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Aeolus News
NEWS Government accused of COVID pain
Despite being affected by alleged Government inaction, the trucking industry did what it has done since COVID arrived in New Zealand – just got on with delivering essential freight
TRANSPORT OPERATORS WORKING DURING THE
COVID-19 lockdowns have been riled by what they say is a lack of timely Government planning, seriously affecting the industry’s ability to carry out essential work.
From the outset, the change to Level 4 was problematic, as Nick Leggett, CEO of Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand (the new name for the Road Transport Forum) outlined.
NZ’s low vaccination rate and the threat of the Delta strain of COVID-19 arriving here should have meant the Government had a plan to quickly deal with any outbreak, Leggett suggested – but added: “We certainly aren’t seeing evidence of that.”
Even before the nationwide L4 lockdown, the industry wasn’t being considered, he complained: “In an emergency situation, truck drivers are frontline workers. Yet, despite our attempts to get them higher up the vaccination queue, we have been directed by the Minister in charge to look at a Government website and wait our turn.”
And then came the actual L4 lockdown – with the industry, despite it including trucking operations running 24-seven, given “no real notice of what the operating rules would be for this Level 4 lockdown…. particularly as we have been told this Public Health Order cancels out all the previous ones.”
While truckies got on with the job regardless, many were confronted with the same problems they faced in last year’s lockdown: Sparse access to food and toilets on main freight routes…
And no Government extension for drivers’ licences, endorsements and the likes of Certificates of Fitness that were expiring during the lockdown.
Leggett asked for Government action to address that issue – just as it had in April last year, when a Government Order granted extensions.
But 16 days later, he was still demanding action: The lack of it, he said, was putting transport operators’ insurance at risk – leaving them “with potentially business-destroying liability.”
The situation could “take essential workers – truck drivers and their trucks – off the road at a time when they’re most needed,” he pointed out. The only response was that “it’s complex.”
Leggett said that about 1000 CoFs expire each day – “so, 16 days on, that’s potentially as high as 16,000 (trucks without current certification). We understand that even in Level 3 areas, where there is limited ability to get CoFs renewed, that’s a high volume to process – and it’s banking up by the day.”
Added Leggett: “Being told by the Government that the Police will go easy on truck drivers whose licences have expired and/or whose CoFs have expired means absolutely nothing.”
That is, he said, “missing the point: A fine from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is not the same as losing a $500,000 truck in an accident – and finding the insurance company says you’re not insured because you don’t have the right paperwork and/or the driver was not licenced to drive.”
The Government, he said again, “should be getting better at this, but each day feels like Groundhog Day!”
Finally, on September 10, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced that driver licences, Warrants of Fitness (WoFs), CoFs, vehicle licences and licence endorsements that expired on or after July 21 will be valid until November 30.
Leggett said: “We couldn’t be happier.”
By then though the industry was dealing with another poorly planned Government COVID initiative – announcing that truckies and other workers crossing the Auckland borders would need to have been COVID tested within the previous seven days.
The industry, said Leggett, had been “blindsided” by the move – hearing about it first from the news media, then having it denied as official policy by the Ministry of Transport…only to then have it confirmed by Government. All of this “without any engagement with the industry.”
Unsurprisingly that angered transport operators, Leggett complaining that such Government behaviour threatened the viability of the supply chain, “at a time when, for most NZers, it is critical that it works like the well-oiled machine it is – without politicians and health officials from Wellington interfering.”
The problem, said Leggett, was not the testing – if that’s what is needed to keep NZers safe from COVID-19: “What we don’t like is being blindsided by law changes on the fly, with no explanation of how they are supposed to work….even after the law came into play.”
It was done with “no consultation whatsoever with those most impacted – truck drivers delivering essential goods all around NZ.
“Understandably, there was a lot of stress in our industry – a new testing regime was coming into force this week, with spot testing to begin…
“But absolutely no word from Government how this would work for operators and truck drivers, who work long hours – including outside the hours testing stations and GPs operate. There was no information on how to prove testing had taken place.
“Even the Police are scratching their heads about how they are going to police this – stopping one in 10 trucks and potentially having to safely turn them around if the driver cannot prove they have been tested in the past seven days.”
