NZ Truck & Driver November 2021 by NZ Truck & Driver

NUA

RY FEB

RUA

New

5 6 7 8

NZ TRUCK & DRIVER

18 T

20 T

21 F

22 S

23 S 24 M

Wellingto n Annivers ary

Day

26 W

27 M

Waitangi

Day

MAY

THE INDIANA WORK CONVEN

TRUCK TION SHOW INDIANACENTRE POLIS

HARVESTT

ECH

10 T

DAYLIGH

T SAVING

ENDS

Annivers

ary

Day

Otago

Annivers

22 T

ary

24 T

25 F

26 S

28 M

29 T

Southlan

ary

Anzac

Day

WOODTEC ROTORUAH

COMMER

CIAL VEHICLE BIRMING SHOW, HAM, UK

Matariki

28 M

29 T

30 31

172B

SEP

TEM

IOWA

RS JAMBOR WALCOTT , IOWA, EE, USA

Term

3–

Starts

DAYLIGH

South

T SAVING

Canterbu

ary

Day

3–

Ends

28 29 30 31

Term

4–

Starts

Hawkes

Bay

Annivers

ary

Day

Labour

Day

29 T

30 F

18 19 20

Marlboro Annivers

30 Day

Boxing Day

Christma Observe

w. sp

t.c o.n

AUCKL HAMILT AND, 96-98 ROTOR ON, WIRI 36 EARTH STATIO UA, NEW MOVER N PLYMO 328 TE ROAD, PALME UTH, NGAE CRESC WIRI, CHRIST RSTON ROAD, 15 MUSTA ENT, MANUK TE CHURC NORTH NGAE BURBU NG AU DRIVE, H, 64 , 22 SH COLUMMALDE BELL FIND BIA N STREE BLOCK AVENU OUT T, ROSLY E, HORNB MOR N E Y

WWW .SPT .CO.

| November 2021

November 2021 $9.50 incl. GST

t i g n i p e e

K BIG TEST Keeping it clean | FLEET FOCUS A family Vision | FEATURE Krafty calls time

The Official Magazine of

Issue 251

PLUS

s Day

Box

FLEET FOCUS A family Vision FEATURE Krafty calls time

S Christma

ISSN 2703-6278

09-262 07-222 3181 07-345 2040 06-262 9761 06-222 0009 03-344 3400 0252

M T

4–

Ends

W T

F S

Term

21 22 23 24 25

ary Day ary Day

Islands Westland Annivers Annivers

Day

96-98 76463 Wiri Statio PHONManuk n Road au *TRP E City, assist(09) 262 Auckla EMAIL 0508 3181 : info@s nd, 22 NZ pt.co.55 77 nz

ary

11 12

13 14 15

s Day

ugh

ry Annivers

WOODTEC ROTORUAH

Chatham

Canterbu

ary

5 6

T F

S S

EMB

3 4

29 M

Term

BEGINS

ry Annivers

DEC

S M

T W

T F

EMB

acc | PO Box 112 oun ts@ 062, Penro tru cke se, Auckl r.co and NOV .nz

1 2 3

blica ONLI tions NE .co.nz

Auckl and

Ellers lie,

354 4

OCT OBE

571

80 TRUCKE

Maru a Road,

BER

o.nz

UST

Ends

2–

Term

IES NZ SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022

YE PL AR INSANNER IDE 15

SUBS w.all CR iedpuIBE

FIELDAY HAMILTO S, N

logger.c

INDUSTR

MYSTER Y CREEK,

PRIMARY

www.nz

AUG

Birthday

uide.co.n

Queen’s

uipmentg

JULY

o.nz

Day

Monday

d Annivers

driver.c

www.eq

Friday

Easter

Ends

TRUCKE FISHING RS AND MID TOURNA AMERICA MENTLOGGER TRUCK PAIHIAS SHOW

1–

Day

23 W

Good

21 M

truckand

Starts

Term

2–

19 S

20 S

18 F

Term

17 T

16 W

Taranaki

15 T

13 S

14 M

12 S

ROTORUA

11 F

JUN

BOMBAY

TRUCK SHOW, AUCKLAN

www.nz

30 W

Observe

31 T

Aucklan Nelsond Annivers Annivers ary Day Term ary Day 1– Starts

Day

Waitangi

27 S

27 T 28 F 29 S 30 S M

2022 18

19 W

15 S

F S

16 S

Day

17 M

Year’s

13 T

New

W T

14 F

after

10 M 11 T 12 W

25 T

Day

MAR CH

S S

M T

YEA R PLA APR NNER IL

FR 1

1 2 3 4

NEW SHOGUN

510HP | 2500Nm The most powerful Japanese truck, ever!

New FUSO SHOGUN 510HP gives you the power and torque to dominate New Zealand roads, plus advanced safety features to get your team home safely – day after day, night after night. Euro 6 | 510hp | 2,500Nm / 1,850 lb-ft | 12.8 Litre

Now taking orders. Call today!

fuso.co.nz

0800 FUSO NZ

SCAN FOR MORE DETAILS!

FUSO FIRST FOR SAFETY

ACROSS ALL CLASSES

NEW

FIGHTER EURO 6 WITH ADVANCED SAFETY AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW!

Another first from FUSO – advanced safety features are now standard across our heavy, medium and light-duty truck models. Our brand new Euro 6 Fighter joins Canter and Shogun in offering Active Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Electronic Stability Control as standard.

Explore the full range today!

Financial

0800 FUSO NZ

A SMALL STEP ON OUR PATH TO CHANGE FROM 2021, ALL CASTROL PRODUCTS WE SELL IN NEW ZEALAND WILL BE

COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAS 2060** A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

* **

in accordance with PAS 2060, see www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information. The C02e emmisions are calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Product Life Cycle Standard and includes life cycle emmisions. The demonstration of carbon neutrality will be assured by an Independent Third-Party and certified to BSI’s PAS 2060 carbon neutral specification. See www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information.

DYM235965 Castrol PATH360 Lead Creative NZ FLEET.indd 1

8/10/21 12:06 PM

CONTENTS Issue 251 – November 2021 4 Aeolus News

The latest in the world of transport, including…Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand splits; new Western Star model launched in North America; Cummins announces natural gas X15 in US; driver shortage sharpens focus on autonomous trucks

24 Giti Tyres Big Test

Fuel hauler Tranzliquid Logistics is very particular about the sparkling clean appearance of its (almost) wholly Kenworth tanker fleet – and with its latest addition, a T610 tractor unit, it’s getting a cleaner engine to go with it….namely a Euro 6 version of the Cummins X15

39 Transporting New Zealand

Latest news from Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, including….. Government needs to engage with outside experts to deal with COVID-19; Government needs to stop waiting for the “perfect” heavy truck to meet its decarbonisation ambitions and embrace solutions already available to reduce emissions

48 Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus REGULARS When Pienaar (Willie) Piso brought his family to NZ in 2003, he wasn’t just leaving behind his homeland, he was walking away from an earthmoving business that boasted 120 pieces of machinery. Now here he is in Hamilton, heading a family business with 24 trucks and 20-odd earthmoving machines

75 It’s political…

Introducing a new feature, in which NZ’s major political parties are offered the opportunity to tell us their views on issues effecting the road transport industry

80/ NZ Transport Imaging 81 Awards

FEATURES

Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets…. including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist

64 Southpac Trucks Legends

Greg Sheehan is a name that’s synonymous with heavy haulage in NZ – in particular the business of piloting over-dimension loads

93 CrediFlex Recently Registered

67 Krafty calls time

New truck and trailer registrations for September

It’s the perfect nickname for a down-toearth, hard-case fella who, with no formal engineering qualifications, has become renowned for his innovative, sometimes pioneering, trailer designs

COLUMNS 88 National Road Carriers Association

81 Piopio pioneer

If Rocket Lab can launch satellites into orbit from the Mahia Peninsula, who’s to say Max Laver can’t pioneer space-age composite technology for tippers from a factory in Piopio?

Putting in place a COVID-19 testing regime at Auckland’s pandemic borders in just a week highlights what can be done by pragmatic and collaborative individuals focused on getting the best possible outcome….without wasting time arguing the need

91 Road Transport Association NZ The closer alignment of RTANZ and Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ is what members want – overwhelmingly. And there is more to come

MANAGEMENT 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

CONTRIBUTORS Colin Smith Gerald Shacklock John Coker Olivia Beauchamp Dave McLeod

ADMINISTRATION Sue Woolston MANAGER accounts@trucker.co.nz

ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production Luca Bempensante Helen Scott EQUIPMENT GUIDE AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Advertising Trudy Woolston 027 233 0090 trudy@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

SUBSCRIPTIONS NZ subscription price ADDRESS Phone Freephone Postal Address Street Address Web

Sue Woolston accounts@trucker.co.nz $80 incl. GST for one year (11 issues) Overseas rates on application +64 9 571 3544 0508 TRUCKER (878 2537) PO Box 112 062, Penrose, AUCKLAND 172B Marua Road, Ellerslie, AUCKLAND www.alliedpublications.co.nz

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

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

Net circulation – ended April 2021

10,373

www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz

www.facebook.com/nztruckanddriver

Truck & Driver | 3

NEWS The annual NZ Road Transport Industry Awards dinner has until now been a show of togetherness

National trucking body splits THE UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR THE associations representing the New Zealand road transport industry, which had held the hope of unifying its member groups into one, has split apart. Two of the three industry associations that made up Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ (formerly the Road Transport Forum) have withdrawn from the organisation. In the October 1-announced split, the National Road Carriers Association (NRC), based in Auckland, and the NZ Trucking Association, based in Christchurch, exited Transporting NZ…effective immediately. The departure of the two groups – both members of the Owner Carriers Association of NZ (OCANZ) – leaves the four Road Transport Association (RTANZ) regional branches as members of Transporting NZ. In a combined statement, the two departing groups said they had reached an impasse with RTANZ regarding industry association structure. “An untenable proposal was put to our associations to merge and create one centralised industry body based in Wellington,’’ the statement said. “Representative board members from both National Road Carriers and NZ Trucking believe such a structure would not be in the best interests of our members and would dilute the grassroots understanding of industry issues and the provision of services. “Our members have told us they need us to have a singleminded focus on the issues that keep them up at night. These include: Roading and infrastructure failure, shortage of skilled workers, compliance, climate change, the pandemic and supply chain crisis.” The move leaves the industry without a single voice to carry its concerns to government agencies. Transporting NZ chief executive Nick Leggett says that, “as a national organisation, the RTANZ board were conscious of a desire from the road 4 | Truck & Driver

freight industry to have one voice and to avoid duplication between the three associations and the advocacy work of Transporting NZ. “They proposed a new structure to OCANZ members, NRC and NZ Trucking. “In the end, those two organisations have decided to stick to their local areas and that presents an opportunity to refresh how services and advocacy are delivered to the rest of the road freight transport industry, via RTANZ and Transporting NZ,’’ Leggett says. He says that a fractured system of representation for road transport issues isn’t ideal, but adds: “The previous structure was not delivering one voice either. The industry has struggled to get on one page. “Transporting NZ remains the national organisation in Wellington, representing the bulk of the industry by meeting with government officials and elected representatives in Parliament and advocating for the best results as rules, regulations and laws that affect road freight transport are developed and put into practice. “Transporting NZ also holds the ownership of Te ara ki tua Road to success and will continue operating this essential industry traineeship in partnership with the government.’’ James Smith, chief operating officer of NRC, believes the industry no longer needs to present a single voice on issues: “Governments – not just ours but around the world – stopped listening to single voices quite some time ago. There are advantages to a chorus of voices. “As an example, we had 118 voices, including the EMA, Chamber of Commerce and contractors, on the call with Ministers Wood and Clark over the COVID-19 border restrictions. If we’d had a single voice, do you think we would have got saliva testing? No, we wouldn’t have. “The single voice argument is stale. If something is a good idea the best way is to have multiple voices,’’ Smith says. “Both the NRC and NZTA have very strong connections with government, of whatever colour. So, is the industry going to suffer by not having a single voice? No.’’ T&D

NEWS

The new Western Star 47X

New Star appears THE SECOND MODEL IN WESTERN Star’s new X-Series vocational truck family has been launched in North America – with likely X-Series arrival here just over a year away. The 47X follows the launch of the slightly larger 49X in September last year. In the North American market the 47X targets tipper, readymix concrete, snow plough and crane truck applications. In the US and Canada first deliveries to customers will begin early next year. Penske Australia – distributor of Western Star Trucks in Australia and New Zealand – says it is working closely with Daimler Trucks North America in the adaptation of the new X-Series to suit local conditions. “We are thrilled to be launching the new Western Star range in late 2022 in Australia, and shortly after that in NZ,” says Craig Lee, general manager – on-highway, Penske Australia. “Our local teams here in Australia and NZ have worked closely with the Western Star team in the US on the development of the new trucks to tailor them for our local markets in both Australia and NZ, and will continue to do so.” The new models boast “lighter yet tougher” steel-reinforced cab frames, with interiors including wraparound dashboards and Lee says Australasian customers “will surely be impressed

when they see the trucks in person and step foot into the cabin.” In North America the 47X will be sold with the Detroit DD13 Gen 5 engine as standard – with Cummins L9 and X12 engines as options. The standard US transmission is the new Detroit DT12-V, with Eaton Fuller manual and AMT options...plus the choice of an Allison automatic. DTNA says that much of the design process for the X-Series platform has focused on reducing weight and increasing chassis rigidity. The 47X is approximately 90kg lighter than the 49X in like-for-like spec and is best suited to weight-sensitive applications like mixers and bulk tipper work. All X-Series trucks have tougher, yet lighter, single-channel frame rail options versus legacy products, with Western Star claiming best-inclass RBM (resisting bending moment). A new 9.5mm single channel rail option is available and features comparable strength as today’s 11mm rail, while standard high-strength aluminium forward, rear and end-of-frame crossmembers further reduce mass. DTNA chief engineer of chassis, propulsion and vocational engineering Tracy Mack-Askew says: “A key priority was to consider how to reduce mass without compromising strength.

“From the cab to the frame rails, to powertrain and battery configurations, we examined all features to deliver weight savings to our customers for greater productivity and profitability.” Another X-Series feature is the steel-reinforced aluminium cab, which further reduces mass by up to 8% while offering greater driver comfort – with a claimed 13% more space than competitors. All X-Series models come standard with a wraparound dash that provides easy access to the driver command centre and B-panel. On the B-panel, a flex panel can be prepped for a tablet or configured for an additional 12 switches or 10 gauges. The truck’s interior also includes upscale appointments such as metal accents and the allmetal exterior brightwork is distinctive as well as durable. T&D A flex panel on the dash is designed to accommodate a tablet or extra switches and gauges

Truck & Driver | 5

UN W NE D N A R B

For Sale – Immediate Delivery – POA HINO 700 Series 2848 TX Pro-Shift,16 Speed, 480hp, Hendrickson HAS 460 Air Suspension, 4305mm Wheel Base, and Hardox 450 Premium Heavy Duty Tipper Bin 5m, STRENX 700 Underbody high tensile rails.

Eltham, Taranaki | 027 559 0466 | www.hotterengineering.co.nz

TD32077

In build now for delivery in September, this custom build Hardox 450 Premium heavy duty tipper bin with 6mm one piece floor and 4mm sides ensures we meet the demands of our corporate customers, as well as owner operators right around the country who understand a Hardox 450 Premium heavy duty tipper bin will outlast the truck, when they invest capital expenditure in ‘good gear’.

NEWS

Natural gas Cummins X15

CUMMINS HAS ANNOUNCED A 15-LITRE NATUR AL gas heavy-duty truck engine for the North American market – describing it as “a game-changer” and an important part of its zero emissions strategy. The X15N gas engine will offer 500 horsepower/372 kilowatts and 1850 lb ft/2508 Newton metres of peak torque, and Cummins says it’s expected to weigh 500 lbs/226 kilograms less than its current 15-litre diesel engines – and won’t need to use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to achieve the US exhaust emissions standards. It’s part of Cummins’ approach to its “path to zero emissions – to go further, faster to reduce the greenhouse gas and air quality impacts of its products in a way that is best for its customers and all stakeholders.” The strategy focuses on new powertrains including advanced diesel, natural gas, hydrogen engines, hybrids, battery electric and fuel cells, along with an increased use of low-carbon fuels and renewable electricity and related infrastructure. “Cummins continues to expand our portfolio of power solutions options so customers can meet their business goals and operational objectives, while also meeting emissions standards and achieving their sustainability goals,” says Cummins president, engine business, Srikanth Padmanabhan.

“We believe this natural gas option is a game-changer as a costcompetitive power option to existing diesel powertrains in heavy-duty trucking, making it a great complement to reduce CO2 emissions.” When powered with renewable natural gas (RNG) – using methane collected from organic waste as the primary fuel source – the system can be credited with a neutral to negative carbon index, resulting in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at or below zero, Cummins says. The 15-litre NG engine can be paired with a Cummins/Eaton Automated Endurant transmission and Cummins fuel delivery system – “ensuring a purposebuilt and fully-integrated natural gas powertrain.” Cummins VP on-highway engine business, Brett Merritt, says customers “have been asking for a natural gas option for long-haul trucking – and we are bringing them a very cost-effective and efficient option.” It will deliver “a compelling total cost of ownership experience, coupled with a potential carbon-negative powertrain option when powered with renewable natural gas.” The engine is also the basis of Cummins’ recently announced hydrogen internal combustion engine that it is now in testing. T&D

Traton’s top man replaced AMBITIOUS TRUCK GROUP Traton has suddenly and unexpectedly replaced its top execs. The Volkswagen-owned Traton, which already has the Scania, MAN, Navistar and Volkswagen Brazil truck makes and is a 25% stakeholder in Sinotruk, announced the departure of CEO Matthias Gruendler and CFO Christian Schulz, effective on September 30. They left for unspecified reasons, during current

contracts – Gruendler replaced by Scania president and CEO Christian Levin, who will lead both businesses. Annette Danielski will become firm’s head of group finance. Says Levin: “The evolution of the group continues and builds on the Traton strategy, which the current management team established and which is now pushed into a different gear. “The strategy includes a stronger focus on sustainability, not least through e-mobility,

digitisation and connectivity; continued integration with Navistar and growth in the North American market, as well as continued investments in China over the next few years. This change will comprise of several steps over time and by the end of the year a fuller plan will be presented,” Levin says. Traton has the declared aim of becoming the global No. 1 truckmaker and it took full ownership of Navistar International in July under Gruendler’s leadership. T&D Truck & Driver | 7

NEWS

Talk to us: NRC boss

NRC members proved their ability to get something done quickly and efficiently when mandatory testing for truckies at the Auckland borders was introduced

THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO OPEN LINES OF communication with transport operators and other businesses on what assistance they need to deal with COVID-19, National Road Carriers Association chief operating officer James Smith says. “Unless this Government enables their officials to engage in two-way conversations focused on solutions, I fear we will be bumbling along from crisis to crisis until the money runs out,” Smith reckons. “Ever since the start of this COVID-19 Delta experience there has been a lack of pragmatic Government assistance for business owners to enable them to tackle this outbreak.” In fact, he adds: “Many Government communication channels appear to be fitted with very effective one-way valves that prevent any assistance or pragmatic solutions from filtering down to frontline businesses that are now becoming increasingly desperate and frustrated.”

He points out that NRC members “have a track record of getting the task done very quickly and efficiently – as they proved when the requirement to test for COVID before leaving Auckland was implemented.” And he adds: “For months there have been calls for better access to vaccination information and targeted information to address vaccine hesitancy. “Where is the support to business owners who want to put in place wider testing for all workers, not just those that cross borders? “Where are the simple-to-use tools for employers to check the vaccination status of their workers? Where is the timetable and route out of lockdown? “Surely it is not too difficult to set some targets with dates, some easy-touse information tools? “Every transport operator knows that unless you start a trip with a destination in mind you have zero chance of success.” T&D

No to rule by press conference THE GOVERNMENT’S MOVE LAST MONTH TO EXTEND its COVID-19 emergency powers until May 2023 “shows a lack of ambition and commitment to New Zealand’s recovery from the pandemic,” Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ CEO Nick Leggett believes. Transporting NZ opposes the extension – part of the measures proposed in the COVID-19 Public Health Response Amendment Bill (No 2) – because the emergency powers enable rule “by a select few, with little scrutiny. “We have seen little consultation by Government with the business people impacted by their daily lurch to a new measure without any clear plan or end goal. “We cannot have rule from the 1pm press conference until May 2023. The rest of the world is getting on with it, using vaccination, rapid testing and face masks, and we need to join them. “We have expressed our concern that the lack of transparency and 8 | Truck & Driver

accountability the Government is operating under, as it responds to COVID-19, cannot continue,” says Leggett. Having previously said that NZ was like “a rudderless ship,” Leggett reckons that, after the pace of the COVID-19 outbreak “picked up, it feels like a runaway bus!” Leggett says that while the Government “was very late to the vaccination rollout, there has been rapid uptake,” and after last month’s big push to get more of the population vaccinated, “we can safely say people have had the chance to get vaccinated. “Those who have been vaccinated cannot be held back indefinitely by those who choose not to, or we will never get anywhere.” He also urged the Government to extend rapid antigen testing beyond “a chosen few big companies” and make it “available to all. It’s not like they haven’t had time to plan for the arrival of Delta as they watched it travel all around the world.” T&D

YOUR HAMMAR. YOUR WAY

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 110: + Fast + Narrow + Light + Safe + Reach + Weighing + Strong + Stable + High lift + Ease + Safety+™ + SDS + Flex

– new SledgeLeg™ technology, 50% faster – SledgeLeg™ use for confined spaces – from 8.4-tonne tare – optimal crane geometry – long outreach cranes – by each crane or total – 36-tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) – legs extend for firm base and transfer – ideal for stacking option – crane/stabiliser side-by-side design – computer monitored handling as std – Hammar Soft-Drive System – 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 MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

HAMMAR Sideloaders are Made in New Zealand from local and Swedish components to suit YOUR transport needs.

Hammar New Zealand Ltd, 16 Marphona Cres, Takanini, Auckland. 0800 2 HAMMAR sales.nz@hammarlift.com www hammarlift.com

NEWS Daimler Trucks and Torc are conducting driver-in autonomous testing on public highways

Driver shortage sharpens autonomous focus TRUCK DRIVER SHORTAGES AROUND THE WORLD SEEM to have given a new impetus to the development of autonomous long-haul trucks – with a number of recent “driverless” truck milestones. Silicon Valley tech company Plus (formerly Plus.ai), has delivered the initial production batch of PlusDrive autonomous driving units to Chinese manufacturer FAW. The units will be fitted to FAW trucks to launch China’s first driver-in autonomous trucks. The agreement sees Plus selling PlusDrive units to FAW, which will handle the installation of the autonomous driving technology on its factory production line. Plus co-founder and COO Shawn Kerrigan says that 2021 has been “a particularly exciting year for our team at Plus as we start to deliver our core autonomous trucking product, PlusDrive, to the market. “Whether that is directly to fleets, as we have done in the US, or to OEMs like FAW in China, we are excited that soon fleets will be operating their PlusDrive-enabled autonomous trucks on public roads.” FAW’s new line of autonomous trucks has been pre-ordered by several huge Chinese fleets, including the 60,000-strong Rokin fleet (China’s largest refrigerated and frozen goods carrier) and Duckbill, which has over 40,000 container trucks. Driver shortages have been an incentive for the introduction of PlusDrive technology to the 30,000-truck fleet of Guangzhou Zhihong, confirms CEO and founder Liu Zhiyuan: “As the trucking industry faces a continued driver shortage, the demand for autonomous trucks that enhance the safety, efficiency and sustainability of long-haul trucking is increasing.” Plus, founded in 2016, is developing low-cost, high-performance fullstack Level 4 autonomous driving technology for long-haul trucking. It’s also collaborating with truck manufacturers, fleets and ecosystem partners to decarbonise transportation using autonomous trucks powered by natural gas. Daimler Truck and PACCAR have also been working with tech partners in North America to accelerate autonomous truck development. Torc Robotics and Daimler Truck are now in their third year of a partnership which sees SAE Level 4 trucks being tested on public roads in Virginia, New Mexico and Texas. The two formed the first strategic alliance between an autonomous vehicle technology firm and a truck manufacturer when Daimler invested in a majority share in Torc in mid-2019. 10 | Truck & Driver

Torc manages a fully operational test facility in New Mexico, running multiple routes and shifts each day. This past year, Torc expanded on-road testing into Texas – and additional routes are planned, strategically based on major freight haulage. Dr Peter Vaughan Schmidt, head of Daimler Truck’s autonomous technology group, says: “As the inventor of the truck, Daimler Truck has many decades of experience in testing and validation of commercial vehicles. “Nevertheless, to develop a safe autonomous Level 4 truck remains a complex task and resembles a marathon, not a sprint. “Two years together with Torc Robotics, we have accomplished a lot, collaboratively pursuing a common goal of leading the logistics sector into the future and making road traffic safer for society. I am convinced that we are optimally positioned as a company and together with Torc we have the right partner at our side to achieve our goals.” Commercialising a self-driving truck is one of the most challenging engineering feats of our generation, according to Torc CEO Michael Fleming. Torc says it has taken a ‘pure-play’ approach for introducing a worldchanging technology into an existing infrastructure, where human drivers will share the road with automated trucks. “We are concentrating on one OEM truck platform (Daimler Trucks North America’s Freightliner Cascadia), one business case (long-haul trucking), and one environment (US interstate highways),” says Fleming. “Commercialising self-driving trucks is a very complex endeavour and we are first solving the least-complex use case, then expanding our product reach as the technical capabilities are proven. I am absolutely convinced that Torc will be the first company to a profitable scalable product in the autonomous truck space.” PACCAR meantime has teamed-up in a three-party autonomous linehaul trucking trial. It’s working with Aurora – a leading autonomous driving technology company – and transportation and logistics giant FedEx, in an arrangement said to be the first of its kind. PACCAR’s autonomously-enabled trucks with the Aurora Driver autonomous system are hauling FedEx loads between Dallas and Houston – an 800km round trip. The trucks will operate autonomously, but with a backup driver for additional safety. Aurora chief product officer Sterling Anderson says: “As leaders in our respective fields, we have critical and unique perspectives on how to develop and deploy safe, self-driving truck solutions for this industry.

