Aeolus News

Getting new eCanters working in NZ has been a five-year process

AUCKLAND’S ONE-YEAR CITY-CENTRE ELECTRIC

truck trial is set to begin next month, following the long-awaited arrival in New Zealand of six FUSO eCanter battery-electric light trucks.

Fuso NZ says their arrival is the culmination of five years of planning and prepares the way for the approved trial of electric trucks in Auckland City’s proposed zero emissions area (ZEA).

Five of the electric FUSOs are going to work in the trial, making deliveries in the city centre for operators Mainfreight, Bidfood, Toll Group, Owens Transport and Vector OnGas.

The trial – said to be NZ’s biggest working evaluation of electric trucks so far – sees Fuso NZ partnering with EROAD, with co-funding for the acquisition of the trucks through the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

The operators involved will work with Fuso NZ, their customers and drivers to optimise the potential of their trucks, develop insights into optimum scheduling and vehicle capacity, and to identify solutions to any unanticipated barriers to electric truck operation in the proposed ZEA.

Fuso NZ GM of sales and customer experience Kathy Schluter says the company is proud to be collaborating with “such a wide variety of credible, future-thinking brands,” and is hopeful that the ZEA trial will be a benchmark for other businesses who may be considering a transition to sustainable vehicle fleets.”

Describing the arrival of the eCanters as “a momentous and hugely significant milestone for NZ transport,” Schluter says FUSO’s commitment to bringing electric trucks to NZ “will amplify our country’s renewable electricity advantage.” It will also bring focus to “the need to decarbonise vehicle fleets to deliver on the Government’s climate change goals.

“Nimble, quiet and environmentally friendly, the trucks are specifically made for the city environment. We are delighted to team up with our major clients to learn and lead together to deliver a sustainable future for our country,” says Schluter.

EECA transport portfolio manager, Richard Briggs, says the “high-density urban environment the trucks will operate in will be a robust test ground. The trial will demonstrate how these trucks perform, and reveal associated lower costs – such as expected reduced maintenance and servicing.

“Importantly, the project will give an insight into how participating businesses will operate their trucks considering the different work profiles for each vehicle, scheduling runs around the need to charge, and the behavioural aspects of going electric.”

Auckland Transport chief executive Shane Ellison says he’s confident that the learnings obtained from operating eCanters in the area will help to fasttrack the Auckland City Centre Masterplan, which sets out to address the area’s air pollution problem by reducing internal combustion engine vehicles.

“Auckland Transport has a vision of a low-emissions transport network and FUSO’s eCanter trial project has real potential to contribute to this goal.”

The trial will provide evidence to support the AT and Waka Kotahi NZTA business cases, legislative change and policy implementation planning required for Auckland to successfully implement the ZEA – and “provide confidence to freight operators that they can, and should, continue their businesses with electric trucks”, says Ellison.

The zero emissions eCanters also have, as standard, safety features including active emergency braking, lane departure warning system and electronic stability control. T&D

Electric FUSOs finally here

Main picture: Twenty Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks with Active Drive Assist will take part in the Australasian trial Inset: With ADA engaged (it can be switched off), the truck will actively help steer itself around corners

Self-steering Mercs for NZ trial

IN A NEW ZEALAND FIRST,

Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks that can help steer themselves are to go on the road here in a validation programme.

Five Actros heavy-duty trucks with Active Drive Assist technology – giving them SAE Level 2 partially automated driving capability – will be run in customer fleets as part of an Australasian trial.

Another 15 Mercs with Active Drive Assist will also be running in the validation programme.

The trial trucks will go to work with “a wide range of customer fleets, clocking up substantial kilometres on various roads across both countries.”

The Active Drive Assist system helps to steer the truck in corners – keeping it in the centre of its lane….with the driver still required to hold the steering wheel.

It is a step ahead of other systems able to “push” a truck back into its lane if it begins to run wide or wander out.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific, which announced the trial at last month’s Brisbane Truck Show, says its Active Drive Assist is proactive, rather than reactive – it “actually helps to steer the truck in the first place and aims to prevent it getting out to the edge of the lane.

