NZ TRUCK & DRIVER
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| July 2022
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BIG TEST Southern Comfort | FLEET FOCUS A Shared Mission | FEATURE: Just Magic
FLEET FOC
A Shared
US
Mission
FEATURE Just Mag
ic
Issue 258
Southern Comfort
The Official Magazine of
ISSN 2703-6278
BUILT FOR NEW ZEALAND.
This is Shogun – a family built for you, steeped in Kiwi tradition, and featuring the most powerful Japanese truck ever. Shogun has been built through tireless service to generations of Kiwi truckers. Tried and trusted over millions of kilometres, the Shogun family will deliver a commanding performance. Shogun’s transmission has been mapped by Kiwi drivers for Kiwi roads and seamlessly integrated with advanced Daimler technologies. Shogun brings you the next level in power and fuel efficiency with an unmatched commitment to keeping our people safer than ever. This is Shogun. Built for New Zealand.
Shogun Family Highlights: • • • • •
Exceptional fuel efficiency and payload 60,000km service intervals, 5 year / 500,000km warranty Class leading advanced safety features Euro 6 minimum emissions ratings From 360hp to 510hp
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NEW ZEA LAN D
CONTENTS Issue 258 – July 2022
4
News
The latest from the world of road transport including…. First look at the new Kenworth K220 and its launch plan for New Zealand; another early commitment to Hamilton’s Ruakura Superhub; Booth’s Group makes a South Island move and Gore stages another successful Queen’s Birthday Weekend truck show.
63 Celling the future
Continuing the look at hydrogen alternatives for the road transport, this month we cover fuel cell electric vehicle initiatives in New Zealand and overseas.
70 Just Magic
With more than two million kilometres on the clock and a few stories to tell, we feature a 1988 Mack R Series which is a daily workhorse rather than a shiny show pony.
24 Giti Tyres Big Test
Southern Comfort: South Otago and Southland roads prove to be a comfortable home for the latest evolution of the Hino 700 series. NZ T&D takes a ride along with Eastern Concrete and their new 480hp 6x4 carting cement from Dunedin to Gore.
41 Transporting New Zealand
The July update from Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand looks at a challenging labour market and efforts to attract new talent to the road transport industry.
81 Switching On
Scania New Zealand has achieved an important milestone with the introduction of its first battery electric truck models.
REGULARS: 80/ Double Coin Tyres NZ Transport 81 Imaging Awards
85 It’s Political
NZ’s major political parties are offered the opportunity to offer their opinions on issues affecting the road transport industry. This month National and the ACT parties have responded with their views.
89 National Road Carriers Association This month NRC COO James Smith looks at charging infrastructure requirements for meeting the government targets for heavy transport fleet electrification.
91 Heavy Haulage Association
The New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association puts a lot of work into making sure road safety improvement programmes take the movement of oversize loads into consideration.
Recognising NZ’s best-looking trucks… including a giant pull-out poster of this month’s finalist.
44 Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus
A Shared Mission: Ray Beale grew up in a trucking family and always wanted to own and drive a logging truck. In a short space of time working with his wife Louise, R & L Beale Log Transport has grown to a 10-truck operation working mainly in Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa.
COLUMNS
93 CrediFlex Recently Registered
Latest NZTA registration data is headlined with May figures confirming the new truck market continues to perform just above record levels. Plus, the monthly photo gallery of new trucks on the road.
FEATURES: 60 Southpac Trucks Legends (to come) As he works on plans for a busy retirement, Peter Elphick looks back on his long career at Patchell Industries.
MANAGEMENT
ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
Publisher
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EDITORIAL Editor
Colin Smith 021 510319 colin@trucker.co.nz
Associate Editor
Brian Cowan
CONTRIBUTORS
Olivia Beauchamp Gerald Shacklock Peter Owens
ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production Luca Bempensante Zarko Mihic EQUIPMENT GUIDE AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Advertising Trudy Woolston 027 233 0090 trudy@trucker.co.nz
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NEWS The new Kenworth K220 line-up includes a 2.8m Aerodyne sleeper configuration.
New K220 revealed IT’S THE BEST PART OF 11 YEARS SINCE KENWORTH launched its K200 cab-over family. Now its much-anticipated successor has been unveiled, the new K220 continuing the evolution of cab-over Kenworth’s. The Aussies introduced the new K220 in Brisbane on June 3. Southpac Trucks is expecting the New Zealand order book to open by the end of June and is hopeful of landing the first units before the end of this year. Local launch plans include a roadshow and display at summer events including the Bombay Truck Show and Wheels at Wanaka. The K220 line-up boasts 6×4, 8×4, 8×4 tandem with lazy axle, 8×6, 10×4 tandem with lazy axle and 10×6 variants. Cab options comprise 1.7m Day Cab, 2.3m Flat Roof sleeper, 2.3m Aerodyne sleeper and 2.8m Aerodyne
New 15-inch digital instrument display and multi-function Smartwheel are introduced on the K220. 4 | Truck & Driver
sleeper. Southpac Trucks General Sales Manager Richard Smart says the New Zealand focus is primarily on the 8x4 variant which will go into production a little behind the 6x4. The sales history of the K200 suggests the 8x4 Day Cab will be the most popular seller in New Zealand closely followed by Flat Roof and Aerodyne. The familiar visual appearance of the K220 is a clear evolution of the K200 and earlier K models. Viewed head on the grille has lost a little of its oval appearance while new LED headlamps have integrated indicators and daytime running lights (DRL) that can be paired with bright look bezels. The new grille works with a more efficient fan for optimised cooling system performance. New wheel well shields protect the engine bay and
NEWS critical electrical systems from road spray and debris. Computational Fluid Dynamics shaped the wind cheating roof profile and the K220 achieves an estimated 4% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency. The new roof profile also increases headroom and triples the overhead storage space. Also immediately noticeable is the absence of the trademark vista windows. Inspired by the success of this change on the T610. Kenworth says this allows for improved sleeper insulation and a more easily maintained cabin temperature. The new climate-controlled HVAC system provides 60% increased flow to vastly enhance interior comfort in any weather. Interior features include a new 15-inch high-definition digital instrument panel and the multi-function Smartwheel steering wheel which enhances fingertip control of an expanded range of vehicle functions. Both features are derived from Kenworth’s North America market Next Generation T680. The intuitive new digital instrumentation helps reduce distraction by allowing the driver to control how much information is shown when operating the truck. This can be customised from driver to driver and trip to trip. The instrument panel will display critical content to alert the driver of all necessary information, constantly monitoring critical vehicle parameters, and displaying them to the driver as required. This includes early intervention warnings for the driver, allowing them to respond quickly. The new 8-inch Audio Visual Navigation (AVN) unit provides easy access display with intuitive controls for truck navigation, the audio system, and smartphone mirroring. The AVN can be intelligently integrated with up to six external cameras, giving drivers full visibility around the vehicle. To further help drivers remain focused on the road, the AVN is integrated with the steering wheel controls and the driver’s phone can be stored safely on either the charging pad, or in one of the convenient storage pockets in the new dash. More space in the footwell is achieved by moving pedals further forward while a greater range of seat movement offers drivers more legroom. “The 2.3m and 2.8m sleeper cabs offer our greatest ever range of optional sleeper storage and bunk options, as well as a 240V inverter, and other personal touches that make this the ultimate home away from home,” Smart says. All cab options are available with side extenders. The 2.3m and 2.8m Aerodynamic versions are available with roof fairings. The K220 has been optimised for the Cummins X15 engine in both Euro 6 and Euro 5 specification. Automated transmission is expected to take a greater role in the sales mix with the all-new 18-speed Endurant XD Pro automated transmission.
New grille improves cooling system performance. “We have had AMT options for a number of year and the shift is slowing moving towards favouring that,” Smart says. “But certain applications still prefer manual 18-speed such as logging and livestock and we are very happy to still support those clients.” The Endurant XD Pro utilises Eaton’s Extreme Duty clutches with components designed for increased durability, improved noise and vibration, in addition to higher thermal capacity for enhanced low-speed manoeuvrability. It’s also lighter, smoother, and engineered to reduce fuel and maintenance costs. The K220 will have the most up-to-date roster of active and passive safety options ever offered by Kenworth Australia, adding multi-lane Autonomous Emergency Braking and stop-and-go functionality to a growing list of systems. Introducing the K220 is not the end of the popular K200. Smart says all K200s on order will still be built with production expected to continue until Q1-2 2024. “We will be able to offer clients with K200 on order the option to change to K220 for trucks offline after June `23,” Smart says. T&D
Southpac Trucks will offer the full range of K220 models n New Zealand.
Truck & Driver | 5
The legend is yours
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NEWS
The new Maersk facility will include a purpose-built 16,000 square-metre coldstore scheduled to be operational in late-2023.
Maersk commits to Ruakura coldstore GLOBAL TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS LEADER MAERSK is planning a new coldstore facility at the Ruakura Superhub in Hamilton. Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) and Maersk have agreed a longterm ground lease of 4.5 hectares in the Ruakura logistics hub, adjacent to the Ruakura Inland Port. The facility will include a purpose-built 16,000 square-metre coldstore facility to be constructed to a Greenstar 5 sustainability rating and scheduled to be operational in late-2023. When completed, the facility will have fully convertible temperaturecontrolled space with temperatures ranging from -25degC to 15degC and storage for over 21,000 pallets of cold chain products. It will feature advanced energy management including an environmentally friendly CO2 cooling plant, solar energy, rainwater harvesting and a low carbon policy for the construction. Maersk’s commitment to achieve a Greenstar 5 rating for the building is a good fit for Ruakura. When the Ruakura Inland Port is fully established the shift of cargoes from road to rail is projected to take 65,000 truck journeys off roads. Ruakura includes provision for future solar generation and electricity microgrids. The precinct also includes a 10-hectare wetland and more than one million native plants in the 92-hectare first stage of the 490-hectare development. Ruakura Superhub, which is recognised by the New Zealand Government as a project of national significance, is one of the country’s largest developments. It spans logistics, industrial, retail and residential development areas. It will be anchored by a 30-hectare inland port, with the first 17-hectares of this also set for an official opening as part of Stage 1 in the third quarter
of this year. “From dairy and meat to seafood and fruits, the primary industry sector is key to drive the development of New Zealand’s economy,” says Henrik Jensen, Managing Director of Maersk Oceania. “We are pleased to offer our customers innovative solutions and access to our integrated global network, through which we can contribute significantly to the country’s economic growth and bring new opportunities to the communities we are part of. “This cold storage facility will cater for both national and international supply chains, and in conjunction with our extensive New Zealand ocean network connecting the world. We firmly believe it will enable us to be flexible and agile in our operations to ensure that we can match customers’ needs with seasonal demand,” says Mr Jensen. Chris Joblin, Chief Executive of TGH, says it is gratifying to see TGH’s vision for Ruakura as a logistics and distribution hub continuing to come to life. “As a truly global player, Maersk brings the serious scale and global transport connections which will confirm the role of Ruakura Superhub as a key node for New Zealand’s supply chain. “Their presence will have many synergies for the other significant logistics and distribution businesses who have either confirmed a move to the Ruakura Superhub or are still planning to do so,” Joblin says. Previously confirmed partners and tenants at Ruakura Superhub include the Port of Tauranga (in a joint venture to develop the inland port) along with PBT Express Freight Network (new regional distribution centre), Waitomo Group (flagship service centre including a fuel stop with alternative energy options) and Big Chill. T&D Truck & Driver | 7
NEWS
New transport innovation fund THE GOVERNMENT HAS CREATED a new $15 million fund to explore innovative solutions to New Zealand’s transport challenges. The Hoe ki angitū innovation fund led by Waka Kotahi, was announced by Transport Minister, the Hon. Michael Wood on June
7. The first round of applications must be submitted before July 4. “The Government is upgrading New Zealand’s transport system to make it safer, greener, and more efficient for now and future generations to come,” says Minister Wood. “However, we know we can’t solve some the challenges we face alone, that’s why we are seeking kiwi ingenuity to find solutions that help with global transport challenges. “New Zealand is a country full of creative, innovative people and to help us successfully meet the problems facing the transport sector we need to tap into that creativity. “Hoe ki angitū looks to produce exciting possibilities for our transport system and to create solutions that will serve our communities now and in the future. The fund demonstrates a commitment to partnering with the private sector to solve problems together. “The fund is part of the Government’s comprehensive approach to responding to the climate emergency. Innovation is one of the pillars of our Emissions Reduction Plan to drive forward new and quicker ways to respond to the Michael Wood is the Minister of Transport, and Minister for Workplace Relations
challenges we are facing in the land transport sector.” The fund dedicates $15 million and other non-financial support to help the private sector catalyse the actions needed to solve transport problems and enable and accelerate innovation by breaking down barriers and providing them with the capabilities they need. Successful applicants will receive funding and other support for a total of 16 weeks. The first three challenges applicants are being asked to address are: • integrating low-emission first and last mile gap solutions with public transport under-served and rural • connecting communities • accelerating the use of recycled and sustainable materials in transport infrastructure “I am looking forward to see what solutions are supported through the fund, and to seeing them being implemented in the land transport system to make it more sustainable for years to come,” says Minister Wood. Applications for the first three challenges close on July 4, 2022. Private sector groups such as start-ups, iwi, domestic and international companies, research institutions and university groups are invited to submit applications. For more information on the fund, visit www. nzta.govt.nz/innovation T&D
Raupunga SH2 improvements A NEW SLOW VEHICLE LANE IS under construction on State Highway 2 near Raupunga, between Wairoa and Napier. Located 2km south of Raupunga, on a steep and winding section of SH2, the 650m slow vehicle bay is just after southbound traffic pass under the Mohaka Rail Viaduct, allowing slower vehicles to be overtaken safely on the uphill climb. The work is part of the SH2 and SH35 Passing Opportunities project, which comes under the wider $32.5 million Connecting Tairāwhiti programme funded by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development and 8 | Truck & Driver
Investment Unit. It aims to reduce driver frustration by providing more safe places to pass and places to pull off the road to check messages or take a break. Contractors will be onsite over the next few months completing enabling works ready to start in September. From September, earthworks will begin to carve away approximately 39,000 cubic metres of hillside before paving and sealing completes the project in March 2023. During this time, temporary speed reductions and Stop/Go traffic management will be in place and delays of up to five minutes are expected. T&D
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NEWS
Whangarei teams wins VISTA contest THE ‘OVLOV-2022’ TEAM REPRESENTING TRUCKSTOPS Whangarei has won the 2022 New Zealand VISTA competition. VISTA (Volvo International Service Training Award) is the world’s largest aftermarket technical challenge. With a history stretching back to 1957, VISTA attracts nearly 20,000 participants from more than 90 countries. After a closely contested series of challenges, the Truckstops Whangarei team of Justin Williams, Shyju M.C, Abbey Lewis and Leon Cross took a narrow win ahead of Truckstops Lower Hutt. “The competition was extremely close this year with a number of teams being in contention to the very end,” said Brendan Bold, Product Support/ Warranty at MTD Trucks. “The winning teams were able to be consistent throughout and take advantage of the bonus points offered by additional bonus ‘Missions’.” Truckstops Mount Manganui ‘Mount Maulers’, Truckstops Taupo
The VISTA winning Truckstops Whangarei team of (left to right) Justin Williams, Shyju M.C, Abbey Lewis and Leon Cross. ‘Team Taupo’ and Truckstops Invercargill ‘Too Stops’ tied in third place. Both Truckstops Whangarei and Truckstops Wellington qualify for the semi-finals to be held from the June 29 till July 2 at Volvo Group Australia in Brisbane. They will compete against the top four Australian teams with the winner going through to the final held in Gothenburg, Sweden later this year. The VISTA competition is open to all service market professionals within the global service network of Volvo Trucks and Buses. T&D
New GM at Fuso FUSO NEW ZEALAND HAS appointed Kevin Smith as general manager. Smith comes to the role with a wealth of knowledge and experience from the heavy transport industry. He will work closely with managing director Kurtis Andrews and will be responsible for developing and implementing company strategy, driving growth, and mentoring managers. After training as a chartered accountant, early in his career Smith lectured accounting and financial systems at Massey University before working for various building supplies, manufacturing, and heavy transport businesses, including trucks, trailer manufacturing and aftersales focus. Smith also has a long association with basketball in New Zealand having coached a number of junior national and provincial teams. At an organisational level he’s also held a range of sport related directorships including for Basketball New Zealand and the New
Zealand Academy of Sports. “We’re excited to have Kevin join the Fuso family,” said Andrews. “Fuso New Zealand has recently seen significant growth both across our truck sales, which lead us to #1 in the market in 2021, and in our parts distribution operation. “We are now well positioned to consolidate and build on that growth through robust process and strategic development. Kevin brings some very relevant knowledge and disciplines that will enhance those areas and guide the next phase of our evolution,” said Andrews. Smith said he is looking forward to helping the team reach its potential. “I have watched Fuso New Zealand develop since its creation in 2016 and have been impressed with its growth, particularly now I’ve had a chance to look a bit deeper. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to help support and guide its progress for the foreseeable future,” he says. T&D
Kevin Smith. Truck & Driver | 11
Evolved, refined, technologically advanced, the new K220 takes the driver experience to the Next Level.
96-98 Wiri Station Road PO Box 76463 Manukau City, Auckland, NZ PHONE (09) 262 3181 FAX (09) 278 5643 *TRP assist 0508 22 55 77 EMAIL: info@spt.co.nz
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NORTHLAND Mitchell Redington 021 555 326
TARANAKI Adam McIntosh
AUCKLAND 027 525 0015 Steve Willcocks Mitchell Redington 021 555 326
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WAIKATO Adam McIntosh Tim Finlay
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NEWS Mercedes-Benz Trucks is forging ahead with an expanded range of battery electric and fuel-cell electric trucks.