NEWS Kodiak has already done deliveries with no driver input

“This collaboration allows for the creation of a cohesive and integrated product and service. We believe there is no other credible way to deliver this complex and valuable technology at scale.” The trial comes nine months after PACCAR announced its strategic alliance with Aurora to develop, test and commercialise autonomous Peterbilt and Kenworth trucks. Aurora already had a platform that integrates software, hardware and data services to autonomously operate passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks. It’s not only truckmakers working with the tech companies: Enginemaker Cummins is collaborating with multiple technology companies to develop new powertrain software features that will integrate with upcoming automated driving technologies. “As the world’s largest independent engine manufacturer, autonomous vehicle companies are relying on Cummins’ integration expertise and powertrain solutions to design and provide a software solution to accelerate the rate of adoption of autonomous driving software within the heavy-duty trucking industry,” says J. Michael Taylor, Cummins’ general manager of powertrain integration. “With our investment in and commitment to autonomous vehicle technologies, Cummins is prepared to support our customers by deploying autonomous vehicle technologies across the full range of powertrains, including advanced diesel, natural gas, hybrid, or fully electric and hydrogen fuel cells.” Cummins is currently involved in the testing of more than 100 vehicles in collaboration with technology companies to achieve seamless powertrain integration as autonomous commercial vehicles enter the market.

EVOCargo launched with this light-duty driverless truck

US self-driving truck developer Kodiak Robotics has announced its fourthgeneration driverless truck, which will be operating autonomously on American highways. Kodiak is a three-year-old company that says it has developed “the industry’s most advanced technology stack, purposebuilt specifically for long-haul trucks.” It has already been delivering freight for its customers in Texas, operating autonomously on the highway portion of the route – and in January claimed industry first “disengage-free” customer deliveries, with one truck reportedly running more than 1600kms without driver input. Kodiak integrates its autonomous driving system and the necessary hardware into standard highway trucks running Cummins X15 engines and says it’s adding 15 new PACCAR trucks to its autonomously-operating fleet over the next year – starting in the next two months. It says its new-generation Kodiak Vision system taps Luminar’s Iris LiDAR, ZF’s radar, Hesai 360-degree LiDARs for side and rear vision and cameras – taking a unique approach in that it considers every sensor a primary source. It then “fuses together the information from the sensors and considers the relative strengths and weaknesses of each type. This incorporates extra redundancies and cross-validates data – adding another layer of safety to the self-driving system.” Last month, a new player in the autonomous truck scene, EVOCargo unveiled its light-duty EVO.1 unmanned logistics platform, capable of a 1.5 tonne payload… And said it will launch a 44t GVM EVO.3 hydrogen fuel cell truck next year, with a 750km range. T&D

FAW is putting autonomous trucks into production

Truck & Driver | 11

NEWS Daimler Truck split from Merc car biz IN AN “HISTORIC REALIGNMENT” of automotive giant Daimler, shareholders last month gave the green light to the spinoff of its global truck and bus business. The “overwhelming majority” decision, at a virtual extraordinary general meeting, will see Daimler Truck Holding listed as a separate entity on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange before the end of the year… And, as of February 1 next year, Daimler will be renamed Mercedes-Benz Group, representing the car and van brands MercedesBenz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes-EQ. Daimler Truck is one of the world’s biggest truck and bus manufacturers, with five makes globally – Mercedes-Benz in Europe, Freightliner and Western Star in North America, FUSO in Japan and BharatBenz in India. It also has the Setra coach brand in Europe and Thomas Built Buses in the US… and builds Merc, BharatBenz and FUSO buses as well. T&D

TRT rebrands TRAILER DESIGNER AND manufacturer, crane sales and service supplier and truck and trailer parts, mechanical service and repairs provider TRT has decided that it’s time for a new look. The company says that as it continues expanding in the transport and infrastructure sectors in New Zealand, Australia and further afield, it is unveiling a brand refresh that includes a new-look logo and tagline. The well-known “TRT, for the long haul” tagline has made way for “TRT, Made Possible” – a reflection of the innovation developed in the crane, transport and infrastructure sectors in Australia and NZ since 1967. The refresh is a major milestone for the 54-yearold company, with the change visible across branches and online platforms used by TRT. Company founder Dave Carden says: “There are moments in a business when the time is right to re-evaluate your trajectory, and plan for growth. For TRT, now is that time.” TRT has a long history of overcoming complex engineering problems – examples including the TIDD Pick and Carry Crane, ESS Heavy

Transport Trailers, OEM distribution agreements and its extensive parts support networks. TRT’s director of sales and innovation, Bruce Carden, says: “At the heart of our rebranding is our potential to problem solve. “The new bold logo and the ‘Made Possible’ promise are rooted in the company’s values, DNA and commitment to finding solutions to solve problems for customers. TRT’s innovative focus is undeniable. Our story is driven from our competitive refusal to be beaten by the unsolvable.” Robert Carden, TRT’s technical director, adds: “No solution to challenging problems is ever easy – but easy isn’t the reason we wake up and do what we do every day. It’s a key ingredient to our success to date and we are taking this opportunity to evolve our brand to better communicate what we represent.” TRT is a privately-owned family business operating in Australia, NZ, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific. It has around 220 employees working within four integrated businesses – manufacturing, truck and trailer parts, mechanical service and repair, and crane sales, service and parts. T&D

Technology with Vision

ENHANCE YOUR VEHICLE LED Light Bar 470 with front position light

For the first time, striking LED light pipe technology has been used to create an innovative position light integrated with a powerful high beam light bar.

➔ High beam with integrated front position light

Must be mounted according to local installation regulations for high beam and position lamps

➔ 5 year warranty

0800 4 HELLA (0800 443 552) for your nearest HELLA stockist

Hella NZT LIGHT BAR PO 210X147 2021.indd 1

➔ Approved for use in New Zealand and Australia with ECE compliance (Two Lamps) ➔ Maximum luminous intensity of 113,000 candela

www.hella.co.nz 10-Feb-21 9:11:09 AM

1:09 AM

NEWS

Robert (left) and Bruce Carden – and the new TRT branding

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

MCFALL FUEL

monster any surface Make light work of any surface using the OptiTraction footprint with a Bigfoot Central

Make light work of any surface using the OptiTraction footprint with a Bigfoot Central

Features of the Bigfoot Central Inflation Tyre System ●

Designed and tested in some of the worlds harshest conditions

●

Easy to use in-cab control unit in safety features prevent operating outside safe emlimits for selected tyre pressure ● Precision manufactured in New Zealand using only ipsu Lore ● Full after sales service and parts network m ● Full manufacturers warranty

TD32051

●

●Lor Built

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

The brain behind the Bigfoot system is the Bigfoot OptiTraction control module. and makes monitoring and adjusting tyre pressures simple. The display also provides visual and audible alarms.

www.bigfoot.co.nz

Truck & Driver | 13

NEWS Volvo believes that the 100-truck order for its FM Electric is one of the largest ever for heavy-duty electric trucks worldwide

Electric truck milestones AN ORDER FOR 100 FM ELECTRIC HEAV Y-DUTY trucks has delivered Volvo’s electrification programme a “major milestone.” Volvo Trucks, which has a complete range of electric models, says it’s the largest order it’s had so far – “and one of the largest ever for heavy electric trucks worldwide.” It’s a sign, it says, that electrification in the heavy truck market is accelerating, with “a few hundred” trucks above 16 tonnes registered in Europe so far this year – about 40% of them Volvos. DFDS, the largest shipping and logistics company in Europe, will begin to take delivery of the FM Electrics late next year – and progressively put them on the road over the following 12 months. Volvo Trucks president Roger Alm says the DFDS order is a milestone in the truckmaker’s commitment to fossil-free transportation: “Together we are showing the world that electrified heavy truck transport is a viable solution already today. I believe this will encourage many more customers to confidently take the first step in their own electrification journey.” The FM Electric can run at 44t all-up, with a 300 kilometre range. In another electric truck milestone, the first series production MercedesBenz eActros has been completed at the Future Truck Centre in Merc’s Worth factory in southern Germany. Series production of the M-B eEconic at Worth will follow in the second half of 2022 and the battery-electric eActros LongHaul is scheduled to go into production in 2024. “Today’s start of the eActros series production is a very solid proof that we’re serious about zero-emission transport,” says Merc Trucks boss Karin Rådström. It is, she adds, “a major step for us and for our customers towards CO2-neutral road haulage.” American electric truck startup Nikola reports progress in its plans to begin production of its battery-electric Tre model – a joint-venture with truckmaker Iveco. The JV says that its truck plant in Ulm, Germany is now complete and the 14 | Truck & Driver

first production models will be built there next year – most of them earmarked for North American customers. The Tre will not boast the futuristic look of the Nikola One and Two tractor unit concepts – instead using an Iveco S-Way cab and chassis, with its electric drivetrain produced in collaboration with Iveco sister company FPT Industrial. Nikola says that a Tre BEV model with an additional hydrogen fuel cell, to operate as a range extender, will follow in 2023. The Ulm plant will initially target building 1000 trucks a year and then ramp that up. The Nikola Tre has an electric motor delivering a continuous 480kW, with a range of up to 563kms. Swedish zero-emissions truck startup Volta says it has received more than 2500 pre-orders for its 16t Volta Zero inner-city delivery truck since it revealed the prototype just over 12 months ago. Volta says it aims to begin delivering the first production models next year. It claims the Zero is the world’s first electric truck purposebuilt for innercity logistics work. It will be offered with 150kWh and 225kWh battery pack options, with a range of 150-200kms, and an 8.6t payload capability. T&D The first production eActros

ISRI ISRI 6860/875 6860/875

6860 870 6860 870

6860 880 6860 880

6500 517 6500 517

OFFICIAL ISRINGHAUSEN DISTRIBUTOR OFFICIAL ISRINGHAUSEN DISTRIBUTOR

NEWS

Hyundai hypes a hydrogen future

Hyundai’s hydrogen future includes its autonomous Trailer Drone concept, with four-wheeler e-Bogies (below left) supporting a load sitting on a platform that contains an array of hydrogen storage tanks

A GENTLY RISING TIDE OR A SEISMIC SHIFT, preceding a tsunami of new technology? Hyundai Motor Group recently delivered its Hydrogen Wave global technology presentation, the Korean giant broadly outlining its vision for a hydrogen society and teasing some of the new vehicles that could inhabit it. There was a glimpse of a 500kW supercar with sub-4secs 0-100km/h potential and talk of hydrogen powering not only passenger cars and commercial vehicles but also trains, trams, ships and urban air mobility. As well as homes, offices and factories. Hyundai has been committed to exploring hydrogen’s potential for more than 20 years. Its pioneering low-volume fuel cell electric models such as the NEXO SUV and the XCIENT truck have positioned it as a hydrogen leader. To date, limited production of the NEXO (now running at 6000 units annually) and 45 XCIENT trucks (of 1600 ordered) so far in work in Switzerland, amounts to a mere ripple. Something much bigger is over the horizon. Hyundai’s vision for hydrogen is as far-reaching as its “Everyone, Everything, Everywhere” slogan suggests – and the timeline looks ahead to a functioning hydrogen society in 2040. So, what does the Hydrogen Wave have to do with trucks? Quite a lot, as one of Hyundai’s first targets for applying hydrogen technology to address climate changes is to re-imagine what trucks and transport infrastructure might look like in the future. The presentation reveals Hyundai’s Trailer Drone concept and e-Bogie platform, along with upcoming third-generation fuel cells which Hyundai

says are smaller, will cost less and deliver more power than their predecessors. They will also be modular. So, in the same way as the XCIENT truck employs two 95kW fuel cell stacks from the NEXO, combining the new stacks in multiples will allow up to 1000kW output. Hyundai’s four-wheeled e-Bogies are an idea borrowed from rail transport. They house the hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric motors that provide the drive power, braking and steering and have some battery storage. The Trailer Drone they support will carry containers above a low-slung array of hydrogen storage tanks. The e-Bogies are also four-wheel steered and as the unit is steered from both ends the Trailer Drone can manoeuvre in tight spaces or even shift itself diagonally sideways. To be fair the Trailer Drone isn’t just a leap in energy technology. Fully autonomous driving is also part of the Hyundai vision and computer graphic presentations show the Trailer Drone making tight turns, unloading and running in platoons on highways. The e-Bogie platforms can also be adapted to carry one container for final delivery, portside or depot movements and the platform can be modified with the likes of a dump truck tipper or fitted with a digger bucket. Hyundai designers have also configured e-Bogies with offroad tyres, along with fire-fighting or rescue equipment, to drive autonomously into remote or dangerous areas. Hyundai says hydrogen is a powerful tool to combat climate change and that heavy commercial vehicles are particularly well suited to hydrogen fuel cells. T&D Gen 3 Hyundai fuel cell stacks are smaller, cheaper and more powerful

16 | Truck & Driver

NEWS

Royans grows…and grows (with more to come)

FAST-GROWING VEHICLE REPAIR SPECIALIST ROYANS, which expanded into New Zealand from Australia last year, now has five Kiwi branches up and running. Wilcock Truck Painters in Christchurch, a 30-year-old heavy vehicle panel repair and commercial vehicle painting business, joined the Royans network in mid-September… While Reliance Truck Painting and Collision Repairs (also in Sockburn) became the fifth Royans branch late last month. Royans Group began its push into NZ with the purchase of the Transvisual truck refinishing centre at Wiri in July last year. It has since expanded into an adjacent premises at Wiri, purchased Truck Smash Repairs in Otahuhu and, in August, took over John Bates Wheel Alignment in Palmerston North. Australia’s largest commercial vehicle repair, painting and servicing specialists’ NZ expansion is being matched on the other side of the Tasman – its Australian network now boasting 20 branches. It recently added its first branches in South Australia and Western Australia. Royans has operated in Australia’s eastern states for 75 years, specialising in truck and trailer accident repairs, panelbeating and spraypainting. The current expansion drive began in Australia early in 2020, after private equity firm The Growth Fund took a controlling interest in the company. At that stage Royans had just six repair centres. Its NZ plan is to establish a chain of one-stop truck and trailer repair centres, offering chassis straightening, fabrication, panelbeating and painting services. Royans’ general manager of NZ operations, Dave White, says that since the purchase of Transvisual last year “we have gone on to acquire a number of very high-profile commercial transport accident repair facilities across NZ, with a view to bolster our existing repair offering with existing sites and well-known local managers to take care of our customers.” The purchase of John Bates Wheel Alignment has given Royans a Palmerston North operation with “a long history specialising in heavy transport chassis repairs, with Josam chassis and wheel alignment equipment – and another welltrained team. “We have been able to secure the well-known and long-established Christchurch businesses of Wilcock Truck Painters, with Gordon Wilcock

staying on to manage the day-to-day operation.” Similarly, Reliance Truck Painting and Collision Repairs’ Wayne Ashby is “staying on to manage that operation, as he has for many years. “Our Wiri site has undergone some major expansion to enable heavy transport accident repairs, including chassis straightening and cab replacements to take place onsite.” White says the investment includes new state-of-the-art Josam chassis equipment from Sweden, with a 40 tonne press capability, built into the floor of the former Penske NZ building. There’s also a full-workshop-width gantry crane and remote truck lifters, along with associated equipment and training. “It’s a one-stop heavy transport repair facility, which we believe to be the best in the country,” White says. “The chassis machine is already busy and our clients are enjoying having a repair facility with this capability and space available to ensure fast turnaround of structural repairs to truck chassis, trailers and machinery, with LT400 certification through an approved engineer. “The next 12 months is taking shape nicely as we look to bring on board more well-run commercial transport facilities and operators to increase our network.” T&D Above: Royans’ new Wiri facility, ready for the installation of a 40t Josam chassis straightener

Below: Included in the Wiri workshop is a full-width gantry crane

Truck & Driver | 17

NEWS Around 7.75million tyres are scrapped in NZ annually

Huge tyre shredder goes to work A WAIKATO COMPANY HAS massively upscaled its tyre-recycling operation, installing a New Zealand-first, purposebuilt shreddergranulator plant that processes end-of-life waste tyres. The 100-metre-long Shredwell processing plant, imported earlier this year in nine 40-foot containers, was commissioned last month at the Treadlite Industries NZ plant in Cambridge. The new machine can shred 5000 tyres a day and it’s estimated about 25% of them will have been discarded from the road transport industry. The high-grade granulated rubber it produces can be repurposed for diverse applications including artificial sports fields, construction, roading, specialised flooring, matting and in a range of putty, filler and glue products. It can also be used for the likes of wheelchair access ramps and speed bumps on roads. Cambridge-based Brad Pierce and Paul and Jo Collins – along with Raglan’s Blake Richardson – are Treadlite’s directors. The company began shredding tyres about two Below: Brad Pierce and the new machine

Right: The machine can shred 5000 tyres a day

18 | Truck & Driver

years ago on a small scale. Says Pierce: “When we started out, we were just wanting to do something with the used tyres from our own trucking company and maybe help clean up some of the waste tyres around Cambridge. “It has grown from there. Our thoughts were: ‘What are the possibilities? We don’t want to burn them and we don’t want to bury them.’” That thinking led to the development of Treadlite’s granulated rubber ground-covering product, specifically for equestrian arenas. “It’s been very well received and successful. There’s nothing new in that – it’s been happening in Europe for 30 years,” says Pierce. Treadlite says NZ discards about 7.75 million used tyres (about 73,700 tonnes worth) annually. Many of them end up in landfills and some are shipped overseas to be burnt as fuel. Research led Pierce to the Shredwell machine: “It’s a massive machine. One part alone is 23 tonnes. It’s very expensive to set up and you can’t make a dollar

from it until it’s fully up and running. You’ve got to be committed to the cause to do it.” The process shreds the tyres and then creates granules of multiple sizes. All the steel is removed during the process by way of massive magnetic beds. Metalco Recyclers then take the steel for recycling. Adds Pierce: “We can supply local manufacturers with high-grade rubber sourced from used tyres in NZ, rather than them needing to import product made from tyres that are recycled overseas.” Now the big machine is on the job, Treadlite has also developed its collection network. The company recently purchased Tyre Disposal Services in Wellington, which runs a fleet of six compactor trucks and collects about 2500 tyres a day from the lower North Island. Treadlite also works in with Waikato companies who pick up tyres. Says Pierce: “We are focused on addressing the legacy tyre issue in NZ and have been working with councils to clean up some of the illegal dumping that sadly goes on. It’s our place and our problem!” T&D

NEWS This new four-axle trailer for Napier’s C.A. Torr Log Transport is a recent Kraft build

Kraft changes hands TRAILER DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING SPECIALIST Kraft Engineering, based at Ngongotaha, is now under new ownership. Kraft founder and owner Graeme Kelly has sold the business he established in 1978 to Rotorua businessmen Colin King and James Worsnop. The company has built a reputation for innovative trailer design and manufacture, mainly for the logging industry. The company changed hands last month and Kelly says he’s looking forward to spending time fishing and on his nearby property where he runs 1000 head of deer. “I’ve got plenty to keep me busy around the farm and I’ll do a bit of fishing. It doesn’t look like I’ll be travelling the world anytime soon,’’ he says. “And I still work here. I’ll be giving them a hand on some things I had already started – so long as they don’t have a pair of overalls for me! I did that for nearly 50 years.’’ Kelly says he initially had some mixed feelings about selling the business: “But when the day arrived, it felt like it was the right thing. They (King and Worsnop) are very competent in the way they do things and they have a helluva lot of work on in the next few months.” King has held the manager’s position at Kraft since mid-2020. Business partner Worsnop brings a truck sales background to the business.

King has about 30 years of experience in the transport trailer industry: “I spent 28 years at Patchells, did a short stint at Evans and I’ve been fortunate to work for Graeme for the past 12 months. “I don’t think my day-to-day role is going to change very much, apart from having a bit more control over things. “I’m most looking forward to putting the skills and ideas I have learnt from some great people in the industry over 30 years into practice at Kraft Engineering.” Worsnop has spent about 18 years working in sales, 13 of which were with Scania truck sales, based in Rotorua. He doesn’t want to adopt a job title, but expects to be mostly involved in sales and admin, while King continues to run the manufacturing. “The thing I’m most excited about is being involved in an end-to-end process – all the way from sales to design and build, along with the after-sales support and warranty backup. That’s what I find most appealing,’’ Worsnop says. With a busy order book for upcoming months, Kraft is “booked up well into next year” and is looking to hire additions to “the great staff we already have here,’’ he says. See Krafty calls time, on Page 67. T&D

Iveco Group name introduced THE PLANNED SPINOFF OF THE giant CNH Industrial’s heavy commercial vehicles businesses next year, including Iveco, has prompted the creation of a new Iveco Group. The separation, scheduled for early next year, will see the Iveco Group as the holding company for eight current CNH businesses – the truckmaker Iveco, engine and transmission giant

FPT Industrial, bus and coach brands Iveco Bus and Heuliez, Iveco Defence Vehicles, quarry and construction truck manufacturer Astra, fire appliance specialist Magirus and financing arm

Iveco Capital. The name for the industrial businesses dates back to 1975, with the formation of the Industrial VEhicles COrporation (IVECO). T&D Truck & Driver | 19

NEWS

P detector going into trucks part per million. And it’s very accurate. “We had one unit go off and the vehicle owner realised their truck was still in the yard. It wasn’t the driver but one of the mechanics who was smoking in the workshop. The unit in the truck was sensitive enough to pick it up,” says Hansen. “And there has been a case where the alarm went off at the same time each night. It turned out a driver who was starting his shift had been smoking earlier in the evening and the Road Block picked it up.” He says that the meth alarm has deterrent and detection benefits as well as obvious road safety benefits: “It’s a massive safety issue. I think everyone on the road would be happy to know that the vehicle coming the other way, or right behind them, isn’t being driven by someone under the influence.” The Road Block unit measures 150mm x 70mm (slightly smaller than A6-size paper) and operates on a 4G network – using AA lithium batteries with a 12-month lifespan. It can be installed in either concealed or visible locations inside a vehicle and reports via SIM card to a nominated mobile phone – usually the vehicle owner or fleet manager.