“It does this by using cameras to monitor the edge of the road and lane markings, and uses that data to help operate the electro-hydraulic steering system. The driver can overrule it at any time and is able to turn off the system.”

The company revealed that it has already had “a handful” of Actros trucks with Active Drive Assist operating in customer fleets for a few months, with positive feedback.

M-B Trucks Australia Pacific director Andrew Assimo says the Active Drive Assist technology is promising: “Mercedes-Benz is always looking for new technology to boost safety and reduce fuel consumption and emissions and we think Active Drive Assist could deliver genuine benefits to our customers.

“Level 2 automation has the potential to deliver a major safety boost and make life easier for drivers by helping to reduce fatigue, so naturally we are very keen to validate how the system operates on Australian and NZ roads.”

Assimo says active safety aids such as the Active Brake Assist 5 advanced emergency braking system, active cruise control and lane departure warning – standard on the Actros – “have been embraced by operators.

“More and more customers are placing increased importance on advanced active safety features that can help protect truck drivers and other road users.

“Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront with fully-integrated active safety systems and we intend to continue this leadership,” he adds.

The company will decide whether Active Drive Assist will become an option in the Australasian market, based on operator feedback and data from the validation programme.

Merc’s new Actros, launched in mid-2020, boasts new technology including multimedia tablet screens in the cab, optional MirrorCam to replace rear-vision mirrors and predictive powertrain control – using GPS and topographic information to “see” the road ahead and optimise gearshifting. T&D

New Kenworth Legend unveiled

KENWORTH HAS REVEALED THE THIRD OF ITS

special edition Legend models – unveiling the 50th Anniversary Edition Legend SAR at the Brisbane Truck Show.

The Legend SAR is modelled on the iconic W900SAR – built for 10 years from 1975 and the first Kenworth designed, engineered and built in Australia, specifically for Australia (and New Zealand).

The latest Legend, timed to coincide with celebrations of Kenworth’s halfcentury of truck manufacturing in Australia, follows sellout limited runs of a Legend 950 in 2015 and the Legend 900 in 2017.

Kenworth reckons the Legend SAR “is in a league of its own, combining the latest technology for safer, cleaner and more productive operation, with features that embrace Kenworth’s unique heritage.”

The heritage-style features that come with The Legend SAR include a twopiece (split) windscreen with chrome trim, topped by bullet-style cab marker lights and dual round air horns, old-style Kenworth and Cummins badges on the bonnet, an anniversary edition red and gold traditional Kenworth bug and a reproduction SAR grille.

Round four-inch indicator lights and wraparound covers on the sidemounted exhausts (with exposed chrome elbows and seven-inch curved pipes) replicate the original SARs.

The kick-plates on the door openings carry Legend SAR logos, traditional extruded aluminium tank steps run alongside round fuel tanks, with stainless rear guards and tail-light bars standard – along with black rubber mudflaps with the traditional Kenworth logo.

Under the sloping bonnet is a Cummins X15 engine, specially painted in beige to commemorate Cummins’ heritage.

The interior of the Legend SAR features diamond-pleat trim with Legend SAR 50th Anniversary Edition branding on the rear wall and door trims, Kenworth and Legend SAR embroidery on the leather seats, a wooden Eaton Fullerbranded gear knob, more Legend SAR branding on the gearstick surround and a wooden plaque on the glovebox lid carrying the Legend’s build number.

It also has a traditional flat dash layout, with a full suite of handmade heritage-style chrome-bezelled and white-faced gauges, featuring the traditional Kenworth bug, toggle switches with backlit graphics and a four-spoke leather steering wheel.

PACCAR Australia sales and marketing director Brad May says the Legend SAR “not only commemorates 50 years of proudly manufacturing Kenworth trucks in Australia, it symbolises what was a turning point for local design and engineering and the custom-build philosophy that Kenworth is still renowned for today.”

The W900SAR (SAR for Short-bonnet Australian right-hand drive) was an iconic fusion of the W900AR and S2 models – able, importantly, to take the high horsepower engines favoured by Australian transport operators and still carry the maximum legal payload within existing length limits. It was also lighter than the AR and Kenworth’s cabover model of the day, the K100.

