9 minute read
Regal’s DIY design & build
To help streamline its operation, Regal aims to buy just one make of truck...and only one model. A year ago it began to transition from Volvo FM500s, to FH700s, like this
EGAL HAULAGE DESIGNS, BUILDS AND MANUFACTURES
all of its own trailers, does its own setup on all of the trucks it buys…and only buys just the one make of truck. And only one model of that make.
It’s all about optimising its operation – an innovative and extremely thoughtful approach to running trucks that arguably makes the Hamilton-based company one of New Zealand’s most efficient transport operators.
Regal’s inhouse team of design engineers, welder/fabricators and mechanics work together to build one truck and trailer every month – each unit designed to carry maximum payloads, build flexibility into trip planning, and keep drivers safe and comfortable.
Regal’s 95-truck fleet is made up exclusively of Volvo trucks and the partnership between Volvo NZ distributor MTD and Regal Haulage is longstanding….and strong.
Even so, when Regal was formed in 1988 – with the amalgamation of Tauwhare Contractors and Sherson Construction and the purchase of Cronin Transport – the fleet, unsurprisingly, looked quite different, as current joint managing director Brett McHardie explains.
“We had a lot of older gear in the fleet, of all makes and models. My father (Rob McHardie) was used to having engineering capability in the business, at Tauwhare Contractors, so we continued in that tradition – doing our own repairs and maintenance.”
Around 2012, the Regal directors decided on a different business model – selecting one brand and model….with a single range of parts. Thus enabling the engineering and mechanical teams to develop specialist expertise. It was, in effect, streamling its business.
When first sizing up the different truck brands, Regal’s
Above left: At a recent Volvo/Regal event, are (from left) Volvo distributor MTD’s Todd Martin, Regal workshop manager Hayden Gare, Regal innovation manager Max Krotov, and Transpecs’ Neil Crawford Above right: Brett McHardie (centre) chatting to Volvo national sales manager Paul France (with his back to the camera) and area account manager Todd Martin
An important goal for Regal is driver acceptance.
main purchasing measures were tare weight, price, and driver acceptance – with driver recruitment issues already influencing management decisionmaking.
Says Brett McHardie: “Volvo ticked all the boxes for drivers – safety, comfort, and driveability. We also knew the MTD aftersales and service network, so that was a big plus for us.”
With the first three new FH day cab Volvos in the fleet, the business started to build up its engineering capability. A purposebuilt new workshop, complete with a gantry crane and improved store layout, was developed at Airport Rd in Hamilton, close to the mechanical workshop. This enabled the teams to better streamline processes, moving trucks straight out of manufacture into plumb and wire.
“If you’ve got a fleet of trucks, you need to be able to sort out minor engineering repairs, turn trucks around quickly and get them back on the road,” McHardie explains.
“From there, it’s not a huge step to start building. Repair turnaround is important. We can fix things within a week that could take a couple of months if we relied on third parties. This gives us a massive advantage.
“With new gear we can design exactly what we need. Our process has evolved over many years, due to a lot of driver input. That means that our designs are based on practical, everyday realities.
“We’ve had a lot of discussion around cover systems, steps, and ways of getting into the bin. We keep drivers on the ground these days rather than working at heights, so we’ve brought in remotes to cover and uncover bins.
“We thoroughly analyse health and safety incident reports and use them, along with driver feedback, as a base to design better alternatives.”
Innovation manager Max Krotov started as a graduate, working under Brett McHardie, four years ago and now heads up the engineering design team: “My job is to ensure that our designs result in some of the lightest trucks in NZ, so we can carry more for our customers.
“Our designs also need to be safe to operate and drivercentric, easy to manufacture, and require minimal modifications over and above the specifications we develop with Volvo Trucks. That saves a lot of time.”
Regal designs, manufactures and certifies its trucks and trailers, Krotov points out: “Even before considering manufacturing, we calculate axle group loadings of the bin on the truck and trailer, so it ends up weighing-out perfectly.
“This adds speed and efficiency to each run. Volvo supports us by providing accurate drawings and kerb weights that mean we can predict how the unit is going to weigh-out at the beginning of the design process.”
