NZ TRUCK & DRIVER
FREE GIANT TRUCK POSTER LIFTOUT
| August 2022
August 2022 $9.50 incl. GST
BIG TEST Super Spreader | FLEET FOCUS Making Big Moves | FEATURE: Volvo’s Electric Future
FLEET FOCUS Making Big Moves
FEATURE Volvo’s Electric Future
Issue 259
Super Spreader
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
MITSUBISHI FUSO Authorised Distributor Fuso New Zealand Ltd www.fuso.co.nz
SCAN HERE TO LEARN MORE!
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
www.spt.co.nz
Lorem ipsum
NORTHLAND Mitchell Redington 021 555 326
TARANAKI Adam McIntosh
AUCKLAND 027 525 0015 Steve Willcocks Mitchell Redington 021 555 326
HAWKE’S BAY – MANAWATU – WANGANUI – WELLINGTON Mark O’Hara 027 2466 954
WAIKATO Adam McIntosh Tim Finlay
027 603 1023 021 452 805
BAY OF PLENTY - GISBORNE 021 452 805 Tim Finlay
SOUTH ISLAND Mike Gillespie Chris Gray Richard Reid
027 603 1023
027 4322 491 027 2816 840 021 451 970
FIND OUT MORE
WWW.SPT.CO.NZ
TD32617
WWW.SPT.CO.NZ
CONTENTS Issue 259 – August 2022 4
News
The latest from the world of road transport including…. more developments in New Zealand’s emerging hydrogen transport sector; a new Cook Strait crossing option from 2023; MAN takes an electric focus; Hyundai’s new mid-duty contender arrives, and charities will still benefit from the Bombay Truck Show that didn’t happen earlier this year.
FEATURES:
REGULARS:
60 Southpac Trucks Legends
80/ Double Coin Tyres NZ Transport 81 Imaging Awards
From Dinky toys to a fleet of Kenworth’s, Ian Speeding recalls 51 years in the transport business and how in retirement his love of trucks has evolved into a busy restoration hobby.
64 Great Southern Truckers
We talk to Alex Breingan, executive producer of the new reality TV show Great Southern Truckers.
24 Giti Tyres Big Test
Super Spreader: A winter day in Canterbury provides the ideal environment to put a new Mercedes-Benz Arocs 1835 4x4 to the test. The new spreader unit is working for Ellesmere Transport and boasts the latest Daimler MirrorCam system and some clever technology to achieve precise fertiliser application rates.
41 Transporting New Zealand
The latest update from Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand calls for the government to extend the temporary RUC reduction in an effort to ease cost of living pressures.
67 Weighty Solutions
Putting new TRT designed counterweight trailers into service is providing big efficiency benefits for McLeod Cranes.
Making Big Moves: Investing in the latest heavy haulage equipment has positioned Hamilton’s Prestige Building Removals as a leader in the house removals sector. But PBR has a focus much wider than just providing the transport solutions for relocatable buildings.
We remember Manawatu truck industry personality Bryan Menefy and his love for Mack trucks and Pink Floyd.
77 Electric Debut
Volvo has its first FL Electric truck in New Zealand for evaluation trials while overseas the brand is also turning its attention to hydrogen fuel cell technology.
81 Super Rigs
86 Truck Driver Hero
Pacific Haulage driver Neville Green was first on the scene of a Highway 35 accident and put his First Aid training to immediate use.
88 Truck Shop
New products and services for the road transport industry.
93 CrediFlex Recently Registered
74 Bryan Menefy
44 Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus
Recognising NZ’s best-looking trucks… including a giant pull-out poster of this month’s finalist.
Coverage from the big Shell Rotella Super Rigs show for the best of North America’s custom trucks.
Latest NZTA registration data sees the heavy commercial segment performing ahead of the total new vehicle market and still tracking just above record levels at the half-way point of 2022. Plus, the monthly photo gallery of new trucks on the road.
COLUMNS 85 It’s Political
NZ’s major political parties are given the opportunity to offer their opinions on issues affecting the road transport industry. This month the ACT Party has responded with its view.
89 National Road Carriers Association This month NRC COO James Smith calls for a published programme of major roading infrastructure investments so all stakeholders can put plans in place.
MANAGEMENT
ADMINISTRATION MANAGER
Publisher
Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz
Advertising
Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz
Sue Woolston
accounts@trucker.co.nz
SUBSCRIPTIONS Sue Woolston Phone
accounts@trucker.co.nz 021 411 950
NZ subscription $95 incl. GST for one year price (11 issues) Overseas rates on applicationw ADDRESS
EDITORIAL Editor
Colin Smith 021 510319 colin@trucker.co.nz
Associate Editor
Brian Cowan
CONTRIBUTORS
Wayne Munro Olivia Beauchamp Gerald Shacklock Dave McLeod
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
AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND Advertising Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz
Phone Freephone Postal Address Street Address Web
+64 9 571 3544 0508 TRUCKER (878 2537) PO Box 112 062, Penrose, AUCKLAND 172B Marua Road, Ellerslie, AUCKLAND www.alliedpublications.co.nz
PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Printer Bluestar Retail Distribution ARE Direct Publication: New Zealand Truck & Driver is published monthly, except January, by Allied Publications Ltd PO Box 112 062, Penrose, Auckland Contributions: Editorial contributions are welcomed for consideration, but no responsibility is accepted for lost or damaged materials (photographs, graphics, printed material etc). To mail, ensure return (if required), material must be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. It’s suggested that the editor is contacted by fax or email before submitting material. Copyright: Articles in New Zealand Truck & Driver are copyright and may not be reproduced in any form – in whole or part – without permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by, the publisher.
www.facebook.com/nztruckanddriver
www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz Truck & Driver | 3
NEWS CentrePort already has seven full electric Gaussin trucks which are used for port side container movements.
CentrePort making emissions drive HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL ELECTRIC trucks will play a role in the next phase of CentrePort Wellington’s efforts to reduce its CentrePort Wellington CEO Anthony Delaney.
4 | Truck & Driver
carbon emissions. CentrePort CEO Anthony Delaney says two new Hyzon fuel-cell electric trucks will be completing container movements around the lower North Island starting from early 2023. The move sees CentrePort participating in the Hiringa Energy, Waitomo Group and TR Group hydrogen trial. Committing to early adoption of hydrogen continues recent efforts from the port to reduce carbon emissions across its operations. “Ports have a lot of carbon generating machinery like tugs, pilot boats and container handling plant,” says Mr Delaney. “Our journey is to see how can we transition to being more sustainable as a business. But with the requirement to be both sustainable and resilient. “It’s not about a few hydrogen trucks. It’s a shift of mindset to reducing carbon emissions, limiting waste and recycling materials,” he says. Delaney points to damage caused in Wellington by the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake as a turning point for the port. Faced with
uneven ground it sought an alternative to staddle units for container movements and now operates seven battery-swap electric truck and trailer IMV (Internal Movement Vehicle) units from French company Gaussin for container movements inside the port. The port has also concentrated on multimodal transport and moved 48,000 TEU of containers by rail last year. It has also made use of 200,000 tonnes of concrete from the demolished BNZ building for construction works. “We have are more holistic in how we manage waste,” Mr Delaney says. The port sees hydrogen as another part of its sustainability journey. “We have a lot of eggs in one basket [the electric trucks] so we began to look at hydrogen and how we could use it, both inside and outside of the port,” says Delaney. “One way is to look at repositioning the empty boxes [containers] to where they are needed to be filled in the most efficient manner - whether that’s by road or rail.
NEWS “With hydrogen refuelling becoming available in Palmerston North later this year, a triangular run between Wellington, Whanganui and Palmerston North becomes feasible.” Once hydrogen refuelling is available in the Marlborough region, Delaney says hydrogen fuel cell trucks could also be used to shuttle freight between Picton and the recently announced Riverlands freight hub on the outskirts of Blenheim. “We’ll be one of the first operations to receive the Hyzon trucks. I expect we’ll start with both trucks in the North Island,” Mr Delaney says. “We have embarked on a journey to improve our carbon profile. What we have learned from the electric trucks is that it would be easy to sit back and wait but you’ve got to be in there and putting new technologies to work. And once you do that you discover it’s really quite cool.” T&D
The first Hyzon fuel cell electric trucks are expected to go to work on New Zealand roads from early in 2023.
NZ Post launches hydrogen truck NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST HYDROGEN FUEL CELL electric truck is now in the hands of its owner NZ Post. The pioneering Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell will take over from one of its diesel-powered counterparts, saving an estimated 170 tonnes of C02 emissions per year. The initial validation process will see the truck operating in different configurations - first as a truck only, then as a truck and trailer combination on several routes. Collecting New Zealand specific performance data will refine software settings and define the best operating routes for this technology. Until the first commercial refuelling stations are built, with the first expected to be ready by early 2023, the truck will be fuelled by green hydrogen supplied by BOC. Once the commercial infrastructure is in place next year, this truck’s ideal first operational route is likely to be Auckland – Hamilton – Auckland – Whangarei. NZ Post Chief Executive Officer David Walsh says taking ownership of a hydrogen truck is an exciting milestone. “We are very proud to be leading the way by putting the country’s first hydrogen truck into commercial operation,” he says. “Sustainability is a big deal to all of us at NZ Post, and we see hydrogen technology as one way to contribute to reducing our emissions within New Zealand’s road freight sector. Investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology aligns with NZ Post’s goal of being a fully carbon neutral business from 2030. Hyundai New Zealand CEO Andy Sinclair says he’s delighted with NZ Post’s commitment to leading the way in investing in this zero-emission transport technology. “Kiwis should keep an eye out for the XCIENT – it might be their parcel in the back, travelling without the environmental impact of diesel,
and in a remarkably quieter manner,” he says. “Heavy transport emissions are notoriously hard to offset, as electric battery vehicle alternatives can’t offer companies the same productivity. Larger trucks are driven all day, every day over long distances. Taking multiple hours to recharge a battery regularly is time the truck can’t be on the road. Hydrogen technology is an important solution for NZ Post and other similar businesses to introduce as part of reducing heavy freight emissions.” The Government Emissions Reduction Plan targets a 35% cut of emissions from freight transport by 2035. It says heavy transport makes up 4% of New Zealand’s transport fleet but is responsible for 25 per cent of all transport emissions. T&D The NZ Post Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell.
Truck & Driver | 5
NEWS
HWR reveals hydrogen solution
Fabrum CEO Dr Ojas Mahapatra (left) with co-founder and Managing Director Christopher Boyle ZERO-EMISSIONS TRANSITION company Fabrum will supply the hydrogen refuelling solutions for the upcoming H.W. Richardson (HWR) dual-fuel (hydrogen diesel) truck trial reported in the June issue of NZ Truck & Driver. Fabrum is developing and deploying an end-toend scalable refuelling solution for HWR to enable fleet-ready access to hydrogen, supporting HWR’s plans to have 10 dual-fuel trucks on the road by the second quarter of 2023. The first Fabrum green hydrogen production system for HWR will operate in Southland, using a 1.1-Megawatt (MW) membrane-free electrolyser combined with its cryogenic technologies in a containerised system for decentralised point-of-use refuelling. Fabrum will also supply hydrogen storage HWR Group CEO Anthony Jones.
6 | Truck & Driver
technology with integrated compression and dispensing technology to enable an end-to-end solution of production through to dispensing of hydrogen gas. The system employs Fabrum’s world-leading AFCryocooler cryogenic technology, which enables gas separation and liquefaction. Combined with patented Membrane-Free Electrolyser technology from UK company Clean Power Hydrogen (CPH2), it splits water into pure hydrogen and medical grade oxygen without the polymer membrane used in common PEM electrolysers. A 1.1 MW system can produce 450kg of hydrogen per day from water. HWR’s CEO Anthony Jones says Fabrum is a key part of the hydrogen project as their worldleading solutions enable hydrogen production capability on-site and on-demand.
“As HWR rolls out dual-fuel technology and its hydrogen refuelling network across New Zealand, Fabrum’s ability to scale to grow with us means this alternative fuel source will be a solution for the entire heavy transport industry,” Jones says. HWR has been trialling dual-fuel hydrogen technology for its truck fleets since late 2021. Dualfuel is a future fuels solution that works for the entire heavy transport industry, enabling this low-carbon transition in an accessible and sustainable manner. Dual-fuel technology used on current technology diesel engines can replace up to 40% of the diesel with hydrogen – resulting in a 40% reduction in emissions – without power loss. “We’re excited to be working with HWR to power change for a new zero-emission transport future with our green hydrogen technologies,” says Fabrum’s CEO, Dr Ojas Mahapatra. “As one of New Zealand’s largest companies, HWR can action big change that impacts its emissions and provides a sustainability and decarbonisation blueprint for heavy transport. “Over the past year, we’ve seen a surge in demand for our hydrogen solutions, driven by increasing decarbonisation and energy security challenges.” HWR, which owns the Allied Petroleum network of around 110 fuel stops across New Zealand, has options to buy further electrolyser and hydrogen storage systems from Fabrum for new and existing refuelling sites. “We can use our fuel network to distribute hydrogen as an alternative fuel not just for our fleet, but to help the heavy transport industry as a whole – by removing barriers to accessing ready hydrogen fuel,” says Jones. T&D
STX672/1-T&D
This Opzeeland Truck & Trailer is fitted with Structurflex Flexisider curtains.
TRUCK CURTAINS ENGINEERED FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE Appearance is what first attracts fleet owners to Structurflex truck curtains, but it’s superior design and manufacturing quality that keeps them coming back for more. Our customers know they’ll get a great run from Structurflex truck curtains, because we combine the best materials with superior features, developed by our in-house engineers. As well as complete cargo protection and easy loading, our curtainsiders give you years of reliable service. FLEXISIDER
•
SLIDE-A-SIDE
•
CITYSIDER
Talk to us about custom-made Flexisider, Slide-A-Side and Citysider curtains, as well as our Tensioner and Whiting and Robinson roller doors. Call Structurflex on 0800 100 775 email us at info@structurflex.co.nz or visit www.structurflex.co.nz
•
TENSIONER
•
WHITING
•
ROBINSON
NEWS MOVe Shipping will introduce a 140-metre long Roll on/Roll off vessel capable of carrying about 35 trucks onto a New Plymouth-Nelson route next year.