Southpac’s general sales manager Richard Smart says the NZ representative has all the information on the Legend SAR options and points out that the oneoff will be on sale for just one day – Thursday July 8. T&D

Main picture: The new Legend model was unveiled at last month’s Brisbane Truck Show Below: An old-school flat dash, custombuilt dials and special branding feature inside the cab

The three 11-tonne battery-electric light-duty trucks will allow TR Group customers to trial EVs in their operations

Trio of TR etrucks

NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST COMMERCIAL VEHICLE

leasing and rental company is adding electric vehicles (EVs) to its fleet.

TR Group has taken delivery of three 11-tonne GVM SEA Electric 4x2 curtainsiders, suitable for metro pickup and delivery duties.

The company purchased the etrucks with co-funding from the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

They were added to TR’s rental truck lineup last month – joining another 10 electric vehicles that are either in build for the company or already at work in its lease fleet, with customers such as The Warehouse, Noel Leeming, TOLL, and Civic Contractors.

TR Group managing director Andrew Carpenter says the company is excited by the positive impact the vehicles will have on the transport sector and the environment: “There is no doubt that EV technology has advanced to the point where, in the not-too-distant future, it will become an economically viable, operationally reliable option – certainly in shorthaul metro applications.

“And it is also one that I know our customers will embrace, given their desire to minimise their carbon footprint and meet their sustainability goals.

“As a business that supplies heavy commercial vehicles for rental and lease, we feel it’s important to be at the forefront of offering this technology to our customers, and we’re delighted to be working with EECA and our customers to make that happen,” adds Carpenter.

EECA transport portfolio manager Richard Briggs says: “Around 20% of NZ’s greenhouse gas emissions come from road transport, and heavy vehicles have a disproportionate impact on that.

“TR Group’s new heavy electric trucks give road transport operators the chance to prove electric can work for them, and we look forward to seeing more businesses incorporating electric trucks into their fleets.” T&D

Expansion of electronic road tax “essential”

THE GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO

expand the use of electronic road tax – building on New Zealand’s well-established eRUC system – makes sense, EROAD believes.

Expanding the use of GPS-technology “to simplify how roads are paid for is welcome news,” says EROAD chief executive Steven Newman.

EROAD – “NZ’s homegrown world leader in GPS-based road tax technologies,” delivering services here and in North America – tracks over 87,000 Kiwi vehicles and collects almost half of all heavy vehicle road user charges for the Government.

Says Newman: “Electronic RUC has proven its worth many times over, delivering savings both to the Government and to heavy vehicle and light vehicle fleet operators. It has opened the door for a wide range of safety benefits as well.

“With the uptake of electric and other alternative-fuelled vehicles increasing, finding a way to extend the benefits of GPS-based approaches to light passenger vehicles – family cars and the like – is essential.

“Our experience here and abroad has demonstrated again and again that these changes take time. 2030 will be here before we know it, so there is no better time to start than now.” T&D

YOUR HAMMAR. YOUR WAY

HAMMAR 110:

+ Fast – new SledgeLeg™ technology, 50% faster + Narrow – SledgeLeg™ use for confined spaces + Light – from 8.4-tonne tare + Safe – optimal crane geometry + Reach – long outreach cranes + Weighing – by each crane or total + Strong – 36-tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) + Stable – legs extend for firm base and transfer + High lift – ideal for stacking option + Ease – crane/stabiliser side-by-side design + Safety+™ – computer monitored handling as std + SDS – Hammar Soft-Drive System + Flex – Trailer or Truckmounted

HAMMAR 195:

+ Versatile – PrecisionLeg™ for optimal stabilising + Light – low tare + Strong – 36-tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) or 40-tonne option + Stable – legs extend for firm base and transfer + Weighing – by each crane or total + High lift – ideal for stacking option + Reach – long outreach cranes + Ease – crane/stabiliser side-by-side design + Safety+™ – computer monitored handling as std + SDS – Hammar Soft-Drive System + Flex – Trailer or Truckmounted

HAMMAR 130:

+ Versatile – handles two 20’ containers or one 40’ container via 3 cranes + Unique – middle crane folds into chassis to accommodate a single 40’ + Sliding – for maximum payload with a single 20’ option + Light – only 7.5 tonne tare + Strong – 16-tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) + Stable – legs extend for firm base and transfer + Reach – long outreach cranes + Ease – crane/stabiliser side-by-side design + SDS – Hammar Soft-Drive System + Flex – Trailer or Truckmounted

Every freight delivery is different, so our three high-performance HAMMAR models are designed for your needs. Each HAMMAR is constructed from premium grade steel from Swedish and NZ components, to be stable, strong, fast and built to last. Designed for easy operation, service and maintenance in mind. You cannot buy a better sideloader.