The “lack of any process or plan from the Government” saw the testing regime delayed until September 17 (after this issue of NZ Truck & Driver went to print).
As that deadline approached, Leggett said some operators had “started setting up their own testing systems, hoping the Government will accept them – when they finally get around to presenting a plan and a process and what they want as proof.
“Someone in Government needs to show some leadership and take this in hand – now,” said Leggett.
National Road Carriers also declared itself “very disappointed in the way this has been handled by Government and we share the frustration of the membership....” Their complaints, said NRC, had been made clear to Government officials – along with a call to urgently advise on a plan. T&D
Conference gone… Hall of Fame delayed
COVID-19 FORCED THE
cancellation of the Road Transport Forum’s annual conference, scheduled to be held in Invercargill late last month.
It also prompted the postponement of the 2021 NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame till next month. The gala dinner and announcement of the latest Hall of Fame inductees will now be held on Friday November 12.
The Forum, now renamed Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, decided at the end of August to cancel the Road Ahead 2021 Transporting NZ Conference “because of the uncertainty around alert level changes around NZ.”
The conference was scheduled for September 25 and 26 in Invercargill – followingon from the Mobil Delvac 1-sponsored Hall of Fame on the 24th .
The Transporting NZ board said that ongoing uncertainty caused by COVID-19 meant “no decision has been made on a replacement conference event.
“We know those speaking, exhibiting, and planning to attend will be disappointed to miss the conference, but the circumstances are beyond our control – and we must act to keep people safe, and follow the Government’s COVID-19 rules.”
Hall of Fame organisers say that “the latest lockdown has thrown us a curveball”….but they are confident that next month’s timing will still allow it to be “another bumper event….with close to 500 guests set to attend.”
Six new industry figures will be inducted into the this year’s HoF, which will be held, as usual, in the world-class Bill Richardson Transport World.
T&D
New FUSO Fighter extends range-wide
safety The new Fighter
THE SUITE OF SAFETY FEATURES IN THE NEW EURO
6 FUSO Fighter soon to be launched in New Zealand will complete “an industry-first safety offering” across the make’s light-duty, medium-duty and heavy truck classes.
Fuso NZ says that the new Fighter, due for release before year’s end, will have autonomous braking, lane departure warning and electronic stability control, “plus a few extras,” as standard.
The medium-duty model will thus join the light Canter and the heavyduty Shogun “in providing an exceptional level of protection for drivers and other road users.”
And that, it adds, “puts FUSO first for safety” across the light, medium and heavy range: “FUSO continues to lead the way among Japanese truck brands.”
In addition, Fuso NZ says, the new Fighter will be the only Japanese medium-duty truck here offering both Active Sideguard Assist (on all but one of the 23 models) and Euro 6 exhaust emissions compliance. Its standard spec also boasts Driver Attention Assist Monitoring.
Fuso NZ MD Kurtis Andrews says: “It’s about doing our best to help everyone get home safely after every trip, which is central to our commitment that ‘We Look After Our Own.’
“It has always been our goal to provide a superior level of safety for operators across every vehicle class. With the introduction of the new model Fighter, we now have a united offering that delivers on that goal.
“Fighter is proven in NZ over nearly 30 years and is something of an unsung hero in the FUSO family. We believe it is the best of its kind.”
Fuso says that, in the NZ market, “no other Japanese truck in this class is certified Euro 6.”
The 250-horsepower/177 kilowatt 6M60T1 and 280hp/199kW 6M60T2 engines can be mated to five or six-speed Allison automatic or FUSO sixspeed or nine-speed manual transmissions. The engines each achieve the Euro 6 exhaust emissions standard by way of an SCR system and a diesel particulate filter.
Fuso NZ says that 6M60T1 engine has been modified to improve performance, with more torque available lower in the rev range – up to a maximum 761Nm at 950-2270rpm. The 6M60T2 delivers 802Nm at 11002400rpm.
The 23 Fighter models take in wheelbases from 4270-6530mm, in 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 format – including a 4x2 factory tipper.
It says that the Fighter has proven itself in NZ in a wide range of applications including general food and freight distribution, infrastructure, construction and refuse – using tipper, flatdeck, bin, box and curtainsider bodies.