Charged for the long haul MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS HAS OUTLINED PRODUCT plans for future battery-electric trucks including the development of an eActros LongHaul model. Following the European market launch of the eActros for heavy-duty distribution transport in 2021, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is pressing ahead with a long-haul e-truck offering a range of about 500km from a single battery charge. It’s scheduled to be ready for series production in 2024 with the first prototypes of the 40-ton truck already undergoing internal tests. MercedesBenz Trucks’ engineers are planning to begin trials of the e-truck on public roads later this year. The eActros LongHaul will enable high-performance charging - so-called “megawatt charging”. Mercedes-Benz Trucks is also preparing additional variants of the eActros – specifically of the eActros 300 and the eActros 400 – and, as early as July, the eEconic for municipal use is scheduled to roll off the production line at the Worth plant as the second all-electric series production vehicle. The goal of Mercedes-Benz Trucks is to increase the share of locally CO2-neutral new vehicles in Europe to more than 50 percent by 2030. In order to further introduce truck customers from all over Europe to e-mobility, the manufacturer is hosting an event lasting several weeks around the Worth plant in Germany starting in early June. Experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks will inform about 1,000 participants on the central aspects of e-mobility, from infrastructure and services to electric models. In addition, customers will have the opportunity to drive the eActros 300 on demanding routes and with realistic payloads. “The tremendous interest in our eActros driving event in Worth is further
proof of the popularity e-mobility is already gaining with customers,” says Karin Radstrom, CEO Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “Customers are thus sending a strong signal to all stakeholders to combine efforts and quickly put more and more electric trucks on the road, expand the charging infrastructure and create cost parity.” As well as electric trucks, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is engaging with partners for the development of charging infrastructure. In depot charging, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is working together with Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE and EVBox Group. In terms of public charging for long-distance transport, Daimler Truck, Traton Group and the Volvo Group have signed a binding agreement to establish a joint venture that will develop and operate a public, high-performance charging network for battery-electric heavy-duty long-haul trucks and coaches in Europe. The charging network of these three parties will be available to fleet operators in Europe regardless of brand. Daimler Truck’s ambition is to only offer new vehicles in Europe, Japan, and North America that are CO2-neutral in operation (”tank-to-wheel”) by 2039. The two battery-electric models Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and Mercedes-Benz eActros have already been rolling off the assembly line in series production since 2018 and 2021 respectively. The Mercedes-Benz eEconic, the FUSO eCanter and the Freightliner eCascadia will follow later this year, and additional locally CO2-neutral vehicles are already planned. In the second half of this decade, the company plans to further supplement its range of vehicles with series-produced vehicles powered by hydrogenbased fuel cells. Offering a completely CO2-neutral range by 2050 is the ultimate goal. T&D Truck & Driver | 13
The Eurocargo cab chassis is an ideal platform for a wide range of body fitments – the chassis rails are completely flat on top and free from obstructions, allowing body lengths from 7 to 9.5m. Another benefit of the Eurocargo range is its versatility. It is easy to drive, even in city centres thanks to a compact cab, an industry-leading steering angle (49 degrees) provides an outstanding turning circle. The range also delivers excellent performance with up to 279hp and 950Nm of torque available, while also returning excellent fuel efficiency. Complementing the powerful engines are a selection of transmissions providing several options depending on the job requirements.
For more information visit your local IVECO dealer or phone 0800 FOR IVECO (0800 367 48326).
www.iveco.co.nz
TD32528
With GVMs ranging from 12 tonnes to 22.5 tonnes and offering outstanding performance, great manoeuvrability and marketleading ergonomics and comfort, it’s no wonder the Eurocargo is one of Europe’s most popular medium duty trucks. And with extended oil change intervals depending upon application plus a 3-year / 250,000km warranty, the Eurocargo provides owners with a low whole of life costing.
NEWS
The distinctive colours of Summerland Express Freight have become part of the Booth’s Group.
Southern move for Booth’s Group THE BOOTH’S GROUP OF companies has moved to widen its national coverage with the acquisition of Cromwellbased Summerland Express Freight. Booth’s Group Logistics, in conjunction with Brendan Prendergast (founder and former owner of MOVE Logistics), has purchased the major South Island logistics operator which runs a fleet of 100 trucks and employs 150 staff across 10 locations. The addition of the Summerland operation will significantly strengthen Booth’s Group presence in the South Island freight market. Summerland founders Ross and Barbara Millard are stepping down after close to 30 years at the helm. Booth’s Group has been growing steadily since the early 1990s and currently consists of Booth’s Transport, Tomoana Warehousing, and The Produce Connection. The addition of Summerland Express Freight rounds out the Booth’s geographic spread and provides a nationwide network. Collectively these businesses provide linehaul transport, metro delivery, produce cartage, container handling, Hiab delivery and a range of warehousing, storage and pick and pack services. Group CEO Dallas Vince says the company’s growth trajectory has been the result of customer demand for Booth’s to have an increased presence nationally. “Our customers want us to simplify their supply chain with one point of contact for all their transport, logistics and warehousing
needs,” he says. “All Summerland stakeholders will benefit hugely from increased resources including new fleet vehicles that are on the way, additional technology platforms, access to a broader network geographically and a wider range of service offerings. “All of the Summerland team will be offered new employment contracts and we expect the shared family values and business synergies between Booth’s Group and Summerland to make for an easy transition for all our team,
suppliers, and customers.” Alongside expanding its geographic reach, a key focus for Booth’s Group over recent years has been to operate a modern, safe, and fuelefficient fleet. “The Booth’s business model is based on a modern fleet with a current average fleet age of 38 months. We are proud to have one of the lowest average fleet ages in New Zealand, and it’s our intention to apply this same model to the Summerland business in the short to medium term.” T&D
Truck & Driver | 15
NEWS
Volvo eyes more safety VOLVO TRUCKS HAS DEVELOPED A new safety system to detect other road users entering the blind spot on both sides of the truck. In busy traffic it can be difficult for even the most experienced driver to perceive everything around the truck. To prevent stressful driving situations, the new Side Collision Avoidance Support system uses dual radar on each side of the truck to detect when other road users, for example cyclists, enter the risk area. “An accident can happen in a split second. Our extensive accident research is based on decades of studying real-life situations, and this new safety system helps the driver to prevent potential collisions,” says Anna Wrige Berling, Traffic & Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks. When someone is in the blind spot zone the system informs the driver via a red light on the relevant side mirror. If the driver indicates a lane change via the turn signal, the red light starts to flash and a warning sound emits from the side of the potential collision. The driver is alerted
and can brake the truck, allowing for example a cyclist to pass. The new system will be available globally on
Volvo FH, FM and FMX diesel, gas and electric models from September this year. The FL and FE models will get the new system in 2023. T&D
Side Collision Avoidance Support provides Volvo drivers with another safety feature in busy traffic.
NRC appoints new CEO NEWLY APPOINTED NATIONAL Road Carriers Association (NRC) chief executive Justin Tighe-Umbers is bringing airline and telecoms industry experience to his new role. The NRC Board partnered with executive search experts Hobson Leavy to recruit a new CEO who could bring commercial leadership, regulatory capability, and stakeholder engagement expertise to the leadership role. Tighe-Umbers starts in the CEO role from August 15.
Justin Tighe-Umbers 16 | Truck & Driver
“Recently, we have made significant changes to both the strategy and the structure of the organisation and finding the right CEO to take NRC forward is critical to delivering on this strategy for our members. We believe Justin has a great mix of expertise to meet this challenge,” says John Baillie, Chair. “Justin’s recent experience in the airline industry and telecommunications means he has been working in highly regulated environments undergoing significant change, not unlike the challenges facing the transport industry.” Tighe-Umbers most recent role has been executive director at the Board of Airlines Representatives NZ (BARNZ) and he has experience at Chorus NZ Ltd, bringing a range of skills including regulatory and government policy, change management, and business transformation to the CEO position. He sees similarity between the transport sector, which connects households and business with the products they need to live and work, and the airline industry which connects New Zealand with the world. Both industries are subject to intense government and public scrutiny and need a strong voice to navigate the steady stream of policy changes
coming down the pipeline. “I am excited to be taking on the role of CEO for NRC at a time when awareness of the criticality of freight and supply chains, especially land transport, has never been higher,” says Justin. “My focus will be on leveraging this awareness to ensure that it translates into policies that successfully set road transport and logistics operators up to thrive. The NRC team is well positioned to do this – and is highly regarded by members and key industry stakeholders and because the organisation is member-driven NRC has a unique ability to share the real impact of infrastructure decisions with officials and ministers. “In my role at the BARNZ, I worked to build consensus across the highly competitive commercial aviation industry. Our aim was to drive policy to successfully keep our air-freight links open while our borders were closed. Like aviation, the transport industry sometimes has competing collective and individual needs, stakeholders’ commercial drivers may vary, but I think collectively we can all agree on one thing – we want to have an efficient, costeffective, low emissions, sustainable supply chain so that New Zealanders can access the products they need when they need them,” says Justin. T&D
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NEWS
Search on for trophies TROPHIES PRESENTED AT TRUCK DRIVING competitions that have been in storage for 20 years will be the starting point for a new display planned at Bill Richardson Transport World in Southland. Tauranga’s Richard Ossevoort was recently sorting through some stored treasures and rediscovered the trophies he’d won in regional and national truck driving competitions starting in 1987. He has polished the silverware, had a couple repaired and then packed into three boxes. Richard says Transport World is keen to assemble a display and New Zealand Couriers has helped out with getting the trophies to Invercargill. Richard competed with success in many of the truck driving competitions from the late 1980s. He says the driving contests were once very popular, and he has trophies engraved with the names of previous winners dating back to 1968. “There are names from all over the country and some very well-known people in the industry,” Richard says. Richard competed for the first time in the 1987 Bay of Plenty regional competition - having started his driving career only three months earlier with Tauranga’s Andersen Transport. He took part in the 1987 national competition and had his first success in the semi-trailer category the following year in Wanganui. Since then, he has competed at many events around the country with continuing success.
“These ones have been in a box for about 20 years. I hadn’t taken them out,” he says. “After sorting through them I thought it would be a good idea if they went to a good place. The Bill Richardson Transport World Museum is fantastic, and I couldn’t think of any place better.” Richard hopes his collection will be the start of something bigger. “It’s not just about me. It’s about all the other names engraved on these trophies,” Richard says. “There will be lots of other trophies out there. I’ve got the artic trophy (from the Mobil sponsored and National Road Carriers organised national competition) but there are others for the written test, truck and trailer, rigid and overall,” he says. “I think there will be other people or family members who will know where some of the other trophies are. If they’d like too, I think it would be a great idea to see the trophies with all those names on being displayed together.” While he has recently retired from driving for Pacific Fuel Haul, Richard says he’d be keen to compete in driving competitions. “I’d still like to compete if there were some competitions being organised. But it’s all fallen a bit quiet in the last few years,” he says. T&D
Richard Ossevoort with his truck driving competition trophies which are on their way to Bill Richardson Transport World.
Royans grows to seven branches PALMERSTON NORTH’S ALRO TRUCK CENTRE HAS become part of the Royans Transport Accident Repairs network. The Australia-based company has acquired Alro as the seventh location in its expanding New Zealand operation. Nick McNeill will continue as general manager. Alro began business in 1985 and offers a full range of heavy vehicle repair services from its workshop in Tremaine Ave. Along with heavy vehicle smash and insurance repairs and chassis straightening using a state-of-the-art Blackhawk Powercage universal 18 | Truck & Driver
straightening system, Alro also has on-site sandblasting, dry ice blasting and soda blasting facilities. Fibreglass panel and structural repairs of trucks, trailers and equipment along with truck and fleet paint work are also offered and Alro can repair composite refrigerated trailers. Alro will be the first Royans first branch in New Zealand to offer 24/7 accident response covering the lower North Island from Taranaki to Waiouru through to Hawkes Bay, down to Wellington and to the top of the South Island. T&D
NEWS
The new Tamahere interchange is the southern end of the Hamilton section of the soon to be completed Waikato Expressway.
July opening for Waikato Expressway RECENT STATE HIGHWAY 1 WORKS TO BOTH THE north and south of Hamilton are preparing the seventh section of the Waikato Expressway for a July opening. Final surfacing, signage, line-marking and barrier removal work was carried out during late-May and trips from Tamahere into Hamilton are already more direct with a small part of the new Expressway opening to traffic in early June. The on-ramp connecting the Southern Interchange’s Alfred Main Drive to the city-bound lane of Cambridge Road/SH1 is already open. The onramp is the last in a series of new roads at the interchange to open. “This is the final step in making access in and out of Tamahere safer – one of the main features of the Hamilton section where it passes through Tamahere,” says Waka Kotahi regional manager Jo Wilton. “Gone are the intersections to the old state highway, along with driveways and letterboxes. Now people can access their properties on the expanded local road network which is so much safer.” Having the ramp open early is giving people time to get used to it ahead of the planned closure of the nearby Newell Road intersection with SH1Cambridge Road. Waikato District Council has decided Newell Road will close the same day the expressway opens in July.
The decision was made at the conclusion of public consultation in 2018. The date for closure was linked to safer options being available when the expressway opened to traffic. The closure will be accompanied by ‘No Exit’ signage and the intersection will fully disappear when Cambridge Road is upgraded – currently scheduled for 2024. Tamahere traffic which used Newell Road previously will come and go via the Southern Interchange, using Bollard Road and Alfred Main Drive or Birchwood Lane and Alfred Main Drive. Waka Kotahi says it won’t be announcing an opening date for the new expressway. “We can’t provide an exact date yet for when the expressway opens to traffic but it will be July,” says Wilton. The full 22km four-lane expressway which runs from Lake Rd, Horotiu to Tamahere around the eastern side of Hamilton will link to the Cambridge section of the expressway. With its completion the Waikato Expressway which now extends 102km from the Bombay Hills to south of Cambridge near Karapiro. A speed limit has yet to be announced but there is the possibility of a 110kph limit from Hampton Downs to the Cambridge section which is already posted at 110kph. T&D Truck & Driver | 19
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NEWS Fleet Day 2021 saw more than 300 guests in attendance.
Fleet Day set for Hamilton HEAVY TRANSPORT CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS are among the three pillars to be discussed at the EROAD Fleet Day in Hamilton on July 20. Held at Claudelands Event Centre, Fleet Day is an opportunity for fleet managers and others in the industry to gain the latest insights into vehicle technology, health and safety issues, and emissions. Fleetday welcomed over 300 customers and industry professionals in 2021with an increased turnout expected for 2022. “EROAD Fleet Day is an important event for the transport industry as it grapples with issues of safety and sustainability,” says EROAD’s General Manager New Zealand, Andrew Davies. “Transport is a crucial part of our community and we need it to operate in a way that is both safe and sustainable. Fleet Day is where the industry
gets together to discuss these issues. “This year’s event includes a heavy focus on road safety and EV strategies, including the opportunity to see the largest number of commercial EV vehicles gathered in one place in New Zealand,” says Davies. Industry-leading speakers will deliver presentations on the most relevant trends and topics, and talk about challenges and solutions the light and heavy vehicle sectors are facing. Already confirmed are ‘Mad’ Mike Whiddett, Nic Leggett from Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ, James Smith from National Road Carriers, Stephen Jones from New Zealand Police and Richard Briggs from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. EROAD Fleet Day 2022 will have an exciting range of cars and trucks on show. Tickets and more information can be found at fleetday.co.nz T&D
Volvo adds to sales team
TWO NEW FACES ARE BRINGING A wide range of skills and experience to their regions in the Volvo sales team. The new account managers are Simon Wilson, responsible for customers in the lower North Island territory, and Vijay Chhagn covering Auckland. Both are transport industry professionals with 50 years’ experience between them. Simon started his career as a Grade A diesel mechanic. He joined Truckstops Palmerston North and quickly moved up to workshop foreman before changing roles to become the first technical rep for Hino Distributors NZ. His time with Hino included problem-solving technical issues for customers and passing on the latest technical advances from Japan to the New Zealand service network. Simon became Hino’s technical manager and went on to manage the technical and warranty department and oversee the mod centre. Vijay came from a machinery background, having completed his heavy diesel apprenticeship. He then went on to fill sales roles for the Isuzu
and Mercedes Benz truck franchises. Both Simon and Vijay understand the importance of ensuring customers get the best out of their investment in a premium truck. Their mechanical expertise supports the fine-tuning of custom specifications to offer the best solution across every transport industry application. “Customers will get real value from the depth of knowledge that Simon and Vijay bring to the team,” says Fleet Account Manager, Scott
Vijay Chhagn
Robinson. “Their truck industry experience gives them both a clear understanding of customer needs during the sales and aftersales period. We’re very pleased to add them to our team.” Scott Robinson has also changed roles within Volvo Trucks, taking on the Fleet Account Manager role earlier this year, looking after some of New Zealand’s largest transport and logistics businesses. T&D
Simon Wilson Truck & Driver | 21
NEWS
Southern Showcase SOUTHLAND PUT THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY IN the spotlight at Queen’s Birthday Weekend with the popular Gore Truck Show attracting a record 138 entries to the southern town on Saturday June 4. The turnout was well up on last year’s 111 trucks for the annual event, which has been held on the holiday weekend for about 50 years. With 2022 marking 50 years since Motor Truck Distributors began assembling Mack trucks in Palmerston North, there was a special focus on the bulldog brand with 38 Mack trucks making up a large portion of the record entry. Judging was completed at Transport Repairs yard in Gore before all the vehicles paraded through the centre of Gore watched by hundreds of people who were vocal in their support. The judging panel comprised three teams of 15 specialists for the 43 categories
and every entrant was also eligible for the prestigious overall title of “King Rig”. The prizegiving at the Mataura Licensing Trust’s Croydon Lodge saw the “King Rig” title awarded to the Mack Anthem driven by Nick Young for Southern Transport (pictured, below). The Gore Truck Show began as an off-shoot of the country music festival but has now grown to be a major event in its own right. Organiser Rhonda Wilson says the 2023 event is set for Saturday June 3 with Kenworth being the featured marque. T&D
the winners New - 40,000 km:.............................Darryl Shand, Freight Haulage 40,000 - 100,000 km:.......................Shane O’Connor, Switzers Valley 100,000 - 400,000 km:.....................Kevin Taylor, Herbert’s Transport 400,000 - 700,000 km:.....................Colton Manson, Eden Haulage 700,000 - 1 million km:....................Tony Thompson, Mc Neil’s Distribution Best Truck over 1 million km:.........Graeme Maxwell, Maxwell Bros Best Isuzu:.........................................Visnall Vadaoriua, Phillips Transport Best Freightliner:..............................Jake Rohan, Rohan Haulage Best Scania:.......................................Darryl Shand, Freight Haulage Best Mercedes:..................................James Peters, Te Anau Healy Transport Best Hino:.........................................Katie English, Southern Transport Best Kenworth:.................................Mark Chalmers, Dynes Transport Best Mitsubishi:...............................Renee Brown, Fulton Hogan Best Volvo:........................................Trevor Drake, Andrews Transport Best Mack:........................................Roy Agnew Southern Transport Best MAN:........................................Josh Houghton, Mainfreight Best Nissan/UD:..............................Colton Manson, Eden Haulage Best DAF:.........................................Kevin Taylor, Herbert’s Transport Best Iveco:.........................................Lanny Evans, Advance Quip Best of Other:...................................Brad Butler, Wynyard Transport Best HW Richardson Group:.........Kevin Taylor, Herbert’s Transport Best Female Driver:.........................Paige Sales, Southern Transport
22 | Truck & Driver
Best Logger:......................................Mark Eales, Dynes Transport Best Bulk/Tip Truck:.......................Paige Sales, Southern Transport Best Timber Cartage Vehicle:.........Andy Cav, Dynes Transport Best Curtainsider:.............................Jake Rohan, Rohan Haulage Best Bulk Sower:..............................AJ Beattie, Herbert’s Transport Best Stock Truck:.............................Jamie Coote, Switzers Valley Transport Best Tractor Unit:............................Darryl Miller, Eden Haulage Best Tanker:.....................................Andrew Muir, Open Country Best Linehaul:..................................Aaron Callender, Eden Haulage Best Light Vehicle:..........................Steve Wooltorton Best Passenger Vehicle:...................Pauline Tanner, Ritchie’s Coachlines Best Crane Truck:...........................Karl Thompson, Winton Cranes Best Stock Feed Unit:......................Ryan Shand, Freight Haulage Furthest Distance Travelled:..........Nigel Hope Tidiest Oldest Working Truck:.....Darryl Miller, Eden Haulage Best Refurbished Truck:.................Todd Maxwell, Maxwell Brothers Best Vintage:....................................Mark Chalmers, Dynes Transport Best Fleet:.........................................Eden Haulage Best Paint Job:..................................Jamie Coote, Switzers Valley Transport People’s Choice:...............................James Peters, Te Anau Healy Transport Model Truck:...................................Jamie Petterson KING RIG 2021:............................Nick Young, Southern Transport
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Balclutha’s distinctive arched bridge is a regular backdrop to the Eastern Concrete Hino and its tanker as it makes its way to Dunedin for another load of cement.