With more than 45 years experience in sideloaders and a reputation for quality of manufacturing and service, HAMMAR sets the standard. Now sold in 115 countries

The 4x2 Shacman L3000 model has a 245hp Cummins engine, with an Allison automatic transmission

Shacman adds 12-tonner

CHINESE TRUCK MAKE SHACMAN HAS ADDED A

third model to its New Zealand lineup – a medium-duty 4x2 with a 12-tonne GVM.

The addition of the Shacman L3000 comes just four months after the make was launched here, with heavy-duty 440-horsepower/328 kilowatt Cummins-engined X3000 6x4s and 8x4s.

The L3000 has a 245hp/182kW Euro 5 Cummins engine, with 950 Newton metres/700 pound foot of peak torque.

It has an Allison T280R automatic transmission with a retarder, ECAS rear air suspension, EBS and ABS braking, disc brakes front and rear and Alcoa alloy wheels.

Bobby Khan, general manager of Shacman importer Sinolink NZ, says that the L3000, with its 6.7-metre wheelbase, “is ideal for empty container work, flatdeck, car carrier or school bus use – or just about any application.”

There is, he says, a three to four-month lead time for delivery. T&D

Access for Everyone...except trucks and vans!

PROPOSED ROADING LAYOUT

changes to Queen Street, in Auckland’s CBD, will make freight and courier deliveries to downtown retail and office businesses “more difficult and unsafe.”

This is the belief of National Road Carriers Association (NRC) spokesman Chris Carr, who says that the proposed changes are part of Auckland Transport’s Access for Everyone plan….

“But they are actually significantly reducing access for freight! As key stakeholders in roading and transport, the freight industry was not properly consulted on these changes before they were proposed.”

AT’s proposed changes include limiting delivery vehicles to the southbound lane of one stretch of Queen St during rush hours – with the northbound lane for buses only.

It also plans to limit one section of Queen St to buses only…at all times. And to create fulltime bus lanes and travel restrictions elsewhere in the heart of the CBD.

Carr says making it so that delivery drivers are unable to park on the side of Queen St that they’re servicing would be “hazardous, as drivers will have to cross the busy street with their deliveries – sometimes with multiple trolley loads.”

In one stretch of Queen St where two shopping plazas and a hotel are located, the proposed changes would leave just one loading zone available at peak courier delivery times. And the plan also has loading bays reshaped – cutting their capacity from three vans to two.

Says Carr: “This will inevitably create delivery vehicle snarlups and delivery drivers will be forced to find alternatives like double parking or pavement parking….or stop servicing those businesses.”

Carr suggests instead that private cars be banned from Queen St, so that it’s freed-up for buses, cyclists, pedestrians and delivery vehicles.

The bus-only section of the street should be opened to delivery vehicles at night, when buses are not running or are less frequent.

He also wants shared bus and freight lanes, retained – along with loading zones….in their number and their capacities.

And he calls on AT to engage better with businesses “to understand their freight needs.”

Summing-up the AT plan, Carr reckons: “AT says it wants to transform Auckland’s city centre into a world-class place, with thoughtful design. This is not well thought-through at all because it will create problems.”

NRC will be making a submission to Auckland Council on the proposed Queen St layout changes. T&D

NEWS Bombay show’s beneficiaries

THE BOMBAY TRUCK SHOW –

created specifically to showcase the industry AND give to deserving community organisations – has chosen the three beneficiaries for the next show.

All the proceeds from the show, set for February 12 next year, will be donated to Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ, Franklin Hospice and the Bombay Rugby Club.

The philosophy of the show’s committee is “to create a show where the transport industry gets showcased to its fullest at a not-for-profit event.