TD32056

A NEW ZEALAND-DEVELOPED METHAMPHETAMINE detector and alarm system is being fitted in trucks by Kiwi transport operators. Road Block can be installed in either concealed or visible locations – sending an instant alert to an operator’s mobile phone if traces of meth are detected in a vehicle….or even on the clothing, hair or shoes of its occupants. The device, which is battery-powered and measures 150mm x 70mm, is an evolution of Te Awamutu-based P Alert Industries’ meth detection and alarm device installed by landlords and commercial property owners. The company says it has found a demand in the trucking industry for the Road Block meth detector and alarm system – along with interest from forestry and earthmoving operators and companies with large fleets of cars. P Alert co-owner Jamie Hansen, a Te Awamutu mechanical engineer who developed the system, says road transport customers are already discovering how sensitive the Road Block device is. “The P Alert and Road Block are very sensitive, detecting down to one

NEWS

The P Alert device can be concealed or installed in an obvious location in a truck The device tests the air every 30 minutes and can detect both smoking and manufacture of methamphetamine. In addition to the silent real time alerts sent immediately any trace of meth is detected, it will also send a weekly report to a nominated mobile phone. Road Block is programmed to individual vehicles and registration plates, so it can’t be moved between vehicles. It also has a tamper alarm. Hansen says it’s extremely rugged and can be used in harsh environments. P Alert Industries, owned by Hansen and Te Awamutu accountant Allan Spice, began research and development work on the system 10 years ago and has been marketing it since 2017.

“The product was developed here in Te Awamutu and it’s manufactured in east Auckland to Telarc ISO9001 certification,” Hansen says. “We hold a worldwide patent and have been exporting to Australia and America.” The device has regulatory approvals in the US and Canada, but P Alert has only recently set up a network of distributors nationally. Nevertheless, he says, the number of units already in use in NZ and Australia “is now in the thousands. “We were at Fieldays earlier this year and there was a lot of interest and feedback…” He says campervan hire companies, taxi and Uber operators, along with the mining and excavation industries, were among those interested. T&D

BUILT TO PERFORM

TD32056

Hiab loader cranes promise safety, cost efficiency and reliable performance. Industry leading technology drives the superior performance and efficiency Hiab cranes. World class safety features keep operators safe and in control, minimising risk to individuals.

Phone: 07 849 4839 Email: hiab@trt.co.nz

www.trt.co.nz

NEW - Follow us trt_madepossible!

CASTROL’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Castrol is helping to drive a more sustainable future with its recently announced PATH360 strategy. The strategy sets out aims for 2030 to save waste, reduce carbon and improve lives, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but on a global basis. “Customers in the mining and CVO sectors are committed to reducing their carbon emissions,” said Jane Carland, General Manager, Castrol Australia and New Zealand, “and we are aiming to be an important partner in working together to help them achieve their goals and our target is to halve the net carbon intensity of our products by 2030.” Castrol became a pioneer in carbon neutral lubricants when the premium Castrol VECTON range of diesel engine oils became the first to be certified as carbon neutral in Australia and New Zealand. In 2021, all Castrol products we sell in Australia and New Zealand will be committed to carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS 2060. That includes Castrol’s traditional market leading product ranges, such as Castrol RX. CIRCULAR THINKING Jotika Prasad, Castrol Marketing Director, Australia and New Zealand commented, “As well as commiting to offer our carbon neutral products to our customers, we are aiming to halve our global use of virgin plastic packaging from our 2019 baseline. As part of our PATH360 strategy, we’ve adopted the circular thinking approach, which means we’re looking at the life-cycle of our existing and new products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused or recycled. We’re also supporting new and growing sectors, like renewable energy and e-mobility with products and services.” CASTROL’S 120 YEAR FIGHT AGAINST FRICTION, CORROSION AND WEAR The world will need improvements in end use energy efficiency. In one estimate, these improvements can provide almost 40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions required (as per Energy Technologies Perspectives 2020 IEA Page 73). How can these improvements be made? Jotika Prasad, Marketing Director, Castrol Australia and New Zealand said that around a quarter of the world’s energy was believed to be lost to friction, corrosion and wear as per study by Kenneth Holmberg and Ali Erdemir. “From the company’s earliest days, we have been dedicated to delivering high performance products that help save energy by fighting exactly these problems. With new science and technology, we are well placed to remain at the forefront of development.”

DYM235876 Double Page Castrol Path360 Advertorial DPS.indd 1

REDUCING PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS

WIND ENERGY IN CHINA

Castrol aims to deliver high performance with lower life-cycle carbon by improving operational efficiency and exploring opportunities to transition to renewable energy. Castrol is also working with its suppliers and partners to source lower carbon raw materials, reduce packaging, and influence what happens to products after customer use.

These include support for projects such as the Zhaoyuan Zhangxing wind energy scheme in China, located on China’s eastern coast. Traditionally, electricity in China’s Shandong Province has been supplied by fossil fuel-fired power plants, mainly relying on shale oil and coal. The project’s wind turbines harness strong prevailing coastal winds to generate clean, renewable electricity. Both carbon emissions and local air pollutants are reduced as electricity generated by fossil fuel-fired power plants is replaced with clean, renewable energy, which mitigates more than 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are each year by replacing fossil fuel power.

For example, three of Castrol’s plants globally moved to renewable electricity in 2020. At the same time, the company has developed new light-weight bottle designs which use less plastic, saving on a global basis 7,000 tonnes per year by 2023. The new packaging has also been designed for optimised distribution efficiency. AIMING TO BE A LEADER To help fulfil its carbon neutral programme, Castrol buys carbon credits from bp Target Neutral which supports a portfolio of carbon reduction, avoidance and removal projects around the world. These projects have additional benefits that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, improving the lives of millions of people through better health, decent work, training and gender equality.

BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENTS

LIGHTING HOMES IN INDIA Another such project has supported investment in solar energy in India, through a large-scale project that hat not only reduces carbon but also helps provide reliable and cost-effective off-grid electricity for families and business. To date, 60,000 solar units have been distributed. By displacing the use of kerosene, the project has cut carbon emissions by 55,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. In addition, the project has also helped create more than 300 skilled jobs involved in sales, financing, installation, and maintenance services for the solar systems.

Castrol’s Senior Vice President, Mandhir Singh, said: “PATH360 builds upon work we’ve been doing for years, pulling it all together into one integrated sustainability programme. We know that many of our customers are looking for more sustainable offers and help with their sustainability goals, and this is what this programme is designed to deliver.”

11/10/21 2:02 PM

A Kenworth T610 in the colours of Tranzliquid Logistics is a familiar sight….but this one has something special under the bonnet – the all-new Euro 6-rated Cummins X15 engine

24 | Truck & Driver

BIG TEST

Keeping it Story Colin Smith Photos Gerald Shacklock

Truck & Driver | 25

NEED ISUZU PARTS?

Get your truck back on the road faster, with our knowledge to advise and locate your new part quickly. CALISUZU.CO.NZ 0800 266 628

The 625 horsepower Cummins develops plenty of power and torque – and engine braking – for the run over the Kaimai Ranges

LEAMING WHITE PAINT, BLUE AND RED STRIPING, polished alloy and plenty of attention in the wash bay gives the Tranzliquid Logistics fleet a sparkling clean appearance. And the Mt Maunganui-based operation is cleaning up in another arena – by putting the first Euro 6 compliant Cummins X15-powered Kenworth to work on New Zealand highways. The Kenworth T610 6x4 tractor unit was delivered in April this year. Look closely and it’s identified by a subtle variation of the blue/red Tranzliquid signage and wears Euro 6 badges each side of the bonnet to signal its special status in the feet. The back story to the inclusion of this truck in the Tranzliquid Logistics fuel-hauling operation runs like this. Since late 2018 Cummins has been field testing a small number of X15 Euro 6-engined trucks across the Tasman. There have now been 12 units involved in the Australian programme – with Tranzliquid’s T610 (rego number TLL 41) adding some Kiwi input to the programme as it makes bulk fuel deliveries across the North Island. The E6 version of the Cummins 15-litre six-cylinder has been reworked to not only meet the more stringent emission standard but also to continue the power, torque and fuel efficiency evolution of the X15. The Performance Series variant in the Tranzliquid Kenworth develops 466 kilowatts/625 horsepower and 2279 Newton metres/2050 pound foot of torque – ample to cart bulk fuel loads to Tranzliquid customers. Southpac Trucks, Cummins – both here and in Australia – and Kenworth are all taking a close interest in the performance of the Tranzliquid T610 out in the field as they prepare to introduce Euro 6 engine choices in the Kenworth range for NZ delivery in 2022. Tranzliquid Logistics is an obvious partner for the E6 X15 trial. It has been an early adopter of new Kenworths, putting its first T610s to work in 2017. The firm now has 22 of them on its fleet (powered by

Cummins Euro 5 615hp engines) and was also the first operator in the world to use fuel-spec T610s in 8x4 configuration. Apart from one DAF with PACCAR power and also a single CATpowered Kenworth, the balance of the Tranzliquid lineup is some variation of the Kenworth-Cummins recipe. Tranzliquid co-owner Greg Pert explains: “Standardisation is the key for us. The main reason is better risk management.” The choice of the flagship 625hp unit from the X15 Performance Series fits with the company’s standard practice of choosing high output engine solutions: “It’s all about productivity. Our trucks aren’t underloaded and they’re not overloaded. Big horsepower helps with reduced driver fatigue, good fuel efficiency and dependability – and a better average speed,” Greg says. “The other big focus we have is safety. We select every safety feature that is available at the time of build.” So, this truck has the full Bendix Wingman Fusion electronic/ active safety package, comprising adaptive cruise control with engine braking, a collision mitigation system with autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and electronic stability programme. Plus, Tranzliquid now selects LED headlamps. Pert also says the Kenworth product keeps getting better: “After the first one has come down the line, they don’t just keep building the same truck. They are constantly making a better truck,” he says. It might be part of a trial, but TLL41 gets no special treatment when the jobs are handed out. Like most the Tranzliquid fleet, the Kenworth is doubleshifted seven days a week. It pulls a six-axle, disc-braked 50MAX B-train combo from Tanker Engineering Specialists in Auckland. “It’s a great test bed,” says Greg Pert: “It’s constant work and most of it is done fully loaded, which provides valuable information for Cummins, Kenworth and Southpac about how the new engine performs in NZ’s topography.” From fleet manager Mick Pullar’s viewpoint, the introduction of the E6 unit has been seamless: “The truck came onto the fleet and you if Truck & Driver | 27

Main picture, below: Tranzliquid Logistics tanker units boast a sparkling clean appearance. This one takes the clean theme a big step further – with one of NZ’s first Euro 6 Cummins engines under the bonnet Top (all pictures): Even with the bonnet lifted there are few clues to the clean emissions status of the latest Cummins Euro 6. But badges on the bonnet help to tell the story

didn’t notice the Euro 6 badges and the slightly different signage we put on it, you wouldn’t know it was something different. It’s been really seamless and hasn’t caused us any problems. “We did a download at Cummins at 71,000 kilometres and the overall fuel consumption was at 1.98kms per litre. It’s been in top gear for 62% of that distance and the top gear consumption is 2.61km/L. The AdBlue consumption is up quite a bit – but that’s how they achieve Euro 6. “When it comes to fuel economy, so far we’re talking only fractions better than our 615hp T610s doing the same work.” The download has recorded 10 complete diesel particulate filter regens – with no incomplete re-gens. Pullar says early working knowledge of Euro 6 engines will prove

28 | Truck & Driver

useful to Tranzliquid as the technology becomes more widely adopted and environmental requirements are tightened: “You can’t hide from it. It’s here to stay and we have to learn to roll with it,’’ he says. NZ Truck & Driver catches up with TLL 41 with the truck already having clocked up 88,000kms. Mt Maunganui-based driver Kerry Rusling reckons he’s driven a bit more than half of those Ks and his recent experience in one of Tranzliquid’s Cummins 615-powered T610s offers a useful benchmark to talk about the gains and differences with the E6 unit. Kerry is a third-generation truckie, with his father and grandfather both being owner-drivers. He’s been driving since he was 18 and after a stint in Australia hauling fuel from Port Hedland out to the mines with a 150-tonne Volvo FH 700 tanker combo, he came home and

joined Tranzliquid five and half years ago. Making his usual 2am start, Kerry has already made a run to Te Kuiti in the early hours before reloading at Mount Maunganui. Matamata will be his second destination for the day – for a service station delivery – before he knocks off at 2pm and hands the T610 over to Matt Norton. We join Kerry and TLL 41 at the company’s Mt Maunganui depot for a fully laden SH29 and SH24 run over the Kaimais to showcase the talents of the X15 Euro 6. Early on Kerry says he’s a pretty much a yes or no guy in terms of conversation….but he undersells himself and provides plenty of observations gained from driving the new truck. He likes the variety of driving his job provides: “Fuel work is pretty much a 24/7 job. If we’re working around this region, we’ll do two or

three trips a day,” he says. “I’m lucky. I might go to Gisborne, Napier, Wellington, New Plymouth, or Waipapa up north….and everywhere in between – and it’s never the same two days in a row. “I’ve done linehaul for about 10 years, but that’s the same places and the same roads a lot of the time. Fuel is 24 hours, seven days a week and a few of us get to travel the whole island. And we get to do it in nice gear.” Kerry says the Kenworth isn’t the biggest or the most powerful truck he’s driven, but it is the nicest: “It’s nice to hop into gear where you know it’s going to do what it’s designed to do, because then half your stress is gone from your day. It allows you to focus on the roads and what everyone is doing around you.

Truck & Driver | 29

Clockwise from top right: Dash is a mix of old-school and digital…. NZ Truck & Driver tester Hayden Woolston negotiates the narrow top step on the climb in….inside the traditionally-pintucked vinyl-finished cab, the driver rides on a top of the line ISRI air-suspension seat…..a Southpac-supplied box between the seats helps with storage….the shifting is done manually in the new Kenworth, courtesy of an 18-speed Roadranger

“On long days it’s good know you can take the gear out of the equation – because it’s going to do the job it’s designed to do, and you’re not going to be shattered at the end of the day.” As a summary, Kerry rates the Euro 6 T610 as an across-the-board improvement. The combination of more accessible torque, reduced fuel consumption, improved driveability and lower noise levels all play a part in the improved workday Kerry has enjoyed since he started driving the E6 truck. And those improvements are alongside the ongoing refinement of the T610 cab layout and the fitment of advanced safety systems. The truck has an Eaton RTLO20918B 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission and Kerry says it’s the behaviour of the gearbox that best reflects the subtle performance gains of the Euro 6 engine. “The last one I had was a 615 and I’m probably half a gear up on that in a lot of places,” he says. “When it’s empty, I usually make full gearchanges and when it’s loaded, I’ll split them. “Fuel consumption is better on it. I know we’re down to about 2.0kms per litre on the fuel and I’m loaded about 70% of the time. “The whole unit is quieter, especially the engine and the exhaust noise. It’s a lot quieter than anything else we’ve had. “I’d say the engine braking in this is better than my last one. It’s only a little bit, but you do notice it.” The X15 data from Cummins shows that the Euro 6 X15 Performance Series’ engine braking has an edge on the retardation provided by the E5 X15 up to around 1950rpm (where it’s offering approximately 470hp/350kW), then fades a little to a 500hp/372kW peak at 2050rpm (compared to the E5’s 510hp/380kW 30 | Truck & Driver

maximum). Among other refinement benefits is an improved re-gen mode for the diesel particulate filter. “The DPF does a burn whenever it decides it needs to. It’s better than the other ones: If they were doing a burn and you had to stop the truck it would kill the whole operation. With this, if you stop the truck and do whatever you’re doing, as soon as you start it back up it carries on. “The burn is quieter too. The only time you’ll notice it is parked at a set of lights or a stop sign – and the revs are higher.” Kerry admits he’s a fan of the cab comfort of the Euro trucks, like the Volvo he drove in Australia, but he says Kenworth is improving this aspect of its trucks: “This cab is way better than the 409s. Kenworths had a habit of being quite tight in their cab space but the T610 is wider, with more window space and especially more leg space for us taller buggers, which is nice. “Kenworth have been making progress to make the trucks more driver-friendly and easier to ride in. They give you an easier day and you’re not hopping out absolutely shattered.” He says that climbing aboard or exiting the T610 is easy and the only time he encounters any problems is when he swaps to another truck and forgets that exiting a cabover K200 or one of Tranzliquid’s T610 8x4 units isn’t as user friendly. “Then you might find yourself out in thin air,” he laughs. The T610, he adds, is “nice and comfortable and one thing Kenworth have done is give you better vision. It’s a whole new look out the front windows.”

TN360 AI-powered telematics platform

Turn data into decisions with an intelligent multicamera solution Delivers real-time data, visibility and impact for any operation Data Reimagined

HD Footage

Integrated Analytics

Ability to find out the information you need as you need it. Get proactive with real-time alerts backed up with real-time footage.

With up to four cameras directly integrated, get instant access to rolling footage of what happened as it’s happened.

Complete mapping and visualised data available alongside the footage, you get a clear picture of what the telematics is telling you.

0800 447 735 TeletracNavman.co.nz

Inside the cab is the familiar Kenworth T610 Day Cab layout, with leather seats and a Southpac-supplied handy custom storage box between the front seats. Says Kerry: “All the layout is nice. They’ve kept nearly everything basically the same, so it’s easy to go from truck to truck. The only thing they’ve done different on this one is the engine brakes are now where our trailer control used to be.” Trailer control moves to a switch on the central dash and engine braking is now on a right-hand steering stalk. “The layout is good and it’s nice when you can hop into someone else’s truck in the dark and you know where pretty much everything is,” says Kerry. “You could always do with a bit more space. One thing they did to make more space is they shifted the seats back fractionally so the little bit of space you had behind the seats has been taken up. But I would rather have the legroom.” “Mick (Pullar) sets them up nice, with leather seats. I’m not that much of a princess that I need a seat warmer, but I know some of them do come out with them.” Along with the easy performance, the safety features optioned on TLL41 help with reducing driver stress. “All our trucks have the computer eye (he’s talking about the radar and camera combo in the integrated suite of safety features) in the front telling how far in front the next vehicle is and giving a warning as the gap closes. We have discs on our trailers and if we do have to stop it will stop in a hurry.” Southpac points out that this adaptive (or active) cruise system, when paired to a manual gearbox – as this one is – operates the same as it does with an AMT...except that the driver obviously has to

make necessary gearshifts to avoid the the engine struggling up hills; it disengages each time the clutch is used to change gears and the driver has to engage it again; and if it autonomously slows to a halt (because the vehicle ahead is doing likewise), the driver has to engage the clutch to avoid the engine stalling. Continues Kerry: “The new LED lights are so much better. When we started getting the T610s they were bulbs and then Mick started changing over to LEDs. They are so much better – there’s so much more light on the road.” He says it took a couple of months to really become familiar with the performance of the new combination and get the best out of the new powertrain: “It took a while when I went from the 615 to this one. Just while the truck sort of bedded itself in and settled down I sometimes second-guessed myself about what to do gear wise.” He says it clicked following a run to Napier: “One day I was chatting with Mick about coming up the Mohaka and I realised I was a half a gear up going up the cutting, going about 6 kays quicker than before. It all started to make sense.” As we reach the first Highway 29 climb from Ruahihi to McLaren’s Falls, Kerry points out the optional 7.0-inch touchscreen data display at the centre of the dash: “We put the new computer screens in the trucks. That was something Greg wanted to do and that gives us more gauges and everything we need to know sits on there.” The T610 climbs in fifth high using about 1400rpm. Kerry says the engine will happily lug down to 1100rpm, which isn’t surprising when that peak torque number of 2279Nm/2050 lb ft is being delivered at 1000rpm. The E6 T610 shares the same 4.10:1 rear axle ratio as the other units

continues on page 35

Alignments Tyre Sales Tyre Fitting Axle and Diff Housing Straightening Wheel Balancing Axle Corrections

TD31792

Contact: 09 250 4286 or 0800 878 252 admin@akltruckalign.co.nz www.truckalign.co.nz 8 Mepal Place, Papatoetoe, Auckland

M 32 | Truck & Driver

Mills-Tu

Bulk fuel delivery to service stations and commercial operators is the main job for Tranzliquid’s tanker fleet

alloy or

Steel

INNOVATIVE

BUILT TO LAST MAXIMISE Your

BOTTOM LINE

mills-tui.co.nz

Our Low Rider chassis has been refined over many years with safety and stability in mind. With your load lower to the road, you can be assured your drivers are safer and loading is easier. Mills-Tui’s industry-leading, 5 years/1,000,000 km chassis warranty finishes the job off nicely. If you want a trailer that is innovative and built to last, call 0800 MILLS-TUI

Mills-Tui Limited | 0800 MILLS -TUI (645 578)

Mills-Tui A5 Trailer Advert 2021-09.indd 1

22/09/21 8:57 AM

Above: Tranzliquid co-owner and director Greg Pert has chosen a predominantly standardised Kenworth/Cummins fleet for better risk management Right: Driver Kerry Rusling makes a fuel delivery at a Matamata service station

EVOLUTION RATHER THAN revolution best describes how the Cummins X15 has achieved Euro 6 emissions compliance. Cummins announced the first details of this engine in 2016 and while much of the focus is on treatment of the exhaust gases – most importantly a substantial reduction in NOx and particulate emissions – that isn’t the full story. The Euro 6 version boasts a broad range of solutions aimed at burning less fuel while developing more horsepower – at the same time as emitting fewer greenhouse gases. The 15-litre six-cylinder architecture gets a significant upgrade that includes a new wastegate turbocharger and air intake throttle, a slightly increased compression ratio (from a revised piston shape) and a focus on reducing friction through measures such as a redesigned water pump and gear train. There’s an upgraded XPI common rail injection system and more powerful ECM software. An interesting aspect of Cummins’ approach to achieving Euro 6 compliance for the X15 is an EGR-free design philosophy for the Australasian market. 34 | Truck & Driver

The biggest innovation on the emissions side can only be viewed by getting down and taking a look under and between the frame rails of the Kenworth T610. That’s where Cummins’ single module aftertreatment (SMA) system is going about its cleaning work. It’s a five-phase treatment system that sends exhaust gases through a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC), a soot filtering DPF, an AdBlue decomposition reactor, a NOx-reducing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system and an ammonia slip catalyst (ASC) before reaching the atmosphere. Being packaged together as a single module offers the advantages of a single pass flow that reduces back-pressure, while also allowing better heat retention and temperature management…which is critical for the performance of the DPF. And Cummins estimates that the SMA packaging is about 40% lighter (it weighs 85kg) and takes up only 60% of the space required by an equivalent multi-module system. More intense exhaust aftertreatment sees considerably more AdBlue being injected into the exhaust flow. The upsized stainless steel AdBlue tank on TLL 41 carries 170-litres (compared to 120L on the E5 units). It’s identical to the 625mm diameter of the diesel tanks and is neatly integrated directly behind the right-side 360-litre diesel tank. Cummins estimates AdBlue consumption on the Euro 6 engines at between 7-9% of fuel consumption – up from an average of 5% on earlier Euro 5 engines.