Coastal shipping on the MOVE A NEW COOK STRAIT LINK WILL BECOME AVAILABLE next year when MOVE Logistics Group opens a gateway between Nelson and New Plymouth. Move is accelerating its Oceans strategy by entering a funding agreement for $10 million of co-investment from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. It’s part of the $30m package announced in May by Minister of Transport Michael Wood for coastal shipping funding through the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) to improve domestic shipping services, reduce emissions, improve efficiency and upgrade maritime infrastructure. Waka Kotahi worked with the wider freight industry to select four applicants for co-investment in new and enhanced coastal shipping services through the NLTP. Along with MOVE, the other successful applicants are Coastal Bulk Shipping Ltd, Swire Shipping NZ Ltd and Aotearoa Shipping Alliance. Currently, the only options available for moving rolling stock between the North and South Islands are via the Cook Strait ferries which operate between Wellington and Picton. These vessels require linkspan/ ramp operations for loading and unloading cargo and the vessel ramp configurations mean that these ships cannot berth at standard cargo wharves. The new MOVE service will be capable of calling into at least 13 New Zealand ports, without the need for any new port infrastructure to be built. MOVE will now progress with the acquisition, refitting and mobilisation of a quarter-ramp Roll On/Roll Off (RORO) vessel, with the first sailing expected to be in 2023. “This new initiative further reinforces MOVE’s position as a leading provider of innovative freight solutions in New Zealand,” says Executive Director of MOVE, Chris Dunphy. “We will be working closely with our Freight and Contract Logistics customers and other businesses to offer blue-water alternatives to trucking. 8 | Truck & Driver
The quarter-ramp Roll On/Roll Off vessel service is unique and will be an industry first for coastal shipping in New Zealand.” Move estimates the sailing time between New Plymouth and Nelson is 15 to 16 hours which compares to a driving time of 13 to 14 hours (including ferry sailing time of 3.5 hours). The driving time savings derived from the initial Nelson-New Plymouth service will deliver far greater efficiency in driving hours – a valuable benefit at a time when the New Zealand freight industry is facing significant driver shortages. As an example, under the new MOVE Oceans service, a driver could drive from Auckland to New Plymouth, drop off a unit to be shipped south to Christchurch, pick up a unit that has come north from Christchurch via Nelson and return to Auckland within one shift. MOVE says this is far more efficient than the current system where one driver drives the length of the country from Auckland to Christchurch and returns. The service will be used by the MOVE Logistics truck fleet and will be available to external users on a pre-booked basis. In addition to the operational benefits, the shift of existing loads from road to shipping will deliver carbon emission reductions estimated at 2,000 tonnes per annum. “Each of these four selected suppliers will bring at least one additional coastal shipping vessel into service, and together this will improve the resilience of the overall freight supply chain,” says Michael Wood. “The four preferred suppliers will invest over $60 million through their proposals, resulting in combined investment in the sector of over $90 million.” When the new services are fully operational, it is estimated they will remove around 35 million kilometres of truck travel from New Zealand’s roading network every year and will also support the recently released Emissions Reduction Plan to reduce emissions from freight transport by 35% by 2035. T&D
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
Daimler Truck is testing liquid hydrogen for its fuel-cell GenH2 prototype truck.
Daimler trials liquid hydrogen DAIMLER TRUCK IS EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF liquid hydrogen as the energy source for future fuel cell electric trucks with a range of 1000km. A new Mercedes-Benz GenH2 prototype has been developed for testing liquid hydrogen and a newly installed prototype filling station at the development and testing centre in Worth enables refuelling. Working with Air Liquide, Daimler Truck recently celebrated the first successful liquid hydrogen (LH2) refuelling of the truck. During the refuelling process, cryogenic liquid hydrogen at minus 253degC is filled into two 40kg tanks mounted on either side of the chassis. Thanks to the particularly good insulation of the vehicle tanks, the hydrogen can be kept at temperature for a sufficiently long time without active cooling. Daimler Truck prefers liquid hydrogen in the development of hydrogen-based drives because it has a significantly higher energy density in relation to volume compared to gaseous hydrogen. As a result, more hydrogen can be carried, which significantly increases the range and enables comparable performance of the vehicle with that of a conventional diesel truck. The development objective for the series-ready GenH2 Truck is a range of 1,000km and more. This makes the truck suitable for flexible and demanding applications, especially in the important segment of heavyduty long-haul transport. The start of series production for hydrogenbased trucks is planned for the second half of this decade. At the same time, Daimler Truck is working together with Linde on the development of a new process for handling liquid hydrogen (“subcooled” liquid hydrogen, “sLH2 technology”). Among other things, this innovative approach enables even higher storage density and easier 10 | Truck & Driver
refuelling compared to LH2. The companies plan for the first sLH2 refuelling of a prototype vehicle at a pilot station in Germany in 2023. Daimler Truck and its partners will collaborate with other companies and associations to develop refuelling and vehicle technologies that apply the new liquid-hydrogen standard and establish a global mass market for the new process. On its path towards a CO2-neutral future, Daimler Truck is pursuing a dual-track strategy in the electrification of its portfolio with both batteryelectric and hydrogen-based drives. The ambition is to offer only new vehicles that are carbon-neutral in major global markets by 2039. T&D The liquid hydrogen is stored in two 40kg tanks.
NEWS
Electric Alpine climber DAF HAS DEMONSTRATED THE ABILITY OF ITS CF Electric by becoming the first full-electric truck to tame Europe’s most challenging mountain pass. A DAF CF Electric with a 26t GCM recently negotiated Austria’s 48km Grossglockner High Alpine Road, which includes 36 hairpin bends and steep 12% inclines. DAF says the accomplishment proves that zero-emission driving is possible in mountainous areas. Sales of the DAF CF Electric began in 2018 with both 4x2 tractor unit and a 6x2 rigid models available in Europe. The fully electric vehicle – the third generation of which is now on the road – is already in use in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Hungary for various applications including supermarket distribution, refuse collection and container transport. With smart planning
and intermediate charging, customers are able to drive up to 500km per day. With some transport operators in mountainous areas having doubts about the use of electric vehicles, Austrian DAF dealer Tschann decided to put an end to this scepticism. “Where else but on the most challenging, yet beautiful mountain road in Europe could you prove the quality and usability of the CF Electric?”, says Tschann director Enrico Simma. The route from Salzburg to the foot of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road included motorways and provincial roads before tackling the spectacular mountain pass. “It’s the ultimate test for any vehicle — and the CF Electric passed with flying colours This is the proof that the CF Electric can be used on any route as long as there is a good charging infrastructure,” Simma says. T&D
New Marlborough freight hub
MARLBOROUGH EXPORTERS ARE set to benefit from a new end-to-end logistics solution being jointly developed by Port Marlborough and CentrePort Wellington. The ports have entered into an agreement to create a new inland cargo hub at the Riverlands site near Blenheim, 34km to Picton via State Highway 1. The hub, to be developed over the next 18-24 months for cargo aggregation, links to Port Marlborough by State Highway 1 and rail. The initiative provides a cargo hub and freight movement via road/rail to coastal and international shipping and provides a resilient, and lower carbon freight link between exporters in Marlborough and international markets. Port Marlborough CEO Rhys Welbourn says there will be major benefits for Marlborough exporters and importers, and the region’s community and economy. “We have collectively been working with shippers who want a reliable, resilient, and
competitive supply chain which is what this partnership will deliver,” says Mr Welbourn. “It creates improved access and options for shippers for an end-to-end export service with the cargo aggregation hub at Riverlands connecting them to coastal and international shipping at competitive rates. That will help local businesses grow, benefitting the region’s and New Zealand’s economy. CentrePort CEO Anthony Delaney says the partnership has significant environmental and resilience benefits as well. “The proximity of the Riverlands hub to exporters and the direct link via State Highway 1 with the potential for a rail connection, will provide a lower carbon option compared to other supply chain routes,” Mr Delaney says. “CentrePort’s supply chain infrastructure already includes a range of carbon reduction initiatives including fully electric container movement vehicles on port. We have invested in infrastructure resilience and capacity
enhancement which can also benefit shippers in the upper South Island.” The partnership has wider benefits for the New Zealand logistics supply chain by enabling empty containers to be efficiently distributed to key exporter locations and also by supporting coastal shipping which the Government identifies as important for strengthening and diversifying the supply chain. Marlborough District Council Mayor John Leggett has welcomed the announcement. “This is a fantastic new development for Marlborough that will streamline our export supply chain. Marlborough accounts for 86% of New Zealand’s wine exports and also exports large volumes of high quality food produce,” says Mr Leggett. Development of the Riverlands site will see seven hectares utilised for the hub with the remainder of the 32Ha site available to prospective parties. T&D
Truck & Driver | 11
NEWS
MAN looks to battery future MAN TRUCK & BUS CONTINUES TO focus on electric technologies for its future products and is investing Euro 100million (NZ$168 million) at its Nuremburg site to manufacture high-voltage batteries. The Euro100m investment over five years will see production capacity increased to over 100,000 batteries per year. Initially, the batteries, which along with the engines form the heart of electric commercial vehicle drives, will be manufactured manually at the MAN plant in Nuremberg in a small series production. Large-scale production is scheduled to begin in mid-2023 and will be fully on stream
Up to six battery packs will be required to provide a range between 600-800km.
by the end of 2024 as MAN moves toward industrialisation of electric drive systems for trucks and buses from 2025. The investments in battery production are being made in cooperation between the company and employee representatives along with active support from Bavarian politicians. The Bavarian state government has promised a contribution of around Euro 30m between 2023 and 2027, to conduct research into battery assembly, cell chemistry and development, battery safety and battery recycling. “We are now starting to industrialise electromobility and continue on our path to climate-neutral mobility in commercial vehicles,” says Alexander Vlaskamp, Chairman of the Executive Board of MAN Truck & Bus SE. “This now paves the way for a commercial vehicle e-cluster `made in Bavaria’, consisting of the production of e-trucks at MAN in Munich, battery production in Nuremberg, research & development at both locations and excellent cooperation with the respective colleges, universities and institutes,” says Vlaskamp. “With our investment decision, we are securing around 350 jobs at the Nuremberg site and hundreds if not thousands of jobs in Germany.”
The batteries require complex assembly with battery cells grouped into modules and combined in individual layers to form a battery housing (pack). This requires a high level of know-how and strict safety standards. Depending on the required range, a heavy electric truck needs up to six of those battery packs. This will initially give MAN’s e-trucks a range of 600-800km and with the next generation of battery technology, ranges of up to 1,000km are expected from around 2026. MAN is forecasting the total cost of ownership for an e-truck and a diesel-powered one will be at the same level from the middle of the current decade with demand for e-vehicles increasing significantly by then at the latest – assuming the appropriate charging infrastructure is in place. The production of heavy e-trucks will start at MAN in Munich at the beginning of 2024. MAN has already put a small series on the road in 2019 and has had fully electric city buses and vans on the market for some time. MAN’s Nuremberg plant has a history dating back 180 years with trucks or components manufactured there in for over 100years. Today the site has 3,600 employees involved in the development, production, and sales of all MAN diesel and gas engines. T&D
MAN Truck & Bus revealed a near-production prototype of its future electric truck earlier this year. 12 | Truck & Driver
NEWS
Hanover debut for new DAF XD THE NEW GENERATION DAF XD for distribution and vocational work will make its global debut at the IAA Expo in Hanover, Germany in September. The new XD is based on the platform of the ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’, the XF, XG and XG+ long haul trucks. DAF says XD premium features will include industry-leading aerodynamics, seating position and fit and finish plus class-leading fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions. Efficiency gains are achieved by advanced cab aerodynamics, a new PACCAR MX-11 driveline and intelligent driver assistance systems. Extensive availability of PTO’s, body attachment modules and connectors contribute to first class bodybuilder-friendliness. DAF claims best-in-class direct vision – key for urban applications – thanks to a large windscreen and large side windows with ultra-low belt lines, a low cab position and optional curb view window. Indirect visibility is provided by DAF Corner View and DAF Digital Camera System. A design focus on accessibility and comfort includes a spacious cab with volumes of up to
The new DAF XD will be revealed in September. nearly 10m3 and a full range of seat and steering wheel adjustment. The striking and highly ergonomic dashboard features a fully digital instrument panel. Ride and handling benefit from a completely new design of the chassis front-end, cab
suspension and rear axle suspension. Production is planned to start in late-2022 with the XD platform packaged to accept all types of drivelines, including alternative powertrains. DAF says the popular CF range will remain in production. T&D
Have full Spread control all in one Device SPREAD CONTROLLER Take your TML to the next level. Combine the ease of the TML with our TracMap spread controller. The controller ties seamlessly into your TML making spreading easy.
Photo Credit: Truck & Driver Magazine
tracmap.com
0800 872 262
Spread Controller pairs exclusively with TML. Both units are sold separately.
One less screen in cab
Seamless integration
Variable rate
One touch bout reduce
• • •
• • •
• • • •
• • • •
• • •
• • • • • •
• • • •
NEWS
Detroit takes another
look
ASGA will be optional on Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star trucks equipped with Detroit Assurance with ABA 5.