“From this we can make a real difference by giving donations to charities that help all of us and to the community that supported us from the start. Our intention is that everyone benefits from – and thoroughly enjoys – the event!”

The mix of next year’s beneficiaries means, says committee member Marieka Morcombe, “that locally and country-wide, our show profits get to help many people.

“Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ, Franklin Hospice and the Bombay Rugby Club are very deserving organisations, which help support some of the most in-need people in our society, as well as helping our local community.”

An appreciative Leukaemia & Blood Cancer NZ business manager Annabel Lush says that “seven Kiwis every day – adults and children – will receive the devastating news that they have blood cancer.

“The vital funds raised from the show will be invested in our wide range of support services throughout NZ, including emergency financial support, to ensure that no-one has to face their blood cancer journey alone.”

Franklin Hospice CEO Ric Odom says: “Working in conjunction with other health professionals, Franklin Hospice provides free specialist palliative care support for those in our community living with a life-limiting illness, while also supporting the families and caregivers of our patients.

“We in turn are heavily reliant on the support of our community and so we are thrilled (and humbled) to be chosen by the organisers of the Bombay Truck Show as one of the local charities to benefit from the show. Building on the success of previous shows, the next Bombay Truck Show promises to be a wonderful family event. We will be there and look forward to engaging with all the visitors.”

Bombay Rugby Club president Corby Brown says that the inaugural show was “a tremendous event” and was fully supported by the club, “which benefits greatly – along with other charities.

“And, most importantly, the community as a whole benefits – as the organisers have done a great job of making the event friendly to everyone.”

The money raised from the 48 exhibitors, the 300-plus show ‘n’ shine trucks and gate takings will be split evenly between the three beneficiaries – “giving everyone involved the knowledge that what’s raised is going to good causes,” says the committee.

On show day, after the show ‘n’ shine prizegiving, each beneficiary will be presented with a cheque so all show participants can see exactly how much has been raised. T&D

Heavy Vehicle Engineering | In-House Heavy Vehicle Certification | General Engineering

■ Design & Certification Staff ■ Crane Truck / General Deck Manufacturing ■ Service Body Manufacturing ■ Trailer Manufacturing ■ Chassis Modification / Wheelbases ■ Tractor Unit Rigging ■ Repair Work ■ Tipper Manufacture ■ Finishing / Assembly

TD31607

Just some of the trucks en route to the inaugural Bombay Truck Show

Nationwide Sales, Service & Parts

NEWS MAN checks out

solar Solar panels, like these on the roof of a MAN eTGE van will also be trialled on an eTGE combi and an urban delivery truck – to provide power to aircon and fridge units, or to simply provide extra power to battery electric or fuel cell electric systems

power

SOLAR POWER IS BEING INVESTIGATED AS A potential source of extra power for battery electric or fuel cell trucks – to either run the likes of aircon or fridge units, or to extend the etrucks’ range.

MAN Truck & Bus and Sono Motors have agreed to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of integrating Sono’s mobile solar technology into a MAN eTGE urban and regional delivery truck.

Three vehicles are to be equipped with Sono Solar technology and investigated by the companies – an MAN eTGE van, an eTGE combi with a powerful on-roof airconditioning system, and an eTGE urban and regional truck with a fridge unit.

MAN senior VP and head of sales (truck and van) Dennis Affeld says: “We will pool our joint know-how and expertise to test various prototypes with vehicle-integrated photovoltaic technology.

“The aim is to find out how much energy can be gained from PV technology over the year. Using this insight, we can then assess whether the technology pays off for our customers and at the same time helps to protect the environment.”

Due to the larger surface of trucks, vans and buses compared to passenger cars, the Sono Solar panels are particularly well-suited to commercial applications, like last-mile deliveries. T&D

Keith Andrews represents Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner in the Bay

A NEW MERCEDES-BENZ AND

Freightliner representation arrangement for Hawke’s Bay has seen Keith Andrews confirmed as a sales, parts and service dealer for the Daimler Truck makes….

While existing Merc and Freightliner parts and service rep, Jim Young Motors, will continue in that role….sharing the territory with Keth Andrews Napier.