INO CALLS ITS NEW 700 SERIES FLAGSHIP ‘the safest Hino ever’. That’s a claim you can’t argue against, given the amount of work that has gone into the model, but we reckon it’s overly modest to compare the newcomer against its brand predecessors only. The roster of advanced kit it carries means it can now be considered alongside the acknowledged leaders in the safety stakes. Okay, the company mightn’t yet be close to trotting out a full autonomous truck, but in terms of accessible, up-to-the-minute safety gear the 700 sports a full hand. Top billing goes to the driver monitor, based on a camera set in the driver’s-side A-pillar that constantly checks body posture, face direction and eyelids for evidence of driver drowsiness or inattention to the road ahead, upon which it sounds an alert. Then there’s what Hino calls PCS (Pre-Collision System), first seen three years ago with the upgraded 500 Series and followed in 2020 with the 300. A forward-facing camera on the dash top and a millimetre-band radar set behind the grille is constantly monitoring the possibility of impact with other vehicles or pedestrians in front of the truck, based on relative speeds and closing distances. When the system judges there is a high risk of collision it sounds an alert in the first instance and then automatically applies the brakes if the software determines the driver hasn’t taken appropriate action. The technology at the heart of the PCS is shared by the model’s adaptive cruise control, which holds the pre-set speed until the associated safe distance to vehicles ahead reduces, upon which the speed is automatically reduced as well. A lane departure warning system carries over from the
outgoing model, but now uses the stereo radio speakers at either end of the dash to sound a warning. Instead of the central alert used previously, the updated system lets the driver know intuitively which direction the vehicle is straying. There’s also what Hino calls a ‘Staggering Warning’ system, which seems to be based on the lane departure setup but warns of untoward vehicle movement. So, if you feel like a bit of high-spirited swerving in your new 700, be prepared to receive a disapproving ‘tut-tut’. Rounding out the package are stability control, ABS and EBS, revolutionary a few years ago, but now standard fitment on all new models from every maker. In the case of the new Hino 700, the EBS uses an electronic signal from the pedal to the brake modulator in place of the more conventional pneumatic system, leading to a sharper response time. The EBS also monitors total vehicle weight and adjusts the braking force proportionally to achieve the required deceleration. In terms of structural and design upgrades, the 700’s pretty much following the path beaten by the 500 and 300, essentially a full remake of the cab interior plus some minor changes to the exterior styling. Inside, the dash is more wraparound than previously, sports a high-tech carbon-fibre finish to many of its surfaces, and has a redesigned instrument panel featuring larger speedo and tacho dials either side of a central multimedia screen. Cab layout is pretty much Japanese-heavy standard, with a narrow bunk behind the seats, a row of sunshine-bright LED interior lights and a big, flat centre console with a lift-up lid giving access to incidental storage below. The bunk would be handy for a nap while waiting in line at a port terminal but falls way short of cutting it for an overnight sleep. In a typical Kiwi application, it works best as an easy Truck & Driver | 27
access storage space for items like hard hats and rain gear. The torsion bar cab suspension of previous 700 Series models has been replaced by a new design, featuring triangular subframes and double spring/damper units front and rear, while the 13-litre models like our test truck are distinguished from their 9-litre variants by a bold new four-slat grille (the smaller-engined units also have a new grille, but with three slats). The test truck is a 6x4 tractor unit that’s run by Gore’s Eastern Concrete and currently enjoys a pretty cruisy life running the 330km round trip between home base and Port Dunedin around five times a week, hitched to a three-axle bulk cement tanker. That’s some way off its potential future operations, says Eastern Concrete’s owner, Craig Winsloe, who explains that it has been bought with an eye to eventual HPMV B-train applications – either with a pair of curtainsider trailers or a second tanker unit. Just which precisely will depend on how the Covid-triggered chaos in shipping settles down, he adds. Established in 1992, Eastern Concrete has carved out a solid independent niche in a market dominated by some pretty big players. The company runs six ready-mix units and a pump and has a clientele based on Gore and the surrounding rural areas. It maintains an even stouter level of independence with its own aggregate quarry to back up the batching plant. The 700 Series model rounds out a Hino-dominated line-up, having replaced the Freightliner Columbia that previously did the tanker duty. That truck was an 8x4, set up about six years ago when the then regulations made eight-wheelers look like a good proposition, says Craig. However, changes since have brought a 6x4 tractor unit more into the frame, so when the call was made to replace the trouble-prone Freightliner (“just one of those Monday trucks,” he says) the 700 Series fitted the bill nicely. He rates Hinos highly: “They were among the heavierbuilt Japanese trucks in the early to mid-1990s, with tough engines and gearboxes, maybe a bit underpowered but reliable. “I hired a couple in the early days of the business and found they worked very well, so I went with the brand when I bought my first new truck. Once we had a couple we didn’t want to change, and they gave us no problems, so we’ve stuck with them ever since,” says Craig. The tanker trailer is an interesting unit. It’s one of a pair Craig imported from Taiwan a decade ago (the other went to Canterbury). In standard form the units were built with two axles rated around 11t each, so he brought them in minus axles and had a triple SAF set fitted in line with local regulations by Millar Engineering of Temuka. Until two years ago Eastern received its bulk supplies from Drymix Cement, via Bluff, but that company going into receivership has left Holcim as the South Island’s only supplier, so the tanker now picks up from Dunedin. Craig is waiting to see how international shipping rates and services settle before making the call on the economics of direct importing. This is likely to involve the product arriving in containers, in one-tonne bulk bags, calling for devanning for transferring to silos. For the present, it’s the Gore-Dunedin loop for the Hino 28 | Truck & Driver
Hella NZ
Opposite page, from top: Big new grille lifts to reveal orderly layout of servicing points, cab boasts new suspension system; power cab tilt incorporates a clever remote latching system for its control; EB13C engine has quite a long heritage, but is still producing the goods in Euro 6 form; right-side muffler/ catalyser is nicely compact. This page: The 700 heads out of Holcim at Port Dunedin with a full load aboard.
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Big new grille makes the newcomer easily recognisable, also distinguishes the 13-litre model from its 9-litre sibling, which has three slats instead of four.
and local-born-and-raised driver Alan Bland, who was enticed out of retirement by what promised originally to be two or three trips a week. But Alan is doing double that on average and Craig admits he’s a bit embarrassed by the situation. “We were lucky to drag him out of retirement to drive. It was word of mouth. An ex-employee of ours was working part-time for Allied in Gore and I run into him quite often. He knew I was looking for a casual driver on the new Hino and suggested I call Alan. “Initially I was thinking it might be two or three trips a week, but during the summer the work kept building up (and its hasn’t really slackened off ) so it’s up to more like five,” says Craig. Alan’s pretty relaxed about the deal. It’s not often you step into a brand-new truck for a part-time job, he reckons. And a five-hour round trip four or five days a week is a gentle winddown after a career that has been almost all driving, for a wide variety of firms and in an equally wide range of situations. A minor downside comes from the fact he’s never sure until the day before whether he’ll be needed, but it’s not a biggie. He says he was pretty much fated for a truckie’s life, for his first time behind the wheel was at 12 years old, shifting a farmer neighbour’s Bedford along the road between paddocks. He also recalls being at his grandparent’s farm one time, watching a Southland Council truck changing down for a hill and declaring: “One day I’m going to drive one of them.” Which he eventually did (after a few years working on a farm, and a couple of seasons at the local freezing works). With the
Council, the job was primarily carting gravel, originally in V8 Commers, then a Leyland Chieftain, which was followed by the first of the Nissan diesels. From that period also, he has fond memories of driving an N-Series Volvo, towing a three-axle bottom dumper. A shift northward, to Christchurch, followed. There he drove for his father-in-law, carting steel from Lyttleton Port to Steel & Tube in the city. Then came a switch to logging, including spells with Broadbridge, SML and with a self-loading truck taking logs out of woodlots for a farmer in North Canterbury. An opportunity had beckoned to work in Marlborough, but Alan figured that was far enough away from home territory, so he returned to Southland, initially to drive Volvo and Scania tankers for Fonterra, before swapping back to logging work with Tullochs. Away from trucks, Alan gained considerable success in speedway competition, winning several regional and provincial championships with his headline achievement being victory in the New Zealand Modified title in 1982. We’re on the move out of Eastern Concrete’s Gore depot not long after 7am, Alan commenting that, while on the face of it the route might seem to be boring. “There’s always something different happening on the road, and a lot of it is pretty daft, from other road users,” he points out. One thing’s obvious from the start – poor old State Highway 1 is beginning to show its age in this part of the world, and from the non-sprung passenger seat you get all the surface Truck & Driver | 31
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imperfections the truck suspension can’t handle. Which, given the state of the road, is surprisingly little. The 700 has steel front suspension (which gets a bit flustered over the worst ripples), but Hendrickson air on the driving set. Combine this with the redesigned cab suspension and you get a pretty good overall result. The driver, meanwhile, gets another layer of insulation in the form of an Isri NTSC2 seat, with seven-way adjustment only part of its bells and whistles. To this, the truck chimes in via a full range of tilt and reach adjustment for the steering wheel. Even Quasimodo could quickly get comfy here. Early on in the trip, Alan has a play with the lane departure warning, demonstrating how on a typical winding New Zealand road like this stretch of SH1, the system is triggering constantly
as the truck nudges the painted edge line. He shrugs: “It would work perfectly on a multilane highway – but there’s no point in using it here, so I keep it switched off.” Which is not to say the Hino/tanker combination is at all wandery, far from it. The truck’s steering is a delight, combining accuracy of placement with enough feedback to let the driver know what’s happening at the road surface with being too chattery. The tanker trailer plays a big part here, as well, tracking precisely through bends and never intruding on the combination’s stability. Later, Craig Winsloe comments that an eyeball check suggests the Taiwan-built unit looks to sit a little lower than other cement tankers, meaning it probably has a centre of gravity advantage which should aid stability, and likely also contribute to its impeccable tracking.
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Opposite page: Badging reveals 480hp rated output; fuel tank provides a range of more than 800km. This page, above: Redesigned interior features high-tech materials, big display screens and wraparound layout, but steering wheel could benefit from the addition of buttons for phone and radio. Right: Driver gets top-end ISRI seat. Note camera on A pillar for the driver monitor system, that checks eye and head movement and warns of potential driver drowsiness.
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Further into the trip, Alan runs through a series of eyelid droops, head turns and body slumps that show the driver monitor system isn’t infallible. But though it can be spoofed intermittently, its strike rate is still impressive, and it’s certain to save many a driver’s life. Hino has, pragmatically, over the years steered away from trying to build its own transmissions, depending on the 18-speed Road Ranger for earlier 700 Series models. With the newcomer, it has made the call for auto across the range, which means Allison’s six-speed 3200 torque converter unit for the 9-litre variant and ZF’s excellent TraXon 2440 16-speed AMT alongside the 13-litre E13C six in our FS2848 test model. The transmission also comes integrated with ZF’s IT3 intarder, which piggybacks on the engine’s Jake brake to offer a fivestage auxiliary brake menu that could darn near allow the rig to crawl down the face of a brick wall if asked nicely. Alan is super impressed by its performance: “Coming out of Dunedin towards Mosgiel, fully loaded, it’s simply a matter of having the transmission in 14th gear at the top of the hill, switching on the retarder, and letting it go. It will pick up a little speed, and automatically shift up another ratio towards the bottom, but there’s no need to touch the brakes for the whole way down.” The transmission, too, scores highly...though he reckons the Volvo I-Shift would still be the gold standard. He finds that the ZF can get a bit fussy on the little undulations of the highway in the Balclutha region, popping down a ratio at the sniff of a climb but getting quickly back to 16th as the slope eases. The fix is easy, he says: “It doesn’t need to do that, for the engine can easily handle it, so once you get used to the road and you know one of these pitches is coming up, it’s just a matter of tapping the end of the transmission stalk, which locks it in Manual, then another tap brings it back to Auto when you’re ready.” The stalk in question is ideally positioned to the left of the steering column, so this operation can be carried out with the thumb still on the wheel. He sees little point in not keeping the advanced cruise control on pretty well all the time, especially since the speedo reads quite high (99km/h indicated at a true 90), so you don’t have to be continuously calculating what your actual speed is. Steering wheel-mounted buttons make the cruise control simple to adjust, but Alan reckons Hino has dropped the ball a little in this area by not adding radio and phone functions to the steering wheel. As it is, it carries just a menu selector for the instrument panel display screen on the opposite spoke from the cruise control. You wouldn’t think it would be difficult to add a couple more functions, he says: “After all, you have to take your eyes off the road to adjust the radio or mute it when there’s a call, especially since it’s quite a way across on the dash – which is not all that good for safety.” Apart from the climb out of Dunedin towards Lookout Point the 700’s standard route doesn’t put the engine under much pressure, and it handles the all-up weight of just on 39t with ease. It’ll have to breathe a little deeper if it eventually gets a H-rating, but even then, it shouldn’t struggle too much. While not pretending to be in the same league as the 700hp monsters (it tops out at 480hp/353kW), the 13C offers a broad spread of useful effort. Peak torque of 2157Nm/1590 lb-ft holds steady from 1000 to 1500rpm, and the urge drops away only slowly after that, meaning the unit is still making more than 465hp at its 2000rpm redline. As a corollary, there’s no such thing as a narrow sweet spot 34 | Truck & Driver
Top: Alan Brand was enticed out of retirement to do the Eastern Concrete tanker run, reckons scoring a brand-new truck for a part-time job is a pretty good deal. Above: Taiwan-built tanker sits low and tracks beautifully, making the combination a delight on the twistier sections of the route.
Truck & Driver | 35
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Parts of SH1 in the South are beginning to show their age, but the steel/air suspension of the 700 keeps things comfy.
for the engine, which seems happy (should the driver bypass the gearbox and push it to either end of the rev range in Manual) to keep delivering the goods no matter what the provocation or the revs. The cherry on that particular cake is that fact the test truck is geared for a spot-on 1500rpm at 90km/h, ready to rock’n’roll both up and down. Cut it how you will, these are very impressive figures for a basic design that goes back now the thick end of 15 years. It can be easy to forget the engineering wizards of that time at Hino had penned an engine that incorporated both internal and external EGR, SCR exhaust aftertreatment and common rail fuel injection. And here it is, still trucking on, and making Euro 6 in its latest guise. At the time of our test the truck has barely 30,000km under its belt, so the engine is in its infancy with a bit more freeing up to come. But it’s already returning fuel figures of 2.3-2.4km/l. Granted, were it regularly lugging 50t-plus on the Napier-Taupo, the numbers would be a way less, but as they are they’re still not too bad. At the Holcim facility at Port Dunedin, it takes only a few minutes under gravity feed for the tank to fill. At the batching plant in Gore, using the onboard electrically-operated three-phase blower, the process will take a good hour says Alan. And nor is it something you can walk away from and return when it’s done. he adds: “The cement has to be really dry, otherwise it can clog. You have to keep an eye on the pressure gauges all the time to check for blockages,” says Alan. The trip home is broken briefly at Lake Waihola for Hayden Woolston to take the wheel and for us to check the under-cab TD32602
ed
area. The Hino has a powered cab tilt system with a remote release for the access hatch to the control unit behind the leftside steps that requires the front grille shroud to be first lifted. There’s nothing more embarrassing to start lifting a cab, only to find the grille is being creased against the bumper. On the general subject of the cab, wide-opening doors, deep steps with no-nonsense tread grips and well-placed grab handles take the stress out of getting in and out. Once in place, drivers have little to worry about by way of vision forward and back, the former catered to with a big, uncluttered screen and slim A-pillars, the latter benefiting from big, steady mirrors. Incidental storage will never meet the home-on-wheels standard of a full sleeper cab, but there’s an adequate supply of resting places for bottles and the like. The new Hinos hint very much of a Japanese truck industry that’s starting to fight back against the incursion of European interests into the lucrative domestic market and overseas territories that might once have looked secure but have become less so. Isuzu’s recent purchase of UD Trucks from Volvo is a key indicator, as is the news that the ever-pragmatic Hino proposes to begin offering Cummins engines with the 700 Series in North America. Then there’s the recently announced alliance between Hino, Isuzu and Hino’s parent Toyota. Called the Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation, the body aims to develop fuel cell and electric trucks. Considering the Toyota Mirai car and Sora transit bus (developed in conjunction with Hino) are among the very limited numbers of fuel-cell vehicles in production, you wouldn’t be wagering the sheep station against the Corporation being first into the future with fuel-cell heavy trucks, would you? T&D Truck & Driver | 37
HT
Test
AYDEN REVOR
T
HIS MONTH WE’VE TRAVELLED TO a part of the country where I love driving trucks. I believe South Otago and Southland have some of the best roads in New Zealand and it’s funny to learn the regular driver of our test truck, Alan Bland, doesn’t share my enthusiasm. But that’s because he hasn’t driven Northland roads all that much. We are in Gore to catch up with Alan and Eastern Concrete’s new Hino 700. It’s not an entirely new Hino model but it has benefitted from a leap forward in technology and a huge interior redesign. It’s another new truck launched in recent times with not very much in the way of fanfare, so this is my first experience with the new 700. Our test is from Gore to Dunedin and back, so Alan takes the unit north to Dunedin and I take over at Lake Waihola on the return leg.
Back over the Balclutha bridge with a full load, and Hayden Woolston at the wheel. The 700 is ideally geared, thanks to the ZF TraXon AMT, never impedes the flow of other traffic.