Cummins NZ says Tranzliquid Logistics’ fleet is an ideal proving ground, as it has an established fleet of recent Euro 5 trucks doing similar work. “In Australia, Cummins has been field testing the Euro 6 engine for more than two years,’’ says Eric Carswell, on highway business manager for Cummins NZ. “It’s standard testing for something new like this and most of the work is fine-tuning the calibrations to get the best balance of fuel efficiency, performance and AdBlue consumption. “There have been 12 trucks over in Australia doing the field testing – and this one in NZ, with Tranzliquid. We’ve looked at the downloads and one of the early things we’ve noticed is the DPF doesn’t need to work as hard. It’s only done 10 re-gens in the first 70,000km.’’ The X15 Euro 6 lineup is split into Efficiency Series and Performance Series versions. The Efficiency Series is designed to work in tandem with automated manual transmissions and boasts the ADEPT suite of advanced efficiency systems that includes fuel-saving SmartCoast and Hill Climb Assist functions. The Efficiency engines have a governed engine speed of 1800pm, a 20:1 compression ratio and use tall recommended rear axle ratios between 3.21:1 and 3.9:1. It’s a combination targeting a 5% improvement in fuel consumption. When the Euro 6 engines launch fully into the market, the X15 Efficiency Series will be available in 550hp and 580hp versions, both rated at 2050 lb ft of peak torque. For more rugged applications, the X15 Performance Series is governed to 2000rpm and has a 17.0:1 compression ratio. The Performance Series and can be mated to manual transmissions or AMTs and Cummins recommends a rear axle ratio between 3.9:1 and 4.89:1, depending on application. On TLL 41 the 18-speed Eaton Fuller RTLO 20918B Roadranger transmission sends power to one of the taller rear axle options at 4.1:1, to run at 90km/h using a relaxed 1410rpm in top gear. There’s wider choice in the X15 Performance Series, with 525hp, 565hp and 605hp, versions – rated with 1850-2050 lb ft of torque. The flagship 625hp/460kW version being field tested in the Tranzliquid Logistics Kenworth T610 develops peak torque of 2050 lb ft/2779Nm at 1000rpm. All engine versions are being offered in the NZ market and Carswell says: “The first X15 Euro 6 orders are already in the pipeline, with trucks going on the road during 2022.” T&D

The haul up the Kaimais is taken with ease

continued from page 32 in the Tranzliquid fleet and the same peak torque output, although the delivery curve adds some driveability. “I’ll go to fifth low today, maybe. That’s as low as I’ll need to go,” says Kerry. “The only place I really ever go into low box is the Napier-Taupo coming home. Otherwise, I very rarely come out of high box.” The next – and longer – climb is the ‘Cannonball,’ approaching the Kaimai summit: “We’ll stay in high fifth, sitting maybe on 42km/h and it won’t drop much below about 1400rpm fully loaded,” says Kerry. “It will lug down to 1100 or 1200 and still crawl up doing maybe 32-33. The colder it is, the better she will climb. “We took it up to Cummins in Auckland a couple of months ago and – if I remember correctly – it’s under load about 30% of the time. It works when it needs to work and just cruises whenever it can cruise.” During the short run across the Kaimai summit Kerry slows the truck, selects fifth low and switches on the engine fan: “That (the fan) pulls just a little bit more power out of the engine. It’ll use about 1900 revs and I might touch the brakes a couple of times, just on those tighter pinches at the top. After you come off that it will usually hold at about 33-34km/h in low fifth.” Rolling away from standstill at the busy Hewletts Rd traffic lights, climbing the Kaimais or picking its way down the Waikato side of Highway 29 my own impression of the T610 Cummins Euro 6 is a truck working well within its capabilities and making easy work of a full load. Having grown up as a third-generation driver Kerry says he values the ‘old

school’ ways of the industry. But he’s also enthusiastic about the high-tech Euro 6 combination of clean emissions, reduced consumption and impressive performance. The clean theme fits well with how Tranzliquid Logistics goes about its operations: “When the truck arrived, for reasons unknown, Greg and Jackie (Tranzliquid owners Greg Pert and Jackie Carroll) gave it to me,” Kerry says. “It’s a clean engine that burns less fuel and it gives me some pride that the boss has decided to give me this engine when there’s only one of them in the country.” Kerry likes the driveability and response of the Euro 6 powerplant but also says all of the Tranzliquid trucks are something a bit special. “Greg likes his gear clean. He gives us good gear to drive, so the boys try to keep it all clean. It can be hard when you get three or four days of rain but as soon as it’s stopped raining, the boys are in getting everything tidied up again,” says Kerry. “It’s not show-ponying. It’s pride in the gear.” He also puts in a vote of confidence in fleet manager Mick Pullar for careful selection of the final specification and local finishing work on Tranzliquid’s trucks: It includes touches like “hiding” the air tanks and battery boxes in custom cabinets that give a tidier appearance – and makes the truck easier to clean. On the trailers all of the toolboxes and hose trays are located on the left “working” side and that keeps the righthand “road” side looking clean. “It’s the way Mick specs the trucks and gets them finished that means we get to drive such nice gear. Mick turns a good truck into a really nice truck,’’ says Kerry. T&D Truck & Driver | 35

Test

AYDEN REVOR

ES IT’S A TRUCK TEST BUT sometimes it’s not all about the truck on some of these jobs. We usually like to test everything the truck has on offer, but with this test the focus is mostly on the engine. This Kenworth offers a chance to sample the first Euro 6 engine to arrive in the country from renowned enginemaker Cummins. It has this one on trial, powering a T610 in the Tranzliquid Logistics fleet running out of Mount Maunganui, with Kerry Rusling and Matt Norton rotating shifts behind the wheel. The model, launched here back in 2017, delivered major improvements in cab design and build compared to its predecessors. Kenworth created a roomier and more comfortable cab for improved driver satisfaction – features which we have covered extensively…at the launch of the model and in tests since. The only real difference I find on this truck – being a 6x4 compared to the 8x4s we have tested in the past – is the cab entry. The third step is a sort of half step and makes cab entry a little more difficult compared to its

The Euro 6 X15-engined T610 and its 50MAX Tanker Engineering Solutions B-train add up to an impressive sight out on the highways

36 | Truck & Driver

8x4 brother. The cab does have a good wideopening door and well-positioned grabhandles on each side. The rest of the cab has a very familiar look, featuring the latest Kenworth interior and functions, along with a top-of-the-line ISRI seat for driver comfort. There are controls on the steering wheel, with radio functions on the left and cruise control on the right. On the left stalk are the window wipers and indicators and on the right stalk is the engine brake. The main dash display has the standard dials you need in front of you with a digital display in the centre. To the left of the driver is a semi-wraparound dash encompassing a 7.0-inch touchscreen display for navigation, phone connectivity, audio and gauges. Below this is the main radio head unit, diff lock controls, airbags and interior lights switches, among others. There are also six more gauges and aircon controls and below all of this is a twin cup holder/ storage tray. The mirrors are well positioned on the bottom of the A-frame and offer clear vision down the sides of the truck. Once we are on our way up the Kaimais,

Hayden Woolston

heading west on Highway 29, the truck performs impressively. The climb sees only a drop to 42km/h in fifth high, with the engine working easily at about 1500rpm. This new Cummins X15 Euro 6 engine will be available in an Efficiency Series option, with 550-580hp/410-432kW ratings and peak torque of 2050 lb ft/2800Nm… Or a Performance Series, with 525-625hp/391-466kW and 1850-2050 lb

ft/2508-2279Nm maximum torque. The Efficiency Series can only be mated with an automated manual transmission. The engine in the test truck is a Performance Series unit developing 625hp. It has an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission, but the Performance Series can also be mated with an AMT. Along with its 625hp, the unit has that 200 lb ft gain in peak torque, developed from as low as 1000rpm up to 1500rpm. That’s immediately noticeable on the hills in this test drive with the engine map looking strong with its big, flat torque line. On the return trip to the Mount with the sixaxle B-train tankers empty, the truck flies up the Waikato side of the Kaimais. I’m in top gear and having to slow down for corners, even though my foot is barely pushing the throttle pedal. The power this new engine is throwing to the wheels is phenomenal and the 18-speed Roadranger with the Ezy-Pedal clutch is simple to operate, even for a novice like myself. That’s not to say I don’t make some mistakes! The truck has been fitted out with every safety feature available in its model range, encompassing the Fusion driver assist and collision avoidance technologies. That includes adaptive cruise with autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning.

One big noticeable difference on this truck is the indicators: They make less noise compared to the normal Kenworth indicator and that’s something I really like. Visibility out through the windscreen is excellent, with the T610’s sloping bonnet giving extra vision and making positioning the truck on the road easy. The Tanker Engineering Solutions B-Train setup also tracks really well. On the downhill run the engine brake is very effective with just under 500hp of braking effect at 2100rpm. It requires only minor footbrake applications in the steeper parts of the descents to hold us back. Back at the Tranzliquid yard in the Mount it’s time to give Kerry his truck back. With this Euro 6 X15 installed in a tanker unit delivering fuel all over the North Island, the engine has been hauling full loads over some of the most challenging roads in the North Island. Kerry’s feedback is that it seems to be outperforming its predecessor and after a chance to drive it I have to agree. On top of this, Cummins claims that there are fuel savings and a lifecycle maintenance cost reduction in this X15 Euro 6 Performance Series engine – and even bigger savings with the E6 Efficiency Series engine. If this is correct, how can you complain about that? T&D

• SPECIFICATIONS • Kenworth T610 6x4 Engine: Cummins X15 Performance Series, inline six, Euro 6 Capacity: 14.9 litres Maximum power: 466kW (625hp) at 1800rpm Maximum torque: 2779Nm (2050 lb ft) at 1000rpm Engine revs: 1410rpm at 90km/h in 8th High Fuel capacity: 720 litres. AdBlue 170 litres Transmission: Eaton Fuller Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual 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

.86 8th low – 0

8th high – 0.73

Front axle: Meritor MFS66-122 rated at 6600kg Rear axles: Meritor RT46-160GP with diff lock. 4.1:1 final drive ratio. Rated at 20,900kg Auxiliary brakes: Cummins engine brake Front suspension: Taper steel leaf springs rated at 7.1t Rear suspension: Kenworth Airglide 400 air suspension, rated at 18.1t GVW: 24,700kg GCW: 65,000kg

Truck & Driver | 37

Driving the economy

Normally bustling Queenstown has been suffering, like other South Island destinations, from heightened alert levels – despite having had no cases of COVID-19 for nearly a year

Outside expertise needed in COVID response I by Nick Leggett

Chief Executive

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

CAN’T BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW DISPIRITED the thousands of Kiwis trying to return home are right now. The new online lobby the Government set up is a joke – the excitement of being allowed to enter the ‘lobby,’ where you queue for a spot in MIQ, is shot to pieces when you realise you are then allocated a number – and your chance of actually getting a spot is about the same as winning the lottery. Along with all the returning Kiwis needing a place in MIQ are those who travel internationally for work, essential workers who are needed to plug gaps in our job market – such as truck drivers and seasonal workers – and all the others who need or want to come to New Zealand. A largely closed border means businesses can no longer

gain the migrants to fill high-skilled and low-skilled jobs. Meanwhile, uncertainty over working holiday and essential skills visas and employment restrictions on foreign nationals have hindered firms’ ability to hire in recent months. It’s clear that elimination as a strategy isn’t going to be achievable, and despite our best efforts, we’re all going to have to learn to live with COVID in our communities. We can be vigilant, get ourselves vaccinated, continue with testing and isolation of infected cases, but we can’t keep putting the country into lockdown for weeks on end: It’s not good for our economy and it’s not good for our mental health. For those businesses in the South Island, it’s been a particularly bitter pill to swallow. They’ve been lumped in Truck & Driver | 39

Driving the economy

Lockdowns – creating unprecedented scenes like this Level 4 view of Auckland’s Southern Motorway at “rush-hour” – are what this Government knows, says Leggett....along with “longterm restrictions on our freedoms and a closed border...”

with the rest of the country, despite having no COVID cases for almost a year. Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult has bravely come out and called for the South Island to get its normality back. He quite rightly pointed out during lockdown that it was unfair to be subject to the same level of restrictions as Auckland, where the majority of cases in the latest outbreak had occurred. Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce chief executive Leeann Watson has voiced what most businesses have accepted – we need to learn to live with COVID-19, and in such a way that businesses can continue to operate, trade and travel. She said: “As we continue to learn more about COVID-19, ideally we would like to see sophisticated, high-tech border management for timely access to importing critical skilled talent, for business travel and for foreign students; rapid tracking and tracing of cases; and a risk-based approach to the operation of businesses, based on a COVID-19 operational health and safety plan – given how acutely aware businesses are of the impact of further outbreaks and lockdowns.” I firmly believe the time has long since passed for the Government to look outside its own myopic obsession with case numbers and the inaction of the public sector. The Government 40 | Truck & Driver

needs to listen to business leaders and those who understand the private sector. People like Sir Ian Taylor, former Prime Minister Sir John Key, and the Government’s own business adviser, Rob Fyfe. Fyfe has expressed understandable frustration over the lack of progress in getting officials to work with the private sector to solve major issues linked to the pandemic. He said the world was mobilising day by day and NZ now has to play catchup or businesses will suffer. I agree with him when he talks about an ideological block on Government seeking help from the private sector – something that is not exclusive to the current government, and has been a feature of the public service for decades. Sir Ian Taylor has also noted Government reluctance to seek help from the business sector. He is right to suggest that the business community has a lot that it could offer the Government in managing the pandemic….if only they were asked to help. Taylor stated publicly: “We, and others, have operated in some of the most COVID-ravaged countries in the world and we have kept our Kiwi staff COV-free for more than a year and a half because of the protocols that have been put in place by the businesses we work with.” Unfortunately, the MIQ situation meant

Taylor’s organisation, Animation Research, had to walk away from a significant, multi-year contract because he could not risk sending staff overseas without knowing when they could return to NZ. He spoke of a business colleague who operates in nine countries around the world who was planning to move his entire family to Europe because he could not guarantee an MIQ space for business trips that he regularly took to keep his business in NZ operational. It’s this kind of story that should be ringing alarm bells around the Cabinet table, but unfortunately you get little impression that they even understand the longterm implications of what is happening right now. Lockdowns, longterm restrictions on our freedoms and a closed border are what this Government knows. They have finally come around to the importance of vaccinations after an embarrassingly slow start, but are still reluctant to use the many other innovative tools advocated by the private sector or opposition political parties. It is high time that they acknowledged that they and their small coterie of epidemiologists and modellers don’t have all the answers – and instead be open to alternative ways of doing things. Surely, that is the least we could ask of our government. T&D

LEADERS IN TRAILER MANUFACTURING Fruehauf is a name that has been associated with quality, craftsmanship and dedication to excellence since its establishment in the United States in the late 1800s. As a market leader in NZ Transport Manufacturing, Fruehauf NZ offers excellence in ongoing after Sales Customer Support within New Zealand Fruehauf NZ Ltd is extremely proud to support the New Zealand Transport Industry with Manufacturing, Servicing and Repairs of Truck and Trailer products for all NZ Transport businesses and will work to do so well into the Future. During the past 12-year management of Fruehauf NZ Ltd by Phil Watchorn and Jeff Mear, Fruehauf NZ has become a New Zealand leader in the manufacture of road transport equipment for both truck trailers and truck bodies. With an innovative approach to the industry and by working closely with its Customers and the NZTA, Fruehauf NZ has continued to support the Transport Industry Fruehauf NZ has introduced some highly successful products giving higher payload options and enabling transport companies’ greater revenue with ongoing sustainability in the marketplace. Keep on Trucking New Zealand, we are behind you all the way!

AUCKLAND BRANCH AND HEAD OFFICE 21 Hobill Ave, Manukau, Auckland, Phone +64 9 267 3679

FEILDING MANUFACTURING PLANT

10 Mahinui Street, Feilding, New Zealand, Telephone +64 6 323 4299

TD31883

31989 TD Fruehauf A4.indd 1

www.fruehauf.co.nz 6/10/21 12:21 PM

NEW TIPPER BIN TECHNOLOGY

Light weight, high strength carbon fibre composite structure

TBT31984

• Tare weights lighter than aluminium • Idea for stock feed, fertilizer, wood chip, aggregate, coal

• High flexural strength • High resistance to fatigue and stress failure • Eliminates corrosion

Transport Composites Ltd 44 Moa Street, Piopio Phone: Max, 021 105 4737

TRANSPORT composites Where chemistry meets aluminium

Driving the economy

Emissions reduction with the tools we’ve got A lot of investment is currently going into the research of biofuels and synthetic fuels

AINS CAN BE MADE RIGHT NOW TO REDUCE greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from road freight transport, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett says. In a comprehensive submission to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Transporting NZ says the government should be more decisive and fast-acting in enabling tangible progress on reducing GHG emissions. Says Leggett: “Instead of waiting for the perfect heavy truck to be produced that meets the Government’s view of decarbonisation (ie EVs or hydrogen) – which could be years away and is still largely in fantasy land – the Government could be acting now, with solutions that already exist to reduce emissions. “Acting with what we have now will impact what measures need to be taken in future and will enable existing trucks to be used, rather than operators being forced to mothball them at some point, which is surely a better overall environmental solution.” The public conversation around completely ditching fossil fuels currently relies on two possible alternatives – hydrogen and EV battery technology. Hydrogen, regardless of how it is produced, is not energy-efficient, says Leggett: The end product is a gas that has to be converted back into electricity. During that process about half of the remaining energy is lost. NZ also lacks the infrastructure to distribute it, and vehicle manufacturers have to reach a certain level of scale to make the production of hydrogen fuel cells cost-effective. With EV battery technology, while it is becoming cheaper, smaller and lighter, the size and weight of a battery that could power a long-haul freight network is still a major issue. Encouragingly, Ministry of Transport Chief Science Advisor Simon Kingham was recently quoted as saying biofuels can be used to reduce emissions in the short-term, while research and work continues on a longterm, emissions-free replacement for diesel in our freight fleet.

Says Leggett: “Finally, we are seeing some sense out of Government. For a long time now, Transporting NZ has been pointing out that biodiesel is a solution that could and should be available. “It has been used in parts of Europe for several years and can, with minimal disruption, be used in the current generation of heavy vehicles. “There are a number of other practical things that can be done to help the industry reduce its emissions while we wait for an appropriate zero-carbon solution. These include the rollout of fuel-efficient driver training, greater reduction of aerodynamic drag in vehicle design, speed management, tyre pressure management, and scheduling and despatch software solutions to reduce journeys.” And he adds: “The industry has suggested such measures in numerous discussion papers and we are getting increasingly frustrated that, rather than go after some tangible returns, this Government appears to continue with its flawed policy idealisms in search of an unobtainable nirvana.” Leggett says the best solution may be electric, hydrogen, biofuels, or a combination of all three, plus other solutions. But believes that a full electric and/or hydrogen truck fleet, with reliable energy supply throughout the country, is a long way off. “We believe the Government should provide support to industry-wide and sector-led initiatives, rather than its tendency to develop its own ideas or support niche products. This is not an area where we can put all our eggs in one basket. “The vast majority of expertise on the feasibility and viability of transport innovation lies within the industry and transport sector leadership groups. Government does not understand how the private sector operates. “We welcome ongoing discussion with the Government and its advisors on reducing emissions. We believe we can add considerable technical and policy expertise to Government thinking and we urge it to work more closely with us so we can get into action much more quickly and reduce emissions.” T&D Truck & Driver | 43

Driving the economy

The demanding nature of our roads is a factor in weighing up the suitability of autonomous freight vehicles for NZ

Driverless vehicles represent a faraway future I A A RA A O TE AROA TRAN S P ORTIN G N E W Z EA L A ND recently provided feedback on the Ministry of Transport’s LongTerm Insights Briefing (LTIB) on the impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs) operating on NZ’s roads. The LTIB said AVs are predicted to fundamentally change the transport sector, although there is still a high degree of uncertainty in actually understanding their potential impact. On the one hand, AVs could significantly improve road safety outcomes and contribute to a more integrated, accessible and cost-effective transport system for NZ. On the other hand, they could also introduce new road safety risks (such as hardware and software failures and malicious hacking), make new demands on transport services, and require significant new infrastructure and regulations. Says Transporting NZ’s CEO Nick Leggett: “It’s pleasing to see the Ministry of Transport cite these issues upfront. “This suggests that, instead of jumping straight to a solutions-based approach, a more conservative assessment based on the actual transition phase should be taken when it comes to what regulatory provisions we need to make.” The Ministry’s briefing cites the introduction of advanced driver assist

systems (ADAS) and the benefits they have brought to safe vehicle operations. However, recent discussion within a Transport Research Laboratory project about ADAS (funded by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency) has suggested its benefits may be overstated. The LTIB is centred on understanding the potential risks and benefits of AVs for NZ and NZers, ensuring that safety is the key driver behind AV deployment. As people in the transport industry are all too aware, human error is the cause of 90% of deaths and serious injuries on our roads – with alcohol and drugs, excessive speed, fatigue and driver distraction some of the primary contributors to this. If managed effectively, the potential is for AVs to virtually eliminate a large proportion of the road accidents in NZ. Says Leggett: “However exciting this is and despite the progress made with AVs and the number of companies exploring the technology and its application to commercial vehicles, our sources indicate the technology is only in its infancy. “Recent flaws in Tesla’s AV systems have been well documented in the international media, and there have been other incidences where the technology and AI supporting AVs has come up short. It is as yet simply not intuitive enough. Truck & Driver | 45

Driving the economy

“These issues and the shortcomings with technologies are not likely to be resolved quickly. We are concerned that the technology capability is being oversold as being the panacea to all vehicle crashes.” Transporting NZ believes the introduction of AVs in NZ will be transitory and occur over time. However, the jury is still out on whether freight vehicle AVs can be a success – even considering the 10-year threshold. Light vehicle AVs are far more likely to become an established section within the vehicle market. “When we look at the operational environment of the vehicles – the infrastructure and the communications connectivity functionality and their limitations across parts of NZ – the picture of opportunity for AVs is probably less promising,” Leggett says. “As Transporting NZ constantly seeks to remind government, NZ is a taker of technology. While this allows us to observe and evaluate the success of other jurisdictions’ approaches to the deployment of AVs before committing to a course of action ourselves, it means we are bound to closely follow international developments when it comes to the arrival of new vehicle technologies on our roads.” In NZ, the application of full autonomy appears unlikely for heavyduty truck freight applications, but semi-autonomous and driver-assisted autonomy may well become more normalised. “We’re not entirely sure the connectivity status is at a level to support these vehicles operating using their autonomous or self-reporting features. NZ’s topography and road geometry is well recognised as particularly demanding, so it may be likely that even employing some level of driverassisted autonomy may be pushing the technology capability to its effective limits at the moment,” explains Leggett. “We must keep some perspective in all this. NZ is a small country that lacks the economy of scale to be able to withstand the financial impact of making an un-researched and incompletely-evaluated decision on the rollout of AV connectivity when there is still so much water to go under the bridge in terms of the technology. Transporting NZ’s advice is very much to take a wait and see approach.” T&D

The global prevalence of vehicles with autonomous or semi-autonomous capability is steadily increasing

Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand was established in 1997 to represent the combined interests of all members as a single organisation at a national level. Members of Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand’s regionally focused member associations are automatically affiliated to Transporting New Zealand.

Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 info@transporting.nz www.transporting.nz

Northland/Auckland/Waikato/ Thames-Coromandel/Bay of Plenty/North Taupo/King Country

Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@transporting.nz

South Taupo/Turangi/Gisborne/Taranaki/Manawatu/ Horowhenua/Wellington

Road Transport Association of NZ (RTANZ) National Office, PO Box 7392, Christchurch 8240 03 366 9854 admin@rtanz.co.nz www.rtanz.co.nz Simon Carson, Chief Operating Officer 027 556 6099 scarson@rtanz.co.nz 46 | Truck & Driver

Contact RTANZ Christchurch head office for assistance 03 3669854

Sandy Walker, Senior Industry Advisor 027 485 6038 swalker@rtanz.co.nz Northern West Coast/Nelson/Marlborough/North Canterbury/West Coast John Bond, Senior Industry Advisor 027 444 8136 jbond@rtanz.co.nz Otago Southland, South Canterbury , Mid Canterbury Contact RTANZ Christchurch head office for assistance 03 3669854

YOU HANDLE THE LOAD.