ACTIVE SIDE GUARD ASSIST (ASGA) IS THE LATEST addition to the Detroit Assurance suite of safety and driver assist systems to improve truck safety in low-speed, passenger-side turns. Planned for production beginning September 1, ASGA detects moving objects in the path of a right-hand turn (for LHD markets) at speeds below 20kph and applies the brakes, which improves safety at intersections, in truck yards and freight terminals. Detroit Assurance with Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA 5) uses alwayson, fused radar and camera technology to monitor the road and mitigate potential collisions. “Detroit Assurance with ABA 5 is the most comprehensive suite of safety systems available in the industry and we are constantly looking for ways to make it even better,” says Mary Aufdemberg, general manager, product strategy and market development. “By alerting drivers to blind spot hazards and braking to mitigate collisions, Active Side Guard Assist adds another layer of protection for
drivers and the public.” The Side Guard Assist option was originally launched in 2020 to detect and warn the driver of moving objects along the length of the passenger side of the truck, but does not provide braking. With ASGA, when the side-mounted radar detects a moving object, such as a pedestrian or bicyclist, along the length of the passenger side of the tractor, the driver receives a yellow warning triangle in the right side A-pillar. If the driver sets a right-hand turn signal or begins a right-hand turn, the yellow warning triangle turns red, an audible alarm sounds and braking engages. ASGA will be optional on Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star trucks equipped with Detroit Assurance with ABA 5, including the newly released Freightliner eCascadia battery electric model. Detroit Assurance with ABA 5 is the industry’s most comprehensive suite of safety systems and includes features such as Active Speed Intervention, Active Brake Assist 5, Brake Hold Mode, Adaptive Cruise Control to 0kph, Active Lane Assist and other systems. T&D
BYD: Cars now, trucks later A NEW SUV MODEL AND A NEW ZEALAND DEALER network has been announced for China’s pioneering BYD (Build Your Dreams) electric vehicle brand. New Zealand distributor Ateco Automotive has also confirmed that light commercial EV vans figure in its product plans but is saying BYD’s truck lineup is not on the radar for the moment. “BYD intends to bring to New Zealand a full suite of vehicles for every market segment over time. LCVs are definitely in BYDs future plans,” says Warren Willmot, Brand Manager for BYD New Zealand. Right-hand drive production is the main hurdle for BYD Trucks. The brand already sells a range of tractor units, refuse and sweeper trucks and terminal tractors in the US. BYD Auto is a subsidiary of BYD Co Ltd, a multinational, high-tech company recognised as the largest producer of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) in the world, with a product portfolio incorporating electric and plug-in hybrid cars, buses, trucks, sky-rail, forklifts and rechargeable battery production. T&D
BYD Trucks are already available in the US market. Truck & Driver | 15
NEWS
Komatsu will work with Cummins to develop hydrogen fuel cell power solutions for its heavy mine haul trucks.
Fuel cells for future mining EXTENDED COLLABORATION BETWEEN CUMMINS and Komatsu will develop new hydrogen fuel cell solutions for large mine haul and construction roles. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding for the development of zero-emissions haulage equipment, an extension to their diesel engine partnership across a wide range of mining and construction equipment. “Komatsu’s deep expertise in mining and equipment design and integration paired with our advanced power technologies including hydrogen fuel cells will accelerate decarbonisation of mining equipment,” says Amy Davis, Vice President and President of New Power at Cummins. “The mining industry has great potential to lead in adopting renewable solutions.” In August 2021, Komatsu announced its power agnostic truck concept for a haulage vehicle that can run on a variety of power sources, including diesel electric, trolley, battery power and hydrogen fuel cells. Working with Cummins is complementary to Komatsu’s development of the power agnostic truck. As a leading independent power provider in the mining segment, Cummins provides a broad portfolio of batteries, fuel cell systems and electrolysers (for
16 | Truck & Driver
generating hydrogen) to provide key building blocks for decarbonisation. “Cummins has been a long-term partner of Komatsu and has been investing in the key technologies required to support the energy transition in mining,” says Masayuki Moriyama, President of Komatsu’s Mining Business Division. “These are critical technologies for helping mining customers reduce carbon emissions and accelerate carbon neutrality. Building on our partnership with Cummins, we are working to accelerate sustainable solutions for our customers.” Komatsu is targeting a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from use of its products and production of its equipment by 2030 (compared to 2010 levels) and a challenge target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Komatsu has worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for customers through innovative product development in many areas including electric diesel dump trucks, hybrid excavators, electric power excavators, regenerative energy storage capabilities and fuel saver programmes. In 2021 Komatsu announced the creation of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) alliance with customers to collaborate on product planning, development, testing and deployment of the next generation of zero-emission mining equipment and infrastructure. The alliance’s initial target is advancing Komatsu’s poweragnostic truck concept, with a goal of commercial offering in 2030. The collaboration with Komatsu is part of Cummins’ Destination Zero strategy to reduce the GHG and air quality impacts of its products and reach net zero emissions by 2050. T&D
NEWS The NZ Truck Driving Championships are a feature of November’s Truck Industry Show.
Christchurch hosts driving nationals THE TR GROUP NEW ZEALAND TRUCK DRIVING Championships will be decided during the TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show at Christchurch on November 26. Ahead of the national finals the Auckland heats are scheduled on October 15 at the TR Group depot in Penrose with the Christchurch heats at the Industry Show on Friday November 25 and the finals taking place the next day. The contest includes the EROAD class 2, Spartan Finance tractor-semi, and the Hydraulink truck & trailer categories. “There are fantastic prizes up for grabs. The winner of each competition category will take home a unique trophy, $2,500 cash, flights, tickets, and accommodation for the Brisbane Truck Show in 2023 and an awesome goodie bag. Runner-ups will take home $1,000 dollars cash,” says Carol
McGready, NZ Trucking Association general manager. The association says more than 100 exhibiting companies have signed up for the show. “Things are really ramping up now. We are full steam ahead to deliver this massive event that everyone has been waiting four years for,” says Carol. Covid-19 caused the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the biennial industry show. Another popular drawcard is the UDC Show & Shine competition, with over 40 prize categories and one-of-a-kind trophies. Friday November 25 is billed as Trade Day with sponsor and exhibitor displays while Saturday is the public open day. Tickets are $10 for adults under-18s free. All proceeds will be donated to charities including Ronald McDonald House and Child Cancer. T&D
Waikato Expressway opens THE FIRST TRAFFIC BEGAN TO FLOW ALONG THE NEW Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway late in the evening of July 14. The 22km Hamilton section takes State Highway 1 east of Hamilton, from the Ngāruawāhia section in the north to connect with the Cambridge section at Tamahere. The four-lane expressway has been decades in the planning and six years in the construction phase. It is expected to reduce travel times between Auckland and Tirau by 35 minutes for approximately 20,000 vehicles a day. It’s the final piece in the four-laning of State Highway 1 between Bombay and south of Cambridge. The 78km stretch from Hampton Downs to south of Cambridge is now a median divided four-lane expressway with a 110km/h speed limit. “We’re delighted that road users now have a safe corridor all the way from Auckland to Cambridge. The Hamilton section will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, reduce travel times and boost economic growth in the Waikato and beyond,” says Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency regional infrastructure manager Jo Wilton. Waka Kotahi reminds drivers that the connecting roads at Resolution Drive and Ruakura Road will remain under traffic management and temporary speed restrictions while works are completed. T&D
MEREMERE Hampton Downs Interchange
1
TE KAUWHATA Te Kauwhata Interchange
2
Rangiriri Interchange
3
Armitage Road Ōhinewai Interchange
4
RANGIRIRI 5
6
Huntly Northern Interchange
HUNTLY
NEW PERMANENT SPEED LIMIT TAUPIRI
7
Taupiri Scientific Reserve
8
Gordonton Road (Taupiri) Interchange
NGĀRUAWĀHIA Hamilton Northern Interchange
MORRINSVILLE 9 10
Resolution Drive Interchange
Greenhill Interchange
11
RAGLAN
HAMILTON
Ruakura Interchange
12
Hamilton Southern Interchange
13
Tamahere Interchange
ŌHAUPŌ
14
EXISTING
CAMBRIDGE 22-114
Truck & Driver | 17
#3 $)3# /2 $25- !8,% 3530%.3)/. !33%-",9 ,IGHTWEIGHT VIRTUALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE VERY LOW MAINTENANCE WITH HIGH ROLL STIFFNESS
E551 SERIES TRAILER COUPLING l Lightest 50mm coupling sold in NZ @ 43kg l Highest rated 50mm coupling sold in NZ with D Value of 330kN l Highest Vertical load @ 2500kg l Manual security lock with in cab warning (if mechanism not closed) l Long handle – easy to open l Bronze Bushed on all wearing surfaces l Anti-rattle guide mouth centre spring l Surface hardened pin – better life l Easy to dismantle and repair l Jack-knife alarm optional
In cab warning light for non engaged coupling
New Jack-Knife warning switch with in cab Jackknife warning light
-IRA TRACK TEST HAVE CONlRMED THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PRODUCTS 50mm V.Orlandi trailer coupling fitted with EVER PRODUCED BY “UNBREAKABLE” cast steel guide mouth, !RVIN -ERITOR 2/2 coupling part number E551-HDG
“UNBREAKABLE” cast steel guide mouth Features include:
Manual pin lock with warning light 4RAILING !RM Hardened tow pin Large evacuation hole in lower bush Long handle, easy to open 0IVOT %YE 4RACKING All metal wear points, bronze bushes High rating, 330kn Lighter tare than Ringfeder equivalent $AMPERS Easy to repair, no special tools 4HE ARMS ARE RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO THE AXLE IN A SPECIAL PATENT PENDING JOINT THAT PROVIDES A PROTECTIVE AXLE @GRIP THAT l Can with !XLEuncouple #ONNECTION ACTUALLY EXTENDS THE AXLE LIFE DUE TO THE STRESS SMOOTHING turned guide mouth DESIGN 4HE TRAILING ARMS WILL LAST THE LIFE OF THE RUNNING GEAR l Warranty and Spares )NCREASED FOR AND AFT STIFFNESS support from TATES )NCREASED ROLL STIFFNESS AND TRAMP COMPLIANCE 0IVOT "USH 4HE TRAILING ARMS FEATURE A @# CROSS SECTIONAL PROlLE WHICHl PROVIDES A MORE EFlCIENT ENGINEERING STRUCTURE AND FURTHERl REDUCES SUSPENSION WEIGHT l l 0ERMITS REALIGNMENT DURING SERVICE WHICH IN TURNS IMPROVES HANDLING AND TYRE WEAR l l 2OAD FRIENDLY REDUCES ROAD DAMAGE l #ONTROLS THE EFFECT OF WHEEL END SHIMMING VIBRATION 0REVENTS OVER EXTENSION OF AIR SPRING l
0REDICTABLE PROGRESSIVE ROLL STIFFNESS ADDING TO SAFETY 2EDUCED INDUCED STEER
TD32225
The V Orlandi brand has been in NZ by TATES for 20+ years and 4HE DIRECT TRAILING ARM JOINT TO THE AXLE ELIMINATES @5 sold BOLTS EFFECTIVELY REMOVING MAINTENANCE AND WEIGHT -AINTENANCE are fitment with many major NZ fleets 2EDUCED TRAILER OFF ROADstandard TIME If you would like to view a E551 coupling please contact the NZ Distributor.
299 7777 $ISTRIBUTED IN .: BY 4 ! 4 % 3 .: ,TD
E
NEWS
Electric interest rewarded WILLEM VOSLOO REPRESENTING TRUCKSTOPS Wellington was awarded the Emerging Technology Champion prize at the VISTA (Volvo International Service Training Award) semi-finals held in Brisbane on June 30. The award was presented by Paul Illmer, Vice President Emerging Technology Business Development to recognise Willie’s keen interest and informed questions around the new Volvo FL Electric. The two teams from Truckstops Whangarei and Truckstops Wellington representing New Zealand in the semi-finals of Volvo Trucks’ global service technicians competition fell just short in their quest to make the finals of the 2022 competition in Sweden. Sydney Team the ‘Volgaroos’ took first place and secured the only available slot. “As always, the New Zealand teams were awesome, professional and competitive, and I might add very appreciative for everything across the whole event. It was an absolute pleasure for us to have the Kiwis over,” says Nick Bowles, Vista and Gemba Challenge Market Leader. The competition day and was split into four rounds based at the VGA Brisbane Head Office in Wacol. Each round was one hour long and included a 30-minute allocation to answer a group of questions or solve a problem based on a related to Electromobility, Power Management, Gearbox Signal and Volvo knowledge. The Kiwi teams also joined their Australian counterparts in a range of activities including a Wacol factory tour, an FL Electric demonstration and activities at the Norwell Motor Plex on the Gold Coast including a Jeep 4x4 trail, gymkhana on the skid pan in a Ford Mustang and hot laps around the circuit in Toyota 86 race cars. VISTA is an international competition open to all Service Market professionals within the Volvo Trucks’ and Volvo Buses’ global service network. Currently, it is the world’s largest competition for service personnel. The winning team from the Australasian semi-final is one of 40 teams qualified for the World Final, which will be held in Gothenburg, the home of Volvo Trucks. T&D
Willem Visloo (left) receives his prize from Paul Illmer, Vice President Emerging Technology Business Development.
