to take product from source to port, to plate or plant, the rest of the country needs investment too. It’s time to pinch yourself and look at the state of our roads and invest, but not in a silly way like the current proposal to reduce a portion of the proposed Manawatu replacement highway from four to two lanes….to admire the ecological and natural beauty of the region by slowing down traffic. With so many potholes in the road and no real investment, truck drivers will have to negotiate this crumbling road and in doing so they will miss the view altogether. T&D Truck & Driver | 89

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Auckland’s Pyramid Trucking has put three new Kenworth T610 SAR tractor units on the road, working nationwide in front of Fruehauf sixaxle B-trains. The 6x4s have Cummins X15 engines with 600 horsepower and 2050 lb ft peak torque, Eaton UltraShift Plus automated manual transmissions and Meritor RT46-160GP diffs on Kenworth Airglide 460 suspension. They have a safety suite including adaptive cruise control, active collision avoidance braking and lane departure warning.

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EW ZEALAND’S NEW TRUCK MARKET continued to be strong in September – staying ahead of last year’s sales. The month saw 514 registrations of heavy trucks above 4.5 tonnes GVM, compared to 476 in September 2018. That carried the year-to-date total sales at the end of September to 4086, compared to last year’s 3965. The trailer market’s 129 registrations for the month was on par with last year, but the 1164 YTD total after the first nine months lagged a long way behind the 1312 regos at the same point in 2018. In the overall heavy truck market (above 4.5t GVM), Isuzu extended its lead, with 111 September registrations pushing its YTD total out to 920, well ahead of secondplaced FUSO (646/83), with Hino (545/56) third. Mercedes-Benz had a strong month with 59 registrations,

taking its 2019 total to 305, for fourth place – ahead of Volvo (240/23), Kenworth (222/18), Iveco (210/32), DAF (201/28), UD (194/21) and Scania (167/35)….the YTD places of the top 13 unchanged from last month. In the 3.5-4.5t GVM crossover segment, Fiat increased its YTD total to 183, with 25 for the month. MercedesBenz (58/6) was next, way ahead of Ford (24/1) and Chevrolet (24/3), tied for third. In the 4.5-7.5t GVM division, the top six held their places, with FUSO (285/41), further edging ahead of Isuzu (247/33), Mercedes-Benz (159/35), Iveco (116/14) and Hino (96/7). In the 7.5-15t GVM segment, Isuzu (385/50) extended its dominant lead, while Hino (181/20) retained second over FUSO (168/24). The rest of the top 10 was unchanged,

(continued on page 94)

Truck & Driver | 91

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23,001kg-max GVM 2019

2019 Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO MERCEDES-BENZ VOLVO KENWORTH IVECO DAF UD SCANIA MAN SINOTRUK FOTON MACK FREIGHTLINER HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN INTERNATIONAL FIAT WESTERN STAR RAM CAMC OTHER Total

Vol 920 646 545 305 240 222 210 201 194 167 85 75 61 47 46 34 28 22 14 12 6 3 3 4086

% 22.5 15.8 13.3 7.5 5.9 5.4 5.1 4.9 4.7 4.1 2.1 1.8 1.5 1.2 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 100.00

Vol 111 83 56 59 23 18 32 28 21 35 9 4 8 9 7 5 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 514

September % 21.6 16.1 10.9 11.5 4.5 3.5 6.2 5.4 4.1 6.8 1.8 0.8 1.6 1.8 1.4 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 100.00

Vol 25 6 1 3 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 43

September % 58.1 14.0 2.3 7.0 7.0 2.3 4.7 2.3 2.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.00

Vol 41 33 35 14 7 7 1 4 2 1 145

September % 28.3 22.8 24.1 9.7 4.8 4.8 0.7 2.8 1.4 0.7 100.00

3501-4500kg GVM 2019 Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ FORD CHEVROLET PEUGEOT RENAULT LDV IVECO VOLKSWAGEN TOYOTA FUSO NISSAN Total

Vol 183 58 24 24 22 19 15 6 5 3 2 1 362

% 50.6 16.0 6.6 6.6 6.1 5.2 4.1 1.7 1.4 0.8 0.6 0.3 100.00

4501-7500kg GVM 2019 Brand FUSO ISUZU MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO HINO FOTON VOLKSWAGEN HYUNDAI FIAT RAM Total