LET PETERSON TAKE CARE OF YOUR LED LIGHTING

Be Sure to Spec Peterson Lights

PETERSON LUMENX LIGHTING FEATURES Designed by Peterson USA | Manufactured by Peterson USA | International sell brand Peterson USA Limited lifetime warranty, rated life 100,000 hours. Mounting orientation, superior optics allow 360 degree compliance. Heavy duty plug n play harness, insert moulded plug terminals, wire gauge 18 awg. Integral mounting flange with skirt welded lens eliminates leakage points. Trusted lighting manufacturer since 1945, LED lights introduced in 1995. Proven in heavy duty applications, major usage by OE manufacturers and fleet operators. Accredited supplier to Caterpillar and Harley Davidson.

www.cdlautoparts.co.nz ☎ 09 262 1417 sales@cdlautoparts.co.nz

Brighter, Safer, Better Looking & Made in America

TD32052

CDL AUTOPARTS LTD

y l i m a f A ision V r n Coke cklock h o J y r ha Sto erald S G s o t o Ph

GPS Tracking – eRUC – Job Management – eLogbook 0800 447 735 48 | Truck & Driver

TeletracNavman.co.nz

FLEET FOCUS

“Shifting dirt around” is how company founder Pienaar Piso describes Vision Complete Earthworks’ business. Here, on a residential subdivision in Hamilton, a company excavator does just that – loading one of VCE’s four Mercedes-Benz Arocs trucks bought brand-new in the last two years

GPS Tracking – eRUC – Job Management – eLogbook 0800 447 735

TeletracNavman.co.nz

Truck & Driver | 49

VCE co-owners (front, from left) Pienaar junior, Pienaar senior and Armand, with extended family Christiaan and Adriaan Badenhorst (second row)....and other members of the Vision “family” T HAS DONE THE GROUNDWORK FOR THOUSANDS of homes and commercial buildings around the Hamilton area over the past 14 years. So it’s entirely appropriate that Vision Complete Earthworks is itself rooted on strong foundations – namely the Piso family. Pienaar (Willie) Piso is the founder of the operation that currently runs 24 trucks and 20-odd pieces of earthmoving machinery His wife Magdel is the matriarch of the family business – working as a project manager as well as looking after the health and wellbeing of the staff and family alike, reckons son Pienaar… known as Piso or Pienaar Junior to distinguish him from his Dad. He is a co-owner of VCE, along with younger brother Armand and Pienaar senior. Adding to the family dynamic, Pienaar and Magdel’s nephews, Christiaan and Adriaan Badenhorst, also work for VCE. Remarkably, this is the second earthmoving business that the Piso family has built from scratch. The first was in South Africa, the land of their birth – Pienaar senior having been brought up on a farm at Nelspruit, near Kruger National Park. He got started in this line of work at the age of 15, by operating an old Caterpillar D2 bulldozer – doing earthworks on the family farm: “We started clearing the silt and sand out of our own irrigation dams,” Pienaar explains. “Other people heard what we were doing and asked us to improve their dams or build new ones.” He ended up working with his father, Johannes, for 20 years, operating machinery and gaining valuable experience fixing the

machines when they broke down. He set up his own business in 1995 and was soon contracting to the mining industry – prompting a family move to Rustenburg, about 115 kilometres west of Pretoria, in North West Province. Most of the work was within the region’s huge platinum mining sector – working for equally-huge mining companies, digging out slag (a byproduct of the huge smelters) 365 days a year, in an around-the clock-operation. “The work was on a 24-hour cycle, so we had to fix our own breakdowns at any hour of the day or night,” says Pienaar. Luckily, he could call on the experience he’d gained in the many years spent working with his father. The business grew dramatically – to the extent that Pienaar’s visits to the far-flung sites the company was working, necessitated him flying by helicopter. But when South African government regulations dictated that the family business would have to restructure – with a 50% coowner coming in – after 25 years of running his own operation, Pienaar couldn’t see that working. Clearly, it was a huge decision – quitting a business that by then boasted 120 pieces of machinery. But as Pienaar says simply: “I could not see a future for myself.” The Piso family resolved to emigrate to New Zealand – Aotearoa becoming the destination of choice based solely on the favourable comments of friends who had relatives already living here: “It was much easier to emigrate back then than now.” says Pienaar. Interestingly, he reckons it was Magdel’s special needs teaching qualifications, rather than his long experience as a civil engineering contractor, that saw their immigration application Truck & Driver | 51

accepted: There was a shortage of teachers with Magdel’s experience. In late 2003 the Piso family, including Magdel’s mother – and, in fact, also including Magdel’s sister and brother-in-law and their boys – duly arrived in NZ. Like many other immigrants from South Africa, they came without much money – certainly not enough to restart a contracting business straight away. Besides, says Pienaar: “I knew I couldn’t just turn up in NZ and successfully start a business. There was a lot to learn about how things were done here.” So, on settling in Hamilton, he set up a workshop in Te Rapa, doing automotive mechanical repairs as well as selling secondhand cars. It allowed him to use some of the skills he’d learnt working on his own machines in South Africa. Next door to his workshop was a landscaping business, running a truck and a digger to excavate swimming pools. Pienaar offered to work unpaid excavating a pool – just to get his first taste of “moving dirt” in NZ. And yes, it is different to earthmoving in South Africa, he points out: “The soil is softer here, so we were using bigger buckets on the diggers.” The landscaping business owner, Dave McGill, soon realised that Pienaar had plenty of skill and experience and it wasn’t too long before he was doing all of its bigger excavation jobs….while

still running the workshop and the car sales business. Working solo was clearly a different experience for Pienaar: “At times I felt sorry for myself as there was nobody to hand me a spanner.” But help was close at hand – son Piso soon joining him in the workshop and car sales business….with Armand following later. Pienaar bought a secondhand Isuzu 4x2 tipper and a digger, with the late Mark Porter – part of the Hamilton-based Porter Group family business until his tragic death racing a V8 Supercar at Bathurst in 2006 – financing the deal. And in mid-2007, Vision Complete Earthworks was launched. The name, Piso says, was easy: “We had a vision to come to NZ to create a new life for the family.” The name also fits the company motto: “We move the earth for you.” The truck, says Pienaar, “had to be pretty new, otherwise we wouldn’t have got the finance.”

Pienaar says he inherited his commitment to buying Merc trucks from his Dad, who liked them for their reliability and good resale value – the latter handy in case “you get into trouble.” The 2002 Actros 2643LS/33 is one of 20 Mercs in the fleet...which also has 11 Sumitomo diggers

52 | Truck & Driver

Within 12 months, the effects of the Global Financial Crisis had hit NZ and VCE’s work dried up, as Piso recounts: “A friend at Solid Energy got us a contract for the graveyard shift at the Huntly opencast (coal) mine – fitting and turning and fixing the gear. Using all those skills Dad had got back in South Africa. It was a try-and-stay-alive exercise. It was tough.” When the economy eventually picked up again, they got back to VCE’s core business – excavating driveways, doing residential site works and laying sand pads. Piso started networking – “making contacts and connections and getting to know the people in the construction industry.” The first few years after the GFC saw modest growth as VCE established its reputation and built up a client base. The truck and digger fleet grew gradually to meet the demand, with Pienaar senior watching the bottom line by only bringing secondhand Mercedes-Benz onto the fleet.

He explains: “My Dad had Mercedes and, although they were a bit dearer to buy, they had lower maintenance costs because they were so reliable. “Dad told me ‘if you ever buy something in life, make sure it’s something that others will want. That way if you get into trouble, it will have good secondhand value.’ It was a no-brainer to build the VCE business with a Mercedes-Benz fleet.” Practicality too dictated the fleet’s colour scheme: The dark blue livery evolved from the first VCE Mercedes, which was a metallic blue. Says Piso: “When we got more trucks, we just painted them the same blue, without the metallic tint.” Pienaar senior makes the point that none of Vision’s growth came easy: “It was tough to break into the NZ market. People here were loyal. We made a name for ourselves doing jobs that others didn’t want to do – to a high standard and a fair price.” Piso adds: “In the early years, the Chinese and Indian

Truck & Driver | 53

A line of Pienaar’s earthmoving machines working at a South African mine site

construction community supported us.” As the clients grew, so did the company: “But we had to remain cost-effective.” The company’s growth has mirrored the housing boom in Hamilton, particularly in the city’s northern suburbs. The philosophy sees the company “happy to go slowly forwards,” Piso reckons: “It’s easy to go five steps back with the oscillations in the construction industry.” It’s only over the last couple of years that VCE has worked on larger commercial projects – carefully targeting jobs: “We only tender for it if we think we can do it,” says Piso. The work includes whole subdivisions, including road excavations as well as building site preparation. The company has shied away from bigger infrastructure projects: “There’s too much paperwork involved,” he reckons. Pienaar: “We tend to stick to what we know best. It’s not glamorous – it’s basically just shifting dirt around.” Today VCE shifts dirt for a big portfolio of clients including Golden Homes, Landmark Homes, HEB Construction, G.J. Gardner Homes, Urban Homes, Pragma Homes, McQuarrie Developments, the Ultimate Global Group and CHT Developments. The company’s big breakthrough came in 2010 when it developed an auto leveller for greater consistency in laying the sand pads, with only a five-millimetre variation from absolute level: “Until then sand pads were always a bit undulating,” says Piso. “I think we were the first in this part of NZ, although there may have been somebody in the South Island.” Word soon got around the concrete-laying section of the construction industry about VCE’s greater accuracy, he says, as it made the job easier when it came to estimating the amount of 54 | Truck & Driver

concrete required: “The concrete layers wanted us to do the pads so more building companies started using us.” VCE ended up getting over 80% of the sand pad business in Hamilton and with other excavation operations slow to follow suit, the company enjoyed a dominant position in the market for about five years. Even now it still has over 60% of the sand pad market in the Waikato, Piso estimates. His cousin, Adriaan Badenhorst, is a qualified builder who joined VCE over a year ago and is now the company’s surveyor – responsible for setting out the sand pads…avoiding unnecessary wastage and helping win and retain clients. Adriaan’s brother Christiaan has worked for VCE for four years, pricing jobs and handling logistics. As boys, they played with Armand – running a complete fleet of toy diggers and earthmoving equipment in their backyards….even developing a toy “mine.” Armand – Pienaar and Magdel’s younger son – started work in the family business in 2005, having found going to school in NZ challenging: “I could only speak Afrikaans when we got here, so I left (school) when I was 16 years old and have been working in the family business ever since.” He had already been working with his Dad during school holidays since he was eight. Now, 18 years after the family uprooted from South Africa – and just 14 years since Vision Complete Earthworks was created – the company employs 42 people and has a fleet of 24 trucks, 11 Sumitomo diggers (ranging in size from 1.7 tonnes to 20t.), eight Bobcats and sundry other pieces of machinery, including nine rollers to smooth out the sand pads. There’s also a couple of modest-sized bulldozers – a Caterpillar D5N and a Komatsu D31. Pienaar has had a long-lasting love

FRE10398_NZ Trucking FP_210x297mm_FA.indd 1

17/6/21 3:07 pm

Right & opposite page, right: Pienaar has always preferred to be driving a piece of machinery rather than working in the office and is seen here driving one of his Cat diggers in South Africa....and posing with one of his Sumitomos on a job in Hamilton Opposite page, left: Magdel is, according to son Piso, the matriarch of both the family and the VCE business

“We can run trucks for 20 years, because the chassis don’t crack and rust...” affair with Caterpillar dozers and says happily that “sometimes a digger is not suitable for a particular job – so I use the bully.” There are a couple of tipping trailers to run behind the trucks when necessary and two transporters – another Merc and a Mack – to shift the earthmoving machines from site to site. The fleet is completed by a FUSO Canter four-wheeler and two medium-duty UD Condors, the trio used for accessing smaller sites which the bigger Mercs can’t easily get into. Working in tight spaces was also a factor in two of the company’s first four brand-new Mercedes-Benz trucks purchased – added to the fleet in the last two years. Two of the four Arocs have MirrorCams in place of rear vision mirrors, Pienaar pointing out: “Access to many sections is getting tighter and we are finding more sites where our trucks don’t fit because the mirrors stick out too far.” Along with the Arocs, the VCE Merc lineup includes 10 Actros models, three Axors and two Ategos – all tippers – plus one SK water tanker. The Axor and Actros are particularly good offroad, says Pienaar: “They have excellent front and rear clearance – and 56 | Truck & Driver

the crosslocks and diff locks mean they are very good on jobs that are wet and slippery.” The oldest of the VCE Mercs is a 1999 model that’s now done 1.4 million kilometres. The M-Bs run a variety of straight-six, V6 and V8 Merc engines, producing 280 to 350 horsepower. Most of them have 16-speed PowerShift automated manual transmissions. Pienaar reckons: “The drivers love the gearbox. It’s almost like Tiptronic: You push the lever forward to change up and back to change down. If it needs to it will drop two gears, it’s that smart. It also won’t let the driver make a gearchange error. You can’t be rough with it – it won’t let you.” Maintenance costs are low, he adds, because there is minimal wear and tear from gearshifting. VCE doesn’t lease or hire vehicles or plant: “There’s no point in paying a lot of money for something you can’t always use the moment you want it,” he reasons. There has been one drawback with his inherited love of Mercedes-Benz trucks: The Mercs were widely used in South Africa and spare parts were much cheaper than here – to the degree where, eight years ago, he was quoted $4000 for a

Tanker Engineering Specialists Ltd Bulk Liquid Transport Engineers

TD31994

PROUD SUPPLIERS TO TRANZLIQUID LOGISTICS 202 James Fletcher Dr, Favona, Auckland 2024 Phone: 09-276 5353 Contact Neil Boys: neil@tankerengineering.co.nz 31994 TD-Tanker Engineering 05.indd 1

7/10/21 2:19 PM Truck & Driver | 57

Clockwise from above: Pienaar junior (Piso) is VCE’s entrepreneur, extrovert, networker and GM.... A 2000 Actros 3243/54 (one of the oldest trucks on the fleet) delivers sand to a building site in Cambridge. The company focuses on work close to its Hamilton base.... VCE runs its own fourman workshop, which does all of the fleet’s maintenance work.... Pienaar and Magdel say they’ve “found peace” in NZ.... Pienaar stands proudly with a brandnew Cat wheel loader in South Africa

gearbox component…and sourced it instead from South Africa for $1500. And he adds: “The same part here now is only $800. Somebody was clipping the ticket bigtime back then!” As a result, at times in the past he bought wrecked trucks to source secondhand parts for the VCE fleet. Part of the fleet’s reliability can be traced back to what’s expected of the trucks: “The trucks are over-rated for what they’re generally doing. Most can do 30t, but they’re often only carrying 10t,” says Pienaar. 58 | Truck & Driver

“We can run trucks for 20 years, because the chassis don’t crack and rust,” he says. As a result, half of the fleet has done over one million kilometres and some trucks have done between 1.3 and 1.4m Ks – one of them an early purchase that cost VCE just $18,000. VCE has only sold two trucks since it started up – a Mitsubishi and a Mack. Pienaar says happily: “With the Mercedes-Benz reliability we keep the bottom line very healthy, rather than having a lot of capital tied up in new stock.” VCE does all its own maintenance, with a staff of four in its

workshop. The four new Arocs are currently on maintenance plans as part of their warranty, but Pienaar is also considering taking their maintenance in-house. “Nothing has gone wrong, so I’m thinking of taking the risk and saving the $20,000 maintenance plan cost over the next two years.” The company philosophy includes always having something in reserve, as Piso explains: “We work on 80% capacity, but 100% ability. So if a truck or a machine breaks, we have a standby ready to go.” The company trucks typically average about

400kms a day, or 60,000kms a year. The Pisos’ love of Mercedes-Benz has carried over into their personal vehicles – with Pienaar junior leading the way five years ago with the purchase of a G-Wagon luxury SUV. He now runs a 430kW AMG 63 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8-powered G, while Pienaar senior and Armand each enjoy the 700Nm of torque delivered by their three-litre, six-cylinder turbo-diesel G400s. Some might consider a G-Wagon a bit excessive, he concedes, but adds: “I see it as a bit of a reward for all the hard work the family has put in to get to where we are today. Truck & Driver | 59

join us today ! We are here to be advocates for you in all matters transport, we provide representation for you and business support. We have got your back while you focus on the running of your business.

YOU have been invited to join the National Road Carriers Association! National Road Carriers Assn is a powerful industry voice at a both local and National level. Our strong alliance with Government and Agencies is pivotal in ensuring we are heard. At a time of under investment in roading, it is more important for our industry’s voice to be heard. Your support here matters – and we appreciate it. To read more, visit www.natroad.co.nz

As a member, the main benefits you can expect from partnering yourself with National Road Carriers Association are:

• •

•

Expert business support & advice Savings through our Commercial Partnership Schemes, including fuel, insurance, tyres and more. Regular updates on matters that affect your business and the industry through our magazine, emails, and online updates. Connections

TD31985

If you have any questions regarding the benefits of joining or the application process, please don’t hesitate to call us 0800 686 777

Join us today!

natroad.co.nz

Above: When they were kids, Armand (left) and cousins Christiaan and Adriaan (centre & right), were doing their “prep” for their future together in VCE – even digging their own backyard “mine”

TD31985

Right: Operations manager Armand started with VCE at 16 and, like his Dad, prefers to run things while driving machines on work sites

It’s something we can appreciate on a daily basis.” In addition to the residential work VCE started out doing – and the commercial work it’s also focused on in recent years – these days it also undertakes sewer and stormwater system construction and repairs, roading and subdivision excavation and earthmoving. Pienaar senior is the company’s fleet manager and mentor of the whole operation – but you won’t find him in VCE’s home-based office. He routinely drives diggers and Bobcats out on work sites – “feeding the trucks.” Armand is the operations manager, and also drives machinery….keeping an eye on the daily movements of the truck fleet and the progress on other work sites by way of GPS tracking and his R/T. Says Piso, the company’s general manager: “Dad and my brother are good at what they do, so we use them where they are best deployed.” He is the extrovert of the trio and an entrepreneur – building on the networking skills with Hamilton building and civil engineering companies that he began using back during the GFC. Piso reckons that his Mum is, along with her project manager role, VCE’s “counsellor and cheer leader.” She says she can connect with staff in a way only women can: “I’m somebody who can listen and provide a sense of belonging. Of ten people just need someone who is willing to listen and all of us wants to feel valued.” As for who’s the boss – Piso reckons: “We don’t really have a formal boss.” He then says that VCE is the boss: “All our staff, including the family, is answerable to VCE – and nobody is irreplaceable.” He insists too that the company’s success can be attributed

to the loyalty of its staff, many of whom are longterm employees….despite the transient nature of the contracting business. “The proof of the pudding is on the work sites, not in the office,” says Piso: “We’re only as good as our people.” The quality of the sand pads laid for the building industry, for instance, is down to the skill of its digger drivers – the most expert of them including Troy Fergusson, Piet Fleming, Claude Fourie, Lukas Ramsay…and Dave McGill, the man whose swimming pool business gave Pienaar his first taste of Kiwi earthmoving. He’s been working for VCE for the last five years and Pienaar acknowledges: “He’s an asset to me.” Piso adds there’s another couple of highly-proficient digger operators: “Dad and Armand aren’t too bad either!” Piso is a believer that “people can learn to do anything, if they’re committed.” He has thus been quite happy to take on staff referred by Work and Income NZ and reckons: “They grab the chance.” These days VCE has seven self-contained teams able to work on different sites – each equipped with a digger or Bobcat, and occasionally a bulldozer, feeding the fleet of trucks taking the spoil away. Says Piso: “The trucks can become the bottleneck of the operation, so everything has to be well co-ordinated.” And that is where brother Armand comes in – organising the trucks and staff at the end of each day, ready for the 7.30am start at the yard the next morning. VCE has found that its teams are most productive with a 5pm knockoff time. Says Armand: “Some of the guys have come to us from working 13-hour days. The shorter hours are more efficient. The older guys just don’t want to do the long hours any more.” Truck & Driver | 61

One of the 10 Actros models in the VCE fleet, this 18-year-old 3246L/48 keeps busy transporting company machines from site to site

VCE says it puts a premium on customer service – and to back that up it has two staff members dedicated to keeping clients informed on the progress on their projects, Armand points out: “We want them to understand what is going on and be as transparent as possible.” Delivering quality work, on time and on budget, has been the cornerstone of VCE’s success – working with clients to satisfy their requirements on over 15,000 projects in the last 14 years. The dedication to quality is, VCE’s father and sons co-owners are sure, what powers the continuing success of the company – while also leading to staff and client satisfaction. Piso reckons that the family is like any other: “We fight about some things – but we also make up. We don’t hold grudges. If there’s a problem, we talk it over and sort it out. We tell one another how it is from our perspective.” And when the men can’t agree, Piso reckons Magdel “sorts out the family squabbles. She’s the general counsel and the glue that keeps us together.” There’s another cornerstone of the VCE approach to business – what the Pisos says is a cautious approach to growth – a reflection of its customer service ethic: “We don’t like overcommitting. I don’t want people phoning me and asking ‘where are you?’ ” Piso explains. Too many people and companies “only look for the now,” he adds: “They can’t respond to any unforeseen changes.” This cautious approach to building the business began in South Africa, Pienaar points out: “The income is the easy part. But you’ve got to manage and control outgoings, so they don’t bite you. People don’t realise how quickly money runs out the door.” The company has no plans to expand far outside its Hamilton 62 | Truck & Driver

region base. Says Piso: “We do work within about an hour’s drive of the depot.” That includes Tirau, Karapiro, Kihikihi, Raglan and sometimes South Auckland. “We might go a little further for existing clients, but we also let them know if it’s not going to be cost effective for both of us. “We have considered going to Tauranga or Auckland in the past – but that would mean splitting up the family. I see my family every day and that is important.” To add perspective to just how strong this family’s ties are, you need to understand that five households of the extended family live in the same street in Rototuna, in Hamilton’s northeast. That includes Magdel’s mother Loraine, who effectively runs a family café where members of the extended family often congregate at the end of the working day. So, it’s no surprise then when Pienaar says that VCE has no desire to be the biggest contractor around – “but I do want us to be the best.” Piso says that the company will only grow “organically,” with existing clients: Despite the disruptions of COVID-19 since early 2020, VCE has a full schedule of work….into the foreseeable future. So, says Piso: “We’re not chasing more work – but we will work with companies that have supported us.” Since migrating here, Pienaar has returned to South Africa a couple of times to see family, but Piso hasn’t been back: “Hamilton and NZ is my home now,” he says firmly. Pienaar takes stock of the life-changing move: “It was a good decision to come here. I’ve no regrets. “We’ve found peace in NZ. It’s not the rat race, like South Africa had become – and that’s valuable to me.” T&D

ZMD

ZERO MAINTENANCE DAMPING Technology ®

INTRAAX® AANL / AANT Low-ride and top-mount air suspension systems

Never change a shock absorber again ZMD®

ZERO MAINTENANCE DAMPING® Technology • Reduced maintenance cost • Elimination of misdiagnosed shock absorber issues (misting vs. leaking) • Uniform suspension damping over the life of the trailer • Enhanced cargo protection

TIREMAAX® PRO

Advanced Tyre Pressure Control System • Automatically inflates tyres using the trailer air supply • Prevents overinflation by relieving air from the tyres back through the controller • Constantly equalises pressure across all tyres

For more information, contact Hendrickson NZ, 09.570.4721, or visit www.hendrickson.com.au

TD31276

LEGENDS

Heavy Hauler - Greg Sheehan

REG SHEEHAN IS A NAME THAT’S synonymous with heavy haulage in this country, and in particular the art and science of piloting over-dimension loads. The subject of this month’s Southpac Trucks Legends was for many years a board member of the NZ Heavy Haulage Association and between 2007 and 2009 served a two-year term as Association chairman, becoming the the first-ever pilot representative in that role. During his time as a board member he was heavily involved with the planning and rollout of the BESS (Bridge Engineering Self Supervision) scheme. BESS represented quite a change to the way overweight and over-dimension permits had been handled previously, he explains: “Up till then the NZTA (NZ Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi) provided its own supervisors who monitored the crossing of every bridge. Often, that could mean they’d be out with a job for up to a whole day or more. “Under the BESS system, when a permit is issued to a company, it’s a requirement that its drivers have to be certified for BESS, so they understand and can implement the various conditions specified in the permit – things like the speed across various bridges,

64 | Truck & Driver

positioning (for example, whether in the lane or straddling the centreline) and other aspects of that nature.” During the same period the BESS scheme was being implemented, Greg was also working closely with Tranzqual and MITO to set up the framework for industry qualifications nationwide...and somehow found time to also write a guide to the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass Rule (VDAM). The guide is currently in its fifth update, and remains the go-to resource for people needing to untangle the Rule’s complexities. Greg happily admits that heavy haulage has been his life – and passion – for a long time...yet despite always having an interest in the sector, the arc of his career had swung through a lot of other activities before taking its proper shape, when in 1999 he set up a heavy hauling piloting company. That was 22 years ago, sure, but consider that he’d been working 33 years before that, and never directly in heavy haulage. However, trucks were generally a key part of every job he had, even if several positions were more of the corporate stripe, in heavy vehicle sales and marketing. His first job, in 1966, was as a truck

driver with Smith & Davies. At just 19, with a new licence and the youngest driver in the fleet, it was inevitable that he’d score the oldest truck, he quips. But with time and experience he rose through the ranks to eventually become the firm’s transport manager. After 15 years with Smith & Davies a change of scenery beckoned and Greg headed off to Melbourne, where he took up a position selling Mercedes Benz trucks and buses in that city and Victoria. This was an introduction to what Greg terms the ‘corporate’ phase of his career. Back in Auckland after a two-year taste of Oz, he worked for a time as a supervisor for RFL before shifting to Bridge Freight as operations supervisor. 1986 saw a return to truck sales when he was approached by CablePrice, at the time the regional distributor for Mercedes Benz. When the franchise shifted to the German Motor Distributors division of the Giltrap Group in 1990, Greg went with it. During his time with GMD he was involved in the launch of the Freightliner brand in New Zealand and developed strong friendships that are still thriving.