Well oiled FUCHS LUBRICANTS HAS developed a new 15W-40 engine oil for modern commercial vehicle diesel engines, in particular those with turbochargers and exhaust aftertreatment systems. FUCHS Titan Cargo UHPD SAE 15W40 offers extended service intervals and engine protection up to 500 hours and over 30,000km (combined with condition monitoring) to keep trucks, earthmoving, forestry, construction and agricultural equipment operating for longer. Designed to meet the latest API category, CK-4 specification as well as ACEA E9 and CAT ECF-3, Titan Cargo UHPD offers a combination of state-of-the-art additive technology with a new base oil matrix for
the highest levels of performance regarding oxidation stability, resistance to oil aeration, wear protection as well as shear stability in highly stressed commercial vehicle engines. Titan Cargo UHPD SAE 15W-40 is particularly advantageous in vehicles fitted with exhaust gas treatment systems such as Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and SCR-catalyst or any combination of the given technologies. It protects exhaust gas treatment systems due to a very low sulphated ash content. FUCHS Titan Cargo UHPD SAE 15W- 40 will be available in 5, 10, 20, 205 and 1000-litre containers. T&D Truck & Driver | 19
NEWS
Cog Swappers are top team SCANIA NEW ZEALAND’S TOP professional service team is trucking off to Thailand -- a step closer to taking out Scania’s global Top Team competition. The `Cog Swappers’ service team from Scania
Christchurch trumped the competition in the New Zealand Top Team National Final, recently held in the team’s hometown. Scania’s Top Team competition challenges professional service teams within the Scania
Teams from Christchurch, Rotorua, Palmerston North and Invercargill contested the national final of the Scania Top Team service competition.
network to take on theoretical and practical exercises requiring specialist knowledge, team spirit, and discipline. The format of the competition is designed around daily work patterns with the main objective being ‘satisfying customer needs’. Scania New Zealand Managing Director Rafael Alvarenga says the competition encourages collaboration and increases vehicle personnel knowledge by combining training and teamwork. “The great thing is that our technicians benefit from the training and teamwork, but the real winners are our Scania customers, benefitting from having the very best service teams look after their trucks.” Everyone who works in the Scania service area is welcome to compete in teams of three to five people, with the most common contestants being service technicians, parts specialists and service advisors. In the New Zealand Top Team final the ‘Cog Swappers’ from Christchurch claimed the outright win ahead of ‘Screw Loose’ from Palmerston North, ‘Roto Vegas Griffins’ from Rotorua and ‘Southern XT’ from Invercargill. The ‘Cog Swappers’ head to Thailand next year to represent New Zealand at the Scania Top Team Asia Oceania regional final. T&D
30 years of Special Rigs DUNEDIN’S ` SPECIAL RIGS FOR SPECIAL KIDS’ TRUCK ride day will take place on Sunday August 28. The annual event provides an unforgettable experience for children with special needs, offering a unique trip in a large truck followed by a function where food, drink and entertainment are provided. First staged in 1992, event founder Greg Inch got the idea from a mate who was driving in the UK. At the back of the firm where he worked was an orphanage. Every weekend the kids would help the drivers clean the trucks. So to thank the kids the drivers took them for a ride and then treated them to a BBQ lunch. When Greg heard about this he thought; “we could do something like that.” A small committee was formed and within six weeks the first event was held. It was expected about 30-40 trucks would show up but 120 fronted on the day. Overwhelmed with support from the drivers, sponsors, the community and the kids, the event has become an annual Dunedin fixture attracting over 200 trucks with crowds lining the streets to watch the convoy. The event is run entirely by volunteers while the Police also have officers who volunteer their time to help lead the convoy, do point duty, and help 20 | Truck & Driver
with traffic flow. St John Ambulance also provides volunteers to help if any medical needs arise during the event. The assembly point and function venue is the Edgar Centre in Portsmouth Drive, Dunedin from 8.30am. Further details from greg.inch. nz@gmail.com or 0274 358-508. T&D
NEWS
Marieka Morcombe and Hayden Woolston present the $12,500 cheque to Sue Marshall and Karena Leatham from Franklin Hospice.
Charities boosted by truck show THREE COMMUNITY GROUPS HAVE benefitted to the tune of $37,500 as a result of a charity truck show that didn’t happen. Covid-19 restrictions forced the cancelation of the second Transfleet Trailers and Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show in February, but the industry has shown its commitment to the event and delivered a much-needed boost to community fundraising efforts. In early July the truck show committee made presentations of $12,500 each to the Blood Cancer Leukaemia Foundation in Epsom, Franklin Hospice in Pukekohe and the Bombay Rugby Club. Show coordinator Marieka Morcombe says the three groups were thrilled. “Franklin Hospice were overwhelmed. Covid
has affected their fundraising this year and we have helped them meet a funding deficit,” says Marieka. Annabel Lush, business manager for the Blood Cancer Leukaemia Foundation thanked the industry and show organisers for the donation “We were blown away with the $12,500 – it will make a big difference immediately to the support that we can offer patients and families battling blood cancer throughout New Zealand,” Annabel says. There will be more money on the way for all three groups following the 2023 event. “When we had to cancel the show we offered exhibitors the options of a full refund, a part refund and confirmation of a stand at the next show or the chance to donate to the shows’ charity partners. The support from the industry
has been overwhelming,” says Marieka. “There is a lot of satisfaction in being able to help these groups even though we didn’t get to run the show.” She says one silver lining to the cancelation is having a lot of the 2023 planning already in place. “We have next years’ show basically organised and ready to go. We’ve rebooked the band, the sponsors have stayed onboard, and we already have over 300 trucks entered for the Show & Shine competition. “And I’ve only got two exhibitor stands left to sell.” The 2023 Transfleet Trailers and Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show is set for Saturday January 21 at the Bombay Rugby Club grounds. T&D
James McRobbie receives the Bombay Rugby Club donation (left) and Annabel Lush and Jaiden Mason (right) are thrilled about the funds for the Leukaemia Blood Cancer Foundation.
Truck & Driver | 21
NEWS The Pavise gives Hyundai a new contender in the medium-duty truck segment.
HYUNDAI NEW ZEALAND IS INTRODUCING THE NEW Pavise medium duty truck in late-July, slotting between its existing light duty Mighty range and the heavy duty XCIENT. It’s a new market segment for Hyundai New Zealand and the local distributor says the Pavise represents the latest technology Hyundai Trucks has to offer. “Pavise opens up a new sector for us. We have only had product for the light and heavy-duty markets, so Pavise allows us to enter a new market which we’re excited about,” says Hyundai New Zealand CEO, Andy Sinclair. “Our Mighty product is well received by our existing customers, so with the arrival of Pavise we’re able to extend our product offering to support their fleet requirements. In addition, we are able to build factory box and refrigeration bodies in Korea, enabling us to better meet our customers’ needs of quicker body build times.” Depending on model, the Pavise can offer GVM ratings between 12t and 15.5t. All models are 4x2 configuration with 4900mm Extra Long and 5700mm Ultra Long wheelbase chassis options available to accommodate a variety of body designs. Pavise is powered by Hyundai’s 5.9-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel engine
Interior design features are based on modern Hyundai passenger car models. 22 | Truck & Driver
Hyundai boosts truck line-up with 246HP/183kW output and peak torque of 853Nm developed at 1400rpm. The Kiwi market gets a 12-speed ZF Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) with advanced real-time monitoring of the driving scenario to ensure optimal efficiency of the gear shifts and fuel consumption. The Australian market also gets a nine-speed ZF manual transmission. In addition, Hyundai’s Advanced Eco Roll shifts into neutral gear to improve fuel economy by 2-3% on downhill coasting and flat runs. Cab design and safety are among the leading attributes of the Pavise. Inside the cab, the Pavise has a European-inspired design with influences from the Hyundai passenger vehicle range being apparent in the switchgear and instrumentation. The cab includes a bed and a handy tip-up passenger seat that provides extra storage space while the backrest folds flat to create a flat workstation area. Hyundai claims the cab is 31% larger than the industry standard truck and is fully suspended (all four corners) cab with class-leading comfort features. Features include a heated and leather trimmed steering wheel with switches for the most frequently used controls while a 5-inch dual-mono TFT display in the gauge cluster displays a wide range of information. An 8-inch infotainment unit comes with navigation capabilities and a touchscreen interface that allows for fast and intuitive menu scrolling and feature selection. There’s Bluetooth support for smartphones with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink. The air conditioning system features an Activated Carbon Filter that filters out odours, microorganisms, and fine dust particles. The Pavise showcases the latest Hyundai SmartSense active safety technology including forward collision avoidance, lane departure warning, vehicle dynamic control, autonomous emergency braking system, electronically-controlled brake system, and both driver and passenger air bags. A rear view camera provides an extra-wide angle view of the rear when reversing thus reducing the risk of damage and the headlamps have integrated LED daytime running lights. T&D
Some manufacturers think Cummins is optional.
We know Cummins is mandatory.
At Foton we don’t believe that Cummins’ dependability should be an option for medium-duty truck buyers. That’s why our Foton Auman EST-M (12T) truck comes equipped with the legendary reliability and durability of a Cummins engine as standard.
Powered by Cummins, driven by Foton. The Foton Auman EST-M (12T) medium-duty truck.
foton.co.nz
Super Spreade r Story Brian Cowan
24 | Truck & Driver
Photos Gerald Shacklock
BIG TEST
r
Truck & Driver | 25
SMART DASHCAM
A new approach to reduce risk by using video AI to protect your drivers
A new phase of intelligent driver safety is here. Where artificial intelligence turns video into meaningful insight, empowering you to drive change through personalised coaching and driver rewards.
Video AI reviews all driving time to provide insights into behaviours to reward and areas to improve.
Digitise your coaching & training program with a dedicated driver app to help focus on improving performance.
Create a balanced program that rewards positive actions and communicates areas for improvement.
Prevent incidents from occurring in real-time with audio alerts direct to the driver for dangerous events.
0800 447 735 TeletracNavman.co.nz
The Arocs at work spreading lime. Tractor tyres and all-wheel drive make the unit a good proposition on rugged going and today’s paddock is relatively flat, but it can still get stuck.
TRADITIONALLY, THE MERCEDES-BENZ AROCS has been aimed more at the European ‘vocational’ market – construction, mining, concrete mixing and the like. But in its latest, fifth-generation guise the model’s scope has been broadened. It now has variants that cover roles as diverse as urban delivery through to the most brutal of offroad work. As a corollary, that has left the heavier Actros to be aimed more at the higher-power, long-distance aspects of road transport. This month’s New Zealand Truck & Driver Big Test Arocs fits into a quite specialised category, that of ground spreading. The 1835 AK/39 4x4 model is one of around a dozen spreaders operated by mid-Canterbury’s Ellesmere Transport. It features the Mercedes-Benz 7.7-litre OM936 Euro 6 six-cylinder, rated at 350hp, along with selectable all-wheel drive, handled via its 8-speed G140 PowerShift 3 AMT and a single-range transfer case. The new Arocs has picked up the advanced safety and driver assist features introduced over the past couple of years in the Actros, chief among them being Merc’s distinctive MirrorCam. We’ve already been impressed at how it works in road applications, but how does it handle the hurly-burly of off-road driving, we wonder? The answer from driver John Boulton, after we meet him on a crisp June morning at Ellesmere’s Dunsandel depot and put the question, is unequivocal: “It’s brilliant. I reckon I’d find it hard to go back to conventional mirrors now, this works so well, both in normal driving and on the paddocks,” says John. The Arocs and its three-axle, self-unloading trailer are ready to head out into the fields, but before we take off there’s a chance to tilt the cab (a manual system, typical of many Euro models) and have a look at the details. The compact OM963 engine fits neatly under the cab, while the muffler/catalyser on the right is equally compact. Behind it is a big tool case, into which John has fitted plywood shelves for extra convenience. Along with steps up onto the chassis behind the cab, the case is one of the few engineering additions. As Ellesmere general manager Mark Righton later comments, the Mercs come
well-equipped from stock, and he prefers not to add too much extra embellishment. As befits its construction and off-highway bias, the new Arocs has its frame set up to 160mm higher than the comparable Actros. In addition, the test truck is fitted with MITAS AC70 445/65 R22.5 tractor tyres in place of the 385/65 (front) and 315/80 road/off-road units that are standard with the 4x4 model. All this makes for quite a lofty cab, but access is well looked after by three deep, grippy steps and well-placed grab handles. Today John will be spreading lime on a dairy farm not far from Dunsandel, but we will be loading at the Springfield Lime Company, 55km away on SH73 to the West Coast, just over the Kowai River Bridge. As we head cross country, John explains that he grew up on a mixed cropping farm not far away in the Burnham area. When his parents retired, he and his wife took the farm over and ran it until selling up in the late 1990s. Though driving as, a full-time career didn’t come until later in life, his introduction to trucks was typical for a rural youngster, driving at first in the paddocks and then on the road during his early teens, eventually making things legal by getting his heavy licence at 18. Again, the process wasn’t all that unusual for the era, he recalls: “The truck was a D1314 Ford, and I drove myself to the local Council offices, where I was given a basic test and the licence was issued. It never occurred to me that technically I needed to have a full licenceholder with me...and the traffic cop didn’t question it. “We also had a Bedford TK around the place that I drove for several years without a licence.” John took over the farm in the early 1980s when he was 21. The decade following turned out to be a tough one for the agricultural sector, so in an effort to boost income he began during trucking jobs around the area. “We ended up with three trucks, one with a crate on for livestock and the others that could do bulk work, including carting chicken manure from a local poultry operation,” he explains. The manure was used both as a farm fertiliser (typically for maize Truck & Driver | 27
Above: Glasgow Engineering self-unloading trailer boosts the combination’s versatility with its two separate product compartments. Below: Honda auxiliary engine provides all power needs, and lifter design ensures the drawbar uncouples easily from Ringfeeder.
28 | Truck & Driver
and fodder beet) and for mushroom production.” A truck he remembers fondly from the time was an ex-Transpacs SPZ Isuzu, bought with very few kilometres up. An International ACCO 3072 followed, again a reliable workhorse. It’s still in service, says John, adding he wouldn’t mind eventually buying it for a classic restoration project. After selling the farm he continued driving, including a 14-year stint with Poulfert spreading chicken manure (with equipment very similar to what he’s using today), and part-time work with NZ Express delivering bulk compost to Meadow Mushrooms. He’s also a Class 1 load pilot and after the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake did several trips accompanying bridge spans and the like. Though he has been with Ellesmere Transport only 15 months, he and his family have had a long relationship with the company. “We used to fatten lambs on the farm, and I guess we carted around 80% of them ourselves, with the balance being handled by Ellesmere,” John says. “Before that, Dad was using them from the time he started farming.” At first glance of the test truck’s tyres, you’d say there’s no way on-road driving would be other than torture. But no, the Arocs shapes up as significantly quieter and smoother than a great many pure road models on highway tyres, full marks to both MITAS and Mercedes-Benz. Apart from a gentle whistle around the sun visor at cruising speeds, wind noise is muted (and even cracking a window open doesn’t up the volume too much), the engine purrs, and the tyres belie the fearsome promise of their monster lugs with moderate road noise and quite accurate steering.
Arocs driver John Boulton comes from a local farming background, but has also had extensive experience in fert spreading.