Keith Andrews, which bought Napier FUSO dealer First Commercials in January, will be the exclusive truck sales representative for Freightliner and M-B.

Keith Andrews Napier’s full operations began last month, with all three Daimler Truck brands represented on the same site, under the Keith Andrews name.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific (DTBA), which will see Keith Andrews providing sales, parts and service for the three Daimler truck brands across six North Island locations,” says Keith Andrews managing director Aaron Smith.

“We look forward to working alongside Jim Young and his team to ensure MercedesBenz and Freightliner truck operators in Hawke’s Bay continue to receive the exceptional service they have come to expect.” T&D Keith Andrews MD Aaron Smith

The mini-mixer unit carries Mentemia messages on the doors and the bowl

Mixing in mental health and wellbeing

HIGGINS CONCRETE IS PUTTING EMPLOYEE

welfare at the front and centre of its business, partnering with Mentemia to incorporate mental health and wellbeing into its day-today operations – and publicising it through the livery of two blue Hino readymix trucks.

“We tragically lost a staff member during the COVID-19 lockdown and that really underlined the importance of offering support to staff across both their work and home environments,” says Higgins Concrete central region manager Aaron Currie. “So we introduced the Mentemia programme into the business, giving all staff access to the full range of support it offers.”

In the two months since its introduction, the programme has made it okay to talk about mental health, Currie says – and he’s noticed a new openness between staff members as Mentemia is integrated into training and day-to-day operations.

By branding a new Hino mini mixer unit Mentemia’s blue livery, with accompanying signage, Higgins Concrete has purposely chosen a truck that will pass through the hands of multiple drivers – as the driver typically changes every four to six months: “The small mixer requires a Class 2 licence – providing an entry point for young drivers to progress towards their Class 4. This helps to get new staff into our thinking and culture around mental health from the get-go,” says Currie. T&D

Wheel alignment biz changes hands

LONGTIME HEAVY VEHICLE

business, Auckland Truck Wheel Alignment Specialists, has been sold to new father and son owners Rick and Grant Ranger.

The Manukau business, now renamed Auckland Truck Alignment, was operated for more than 20 years by Neil Smith.

Rick Ranger is a well-known figure in the trucking industry, having owned several trucking companies and has been part of the heavy haulage scene for many years.

Son Grant has also been around trucks his entire life, and has come from the forklift industry, as a qualified forklift technician. He has run a workshop for the past two years and is “keen to get stuck in with this new challenge in the trucking industry.”

Grant says they have taken the business on with a clear vision of providing good customer service: “We want to be contactable and approachable – to, in turn, keep our customers happy.

“We have plans in place to expand on what we have bought – with new equipment and technology. We are excited for the years ahead and look forward to working with existing and new customers.” T&D

Bridgestone’s voted the most trusted...again

BRIDGESTONE HAS RETAINED THE TITLE OF NEW

Zealand’s Most Trusted Tyre Brand in the annual Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands survey….for the fifth year in a row.

In Australia it outdid that – notching up its eighth consecutive victory, making it the only brand to have won the tyres category since it was introduced in 2014.

Firestone recorded its fifth straight year as the highly commended brand in NZ – giving the two brands a clean-sweep of the awards here since the tyre category was introduced in 2015. Firestone won it the first two years.

Bridgestone Australia & NZ MD Stephen Roche says that maintaining trust is key to Bridgestone’s future business direction.

“To win this award eight times in Australia and five times in New Zealand highlights that Bridgestone understands the needs of motorists. By providing safe, reliable and quality tyres they can depend on, it forms the platform for how we will continue to be the trusted source of tyres and automotive solutions into the future.”

For NZ and Australia, this means an increased focus on Bridgestone’s network of stores and an ongoing commitment to understanding customers’ needs and providing solutions to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

“Building on the trust we’ve earned with our customers is a key part of our future vision. We remain committed to identifying the needs of customers and delivering solutions that meet these needs and advance mobility,” says Roche.

“Australians and NZers have an undeniable affinity with our brand and we’re committed to strengthening their trust in us into the future by continuing to provide tyres, services and solutions they can put their trust in, meeting customers’ needs and advancing our industry.” T&D

Drug testing specialist in strategic alliance

WORKPLACE DRUG AND ALCOHOL

testing specialist The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) has entered a strategic partnership with New Zealand private healthcare provider Healthcare Holdings (HHL).