Vol 285 247 159 116 96 47 28 24 14 6 1022

% 27.9 24.2 15.6 11.4 9.4 4.6 2.7 2.3 1.4 0.6 100.00

2019 Vol 385 181 168 38 30 14 13 8 6 1 3 847

% 45.5 21.4 19.8 4.5 3.5 1.7 1.5 0.9 0.7 0.1 0.4 100.00

Vol 50 20 24 3 6 1 2 1 1 0 0 108

September % 46.3 18.5 22.2 2.8 5.6 0.9 1.9 0.9 0.9 0.0 0.0 100.00

15,001-20,500kg GVM 2019 Brand HINO UD FUSO ISUZU SCANIA IVECO MERCEDES-BENZ SINOTRUK DAF MAN VOLVO CAMC Total

Vol 68 42 38 23 16 11 12 9 6 5 2 1 233

% 29.2 18.0 16.3 9.9 6.9 4.7 5.2 3.9 2.6 2.1 0.9 0.4 100.00

Vol 8 6 5 5 3 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 33

September % 24.2 18.2 15.2 15.2 9.1 3.0 9.1 3.0 0.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 100.00

20,501-23,000kg GVM 2019 Brand HINO FUSO UD ISUZU SCANIA DAF MAN SINOTRUK IVECO Total

Vol 27 12 11 4 3 1 1 1 1 61

% 44.3 19.7 18.0 6.6 4.9 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 100.00

% 13.6 12.3 11.5 9.8 9.0 7.7 7.4 6.3 5.4 4.1 3.4 2.7 2.4 2.4 1.1 0.6 0.1 0.1 100.00

Vol 23 23 18 27 20 31 13 19 12 8 3 10 9 7 1 1 0 0 225

September % 10.2 10.2 8.0 12.0 8.9 13.8 5.8 8.4 5.3 3.6 1.3 4.4 4.0 3.1 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.0 100.00

Vol 14 10 12 9 8 10 5 4 3 2 1 3 3 3 1 0 0 0 2 5 0 1 5 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 19 129

September % 10.9 7.8 9.3 7.0 6.2 7.8 3.9 3.1 2.3 1.6 0.8 2.3 2.3 2.3 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.6 3.9 0.0 0.8 3.9 0.0 0.0 0.8 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.8 0.8 0.0 14.7 100.00

Trailers

7501-15,000kg GVM Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO UD IVECO FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ HYUNDAI DAF VOLVO OTHER Total

Vol 261 237 222 188 173 148 143 121 103 79 65 52 47 46 22 12 2 2 1923

Vol 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3

September % 33.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 33.3 100.000

2019 Brand Vol PATCHELL 143 MTE 98 FRUEHAUF 89 ROADMASTER 88 DOMETT 79 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 79 TMC 78 TRANSFLEET 46 TES 43 JACKSON 32 FREIGHTER 24 EVANS 20 HAMMAR 20 MILLS-TUI 19 KRAFT 18 MAKARANUI 17 NEWZELOHR 15 CWS 15 FAIRFAX 15 MAXICUBE 15 TIDD 12 TANKER ENGINEERING 12 MTC 11 CHIEFTAIN 8 HTS 6 KOROMIKO 6 WAIMEA 6 MORGAN 5 MD ENGINEERING 5 WARREN 5 SEC 5 LUSK 5 ADAMS & CURRIE 5 COWAN 5 PTE 5 LOWES 4 TEO 4 GUY NORRIS 4 IDEAL 4 DOUGLAS 4 WARNER 3 OTHERS 87 Total 1164

% 12.3 8.4 7.6 7.6 6.8 6.8 6.7 4.0 3.7 2.7 2.1 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 7.5 100.00

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Taumarunui’s Ruapehu Hiab Transport has bought a new Isuzu F TR 750L 4x2 crane truck to work around the central North Island, mostly carrying skip bins and farm supplies. It has a 260hp engine, a six-speed transmission and spring suspension, with a six-metre flatdeck and a refurbished Palfinger crane.