Authorised ZF Service Partner Authorised BOSCH Common Rail Repairer TURBO CHARGERS
FUEL PUMP & INJECTOR
REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT – ALL BRANDS
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ECOMAT 1-4, ECOLIFE Fitted in truck & bus applications
ALL MAKES AND SIZES
ECOSPLIT, ECOMID, ECOLITE, AS-TRONIC DIESEL SERVICES AUCKLAND
09 525 0830 www.dieselservices.co.nz
DEISEL SERVICES CHRISTCHURCH
03 348 8825 www.dsldiesel.co.nz
TD31357
DPF & CAT CLEANING
MANUAL & AUTO-SHIFT TRANSMISSIONS
Truck & Driver | 29
ISUZU FSR650 COMPACTOR BODIES CAN BE SUPPLIED IN 4M3 TO 12.2M3
6-SPEED OR ALLISON AUTO
RECYCLE PACKER • Specially designed for recyclable waste • 2, 3 or 4 compartment body for separated collection • Rear loading, rear discharge (tip out) • Low emission thanks to idle speed operation • Flat-side design, suited for ads
Authorised distributor of
Ian Renner 027 678 1714 ian@robertsonisuzu.co.nz Phone: (06) 355 5062 | 56 Railway Road, Palmerston North | www.robertsonisuzu.co.nz
TD31732
Two Compartment Recycle Compactor suitable for Plastics, Paper, Cardboard and Cans
Above: Onto the road again for another load. Tyre treads look fearsome, but are surprisingly quiet at cruising speeds.
Below, both left: Twin subsidiary cameras ‘read’ nitrogen levels from grass colour, automatically adjust fert delivery rates for optimal result. Below, right: MirrorCam displays are ideally sited for rearward vision and reduced blind spots. However, you’ve got to be careful not to drift off the seal, warns John: “If that happens, they can pull quite viciously.” All this, and the ride comfort is excellent as well, despite the steelsprung suspension. The driver gets an all-bells-and-whistles air seat, but it’s a basic unit for the passenger, so kudos must go to the cab suspension. The test truck’s Medium Compact cab is far from the biggest in the Arocs range, but it uses the space well. The redesigned fascia sits comparatively snugly around the driver and is dominated by two big multimedia screens. John says the steering wheel offers all the adjustment range anybody could want, and the spokes carry buttons for a full range of functions.
The all-wheel drive functions (including front and rear diff locks) are handled by a simple rotary control on the centre tunnel. John backs up his earlier praise of the MirrorCam system by pointing out how the display screens align neatly with the truck’s A-pillars. With conventional exterior mirrors, the pillars made for quite severe blind spots either side, especially approaching intersections. He also likes the way South Island agents Cable Price put rego and RUC displays along the bottom of the screen, instead of up the A-pillar, where again they can compromise vision. Later in the day, he and Hayden Woolston agree that the MirrorCam displays’ colour contrast in variable light conditions is not perfect, but Mercedes-Benz has just announced a second-generation
Truck & Driver | 31
Top: The Euro 6 spec 7.7-litre engine develops 260kW and 1400Nm of torque. Above: Settled ride quality and air suspension driver’s seat make the Arocs a comfortable workplace. Below: Laptop-sized display and TopCon technology gives precise control of fertiliser application rates.
32 | Truck & Driver
MirrorCam that appears to have addressed this and some other minor issues [See sidebar story]. At 10am we’re at the Springfield Lime Company, where a loader makes short work of filling the truck body and the twin compartments of the trailer with the company’s AgLime, processed on site but quarried from sites at Porters and Castle Hill further up the highway. The truck’s modest tare weight of around 7800kg, along with the equally kilogram-careful designs of the Engineering Repairs spreader body and the Glasgow Engineering trailer, mean we can take about 24t of product and still stay under 39t. Though today we’ve got a single product on board, John says the three-compartment layout of the combination can prove very useful: “Especially in spring and autumn we often have a variety of mixes. We can have urea for one farm, a special mix for another farm and superphosphate for another. Fully loaded, I can be ready for up to a day and a half’s work.” Back on the road, the engine seems barely to have noticed the extra weight. With peak torque chiming in at 1100rpm, the six is an honest grunter, and the slick-shifting PowerShift 3 AMT (around 10% quicker than earlier Telligent models, according to Merc) has it ticking over in top in no time. Our trip to the client farm, 45km away in the Bankside area, is lengthened slightly by a call to the legendary Sheffield pie shop, where the only problem is choosing from the dozens of pastry masterpieces on offer. As an intriguing aside, this part of the country can lay claim to being the pie-lover’s Mecca, for within 20km of the Sheffield shop are bakeries at Darfield and Hororata whose wares are equally as delicious. Alas, so many pies, so little stomach capacity... On site, a 20-hectare paddock awaits. Before taking off on the first run, John fires up the Honda auxiliary engine on the trailer and demonstrates a clever design element. As the hydraulic lifting frame brings the rear of the bin up, the trailer rolls back a little, smoothly releasing the ring feeder coupling. When it’s time to hit the road again, he explains, the reverse process sees the trailer once again hitched up with no effort. Truly serious digital technology is the hallmark of a modern spreader truck. The test Arocs has a laptop-sized display screen in
Weighing Equipment Proven Weigh Systems In NZ For Over 20 Years With: • Dedicated Personnel For Technical Support • Full Back-Up Parts Inventory
• Technical Support & Suppliers Of An Extensive Parts Range For Most Brands • Weigh Systems For Most Applications
Road Metals Co Ltd – Manufactured by Transport Trailers Ltd
RG Lord Ltd – Manufactured by Patchell Group
Wokatu Holdings Ltd – Manufactured by Reid Engineering Ltd
Ferguson Trucking Ltd – Manufactured by Modern Transport Trailers
Weighing Equipment Is Our Business!! North Island
150 View Road, Rotorua, New Zealand • Ph: 07 349 4700 • Fax: 07 349 4800
South Island
www.silodec.co.nz
TD32711
Sales and Service - Contact Mike Long 021 651 965
TRUCK TRUCK STEERABLE & NON-STEERABLE STEERABLE & NON-STEERABLE Lift Axle Suspension Systems Lift Axle Suspension Systems Lift Axle Suspension Systems COMPOSILITE ® EXS ® (Steerable) COMPOSILITE ® EXS COMPOSILITE EXS (Steerable) (Steerable)
TOUGHLIFT ™ FMT (Non-Steerable) ™ TOUGHLIFT TOUGHLIFT ™ FMT FMT (Non-Steerable) (Non-Steerable)
HE MAKE T F O T S MO E TH KE MA HFE KSETTO MMAO F MOST O
PBS P S BS PB
Increased Increased Increased
Flexibility Flexibility
Hendrickson Steerable and Non-Steerable Lift Axle Suspensions can handle the rigors of severe truck applications a breadth of features Lift to meet Hendricksonbringing Steerable and Non-Steerable Axle Hendrickson Steerable and Non-Steerable Lift Axle freight challenges. OEMs, Fleets andofOwner-Operators Suspensions can handle the rigors severe truck Suspensions can handle the rigors of severe truck worldwide trust Hendrickson for innovative truck applications bringing a breadth of features to meet applications bringing a breadth of features to meet liftable technology. Axle Suspensions freight suspension challenges. OEMs, FleetsLift and Owner-Operators freight challenges. OEMs, Fleets and Owner-Operators are available in various ride height ranges for lightworldwide trust Hendrickson for innovative truck worldwide trust Hendrickson for innovative truck or extreme-duty applications, as well as single or dual liftable suspension technology. Lift Axle Suspensions liftable suspension technology. Lift Axle Suspensions tyre accommodation for maximum capacity range and are available in various ride height ranges for lightare available ride height ranges for lightturning radiusin orvarious wheel cut. or extreme-duty applications, as well as single or dual or extreme-duty applications, as well as single or dual tyre accommodation for maximum capacity range and tyre accommodation for maximum capacity range and Tel: +64 9 570 4721 turning radius or wheel cut. www.hendrickson.com.au turning radius or wheel cut. Tel: +64 9 570 4721 Tel: +64 9 570 4721 www.hendrickson.com.au www.hendrickson.com.au
Actual product performance may vary depending upon vehicle configuration, operation, service and other factors. ©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.
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
5/17/2022 10:00:02 AM
5/17/2022 10:00:02 AM 5/17/2022 10:00:02 AM
Fully-loaded combination heads away from the Springfield Lime Company over the Kowai River bridge. Clever self-unloading trailer has two compartments for added versatility of product. the middle of the cab, providing all the information on application rates and the like. Two forward-facing cameras mounted at the top of the windscreen and integrated with the spreader software ‘read’ the varying nitrogen requirements of the grass ahead and automatically adjust delivery rates to suit when urea is being applied. John tells us that if the system infers the grass is nitrogen-replete it can drop to an application rate of just 15kg per hectare, compared with a typical 40 to 60kg. The cost saving in fertiliser and the reduction in nitrogen excess in runoff are persuasive arguments for using this technology. John also has another, smaller screen, suction-fitted to the windscreen in front of him. This is the hardware element of a GPS guidance software system developed by Mosgiel company TracMap that overlays the spread path of a unit on a digital map, allowing the driver to seamlessly match the coverage boundaries at every circuit. But the TracMap package does far more than that, explains Nick Brown, the company’s national sales manager: “The digital maps provided by the farmer to the contractor can show all sorts of health and safety and other information, like the location of rock outcrops or water troughs, or preferred entry points. “If a job has to be temporarily cut short for any reason the system will note where it terminated, so when the driver returns, even days later, they can pick up precisely where to continue. “All the details of a job are downloaded wirelessly, to form reports and invoices for clients. The information can also be easily formatted for reports to regulatory authorities.” Ellesmere’s Mark Righton is a fan of the system: “It’s easy to learn and intuitive to use, which makes it good for the drivers, because they are inspired to use it properly. “It also means we can provide the farmers with detailed and
accurate reports, and beyond that to when they themselves are audited. It makes it so much more convenient when the information is in an easily downloadable, digital form.” When the truck hopper empties, the self-unloading trailer makes quick work of refilling it. Again, the MirrorCams attract positive comment for their clear view as the truck sidles alongside. The paddock is a little rough, though not, says John, as bad as several he has encountered. He says the ruts left by irrigation pivots can prove particularly nasty, combining with the cleated tractor tyres to suddenly wrench the steering wheel, to the peril of incautiouslyplaced thumbs. Some of the spreaders in the fleet have dampers fitted to their steering, which helps, he adds...though the life of such units isn’t long. Despite the truck’s tyres, Johns says it’s not immune to getting bogged. “I’ve had to be pulled out a couple of times in soft going, even in all-wheel drive and with the diff locks engaged. From the outside, spreading work can look pretty cruisy, especially on flat country like this, but it’s also hard on the trucks, especially if the paddocks are rough.” Some of the other spreaders use central tyre inflation with their conventional tyres to help in soft going, but this isn’t an option with the test truck’s tractor units, which run at a steady 90psi. A second trip to the lime company and a return to the farm sees the job pretty well beaten. Back at the Dunsandel depot we press John Boulton for any negatives he can think of with the new Arocs, and he shakes his head. “When I started here, I was in an Actros 4x4. Great truck, but it was a tonne heavier and had a few niggles with the electronics, whereas this one has had no issues in 40,000km. “I absolutely love it, it’s a fantastic truck in all respects.” T&D Truck & Driver | 35
Narrowed vision
M
ERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS HAS RECENTLY RESPONDED TO customer feedback and applied new technologies to develop a second generation of its MirrorCam system. Prof. Uwe Baake, head of product development at the company says intensive discussions with customers and their experiences from dayto-day operations proved invaluable: “These discussions formed the foundations for us to make further adjustments to individual technical parameters, thereby generating even greater added value, especially in terms of display and safety,” he says, The second-generation MirrorCam has camera arms on both sides that have been shortened by 10cm. This applies to both the narrower and wider cab and has the advantage, among other things, that drivers can reverse in a straight line more easily than with the first MirrorCam generation. Mercedes-Benz Trucks says this comes as a result of MirrorCam’s perspective now being even more akin to that of conventional glass mirrors. Shorter dimensions bring about another advantage because with the 2.50-metre wide cab, the camera arm now protrudes no further than the kerb mirror which is within drivers’ plain sight. Collisions with objects at the edge of the road are now virtually impossible. Thanks to the width of the chassis being identical, this also
36 | Truck & Driver
applies to the 2.30-metre wide cab variant. As part of the revision of the camera-based system a drip edge has been incorporated at the bottom of MirrorCam to prevent rainwater from running onto the lens and causing undesirable visual effects. In addition, engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks have further optimised the tone mapping – tone mapping is a process in which an image is adapted so that a large range of tones are displayed correctly on a medium – reflected primarily as an improved contrast display. The camera system’s evolution in colour and brightness adaptation, which is already very bright in itself, means that the displays show the area relevant to the driving situation even more accurately when reversing into a dark or poorly lit facility, for example. Thanks to its supporting effect, the enhanced system can help to manage situations such as overtaking, manoeuvring, driving in poor visibility and darkness, cornering and passing narrow spaces even more safely and without causing stress. The existing advantages are still available, such as wide-angle mode when manoeuvring backwards, distance lines on the display for better assessing the distance from objects behind the vehicle being driven, camera image panning when cornering or monitoring of the vehicle’s surroundings during rest periods. T&D
T
Test
HTAYDEN REVOR
HERE’S NO BETTER TIME OF THE YEAR to travel the Canterbury Plains than the early winter. Any day with a half-decent weather window gives a driver one of the best views out the front window that New Zealand can offer. And if you are heading in the opposite direction the view is in the mirrors - or in this case on the screens attached to the A-pillars. We have come to Dunsandel to catch up with Ellesmere Transport’s fifth generation Mercedes-Benz Arocs 4x4 spreader. I have tested the MirrorCam set up and enjoyed it in previous tests, but I do still hear the odd negative comment about the system, so I thought we better test the system in a truly Kiwi environment. It’s early morning mid-June when we catch up with regular driver John at the Ellesmere yard in Dunsandel for a day of spreading lime not far from the yard. In saying that we do have to go out to Springfield Lime Company to collect our load. Once fully loaded (add weight and product
38 | Truck & Driver
here) I take over the driving back to the farm. As expected from a spreader truck the first step on the climb into the cab is high off the ground but there are good grab handles on each side. Once in the cab there’s an array of technology to consider. The dash screen and infotainment screens are all tablet like and are accompanied by another two screens for the fert spreading operation. It certainly shows how the technology in this sector has moved forward leaps and bounds over the years. With the MirrorCam screens on each side of the cab, that makes six digital screens in the cab all up. You would think it would be a nightmare having all this in one cab but for me it all just works. A fully air suspended driver’s seat with many adjustments makes it easy or any driver to get comfy and on the steering wheel controls include most of the functions any driver should need. On the left are hands free phone and speaker volume functions and in the middle of these buttons is a toggle pad that controls the
Hayden Woolston infotainment screen. On the right there is cruise control functions and again another toggle pad that controls the various setting on the main instrument display. All other functions are on the stalks with window wipers and indicators on the left and transmission function and engine brake on the right. To the left of the driver on the semi- wraparound dash is the infotainment screen that can be controlled from the steering wheel or if you prefer the buttons