Interior features include a new multi-function steering wheel, similar to that in Shogun, a new instrument cluster with a central digital info screen and an ergonomically improved dashboard for easier control access.
All of the Euro 6 models are fitted with an immobiliser for improved security and come with FUSO’s 300,000km/five-year extended warranty. T&D
Lots of orders for latest Kenworth Legend
KENWORTH’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Legend SAR has commanded 27 orders from Kiwi buyers.
The Legend SAR, modelled on the iconic W900SAR built by Kenworth Australia from 1975 to ’85, was revealed at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show…
The special edition, loaded with heritage features including a retro grille, Kenworth bug and two-piece windscreen, went on sale for just one day – July 8.
The latest Legend, celebrating Kenworth’s half-century of truck manufacturing in Australia, followed sellout limited runs of a Legend 950 in 2015 and a Legend 900 four years ago. Thirteen of the Legend 900s ended up in Kiwi hands.
But, according to Aussie reports, the third Legend offering has attracted over 700 orders – reportedly surprising even Kenworth Australia.
Southpac Trucks general sales manager Richard Smart says that the NZ buyers include some “first-time Kenworth buyers.” A few of the Kiwi Legends will be “anniversary or surprise trucks.” T&D
SSAB has begun trial production of green steel
THE WORLD’S FIRST “GREEN STEEL,” MADE WITHOUT
using coal, has been delivered to truckmaker Volvo.
Swedish steelmaker SSAB says its trial delivery to Volvo – which will be followed by green steel supplies to Mercedes-Benz AG and to cargohandling machinery maker Cargotec – is “a crucial milestone” in its progress towards full-scale production of entirely fossil-free steel, as early as 2026.
That, it says, will make it the world’s first steelmaker able to offer a fossilfree value chain – from the mine to the end-product.
“The first fossil-free steel in the world is not only a breakthrough for SSAB, it represents proof that it’s possible to make the transition and significantly reduce the global carbon footprint of the steel industry,” says SSAB president and CEO Martin Lindqvist.
“We hope that this will inspire others to also want to speed up the green transition.”
Sweden’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Ibrahim Baylan, says that industries, “especially the steel industry, create large emissions – but are also an important part of the solution.”
Volvo intends to use its trial delivery to start building prototype trucks and components from the green steel before the end of this year.
SSAB says that using technology developed by HYBRIT– co-owned by SSAB, Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall and mining company LKAB – its steelmaking “will be practically fossil free by 2045.”
Currently, steel production using coal is reckoned to responsible for around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
HYBRIT started test operations at its pilot plant for green steel in Sweden a year ago – working to replace coking coal, traditionally used in steelmaking, with renewable electricity and hydrogen.
European reports say a rival Swedish operation, H2 Green Steel, is planning to have a fossil fuel-free steel plant in production before 2025, using its own sustainable hydrogen.
Mercedes-Benz says it will begin making prototype parts for its passenger car body shells next year, using its trial supply of SSAB green steel.
The HYBRIT technology fits well with Merc’s planned transformation to a zero emissions future – and its focus on avoiding and reducing CO2 emissions, rather than compensating for producing them.
SSAB says it has also agreed to work together with Cargotec on the introduction of fossil-free steel to the cargo-handling machinery manufacturer’s products.
Cargotec CEO Mika Vehviläinen says the company is “proud that we are paving the way in the cargo-handling industry” in using green steel: “This is an important step toward our vision of becoming a leader in sustainable cargo flow.”
SSAB explains that the HYBRIT initiative, which began in 2016, avoids the blast furnace process that creates around 90% of the carbon dioxide emissions from traditional steelmaking.
It’s replaced by electric arc furnace technology, using direct reduced iron, or sponge iron, obtained using green hydrogen.
The new technology removes the use of fossil coking coal needed in the production of crude iron and the remaining fossil fuels needed in production will be replaced with biogas or by electrifying the processes. T&D
The HYBRIT green steel plant
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Police failed to monitor heavy towing contractor
The Independent Police Conduct Authority investigation has found failures in Police oversight of the suitability of towtrucks contracted by Police to remove broken-down heavy vehicles on Auckland’s motorways
AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND THAT
for eight years Police failed to properly monitor whether a consortium of heavy vehicle towtruck operators – contracted by the Police – were compliant with the law.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority finding, released in August, was triggered by a complaint from another heavy vehicle towing company about the circumstances under which the contract to recover vehicles on Auckland motorways was awarded in 2013….