However, by the late 1990s he felt the need for a change, says Greg: “Things were happening in the industry that were out of my control, so I was keen to move on. The long commute from the North Shore to the city was also getting to be tiresome. Arly in 1998 I saw an ad for an operations manager with Hiway Stabilizers, at Silverdale just a few minutes from where we lived, applied and got the job. “I enjoyed the work, but it wasn’t long before things were ticking over so smoothly that by mid-morning all the crews would be set up on their various projects and I’d be spending the rest of the day reading the Herald. “I’d long had a hankering to get really involved in heavy haulage, especially the piloting side, so six months later I decided to set up my own overdimension piloting company, Sheehan’s Transport Assistance. Originally I was working as a B-grade pilot, but in 1999 I completed the course at the Police Training School at Porirua and gained my A-grade certification.” Income during the first few years was supplemented by a contract with GMD to look after that company’s vehicle movement logistics. Son Mike joined him in helping build that side of the business, which eventuality grew to become an independent entity, Truck Moves NZ, that Mike bought from his parents in 2007. Truck Moves now looks after a high proportion of the newtruck shifts across the country as well as offering port logistics, Customs liaison and vehicle inspection services. Sheehan’s Transport Assistance quickly expanded from straight piloting to offer a wide range of associated services, including permit applications for overdimension or overweight loads, route planning and other logistics, plus training for heavy haulage drivers. Over the years the company has been involved with piloting overdimension loads

for several major projects, including bridge beams for the Newmarket viaduct and Transmission Gully. Early on in his company’s history it was involved with trials conducted by NZTA prior to changes in the VDAM Rule, Greg recalls: “The Agency arranged with the Road Transport Association to supply trucks with a conventional B-train lead semi and towing a 40ft rear semi, loaded with steel plate to the maximum permitted weights at the time and to carry out trials between Albany and Warkworth with the help of Peter Baas’ road research team. They observed the off-tracking of the semis and dropped paint markers as they tracked through curves at various speeds. “This was carried out over several days, with me being the long load pilot on the job. A permit was provided by NZTA for the loads, with the proviso that an A-grade pilot was used. At that time I was still a B-grade, but the requirements were amended to allow me to do the job, as I was very familiar with the local district. “The results from these trials eventually led to the introduction of H-permit trucks with greater dimension and load capabilities.” Now semi-retired in Taupo, Greg still does a certain amount of training, but late in 2019 he sold the pilot vehicle. He also regularly advises companies on overweight permit applications, and even tenders applications on behalf of owner/operators who might not have the time (or experience) to wade through the paperwork involved. From the beginning of his piloting career, Greg was a committed member of the Heavy Haulage Association, throwing himself into efforts to further the industry. In 2016, his dedication was recognised with the Gus Breen Memorial Award, given for outstanding contribution to the Association over a period of time. Receiving the award, he says, was both

humbling and thrilling: “Being involved in this industry is my life. It’s what I do, and what I love doing. “The other award I’m very proud of was given by the NZ Defence Industry Association in 2015 for an outstanding performance in the uplift and delivery of the NZ Navy’s 10 new Seasprite maritime helicopters from the Auckland port to Whenuapai. We carried out the job in conjunction with three independent Auckland transporter operators, provided all the piloting and permitting services as well as the cartage, and won the tender in competition with some of the big heavy haulage firms. We handled every aspect of the project. “The helicopters had to be craned off their shipping trolleys onto the transporters and lashed down in strict accordance to the specifications laid down by the manufacturer, all supervised and checked by Defence Force personnel. It was a challenging but fascinating job. “It has turned out to be quite a winwin, even now. One of the operators, Ian Spedding, has subsequently gained consistent work transporting helicopters around the country.” And now that Greg has eased back from full-on work, does he have a hobby to fill his time? He laughs: “As you might expect, it’s still to do with piloting. I’ve set up a 1998 Toyota Hilux as a pilot vehicle of the era when I started out, complete with all the lights and signs of the time, and authentic even down to a 20-year-old CB tuned to Channel 11. Other guys might have full-sized classic project trucks, but this is my toy. “I’ve entered it for the Bombay Truck Show, and I’ve heard that people on the show committee were wondering about the idiot who was putting in a Hilux, until it was explained to them. “But it has also been properly set up and complies with all the current requirements, so it. T&D

Truck & Driver | 65

FOR ALL YOUR TRUCK AND TRA LER TYRE NEEDS. AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR OF:

OFF-THE-ROAD

0800 4 CARTERS

enquiry@carterstyres.co.nz

carterstyres.co.nz

FEATURE

Graeme (Krafty) Kelly says his 62-tonne GCM 11-axle on-highway Super-B combination – put to work first on this 2011 unit for Taupo operator Bryan Smith – is probably his proudest creation

Story Wayne Munro T’S THE PERFECT NICKNAME FOR HIM – ONE that’s maybe even better known than the actual name his Mum and Dad gave Graeme Kelly 74 years ago. Krafty is, of course, an apt spinoff of the name of the trailer building and road transport engineering business he started in Rotorua 43 years ago: Kraft Engineering. But it’s also totally appropriate for the down-to-earth, hard-case fella who – despite having no formal engineering qualifications – has become renowned for his innovative, sometimes pioneering, trailer designs. Designs often born of a brainstorming session over a few beers. And created not on a fancy CAD-CAM computer programme, but in his brain…. With parts of the design tried out with cardboard cutouts…to see if they’d work. From now on though Krafty’s going to be putting his mind to other challenges – like how to improve his deer farm, up the hill from Ngongotaha, where the Kraft workshop’s located. Or, maybe,

where’s he’s going to catch some good fish. Because, at the start of last month, Krafty retired – with the completion of Kraft’s sale to Rotorua transport identities Colin King (the company’s GM in recent times) and James Worsnop. Graeme Kelly’s path to becoming the owner and driving force of one of the country’s best-known and most innovative logging trailermakers was nowhere near straightforward. Born in Paeroa, he was fascinated by trucks from a young age – but wasn’t involved with them directly: His father was a dairy company manager, so the young Kelly grew up around milktankers. For the last part of his schooling, the family was living at Tirau. But Graeme didn’t stay long at Putaruru High School: “I was a dropout… As they said, ‘you’re just wasting everyone’s time at school, so you may as well get out.’ ” So get out he did, well before he was 16. After that, he says, “I just mucked around on different jobs here and there.” He became a bit of a nomad, before ending up at Truscotts in Te Rapa, in 1964….building milktankers. Truck & Driver | 67

GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

Time is money. Specifically developed for the commercial vehicle sector, the advanced DELFLEET Evolution® paint system offers a complete range of high productivity solutions that are easy to use and achieve exceptional results. To boost throughput and get vehicles on the road faster, complete with outstanding durability, colour and gloss, Delfleet Evolution is perfect for the long-haul!

www.ppgrefinish.com.au @PPGANZRefinish

With this Maroa Logging Company Mack Titan combination, Kelly stretched the Krafty Loda foldup concept out to a three-trailer rig. It stretches out 48m, can run at 180t....perhaps more

Sure, he was a 17-year-old with no experience – but using his hands was something he’d shown an affinity for: “I remember one thing I’d always excelled in at school was either woodwork or metalwork. It was something that was interesting to me.” In the 12 or 15 months he was there, the teenager learnt to weld. And they taught him something else: “Work ethics – what the world’s short of today.” He recalls that “the work was alright” – but he was soon off again. This time to a bulk groundspreader driving job in Wellsford… that ended up being more engineering than driving – converting two-wheel-drive Fords into 4x4 bulk fert spreaders. He shifted to Rotorua to drive spreaders, but when he was laid off for the winter, Graeme instinctively returned to some engineering work – with Mills Engineering (later to become MillsTui). It was a job that saw him doing “basic, simple engineering – like whatever came along that they wanted done. “In those days you had a profile cutter – and you’d make all the templates up and everything – and I used to make those up. So it was only minor design back in those days.” During the late 1960s, he split his time between deer hunting, drove spreaders for a couple of years…and working intermittently on fabrication, welding and engineering design work for Mills-Tui and other engineering companies: “Yeah, just whatever was on.” He also bought some land and started a small deer farm, in 1974. Then, around 1978, he was asked to set up a new International S-Line logging truck for local contractor Robin Moore. It was his first engineering work on his own account – and it soon led to more – setting up other logtrucks. He was also doing “a whole lot of other work in those days too – heavy engineering work, tractor work, all sorts of things.” Graeme Kelly Engineering was born.

Initially he still did some professional deer hunting – “to subsidise the income…and keep myself reasonably fit.” But the workshop business picked up – and it didn’t take long before “I seemed to be working 24 hours a day, seven days a week….” When he had to shift to bigger premises, the move prompted a name-change – because there was slight confusion with an existing business in the same block. He chose Kraft – Swedish for “power” or “strength.” The 1980s saw the start of a great period of innovation for Kraft. Graeme says now that he had to be creative – even though, he concedes: “I hate to think of the time and money we spent developing our ideas in the early days. It very nearly broke us on several occasions. But we needed the ideas then to establish a position in the market. “I think the first highway trailer I did was in 1984 – a three-axle longs trailer for Warwick Wilshier. He’s still got it, down in his yard. “The ones that were already out there were big, helluva heavy trailers – and we went out with a lightweight sort of design. And they said, ‘oh they’ll last six months!’ Well, you know, 25 years later they were still cartin’ logs.” How come? “Ah, some of the stuff they’d brought in from overseas, you know, when they started out there (in Kaingaroa Forest), was overkill really for what they were carting.” To the extent that the Kraft trailer “would have been five or six ton lighter! That’s why everyone was saying ‘they’ll be thrown out the door….they’ll be wrecked.’ ” The same year, or soon after, he began building off-highway units, working out of Murupara: “They were based on taking 60ton – but that was only chickenshit at times!” He laughs when he says simply that they were sometimes, “way overloaded.” Papamoa-based Mike Lambert and his Maroa Logging business partner Graham Manson both became good, loyal Kraft clients Truck & Driver | 69

Above: Krafty Folda on this 1998 Merehini Transport Western Star off-highway unit starts the “transformer” process that will see the first trailer hauled up onto the truck Opposite page: Krafty says he’ll miss the business, but will turn his mind to how better to run his deer farm....and where to catch fish! early on – Lambert initially getting Krafty to do “bits and pieces” not on his loggers, but on tippers he had working on a reclamation at the Tauranga port. “I did a bit of work on the bodies when the rocks dropped through them or dropped on them and that.” From that beginning there were many, many Lambert and Maroa trailers built by Kraft. The first of Kelly’s Krafty Loda folding log trailers was built for Lambert – for an on-highway unit. Hydraulic rams folded the trailer up and onto the back of the truck for transport. Who designed them? Krafty did: “I can show you all the cardboard and everything that I used to work it all out. I’ve found all that since I’ve been cleaning up. “I just did it all with cardboard and mucked around with that. And looked at angles. Created cardboard templates – cut them all out, see what they were gonna do and everything. And what the answers were and what we needed to do for rams… “There was a lot of design in that too because all the bolsters had to fold down – all that had to come into it. And then all of that had to fit on the back of the truck, of course!” Nowadays, as he adds: “Oh yeah, the CAD boys can do it all a piece of piss!” When business demanded yet bigger premises in 1987, Kelly moved out to Ngongotaha. At the time, he felt they’d never fill the place up. Even within the next 15 years alone, the working space quadrupled. There was other work outside of logging – fixing gear, for instance, for another loyal client, Taranaki operator Graeme Sole, who had gear working on laying the gas pipeline from Kapuni, north to Auckland. But log trailers and truck bolsters probably accounted for something like 80% of Kraft’s work over the years: While he has “no idea” how many trailers Kraft has built in 43 years – his best guess is, “it’d be hundreds” – on any given year the logtruck work has accounted from anywhere between about 70% of its work….and 70 | Truck & Driver

100%. And lots of innovative stuff along the way: In 2002, when NZ Truck & Driver profiled Kraft Engineering, Krafty couldn’t help but grin when asked about a hot topic at that time – log trailers’ static roll threshold. He pointed out: “We built our first low-height trailer in 1991, using underslung air suspension. If you look into it closely, there’s not much around that’s completely new.” Quite a few of Graeme’s brainwaves seem to have been fuelled by a few beers (or similar). One, in 1992 – when considering a problem Mike Lambert had mentioned – had him “thinking to myself: ‘We have to get more cunning about carting both logs and sawn timber.’ ” He brainstormed the logdeck concept – employing fold-down bolsters that would fit into cut-outs on the deck, sitting flush with its surface and thus leaving it flat for carrying timber or logs. When upright, their cross-members would provide the 150-200mm upstand needed to give clearance for the grabs of log loaders. The patented design became a Kraft Trailers staple. Another one, also built originally for Lamberts, was a trailer to carry logs one way and bulk woodchip the other. Two big doors on one side of the bin open to give access for log loading. Then, when the chip’s being carried, the bolsters are folded down and a tarpaulin – rolled up in front of the leading bolster – is spread over the floor of the bin. A variation on the theme has the tarpaulin cut to fit 700mm up the sides and allow the cartage of bulk fertiliser. The log deck and convertible bin designs are both also patented in Australia, where two examples of the latter have been sold. Krafty says that the flow of ideas that have triggered his engineering creativity have come from in his head, from his staff… and from the industry: “Naturally, we’re always thinking up bits and pieces to improve our products – but just as often they come from our customers and their drivers. “Several of our major design improvements have been at Mike Lambert’s instigation, while drivers are continually coming up with

great ideas. They’ll say: ‘Why haven’t you done something like this?’ We’ll look at it and say to ourselves: ‘That’s a very good question – why haven’t we?’ ” Around 1992, he first applied the Krafty Loda foldup technology to off-highway units – initially for Maroa Logging. When NZ Truck & Driver started up, in 1999, our first Big Test featured a 600 horsepower CAT-engined Western Star 6900. The Kaingaroa off-highway unit had a three-axle Krafty Loda foldup trailer, ahead of a four-axle pup trailer. With a good load on, it went over the weighbridge at 100 tonnes. A couple of years later, when we tested a 600hp Maroa Mack Titan XHD, its Krafty Loda combination was a three-trailer setup, stretching 48 metres long and (the day we spent with it) running at 183t! That’s a 141t payload!

Krafty laughs when he reckons that at times units like this ran up to 230 or 240t! Unsurprisingly, he reports that the biggest challenge in speccing and building these behemoths was “stopping power….when you’ve got all that weight. But we worked all that out,” he adds reassuringly. By 2010, we were testing a Krafty Loda foldup quad-axle semi logger built for Taupo operator (and loyal customer) Bryan Smith. It had two rear steering axles and Smith loved the fact that the folder made things much safer for the driver…and there was the expectation the combo would soon be allowed to run at 50t all-up. A proud Kelly says: “A Krafty Loda B-train folder came in the other day and it was aaahhhh…27 years old. Come in to get a couple of little welds done on it.”

TD31427

ANY SHAPE, SIZE OR COLOUR WE REPAIR AND PAINT THEM ALL

onehungapanelpaint.co.nz Ph. 09 634 4333 Truck & Driver | 71

He’s happy with that – and the success of the Krafty Loda concept. It has been, in his judgment, “quite good.” Then he adds: “But I think the best thing we did – and is still good today even – was the Super-B.” The first of these Krafty creations went on the road for Bryan Smith in 2011 – an HPMV B-train that stretched almost 24 metres, comprising an 8x4 Western Star Constellation 4864FX, a four-axle lead trailer and a three-axle second trailer. It was good for a 40t payload and a 62t maximum GCM. Kraft built another Super-B – a container unit – for Evans Transport in Ashburton and delivered two curtainsider Super-Bs for Emmerson Transport. These two Kenworth T408-powered units have been doubleshifted on a 21km shuttle run from Pan Pac Forest

Products’ Whirinaki mill to the Port of Napier. They possibly couldn’t come much more “high-productivity” than this: The two Super-Bs cart palleted bales of wood pulp and, after five years, ETL and Pan Pac reckoned that they had reduced daily trips and kilometres travelled by 33%, compared to the standard units they replaced. They also cut labour input by 27%, cut capital cost by 12%, achieved a 9% reduction in fuel use and saved 4% in RUCs. So, understandably, Krafty is still frustrated and pretty damn vocal that, after “I had another eight sold….NZTA put a hold on them.” There was talk that the design was potentially dangerous – a claim that Krafty reckons “was all a load of shit – and we’ve proved

Hiring Hiring now! now! APL Direct maintains a fleet of purpose built APL Direct maintains a fleet of purpose built APL Direct maintains a fleet of purpose built trucks equipped for handling APL Window trucks equipped for handling APL Window trucks equipped for handling APL Window Solutions extrusions and AGP double glazed Solutions extrusions and AGP double glazed Solutions extrusions and AGP double glazed units ensuring they reach our customer base units ensuring they reach our customer base units ensuring they reach our customer base on time and in excellent condition. on time and in excellent condition. on time and in excellent condition. We have multiple opportunities We have multiple opportunities We have multiple opportunities across our operation: across our operation: across our operation:  Trainee Truck Drivers  Trainee Trainee Truck Truck Drivers Drivers Class 4 Drivers  Class 4 Drivers 4 Drivers  Class Class 5 Drivers (Inter Island) Class  Class 55 Drivers Drivers (Inter (Inter Island) Island)

Apply Apply now Apply now now

jobs@aplnz.co.nz or 0800 275 695 jobs@aplnz.co.nz jobs@aplnz.co.nz or or 0800 0800 275 275 695 695

Half page ad for P&P NZ Trucking Mag URGENT.indd 1 Half page ad for P&P NZ Trucking Mag URGENT.indd 1 Half page ad for P&P NZ Trucking Mag URGENT.indd 1

17/09/21 1:33 PM 17/09/21 1:33 PM 17/09/21 1:33 PM

Left: Two Kraft Super-Bs have been working for nine years, doubleshifted on a shuttle run from the Pan Pac mill at Whirinaki to the Port of Napier Right: Mike Lambert was one of Kraft’s most loyal customers for many years. This is one of many Lambert Krafty Loda units

that: That thing of Bryan Smith’s has done 1.3m, 1.4m Ks, without a problem. None of them have had a problem.” Ask Graeme about other innovations he’s proud of and he reckons “we could go on for f***ing weeks! “I remember a great friend of mine, Neil Peterken – when he got out of it (the industry) – he told me: ‘Whatever you do, just stick to your knitting – don’t do any design work and everything like I did.’ “So I was a f***ing fool – and did exactly what he said not to do!” Nineteen years ago, when NZ Truck & Driver profiled Kraft Engineering, Krafty reckoned he was working towards semiretirement – hiring a general manager so he could spend more time on the farm. And satisfied that, finally, he’d achieved his longtime

goal of a kitset assembly concept. Now, eventually, his retirement plan has been fulfilled. His words then, as he looked back over the years running Kraft Engineering, hold true today: “I think we’ve achieved a bit. I’m happy that we’ve now got the production systems I’ve always dreamed about up and running. “Yet there were times when it didn’t look as if we’d get this far: The aftermath of the Asian Crisis was especially tough and we were close to folding. But that’s when our biggest customer said, ‘hang in there – you can make it.’ “And when you look at it, that sort of loyalty and support is what really counts. It’s a great industry – made even greater by the characters you meet in it.” T&D

Authorised ZF Service Partner Authorised BOSCH Common Rail Repairer TURBO CHARGERS

FUEL PUMP & INJECTOR

REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT

REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT – ALL BRANDS

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ECOMAT 1-4, ECOLIFE Fitted in truck & bus applications

ALL MAKES AND SIZES

ECOSPLIT, ECOMID, ECOLITE, AS-TRONIC DIESEL SERVICES AUCKLAND

09 525 0830 www.dieselservices.co.nz

DEISEL SERVICES CHRISTCHURCH

03 348 8825 www.dsldiesel.co.nz

TD31357

DPF & CAT CLEANING

MANUAL & AUTO-SHIFT TRANSMISSIONS

Truck & Driver | 73

1:33 PM 1:33 PM 1:33 PM

Customer benefits of the new ROR SL9 • LIGHT TARE WEIGHT • SIMPLE TO REPAIR • HIGH STABILITY (compare the SRT with other brands) • POSITIVE CAMBERED AXLES SIGNIFICANTLY • TRAILER TRACKS LIKE ITS ON RAILS REDUCE INSIDE TYRE WEAR • PROVEN STRENGTH (copy of CS9 ) • SUPPORTED BY NZ OWNED • LOW PARTS COSTS FAMILY COMPANY (30 YEARS ) 5 AXLE TIPPER TRAILER, Manufactured by Transfleet Trailers for Shea Transport Ltd, ROR SL9 air suspension axle’s with 19.5” disc brakes, to suit

dual 19.5” alloy wheels and fitted with service free Timken cartridge bearings, HYVA hoist and Alex A shine alloy wheels. All supplied by T.A.T.E.S (NZ) LTD

Also fitted with PSI tyre inflation system on all axles

TD32071 TD27300

NZ DISTRIBUTORS

It’s political... WHAT THE POLITICIANS THINK ABOUT TRUCKING THE NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING INDUSTRY FACES many challenges – many of them influenced by Government policy. Think about driver shortages – exacerbated by immigration restrictions that keep one potential source closed. How about the looming operational challenges posed by emissions reduction demands. Or the deterioration of the nation’s roading network…. while more RUCs are diverted to rail. Not to mention the effects of the way rules are imposed without consultation during COVID-19 lockdowns. So who among our political parties offers any salvation from these situations? Does the Labour Government have any grasp of what working with the

transport industry might achieve? Would National be any better? And the ACT Party: Does it understand how important our industry is in powering the economy? How about if the Green Party was to exert its influence? Or Te Paati Maori, for that matter? To have some insight into all of this, NZ Truck & Driver has offered each of the major political parties the opportunity to voice their views on issues impacting the road transport industry.... The offer was also extended to NZ First – as it continues to register in opinion polls, although it is currently outside Parliament. The comments from those who respond each month will be published in It’s political. T&D

Government shows its bias…. at the cost of highways By David Bennett, National Party spokesperson for Transport, Horticulture and Biosecurity

HE RECENTLY-ANNOUNCED Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) illustrates a huge bias towards walking, cycling and public transport, rather than investing in the state highway network. Every transport plan involves a degree of cross-subsidisation of public transport, as the costs are immense and the returns from usage never meet these costs. It’s a matter of getting the balance of investment right. The recent announcements in the GPS have not even tried to get a balance. They are firmly directed at the option of public transport and at the expense of roads. The idea of investment in the state highway infrastructure of New Zealand is to be discouraged under this Government. In contrast, walking and cycling are seen as the future and where the discretionary investment has been focused. This contrasts with the reality of commerce and NZers’ lifestyles. It’s a perfect plan if you live in the leaf y suburbs of Northcote and think all you need is to cycle to the central city. Or if you live in the Hutt Valley and live, work and play in central Wellington. It’s

a plan for the urban elite; it’s not a plan for an industrial or provincial country. NZ is a young country, and our infrastructure reflects this development. We are also a relatively well-spread-out country, with many middle-sized urban and rural communities. We also rely heavily on primary production exports that come from all parts of the country. A land transport plan based on walking, cycling and public transport doesn’t reflect the nature of our country or how many people do business in NZ. The plan also has unrealistic visions of rapid transit plans for Auckland and Wellington. Projects that won’t be economically justifiable for generations, and even if this Government wanted to build them, they wouldn’t be able to get them off the ground. Some of the key parts of their plan include: • Many regions are effectively ignored; it’s a city-centric approach. For example, the Waikato and Canterbury make up nearly a quarter of the population, but only get about an eighth of the budget. • The hyped-up maintenance spend that is the centrepiece of the plan is a

20% increase. That sounds good, but when the increased costs of doing that maintenance and the fact that another

Truck & Driver | 75

It’s political... Saliva testing better than toothbrush up your nose By David Seymour, ACT leader

WORKER TOLD ME THE OTHER day he was offered a job out of Auckland, but said no. Then he found out there was no nasal test. Saliva testing would be used when he left and returned to the city. He changed his mind and took the job: “I just didn’t want to go through having a toothbrush shoved up my nose,” he said. Fair enough too. Professional drivers know the value of new technology. I’m a ‘recovering’ electrical engineer, so I get it too. That’s why I’ve been promoting saliva testing since last summer. Saliva testing could be a gamechanger. But, get ready for this, the Government has been slow rolling it out. So much for Jacinda’s promises: They seem to hate the idea of new technology. For those people who keep this country

moving and require regular testing, the testing needs to be painless and simple. Whether it’s the medical professionals in hospitals or truck drivers who are delivering the supplies, we need to know why are they not making this as simple as possible? I recently asked COVID response Minister Chris Hipkins how many saliva tests were being carried out every day. The answer was 3500. I know of one company that has the capacity to do 10,000 a day. It’s beyond belief we wouldn’t be saving people’s nasal cavities and let them spit into a tube instead. ACT has recently released our COVID 3.0 plan. It’s the third we’ve done – we’re changing with the situation. But in all three COVID plans we have released, one thing has remained a constant: Fast tech uptake. Rather than waiting until a technology has been so thoroughly road-tested around

the world as to have lost all traction, it should seek to be a leading adopter of new technology. We’ve always been world-beaters in New Zealand: First to give women the vote, first one up Mt Everest…. But this Government doesn’t like to be first. I say we need to be more ambitious. It’s time to stop sitting on our hands and waiting to see what happens. For the sake of your nasal cavities and for the sake of a faster, safer and more effective COVID response, I will keep fighting to make saliva testing more readily available. Finally, thankyou for all that you do. If we relied on Jacinda Ardern to deliver, nothing would ever get through. T&D

Government shows its bias...at the cost of highways continued from page 75 2300 kilometres of extra roads are now included in that category, it will likely end up as less per km than currently allocated, in real terms. • They want to impose speed restrictions on 16,500kms of roads, showing it’s all about limiting the use of roads. • Nearly a billion dollars on walking and cycling. • Some key public transport projects like the Eastern Busway are included, but still to be confirmed – and others like the flagship Auckland Light Rail project are merely at the design phase. • There is a $2bn loan from the Government to make it all balance. • There will be a track user charge on rail. This is not a transport plan for the future. It doesn’t consider more environmentally-friendly vehicles and doesn’t invest in the vital state highway network. It’s like putting a Boeing on a regional route and a turboprop plane on a main city route. It’s all ideology and will mean we all pay in higher costs and less efficiency as we are stuck with an outdated roading network. T&D 76 | Truck & Driver

David Bennett

TH IN JU

96-9 PO PHO

*TR EM

It’s political...