Brand ISUZU VOLVO KENWORTH DAF HINO SCANIA FUSO MERCEDES-BENZ UD MAN SINOTRUK IVECO MACK FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR CAMC HYUNDAI Total

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92 | Truck & Driver

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Takaka-based Sollys Contractors has put this new Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2646K/36 6x4 tipper to work, primarily around the Golden Bay region. It has a 460hp engine and a Transport Engineering Southland Hardox steel tipper body.

(continued from page 91) with UD (38/3) fourth, ahead of Iveco (30/6), Foton (14/1) and Mercedes-Benz (13/2). In the 15-20.5t GVM division, Hino (68/8) continued to lead YTD, while UD (42/6) held off FUSO (38/5) for second place. Isuzu (23/5) and Scania (16/3) completed the top five. In the tiny 20.5-23t segment, Hino (27/1) held first spot, with FUSO (12/1) and UD (11/0) a very close second and third. Isuzu (4/0) and Scania (3/1) retained their positions with Iveco (1/0) entering the segment. In the premium 23t to maximum GVM division, Scania pulled off a big month, with 31 registrations – rating it No. 1 for September and taking its YTD total to 148, moving up to sixth at FUSO’s expense (in the only change to the order in the top 10). Isuzu, with 23 regos for the month, pushed its 2019 total out to 267 – holding its YTD lead margin on second-placed Volvo (237/23), with Southpac sister brands Kenworth (222/18) and DAF (188/27) next, ahead of Hino (173/20). Behind sixth-placed Scania (148/31) came FUSO (143/13), Mercedes-Benz (121/19), UD (103/12) and MAN (79/8) – rounding out the top 10. While trailer market leader Patchell moved further ahead 94 | Truck & Driver

of its rivals – best for the month with 14 registrations and extending its YTD total out to 143 – the contest was hotting up behind it for the rest of the top seven places. MTE (98/10) held second, but Fruehauf (89/12) overtook Roadmaster (88/9) for third – by just one trailer. Transport Trailers (79/10) joined Domett (79/8) for fifth-equal – just one ahead of TMC (78/5). Transfleet (46/4), TES (43/3) and Jackson (32/2) completed the top 10. An analysis of this year’s performances in the overall (4.5t-plus GVM) truck market to the end of the third quarter, in comparison with each of the past four years, unsurprisingly finds that FUSO has been the biggest winner – its market share jumping from 10.5% in 2016 to 15.8% this year. Other improvers have been Mercedes-Benz (up from a 4.2% share to 7.5%), Kenworth (4.2% to 5.4%), DAF (5.3% to 5.7%), Volvo (5.4% to 5.9%), Iveco (3.9% to 5.1%), Scania (3.2% to 4.1%) and Foton (0.6% to 1.5%). Of the 11 that lost share, market leader Isuzu went from 28.3% in 2016 to 22.5% this year, Hino dropped from 16.7% to 13.3% and UD from 5.8% to 4.7%. MAN (3.4% to 2.1%), Mack (1.6% to 1.2%) and Freightliner (2.2% to 1.1%) also saw fading shares. T&D

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Pukekohe’s Counties Bulk Haulage has put this new International 9870 low roof sleeper tipper unit to work, carting soil, sand, rock and scoria around the North Island. The 6x4 has a 600hp Cummins engine, an Eaton UltraShift AMT and RT46160GP diffs with disc brakes, plus super singles on the steer axle. It has a Transfleet bin and pulls a matching five-axle trailer.

www.trt.co.nz

Gisborne’s Storm Haulage has put this new Kenworth T659 8x4 logger to work in the region. Shane Crawford drives the new unit, which has a Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton UltraShift AMT and Meritor 46-160s (with full locks) on Airglide 460 suspension. It has Alcoa Dura Bright alloy wheels, Meritor disc brakes, a BroLube automatic greasing system and Big Foot central tyre inflation. Patchell fitted the truck with its logging gear and built the five-axle multi trailer.