38 | Truck & Driver
The climb up into the 700 cab is no trouble with a wide opening door and three cascading steps with well-placed grab handles on each side of the door. Once up in the cab the driver is greeted by an ISRI seat with 7-way adjustment. It’s one of the best seats in the industry, accompanied by a full range tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel which makes it easy to get comfortable. In front of the driver is a modern dash with tacho and speedometer positioned to the left and right and a digital display in the centre. This is controlled from the buttons on the left-hand side of the steering wheel, on the right-hand side of the wheel are the cruise control buttons. However, a couple of functions seem to be missing on the steering wheel, such as handsfree phone controls and radio controls. It’s something that probably should be there as to
Hayden Woolston
not to divert the driver’s attention over to the dash while on the move. This truck is unique in the fact that it has three steering column stalks - two on the left and one on the right. The upper left controls the wipers and the 5-stage engine brake,
and the lower is for the automatic manual mode override. The right-hand stalk has the headlight and indicator controls. The fit out in this cab is the most visual change on the new 700 over its predecessor. The plastic interior has been replaced with a more modern looking carbon-look black surfaces contrasted by a brown centre console. The dash now has a more wraparound design and like most other Japanese brands there is a boxy centre storage compartment. It’s time to leave Lake Waihola and head south on my test drive. To put the truck in gear there is a toggle on the dash to select drive, neutral or reverse. The exit from the lakeside parking lot is very tight and I’m thankful for the mirrors which show me the rear wheels of the trailer as we pull out. Out on State Highway 1 and heading south to Gore the truck gets up to speed with ease. Only being 39-tonnes all up it’s no trouble for the 480hp engine. I’m pleasantly surprised by the whole experience of driving this unit with the 480hp 13-litre engine working really well with the ZF TraXon 2440 16-speed AMT plus a comfy and
quiet cab. The steering is nicely weighted, and the threeaxle trailer follows the truck accurately. I do think it has something to do with the roads down between Balclutha and Clinton where the rolling hills and nice sweeping corners just don’t seem to upset any vehicle. On this terrain between Balclutha and Gore it becomes evident the gearbox can at times be a little too eager to drop an extra gear near the top of a gentle rise instead of just holding on. The easy solution is to grab manual mode on the lower left stalk and hold the gear until you’re at the top and then it’s only a finger push on the stalk again to get you back into auto mode. Once on the downhill side of the hills the new 700 offers a 5-stage auxiliary brake which works so well you barely need to use the brakes. On the way back through Clinton it’s time to give the truck back to Alan - I want to keep driving but we have to share the driving time we have. This test has left me pleasantly surprised by the performance and refinement of the new Hino 700. I’d like to try this truck loaded at 50-tonne on Northland roads to compare the experience. T&D
• SPECIFICATIONS • HINO 700 FS2848 6x4 Engine: Hino E13C-BK Capacity: 12.9 litres Maximum Power: 353kW (480hp) @ 1600-1800rpm Maximum Torque: 2157Nm (1590lb ft) @ 1200-1600rpm Engine Revs: 1500rpm @ 90km/h in 16th gear Fuel capacity: 390 litres Transmission: 16-speed ZF 16 TX Traxon AMT Ratios: 1st – 14.58 2nd – 12.05 3rd – 9.92 4th – 8.14 5th – 6.78 6th – 5.56 7th – 4.57 8th – 3.75 9th – 3.22 10th – 2.64 11th – 2.17 12th – 1.78 13th – 1.49 14th – 1.22 15th – 1.00 16th – 0.82 Reverse – R1 16.20, R2 12.50, R3 3.17, R4 2.46 Front axle: HINO MF781R, rated at 7500kg Rear axles: HINO THD 17, combined rating of 21,000kg Auxiliary brakes: Engine brake plus gearbox-mounted ZF IT3 intarder Front suspension: Taper leaf springs, shock absorbers, stabiliser bars Rear suspension: Hendrickson HAS 460 air suspension, shock absorbers, stabiliser bars GVM: 28,300kg GCM: 63,000kg
Truck & Driver | 39
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31/05/22 1:25 PM
Driving the economy
Increased diversity in the industry will be critical if we are to become more competitive in the labour market.
Labour market to get tougher R by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
ECENT POPULATION DATA RELEASED by Statistics New Zealand should have made all employers in this country stand up and notice, including road transport operators. A couple of headline figures we should all be concerned about are that during the last year New Zealand’s working age population shrank by 0.2 percent, with a massive 3.1 percent reduction in the number of people in their 20s. The number of 20 to 39-year-olds was down 0.7 percent and those aged 25 to 29 dropped a whopping 4 percent. All this was in the year up to March 2022, a year where the borders were mostly closed and there was heightened uncertainty around international travel. Now that borders have reopened all indications are that this brain drain will only get worse. Government officials have even anticipated
that up to 125,000 people could leave the country in the next year and it is unlikely that recent immigration changes will do much to compensate for that. This decline in the working population will have a significant impact on our labour market. Basically, we are looking at a situation where employers will be competing over a much smaller pool of talent, particularly when it comes to younger workers. In such an environment, only the best employers will pick up good keen staff and they will need to do everything they can to ensure they have a workplace that will attract and keep workers. For years our members have told us that they have trucks parked up because they can’t get drivers, which is worrying as we enter what will be an even more difficult period for employers. To help operators, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting
Truck & Driver | 41
1:25 PM
Driving the economy
Doug Kamo will MC Transporting New Zealand’s 2022 Conference, The Road Ahead.
New Zealand, has undertaken a number of initiatives to boost our industry’s workforce, including our industry traineeship, Te ara ki tua Road to success. In response to the Omicron wave that forced many workers to isolate at home we also ran a relief driver campaign with recruitment experts HainesAttract and the Ministry of Social Development. The campaign, SOS Save our Supply Chain, was about finding out how many people were out there keen to drive trucks. We had about 600 people sign up so if you urgently need drivers, please get in contact with us. Transporting New Zealand has also launched the Driving Change Diversity Programme, sponsored by Teletrac Navman and the Australian Trucking Association. This initiative celebrates diversity and is about developing diversity champions as well as improving the image of the industry more generally. From a cultural perspective this is important. New Zealand has come a long way over the past 10-to-20 years and is a much more inclusive, multi-ethnic society and this needs to be reflected in our industry. Some may write this off as too PC but there are significant commercial benefits to being open to a more diverse workforce. The Driving Change Diversity Programme will showcase diversity champions in our industry by promoting their stories, a positive
perception of the industry, and encouraging new entrants into the workforce. Participants will learn how to create change and facilitate diversity in their workplace, become a diversity ambassador and develop a strong professional network with like-minded individuals. They will also receive ongoing professional development to build skills to enact industry change and be encouraged to become mentors to participants of the Te ara ki tua Road to Success scheme. If you or someone you know would like to be considered you can apply via the online nomination form at www.roadtosuccess.nz/ driving-change-diversity-programme or via the QR code on this page. If you have any further questions regarding the programme, please contact us at success@transporting.nz. The Road Ahead Conference 2022 After a false start due to Covid lockdowns in 2021, Transporting New Zealand has rearranged The Road Ahead Conference for 28-29 September 2022. We invite you to join us at Invercargill’s Ascot Park Hotel to contemplate what’s ahead for transport operators as the world looks to recover from the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. The conference will focus on our changing workforce, sustainability and environmental requirements, future fuel sources, supply chain issues, and digital and other disruptors. Speakers
Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 info@transporting.nz
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42 | Truck & Driver
will include Minister of Transport Michal Wood, Waka Kotahi Chief Executive Nicole Rosie and economic commentator Cameron Bagrie. The keynote speaker will be Animation Research Limited’s Sir Ian Taylor. Sir Ian has become a household name in recent years and was an outspoken critic of the Government’s Covid19 MIQ system. Doug Kamo, who many will remember from Dunedin in 2018, is back as Conference MC. As well as the more formal programme, the Conference is an important networking opportunity where we get together, share stories and discuss the challenges that we are all facing in this industry. The event will also provide us the opportunity to celebrate and recognise the work of our industry and its critical role in facilitating and contributing to our export-led economy through the Road Transport Industry Awards. There is also a two-day partners programme that includes a trip to Stewart Island (weather dependent) and a tour of the Seriously Good Chocolate Company. Registration is now available at https:// conference.transporting.nz with an early-bird discount running until 31 July. We look forward to seeing you in Invercargill. QR Code – please run alongside final paragraph in first section of this column. T&D
Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@transporting.nz
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The R & L Beale 2018 Kenworth K200 ready to collect another load of logs near Waimarama, south of Hastings.
ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A LOG TRUCK driver and ultimately own my own truck,” says Ray Beale as we watch the newest addition to his fleet, a stunning new Kenworth T659 arrive at a skid site north of Napier. Owning a fleet of trucks was never part of the plan. But following several years of growth, R & L Beale Log Transport owners Ray and Louise Beale now have 10 trucks working throughout Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa. So where does this all begin? Trevor (Ray’s dad) recounts times when he was a driver and would take young Ray out in the truck with him. Trevor says that from an early age, Ray showed a natural talent for working with machinery. “At three years of age he comes out on a job with me - of course it was quite okay in those days - and I was driving an old Foden and I got the truck stuck out at Akitio. So I said `come on boy, hop into this machine here, when I toot the horn you push this lever up and when I toot the horn again you let it go’. “`Yes dad’ Ray replies, and he winched me out! “Another example was we were working up the back of Dannevirke and the Panpac guys were coming in with their real flash rigs taking some of the wood away. “One of them gets stuck and he says, `I’ll have to get you to come and pull me out with a `dozer.’ “I replied `yeah, yeah good as gold, I’ll get the boy to come down and pull you out.’
“Ray was probably nine or 10 maybe and this driver said `I’m not having any kid pull my truck out.’ So I said `that’s fine, I’m loading the rest of them so you’ll have to wait.’ “The driver responds, `oh, okay send him down and we’ll see how we get on.’ After that they were all more than happy to use him.” Obviously Ray understood from an early age how to operate machinery. He was able to go to work with his dad on a regular basis and Trevor says “he used to go out with my guys in the trucks back in the ‘80s.” Trevor chuckles with another memory. “Ray used to give a little bit of lip to a couple of the drivers in the safety of being the boss’s son. One guy, Merv Thomas who has now passed away sadly, got the other driver to stop on the bridge just out of town here, drags Ray out of the cab grabs him by his legs, hangs him over the edge of the bridge and says `you don’t talk to me like that.’ “Ray squeals `oh I’ll never do that again Mr Thomas!” There is much laughter in the recounting of this tale and Ray adds; “and then I ended up working with Merv and later he talked me into driving for McCarthy’s.” Ray’s first job driving trucks was in 1998 aged 18 driving a four-wheeler for Flyways and then in 1999 he got his first job as a logging truck driver. By the age of 21 he was with McCarthy’s driving a brand new ERF all over the North Island and was then based at Karioi Truck & Driver | 47
for three years. Having an opportunity to drive a truck for Billy Whyte, who was operating one truck at Panpac, meant he moved to Napier where he learned a lot. When Billy sold his operation Ray went to work for DG Glenn Logging Ltd in 2006 and stayed there for more than 10 years. During that time an opportunity arose for Ray to buy his first truck. “In November 2015 dad had gone to Southpac to look at a truck, which he bought. I asked him to have a look at the one that was parked next to it in their yard. I ended up buying it, so the first truck I owned was a Kenworth 104 [2002 model] which I’ve still got.” Ray says Dennis Glenn and Rob Scurr were huge
The first truck in the fleet is this 2002 Kenworth K104 which is still working for R & L Beale Log Transport.
48 | Truck & Driver
influences on him. “As I was getting into business for myself I was still working for them. They were so good to get proper advice from and still are today. I’ll ring Rob or Dennis a lot of the time and if something is not quite right they’ll always give me their best advice,” says Ray. “They are just good, positive people. They knew what I was up to and I was able to talk to them about heading into my own company.” Ray bought his second truck (an ex-Bob Cliff Kenworth 104) in June 2016. He was still working for Dennis at Panpac but his trucks were working outside Panpac for Jason Evans (who he still carts for) with his logging crews. Ray won his first contract with Jason carting export logs from Te Aute to the port in Napier.
As the operation got bigger Ray needed to get another truck to keep up with the workload. And that’s the way the business has expanded the whole way through. In 2016 he bought a 2011 Freightliner which was painted in a blue and red livery which now has been adopted as the colour scheme to identify the R & L Beale Log Transport Fleet. Another ex-Panpac Kenworth 104 was added in the beginning of 2017 along with a second hand KW 904 in May `17. Ray then bought his first brand new truck in 2017, a flat roof sleeper Kenworth K200 which went on the road in May `18. He left DG Logging in 2017. “It was becoming too much with driving and also managing four of my own trucks by the time I left
Dennis,” says Ray. “I had always wanted a contract at Panpac but there wasn’t one available for me so I decided to get my own trucks sourcing other work. Now the full circle has happened and we have started a contract with Panpac in March with the new Kenworth T659 that we took delivery of in February this year.” Panpac have allocated Ray the number RB79. That’s because of the Kenworth W924 that Trevor owns and still works - had the same number when it was working at Panpac back in the `70s. Ray explains he has four main customers. Rather than have all his eggs in one basket he has been able to remain very independent and not reliant on one contract. He says it keeps the company less exposed
Loading another of the Kenworth K200s in the R & L Beale fleet.
Truck & Driver | 49
The inherited metallic blue colour that the Beales have developed further gives the fleet a strong visual presence.
to some of the volatility that can happen in the logging industry. “Ted and Paul at Harvest Logistics in the Napier region have been strong customers who have supported us right from the word go. They have been awesome to work for and we have worked with them for the last five years,” says Ray The R & L Beale Log Transport fleet now numbers 10 trucks. Two more are arriving later this year - another Flat Roof K200 and a Scania 730. Ray says the reasons for the Scania are driver preference and a good deal supported by the Scania Assistance programme. “The driver has been with me from the start and we really value him. That’s what he wanted, so it made economic sense to buy it and keep him happy,” says Ray. And he says it’s a similar story with the new K200. “It’s the same thing, he’s such a good young fella who’s been with us for a couple of years and that’s what he wants, so that’s what he gets. You’ve got to look after your drivers!” While R & L Beale Log Transport has grown steadily, it was never part of the plan for the fleet to reach double figures. Ray says the goal for the future is to maintain what they already have, mainly because of the driver situation. “We were encouraged into expansion by customers I guess, who were saying `you are either in or you are out.’ “It has been really good but it’s become harder to manage with drivers, volatile diesel prices, RUC changes, maintenance and all the other challenges that are part of running a business of this size and 50 | Truck & Driver
making sure that it’s financially viable. I’m not the only one with these problems to deal with but it sure is busy.” Ray recalls doing all of the office work on the kitchen table when they first started out. He then had a small office at home and now a new office has been built. Two years ago Louise (Ray’s wife of 18 years) gave up a 20-year career in nursing – which she absolutely loved – to run the office full-time as the workload with accounts and compliance issues continued to grow. Ray runs the day-to-day operation dispatching and managing the drivers and trucks. “We never wanted to do that [work together] as it can put extra pressure on your relationship at a time when you want to spend time together getting away from work,” says Ray. “However it works out real well as I am always out and about and Louise works in the office, so we really only see each other at either end of the day.” Although he grew up in Dannevirke, Ray is no relation to the similarly named Beale Trucking Ltd just a 30 minute drive south at Pahiatua. “Nah we’re not, no relation at all but we get on really well,” says Ray. “It’s quite funny cause Regan will come to Napier or I’ll go to Masterton and because we are both R Beale we will both get people ringing us questioning a job or something, and we’ll realise that has nothing to do with ourselves and it’s the other R Beale they need to speak to. R & L Beale Log Transport predominantly run a Kenworth fleet with a mixture of three-, four- and
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Actual product performance may vary depending upon vehicle configuration, operation, service and other factors. Hendrickson_Truck&Driver_July2022.indd 1 ©2022 Hendrickson USA,Actual performance maytrademarks vary depending vehicle by configuration, service factors.in one or more countries. L.L.C.product All Rights Reserved. All shownupon are owned Hendricksonoperation, USA, L.L.C., or oneand of other its affiliates, ©2022 Hendrickson USA, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks shown are owned by Hendrickson USA, L.L.C., or one of its affiliates, in one or more countries. Hendrickson_Truck&Driver_July2022.indd 1 Hendrickson_Truck&Driver_July2022.indd 1
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“Dad’s ingenuity, work ethic and positivity have been huge to me as an example to follow.” five-axle trailers to cope with the variety of work and terrain. “We have Kraft, Patchell and Mills Tui trailers as part of the fleet so it’s horses for courses really. We need to have the flexibility to load out where ever,” says Ray. There are six trucks currently operating from the company base at Clive with two working out of both Waipukurau and Dannevirke. There are many challenges with running a busy log transport operation. “One of the huge challenges we have had to deal with lately has been the spiralling cost of diesel which has increased by 100% in a year,” says Ray. “So you need to have a really good relationship with your clients because you can’t absorb that on a fixed contract. All you really can do is just talk. “We have really good relationships with our customers. These are guys that I have worked with for the last four or five years so they are all good to deal with.
R & L Beale Log Transport mainly works in the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa forestry areas.
52 | Truck & Driver
“They are reasonable and I am reasonable. For example, sometimes log prices go down and these customers need us to adjust our rates to keep the job going, which we have been able to renegotiate in the past. So it’s a two-way street and they are understanding. We need to focus on the win-win so that we can both survive and be sustainable.” The biggest influences on Ray clearly have come from his family background. “One of the biggest influences has definitely been Dad. His ingenuity, work ethic and positivity have been huge to me as an example to follow. He’s 70 and still going. He says the word `can’ has played an important role in his attitude. “If you want to do it, then do it and don’t give up. I think that also comes from my mum. She may be a quiet lady but if she wants to do something, it gets done.” Drawing from the inspiration of others Ray has had some sayings put on a couple of his new trucks.
Kenworth T659 8x4 is the most recent addition to the fleet.
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Truck & Driver | 53
Above: Trevor Beale in his Dannevirke workshop. Below: The Kenworth W924 before Trevor bought it in 1999.
A CRUCIAL PART OF THE R & L BEALE LOG TRANSPORT STORY is Ray’s father, Trevor. Growing up in Dannevirke during the 1950’s, Trevor is self-taught when it comes to the engineering and mechanical skills he’s still using every day. “I was definitely more interested in machinery but my dad wasn’t, he was a plumber by trade,” says Trevor. “But I guess learning as you went and figuring things out yourself, that’s the way life was in those days. You had no option, if something broke you had to fix it. So you got used to it.” Trevor’s truck driving career began in a TK Bedford carting fertiliser to farms out the back of Hastings. He then moved into logging for a while and also worked for a local company in Dannevirke doing town deliveries. He’s always been based in Dannevirke apart from six months working in the Wairarapa removing fallen trees from the power lines following the 1968 storm that sank the Wahine. He worked for the local council driving metal trucks for a short time and then in 1976 Trevor bought his first loader and AllisChalmers HD5 bulldozer with a winch on the back. While he’s always been involved in forestry, Trevor’s focus hasn’t been on the big forestry blocks but rather the smaller stuff such as road edge trees and woodlots. Trevor says a lot has changed during his time in the forestry game.