And its concerns that since then the individual companies making up the contracted consortium had regularly used non-complying tow vehicles.
The IPCA found that the 2013 contract was conditional on Police inspecting the consortium’s vehicles to ensure they were compliant and fit for purpose: “However, this did not occur, and despite renewals of the contract, Police had never undertaken any systematic inspections of operational vehicles,” says the report.
Police had no knowledge whether the consortium complied with the requirements of the contract – and the IPCA says that Police should not have entered into the contract…nor subsequently renewed it… “as it had real safety and congestion-management implications for road users.”
The Authority concludes that “the consortium has not had sufficient vehicles with the necessary towing capacity and have therefore been able to fulfil the terms of the contract only by using unsafe and non-compliant vehicles.
“Although Police were aware of these non-compliance issues, they did not take appropriate action to address them,” says the IPCA.
Authority Chair, Judge Colin Doherty, says: “Quite apart from contractual matters, the need to ensure the safety of road users makes it incumbent on Police to ensure any contractor is a compliant operator under the contract.”
The IPCA also criticised the way Police responded to complaints about the consortium’s operation – finding its response “inadequate.” The only investigation into the complaints was “by an officer who was involved in the matters complained about and therefore lacked impartiality.”
Police Assistant Commissioner, Deployment and Road Policing, Bruce O’Brien, says Police are “addressing the concerns highlighted in the report, including a national audit of heavy vehicle towing contracts to ensure best practice and compliance.
“We accept that this was not good enough and not up to Police’s usual high standard of managing contracts.”
He says that Police acknowledge that the contract awarded to ‘Company Y’ to remove broken-down heavy vehicles from Auckland motorways, “was conditional upon regular inspections being conducted by Police: These inspections did not occur.
“We acknowledge the importance of removing heavy motor vehicles from the road and understand the potential impact failing to inspect these vehicles could have on road users.
“Police will ensure going forward that there is a focus on the compliance of heavy vehicle towing contractors to ensure the safety of all road users.”
O’Brien says that Company Y’s offered donation was not accepted and “was not a contributing factor in the score which resulted in awarding the contract with Company Y.”
He says that Police continue to use Company Y for heavy-vehicle recovery on the motorways – “with the exception of vehicles in excess of 36,000kg.” Police have notified Company Y of “concerns regarding the company’s capacity to tow loads of more than this weight.
“Police will not use this company for towing heavy vehicles with a weight in excess of 36,000kg until the matter is resolved…”
O’Brien says that annual audits of Company Y’s fleet will be conducted in accordance with the contract obligations.
And he says Police apologise to Company X “for failing to properly address the initial complaint. In retrospect, we also acknowledge that the officer who did eventually investigate the complaint should have been a different investigator to ensure impartiality.”
He says that a process was introduced last year that involves supervisers from different CVST areas investigating complaints, “to ensure impartiality and mitigate conflict of interest risks.” T&D
Terex dumped... Rokbak rules
ARTICULATED OFFROAD DUMPTRUCK SPECIALIST
Terex Trucks has been rebranded as Rokbak.
The Scottish manufacturer – owned by the Volvo Group since 2014 – says the name Rokbak “represents an exciting new future” for the articulated trucks it’s been building since 1982.
Rokbak managing director Paul Douglas says: “Our company has an incredible history and a proud heritage.”
Becoming part of the Volvo Group “allowed us to make major improvements in every part of our business. Millions of pounds have been invested in improving our products, modernising our facilities, expanding our network and developing our people. It has been a process of continual evolution.”
The company has introduced Stage V engines for better fuel efficiency and operation, a new transmission on the RA30, its Haul Track telematics “and a stronger focus on operator wellbeing and safety.”
Adds Douglas: “That’s why we feel it’s right to recognise this evolution with a new brand name to launch an exciting new chapter in our history. And we’ll keep investing to further improve our machines for our customers.”