Trev’s Trucking Services in Blenheim has this new Iveco Eurocargo ML160 sleeper cab doing vehicle breakdown recovery work around the Nelson/Marlborough region. The 4x2 has a 280hp Tector engine, a nine-speed manual gearbox and a Meritor MS10-164 lockable diff. It also has a custombuilt sliding transporter deck, a hydraulic winch, air suspension and alloy wheels. Truck & Driver | 95

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Brian and Janelle Gattsche’s Shannon Bulk Haulage has this Kenworth K200 8x4 truck and trailer unit in operation out of the company’s Manawatu base. It has a 600hp/2050 lb ft Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton UltraShift AMT and Meritor MT23 axles on Airglide 460 suspension. Extras include Alcoa Dura Bright alloys, a fridge, a stainless drop visor, custom grille bars, dual air intakes and extra lighting and stainless work. It has a Roadmaster curtainsider body and tows a matching five-axle trailer.

With a Bigfoot onboard With a you’ll Bigfoot monster any onboard you’ll surface

www.trt.co.nz

Hilton Haulage now has this DAF FTD CF85 space cab tractor unit carting containers from Ashburton to the Canterbury ports, with Darryn Cossey at the wheel. The 8x4 has a 510hp PACCAR MX engine, an AS Tronic AMT and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide 400 suspension.

MIDLANDS RURAL TRANSPORT

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T. 07 347 7066 / info@bigfoot.co.nz

96 | Truck & Driver

TD30130

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.

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J. Swap Contractors has put this new Kenworth T909 6x4 tractor unit to work, primarily around the North Island, but sometimes also venturing down south. Daniel Marshall, who started with Swaps four years ago as a Class 4 cadet, has scored the drive after graduating from bulk tippers to transporters. It has a 600-615hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger RTLO22918B manual transmission, Meritor 50-160 diffs (with full locks) on Hendrickson Primaax PAX 462 suspension. Transport & General set up the tractor unit, which runs in front of a variety of trailers…but primarily a four rows of eight transporter. It has a 130-tonne GCM.

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DO YOU KNOW A TRUCK DRIVER HERO? Is someone you know a“TRUCK DRIVER HERO”? Someone who has significantly contributed to the safety of others such as: helping someone from danger, acting in a consistantly safe way to prevent harm to others or just generally helping other motorists on our roads. Someone who has contributed significantly to the industr industry in ways such as: encouraging others to become drivers, advocacy of industry related matters, has been a long-term reliable driver, has gone over and above their call of duty for the business/industry. LETS CREATE A TRUCK DRIVER HERO

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FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ON-LINE nztruckanddriver.co.nz/tdh.html Having a winning driver on your team pays huge dividends. There’s free publicity, its a morale boost, a proud flag to fly and just entering somebody’s name shows you care. The winning driver and his or her carrier are often used in subsequent stories.

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TRUCKERS & LOGGERS FISHING TOURNAMENT

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FIVE WAR TEAM NAME:______________________________________________________________

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IF MEMBERS OF YOUR CREW ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A CLUB AFFILIATED TO NZ SPORT FISHING INCORPORATED A TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP OF $25 PER ANGLER IS REQUIRED. PLEASE TICK BOX IF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR ANGLERS.

TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIPS REQUIRED No: __________________ @ $25, TOTAL: $ _________________ (Tick Box Alongside Anglers Name) $125 PER ANGLER, No: ___________________________________________ TOTAL: $ _________________ GUEST ENTRY (non anglers) $50 each, No: ___________________________

TOTAL: $ _________________

WE WILL BE FISHING FROM ANOTHER AREA ON THURSDAY MORNING:

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: $ ____________________________

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Tick boxes NZ TRUCK & DRIVER 1 year (11 issues) for $80 incl. GST NZ LOGGER 1 year (11 issues) for $70 incl. GST NZ TRUCKBODY & TRAILER 1 year (4 issues) for $30 incl. GST

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Entry Form

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Enter your fleet colour scheme in the PPG Transport Imaging Awards: Just fill out this entry form (or a photocopy of it) and send it into New Zealand Truck & Driver. Be in with a chance to win in the annual PPG Transport Imaging Awards. Contact name name & position in company: ________________________________________________________________ Location:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone numbers: __________________________________________________________________________________________

TD16163

Fleet or company name:___________________________________________________________________________________