I’ve got quotes on a few of my trucks. I try to be positive with everything. On the new T659 I have `Courage is being half scared to death but saddling up anyway’. `Surround yourself with those who are on the same mission as you’ is another quote Ray likes. “You can be crapping yourself when you see how much money is invested in the gear. New gear turns up and then you realise that you have to pay for it.” In April last year Ray added a three-man mechanised logging crew, working out of Weber near Dannevirke, to the operation. “It gives us the ability to put our own crew in a good 54 | Truck & Driver
spot and it ties everything in when we have our own wood to cart,” he says. “The irony is that we don’t have enough trucks to cart that wood at the moment so we do rely on getting other owner drivers in to help with the work load. And we have the flexibility to cart the logs to Wellington or Napier depending on what suits.” Ray’s current role is in dispatch and filling in as a relief driver when needed. “I receive over 100 logistics calls a day and it feels like the phone is constantly ringing,” he says. “I’m trying my best to turn it over to someone else now. The trouble is we’ve got 10 drivers, so holidays
Trevor’s prized Kenworth W924 still gets to do some logging work. “Kiwi Lumber can now ring up and order 5000-tonnes of a certain grade of log whereas in the old days they took everything that came out. We used to have machines that were basically 12-tonne in forestry and think that was a big machine. Nowadays they are over 50 tonne! “We used to tow trailers to the job where now we carry them,” says Trevor. “I used to build my own trailers. I could ring up the certifying engineer and talk to him about what I wanted to build. He would listen to me and we would agree on what would need to be done and I could then take it over to him to check it and he would certify it based on our agreement. “He knew the standard that I was going to build to and it was then just making sure that that’s exactly what I had built. We are still using a lot of that gear today we built in the `80s and `90s.” Logging isn’t an easy game but Trevor has enjoyed the challenges and at 70 years of age he still works full time in the Dannevirke workshop he’s had since 1974. “The workshop is here to keep the supply chain working. I used to only work on our own trucks (he has eight trucks) but more recently we are also looking after parts of Ray’s fleet and a few others. “At the moment, whenever a truck needs a new gearbox we
go out and buy another second hand one. We’ve actually got five second hand gearboxes that need very little doing to them. I finished one yesterday and I’m half way through one now so my theory is if you have them sitting there and a truck has a problem, in it goes.” Trevor likes to solve problems that are a challenge. “I’ll get someone come and say ‘you look at things differently to what we do….what do you think?’ They are working on a digger or truck and they need some creative advice on how to understand why the problem has surfaced.” The prized possession in Trevor’s fleet is the 1976 Kenworth W924 ex-Panpac truck number 79 which he bought from Young Motors in May 1999 after Joe Gear Contracting owned it for 13 years. “I love the thing. I could get into it and drive to Auckland and really enjoy myself. The modern trucks just don’t interest me,” says Trevor. The classic Kenworth gets plenty of attention. “Everyone wants me to stop so they can get photos. I even got stopped by the LTSA guy near Napier and he says ‘we don’t want to give you a ticket or anything we just want to get a photo of your truck.’ “I just bought it to tow my gear around and yeah it does turn heads and I enjoy driving it. T&D
alone is 40 weeks a year and that’s not counting Covid-19, sick days, bereavement leave and every other thing that causes drama in someone’s life. “The hardest part of this business is trying to get away from it. Any down time is spent fishing and spending family time at the beach. Being able to get completely away from it all is not as easy as it sounds because both Louise and I work in the business, but being away does make it easier to switch off.” It’s easy to see how Louise and Ray have been able to work together successfully as a team. “This was my husband’s childhood dream to own a logging truck,” says Louise.
“We started the business in 2015 when Ray bought the first truck so I was always in the business parttime but moved to a full-time role two years ago as the business has grown. We used to have a full-time office girl and she was amazing. She ran the place like it was her own so when she left she trained another person and myself how to do her job which was really too big for one person. “So this wasn’t my career path originally. I had my own career nursing for 20 years. It wasn’t meant to happen this way but somehow everything got quite big, quite quick. “I tried to stay out of it initially because I didn’t Truck & Driver | 55
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Ray and Louise with their children Kaiden and Sophie.
want it to affect our marriage. I didn’t want it to be all we ever talked about. “Ray is actually really good at being able to walk in the door and switch off but because he is doing the dispatch in the evening the phone will go just as he’s starting to eat his dinner.” Louise says that Ray’s strength is his customer focus. “While we started off with just a couple of customers Ray builds such good relationships with them that they are screaming out for more trucks. “There is so much wood to shift but we only have so many trucks. As a result we have had to build relationships with owner drivers as well to help us with the workload. We’ve got 11 of our own drivers and one serviceman and four or five owner drivers that we work in with.” She says Ray also understands the importance of people to a successful business. “He’s always taking KFC out for the loader drivers or having sausage sizzles and he builds these really good relationships. And that’s where it gets hard because we get all this work and we haven’t got enough trucks. So you go buy more trucks and get more debt, bring on more staff, bring on more owner drivers and that brings on more headaches! Oh, it’s not easy.” Based on their own experiences Ray and Louise have supported drivers taking the opportunity to become owner drivers.
“We’ve had staff who say `I really want to buy a truck’ and we’ll say `buy a truck, have it on with us and we’ll help you out’, says Louise. “We’ll help them with getting the right finance company, insurance company, fuel cards, yard parking, accountants etc. We’ve got really supportive people around us like the finance, accountants and insurance brokers that we used from the start and we can ring them and they’ll fix any problem. “When we started we bought a `dunga’ of a truck and decided to give it a crack, so we know what it’s like starting from scratch. When we first started there were those who told us ‘you are never going to make it’ which was very disheartening. “You can give up very early but it’s actually provided a stimulus for us to get out there are say ‘well we’re still here and now we are buying brand new trucks which is pretty cool when you see them out on the road!’ “Just because we didn’t have business degrees and we had never run a business didn’t mean that we couldn’t surround ourselves with the right people and learn as we went,” says Louise. “At the start we had no idea how to run a business and felt like we didn’t know what the hell we were doing. But by surrounding ourselves with people that were there to help, we did learn. You can do anything if you want to.” Working and living together can stress any Truck & Driver | 57
Left: For the past two years Louise has worked full-time in the office after a 20-year career in nursing.
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Bottom: Ray Beale’s ambition of owning and driving a logging truck has become a growing fleet of 10 trucks.
relationship but after 18 years of marriage the Beale’s are still best friends. Louise believes that working together in the business has made them stronger. “One hundred percent. We both have a lot more respect for each other particularly when I came in to work full-time in the business and was there to support Ray. “Now we make decisions together and it’s brought us closer. So when Ray comes home and says he wants a new truck I just roll my eyes and accept it,” says Louise with much laughter.
“I trust his judgement, so if he thinks that we can justify another truck and we can afford another truck he can go and buy another truck! He’s never put us crook yet!” Ray and Louise have created a business that is based on hard work with a clear focus on relationship building and working as a team. Continuing to deliver on their “can do” attitude, it’s not hard to see more growth opportunities on the horizon for R&L Beale Log Transport. T&D
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58 | Truck & Driver
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LEGENDS
Peter Elphick P
ETER ELPHICK, LONG-TIME LOGGING PRODUCTION manager with Patchell Industries, and until recently a shareholder in the Rotorua trailer maker, is heading into what promises to be a busy retirement. But though he’s looking forward to the projects he has planned, Peter admits he will also miss the day-to-day contact with people in the transport industry – many of whom have become firm friends. This month’s Southpac Legend is richly deserving of the Legend title, Peter’s ‘can-do’ attitude helping guide many a challenging project through to a successful conclusion. Welding and general fabrication have been the constant themes in Peter’s career, yet he says that wasn’t the path he began after he left school in the mid-1970s. “I actually started an apprenticeship as a coachbuilder with the NZ Railways at the Otahuhu workshops but didn’t enjoy the bookwork and the rules and the formal training. So, I left and went to work with a firm in Tauranga, Polecat Industries, which handled all manner of general engineering – building and repairing trailers, fabricating glasshouses and a lot more.” Not long after, he foreshadowed his future work life with a four-month spell with Patchell’s, before going into business with a partner. That partnership broke up after a time, and he subsequently worked with a contractor, Gary Clark, installing LPG facilities in service stations across the central North Island for Rockgas. He recalls that time fondly: “It was lucrative work and very enjoyable. I was primarily the welder, but I also dug the ditches
60 | Truck & Driver
and installed the tanks and pumps. However, after about two years we’d broken the back of it – this was a time when there was a big shift to LPG, but after we’d finished the installations it became more a matter of routine maintenance, which was then handled by Fuelquip.” In 1986, with the LPG work finished, he returned to Patchell’s. Again, this promised at first sight to be just as brief as the first time, for it was on a short-term contract...but quickly morphed into a permanent position, cemented further in 1994 when he bought a stake in the company. His near 40-year association with Ian Patchell has always been “interesting” says Peter: “It has been a good partnership and I thank him very much. Though Ian has very firm views and expresses them just as firmly, you can always debate an issue with him, and he is always true to his word. “The most important thing about my career is that I worked for the customers in the first instance, not the firm. And if you can keep that in mind, everyone gains in the long run. I’ve been very lucky to have a good rapport with our customers and have really enjoyed working on some cool projects, among them being the trailer designs development and the innovation of the Patchell product. “I’ve been very lucky to meet and work with some of the most outstanding people in the New Zealand transport business. “Among our memorable projects have been the 175-odd wharf trailers for Quality Marshalling, ISO and C3 at Tauranga, and the slipon fifth wheel/log stems bolster subframe for McCarthy Transport
Credit Patchell Group/Outlaw Photography that allows a tractor unit to be detached quickly. “I had a little bit to do with designs, but only in the background, determining whether a project could be pushed through or not. My primary responsibility was running the workshops and looking after the cost modelling and invoicing of the various jobs.” He has fond memories, too, of workmates, many of them younger people and sometimes in need of a bit of guidance: “I especially remember some of the people I’ve dealt with at work who I’ve helped train and, in some cases, turn their life around – ratbags who I’ve been able to be take aside and put work into. One of the key lessons, I’ve found, is that learning what failure is about is often better than winning.” Peter, and those close to him, have lived through some challenging – but at the same time, rewarding – experiences. “For all the underlying stress, those experiences have been life-affirming. If I had the time and ability, I would like to have written a book about them. So many people, and often they’re the stronger ones, hold too much inside, and suffer as a result. And over the years I’ve dealt with a lot of people like that, who can’t see themselves sinking into that same hole.” “I don’t regret the walk we’ve been through. Because of the situation we’ve learnt so much of value.” At 62, Peter reckons it’s a good time to be leaving the pressure of business behind, not least because some of it is self-generated: “I didn’t know how to say ‘no’, which means you pressure yourself by taking on too much work and then wonder how you’re going to get it done. However, I’m one of those lucky guys who has a great, supportive wife in Sandra, and she has helped me through the frantic times. “There will be aspects of the business I’ll miss, but I’ve never wanted to end up as a silly old man, struggling to do a young man’s job.” That said, is it tending the roses and the occasional game of bowls for Peter now? No way – if anything, his life is set to become ever more frantic, as he explains: “We’ve got a couple of blocks of land at Erua, near National Park. One of them I’m developing and going to build an off-grid cabin on. I want to finish it before I get too
old and regret not being able to. I’ve cleared the pines and gums that were on the block and will let the second-growth native bush come back. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. In my early days I worked for an environmental forestry group in the Bay of Plenty and I’ve always had an interest in off-grid living. Some years ago, I bought a three-acre block down there with a mate and we built a two-storey American-style barn there that works essentially off a big fireplace. “We do quite a lot of hunting out of there, fallow deer and pigs. At that venue we’ve often played host to Patchell Industries clients.” The new cabin – on a separate, larger block – will be fully off-grid, using solar power for electricity...but will also have its own sewage system, for as Peter quips, “You’ve got to have flush toilets.” The majority of the internal finishing will be in timber, primarily macrocarpa and pine. The views are spectacular, he says: “From where we’re building you can see in a big circle, from Mount Ruapehu in one direction and round to Mount Taranaki in the other. “When I look back on my career, I would like to thank the staff and clients of Patchell Group for the support and loyalty over so many years; it has made me who I am today. I am also humbled by Southpac’s recognition, I have really enjoyed being part of such a passionate and successful industry.” T&D
Truck & Driver | 61
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FEATURE
Hyzon fuel cell tractor units based on DAF truck platforms will be on New Zealand roads early next year.
Celling the future By Colin Smith
This month we continue to look at hydrogen’s future role in the transport industry with a dive into New Zealand’s early adoption of fuel cell technology for trucks. NEW ZEALAND’S LEARNING CURVE WITH HYDROGEN FUEL CELL trucks is poised to take a rapid upward trajectory. The second of Hyundai New Zealand’s XCIENT hydrogenpowered fuel cell electric trucks was scheduled to arrive in June, at about the same time the first unit begins its trial operation on Kiwi roads. Since its arrival at the end of 2021, the first XCIENT FCEV (fuelcell electric vehicle) has been converted to right-hand-drive and its latest appointment is with a body builder who is repositioning the hydrogen tanks - from the delivery position at the rear of the chassis to stacked behind the cab for commercial use – and completing the body build. Hyundai New Zealand says the first XCIENT FCEV is set to enter service with a New Zealand transport company in mid-2022. This will mark a significant development for the wider hydrogen economy and make carbon-neutral heavy transport a reality on Kiwi highways. In total five XCIENT FCEVs will be involved in the trial and Hyundai says replacing a similar emissions-heavy diesel truck saves an estimated 50-tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
New Zealand’s other significant FCEV pilot project is also gaining momentum, although it’s now running a little behind original schedules due to global supply chain issues. The first of the DAF-based Hyzon 6x4 tractor units is now being built in the Netherlands with the initial batch of what is planned to be 20 trucks now destined to reach New Zealand in early 2023. These trucks have been purchased through Southpac Trucks, are right-hand-drive and built to the same specification as conventionally powered DAFs already on New Zealand roads. From early next year the Hyzon trucks will be leased to companies participating in the $50m trial which has funding support from the Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund (CRFF) and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). Waitomo Group will operate four hydrogen refuelling sites initially in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Palmerston North with more planned from 2023. TR Group general manager Brendan King says global supply chain delays and lockdowns have slowed the build of the Hyzon trucks which had been expected to be on Kiwi roads this year. King says the real-world experience that will be gained from Truck & Driver | 63
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New Zealand’s first Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell arrived in December 2021 and is now ready for a pioneering trial.
the project has an important role in showing that hydrogen fuelcell technology will work for heavy transport in the New Zealand environment. “If we want to make a difference on transport emissions, we have to make changes sooner rather than later,” King says. “First of all, we have to show the gear works. And it’s not just showing that the trucks and the refuelling infrastructure stack up. We have to show the support network to service and repair the trucks is there as well. “Starting out with 20 trucks is a tall order and so is starting with four refuelling stations. “But we also have to show the OEMs that we are serious and there is a market in places like New Zealand. Otherwise, righthand-drive will be a lower priority for them, and we will not get carbon emission free trucks to NZ for many more years. We want to be at the front of the queue, not the back.” King says there are cost issues to overcome – both capital costs and operating costs – that mean fuel-cell trucks don’t make economic sense at present until bigger volumes can be created. “There is a cost issue with the whole thing. The only way to get that down is to create volume.” One of the criticisms levelled at fuel cell vehicles is they are a less efficient use of energy than battery electric vehicles - when the energy required to create green hydrogen via electrolysis is taken into consideration. “What they refer to is, if you take one unit of electricity and it can turn the wheels of a truck 100 times, the same unit of electricity will only turn those wheels 35 times,” King says. “The lower efficiency is because it goes through two processes. Electricity is used to create the hydrogen that is stored until it is used to create electricity.” King says there are other efficiencies that should be considered such as the 600km range and the 58-tonne GCM Hyzon units will offer. “You would take a wider view of efficiency if you’re using your vehicle all of the time. And you can’t do that with electricity.” Hydrogen offers the advantage of a longer range along with refuelling times comparable to diesel. Those two advantages would suggest the choices for future power sources for trucks
tend to favour battery electric models for short-haul, metro and lighter loads with fuel cells favoured for line haul work and heavier loads. King says it’s not quite so straightforward, and that time as well as distance should be considered. “If you are using a vehicle close to 24 hours a day then the downtime needed for charging batteries isn’t an option. So hydrogen can also be an answer for smaller trucks working in a metro environment.” While developing a hydrogen generation and refuelling infrastructure will be expensive, Kings says it needs to be considered alongside the cost of upgrading electric networks, so they are capable of charging a large number of vehicles. “What some people haven’t fully realised is that it’s relatively easy to have one electric truck and be able to charge it. Maybe even two or three,” says King. “But we have three small EV metro trucks at our Auckland [Penrose] branch. It costs about $150,000 to upgrade to an AC electricity supply so we could charge all three trucks at the same time. “And if you look at it in a wider context, we have Owens over our back fence and Mainfreight, Mainstream and Toll are not very far away. If everyone is trying to charge multiple trucks the electricity infrastructure won’t handle it. “One of the advantages of hydrogen is it allows you to move your electricity around. You can think of hydrogen in the same way as a battery. It’s a way of storing energy for when and where you need it.” King expects battery electric and fuel-cell electric will co-exist in the future with each being suited to different applications. “It’s not one or the other. It’s like petrol and diesel – each has its advantages.” One of the main productivity advantages of fuel cells is the same one that transport operators already fully versed in. Lower tare weights allow more payload to be moved. “Fuel cell trucks will be lighter because they have a much smaller battery,’’ King says. “Combine that with a range of about 600km and a 15-minute refuelling time and there are strong productivity arguments in favour of fuel-cell trucks.” T&D Truck & Driver | 65
Fuel cell monster THE WORLD’S LARGEST ZERO-EMISSION MINE HAUL TRUCK has been revealed in South Africa. Set to work at Anglo American’s Mogalakwena open-cast platinum mine in South Africa, the ultra-class haul truck began life as a Komatsu 930E and previously burned thousands of gallons of diesel fuel per year. It’s been re-powered by a prototype hydrogen fuel cell and lithium-ion battery power system with regenerative capability. As tall as a three-story building and weighing 181 tonnes empty, this truck can haul up to 263t of ore (444t total laden weight). The zero-emission power source keeps 700 cars’ worth of carbon dioxide emissions out of the atmosphere. It’s estimated large trucks currently account for 70-80% of diesel fuel consumption at Anglo American’s mine sites. The mining industry accounts for approximately 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with diesel haul trucks representing as much as 50% of total energy use at mine sites. Mining is a key industry for the reduction of carbon emissions. According to the World Economic Forum, the transition to clean energy needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change could require as much as 3 billion tons of metals, for batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and other devices. The 2MW hydrogen-battery hybrid truck generates more power than its diesel predecessor and is part of Anglo American’s nuGen Zero Emission Haulage Solution (ZEHS) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen stored in pressurised tanks enters the fuel cell and mixes with oxygen to create water in a chemical reaction catalysed by platinum. This generates electricity that is used to power the motors that drive the wheels. The only emission from the vehicle is water vapour. 66 | Truck & Driver
Anglo American says nuGen provides a fully integrated green hydrogen system, consisting of production, fuelling and haulage system, with green hydrogen to be produced at the mine site. It’s part of FutureSmart Mining, Anglo American’s innovationled approach to sustainable mining – which brings together technology and digitalisation to drive sustainability outcomes, including a commitment to carbon-neutral operations by 2040. “The mining industry is playing a considerable role in helping the world decarbonise, both through our own emissions footprint and the metals and minerals that we produce that are critical to low carbon energy and transport systems,” says Duncan Wanblad, Chief Executive of Anglo American. “Over the next several years, we envisage converting or replacing our current fleet of diesel-powered trucks with this zeroemission haulage system, fuelled with green hydrogen. If this pilot is successful, we could remove up to 80% of diesel emissions at our open pit mines by rolling this technology across our global fleet.” With a combination of abundant wind and solar renewable energy sources, and as the world’s largest producer of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), hydrogen is a strategic priority for South Africa. It presents a significant opportunity for economic development, including the creation of new jobs and the development of the PGMs sector, while also contributing to South Africa’s decarbonisation objectives. For the nuGen project, Anglo American has worked with some of the world’s leading creative engineering and technology companies, such as ENGIE, First Mode, Ballard and NPROXX. The truck features a 1.2MWh battery pack and eight fuel cells that generate up to 800kW of power, combining to deliver a total of 2MW of power.