ACT leader David Seymour enjoying a different kind of transport – ready for a high-speed racetrack ride with young motor racing star Liam Lawson

THE ALL NEW

THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS JUST GOT BETTER

*TRP assist 0508 22 55 77 EMAIL: info@spt.co.nz

www.spt.co.nz

NORTHLAND Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 AUCKLAND Steve Willcocks 027 525 0015 Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 WAIKATO Adam McIntosh Tim Finlay

027 603 1023 021 452 805

BAY OF PLENTY - GISBORNE Tim Finlay 021 452 805

TARANAKI Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 HAWKE’S BAY – MANAWATU – WANGANUI – WELLINGTON Mark O’Hara 027 2466 954 SOUTH ISLAND Mike Gillespie 027 4322 491 Chris Gray 027 2816 840 Steve Herring 021 377 661

FIND OUT MORE

WWW.SPT.CO.NZ

TD31843

96-98 Wiri Station Road PO Box 76463 Manukau City, Auckland, NZ PHONE (09) 262 3181 FAX (09) 278 5643

It’s political... Investment in public transport, walking, cycling is not enough

Julie Ann Genter

HE GREEN PARTY WELCOMES THE $6billion being invested in public transport, walking and cycling through the National Land Transport Programme – as announced by the Minister of Transport recently. However, it says, it is “nowhere near enough.” Greens spokesperson for transport Julie Ann Genter says: “It is great to see a greater emphasis on road maintenance and safety. It would be great to see transformational investment in public transport, walking and cycling. “However, this budget doesn’t do that. Public transport services get almost no increase in funding relative to previous years. “We are fast running out of time to address the climate emergency, and right now we must be focused on investing in low-carbon transport options. Too much money is still going on expensive urban fringe motorways that will incentivise more car travel, increasing congestion and carbon emissions. “These expensive motorways are becoming more expensive now, with the 78 | Truck & Driver

inflation of construction costs eating up a lot of the increased funding. “The Government says they are spending 75% more than the previous National government on transport, but it is not clear we are getting more for the spend. Many of the most costly road projects have doubled in price from a few years ago. “Reprioritising investment into more affordable public transport fares would help people sooner, without inflating the cost of infrastructure delivery, so we will continue to push our Government partner on this. “Sustainable transport options are only 25% of the budget – if we are going to give people practical, climate-friendly options for getting around, the investment needs to be the majority of new spending. “We need to go further and faster on climate action.” Genter adds: “Investing in options for passenger transport is by far the best way

to free up our existing roads for freight. The majority of congestion is caused by single-occupant commuters and people dropping their kids at school. “New urban motorways do nothing to improve public transport or safe walking and cycling to schools. Indeed, they are likely to generate more car trips, which is worse for tradies and truck drivers. “Urban motorways are far costlier than rural and regional roads, which desperately need upgrades and maintenance because they carry so many of our exports. “When we say we want less money spent on roads, we are talking about the most expensive urban roads that make congestion worse, and where investment in public transport could make a difference. “There could and should be increases to funding for those areas where there is no alternative to roads and there are much higher volumes of heavy vehicles. “We also see opportunities for integrating rail, roads and coastal shipping to offer more convenient low-carbon alternatives to freight that will also take pressure off our highways.” T&D

THE NEW HINO 700 SERIES

STRENGTH WHERE IT COUNTS Leading edge truck design meets world-class quality and reliability. Underwritten by Toyota, the world’s most successful car manufacturer, the new Hino 700 Series is strong across the board with advanced features that actively support safety, driveability, and performance.

TALK TO OUR TEAM TO SECURE YOURS 0800 367 446 | HINO.CO.NZ/HEAVY-DUTY

Weighing Equipment Proven Weigh Systems In NZ For Over 20 Years With: • Dedicated Personnel For Technical Support • Full Back-Up Parts Inventory

• Technical Support & Suppliers Of An Extensive Parts Range For Most Brands • Weigh Systems For Most Applications

Musson Logistics Ltd – Manufactured by Mills-Tui

Self Loader Logging – Manufactured by Patchell Group

McLellan Freight Ltd – Manufactured by MD Engineeringp

NZ Bulk Ltd – Manufactured by Mills-Tui

Weighing Equipment Is Our Business!! North Island

150 View Road, Rotorua, New Zealand • Ph: 07 349 4700 • Fax: 07 349 4800

South Island

www.silodec.co.nz

TD31986

Sales and Service - Contact Mike Long 021 651 965

FEATURE

It may be an old-school Scania 143m, but the Pari Transport tipper has an entirely space-age, pioneering carbon composite bin

r e e n o i Piopio p ve Story Colin Smith & Da

TD31986

F ROCKET LAB CAN LAUNCH SATELLITES INTO ORBIT from remote Mahia Peninsula, there’s nothing to stop a workshop in rural King Country from being a pioneer in hightech and lightweight bulk tipper technology. Or maybe that should read as a Piopio-neer, because Transport Composites makes its home in the small town that sits on State Highway 3. Company owner Mathieu (Max) Laver has spent more than three years bringing together his boatbuilding skills, a dash of backyard engineering and careful study of resin infusion and curing science….to the development of a carbon composite tipping bin. For modern high-performance cars and motorcycles, aerospace and marine use and also professional sports equipment, the application of carbon composite technology offers both weight and strength advantages. And Laver believes that there’s no reason why the transport

McLeod

industry shouldn’t also benefit from the same ‘lighter than aluminium, but stronger than steel’ potential the new materials offer. And, even more importantly, their ‘lower tare and higher profit’ possibilities. Laver, born in the United Kingdom and brought up in Canada, initially set up in Piopio (where his wife Rachael grew up) as a boatbuilder. The inland King Country town might seem an odd choice of location for a marine venture, particularly as Max and his family had been living in coastal Tauranga. It didn’t take long for him to be hauled into the mainstream of Kiwi rural life: When the locals learnt there were fibreglassing skills in the neighbourhood his boatbuilding was soon supplemented by repair work on stock trucks and tractors. Max says a lot of the stock crates were made from glass on ply and in many cases the ply turned out to be rotten: “So I had an idea to make the same sort of crate – but out of (fibre) glass, on Truck & Driver | 81

IF YOU WANT TO GO PLACES. WE’RE HIRING TECHNICIANS. https://careers.scania.co.nz/

scania.co.nz

MADE FOR NEW ZEALAND

Above, left: The bin fitted to the Pari Transport truck has been subjected to rugged loads – much tougher than it was originally built for – but is still in good shape Above, right: Max Laver with one of the 12 bins he’s built so far in developing the carbon fibre tech for tipper applications

a high-density core foam. “That way, when cutting breathing holes and attaching fasteners to the interior, it wouldn’t rot, but would have the same strength.” While Max was doing this research and development, Marin Vujcich from Waikato heavy vehicle specialist engineers, TSV Consultants, got wind of what he was doing and passed the ‘lead’ on to Ken Jones, the owner of Cambridge Welding Services. Says Max: “Ken approached me and said ‘I want you to build some composite tipper bins for me. I want them to withstand high temperatures for tar and bitumen. I want them to be incredibly low weight and incredibly cheap.’ ” Max recalls that he replied: “Those three things you’re asking me for are not possible. I can work with the weight – but 180deg C in a plastic bin!” Nevertheless, he accepted the challenge and built a massive 12 metre-long plug and mold. Then he set out on a mission to figure out the different recipes of resins and carbon fibre cloth to make a 6m truck bin. “We were using really high-end products, with vinyl ester resins that had an HDT (heat distortion temperature) level of 180 deg C, which is unheard of. We found the resins in the (United) States – and they worked.” The bins are produced using a vacuum and resin infusion process and the end result is a 6m bin that measures 2.3m wide inside (2.50m outside) and is 1.2m high. It weighs about 500kg. The idea of building carbon composite bins for bitumen work still remains on Max’s radar, but meantime his attention has turned to finding out if the bin will tip successfully. To date 12 bins have been completed, Max proving and refining the process with each one. Local transport operator Steve Pari has put No. 12 to work – and says it’s proven itself in a mix of rural duties. “I’ve put in 13 tonnes of rubble and taken it up farm roads. It’s

gone great – good as gold. So it was outperforming – way more than we thought.” Max says the ideal loads for the composite bins are the likes of palm kernel, fertiliser, coal and roading metal. At the current bin’s dimensions he’s talking about a 12t payload, but sees potential for up to 20t loads. While the construction of the tipper bin is carbon composite, there’s also strengthened steel used in the framing around the tailgate: “The reason we do that is because the tailgate swings and hinges. It has to be user-friendly and easily repairable.” He says it took a lot of research and development to come up with the combination of weaves to gain the balance of strength, rigidity, flexibility and weight. And it’s not only the recipe that’s a challenge, but also the size of the finished product. “Resin infusion at this scale is not for the faint-hearted,’’ says Max. “You only get one chance to get it right, or the manufacturing process fails and you have to start again. However, given that all goes according to plan, with a consistent resin to cloth saturation, you can create the best possible strength-to-weight ratio. “The aviation and marine industries have been using this method of producing composite structures for some time.” The key parts of the process include arranging dry composite cloth material into the mold and then pumping the resin around and through the cloth, inside a vacuum bag. “You put it into its own little atmosphere, suck all the air out so the product is starved of air, and you have all these other ports and tubes that you put into the resin. As you open up these tubes it sucks in the resin and you get a perfect spread and ratio of resin to cloth, which is key.” He says that’s how you get “really high strength and really low weight, because you’re taking out a massive amount of resin.” Sounds too good to be true perhaps? Truck & Driver | 83

Top, both pictures: To create the bins inside the mold, Max uses a vacuum and resin infusion process, whereby fibreglass cloth is placed inside the mold dry...and then the resin is pumped around and through the cloth inside a vacuum bag Left: A core carbon fibre bin

R P Well, when you consider some of the other uses for carbon composite technology the scepticism starts to subside. Says Max: “This material and this technology is used to race across oceans (for yachts) and it goes into outer space with rocket components. It’s also being picked up by the mining industry in Australia. “The Boeing 787 aircraft is 80% composite by volume – and Transport Composites builds tipper bins the same way.” And it’s not just a product that delivers a weight benefit. It’s proving durable as well: Max says the first bin he built is now three years old and has been outdoors the entire time without protective paint or covering. “Time has proven it is extremely UV and water resistant, because of the high-quality resins used in manufacture. It can of course be painted. Again, think marine technology,” he says. The bin in use by Pari Transport that’s been carting rock and rubble over farm tracks was not originally intended for that purpose…but has stood up to the test. Says Max: “This bin was intended to have a roller automat installed and therefore the floor thickness was designed to carry less weight – as the mat would spread a lot of the forces. However, we put it to work and it has suffered no fatigue or damage.” Producing a lightweight bin out of the mold is one challenge. It’s a whole next-level achievement to have it also tip. Max: “As you lift your tipper body ram there has to be a certain amount of flex across the length of the bin, otherwise things will 84 | Truck & Driver

crack and break. “So as the ram lifted, the middle of the bin was about 20mm before its middle picked up – and that’s as far as it bends. We were testing that to see how it worked and we just glued and bolted on these runners onto the unit. “All we were looking to see was would it lift….would it be able to lift the tonnage? It did. And even though the runners were glued on after, it’s as good today as the day we tested it.” But Max says that he’s now thinking that for ‘phase two’ he’ll stiffen it up a bit and make a few changes, because he’s certain he can get the bins up to 20t easily – and still keep the tare weight really low. “There’s a change I want to make. Those main runners underneath are bolted and glued-on and I want to change the mold so that they become integral to the bin. So, as you lift the bin out of the mold the runners’ shape is already there. That will increase the strength.” While the bin must be strong it’s also important that it’s not completely rigid, he explains: “The bin needs to flex with the truck chassis, especially when it’s moving over rough ground. “Now that we know it will tip as is, we can beef it up some more to build in extra assurance for strength and longevity. This will be achieved by adding thickness to the floor and headboard, as well as some modifications to the main runners. “We will also coat the interior with gelcoat that makes it very slippery and protects the cloth fibres.” By applying these ideas Max says he can build an even better

•

ISUZU FSR650 COMPACTOR BODIES CAN BE SUPPLIED IN 4M3 TO 12.2M3

6-SPEED OR ALLISON AUTO

RECYCLE PACKER • Specially designed for recyclable waste • 2, 3 or 4 compartment body for separated collection • Rear loading, rear discharge (tip out) • Low emission thanks to idle speed operation • Flat-side design, suited for ads

Authorised distributor of

Ian Renner 027 678 1714 ian@robertsonisuzu.co.nz Phone: (06) 355 5062 | 56 Railway Road, Palmerston North | www.robertsonisuzu.co.nz

TD31732

Two Compartment Recycle Compactor suitable for Plastics, Paper, Cardboard and Cans

FORGING A NEW ROAD With new owners, a fresh approach but same principles of quality, design and innovation that have built Krafts reputation in trailer manufacturing remain.

TD31987

5 Wikaraka Street, Ngongotaha, Rotorua, NZ Phone +64 7 357 4597 Email: colin@kraftgroup.co.nz

Clockwise, from top left: One of the carbon fibre bins, fitted with its essential hardware..... Max Laver is now looking for backing to put the composite bins into production.... The mold for the bins arriving at Transport Composites in Piopio at the start of the R&D project

bin next time around: “I anticipate that there will be a need to improve on a few aspects to get it just right, but this is true of most first-generation products.” Of course, there’s some separation between a clever idea….and achieving viable production in any volume. So, what comes next? It’s fair to say this project has reached the end of phase one. Max believes he has developed a tipper product that can match the initial cost of an equivalent-size alloy tipper, provide a more durable product for a broad range of loads and give operators the advantages of a lighter product. “A few years ago, this was rocket science – but rocket science is getting cheaper and more accessible. “I’m sure people had many of the same questions about aluminium when it was first being used. And I guess there’s a resistance because transport operators know aluminium and, in many cases, they have a fairly big investment in repairing their aluminium gear. “But I’d put my design up against an aluminium tipper any day of the week. And why tow around an extra 1000kg of tare weight if you don’t need too?” At this point Max has developed the concept about as far as

his own resources will allow: “Things have been a bit quiet on it in the past year. From here there’s a need for financial input and/ or a partner to come onboard,’’ he says. “As far as I am aware, this is a first in New Zealand and I believe it can lead to becoming an export product. It also has exciting possibilities that can transfer to other transport sectors, such as rail cartage and shipping containers – as well as trucks of course. Max adds: “What’s next? Well, that is the million-dollar question! We have pumped a lot of money into getting this far, but it needs some backing to get across the line. An investor or partner who can put some trucks on the road and help us lead the way forward in the transport industry. “If it’s not us, it will be a foreign company that cracks the market and we’ll end up importing technology rather than showing off NZ’s ‘can-do’ power,” says Max. “Ultimately, we need to set up a factory that can pump out considerable unit numbers, while we continue to improve, innovate and diversify. But in the meantime, we must get some more trucks out there and move some loads to showcase the product.” T&D Truck & Driver | 87

National Road Carriers

STAND UP AND DELIVER

OPERATION DROOL By James Smith, COO of National Road Carriers Association

S I WRITE THIS – WITH AUCKLAND ABOUT TO JOIN THE REST of New Zealand at something like Level 2 – we are gearing up for what our next version of “normal” will look like. Masks look to now be an essential item of apparel and one is likely to attract less wrath by leaving the house without pants than leaving without your mask. Our collective ability to adapt and carry on was highlighted when the border around Auckland was put in place in September, with the added complication of evidence of a COVID test being required before anyone could leave. Auckland was from that point like Hotel California – once you were in you could not leave (unless you had the boxes ticked). The policy was announced in a Sunday afternoon (September 5) news release, with no industry consultation and caught everyone by surprise – including the various agencies required to implement the policy. That Sunday night saw a flurry of emails, Facebook posts and texts all with various versions of: “What the truck did he just say?” 88 | Truck & Driver

James Smith

But we made it work – and and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped resolve what looked like a policy that would stop the supply chain, as there seemed to be no way to comply with the requirements. To stand a system up from scratch in under a week and then for it to work seven days later with very few issues just highlighted what can be done by collaborative and pragmatic individuals who are focused on getting the best outcome possible, without wasting time on arguing the need. The Ministry of Transport co-ordinated daily meetings via Microsoft Teams to work through what was required. Several of the meetings had well over 100 operators attending. Two also involved Ministers Michael Wood and David Clark, who heard directly from operators what the real-world barriers were to compliance. The Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment engaged with the various Auckland business groups impacted by the border closure (EMA, Chamber of Commerce, Heart of the City) and the Auckland-based agency representatives from both local and central

The Government's surprise announcement that truck drivers crossing the Auckland Level 4 border would need to prove they'd had a recent COVID test – with absolutely no system in place to enable that – brought a hearteningly unifed response to get the job done....in a huge hurry. In less than a week, many parties – including NRC, Police, central and local government agencies, the Asia Pacific Healthcare Group and a number of key individual companies – proved what can be achieved by "collaborative and pragmatic individuals who are focused on getting the best outcome possible, without wasting time on arguing the need."

government. This group met three times a week and issues were fed directly to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet so they could be resolved. The Ministry of Health attended all these meetings and listened. They quickly adjusted the requirement for putting a seven-day buffer in place, to enable a system to be stood up and deployed. They also acknowledged saliva testing was required and that our industry required 24/7 access to testing. Without the pragmatic and open lines of communication with Police we would have had a disaster. Over 250,000 vehicles crossed the border with very few issues. What issues we did encounter were resolved very quickly, with minimal disruption. All those I met at the border were doing their best in fairly tough conditions – wet, cold and windy. Waka Kotahi Journey managers helped set up the borders in locations that had enough room for a freight lane. The team at Asia Pacific Healthcare Group (APHG) on Friday September 10 – with only a few hours’ warning – had designed a system to enable border workers to be saliva tested, and rolled it out to our industry. Our team at National Road Carriers loaded up the cars with kits and delivered them directly to members – sometimes well after the sun had set – so that they could keep the freight moving. We communicated over a variety of media to ensure members knew what to do and when. Thanks to NRC members who read the emails or Facebook posts and then just got on with getting systems in place so when the border went hard at midnight on Thursday September 16, the freight still flowed across. To those who spoke up at the Teams meeting with the Ministers, that helped a lot. A special thanks to Jimmy Ormsby from Waitomo Petroleum, who

opened his sites up to APHG to locate their mobile saliva sites at Bombay and Te Hana. These two sites were vital for that first week and without them many operators would not have had access to dropoff facilities. Also, thanks to the team at Mobil Mercer who stepped up to provide 24/7 pickup and dropoff for saliva kits. Within 12 hours from when I knocked on their door with Ministry of Health and APHG, that site was fully operational. Vernon Contracting in Drury provided a safe location for the APHG camper when we had to move it quickly following threats to the safety of the staff from angry, misinformed members of the public trying to leave Auckland. They also allowed a collection bin to be attached to their sign to enable 24/7 dropoff. Gas Te Hana provided their site to locate a 24/7 pickup and collection site for saliva kits that kept freight flowing north. Finally, thanks to the Minister of Finance for dropping the “Policy on the Hoof ” announcement. Without that I would never have had the opportunity to identify all those people capable of turning a cluster into a smooth operation – cutting through red tape like a hot knife through butter. I would not have had the opportunity to see our team in action responding to a crisis and we would not have had the opportunity to demonstrate what a fantastic industry we work in – that just gets it done, no matter how hard the challenge. I’m looking forward to the same degree of urgency on fixing the state of our roads and fixing the skill shortage our industry faces. As always, if you want more information on how to get closer to the action, contact any member of the NRC team 0800 686 777 or enquiries@natroad.co.nz As this challenge demonstrated, they are very capable. T&D Truck & Driver | 89

Road Transport Association NZ

Alignment of RTANZ and Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ is happening... and there is more to come Simon Carson

By Simon Carson, Road Transport Association of New Zealand chief operating officer

HE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT RELATING TO THE REBRANDING of the Road Transport Forum to Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand was met with various comments from a mixed audience – most showing a shocking racial slur and largely misinformed view of the rebrand that had taken place. Social media can be a valuable tool to get messages out quickly to the wider audience, but it can also give individuals licence to be hurtful….which we saw in spades over a two-week period in late September. Road Transport staff received hundreds of comments that were not just inappropriate and misguided, but also incorrect. It was not RTANZ that had rebranded, but still people seemed to think it was okay to take out their anger and frustration on us – during what was already a challenging time, as most of the country dealt with the lasting effects of the latest of lockdown. RTANZ is committed to supporting the rebrand, as it illustrates the first part of the organisation’s process of better aligning and advocating for the sector. RTANZ is also committed to nil tolerance of any racist commentary and the undermining of any culture that we share our country with. In March 2020, shortly after the Christchurch terrorist attacks, our nation became united – with cultural messages that we saw everywhere we went: “We are one….Kia Kaha, stay strong NZ.” But there’s a faction of our society that have very short memories. In 2020, RTANZ circulated a survey to every member of the association – its purpose, to gauge the performance of the association as well as the Road Transport Forum. The information that we sought and received back will make interesting reading to most.

“Seventy percent of members felt their connection to RTF was not strong enough and wanted to see improvement. Ninetyfour percent of members wanted RTANZ and RTF to work closer together under a single voice, and 85% supported in principle a proposal for RTF to manage RTANZ to lift the performance of both organisations.” The rebranding of RTF to Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ was the first part of this process, and the change was driven by members of the association reinforcing to us what it was they had been asking for over a period of time: Alignment of RTANZ and Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ is happening, and there is more to come. Testing people crossing between lockdown borders continues and the statistics indicate the compliance rate had risen to around 90% on September 19 – up from 85% on the first day of compliance checking, only two days prior. A shoutout to industry, recognising your efforts to do the right thing – keeping drivers checked twice a week, using the supplied saliva kit. RTANZ received around 1500 kits the same day as they became available and most of these were distributed to members inside the first 24 hours. A quick note of thanks needs to go to Asia Pacific Health Group, its people and its labs across NZ for giving RTANZ priority access to test kits. We understand there is still a level of sensitivity from some relating to COVID-19. RTANZ staff continue to service the membership and offer to meet, mostly via Zoom until it is safe for face-to-face meetings to resume once again, under the freedom we anxiously await. It is pleasing for me to inform members that all RTANZ staff have been vaccinated – for our own safety as well as the safety of others. T&D Truck & Driver | 91

Caltex Oil Shop Network K & L KDistributors & LKDistributors & L Distributors BOP Ltd BOP BOP Ltd Ltd

Auckland Auckland Oil Auckland Shop Oil Shop Oil Shop

Eastland Oil and Engineering Supplies is a locally owned and operated company and is proud to be the Caltex Distributor for the East Coast and Hawkes Bay region from Opotiki – Central Hawkes Bay. We pride ourselves in exceeding our customers expectations in terms of delivering product and service to our business partners. Give us a call to discuss quality Caltex Lubricants to suit your requirements.