The two companies say that the partnership enables TDDA to access assets, relationships, expertise and capital.

They say that it will allow the company to grow its business, including new opportunities, while further developing its health and wellbeing portfolio and improve its Health Tick operations.

Healthcare Holdings MD Andrew Wong says TDDA’s market leadership in drug and alcohol testing and education – operating nearly 100 mobile testing vans and 65 sterile locations across NZ and Australia – “is very appealing to us.

“Its clients are broad, revenues secure and we see significant potential for growth by adding HHL’s healthcare capabilities to TDDA’s businesses.

“HHL is an established medical provider, known for quality medical care, facilities and importantly, people,” says TDDA CEO Kirk Hardy.

“While HHL’s diagnostic capabilities will improve what we do at TDDA, the company’s medical expertise, particularly around medical screenings and health checkups are just what we need to grow the Health Tick business. Taking a holistic view of health and wellbeing, not just screening people for drugs and alcohol, is the future of this company.”

TDDA’s management team will remain in their current roles, with Hardy, COO Glenn Dobson and group technical manager Rod Dale also remaining shareholders.

Both TDDA and Health Tick will continue to trade under their existing brands. TDDA’s board has changed to support the new strategic direction of providing more holistic health and safety services and products. T&D

Drivesure adds heavy truck testing

DRIVESURE VEHICLE TESTING HAS OPENED ITS

first heavy vehicle testing facility in West Auckland – and has quickly seen its Certificate of Fitness business grow to 70-80% capacity.

The heavy vehicle testing facility, based at Drivesure’s Henderson “supersite” in Moselle Avenue, is a new milestone for the company.

Drivesure has grown over the last 12 years from a single warrant of fitness testing station on Auckland’s North Shore to become a Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency key service delivery partner (KSDP), with operations across Auckland and in Hamilton.

CEO Greg Ranson says: “Key to our growth and success has been our people and management systems. The establishment of this new heavy vehicle inspection operation has been driven by industry demand – along with our strong track record of quality inspection outcomes for both customers and NZTA.

“The addition of heavy vehicle CoF inspection completes our services, alongside entry certification, light vehicle inspections such as WoF and CoFA, and vehicle registrations.”

Ranson says that he’s happy with the level of business since the heavy vehicle testing facility began operating in mid-March: “We are running at 70-80% capacity, with customers travelling from Manukau, North Shore and Kumeu for CoFs.

“What we’ve seen is that there is a definite demand for the service we provide – availability certainty to operators and heavy vehicle repairers.”

Ranson says that although it held KSDP status “for a while,” it took several months for NZTA’s approval of the CoF inspection authority to be approved – possibly partly because the agency “is doing a revamp of the Heavy Vehicle Certification over the course of this year and they are very keen to ensure that new entrants into the inspection market are up to standard.”

He says the Henderson location, which is open from 6am Monday to Saturday and can accommodate all classes of heavy vehicle, was based on the availability of a suitable inspection facility with adequate queuing space.

Ranson says the company is looking at additional sites, to meet strong demand for vehicle inspection services of all types at present, including compliance and in-service inspections. T&D

The Drivesure heavy vehicle testing facility has tapped a high demand for CoF testing

Scania expands its sales team

FOUR NEW SALES MANAGERS

have been appointed by Scania New Zealand to its sales team.

Garry Leitch takes on the role of national sales manager, having previously held senior management positions in the industry – most recently as dealer development manager for the lower North Island.

And three new account managers have more than 60 years’ experience in the industry between them.

Adam Corbett has been appointed account manager in Auckland, while Callan Short is in the same role for Rotorua, Taupo, Hawke’s Bay and the Ruapehu district and Damon Smith has been appointed the account manager for South Auckland to Huntly and the Coromandel region.

Scania NZ sales director Deon Stephens says “the sales team expansion is driven by Scania’s recent significant growth around the country.

“These changes are also about adapting to ensure we continue to meet our valued customers’ needs as our first priority.” T&D