Rokbak says that for 40 years “the company has never wavered in its promise to customers to deliver powerful and reliable articulated haulers – and that legacy remains front and centre within the new brand.”
Rokbak’s heritage dates back to 1934, when the American Euclid company built its first offroad dumptruck. Euclid was bought by General Motors in 1953 and the earthmoving division was renamed Terex in ’68.
In 1992, five years after it was sold by GM, the new owner formed the Terex Corporation…which, 22 years on, sold the offroad truck business to current owner, the Volvo Group.
Rokbak currently has two models – a 28-tonne payload RA30 and 38t RA40. They are, it says, “the most productive and efficient articulated haulers the company has ever made.”
Douglas says Rokbak has “very healthy” orders for the new brand – “and we want to further expand our reputation, dealer network and market share.”
The company has, he adds, “a clear vision for where we want to go and who we want to be.” T&D
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KiwiRail NZ Connect will run five days a week between Auckland and Christchurch
KiwiRail adds new inter-island freight service
KIWIRAIL SAYS IT HAS RESPONDED TO A GAP IN THE
market by introducing a new weekday rail freight service between Auckland and Christchurch.
The daily interisland service is called KiwiRail NZ Connect and has been launched to assist New Zealand businesses that are currently grappling with delays caused by continued disruption to ports and shipping lines.
KiwiRail Group chief executive Greg Miller says the KiwiRail NZ Connect service, which starts early this month, will boost capacity and connections for moving domestic freight between the North Island and South Island, in time for the peak season.
“We are heading into the country’s busiest period for freight, from October through to March, a time when businesses look to restock ahead of Christmas and New Year and when demand for products increases and exports rise,” Miller says.
“Many businesses are still feeling the ongoing impacts of COVID on the global supply chain and experiencing delays on imported goods. Shipping lines continue to struggle to offer certainty of capacity and delivery for the movement of freight between the islands.
“KiwiRail has identified this gap in the market so is stepping up to relieve some of these pressures by offering a faster and more certain domestic service than currently is available from shipping lines alone.’’
The new service will depart Auckland each day, Monday to Friday, and connect with Interislander ferries before continuing to Christchurch.
“Congestion in NZ’s supply route between Auckland and Christchurch will continue for the foreseeable future until global shipping capacity and reliability return,’’ Miller says.
“Using 60-foot wagons, it will provide up to 300 TEU (20ft equivalent container units) of additional weekly capacity, alongside the weekly services we already offer.’’ T&D
Scania NZ gets new boss
SCANIA NEW ZEALAND,
currently the No. 1 in the NZ truck market’s premium division (trucks over 23-tonne GVM), has a new boss.
Rafael Alvarenga took up the managing director’s role last month, succeeding Mattias Lundholm, who has returned to Sweden after three years here….during which he launched Scania NZ.
“I am excited to start my new chapter with Scania in NZ and pick up where Mattias has left off,” says Alvarenga.
“I look forward to continuing the growth and success of the NZ business and experiencing the Kiwi culture,” says Rafael.
Scania says that it “significantly expanded its footprint throughout NZ last year and now enjoys a stable of 24 nationwide service centres, of which 10 are company-owned and 14 are independent approved service providers.
Alvarenga has worked in the automotive industry since 1996, spending eight years at Volkswagen Passenger Vehicles in Brazil before joining Scania Latin America in 2004. In 2005 he graduated as an engineer, and in 2011 received an MBA in Business Management.
His Scania career has seen him fill a variety of roles including application engineering, sales, key account management and, most recently, services director – with Scania India.
Scania NZ says it “offers heartfelt thanks” to Lundholm for “his amazing contribution to the business during the last three years.” T&D New Scania NZ MD Rafael Alvarenga
The Mack delivers Thurston to the rodeo arena
How Aussie is this!
THREE AUSSIE ICONS HAVE
teamed up to create a bit of a fuss in the Outback – Mack Trucks, tough wet weather gear maker Driza-Bone and rugby league legend JT (Johnathan Thurston) heading off together to the Mt Isa Mines Rodeo.
Thurston, fully clad in Driza-Bone gear, stepped down from a blacked-out 685-horsepower Mack Super-Liner onto the rodeo arena in the southeast Queensland town – delighting the crowd.