EAST EAST COAST EAST COAST COAST Eastland Eastland OilEastland & Oil & Oil & Engineering Engineering Engineering Supplies Supplies Supplies 06-868 06-868 6626 06-868 66266626 HAWKES HAWKES BAY HAWKES BAY BAY Eastland Eastland OilEastland & Oil &Oil & Engineering Engineering Engineering Supplies Supplies Supplies 06-870 06-870 6177 06-870 61776177

Westland Westland Engineering Westland Engineering Engineering Supplies Supplies Supplies 03-768 03-768 5720 03-768 57205720

Eastland Oil and Engineering Supplies Ltd 61 Parkinson Street Gisborne Ph 06 868 6626 office@eoes.co.nz Dean Moore 027 476 8895 Graham Brown 027 2036 876

For your nearest Oil Shop Freephone 0800 372 374

TD32060

Eastland Oil & Engineering Supplies Ltd Unit 3. 129 Maraekakaho Road Hastings Ph 06 870 6177 officehb@eoes.co.nz Jason Cavaney 027 248 0389

BOP Ltd Ltd

MOVe (NZL) now has two Dual Clutch I-Shift Volvo FH 540s working on its fleet. Operating New Zealand-wide out of Hamilton, this 8x4 rigid is equipped with Volvo diffs and air suspension. Among the extras are a fridge and the OCSAFE+ driver safety package. The truck has a Domett flatdeck and a matching five-axle trailer.

K & L Distributors BOP Ltd

Auckland Oil Shop

COAST ASTEAST COAST COAST dastland OilEastland & Oil & Oil & upplies gineering ring Supplies Supplies 86-868 6626 06-868 66266626

EAST COAST Eastland Oil & Engineering Supplies 06-868 6626

WKES BAY BAY tland Oil &Oil & pplies g Supplies 6177 870 6177

HAWKES BAY Eastland Oil & Engineering Supplies 06-870 6177

Westland Engineering Supplies 03-768 5720

TD32060

As expected... HE LIFTING OF THE NATIONWIDE COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown saw a rebound in new truck registrations in September…as expected. From August’s lowly 283 registrations, September’s sales in the overall truck market (over 4.5 tonnes GVM) jumped 67.8% – to 475 – according to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency statistics. It was also a 25.6% increase on September last year (when there were just 378 registrations) – but was still down on the last “normal” (ie pre-COVIDeffected) year, in 2019, when there were 514 registrations in the same month. Also putting things into perspective were the year-to-date truck registrations to the end of September – totalling 3559, compared to the 4086 tally at the same point in 2019. The trailer market’s YTD total stood at 1076 – similarly, ahead of last year’s September YTD result of 928 registrations…but down on 2018’s alltime best 1312. In the overall truck market (4.5t-maximum GVM), Isuzu (668/88) maintained its YTD lead – with second-placed FUSO (645/82) still chasing closely (albeit while slipping back a little). The race for market leadership has tightened during 2021 with the FUSO marque achieving a strong increase in market share (year-on-year), up from 14.6% at the same point last year, to 18.1%. At the same time, Isuzu has seen a drop from a 24.1% share last year to 18.8% YTD in 2021. Hino (545/83) filled third position YTD at the end of September, ahead of Scania (330/51), Iveco (223/28), Mercedes-Benz (187/23), Kenworth (169/18) and Volvo (148/11). The only ranking change in the 2021 top 10 saw DAF (130/29) moving up one place at the expense of UD (129/13), with an impressive 29 registrations (the fifth best for the month). In the 3.5-4.5t GVM crossover segment, clear No. 1 Fiat (281/23) extended

its leadership, ahead of Volkswagen (96/11) and Mercedes-Benz (57/7). Registrations in the 4.5-7.5t category saw FUSO (334/47) increase its lead on Isuzu (258/38), with Hino (133/22) retaining third. Mercedes-Benz (92/5) remained in fourth and Iveco (95/6) stayed fifth. In the 7.5-15t class, Isuzu (269/33) slightly extended its significant lead on Hino (182/30), while FUSO (133/13) stayed third, with Foton (42/3) and Iveco (38/8) well behind the top three. In the 15-20.5t GVM category, Hino (66/11) continued to lead, well ahead of FUSO (47/8) and UD (24/3), in second and third. Iveco (16/5) retained fourth, ahead of Isuzu (14/4), which edged ahead of Scania (13/3). In the tiny 20.5-23t GVM division, Hino (15/3) retained the top spot, ahead of Isuzu (13/2) and FUSO (8/1). In the premium 23t-maximum GVM category, Scania pushed further ahead with its dominant lead, registering 46 for the month to take its YTD total to 312. Kenworth (169/18) continued to hold a distant second YTD, ahead of strong September sales for Hino (149/17) that saw it edge ahead of Volvo (146/11) for third. FUSO (123/13) was joined, in fifth-equal, by DAF – which had an impressive month to move ahead of Isuzu (114/11). UD (96/10) held eighth, while Mercedes-Benz (75/16) moved ahead of Iveco (73/8) to round out the top 10. Market leader Patchell remained comfortably ahead in YTD trailer sales, with 144 registrations. Its 15 regos in September were matched by secondplaced Fruehauf – the latter taking its 2021 total to 105. Domett (90/12) held onto third position, while Roadmaster (69/14) moved ahead of MTE (68/12) for fourth. Transport Trailers (61/10) went clear of TMC (60/9) for sixth ranking, while Freighter (51/7), Transfleet (38/4) and CWS (32/4) completed the top 10, their order unchanged. T&D Truck & Driver | 93

Scania pushed further ahead with its dominant lead... 23,001kg-max GVM

4501kg-max GVM Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO SCANIA IVECO MERCEDES-BENZ KENWORTH VOLVO DAF UD FOTON HYUNDAI MAN FREIGHTLINER SINOTRUK VOLKSWAGEN FIAT MACK INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR SHACMAN Total

2021 Vol 668 645 545 330 223 187 169 148 130 129 97 59 51 34 31 27 25 24 20 10 7 3559

% 18.8 18.1 15.3 9.3 6.3 5.3 4.7 4.2 3.7 3.6 2.7 1.7 1.4 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.2 100.0

September Vol % 88 18.5 82 17.3 83 17.5 51 10.7 28 5.9 23 4.8 18 3.8 11 2.3 29 6.1 13 2.7 7 1.5 5 1.1 6 1.3 4 0.8 11 2.3 4 0.8 1 0.2 5 1.1 2 0.4 0 0.0 4 0.8 475 100.0

2021 Vol 281 96 57 32 14 13 5 3 1 502

% 56.0 19.1 11.4 6.4 2.8 2.6 1.0 0.6 0.2 100.0

September Vol % 23 50.0 11 23.9 7 15.2 1 2.2 2 4.3 1 2.2 0 0.0 1 2.2 0 0.0 46 100.0

4501-7500kg GVM Brand FUSO ISUZU HINO MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO FOTON HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN FIAT Total 94 | Truck & Driver

2021 Vol 334 258 133 97 95 55 47 27 25 1071

% 31.2 24.1 12.4 9.1 8.9 5.1 4.4 2.5 2.3 100.0

September Vol % 47 35.9 38 29.0 22 16.8 5 3.8 6 4.6 4 3.1 4 3.1 4 3.1 1 0.8 131 100.0

2021 Vol 312 169 149 146 123 123 114 96 75 73 44 31 30 24 19 10 7 1545

% 20.2 10.9 9.6 9.4 8.0 8.0 7.4 6.2 4.9 4.7 2.8 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.2 0.6 0.5 100.0

September Vol % 46 22.2 18 8.7 17 8.2 11 5.3 13 6.3 26 12.6 11 5.3 10 4.8 16 7.7 8 3.9 5 2.4 4 1.9 11 5.3 5 2.4 2 1.0 0 0.0 4 1.9 207 100.0

7501-15,000kg GVM Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO FOTON IVECO HYUNDAI UD MERCEDES-BENZ SCANIA DAF SINOTRUK MAN Total

2021 Vol 269 182 133 42 38 12 9 6 2 1 1 1 696

% 38.6 26.1 19.1 6.0 5.5 1.7 1.3 1.0 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 100.0

September Vol % 33 36.3 30 33.0 13 14.3 3 3.3 8 8.8 1 1.1 0 0.0 1 1.1 1 1.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.1 91 100.0

15,001-20,500kg GVM

3501-4500kg GVM Brand FIAT VOLKSWAGEN MERCEDES-BENZ FORD RENAULT PEUGEOT LDV IVECO ISUZU Total

The fourth truck for Napier’s D&M Dodd fleet, this International ProStar R6 is being used for aggregate haulage. Working the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne regions, the 6x4 tipper has Cummins X-15 power in a 615hp/2050 lb ft rating, an Eaton UltraShift transmission and Meritor 46-160 diffs. Extras include dual vert exhausts, premium cab trim, Ali Arc bumper, stainless visor and Cobra shift. Mills-Tui supplied the steel bin and the matching five-axle trailer.

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

Brand HINO FUSO UD IVECO ISUZU SCANIA MERCEDES-BENZ MAN DAF FREIGHTLINER Total

2021 Vol 66 47 24 16 14 13 9 6 6 2 203

% 32.5 23.2 11.8 7.9 6.9 6.4 4.4 3.0 3.0 1.0 100.0

September Vol % 11 28.9 8 21.1 3 7.9 5 13.2 4 10.5 3 7.9 1 2.6 0 0.0 3 7.9 0 0.0 38 100.0

20,501-23,000kg GVM Brand HINO ISUZU FUSO SCANIA VOLVO FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL IVECO Total

2021 Vol 15 13 8 3 2 1 1 1 44

% 34.1 29.5 18.2 6.8 4.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 100.0

September Vol % 3 37.5 2 25.0 1 12.5 1 12.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 12.5 8 100.0

Trailers 2021 Vol % Brand PATCHELL 144 13.4 FRUEHAUF 105 9.8 90 8.4 DOMETT ROADMASTER 69 6.4 68 6.3 MTE TRANSPORT TRAILERS 61 5.7 60 5.6 TMC FREIGHTER 51 4.7 38 3.5 TRANSFLEET CWS 32 3.0 TES 31 2.9 29 2.7 JACKSON TIDD 17 1.6 FAIRFAX 17 1.6 MILLS-TUI 16 1.5 MTC 16 1.5 MAXICUBE 14 1.3 13 1.2 HAMMAR 12 1.1 EVANS LUSK 12 1.1 KRAFT 10 0.9 MAKARANUI 7 0.7 LILLEY 7 0.7 SEC 7 0.7 DOUGLAS 6 0.6 HTS 5 0.5 MD 5 0.5 LOWES 5 0.5 SDC 5 0.5 WARREN 5 0.5 WAIMEA 5 0.5 TANKER 4 0.4 ADAMS & CURRIE 4 0.4 COWAN 4 0.4 PTE 4 0.4 COX 4 0.4 TEO 4 0.4 KOROMIKO 3 0.3 OTHER 87 8.1 Total 1076 100.0

September Vol % 15 10.3 15 10.3 12 8.2 14 9.6 12 8.2 10 6.8 9 6.2 7 4.8 4 2.7 4 2.7 5 3.4 5 3.4 1 0.7 2 1.4 1 0.7 2 1.4 4 2.7 0 0.0 1 0.7 2 1.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.7 1 0.7 2 1.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.7 1 0.7 1 0.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.7 1 0.7 1 0.7 1 0.7 0 0.0 10 6.8 146 100.0

F O E G R A H C E TAK ! R E E R A C R YOU Apply for a 2022 MITO scholarship

BLE A IL A V A 0 0 ,0 0 9 $1 R E OV ! S IE R O G E T A C 2 1 S S ACRO

Visit mito.nz/scholarships for more information and to apply.

Invercargill-based Bond Contracts, a waste and underground services specialist, has taken delivery of this Hino FS1A – the first in NZ of this model to operate as a tipper. Built on Hino NZ’s “concrete truck’’ spec chassis it’s powered by a 320hp Euro 6 A09 engine and has full lockup diffs, autonomous braking and an Allison 3000 series automatic transmission. Transport Engineering Otago built the tipper body, which is 5.3m long with 0.8m high sides so it can be fed by smaller machines.

Manukau’s Super Freight has introduced this new DAF FT 4x2 tractor unit for container movements across Auckland and the Waikato. The FT Day Cab is powered by a 410hp Paccar MX11 engine, with a 12-speed TraXon automated manual transmission and a Paccar SR1344 rear axle, with diff lock. It pulls a Patchell swinglift trailer.

RELIABLE SERVICE 24 HOURS NATIONWIDE

F S S A T

Over 500 tyres in stock at any time to suit all applications

TD31181

ULTIMATE TYRES LTD

96 | Truck & Driver

157-159 Great South Road, Otahuhu Ph 09 276 2200 www.advantagetyresauckland.co.nz

96-9 PO PHO

*TR EM

1:09 AM

The Rerewhakaaitu fleet of M.A & L.P Picard recently celebrated 21 years in business and now boasts 19 trucks. Its new Kenworth T610 8x4 has a 550-578hp Cummins X-15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual gearbox and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Airglide 460 suspension. It has Patchell truck bolsters and a matching trailer.

FULL SAFETY SYSTEMS STANDARD ACROSS THE RANGE

EURO 6 DAF XF *TRP assist 0508 22 55 77 EMAIL: info@spt.co.nz

www.spt.co.nz

NORTHLAND Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 AUCKLAND Steve Willcocks 027 525 0015 Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 WAIKATO Adam McIntosh Tim Finlay

027 603 1023 021 452 805

BAY OF PLENTY - GISBORNE Tim Finlay 021 452 805

FIND OUT MORE

WWW.SPT.CO.NZ

TD31844

96-98 Wiri Station Road PO Box 76463 Manukau City, Auckland, NZ PHONE (09) 262 3181 FAX (09) 278 5643

Stephenson Transport from Waipawa, Hawke’s Bay has added this new International 9870 R8 to its 50MAX livestock fleet. Craig Pinfold drives the 8x4, which boasts a 615hp Cummins X-15, an Eaton 18-speed manual gearbox and Meritor 46-160 diffs. The new Inter has a Jackson Enterprises deck and five-axle trailer, both fitted with Total stock crates.

At work hauling mussels and general freight nationwide out of Nelson for Solly’s Transport is this new Iveco Stralis. The X-Way 6x4 High Roof is powered by a 570hp Cursor 13 engine, driving through a HiTronix transmission. Leather seats and a stainless dressup kit are among the extras.

98 | Truck & Driver

NZ Post contractor and longstanding Volvo customer, C. Johnson Carrying, has this new FH 750 now in work. The 6x4 features a Globetrotter XL Cab and the full Volvo safety suite. Craig Johnson likes the 750s for their good fuel economy and ease of driveability.

BENEFACTORS

February 12th 2022 Bombay Rugby Club Bar

Show & Shine

TD31959

POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL

M. 0277 696 179

E. ropeworxnz@xtra.co.nz

NZ DISTRIBUTOR

House & Heavy Haulage Canterbury has this new heavy-haulage Kenworth C509 now in work. The 6x4 has a 615hp Cummins X-15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual trans and a heavy-duty rear end. The 36inch mid-roof sleeper has six-spoke artillery wheels and a factory bullbar.

Auckland’s GK Logistics has this new DAF FTD 8x4 tractor unit carting containers in the Auckland and Waikato regions, pulling a quad swinglift trailer. It has a 530hp Paccar MX13 engine, a ZF TraXon AMT and Paccar SR1360T diffs on air suspension.

100 | Truck & Driver

This new International ProStar R6 tipper is now working in North Island forests for Napier’s BSM Cartage Contractors. Sid Sculpher drives the Inter, which has a 615hp Cummins X-15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual gearbox and Meritor 46160 diffs. Extras include central tyre inflation, a stainless visor and an Ali Arc bumper.

HOT DEALS Ashtree Mirror 380x190mm CONVEX ATM714CE

29.00

PROUDLY NZ OWNED & OPERATED

SAVE OVER 35%

STEMCO Bearing and Seal Kit To suit popular front steer axles.

Ashtree Mirror

AM383-0136 AMASET049-011 AMASET3782-20

425x230mm CONVEX ATM800CE

49.00

89.00

LESS THAN 1/2 PRICE

SAVE 20%

DONT FORGET!

Make it easier to get our hot deals delivered to your door

GET A TRT TRADE ACCOUNT TODAY!

NEW! Raufoss air fittings are like Lego for the transport industry. You are able to build almost any combination of fitting to get the job done. The quality of this range is undeniable. Raufoss are OEM supplies to most European trucks and EBS trailers. Try them today!

TALK TO OUR PARTS EXPERTS ABOUT THE OPTIONS

CALL US TODAY to talk with our parts team! Prices shown exclude GST and freight and are valid to 30th November 2021. *Contact us for terms and conditions.

Ham: 07 849 4839

Akl: 09 262 0683

Chch: 03 741 2261

www.trt.co.nz

JOST Ballrace Turntables JOST ball bearing turntables and slewing rings cover the complete spectrum of trailer technology and have a solution to suit all applications.

•

Low Profile, Single and Double Row available Optional central grease manifold available Rated up to 260kN Suitable for General Freight, Logging, Tippers, Livestock and Tanker Applications ‘E’ coated for premium corrosion protection

E C

EG31777

• • • •

JOST New Zealand Ltd | www.jostnz.co.nz | Ph 0800 567 869 | sales@jostnz.co.nz

TRANSPORT, DIESEL & MARINE

THE RIGHT PARTS…THE RIGHT PRICES…RIGHT HERE! DRIVELINE PARTS

CAB COMPONENTS

- Rockwell - Meritor - UJ’s - Yokes

- Panel Parts - Mirrors - Glass

ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS

HUB & BRAKE COMPONENTS

- Disc Pads - Rotors - Drums - Valves - Linings

- Headlamps - Tail Lamps - Starter Motors - Alternators - Sensors

ENGINE KITS - Filtration - Turbo’s - Injectors - Hoses

SUSPENSION

TRANSMISSION

- Air Bags - Springs - Shock Absorbers - Pins & Bushes

CLUTCH KITS

- Overhaul Kits - Roadranger - ZF Parts

- Spicer - OEM - Pedal Shafts

SUPPORTING ALL YOUR TRUCKING NEEDS

AUTO AIR CONDITIONING

AUTO ELECTRICAL

MECHANICAL SERVICE & REPAIRS

EG31777

AVAILABLE AT OUR PENROSE & PAPAKURA LOCATIONS

Ph: 0800 501 133 www.tdm.co.nz

Specials valid while stocks last.

8 Prescott Street, Penrose, Auckland

Fax: 09 525 6161 l Email: ray@tdm.co.nz | john@tdm.co.nz

CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER

NEED SPRINGS?

WE HAVE SPRINGS

Parabolic springs & leaves, multi leaf springs & leaves, coil springs, shackle pins, bushes and U/bolts

0+ ye6ar s in business

Rotorua:

35-37 Sunset Rd, Ph: (07) 348 0169 39 Tironui Rd, Takanini, Ph: (09) 298 4162

Hamilton:

EG28872

116 Colombo St, Frankton, Ph: (07) 847 9343

sales@autosprings.co.nz www.autosprings.co.nz

WHEN YOU NEED A REPLACEMENT HOIST it pays to ring Hoist Hydraulics

0800 856 700 (09) 8186 287

EG30643

Auckland:

sales@hoisthydraulics.net

GOT SURPLUS

EQUIPMENT? EG31450

* TRUCK CURTAIN SIDES * TARPAULINS & COVERS * PALM KERNAL COVERS

LET OUR PROVEN, FULL SERVICE SOLUTION TURN YOUR IDLE INVENTORY INTO CASH....

TD32008

Fast

Talk to our team today E: info@tridentequipment.co.nz

Ph: 0800 471 000 or 027 474 4446

www.tridentequipment.co.nz

104 | Truck & Driver

TRUDY WOOLSTON – M: 027 233 0090 – E: TRUDY@TRUCKER.CO.NZ AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND

HAYDEN WOOLSTON – M: 027 448 8768 – E: HAYDEN@TRUCKER.CO.NZ AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND

Transport Transport Transport Repairs Repairs Repairs Ltd Ltd Ltd are are are the the the authorised authorised authorised Parts Parts Parts &&Service &Service Service Distributor Distributor Distributor for for for Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot Equipment Equipment Equipment Ltd Ltd Ltd ininin the the the South South South Island Island Island

With With WithaaaBigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot onboard onboard onboardyou’ll you’ll you’ll monster monster monsterany any any surface surface surface

Make Make Make light light light work work work ofofany ofany any surface surface surface using using using the the the OptiTraction OptiTraction OptiTraction footprint footprint footprint with with with aaa Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot Central Central Central Tyre Tyre Tyre Inflation Inflation Inflation System System System

Drivers Drivers Drivers allall over all over the over the world the world world choose choose choose thethe BIGFOOT the BIGFOOT BIGFOOT CENTRAL CENTRAL CENTRAL TYRE TYRE TYRE INFLATION INFLATION INFLATION SYSTEM SYSTEM SYSTEM so so they so they can they can match can match match thethe tyre the tyre pressure tyre pressure pressure to to theto thethe speed speed speed andand the and the weight the weight weight of of theof the vehicle the vehicle vehicle onon any on any road any road road surface surface surface - at- at- at thethe touch the touch touch of of a button. of a button. a button. ForFor over For over 25 over 25 years 25 years years thethe Bigfoot the Bigfoot Bigfoot system system system hashashas proven proven proven itself itself itself over over millions over millions millions of of miles of miles miles covered covered covered in in allin all corners all corners corners of of theof thethe globe globe globe andand isand the is the isfirst the first choice first choice choice forfor operators for operators operators who who demand who demand demand accuracy, accuracy, accuracy, endurance endurance endurance andand ease and ease ease of of use. of use. use.

Features Features ofofthe ofthe the Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot Central Central Central InInIn the the the mud, mud, mud, the the the sand, sand, sand, the the the snow snow snow and and and on on on Features Inflation Inflation Inflation Tyre Tyre Tyre System System System the the the road…. road…. road…. with with with Bigfoot Bigfoot Bigfoot onboard onboard onboard you’re you’re you’re • Designed • Designed • Designed and and tested and tested tested in in some in some some of of theof the worlds the worlds worlds harshest harshest harshest conditions conditions conditions the the the master master master ofofof traction traction traction on on on any any any terrain terrain terrain

• •Increase •Increase Increase traction, traction, traction, improves improves improves vehicle vehicle vehicle mobility mobility mobility and and and utilisation utilisation utilisation Higher off-highway off-highway off-highway travel travel travel speeds speeds speeds • •Higher •Higher • •Improves •Improves Improves driver driver driver comfort comfort comfort • •Reduced •Reduced Reduced vibrational vibrational vibrational damage damage damage and and and shock shock shock loading loading loading • •Increase •Increase Increase tyre tyre tyre life life life

• Adjustable • Adjustable • Adjustable ‘on‘on the ‘on the fly’, the fly’, no fly’, no stopping no stopping stopping required required required • Easy • Easy • Easy to to use to use in-cab use in-cab in-cab control control control unit unit unit

• Built • Built • Built in in safety in safety safety features features features prevent prevent prevent operating operating operating outside outside outside safe safe safe limits limits limits forfor selected for selected selected tyre tyre pressure tyre pressure pressure

• Precision • Precision • Precision manufactured manufactured manufactured in in New in New New Zealand Zealand Zealand using using using only only only thethe finest the finest finest materials materials materials and and components and components components • Full • Full • after Full after after sales sales sales service service service and and parts and parts parts network network network • Full • Full • manufacturers Full manufacturers manufacturers warranty warranty warranty

Contact Contact Contact your your your nearest nearest nearest Transport Transport Transport Repairs Repairs Repairs forfor more for more more details: details: details:

TRUCK TRUCK TRUCK AND AND AND TRAILER TRAILER TRAILER PARTS PARTS PARTS FOR FOR FOR ALL ALL ALL MAKES MAKES MAKES AND AND AND MODELS MODELS MODELS

Bobby Khan P: 09 264 1666 M: (64) 027 2661233

Shacman New Zealand Limited Distributor for SHACMAN Truck 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104

TD32005