M
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Other aspects of the project include the design and implement a software solution to safely manage power and energy between the fuel cells, batteries, and vehicle drivetrain. The power management and battery systems are developed from the ground up and can be tailored to specific mine conditions to improve overall efficiency by designing in energy recovery as the haul trucks travel downhill through regenerative braking. A hydrogen production, storage, and refuelling complex at Mogalakwena, that incorporates the largest electrolyser in Africa and a solar plant, has been built to support the operation of the haul truck. “The impact of our nuGen project goes far beyond our operations,” says Wanblad. “We believe that the emerging hydrogen sector has the potential to dramatically improve the growth and development of many economies by creating new industrial value chains and economic generation opportunities. Growing the hydrogen economy will revolutionise not just Anglo American’s operations, but all mining and many other industries – and ultimately shape a better, cleaner world.” There are plans to retro-fit the hybrid fuel-cell system to 40 mine haul trucks at Mogalakwena and then across 400 trucks in Anglo American’s global fleet. T&D
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Kenworth has developed T680 fuel cell prototypes which use technology sourced from Toyota.
Study compares carbon emissions NEW RESEARCH FROM THE US SUGGESTS BATTERY ELECTRIC heavy vehicles might not be as green across their full life-cycle as they are often proclaimed to be. The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a new report that analyses the environmental impacts of zero-emission trucks (ZET). This analysis, a 2021 top priority of ATRI’s Research Advisory Committee, utilised federal and industry-sourced data to identify and compare full life-cycle CO2 emissions for a range of truck types, including a baseline diesel truck, battery electric trucks and hydrogen fuel cell trucks. The study found that while electric trucks have no direct tailpipe emissions, CO2 production associated with vehicle, battery and electricity production would only result in a 30% decrease in CO2 emissions when compared to a standard diesel truck. The marginal environmental benefits of electric trucks are due, in large part, to lithium-ion battery production – which generates more than six times the carbon of diesel truck production. The research, which utilised outputs from the Argonne National Lab’s
GREET (The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies) model, also incorporates CO2 emissions that generate from the US electrical grid – which still relies primarily on fossil fuels. ATRI’s research concludes that hydrogen fuel cell trucks are ultimately the most environmentally friendly truck type, although it says the technology is not presently feasible for long-haul operations. The report concludes by identifying additional strategies that can reduce CO2 truck emissions for all three energy sources – diesel, electricity and hydrogen. For example, renewable diesel could decrease CO2 emissions to only 32.7 percent of a standard diesel engine without requiring new infrastructure or truck equipment. Hydrogen, if sourced from solarpower electricity, could enable hydrogen fuel cell trucks to emit only 8.8 percent of the baseline diesel CO2. The ATRI is a not-for-profit research organisation. It is engaged in critical research relating to a safe, secure, and efficient freight transportation system. A copy of the full report is available from the ATRI website: www. truckingresearch.org T&D
Cummins and Daimler collaborate CUMMINS AND DAIMLER TRUCK NORTH AMERICA (DTNA) ARE partnering on a hydrogen fuel cell version of the Freightliner Cascadia. The project will upfit and validate Freightliner Cascadia trucks with a Cummins fourth generation hydrogen fuel cell powertrain for use in North America. Cummins says its fourth generation fuel cell powertrain provides improved power density, efficiency and durability. The joint effort will support both organisations’ goals to reduce emissions across product offerings and operations. Upon successful validation, the companies intend to have initial units available in 2024 for selected customers. “Cummins and Daimler Truck have a strong history of partnership, and this next step into fuel cell electric vehicles is an exciting development for zero-emissions transport,” said Amy Davis, Vice President and President of New Power at Cummins. Hydrogen fuel cells are a promising solution for the demanding requirements of heavy-duty trucking. “CO2-neutral commercial transportation must not only be technically feasible, but also economically viable for our valued customers,” says Rakesh Aneja, Vice President and Chief of eMobility at DTNA. 68 | Truck & Driver
“Depending on the customer application and energy infrastructure considerations, hydrogen-powered vehicles can absolutely complement battery-powered electric vehicles in accelerating our carbon-neutral journey. “We are pleased to expand our partnership with Cummins to include hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric vehicles in our future portfolio. We remain focused on serving our customers by providing them with a choice of propulsion-technologies, ultimately resulting in solutions that best suit their business needs,” says Aneja. T&D
Working Classics
Still earning after all these years
Above: At work for 34 years, Mack R Series NT9524 is now owned and operated by Hamilton’s Derek Smith.
Right: Purchased new by Road Metals in 1988, NT9524 began life as a tractor and tipulator unit at the Clyde Dam construction.
By Colin Smith WHEN DEREK SMITH TAKES A REST BREAK FROM working the Waikato roads in his 1988 R Series Mack, it’s not uncommon for strangers to begin asking questions. Chances are it’s a request for a photo of the iconic workhorse or an offer to buy it. Derek’s happy to oblige the photographers but parting company with the twomillion-kilometre bulldog won’t happen anytime soon. Derek, 77, and the Mack – which will be 35 years old next year – have two decades of history together and plenty of stories of their own going even further back. And they continue building on that history by working five or six days a week based out of Hamilton where the sight and sound of an `80s vintage R Series gets its share of attention on the road. 70 | Truck & Driver
The 11-litre, 300hp Mack R686 RST 6x4 was registered NT9524 on July 21, 1988, going to work for Road Metals Co Ltd carting aggregate on the Clyde Dam construction. NT9524 was christened ‘Just Magic’ and started its life as a 6x4 tractor unit working in a `tipulator’ configuration. But Road Metals had made the purchase with some forward planning. “Because we knew that the [Clyde Dam] contract was limited, we ordered a longer wheelbase knowing that its life as a semi would eventually change to a truck and trailer, which it did in 1990,” says managing director Murray Francis. Throughout its working life at Road Metals and later
Francis Construction, the Mack was driven by Billy Sargeant. Billy’s time driving NT9524 represents about a third of the 43 years he spent with the company. “The semi that Billy towed became a 4-axle trailer with a tandem dolly under it and we replaced the turntable on the truck with a second-hand Domett Fruehauf tip deck. We managed to get a 44-tonne rating for this unit, but three years later some questions were asked about the dolly. So it had to be replaced with a ball-race,” says Murray. As a truck and trailer for Road Metals and later Francis Construction, the Mack mainly worked on Canterbury roading projects and at times it towed a bottom dumper trailer. “We would also bring coal from Reefton to Christchurch,” says Murray. “That was Billy’s favourite job.” Another early story about the truck concerns its engine. “When we ordered this truck, we ordered it with a 350hp 4-valve motor,” says Murray. Murray says there is a photo of the truck having just arrived in Christchurch with his father Stan Francis, Billy Sargeant and himself discussing the 300hp 2-valve motor they had discovered. “I was pretty upset about that and so was Billy. I wanted Billy to drive it back to Palmerston North to
the Mack factory and get the motor changed to the 350hp 4-valve that was on the sales contract,” says Murray. “My father did phone Mack, who informed him there were no 350hp 4-valves available. And because this motor was still unproven, they suggested he was better off with the proven 300hp 2-valve. “Stan accepted this, but I was not so accepting. Anyway he was the boss and he paid the bills, so it was a fruitless argument on my part.” The engine swap was never made and the 300hp unit has certainly lived up to its reputation for being well proven. The same motor is still at work in 2022. Murray Francis has fond memories of `Just Magic’ and the other R Series Macks the company has owned. “I’d say a lot of our success as a company is down to the R Series. We started with four of the 237hp’s which were a brilliant truck and the 285hp, 300hp and 350hp models which followed were also all bullet-proof trucks. “I always joked the drivers would wear out before the truck would. We had one R-Series on the West Coast which went through three drivers in a month with back problems. They were rugged trucks. The R Series was a design that appeared in 1964 and was in production for nearly 40 years. It’s arguably the most recognisable of all Mack models. Truck & Driver | 71
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NT9524 working as a truck and trailer with ribbed side Domett tippers.
“When we got it, my father said he could hardly tell the difference from the old 1974 5-speed models. Until he looked inside. “Our first R Series were very basic and our 1977 trucks like `Daddy Cool’ and `Running Bare’ were a little bit flasher inside. But `Just Magic’ had the Western trim. It was a pretty flash truck in those days.” Another change that was made while the Mack was working at Francis Construction saw the Domett tipper deck replaced by an Adams & Currie one. “The Adams & Currie deck didn’t match the Domett Trailer’s ribbed sides and I was disappointed with the decision by my brother to change it” says Murray. The history of NT9524 is inextricably linked to Billy Sargeant. “Billy was a legend in South Island trucking. He started with us in Twizel on a 237hp R Series 5-speed in 1974, towing a bottom dump carting filter sand to the canals” says Murray. “`Just Magic’ only ever had one driver. Billy wouldn’t take holidays because he didn’t want anyone else driving it. “He dedicated his whole life to work and driving, and he was exceptionally fussy. He polished the bonnet so much you see the yellow undercoat appearing.” Billy Sargeant died in February 2017 and his memory is celebrated today. “At the same time that Billy died we got delivery of a new Trident and we called it `The Sargeant’. It’s a
tribute to Billy who is a very important part of Road Metals’ history.” Francis Construction sold “Just Magic” in 2000 and Derek bought it in 2002. In between it was owned by Webb & Son from Taupiri. “They only had it about a year. I bought it for $38,000 in 2002 to do tipper work,” says Derek. It was the truck that saw Derek return to the truck industry. He’d started driving in 1965 in Auckland and worked throughout New Zealand. He joined Dibble Transport in 1981 and stayed there till 2001 when he spent a brief time selling horse floats before buying the R Series and returning to the industry. Since 2002 most of Derek’s work has been for HEB Construction. Remaining in 6x4 rigid tipper configuration the Mack can work at 21 tonnes. “Most of my work is for HEB Construction. They’ve been really good to me, and I only occasionally do some work for other people. “Mainly we do roading, bridges, motorways, sewerage and drainage work. I’m carting sand, metal and spoil. Sometimes there’s a bit of demolition work. “A few times I have run as a truck and trailer with HEBs low loader to help them move some equipment around,” says Derek. With regular work the Mack continues to clock up the kilometres. Exactly how many isn’t clear as the truck has had several hubometers fitted over the years. “I estimate it’s done a bit over two million kays. It had done over a million when I got it and I’ve done another million in it,” says Derek. Truck & Driver | 73
Clockwise from top left: At work on a Christchurch roading project; The interior remains mostly original with new floor mats and replacement door trims; `Just Magic’ name has been carried since 1988; Derek Smith repainted NT9524 in 2009.
“The engine has 46,600 hours on it when I looked the other day.” There’s no secret to the Mack’s longevity. “I’m real fussy with the maintenance. I change the oils and filters every 10,000km. The injectors have been done and it’s had a couple of new heads on it,” says Derek. “Everything I own I look after with oils, filters and regular maintenance. I’ve never had a blown engine. “Other than a couple of selectors I haven’t touched the transmission and I’ve never touched the diffs. “It’s had the suspension rebuilt on it. It’s all genuine Mack stuff. These days a lot of the Mack’s are mainly Volvo stuff. “All the work is done at Truck Stops in Hamilton. They’re a brilliant crew of guys and gals. They are more like friends really. “It looks good for a truck which is 35 years old and is still working every day. It wasn’t too bad when I got it and I’ve looked after it, so it still looks good now.” Apart from liking the old school looks and enjoying the driving, Derek says there no doubt about the Mack’s strongest attribute. 74 | Truck & Driver
“It’ll go anywhere. Off-road it’s bloody good and what we do is hard work. We are carting out of quarries, sand pits and building sites.” The trucks rides on heavy duty leaf spring suspension with the rear axle rated at 44,000lbs and has a 12-speed semi-synchromesh transmission. Derek says the brown and white colours suit a truck from this era. In 2009 he decided it was time for a repaint. Most of the truck is original. Inside Derek says he put new carpets and mats on the floor and had the door trims replaced. The Mack still displays its original `215’ Road Metals fleet number and the “Just Magic” name on the bonnet that it has always carried. Derek has added the New Zealand and USA flags on the bonnet. “I put my name on the door, but I kept the `Just Magic’ name. They reckon you should never change the name of a boat or a truck.” These days it’s a rare sight to see any `80s era truck still in regular daily work. “Fifteen years ago, you might have seen the odd one working but most of them are show ponies now. A lot
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Road Metals pays tribute to Billy Sergeant with this 2017 Mack Trident named “The Sergeant”.
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of people want to buy it for that.” “It gets plenty of attention. One of other things that gets a lot of attention is the air starter. I think it frightens a few people. Collector interest in the Mack means selling it wouldn’t be difficult. “I was grabbing a coffee at the BP in Ngaruawahia a while back and a guy came up and asked if I was the driver of the Mack. He said he’d like to buy it. “I’ve probably got 10 buyers waiting for it. I’d easily get my money back.
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“They are really sort after now over in Australia. They are selling for $80,000 to $90,000 over there. “But I’m not worried about what it’s worth. I make my living out of it.” And Derek plans to keep on working and says the Mack still has plenty of life left in it. “I reckon it’s got another 20 years in it at least. I might not get there but I’d like to keep going till I’m 80,” he says. “I plan to keep on going. I’d be bored stiff if I wasn’t working.” T&D
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Early days for NT9524 working as a tractor unit on the Clyde Dam hydro project.
Derek Smith has owned three Mack’s and has clocked up over a million kilometres since buying the R Series in 2002.
NT9524 IS THE THIRD MACK DEREK SMITH HAS OWNED IN HIS 57 years of trucking. And also the oldest. There’s a common theme through Derek’s driving career and the photo albums which chronicle it. In the process of building bridges, gas lines, airports and aluminium smelters, Derek has been involved with plenty of New Zealand’s landmark infrastructure projects. Derek’s truck ownership goes back to 1965 and a partnership with Blair Pirritt. They purchased three trucks from Laurie Powell at Auckland Cartage – an Austin, a Morris and a Thames Trader. Derek traded his 1958 Gold Flash Ford as his part of the deposit. The pair started on tipper work and a small amount of wharf work but then started carting scoria and metal to the Auckland Airport construction job. Their next move was into J6 and TK Bedfords. “We put a lazy axle into the J6,” says Derek. “We started working for McConnell Dowell Construction on many jobs around Auckland. We carted rock from Stevenson’s quarry in Penrose for the roads that linked to the Auckland Harbour Bridge clip-ons.” Blair went out on his own in 1969 and Derek bought a Commer TS3, once again putting a lazy axle in the truck. “In 1972 I bought a new Dodge six-wheeler from Brian Gill’s in Huntly. It cost $22,500 on the road with a Perkins V8.” He worked that truck on the Maui gas line projects from Taranaki to Auckland as well as the gas lines to the Kinleith and 78 | Truck & Driver
Kawerau mills. “I worked all over the North and South Island for McConnell Dowell.” In 1980 Derek bought a new International T-Line with a 300hp Cummins and much its work was at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter construction and some work in the Dunedin region. Deciding to stay closer to home in Hamilton, Derek bought into Dibble Transport working with Barry Stamp, Jeff Dibble, Alf Quaife and Trevor Woolston. The T-Line was fitted with a new T & G alloy bin and a four-axle trailer for bulk fertiliser, lime, and maize work. An International S-Line followed in 1985 and Derek became a Mack owner in 1988 with a new SuperLiner that came down the build line at MTD in Palmerston North very close behind the R Series he owns today. In 1993 he changed again to a CH Mack and in 1996 he bought a T601 Kenworth and ran that till selling out of Dibble Independent Transport in 2001. From the new Dodge in 1972 Derek has remained faithful to American trucks. “I’ve always liked American trucks. They look like trucks, and they’re built really tough,” Derek says pointing to the rugged suspension and the double chassis rails. “And the Macks and Kenworths we get here come from Australia. They’re built even tougher for Australia, and New Zealand gets the benefit from that.” T&D
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FEATURE
Scania New Zealand managing director Rafael Alvarenga introduces the new Scania 25P battery electric truck.
Scania makes the switch By Colin Smith
IT WAS MORE THAN A NEW TRUCK REVEAL. SCANIA NEW Zealand’s early-June launch of its first battery electric truck model, and a future product timetable that will introduce a new EV model each year, has involved a lot of preparation. Introducing an alternative powertrain obviously requires new service and diagnostic tools. But Scania New Zealand managing director Rafael Alvarenga says the most important task has been building competency with the technology – both within and outside the dealer network. “With the hardware we have a lot of experience globally. We can easily make a list of the things we need to support this truck and get them shipped here,” says Alvarenga. “But going through this journey we realised the most important thing was training for the different competencies, because it’s a different vehicle. You don’t have the usual diesel engine that many people know by heart and could fix while they’re wearing a blindfold. “This is a different thing because you need to take care of the high voltage. “We need to train people and you need a separate area in the
workshop to service the vehicle.” Alvarenga says it’s also important to instruct all of the other stakeholders, including customers, towing operators and emergency services on the specifics of EVs. “The vehicle will go to a body builder so they need to understand what they can do in the process of building the body,” he says. “Wherever the vehicle goes there is a need to know `what can I do and what can I not do’. “So, I would say the major point is education. Which is a journey we need to keep continuing. As we grow on this journey we will have to disseminate the knowledge down the organisation to a point where everyone will know how to touch this vehicle.” Two electric Scania’s have arrived in New Zealand as the top-selling brand in the heavy truck segment begins its zeroemissions push. Alvarenga says Scania’s global focus on alternative fuels and emissions reduction technologies also includes hydrogen and bio fuels. And while the brand also has hybrid trucks on sale in Europe, Alvarenga believes a combination of EVs and the latest Truck & Driver | 81
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Above: The first BEV models are designated 25P and 25L. Right: Recharge point is just above the right head light.
Below: The tachometer is replaced by a battery charge indicator.
generation diesel engine trucks is the best fit for the New Zealand market. On the subject of hybrids he says they are best suited where vehicles are running long distances and then need to enter specific areas of a city where they are not permitted to use a combustion engine. “We are realising the best solution is the BEV. We can get the benefit right away, from the first kilometre it runs,” he says. And he believes BEVs achieve a more efficient use of energy than hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. “Scania always looks at efficiency. Direct electrification is the best way forward. Scania is looking at all the technologies available today including bio fuels. Electrification will have the greatest long term effect.” Using its 2015 global company emissions as a base, Scania’s target is a 20% reduction in the carbon emissions of its produced vehicles by 2025 and a 50% reduction in all emissions by 2030. The aim is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. As for future models headed to New Zealand Alvarenga says his team is already planning for future BEVs but wouldn’t be drawn on which segments of the market they will serve. “Every vehicle we design we are looking at the topography, looking at the range and so on. That will define the design of the next vehicles.” However recent European press releases have confirmed production of Scania R and S cab BEV models with 410kW output, up to 64t capacity and a range of about 350km will begin in 2024. “A lot of different models coming and a lot of them will be
relevant for New Zealand,” he says. Scania New Zealand’s sales goal for electric truck sales is to mirror the brand’s global targets. “We have a global target that is the same as the one we are bringing to New Zealand. By 2025 we aim that 10% of our sales are going to be electric vehicles. And by 2030 it’s going to be 50%. This is the aim in terms of sales and we want to follow that pattern here.” Put in perspective Scania sold 447 new trucks in New Zealand last year. If overall Scania sales are tracking towards 450-500 units by 2025, the brand will be selling in the region of 50 BEV units annually. “It’s only natural to take more time in the beginning. At this stage we are talking with early adopters. The whole ecosystem is being built so we are talking with them about the feasibility and what the benefits are,” Alvarenga says. The first two units to reach New Zealand are 29-tonne (GVM) battery electric vehicles with a range of up to 250km suitable for short and medium haul journeys. Scania’s global headquarters in Sweden selected New Zealand as one of the first markets outside of Europe to launch this model because of New Zealand’s promotion of and access to renewable electricity generated from wind, hydro and geothermal sources. The initial launch sees Scania offering the electric newcomer in both P and L cab configurations and a choice of 4x2, 6x2 and 6x2*4 axle combinations. Wheelbases between 3950mm and 5750mm can be ordered. There are options for either five or nine lithium-ion batteries Truck & Driver | 83
Electric motor develops 230kW continuous output and there are options for five or nine batteries.