• SPECIFICATIONS • that run under it or as a touchscreen Below the screen is the park brake, trailer brake and all-wheel drive toggle. There are also two cupholders, all of this making for a very simple and refined looking cab. With the cab set up how I like it, it’s time to head off to our farm that needs some lime. As we pull out onto the highway the MirrorCam comes into effect as we cross a one way bridge with a left hand turn at the end of it. The next challenge is a slight rise which doesn’t affect the Mercedes 7.7L 350hp engine that much at all. The 8-speed Powershift AMT gearbox makes brilliant work of any gear changes that are needed on our run. There is a slight hold up in our trip back to the farm - a must do stop at the Sheffield pie shop. Once the whole team is full up, we get back on the road. As the sun is directly behind us, I do notice a little blur on the MirrorCam screens, something I have been told of that can happen, but this is the first time I have noticed it. It’s slightly annoying but doesn’t affect the view of the mountains too much that I have in the screens as I drive away from them. Daimler have recently announced a new generation of MirrorCam that should mitigate some of the downfalls people have found with
this system. The drive to our farm destination reveals the Arocs is remarkably quiet, funny because looking at the tyres on this truck you would think it would be terrible. Also, the mud tyres don’t seem to affect the ride as much as you might think. At the farm it’s time to detach the trailer and begin spreading. I have a go at it and find the flat paddock a lot nicer than my last spreading experience in Northland. The work is made easy for the driver with the TracMap GPS technology displaying the paddock we are working in and showing where we have been and what has not been spread. It’s a bit like being a big kid in a truck colouring in the paddock on a screen. Handing the Arocs back to John, my views about the MirrorCam are unchanged. It’s still a convenient and very effective piece of technology a winner for me. The truck and technology in it are also very impressive. People don’t seem to understand how far the ag sector has come in the technology game. Also, after spending the day with the spreading team at Ellesmere Transport, I’m impressed at how well this group work together on and off the paddocks. It’s a credit to Mark and the wider Ellesmere Transport team to have developed such a good culture. T&D
MERCEDES-BENZ AROCS 1835 4x4 Engine: Mercedes-Benz OM936 Euro 6 Capacity: 7.7 litres Maximum Power: 260kW (350hp) @ 1800rpm Maximum Torque: 1400Nm (1030lb ft) @ 1200-1600rpm Engine Revs: 1430rpm @ 90km/h in 8th gear Fuel capacity: 290 litres Transmission: 8-speed M-B G140-8 PowerShift 3 AMT Ratios: 1st – 9.30 2nd – 5.84 3rd – 3.67 4th – 2.31 5th – 1.59 6th – 1.25 7th – 1.00 8th – 0.79 Front axle: M-B F233P planetary, rated at 7500kg Rear axles: M-B R233P planetary, rated at 13,400kg Auxiliary brakes: Three-stage engine brake Front suspension:
Parabolic
leaf springs, shock absorbers, stabiliser bars Rear suspension: Parabolic leaf springs, shock absorbers, stabiliser bars GVM: 18,000kg GCM: 40,000kg
Truck & Driver | 39
LEADERS IN TRAILER MANUFACTURING WE’RE FISHING FOR SOME NEW TEAM MEMBERS
ome s w no We k t fishing grea ts! spo
• MIG Welder Fabricators with quality multi-positional welds • Trailer Service Technicians with electrical wiring (automotive/ heavy transport equipment), and/ or experience with Knorr or Wabco Braking systems and heavy vehicle axles and running gear. joinus@fruehauf.co.nz
AUCKLAND BRANCH AND HEAD OFFICE 21 Hobill Ave, Manukau, Auckland, Phone +64 9 267 3679
FEILDING MANUFACTURING PLANT
10 Mahinui Street, Feilding, New Zealand, Telephone +64 6 323 4299 TD32621
www.fruehauf.co.nz
Driving the economy
The rapid rise in fuel costs has been eye-watering. New Zealanders are now paying three times what they were in the early 2000s, with much of that increase taking place over the last year.
Extension of RUC reduction would help struggling Kiwis I by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
T IS WITH SOME CONSIDERABLE RELIEF to learn that the Government has decided to roll over the temporary reduction in fuel excise and RUCs until January 2023. One look at the state of the economy and the rising cost of living clearly shows that the last thing kiwis could afford was a 25-cent jump in petrol prices and a 36 percent hike in RUC rates. Since June Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand has been publicly advocating for an extension to the RUC and fuel excise reduction and I am pleased that the Government has listened and chosen not to impose this further cost pressure on families and businesses. Many
kiwis are only just keeping their heads above water as it is. The Prime Minister, when asked by media, did not initially commit to any continuation of the scheme beyond the winter and pointed to the $350 cost of living payment declared in the Budget as a reason for that. I never considered that a tenable position given that half the $27 per week payment would have been wiped out straight away as fuel excise and RUC rates returned to their full amount. In many ways consumers end up paying for fuel hikes twice – once as they fill the family car and secondly every time they pull out the eftpos card to make a purchase. Extending the RUC reduction will help temper freight Truck & Driver | 41
Driving the economy
Mike McRandle is now leading Transporting New Zealand’s team of regional and sector advisors.
transport costs, lessening further price rises on everything consumers buy, including food and groceries, medicines and other necessities. Transporting New Zealand recently undertook an exercise that showed that the cost of fuel as a proportion of a transport business’s costs has gone up from about 15 to 20 per cent in 2020 to 30 to 35 per cent now. Wages and other costs have also been increasing. All these extra expenses as well as the extra expenses occurred by producers and retailers have to be passed on down through the supply chain and inevitably end up with the consumer. The Government, as all governments constantly have to do, must balance competing needs, and in this case, they have had to balance the rising cost of living with the requirement to adequately fund the National Land Transport Fund. I understand the reluctance to further reduce funding into the Fund, and I support that principle in theory, but with the economic situation even worse than it was, providing families and businesses with this small relief has been the right thing to do. To do otherwise would have been to risk some very serious economic and social consequences down the track. Mike McRandle joins Transporting New Zealand team I am really excited to welcome Mike McRandle to the Transporting New Zealand team. Mike has recently begun leading our team of regional and sector advisors and comes to us after a distinguished
Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 info@transporting.nz
career in the Police where he headed the South Island Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST) and became Vice President of the NZ Police Association. Coming as he did from CVST, this isn’t a situation where ‘game-keeper turns poacher’, and is in fact an opportunity for the industry to tap into Mike’s experience to further improve our understanding on compliance issues. I know our team of regional and sector advisors are already gaining a lot from Mike’s expertise and I expect that that will translate to benefits for our members. Lawyer Billy Clements has also recently started with us in a policy role and is a further signal to members that Transporting New Zealand continues to diversify our expertise to provide members with the best possible representation. Transporting New Zealand Industry Award nominations now open With the threat of lockdowns firmly in the rearvision mirror I am pleased to welcome the return of the Transporting New Zealand Industry Awards. These awards recognise individuals, organisations and companies in and around the road transport industry that have gone above and beyond industry requirements in raising skills, safety practices, knowledge, training, industry awareness, innovation and expertise. The awards also honour activities and achievements that ultimately improve the daily lives of the public and those in our industry, and ensure the industry is a rewarding and safe environment to work in. Nominations for the Transporting New Zealand Industry Awards are made by members of the industry and I would encourage all those that work with or alongside an organisation or individual they believe are deserving of recognition to get a nomination in. Entry Guidelines and the nomination form can be found at https://www. transporting.nz/our-events/industry-awards. Nominations can be made up until 27 August 2022. The awards will be presented at a gala dinner following the conclusion of The Road Ahead Conference in Invercargill on 29 September. Registration for the Conference is available at https:// conference.transporting.nz. Time is running out if you want to get the early-bird discount and I’d also recommend those that need accommodation to get in as early as possible. T&D
www.transporting.nz
42 | Truck & Driver
Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@transporting.nz
FOR ALL YOUR TRUCK AND TRA LER TYRE NEEDS. AUTHORISED DISTRIBUTOR OF:
OFF-THE-ROAD
0800 4 CARTERS
enquiry@carterstyres.co.nz
carterstyres.co.nz
Making
Story Colin Smith Photos: Gerald Shacklock and PBR
Big Move s
GPS Tracking – eRUC – Job Management – eLogbook 0800 447 735 44 | Truck & Driver
TeletracNavman.co.nz
FLEET FOCUS
es
GPS Tracking – eRUC – Job Management – eLogbook 0800 447 735
TeletracNavman.co.nz
Truck & Driver | 45
GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
Time is money. Specifically developed for the commercial vehicle sector, the advanced DELFLEET Evolution® paint system offers a complete range of high productivity solutions that are easy to use and achieve exceptional results. To boost throughput and get vehicles on the road faster, complete with outstanding durability, colour and gloss, Delfleet Evolution is perfect for the long-haul!
www.ppgrefinish.com.au @PPGANZRefinish
The Prestige Building Removals crew on the move on a wet Auckland night.
HE ENTHUSIASM THAT PRESTIGE BUILDING Removals staff have for their work quickly becomes evident when they reach for their phones and begin scrolling through photos of recent jobs. There are pictures of brightly lit trucks working the highways in the small hours, hi-tech trailers perched in remarkable situations and houses re-positioned with spectacular views. The pedigree of the Hamilton-based company goes back almost 50 years. Pat “Paddy” O’Sullivan owned and ran the business for 47 years before retiring and selling to Jason Barnes. “I bought the business three years ago. Paddy retired in his early eighties, and we kept the same name, re-branded and then started investing in state-of-the-art equipment,” says Jason. “Paddy mainly worked locally, and we have expanded to cover pretty much all of the North Island.” Moving houses is typically a very specialised niche of the transport industry. But PBR takes a diversified approach with Jason’s background as a property developer seeing PBR buying and selling houses while sister company Advantage Designer Homes builds new transportable homes. And there’s also A1 Civil & Demolition – another sister company – that carries out site works while three full-time mechanics at PBR Mechanical provide workshop service for the company fleet as well as some outside customers. In total there are 28 staff working under a PBR umbrella and six more at ADH along with building sub-contractors. PBR has grown rapidly in those three years with plans for continued expansion. “At the moment we’re doing about 400 building moves a year,
but I see that growing to about 800,” says Jason. Jason blends his experience as a property developer with a background in the transport industry. He gained his truck license shortly after turning 18 and worked firstly for Tulloch Transport and then Strait Freight in Christchurch. His property development ventures began on a smaller scale while he was still driving. The purchase of PBR completes a full circle move back into the transport industry. “It all came from being a property developer and thinking outside the square. We had sites as well as old houses and new houses, so it made sense to be able to move them ourselves as well,” says Jason. The ADH side of the operation builds new transportable homes at Horotiu. They are suitable for first homes, baches and farm worker accommodation. “We are trying to look after the affordable housing side and we have a lot of demand for it. I’m a property developer and we have kind of filled in the triangle – we are building, developing and transporting,” says Jason. “It’s sort of a one-stop shop that covers all the bases. We are set up quite well.” The removal business he bought from Pat O’Sullivan has become a key part of Jason’s overall business model. “Paddy was going for a long time, and he obviously did a good job because the repeat business side of things is huge for us. “I hear people say; `Paddy moved a house for us’. I get that all the time. “I know Paddy has been watching what we’re doing. He said to me recently; `Jason, my mind wants to be involved but my body Truck & Driver | 47
Above: PBR’s “White Knight” is a 2020 Peterbilt 389. Below: 2008 Freightliner Columbia and 2021 Kenworth T610 SAR “Sharp N Ready” are also part of the PBR haulage fleet.
48 | Truck & Driver
won’t let me’. He’s a very nice guy with a very good name in the industry.” The truck fleet at PBR comprises a trio of Kenworth’s, one Peterbilt and a Freightliner Columbia and Coronado. Two new Western Stars are on order and another rebuilt truck will soon go on the road as a heavy equipment transporter. The fleet also includes four “gear trucks” to carry jacking plant and tools to support the house hauler crews. And there are also winch tractors, smaller trucks, and utes for piloting work. All of the big trucks are high horsepower 6x4 tractors custom equipped with the latest hardware for heavy haulage work. “After buying a truck we spend another $100,000 on the rear end by putting the push-pull hydraulic rams on them and then adding all the lights and signs that are needed.” Jason says the American trucks are well suited to the work. “The Kenworth’s and Western Stars are pretty much set up for this work and for going off-road. A pivotal part – literally – of the operation are three TRT developed and built ESS (Electronic Steering System) trailers which PBR has added to its fleet in the space of two years. With two-axle and single-axle clip-ons the trailers can then go to seven-axle configuration. “We were the first ones in the North Island to put an ESS trailer on a couple of years ago and have the biggest fleet of ESS trailers in the country,” says Jason. “We have three of their trailers at the moment with two new ones arriving soon and another two in December. We’ll have eight truck and trailers by the end of the year. “We have a very good relationship with TRT. Their specialised gear enables us to do what we are doing. “They [TRT] will come out to sites and watch the moves happen. They are always looking for further improvement. They see what we do, what we struggle with sometimes and they have refined a house trailer that is really good to use. “They want to know from us what works and what
Jason Barnes bought Prestige Building Removals three years ago and has invested in the latest house moving equipment to expand the business.
doesn’t. They build the trailers with the very best gear, and we have had next to no downtime since we’ve been using the ESS trailers. They have been amazing.” While no modern transport business is simple, building removals is especially complex as it involves permits, builders, and many other specialised services as well as the equipment and piloting expertise to complete the move. “We set the system up in stages. We start with an architect on plans and foundations and then look at the methodology of the move we are doing. Some are two-piece moves or three-piece moves and roof drops,” says Jason He says building removal is a field requiring a lot of specialised knowledge and equipment. And the logistics to make sure the expensive equipment is being used to its fullest. “You need to be able to make it all come together. Sometimes we have four buildings a night going out. “That’s where the planning comes in so you are using your gear to the fullest and your logistics side is completely planned and the guys know what they are doing. “This industry changes a lot but we have enough jobs in the system to be flexible and change things with our workload. We can swap and change if needed and we run really efficiently with the day crews getting the houses prepped up in the air during the day before the moving crew goes off and drives at night. “Whenever we look at new equipment it’s about being specialised. If we were going to invest in something it needed to be specialised and suit what we are doing. “The ESS trailers are a huge opportunity for us going forward. We have been able to move bigger buildings and get into places that others couldn’t get into because of the steering and the ability to manoeuvre them. “Making that investment has been huge for Prestige. It has opened doors for us.”