Since August last year, all new Volvo trucks ordered by Regal Haulage have been FH700s, with the aim of gradually phasing out most of the FM500s in favour of a bigger cab, more comfortable driver space and a more powerful engine – the perfect combination, it believes, for attracting quality operators.
Krotov says that MTD product engineer Jamie Bell has been the cornerstone of that process: “We were constantly in touch to make sure the same-type bodies would work on the new cabchassis, figuring out the placement of components to support all applications and comply with OEM requirements – and that the weighing-out would work.”
Every new design holds the legacy knowledge from previous iterations, so Regal engineers are constantly improving cubic meterage, payload, and longevity of the gear, Max explains: “Because we run the fleet ourselves, I can go and look at a fiveyear-old trailer, analyse the damage and wear on each component or talk to the driver to get their perspective and feedback – and use that knowledge to improve the next design.
“We can go heavy where it’s needed and light where it isn’t, which means we save weight without compromising on strength.”
An important goal for Regal is driver acceptance. Its success in that regard is underlined by the fact that the company also sells-on Volvo trucks and trailers to owner-drivers – both newly built, straight out of the workshop…..and secondhand trucks and trailers with a few years on the road.
To optimise the fully-loaded running time of its trucks, the
Regal sales team plays its part in optimising fleet deployment – by targeting clients as close as possible to established unloading points. The resulting planning, combined with unit modifications, results in less empty kilometres, the company says.
“We design our bodies and trailers to be able to cart all loads, giving us maximum flexibility,” Krotov adds.
“Most of the time our fleet can deliver that flexibility. If we can’t get a backload on a regular run, we look at how we can modify the unit.”
Volvo national sales manager Paul France sees the results in action: “The Regal fleet is recognised and admired across the industry for its optimisation – with the fleet run, on average, 8085% loaded. It’s really impressive: Every time the wheels turn, the trucks are earning money.”
As Regal’s workshop manager, Hayden Gare runs the parts department and the mechanical and engineering workshops: “Our job is to provide our drivers with safe, comfortable, wellmaintained units – helping to reduce fatigue.
“We keep trucks on the road, minimising breakdowns and accessing support across the country from Truckstops when we need it. Maximum uptime helps our planners to move product efficiently around the country.”
Brett McHardie says that dealing with a trusted group of collaborative suppliers delivers benefits that go beyond pure monetary value. The Regal Haulage partnership with Volvo Trucks, MTD, and Truckstops – in combination with Transpecs and TWL – delivers a co-ordinated response to customer needs.
Max Krotov and Hayden Gare both comment on the tight technical and service support, speed of response to queries, ability to schedule and supply parts on time and willingness to share information. A prime example is the way that Volvo Trucks and Transpecs co-align truck delivery with the flow of trailer kits
www.tes.co.nz
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The association between MTD and Regal (or the companies it was created from) goes back to the beginning of the company in 1988 – to the likes of the ‘84 Mack R-Model, standing alongside a Volvo FH700 that’s one of the recent additions to the fleet
to support Regal’s aim of offloading parts straight into new builds.
“Throughout the life of the truck and trailer, if something goes wrong, it gets processed quickly,” says Krotov.
“MTD is involved in the whole process – from the initial design to the disposal of the unit. The support we get through Volvo driver training and Dynafleet keeps our drivers interested in the job, always competing to see who’s the best driver.
“It’s really hard to get into the top five at the moment. Our drivers are continuously pushing to improve, because no-one wants to give up their ranking. It’s great for everyone. And once they drive a Volvo – they don’t want to drive anything else. T&D
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1 Compared to the previous model. Please note: changes may have been made to the product since this publication went to press (July 2021). The manufacturer reserves the right to make changes to the design, form, colour, and specification of the product. The images shown are to be considered examples only and do not necessarily reflect the actual state of the original vehicles. Please consult your authorised Mercedes-Benz Truck Dealer for further details. © Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Pty Ltd (ACN 618 413 282). Printed in New Zealand.