WWW.MTCEQUIPMENT.COM
- totalling 165kWh or 300kWh installed capacity respectively. A wheelbase longer than 4350mm is required for the nine-battery version as the batteries are mounted on the chassis frame. A 300kWh version has an estimated operating range of 250km when working at 29t GCM. Rapid charging from a CCS type 130kW/200A DC charger is the fastest charging solution. As well as urban and short-medium haul distribution work the Scania BEV platform can be adapted for refuse collection, hook lift, tipper and concrete mixer roles as well fire and rescue work. The electric motor delivers continuous power of 230kW (approximately 310hp) with a short-term peak power output of 295kW. Continuous torque of 1300Nm is available with a peak figure of 2200Nm. A 60kW electric PTO allows for emission-free operation of hydraulic and refrigeration units. A two-speed transmission allows a wider spread of ratios to improve response, highway cruising speed and comfort. Apart from the EV powertrain the rest of the P45 model shown at the launch function follows contemporary Scania design and equipment themes. Perhaps most noticeable difference is the absence of a tachometer, which is replaced by a battery charge gauge. “Scania NZ is as serious in its commitment to building a battery electric truck fleet in Aotearoa as our customers are,” says Alvarenga. “Acquiring an electric truck is not just an investment in the customer’s fleet, but also in their brand and market. An electric truck enables the customer to stay ahead of the competition, learn about infrastructural challenges and start adapting for the future. The first two Scania BEVs already landed in New Zealand are being purchased by Wiri-based Reliance Transport as part of its Project SWITCH initiative. T&D
James Murray
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TD32606
It’s political... WHAT THE POLITICIANS THINK ABOUT TRUCKING THE NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING INDUSTRY FACES many challenges – many of them influenced by Government policy. Apart from the many problems currently created by the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s the ongoing driver shortage, the worsening state of the nation’s roading network and looming emissions reduction legislation… So, who among our political parties offers any salvation
for the industry in these situations? To have some insight into what politicians are thinking about issues impacting the road transport industry, NZ Truck & Driver has offered each of the major political parties the opportunity to voice their views on trucking matters each month. This month ACT and the National Party have taken the opportunity to present their views. T&D
Wasted journey By Simon Court, ACT Party spokesperson on transport
SOMETIMES YOU COME ACROSS Government initiatives that you swear must be satirical. Some of them would even be funny if they weren’t generally paid for by truckloads of taxpayer cash. One of the most outlandish out there has to be the New Zealand Transport Agency’s ‘Journey Planner’ though – a poor rip-off of Google Maps funded by Kiwi taxpayers. Yes that’s correct, seventeen years af ter Google released Google Maps, New Zealand’s transport agency has boldly decided to copy it with Journey Planner, a tool to map people’s journeys and alert them to possible disruptions, at great expense to New Zealand’s taxpayers. Information obtained by ACT via parliamentary questions shows the Government’s ill thought out venture into online route planning sunk $1m into development, a further $700k on website maintenance and improvements, and almost half a million on marketing their clunky map. These are just the costs so far with marketing expected to cost another million bucks over the next two years. I asked the Minister of Transport what the point of this was and he steadfastly stood by his department’s product. This is the sort of waste and poor prioritisation that Kiwis can’t stand. The New Zealand Transport Agency should stop wasting taxpayers’ money trying
to create their own bargain bin Google Maps and worry about fixing roads instead. What’s even worse is that Journey Planner is only accessible via phone or laptop. That’s not very helpful when you’re driving and it is illegal to use either device. When I asked the Minister in Parliament about this his solution was to get a passenger to use it for you. I suspect people will just use the vastly superior versions that can be used on their vehicle’s monitor or via handsfree instead. This is yet another reminder of why the Government shouldn’t waste taxpayers’ money trying to compete with the private sector. More of ten than not they fail miserably and they’re wasting Kiwis’ money during a cost of living crisis. It is truly baffling that at no point the Minister asked the question why are we trying to create something that already exists? The failed Journey Planner experiment needs to be scrapped and not another cent should be spent on it. People are just going to use Google Maps or Apple Maps anyway. With inflation pressuring Kiwis from the pump to the checkout, we cannot afford this kind of waste. This disaster might be at the small end of the scale when compared to things like the light rail saga, but it speaks to why we need to get politicians out of transport and
Simon Court
infrastructure decision-making to get better long-term outcomes. ACT would take the politics out of transport and infrastructure and get central and local government working together through 30-year infrastructure partnerships, devolving revenue and responsibility to regional governments and the private sector, while strengthening accountability and oversight from central government. The focus would be on creating infrastructure where it is needed, not where votes are and not mucking around with pet projects that aren’t providing a good return on investment. And yes, that means not trying to create our own version of Google Maps. T&D Truck & Driver | 85
It’s political...
High bar for new roads? By Simeon Brown, National Party Spokesperson for Transport and Public Service
KIWIS NEED ROADS TO VISIT FRIENDS AND FAMILY, TO GO on holiday, to run businesses and to connect communities and regions together. Our roads and state highways are vital pieces of infrastructure which keep our economy moving. More than 90% of our domestic freight is moved by trucks.1 The previous National Government invested in our roading infrastructure through the Roads of National Significance Programme. The century-old dream of Transmission Gully was recently opened because National had the vision to start building it in 2014. Under Labour a new high bar for new roads is being proposed however. This is quite concerning at a time when many transport projects have been delayed and the country is crying out for better roading infrastructure. Labour’s first emissions reduction plan, published in May 2022, states that: “New highways and road expansion projects are sometimes needed to support urban and housing development and the efficient movement of freight, but they can increase emissions by inducing more private vehicle travel. Further investment that expands roads and highways needs to be consistent with transport targets and avoid inducing further travel by private vehicles.”2 To give effect to this sentiment, Labour wants to take action by establishing a “high threshold for new investment to expand roads, including new highway projects, if the expansion is inconsistent with emissions-reduction objectives.”3 National supports the emissions reduction targets, and we are committed to meeting net zero emissions by 2050. However we disagree with certain aspects of the emissions reduction plan, as there are a number of ways to reach the targets. If Labour implements their new high bar for new highways and road expansions this will mean that we see fewer roads built and upgraded. The criteria for the threshold are so vague that it could be used against almost any roading project. An example of things to come is the work on Mill Road in Auckland as part of the New Zealand Upgrade Programme. National had this project lined up as a four-lane upgrade, but Labour has shrunk it down to two lanes and minor safety improvements. This has effectively cancelled most of the project. And the reason for the changes was to meet housing and emission reduction objectives. 4 It is likely that Mill Road has been largely axed because it 86 | Truck & Driver
would “increase emissions by inducing more private vehicle travel”, just like the emissions reduction plan says, despite all the people stuck in traffic on this road who are trying to get to work and back home. Ultimately this shift in policy from Labour will mean fewer new roads being built, leaving New Zealanders driving on more dangerous roads, spending more time stuck in traffic, and emitting more emissions due to increasing congestion. When I travel around New Zealand I know that while people are committed to our climate change goals, they also know how important our regional connections and roads are to getting people around New Zealand, moving our goods to ports so they can be sold to the world, and supporting our Tourism industry which has suffered significantly through COVID. We can meet our climate change goals by supporting sensible measures which reduce the emissions of the vehicles we drive on our roads, not by simply stopping the building of new roads, which is where Labour is trying to take New Zealand. T&D
https://www.transporting.nz/our-news/nicks-blog/detail/ ignoring-investment-in-roading-wont-help-the-environmentsafety-or-the-economy 2 Te hau mārohi ki anamata, Towards a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy: Aotearoa New Zealand’s First Emissions Reduction Plan, page 180, https://environment. govt.nz/assets/publications/Aotearoa-New-Zealands-firstemissions-reduction-plan.pdf 3 Te hau mārohi ki anamata, Towards a productive, sustainable and inclusive economy: Aotearoa New Zealand’s First Emissions Reduction Plan, page 180, https://environment. govt.nz/assets/publications/Aotearoa-New-Zealands-firstemissions-reduction-plan.pdf 4 Mill Road and Drury infrastructure investment, https://www. nzta.govt.nz/planning-and-investment/nz-upgrade/aucklandpackage/mill-road/ 1
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National Road Carriers
GETTING REAL ABOUT FLEET ELECTRIFICATION By James Smith, COO, of National Road Carriers Association
A
MID THE WELTER OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND EMISSION reduction initiatives and targets currently swirling around Aotearoa, one that hasn’t had much attention is the goal of 30% heavy transport fleet electrification by 2030. That’s only seven years away – and approaching faster than you think. Ten years further on, the target is for 100% of all new sales of heavy vehicles to be electric. What are we doing in the interim to be ready for these requirements? On the global stage, truck developers and manufacturers are well advanced in creating electric vehicles to replace our short-haul diesel fleets. It’s great to see, for example, the influx of FUSO’s eCanter and E-Trucks’ range of battery-swap, 100%-electric trucks into the country to set the ball rolling. It’s also reassuring to see infrastructural work underway by Hiringa Refuelling, the TR Group, Waitomo and others to provide other fleet decarbonisation options for our bigger, long-haul trucks using sustainable biofuels and hydrogen. The Hiringa initiative will see hydrogen refuelling stations built at Wiri, Ruakura, Palmerston North and Tauriko and part of a plan to achieve 95% coverage in the North Island and ultimately (by 2030) a national hydrogen refuelling system. But electrifying our truck fleets is not just about the trucks being available. You need to be able to charge an electric vehicle, and currently the infrastructure to do so for trucks is far from ready. Charging an e-truck calls for special charging facilities, which need to be located where the power is available and can be delivered effectively without turning all the lights and machinery off in the immediate vicinity. The wattage available in many locations isn’t up to the demand. Reaching the targets is achievable, but the industry needs reassurance there is a plan in place to upgrade our national infrastructure to enable our trucks to charge up as they work their
James Smith
way around the nation. What is that infrastructural technology? Where will it be required? When will it be required? And who will pay for and install it? Transport operators need to know now where the national grid will be able to deliver the power to charge many e-trucks at a time. If it can’t will you have to move your operations elsewhere where the power feed can do the job? We can’t afford to dither on those sorts of potentially costly and disruptive decisions. To its credit, Transpower is looking at what is required; their estimate is another 220MW of power added to the grid each year for 15 years to meet the expected demand arising from these targets. But transport firms need to know now what that seven-year road plan looks like. What are the building blocks? How will fleet operators be involved? How can the industry and vehicle manufacturers contribute to the discussion, and be part of the solution? We believe a small working party be convened by the Ministry of Transport to examine the barriers to getting to 30% by 2030. That should comprise industry representatives, truck manufacturers, Transpower reps and relevant technology providers like battery developers. The brief would be to come up with solutions to enable a smooth programme of transition to partial e-fleets by 2030 and 100% e-replacements by 2040, but also explore the risks – and canvas ways to mitigate them. Meantime, a grant fund should be identified or set up to enable those operators keen to move early to set up charging stations for their new e-vehicles. It would be a big boost for the sector if the Government was prepared to help establish the infrastructure – potentially through targeted funds like EECA’s Low Emission Transport Fund, which has already made grants for e-charging developments. T&D Truck & Driver | 89
New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association
Designing NZ’s Roads for Oversize By Jonathan Bhana-Thomson – chief executive, New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association
Road safety improvements and new projects such as the new Manawatu-Tararua Highway (pictured) need to be designed taking oversize loads into account.
T
O ENSURE THAT NEW ZEALAND ROADS CONTINUE TO ALLOW oversize freight loads to be moved, the Heavy Haulage Association is a strong advocate for designing new road projects and safety improvements that accommodate large loads. The NZTA Speed and Safety Improvement Programme is a significant investment in safety changes on State Highways, and at the same time it presents a number of challenges to ensure the proposed changes allow for oversize loads to be transported. The association has been engaging with NZTA to ensure that at both a high level, and also with individual projects, that allowances are made in the designs. The most significant imposition (and also NZTA says some of the greatest safety benefits) come from median wire rope barriers being retrofitted to existing roads. Where these roads are one-lane in each direction, then the challenge comes when ensuring that wide loads up to 11-metres width can be accommodated without needing to hang over the barrier on frequent occasions. Roadside restrictions such as light poles, trees, signage and cut banks can reduce the side clearances – and these are all challenges the NZHHA puts to the designers to mitigate these restrictions. In a recent example on SH1 (just south of the Karapiro area), we asked the designers to shift the position of the barrier to try to gain more clearance. And north of Auckland in the Dome Valley, a high voltage power pole is proposed to be shifted to ensure greater clearance in the north-bound lane. Another key safety mitigation that NZTA proposes at higher risk intersections are roundabouts. Where there is one circulating lane around the roundabout, then the association seeks that while they are designed for the largest usual heavy vehicle, a check is
completed using a rows of eight and load divider, to ensure that this can still track around the roundabout. Often this means there needs to be designed-in mountable areas around the inside of the roundabout as an apron, and the location of islands on the approaches needs to be designed around the swept path of these vehicles. Jonathan Bhana-Thomson Meanwhile the location of light poles and signage around the roundabout needs to cater for those wide oversize loads. This has been achieved in many locations around NZ where there has been vehicle tracking carried out – such as on the new ManawatuTararua Highway, the SH6/8B intersection near Cromwell, and the Princess Street roundabout on SH3 near Waitara. The association has been working with NZTA to ensure the design guidelines for the Safety Projects makes allowances for the transport of oversize freight upfront, so that individual projects start with a suitable design template. The association can then provide guidance about the use by oversize loads of that specific location – to ensure that any special requirements for exceptional over height loads for example is provided for. This is still a work in progress but we are committed to working with NZTA project managers and designers to ensure that the future for the transport of oversize loads remains open. T&D Truck & Driver | 91
MEDIUM-DUTY TIPPER WITH SLIDING TRAY 2-IN-1 SOLUTION Tipper and equipment transporter combined in one truck. No ramps needed for machinery loading
Slide Movement With a push of “REAR” button, (1) Body tips up approx. 14 degrees, then (2) Body automatically slides down to the rear.
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
TD32366
The movements of body and stabilizing roller are linked and automatically controlled.
The line-up of Paccar product running in Waitoa Haulage colours has been extended with the Waikato-based livestock haulage company adding the first Kenworth K200 to its fleet. The K200 2.3m Aerodyne works nationwide and is powered by a 600.615hp Cummins X15 with an Eaton RTLO 20918B manual Road Ranger and Meritor 46-160 rear axles with full X locks. Other features include KW load share front suspension, Primaax rear suspension and disc brakes. The truck has a 24-foot Jackson livestock deck and Nationwide stock crate. Truck Signs completed the signwriting.
Market remains strong MAY NEW VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS SIGNAL another strong month for New Zealand heavy truck sales with year-todate figures still running just ahead of previous records. With 511 new registrations in May, the overall truck market (4.5 tonnes to maximum GVM), is 1.4% down on the best May result achieved in 2019. But YTD registrations ( January-May) of 2224 units remain fractionally ahead (+0.3%) of the pre-Covid record of 2218 units achieved in 2019. Notably the market is 16.74% ahead of the same period last year (1905 registrations). The 114 trailer registrations for the month is down on 2018’s best-ever May performance of 172. And the 563 YTD total for the trailer market is also 19.8% behind the 2018 record volume of 702 new units. Truck market leader FUSO enjoyed another bumper month with 109 May registrations, taking its YTD total to 461 and increasing the separation over second-placed Hino (390 YTD/101 for the month). Isuzu (361/89) and Scania (160/37) retained third and fourth respectively while Iveco (127/29) continued to perform strongly by moving ahead of Kenworth (114/16). UD (107/25) also edged ahead of Mercedes-Benz (106/14) while Foton (106/31) and DAF (69/13) complete the top-10. In the crossover 3.5-4.5t GVM segment the Fiat steamroller continues to crush the opposition, the Italian marque registering 111 YTD and 13 for May. Volkswagen (44/4) and Mercedes-Benz (41/10) hold second and third respectively, ahead of Chevrolet in fourth (24/5). The 4.5-7.5t GVM category sees FUSO (222/58) continue to extend
its YTD lead over Isuzu (109/22). Hino (80/25) is third YTD, ahead of Hino (80/25), Iveco (75/17), Foton (68/25) and Mercedes-Benz (64/7). Isuzu (152/45) continued to build its lead in the 7.5-15t GVM division ahead of Hino (119/27) and FUSO (89/18). Foton (38/6) and Iveco (16/4) are a long way back in fourth and fifth ranking positions. In the small 15-20.5t GVM class, Hino (50/5) retained the YTD lead, but it was beaten for the month by second-ranked FUSO (27/9). UD (22/5) retains third place and Isuzu (12/1), Scania (12/3) and Iveco (12/3) are now tied in fourth. Hino (9/3) continued its dominance in the tiny 20.5-23t segment, followed by Sinotruk (2/0). FUSO (1/1) and Iveco (1/1) both sold their first vehicles for the year in this segment during May. In the premium 23t to maximum GVM market, Scania (148/34) retains its leadership position for the year in spite of ranking second in May registrations. Hino (132/41) notched up the most May registrations and moves up two places at the expense of FUSO (122/23) and Kenworth (114/16). Isuzu (88/21), UD (80/18), DAF (67/12), Volvo (56/18), Mercedes-Benz (37/6) and MAN (34/5) all retain their positions. Patchell (53/12) once again led the monthly trailer registrations in May – just as it has every month this year. With 11 May registrations and 48 YTD M.T.E. moves ahead of Fruehauf (46/9) into second position. The rest of the top 10 is holding position with the latest rankings being Roadmaster (42/11), Transport Trailers (35/7), Domett (34/7), TMC (31/9), Transfleet (21/3), Freighter (17/0) and Fairfax (16/2). T&D Truck & Driver | 93
Williamson Earthworks has a new MAN TGM 18.320 4x4 tipper for its Bay of Plenty work. The truck replaces a 2000 model 18.284 and is powered with the D0836 320hp engine partnered by a ZF 9-speed transmission. TRS super single wheels are fitted all round and the 3-way tipper body was installed by Piako Transport Engineering.