The high-spec trucks in a clean white livery and the sophisticated trailers are a big part of PBRs public profile. “Even though they are mostly moving at night people call us and say; `We saw your guys lifting a house or loading and they start to talk about a job.’ “People are intrigued about the trailers. When they see a building on them it creates a lot of interest.” In another interesting truck project PBR transformed an Isuzu fire truck imported from Japan into an all-purpose “gear truck” “We converted it to take all the jacking plant for lifting houses and all the tools. It’s got a Hiab on the back, it can be a pilot truck for the rear, and having been a fire truck it’s got an inbuilt water blaster if we need to wash down the roads. We created something that is a one stop shop. “You also try to be versatile with our gear and get the most out of it.” About 70% of PBRs work involves relocating older and new houses with the remainder being a mix of commercial buildings and classroom shifts. PBR has a close working relationship with BuiltSmart Transportable Buildings and provides the transport for new iwi and Kainga Ora housing and the Ministry of Education classrooms being constructed at BuiltSmart’s Huntly base. On the residential side, Jason says the issues affecting the real estate market and building industry pressures have boosted demand for house removals. “It’s got busier,” says Jason. “With new builds taking so long and materials going up in price we are finding more people investing in old houses. Getting one done up can be a faster process and it can be a lot of fun as well if you have that forward vision to create something quite cool. “And on the eco side we are recycling. Rather than demolishing houses we are re-homing them. And most of those houses are Truck & Driver | 49
Above and next page: A recent PBR job was a one-piece move of a 116-year-old heritage building at Tamahere on the outskirts of Hamilton.
Technology with Vision
ENHANCE YOUR VEHICLE LED Light Bar 470 with front position light
For the first time, striking LED light pipe technology has been used to create an innovative position light integrated with a powerful high beam light bar.
➔ High beam with integrated front position light
Must be mounted according to local installation regulations for high beam and position lamps
➔ 5 year warranty
0800 4 HELLA (0800 443 552) for your nearest HELLA stockist
50 | Truck & Driver
Hella NZT LIGHT BAR PO 210X147 2021.indd 1
➔ Approved for use in New Zealand and Australia with ECE compliance (Two Lamps) ➔ Maximum luminous intensity of 113,000 candela
www.hella.co.nz 10-Feb-21 9:11:09 AM
1:09 AM
native timber and they don’t make houses like that anymore. “People are doing up some of the old state houses and they look amazing now.” Jason says moving a home can be an emotional experience, and not just for the owners. “You are moving lives. For some people it’s their whole investment. “It can be a bit daunting and sometimes it’s hard to say to people `we’re going to cut your house in half,’ because they can get a bit freaked out. “We have to say `don’t stress, we are going to put it back together’. “If they have been cut in the right place they go back together
and once the house is down and the chippies have been there for a couple of days, all of a sudden, it’s back to normal.” Jason says his staff also get excited about turning clients’ dreams into reality and says there’s a lot of satisfaction in planning and executing a move. “There is pride in the skills involved with getting a house from A to B and for them seeing a completed job knowing `hey we did that’. “We have clients who buy an old house, do it up and send us photos because they are so excited. “Some jobs don’t all go perfect trust me. Things happen, but it’s about how you deal with that and make it right.” “Winter is our worst time. We have to work twice as hard in
Truck & Driver | 51
PBR at work moving new relocatable buildings from the SmartBuilt facility at Huntly.
winter because we are getting stuck and winching the whole time. We have it all against us in winter.” Jason says the chance to preserve history is also a source of satisfaction. “The preservation side of things is also important – moving older homes and buildings and giving them another life. A bit like the big church we moved out of London St [Hamilton] and took to Te Kowhai and turned it into a café. “We were saving history. It’s given Te Kowhai a bit of a landmark and we brought the church back into its natural environment,
which was surrounded by residential housing rather than a big city.” In another recent move a well-known 116-year-old heritage building at Tamahere known as ‘The Monastery’ was shifted 800-metres in one piece using two Kenworth T 610 SARs and winching tractors to a new site where it will be restored. Jason says PBRs capabilities are built on its people and its equipment. “I believe your company is only as good as your staff. So, we invest a lot in our staff and give them the best tools to get the job
TRANS-TEX 220
NEW ZEALAND’s TRUSTED TRUCK and trailer DECKING EUROPEAN BIRCH PLYWOOD - Certified to withstand the most demanding applications 12mm / 9 ply 2440 x 1220 2440 x 1525 2440 x 1850 3050 x 1525 3650 x 1850
15mm / 11 ply 2440 x 1220 2440 x 1850 3050 x 1525
At Roadmaster, we only use Plytech Trans-Tex 220. It’s simply the best product available in the country. It gives us peace of mind, adds great value, and the service and support we get from the guys at Plytech is first-class. Colin Patchell CEO Roadmaster
18mm / 13 ply
21mm / 15 ply
2400 x 1200 2440 x 1220 2440 x 1525 2440 x 1850 2600 x 1900 3050 x 1525 3650 x 2000
2400 x 1200 2440 x 1220 2500 x 1500 4000 x 1500 3650 x 2000
Ph. 0800 900 905 plytech.co.nz/transtex220
W O P P C C In In
them. We give ongoing training, we put them through to get a truck license and do the over- height and forklift courses. “We invest money into people who want to learn. The policy is `we will invest the money into you, but if you leave within a year or two, you have to pay it back’. “We have good systems and good people which makes a good working environment. It’s important. Everyone has bad days and you’ll get that anywhere you go. It’s how you deal with it.” A good example is a recent house relocation to Tauranga. After positioning the house there seemed to be no way to get the truck
Wiri | 5 Aerovista Place | 09 279 7351 Otahuhu | 20 Kahu Street | 09 276 7206 Palmerston North | 76 Campbell Street | 06 358 2571 Palmerston North | 435 Tremaine Avenue | 06 357 4100 Christchurch | 108-A Hayton Road, Sockburn | 03 343 2001 Christchurch | Treffers Road, Wigram | 03 348 3758 Invercargill | 90 Preston Street, Prestonville | 03 215 8584 Invercargill | 53 River Street, Prestonville | 03 215 9955
TD32694
done. “There are no complaints about the tools we have at Prestige. They are working with some of the best gear in the industry.” Jason believes hiring the right people is about attitude as much as experience. “We spend a lot of time talking with them [applicants] to make sure they are the right person. We want to know about them. Personality is a big thing and what their goals are going forward in life. “It’s what they can do to help us and what we can do to help
Left: Shane Tukaki is enjoying his move into driving house removal trucks. Above: Hayley Hatcher runs the PBR office in Hamilton. Opposite page: Luke Joyce (left) drives “Sharp N Ready” and his father Rangi (right) is PBRs Field Manager bringing 27 years of house moving experience to the company.
and trailer off the property. “When we got told about the positioning of the house we thought it would be back in and go around. The front of the house was facing the road and there was a big block wall above the road and we couldn’t get the trailer out. “I told our team to think outside the square and work out how to go over the wall. “They got a digger, mounded some dirt up to build this thing and were able to run one truck onto another. They rode straight over the top of the wall and onto the other trailer.” “The video actually made it onto the Top Gear magazine website. With specialised gear and thinking outside the square you can do that. “I was very proud of them. The client was over the moon and the whole street was out watching the whole thing.” Playing a key role in the PBR operation is house moving veteran Rangi Joyce. Rangi’s title is Field Manager and he’s referred to by Jason “as my main man.” Rangi is PBR’s frontline trouble shooter when it comes to planning moves and he also plays a key role in training with nearly 30 years of house moving experience to pass along to newer staff. “I go out to check out the sites, measure houses and look around onsite and offsite to see if anything like trees need to be removed,” Rangi says. “We are looking to isolate problems so they’re not there when we put houses on site. “I survey the entries and whatever else makes it easier to get a house off site and on to a new site at the other end. “I’ve also got to make sure the permits are in place; we’ve got the right pilots and enough people onboard to do the job. It’s a team effort.” Rangi worked with Craig Walker at Kumeu for nearly 25 years 54 | Truck & Driver
and joined PBR following a short stint at Forde Brothers. “I’ve been here for two and a half years, but I’ve been moving houses for 27 years,” says Rangi. “Every job is different. It’s not a boring job. There’s always something new.” Rangi says it’s exciting to be working with modern high horsepower trucks and the latest technology. “The innovation on the trailers these days is just outstanding. With the rams and the remote controls, you can make them dance. They are unreal. “The trailers have grown a lot. In the old days you had threeaxle castor steers and these days we have four-axle ESS trailers with two- or three-axle clips-ons that can make a seven-axle hydraulic trailer. It’s a lot more stable and responsive.” Rangi says there’s no substitute for experience in building removals. “I’ve learned my way of doing things from the seven different house moving bosses I’ve had down the years,” he says. “No job is ever the same and there’s always a challenge in it.” Rangi’s love for building removals has passed to his son Luke who drives PBR’s newest truck. The high-spec Kenworth T610 carries the name “Sharp N Ready” but its registration plate `BGMAHI’ is a clear indication of its job description. Rangi couldn’t see himself in a more routine trucking role. “I love house moving. It’s been in my system for a long time and with the modern trucks and trailers and all the lights there’s nothing like towing a house down the highway. It’s pretty amazing.” PBR driver Shane Tukaki is working at BuiltSmart in Huntly when NZ T&D catches up with him. He’s checking out new relocatables and later that night he’s moving a house from PBRs Horotiu storage yard to Te Awamutu.
It takes horsepower and the latest trailers to re-position a house with a spectacular outlook.
Truck & Driver | 55
FIRESTONE FD644
PROVEN ALL-ROUND PERFORMER Key features • It’s rugged and larger tread blocks provide strong traction both on and off road • The wider grooves provide good water evacuation to maintain an effective contact patch with the road in all conditions. • Increased wear life and better irregular wear resistance • The design of the FD664 has led to mileage improvement
Firestone FD664 available sizes Size
Load/Speed Index
275/70R22.5
148/145 M
11R22.5
148/145 L
Your Local Expert Auckland Central, Auckland North and Northland Karl Howes 021 220 2466 karl.howes@bridgestone.co.nz Auckland South and Waikato Rodney Morkel 027 216 3734 rodney.morkel@bridgestone.co.nz
Bay of Plenty and Gisborne Trevor Bunyan 021 718 861 trevor.bunyan@bridgestone.co.nz Wellington, Wairarapa, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay and Taranaki Justin Smith 021 452 858 justin.smith@bridgestone.co.nz
Christchurch, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Peter Taylor 027 405 3504 peter.taylor@bridgestone.co.nz Canterbury, Otago and Southland Tom Porteous 027 582 0682 tom.porteous@bridgestone.co.nz
bridgestone.co.nz
19208 - BDS FD664 Trucking Magazine Ad-v4.indd 1
31/05/22 1:25 PM
Earlier this year the PBR crew had to think outside the square to get their truck and trailer off a tricky site in Tauranga.
Shane followed his father into truck driving and has a 36-year driving career, but house moving is a new role after joining PBR about two years ago. “I worked for Tony Galbraith doing freight and then for Alexander’s and Calven Bonney driving tankers,” says Shane. “After I first started here I thought; ‘what the hell have I let myself in for’. But now I love it. “It’s challenging and each job is a bit different but you’re always using the same gear and the same procedures. “And every job has a lot of work behind the scenes. The other
night we were moving a house into a no-exit street in Rotorua and we had to knock on every door at 10.30pm to ask people to move the cars parked in the street.” Oversize driving is still something that Shane is getting used too. “The pilots still have to remind me sometimes to drive down the middle of the road rather than between the lines. I’m still used to driving between the lines.” Shane says most motorists are understanding of any delays they may encounter when a house is being moved. Truck & Driver | 57
Malcolm Whitehead-Clarke looks after compliance, Health & Safety and new builds for Prestige Building Removals.