The now-retired former league superstar, was also chuffed: “I’ve had an amazing few days with my first Mt Isa rodeo experience – and equally loved meeting so many locals, thanks to DrizaBone and Mack Trucks.
“I can’t think of anything more Australian than arriving at the Outback rodeo, in a Mack Super-Liner, head-to-toe in my Driza-Bone kit. It’s been a really cool experience.”
Driza-Bone creative director Justin O’Shea said the coming together of the clothing and truck manufacturing companies “just made sense” – the products of the two hard-working Aussie brands both customised for challenging Australian conditions.
“While our brands are vastly different, they are rich in Australian history and our respective products are built for surviving everything Australia’s big backyard can throw at you – be it the Outback, hinterland or bush.”
As for including JT in the teamup, O’Shea reckons that was a no-brainer: “Johnathan embodies what our two brands represent, so it has worked out perfectly that he could be in Mt Isa.”
Rodeo guests had the chance to meet JT, win prizes from the two manufacturers and take a look at the Super-Liner, with its new standup sleeper and redesigned interior. T&D
JT, fully clad in Driza-Bone gear, poses for a shot in the Outback with the Super-Liner
TransDiesel shows it values H&S
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT,
diesel engines and transmissions supplier to the heavy-machinery industry, TransDiesel, has achieved two new industry recognitions.
It has received Gold Sitewise certification and has retained its ACC Tertiary Accredited Employers Programme (AEP) status.
“TransDiesel has a longstanding reputation based on providing the best sales and service backup to our customers, and it’s important to show that we, as a company, want to do the same for our employees,” says Shane Palmer, the company’s health and safety business partner.
“Achieving accreditation illustrates the value we put on the wellbeing and safety of our people and demonstrates we’re committed to providing the very best workplace for our staff.” T&D Shane Palmer
Battery electric breakthrough
MAJOR UNITED STATES TRANSPORT OPERATOR
Schneider has placed an order for 50 Freightliner eCascadias, in a breakthrough into mainstream heavy-duty trucking for battery-electric trucks.
The trucking and logistics major will begin putting the eCascadias to work in Southern California next year.
Its order comes with funding support from the Joint Electric Truck Scaling Initiative (JETSI) – which is sponsored by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD), California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC).
Schneider’s Freightliner order follows six months of trials with an eCascadia through Freightliner’s Customer Experience fleet.
Performance Team, a warehousing and distribution company that’s owned by Maritime transportation and logistics giant Maersk, is also going electric – with an order for 16 Volvo VNR Electric HD trucks.
Volvo North America says it’s the largest order so far for its zero emissions model – the deal also part-funded by California’s South Coast AQMD. It meets the air quality organisation’s aims of reducing emissions in the transportation sector by replacing diesel power with electric trucks and creating new charging infrastructure.
The Volvos will carry regional loads daily to customers across Southern California, servicing Performance Teams’ warehousing and distribution network of 45 locations – as part of a 215-truck fleet.
In New York, beer is now being delivered by a fleet of five Volvo VNR Electrics bought by Manhattan Beer Distributors.
The transport operator has had a low-emissions focus since the 1990s and today operates more than 160 Volvo CNG trucks within a 400-strong fleet.
Support funding for its new BEV Volvos have come from New York State and NY City’s Clean Trucks Programme.
To support the charging of the VNRs, Manhattan Beer Distributors has installed three Level 3 DC fast chargers at its Bronx facility, capable of recharging the electric trucks in 70 minutes (up to 80%).
Its trucks were the first full serial production VNR Electrics to be built by Volvo North America. T&D
Top: Schneider has ordered 50 electric heavy-duty Freightliner eCascadias Above: Performance Team is getting 16 Volvo VNR Electrics Left: One of Manhattan Beer Distributors’ five electric Volvo tractor units at a charging point. Its fast chargers can provide an 80% battery “top-up” in 70 minutes
TransDiesel pumps up its lubricant service
TransDiesel’s bulk lubricant delivery truck will cover the South Island
TRANSDIESEL HAS EXTENDED ITS PUMP-OVER TRUCK
bulk lubricant delivery service into the South Island market.