Please send a selection of photos of one particular truck in your fleet colours. It’s desirable (but not compulsory) to also send shots of other trucks that show off the colours. Make sure your images are supplied as large format files taken on a fine setting on a digital camera. The files must be at least 3MB. All entries become the property of Allied Publications Ltd. All entries property of AlliedIMAGING Publications Ltd. Send yourbecome entry tothe PPG TRANSPORT AWARDS Send your entry to: PPG TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS Allied Publications Ltd PO Box 112062 Penrose Auckland 1642 or email to waynemunro@xtra.co.nz 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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From salmon...

to sensational

OW HERE’S A DRAMATIC COLOUR SCHEME transformation. From a distinctly, umm...interesting treatment dominated by a salmon shade…. To a stunning combination of black, red and grey – featuring curved and feathered stripes (which, from that description should be messy-as, but emphatically isn’t) – that makes Onehunga-based Rock and Rubble a very worthy finalist in the PPG Transport Imaging Awards. The trigger for the visual turnaround in the livery of the company, which provides cleanfill removal and tipping services in the Auckland region, was the recent expansion of its fleet. It was a marked departure from the four-year-old company’s way of doing business – having until then relied substantially on contracting other operators for its actual cartage requirements. The salmon was originally used in the company’s logo – and migrated from there to the bumper and lower cab of the company’s 4x2 Isuzu Forward tipper…and eventually to the bodies and bins of its first heavy-duty truck, a Scania (which

This pic, poster & opposite page, top – Vandi Photography

2 | Truck & Driver

has since been sold). The logo also appeared on the bins of a Volvo FM run by N&J Wood for Rock and Rubble, earning it the nickname, “the Salmon Express.” Fleet colours weren’t used on the Scania cab, which remained a standard Scania royal blue. But when, earlier this year, the company bought a pair of Kenworths – a new K200 and a secondhand T909 – the issue of a dedicated colour scheme took on new importance. Rock and Rubble managing director Mark Geor admits that a salmon-pink K200 was completely out of the question: “That wouldn’t have been a good look at all. Instead, we decided on a signature colour of Oolong Grey – an Audi shade I’d seen on a friend’s car. “We wanted something that was different, yet would work with the earth tones of the work we do, and that colour suited nicely, especially on the bins. “Red worked as a contrast, over a black base, but after that we went in circles for a long while, getting the detail work

TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS

right. It was either too wacky, too modern and Euro-style, or too much the traditional V-pattern often used on cabover Kenworths. “In the end, with time pressing to get the K200 on the road, its driver, Blair Shearer went to Darryn Caulfield at Caulfield Signs in Rotorua, and workshopped ideas for a day, and this is what they came up with. “At one stage the grey was the more dominant colour in the middle of the stripes, with the red less prominent, but I think it works better the other way around, which is what we decided on. “We worked primarily around the 909, because a design that suits a bonneted model usually goes even better with a cabover. At the same time, with the square cab of the K200 it’s hard to make this sort of approach work without looking too busy, so there definitely needs to be a balance.” From Darryn Caulfield’s perspective, the design came together relatively quickly: “The colours were nicely matched, and once we decided on the idea of the multiple curved stripes

for the cabs it was just a matter of fine-tuning.” While the striping up front attracts immediate attention, the livery on the bins is no less impressive. Here, the grey dominates, by way of a central, gravel-effect pattern bordered by a ragged-edged grey – evocative of a quarry working face – above and below. The salmon has gone from the central logo, which now has grey words on a black base, with a red keyline. The signwriting on the Kenworth cabs was carried out by Caulfield Signs, but the work on the bins was done in Auckland, by DJ Mellor at Sub Signs in Mangere. Mark Geor speaks highly of Sub Signs: “It’s only a small operation, but the work and service is outstanding.” The trucks were painted by Peter Murray Painters, Pokeno. Geor is happy that the grey on the truck bodies and bins also holds up very well from a practical, day-to-day perspective: “The work we do inevitably means lots of dust and small knocks. The new scheme means the trucks still look smart even under pretty challenging conditions.” T&D

Opposite page & this page, top: The arrival of the new Kenworth K200 and T909 prompted a rethink on the original salmon-dominated colour scheme – to a stunning combination of black, red and grey Below left: Rock and Rubble four-wheeler wore a revised version of the livery

Below right: Salmon background to the Rock and Rubble logo features on a company Scania and this FM Volvo unit, owned by regular cartage supplier N&J Wood

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