23,001kg-max GVM 2022
4501kg-max GVM 2022 Brand FUSO HINO ISUZU SCANIA IVECO KENWORTH UD MERCEDES-BENZ FOTON DAF VOLVO MAN HYUNDAI SINOTRUK VOLKSWAGEN FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL MACK FIAT SHACMAN RAM WESTERN STAR PEUGEOT Total
Vol 461 390 361 160 127 114 107 106 106 69 56 42 29 23 21 13 10 9 6 6 5 2 1 2224
% 20.7 17.5 16.2 7.2 5.7 5.1 4.8 4.8 4.8 3.1 2.5 1.9 1.3 1.0 0.9 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 100
May 22 Vol % 109 21.3 101 19.8 89 17.4 37 7.2 29 5.7 16 3.1 25 4.9 14 2.7 31 6.1 13 2.5 18 3.5 7 1.4 6 1.2 2 0.4 6 1.2 2 0.4 2 0.4 1 0.2 1 0.2 1 0.2 0 0.0 1 0.2 0 0.0 511 100
3501-4500kg GVM 2022 Brand FIAT VOLKSWAGEN MERCEDES-BENZ CHEVROLET FORD RAM RENAULT LDV IVECO PEUGEOT Total
Vol 111 44 41 24 23 15 9 6 6 2 281
% 39.5 15.7 14.6 8.5 8.2 5.3 3.2 2.1 2.1 0.7 100
May 22 Vol % 13 27.7 4 8.5 10 21.3 5 10.6 8 17.0 2 4.3 1 2.1 0 0.0 4 8.5 0 0.0 47 100
4501-7500kg GVM 2022 Brand FUSO ISUZU HINO IVECO FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN FIAT RAM PEUGEOT Total 94 | Truck & Driver
Vol 222 109 80 75 68 64 24 21 6 5 1 675
% 32.9 16.1 11.9 11.1 10.1 9.5 3.6 3.1 0.9 0.7 0.1 100.0
May 22 Vol % 58 35.2 22 13.3 25 15.2 17 10.3 25 15.2 7 4.2 4 2.4 6 3.6 1 0.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 165 100
Market leader FUSO enjoyed another bumper month with 109 May registrations.
Brand SCANIA HINO FUSO KENWORTH ISUZU UD DAF VOLVO MERCEDES-BENZ MAN IVECO SINOTRUK FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL MACK SHACMAN WESTERN STAR Total
Vol 148 132 122 114 88 80 67 56 37 34 23 20 13 10 9 4 2 959
% 15.4 13.8 12.7 11.9 9.2 8.3 7.0 5.8 3.9 3.5 2.4 2.1 1.4 1.0 0.9 0.4 0.2 100
Trailers 2022
7501-15,000kg GVM 2022 Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO FOTON IVECO HYUNDAI UD MERCEDES-BENZ MAN Total
Vol 152 119 89 38 16 5 5 2 1 427
% 35.6 27.9 20.8 8.9 3.7 1.2 1.2 0.5 0.2 100
May 22 Vol % 45 42.9 27 25.7 18 17.1 6 5.7 4 3.8 2 1.9 2 1.9 0 0.0 1 1.0 105 100
15,001-20,500kg GVM 2022 Brand HINO FUSO UD ISUZU SCANIA IVECO MAN MERCEDES-BENZ SHACMAN DAF SINOTRUK Total
Vol 50 27 22 12 12 12 7 3 2 2 1 150
% 33.3 18.0 14.7 8.0 8.0 8.0 4.7 2.0 1.3 1.3 0.7 100
May 22 Vol % 5 16.7 9 30.0 5 16.7 1 3.3 3 10.0 3 10.0 1 3.3 1 3.3 0 0.0 1 3.3 1 3.3 30 100
20,501-23,000kg GVM 2022 Brand HINO SINOTRUK FUSO IVECO Total
Vol 9 2 1 1 13
% 69.2 15.4 7.7 7.7 100
May 22 Vol % 3 60.0 0 0.0 1 20.0 1 20.0 5 100
Brand Vol 53 PATCHELL M.T.E. 48 FRUEHAUF 46 ROADMASTER 42 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 35 DOMETT 34 TMC 31 TRANSFLEET 21 FREIGHTER 17 FAIRFAX 16 JACKSON 12 CWS 12 TES 12 HAMMAR 11 MTC EQUIPMENT 10 EVANS 8 KRAFT 8 TANKER ENGINEERING 8 MAXICUBE 8 MILLS-TUI 7 LUSK 6 TIDD 6 MD ENGINEERING 6 SEC 5 LOWES 5 MAKARANUI 4 STEELBRO 4 4 ADAMS & CURRIE PTE 4 WHITE 3 WARREN 3 MODERN TRANSPORT 3 COWAN 3 LILLEY 3 TEO 2 KOROMIKO 2 OTHER 61 563 Total
% 9.4 8.5 8.2 7.5 6.2 6.0 5.5 3.7 3.0 2.8 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 10.8 100
May 22 Vol % 34 16.5 41 19.9 23 11.2 16 7.8 21 10.2 18 8.7 12 5.8 18 8.7 6 2.9 5 2.4 4 1.9 1 0.5 2 1.0 2 1.0 1 0.5 1 0.5 1 0.5 206 100
C
F
M
Y
May 22 CM Vol % MY 12 10.5 11 9.6 CY 9 7.9 CMY 11 9.6 7 6.1 K 7 6.1 9 7.9 3 2.6 0 0.0 2 1.8 1 0.9 3 2.6 3 2.6 2 1.8 2 1.8 0 0.0 1 0.9 2 1.8 3 2.6 0 0.0 1 0.9 1 0.9 3 2.6 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 2 1.8 2 1.8 1 0.9 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 1 0.9 9 7.9 114 100
M
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John Keast Manager Caltex Invercargill Oil Shop is a locally owned and operated company and is proud to be the Caltex Distributor for Southland and South Otago, from south of the Clutha River to Stewart Island. We pride ourselves in being able to offer and supply the best product backed by the best service in the industry. Along with our oil shop network Caltex Lubricants are available in many areas. Just give John a call, who has over 50 years experience in the automotive industry, to discuss your requirements.
Caltex Invercargill Oil Shop 90 Leet Street Invercargill 03 218 2124 0800 2 BUY OIL 0800 2 289 645 Southland Batteries 49 Bond Street Invercargill 03 218 8300
AND HAWKES BAY
Westland Engineering Supplies 03-768 5720
Eastern Gas & Hire 6 Hyde Street Gore 03 208 5085 Balclutha Motors Cnr Elizabeth & James Street Balclutha 03 418 1070
Delo® 400 SLK with ISOSYN® Advanced Technology
For your nearest Oil Shop Freephone 0800 372 374
TD31099
Delo® 400 SLK with innovative ISOSYN® Advanced Technology is here. Delivering industry leading durability, reliability and efficiency. It works in synergy with the changing conditions in your engine to maximise protection, optimise performance and extend oil life.
OP Ltd
AND S BAY The first Mack Anthem 8x4 tractor unit is going to work in the Tomoana Warehousing fleet. A factory US-style front bumper is fitted to the Anthem complete with the latest Tomoana Warehousing livery and graphics. The build includes MP8 engine with 535hp, M Drive 12-speed automated transmission and Meritor 46-160 axles on Hendrickson AL suspension. The full Bendix Wingman safety package is fitted along with roof kit and cab side skirts. It is towing a Patchell 4-axle trailer.
Paul Wheatley and Bex Nash, owners of JRP Ltd, have added an Isuzu CYJ530 8x4 18-speed Road Ranger crane truck to their fleet. A Fassi F 545 RA.2.28 crane provides a reach of 18.6 meters and with two manual extensions extending out to 23.35 meters. Engineering was carried out by Hastings Isuzu dealers Deakin Trucks engineering workshop working with Fabsmart for design and CNC PROCUT for pre-cut profiles, keeping it all in Hastings and highlighting the great engineering services available in the area. As well as having a crane mounted on a fifth wheel the truck is also set up for a removable flat deck. Fitted with factory air rear suspension, it regularly tows a 3-axle semi-trailer.
Thermal Barriers We’ve got you covered.
Thermal Barriers create the perfect division between frozen and chilled products. Custom fit for your unit, tough and built to last!
TD31099
Contact us today for a quote...
0800 244 266 | www.straitline.co.nz/thermalbarriers
Tumu Timbers has a new Volvo FH 16 8x4 on its timber and general cartage fleet. Developing 600hp and equipped with I-Shift transmission and Volvo RTS2370B rear axles, the FH is working North Island-wide from Hastings with a new 5-axle Domett curtainside trailer. Features includes the full Volvo safety package, custom fuel tank and a 33-litre under bunk fridge. Wrapped Auto Signs in Tauranga completed the cab livery and Tauranga Canvas did the stand-out curtain graphics.
Graham and Michelle Redington’s Northchill fleet has a new Kenworth T909 6x4 with a 36-inch Aerodyne sleeper. Scott McMurtrie is driving the truck which has a 600hp Cummins X15 and Eaton RTLO22918B 18-speed manual transmission, Meritor RT46-160GP full X-lock axles and Airglide 460 air suspension. The T909 is working with a Roadmaster 6-axle curtainsider. Features include a Kentweld polished front bumper with marker lights in lower strip, 7-inch chrome exhaust pipes, Durabright alloy wheels, under bunk fridge and TV fitted in sleeper. The extensive stainless and lighting work was completed by the Southpac in-house engineering department. Fleet Image painted the tanks, front guards and chassis covers. Cliff at Trucksigns Mt Maunganui took care of the signwriting.
98 | Truck & Driver
John and Robyn Clarke’s Wokatu Holdings at Scotts Gap, Southland are moving bulk feed and fertiliser with a new Trout River live bottom unit allowing discharge into low level sheds and no push up required. Mounted on a Scania R500 8x4 with Opticruise transmission and 5-axle trailer are Reid Engineering manufactured Trout River live bottom bodies which make moving bulk easy with no hoist operation required. Also fitted are SILodec scales, Razor remote tarps and auto grease. The trailer runs SAF Intradisc axles and suspension with Wabco EBS brakes. Paint work by Timaru Truck Refinishers.
A new Shacman L3000 vacuum truck has gone to work for Pipeline Care based at West Henderson. Kim Yu is driving the wastewater truck around the wider Auckland region which is equipped with a 1500-litre water tank, 4500-litre sludge tank and tipper for the waste tank. The 4x2 Shacman L300 has a 245hp Cummins engine, Allison eight-speed transmission with Hande rear axle and air suspension. Features include Lane Departure Warning and Tyre Pressure Monitoring.
Hardeep Singh’s PB48 general freight operation based in Hamilton has a new DAF XF Space Cab FAD 8x4 contracted to Mainfreight. The curtainsider unit has a Domett body and 5-axle trailer and the mechanicals combine a 530hp Paccar MX-13, automated 16-speed ZF TraXon 12TX2620 transmission, Paccar SR1360T rear axles with dual diff locks, air suspension with electronic hand control adjustment and DAFs full safety system. Details include a painted sun visor with extra marker lights, Durabright alloys, premium interior and chassis mounted toolbox. Fleet Image Hamilton painted the cab and chassis into Mainfreight colours with signwriting by Trucksigns Mt Maunganui.
Truck & Driver | 99
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
E B
T
HUB & BRAKE COMPONENTS
A
- 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
CC C C
P Pric P P
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HOT HOT DEALS DEALS HOT HOT HOT DEALS DEALS DEALS HOT DEALS Stemco StemcoQwikKit QwikKitKing KingPin PinKit Kit WITH WITH Stemco Stemco Stemco QwikKit QwikKit QwikKit King King King Pin Pin Pin Kit Kit Kit To To Suit Suit FG931-FG941 FG931-FG941 Axle Axle WITH WITH WITH Stemco QwikKit King Pin Kit EACH EACH STEMCO STEMCO ToTo Suit To Suit Suit FG931-FG941 FG931-FG941 FG931-FG941 Axle Axle Axle
WITH EACH EACH EACH STEMCO STEMCO STEMCO QWIKKIT QWIKKIT KING KING EACH STEMCO QWIKKIT QWIKKIT QWIKKIT KING KING KING PIN PIN KIT KIT QWIKKIT KING PIN PIN PIN KIT KIT KIT PURCHASED! PURCHASED! PIN KIT PURCHASED! PURCHASED! PURCHASED! *Terms *Terms andand conditions conditions apply. apply. PURCHASED! *Terms *Terms *Terms andand conditions and conditions conditions
ToAMKG931R Suit FG931-FG941 Axle AMKG931R AMKG931R AMKG931R AMKG931R AMKG931R
PROUDLY PROUDLYNZ NZ PROUDLY PROUDLY PROUDLY NZ NZ NZ OWNED OWNED & OPERATED & OPERATED PROUDLY NZ OWNED OWNED OWNED & OPERATED & OPERATED & OPERATED OWNED & OPERATED
Equaliser EqualiserPin Pin&& Equaliser Equaliser Equaliser Pin Pin Pin &&& Bush BushSet SetPin Equaliser & Bush Bush Bush Set Set Set To To Suit Suit Reyco Reyco 1&5/8" 1&5/8" Bush Set ToTo Suit To Suit Suit Reyco Reyco Reyco 1&5/8" 1&5/8" 1&5/8" To Suit Reyco 1&5/8" AMTRT1109ANZ AMTRT1109ANZ AMTRT1109ANZ AMTRT1109ANZ AMTRT1109ANZ AMTRT1109ANZ
.80 .80 .80 .80 .80 94 94 .80 94 94 94 94
$ $$ $ $$
.00 .00 .00 .00 .00 595 595 .00 595 595 595 595
$ $$ $ $$
apply. apply. apply. *Terms and conditions apply.
Stemco StemcoVoyager Voyager Stemco Stemco Stemco Voyager Voyager Voyager Hub HubSeals Seals Stemco Voyager Hub Hub Hub Seals Seals Seals Wide Wide range range available available Hub Seals Wide Wide Wide range range range available available available
OFF OFF 25% 25% OFF OFF OFF 25% 25% 25%OFF 25% Wide range available
SAVE SAVE 20% 20% SAVE SAVE SAVE 20% 20% 20% SAVE 20%
SUPREME SUPREME SUPREME SUPREME SUPREME SUPREME SEAT SEAT SEAT SEAT SEAT SEAT
.00 .00 .00 .00 .00 1,995 1,995 .00 1,995 1,995 1,995 1,995
$ $$ $ $$
• •• • • •• • •• • •• • •• •
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Suitable Suitablefor forISRI ISRI Suitable Suitable Suitable for for for ISRI ISRI ISRI 6800/337 6800/337 and and Isuzu, Isuzu, Suitable for ISRI 6800/337 6800/337 6800/337 and and and Isuzu, Isuzu, Isuzu, Hino, Hino,Scania, Scania, MAN, MAN, 6800/337 and Isuzu, Hino, Hino, Hino, Scania, Scania, Scania, MAN, MAN, MAN, Iveco, Iveco,DAF, DAF,Kenworth, Kenworth, Hino, Scania, MAN, Iveco, Iveco, Iveco, DAF, DAF, DAF, Kenworth, Kenworth, Kenworth, International, International, and andMack. Mack. Iveco, DAF, Kenworth, International, International, International, and and and Mack. Mack. Mack. International, and Mack.
• Air Air suspension suspension with with operator operator •Air Air Air suspension suspension suspension with with with operator operator operator rating rating ofof 150kg 150kg Air suspension with operator rating rating rating ofof 150kg of 150kg 150kg • Adjustable Adjustable damper damper rating of 150kg •Adjustable Adjustable Adjustable damper damper damper • Triple Triple airair lumbar lumbar Adjustable damper •Triple Triple Triple airair lumbar air lumbar lumbar • Seat Seat cushion cushion slide slide Triple air lumbar •Seat Seat Seat cushion cushion cushion slide slide slide • Integrated Integrated 3-point 3-point safety belt belt Seat cushion slide safety •Integrated Integrated Integrated 3-point 3-point 3-point safety safety safety belt belt belt Integrated 3-point safety belt
CALL CALL US US TODAY TODAY to totalk talkwith withour ourparts partsteam! team! CALL CALL CALL US US US TODAY TODAY TODAY to to to talk talk talk with with with our our our parts parts parts team! team! team! CALL US TODAY to talk with our parts team! Prices Prices shown shown exclude exclude GST GST and and freight freight and and areare valid valid from from 1st1st June June to to 31st 31st July July 2022. 2022. *Terms *Terms and and conditions conditions apply. apply. Prices Prices Prices shown shown shown exclude exclude exclude GST GST and GST and freight and freight freight and and are and are valid are valid valid from from from 1st1st June 1st June June to to 31st to 31st July 31st July 2022. July 2022. 2022. *Terms *Terms *Terms and and conditions and conditions conditions apply. apply. apply. Prices shown exclude GST and freight and are valid from 1st June to 31st July 2022. *Terms and conditions apply.
Ham: Ham:07 07849 8494839 4839 Akl: Akl:09 09262 2620683 0683 Chch: Chch:03 03741 7412261 2261 Ham: Ham: Ham: 07 07 07 849 849 849 4839 4839 4839 Akl: Akl: Akl: 09 09 09 262 262 262 0683 0683 0683 Chch: Chch: Chch: 03 03 03 741 741 741 2261 2261 2261 Ham: 07 849 4839 Akl: 09 262 0683 Chch: 03 741 2261
www.trt.co.nz www.trt.co.nz www.trt.co.nz www.trt.co.nz www.trt.co.nz www.trt.co.nz
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88. $80
105.00
Grabasub
$
ONLY
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ONLY
INCL. GST
INCL. GST
Saving $10
Saving $8.00
(INCLUDES EQUIPMENT GUIDE)
(INCLUDES EQUIPMENT GUIDE)
4 ISSUES
4 ISSUES
10%
9.5%
36.00
$
36.00
$
$32
ONLY
$32
ONLY
INCL. GST
INCL. GST
Saving $4.00
Saving $4.00
6%
6%
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PROUDLY SUPPORTING BOMBAY RUGBY
M. 0277 696 179
E. ropeworxnz@xtra.co.nz
NZ DISTRIBUTOR
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
EG28872
39 Tironui Rd, Takanini, Ph: (09) 298 4162
Hamilton:
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 sales@hoisthydraulics.net
EG30643
Auckland:
I
CC
104 | Truck & Driver
NON-BOOK NON-BOOKIN IN COF COFLANES LANES INVERCARGILL INVERCARGILL INVERCARGILL 9 9Kinloch 9Kinloch Kinloch StStSt
CROMWELL CROMWELL CROMWELL 1414Ree 14Ree Ree Crescent Crescent Crescent
CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH 357 357 357 West West West Coast Coast Coast Road Road Road
BLENHEIM BLENHEIM BLENHEIM
Riverlands Riverlands Riverlands Roadhouse, Roadhouse, Roadhouse, State State State Highway Highway Highway 111
••Warrant •Warrant Warrant ofofof Fitness Fitness Fitness Inspections Inspections Inspections ••Vehicle •Vehicle Vehicle Condition Condition Condition Assessments Assessments Assessments ••Maintenance •Maintenance Maintenance Inspections Inspections Inspections ••Certificate •Certificate Certificate ofofof Fitness Fitness Fitness AAand Aand and BBB Inspections Inspections Inspections ••Passenger •Passenger Passenger Service Service Service Vehicle Vehicle Vehicle Inspections Inspections Inspections ••Pink •Pink Pink Sticker/Green Sticker/Green Sticker/Green Sticker Sticker Sticker Removal Removal Removal Inspections Inspections Inspections
Contact Contact Contact Transport Transport Transport Repairs Repairs Repairs forforfor more 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
560 HP
Bobby Khan P: 09 264 1666 M: (64) 027 2661233
Shacman New Zealand Limited Distributor for SHACMAN Truck 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104
TD32613
www.shacmantruck.co.nz