“We first debuted a pump-over truck in the North Island about 12 months ago and, based on its overwhelming success, decided to launch one to assist our customers throughout the Mainland,” says Jason Steele, TransDiesel business manager for Shell Lubricants.
The pump-over truck has, he says, achieved significant operational efficiency as well as cost reductions for customers as they only pay for what they use.
The Scania R500 8x4 has lockable diffs to provide manoeuvrability, stability and traction.
It can carry and pump from both intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) and barrels, as well as transporting smaller packs loaded on pallets.
It’s able to pump three products simultaneously at high flow rates to offload large volumes in a short period. This means less time spent onsite and fewer disruptions to the end customer, while eliminating drums and other packaging means significant space-saving in workshops.
The delivery truck is capable of delivering consumables ranging from light hydraulic fluids all the way through to heavy gear oils. It will also be pumping a full portfolio of heavy-duty diesel Rimula engine oils for heavy-equipment users, and passenger car oils for automotive garages and commercial fleet operators.
The heavy-duty truck will soon be joined by a smaller around town truck for local service. It can operate in tighter spaces, further enhancing support of TransDiesel’s 16 company-owned branches nationwide. T&D
VW to test driverless vans
VOLKSWAGEN IS PUTTING FIVE FULLY AUTONOMOUS
vans into testing in Germany.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) unveiled the VW ID.BUZZ AD (autonomous driving) at the recent IAA Mobility 2021 expo in Munich.
The prototype driverless vans, based on the electric ID.BUZZ van which is scheduled to go on sale in Europe next year, are the result of a partnership between VWCV and Argo AI – a US tech firm specialising in autonomous driving technology.
The Argo self-driving system can provide a 360-degree awareness of the vehicle’s environment. It can predict the actions of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles while controlling the powertrain, braking and steering systems so the vehicle moves safely naturally, like an experienced driver.
“An environment recognition system from six lidar, 11 radar and 14 cameras, distributed over the entire vehicle, can capture much more than any human driver can from his seat,’’ says Christian Senger, VWCV’s head of autonomous driving.
A proprietary sensor Argo Lidar – which sits on the roof of the prototypes – can detect objects up to 400 metres away, while a patented Geiger-mode has the ability to detect even the smallest particles of light (a single photon), so that even objects with low reflectivity (like black-painted vehicles) are detected.
Testing of the ID.BUZZ AD will take place at the Argo AI development centre near Munich. Mobility service provider MOIA (a VW subsidiary) will be the first user of the ID.BUZZ AD – introducing it in 2025 in a Hamburg ride-pooling service. T&D
DHL expands NZ storage
GLOBAL LOGISTICS GIANT DHL
has opened two new state-of-the-art storage facilities in New Zealand.
DHL Supply Chain’s new Auckland and Christchurch facilities together add 12,500 square metres of floor space – about the size of two rugby fields – boosting its existing 120,000sqm NZ footprint.
“This investment will empower NZ businesses and organisations with more resilient supply chain capabilities to support their respective growth plans and business models,” says DHL Supply Chain NZ MD Matt Casbolt.
The Christchurch facility will service the healthcare sector and creates capacity for the distribution of critical healthcare products to the South Island.
DHL says its industry-leading cold-chain operations will ensure pharmaceutical products can be stored at their ideal temperature range of 2-8 degrees Celsius, while specialised freezers will keep more sensitive products at ultra-cold temperatures. The facility is located close to Christchurch International Airport.
In addition to reducing lead times for vital healthcare products, it will ensure products can be delivered where they’re needed without disruptions resulting from natural events, cancelled ferry sailings or road closures.
The facility has been MEDSAFE approved for secondary packing services of certain vaccines.
“Healthcare is one of the most important industries, so ensuring we have the right infrastructure and capability onshore was a priority,” says Casbolt.
“This investment helps us manage the shortterm surge in demand for pharmaceuticals, but it also ensures NZ has a robust healthcare supply chain to meet future demand.’’
The Auckland facility will service the retail, consumer electronics and consumer personal care sectors. It is certified to store both food and pharmaceutical products. T&D
DHL’s new Auckland storage facility
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