“Nine out of 10 people are really good on the road when they see the pilots. There’s always the odd one who wants to play chicken with you.” Jason introduces two more staff when we return to the PBR office in River Rd. The company moved to the location in early 2020 and being very close to the busy Fairfield Bridge Jason says a lot of people know where they PBR is located because of the amount of time they are stuck in traffic on River Rd. Hayley Hatcher runs the office admin and is likely to be face that greets anyone calling at the PBR office. Jason describes her as “an all-rounder who makes things happen.” “She’s been with me a long time and she knows all aspects of the business. I couldn’t do without her,” he says Hayley says she likes the variety of her roles. “I do accounts and payroll and I also look after the marketing, website and Facebook which I really enjoy,” says Hayley. Also at the office during our visit is Malcolm Whitehead-Clarke. He runs the Health & Safety, fleet management and compliance aspects of the PBR operation. “Every job has its challenges,” says Malcolm. “We have to find the solutions to make it happen. If we don’t plan it right here [the office] then it becomes a headache out there. “My role is Health & Safety and compliance. I also order the new gear and keep check on the new builds. And anything that goes wrong out the road comes back to me. “I’m hands on when it comes to ordering new gear and I do site visits whenever I need too. At the moment we are giving an older truck a full refurb and makeover ready to go on the road to transport heavy machinery.” 58 | Truck & Driver
Malcolm has been in the transport industry his whole working life but is relatively new to the removals game. “I’ve been here two years and I love it. I do some driving and piloting. “It’s a solutions game. People come to us with all sorts of ideas and sometimes it’s too much. But nine times out of 10 we’ll find a solution for them.” Building removal involves planning as well as the ability to solve the unexpected problems. Jason doesn’t only rely on his staff and modern equipment to get the jobs done. “Having really good pilots is very important. They know the roads and they know the widths and heights we can go under. “We work with Michaela at All-Sized Piloting and with `Boof’ from AB Piloting who are very experienced pilots. They are a big part of our business because they get us where we need to go.” Going places figures prominently in the future of PBR with new trucks and trailers, new job vacancies and more work on the horizon. “There will be more people and more gear is getting built,” says Jason. “As we are growing, our systems have to stay caught up with us because a lot of people grow a business but their systems aren’t there to support it. That’s where a lot of problems can happen. “We are investing a lot of time into systems that work.” Along with seeing the business grow, Jason hopes there will still be time to enjoy the hands-on challenges of building removal. “I still like to jump in a truck, and I probably get to do it once a month. The guys seem to enjoy seeing me do it,” he says. T&D
SH HA AC CM M AN NN L3L3 3030 0000 0000 00 CH HA AS SS SISS S SS AA LL CC IIS SH HA AC CM M AN CH HA AS SS IS S H A C M A NL L 3 00 0 0101 1 2 2 4 55 SS HS AH CA MC AM NA 3L 03 00 21 .22 4.2 54 H A C M A N 3 0 2 ..2 4 5 NL 6.7m WB ideal forfor 9m Flat Deck, 6.7m WB ideal forfor 9m Flat Deck, 6.7m WB ideal 9m Flat Deck, 6.7m WB ideal 9m Flat Deck,
Traffic Control Unit, Curtainsider,etc. Traffic Control Unit, Curtainsider,etc. Traffic Control Unit, Curtainsider,etc. Traffic Control Unit, Curtainsider,etc.
Cummins 245hp E5E5 Cummins 245hp E5E5 Cummins 245hp Cummins 245hp Allison Trans with Retarda Allison Trans with Retarda Allison Trans with Retarda Allison Trans with Retarda Rear Air Suspension Rear Air Suspension Rear Air Suspension Rear Air Suspension
S H A C M A NL L 3 00 0 0101 1 6 1 8 3 00 00 SS HS AH CA MC AM NA 3L 03 00 61 /16 8/1 .38 0.3 H A C M A N 3 0 6 //1 8 ..3 0 NL
S SH HA AC CM MA A
5.2/6.2m WB ideal forMT MT Container, 5.2/6.2m WB ideal forfor Container, 5.2/6.2m WB ideal Container, 5.2/6.2m WB ideal forMT MT Container,
5.2/6.2m 5.2/6.2m Transpor Transpor
Cummins 300hp E5 Cummins 300hp E5 Cummins 300hp E5 Cummins 300hp E5
Cummins Cummins
Allision Trans Allision Trans Allision Trans Allision Trans
Rear Air Suspension Rear Air Suspension Rear Air Suspension Rear Air Suspension
Allision T Allision T Rear Air Rear Air
Transporter, Flat Deck, Curtainsider, etc. Transporter, Flat Deck, Curtainsider, etc. Transporter, Flat Deck, Curtainsider, etc. Transporter, Flat Deck, Curtainsider, etc.
TD32697
iv in M id AAA rrrrirv id iivn ig nggM M id AAu Aug ugu gus uststt220 202 022 222
www.shacmantruck.co.nz www.shacmantruck.co.nz www.shacmantruck.co.nz www.shacmantruck.co.nz
Bbo oBbb boyb bbyyKbhyK Kah hKna ahn nan BoB P: 09 264 1666 M: 027 266 1233 P:P:09 1666 266 1233 09264 264 1666 266 1233 P: 09 264 1666M:M:027 M:027 027 266 1233 www.shacmantruck.c 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104 www.shacmantruck.c 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104
LEGENDS
Spedding’s secret to retirement - Ian Spedding F
OR WELL OVER FIFTY YEARS, IAN SPEDDING AND HIS namesake business ‘Ian Spedding Transport’ has shifted copious amounts of kiwi dirt and earth in order to shape the modern day Auckland City that we see today. However, it’s this ‘hobbyists’ unwavering passion for keeping his trucks and gear in pristine condition that makes him a Southpac legend. Originally from the motherland, the now octogenarian Ian arrived on NZ shores at the age of 11. “My parents [Mary and Harry] came out from England in 1951. They bought a house in Otahuhu, and I lived there until I got married at 29.” Ian can trace his love of trucks back to his childhood, saying that he had “a thousand Dinky toys’ when he was a kid.” However, he is quick to add that even from an early age he was keen on machinery and was very mechanically minded. “I used to go and mooch around the bus company and one of the mechanics there decided that he and a mate were going to buy a service station and when they did, they took me on as an apprentice mechanic.” He recalls that the motor apprenticeship turned into a diesel apprenticeship and his engineering career grew from there. “I went to Otahuhu Welding and then Bitumix and then went to Eddie Seay of E. Seay Limited. That was great, I enjoyed that.” Ian says that when he started work for Eddie Seay, it was initially just driving. But since Eddie had a fleet of trucks, he also ran the workshop for him. “We built a big 10 bay workshop in Lovegrove Crescent Otara, and that’s the one I just sold,” Ian says.
60 | Truck & Driver
In 1970, Ian decided to go out on his own. He bought a truck and a licence and began carting rocks from the quarry. “I bought a licence off Morrie Selwyn for $500 in 1971. And that licence has a phosphate number with it which made you eligible for work every time a ship came in. It was gold for someone like me starting off as we got paid at the end of every boat load.” Spedding started off in business with a 7-tonne Commer and did a fair amount of work for Papatoetoe Borough Council, so was “up and away real early.” However, the Commer was soon to be moved on and upgraded. “I sold the Comer for a 1418 Merc because the traffic cops in Auckland city used to give you a smoke fine, basically anything that smoked they’d give you a ticket, they were really hot on it - nothing came out of the Merc.” Ian says the business grew from there. He recalls that he was mainly doing phosphate and quarry work, but soon got a tap on the shoulder to expand. “I just worked away quietly. Winstone’s came to me and asked if I’d put another truck on, which I did. I put on a blue and white Kenworth which was their colours of the day. It was a brand new W923 and in 1973 cost me $38,400 (Ian still has the sales slip).” With the addition of the new truck, Spedding also put on his first driver and together they moved quarry rock, bulk haulage around Auckland. The next year Spedding added another Kenworth to the fleet, a 1975 W924 and then another driver. “It was built in Canada in ‘75 and went on the road in ‘76. And then a year later I bought another one, so I had three Kenworth’s.”
1
3
2
1: 1418 Mercedes was Ian’s second truck 2 and 3: Ian’s first Kenworth which was a 1973 W-Model, note the price on the build sheet of $38,400 As the end of the `70s neared, Spedding expanded his loads and finished up doing grain, doing work for Jimmy Frankham. “We were able to run through to about 1979 when Auckland just came to a halt. Auckland stopped construction, they did the Grafton gully, and they didn’t think they needed to do anything else. It was terrible actually. Winstone’s just said `sorry we can’t give you any more work’, it was quite depressing.” Despite the huge drop in workloads, Spedding kept the two drivers on, but says that around the late 70s to early 80s, it was very hard times for the business. But better times lay ahead. “In 1980 we got the Hardies job, and it was in partnership with Garth Thompson. Garth and I did the job and then later on I bought his share out.” Ian says that concentrating on efficiency, they only ran about six or seven trucks, shifting tens of thousands of tonnes of silica sand every year for the next 15-20 years for James Hardie. “We mined the sand for a start and carted it down to Kumeu to be washed. And carted it down to Auckland. And the waste product went from Kumeu back to the sandpit. It was a huge part of what we did.” Things ticked along, then in 1988 Ian was approached to move pumice out of the Waikato River from Mercer to a factory in Penrose. And on top of that, moved the gypsum off the wharf. However, things were about to take a downturn again. “I bought a T600 to do the pumice job and in ‘91 they gave us three months’ notice and said, ‘mate there’s no more pumice’. So, times were bloody tough again. Really tough then, that was after the share market crash. So, I didn’t know what I was going to do, and we had just bought a house.” Ian recalls that he was talking to a few people about the troubles and that Brice from PGF gave him a call offering to purchase the T600. “That eased the pain quite considerably.” Reluctantly Spedding had to lay off the driver too but says that he got him a job right next door.
That same year Ian reckons that he made one of his best decisions, buying the Lovegrove workshop he was renting. “Best thing I did, it was amazing. It was hard at the time as I was paying rent there, Eddie had moved on and gone. The guys that owned it fell over because of the share market and it was going to be a mortgagee sale. “I was there one Saturday morning, and a land agent came in to have a look at it. I was kind of the caretaker, and he told me what was happening. So, I put an offer in and he rang me a couple of days later and said `put your offer up $10,000 and it’s yours.’ “He said `you’ve only got a minute to tell me, yes or no’. I said `alright, I’ll take it’.” Spedding says that he had 24 hours to sort it all out and that his bank was “absolutely rubbish, hopeless.” Thankfully UDC came to his rescue. “I owe it to them.” Ian bought the workshop and the business progressed from there. He bought a T900 in `94 as he was doing a lot of work for Atlas Concrete at that time and then in 2007 bought the first 604. “I finished up with 10 Kenworth’s at the peak. We’ve had good work all along, but I’ve never wanted big numbers of trucks in the fleet. We could have gone for more trucks easily, but I was comfortable with what we had.” When Hardies called time on their workload, Spedding decided to rethink his own position. “I thought, `well I’m running out of birthdays, I’d better do something about the business.” Ian says that they finished up on Labour Day last year. “I walked out of the yard and locked the gate for the last time. It was a Saturday, quarter to one. My time was 51 years, but I’d been in the depot since `68. Alan Lang took over the trucks on the first of August. I just wanted to make sure that the place worked. It’s very successful for them, they’ve got a good business there. Unfortunately, they didn’t have Hardies.”
Truck & Driver | 61
Ian’s latest project a 1965 L923 ex NZFP
He says that selling the business was extremely hard, as transport is a six and a half day a week job when you’re employing people. “I had a really good team of drivers, dedicated guys, and that’s important. I was fortunate enough to have a really top service manager in Jono Hirst who was with me for 18 years and also Shane Buchanan who was with me for 34 years and looked after the James Hardie contract.” But it would appear Ian wasn’t ready to hang up his tool belt just yet. In fact, selling his business means he can now concentrate on his other passion - rebuilding trucks from the ground up from his threegarage workshop at home. The 4-bay custom-build workshop is a sight to behold, with a kitchen and toilet. “I wasn’t allowed to put a shower in. Joy [Ian’s wife] said `I’d better come home’.” Three `long-nose’ Kenworth’s take pride of place inside, each having been carefully rebuilt by Ian. “I’ve been blessed with good jobs for my trucks, and the trucks
62 | Truck & Driver
were a piece of cake to run so I had a lot of time to do what I wanted to do.” And what he wanted to do was meticulously bring trucks back from the brink of the scrapyard. He says that when he bought one of the trio, the transporter, it was in a terrible state, and it took him two years to bring it back to pristine condition. “I’m just mechanically minded and that’s what I like doing. I like Kenworth’s and they’ve been good to me. I’m an enthusiast - other people own race cars,” he says. Sitting outside the workshop is another new project, an ex-Rotorua NZFP Kenworth L923. It’s already stripped right back to the chassis rails. “I’ll be trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It’ll take me a couple of years.” Ian does all the work inhouse, apart from the cab which goes to Willie Malcolm in Rotorua and the painting. But he does have a few pals that are happy to lend a hand. “Ken Frandy, Don McLean from Freightways, Glassy and Graeme Payne come in and help out - there’s lots of tea drunk here.” Ian has fond memories of the business and believes that despite being hard work, it’s given him a good life, with annual six-week holidays thrown in for good measure. “We weren’t big, just small, and efficient and we had good gear. Joy has put up with a lot and my daughter Kay was running the office.” But Ian is happily embracing his ‘retirement’. “The secret to retirement is being occupied. I’m fortunate, I’m reasonably healthy. I haven’t missed it and I’m so pleased that it’s gone well for Alan and Jono. “I’m proud of that fact. I would have hated to have sold them a pup.” T&D
www.jacksonenterprises.co.nz
TD32743
Queen St, Pahiatua Ph: 06 376 0020 Contact: Trevor: Mob 0274 437 968 Email: trevor@jacksonenterprises.co.nz
FEATURE
Kiwi trucking on screen DISASTER CONSTANTLY SEEMS TO loom just around the next corner, but everything works out fine in the end. There’s plenty of added drama to accompany the characters and locations featuring in Great Southern Truckers, New Zealand’s first original TV series dedicated to the lives of truck drivers on Kiwi roads. “I know some people will look at parts of the show and say; `Ha-ha, that’s not real’,” says series Executive Producer Alex Breingan from Auckland-based Stripe Studios. But that’s the case with most reality-style TV series which aim to keep an audience hooked with a sense of anticipation and impending danger. “In fact we never had any moments of danger while filming the show. Just great characters and fantastic scenery with not even one day of bad weather,” says Breingan. Filming began two years ago across both the North and South Islands and was interrupted by the Covid-19 restrictions. Episode one debuted in early July and the series is screening on eden at 7pm on Tuesdays (Freeview 8 and Sky 13) and is also available on demand at THREEnow. Great Southern Truckers is also playing in Canada, has been licensed to Discovery in the US and UK as well as going into European markets. “The series is designed to show the audience what truck drivers do and put up with and get across that without truckers, there’s no food on supermarket shelves, no petrol in the pumps and no building materials to site,” Breingan says. There are six one-hour episodes featuring most segments of the New Zealand trucking industry and a diverse range of characters ranging from rookie drivers to those with decades of experience. 64 | Truck & Driver
Each episode focuses on three drivers working in three locations with some characters returning later in the series. The settings vary between busy city motorways to logging roads and mountain passes. The cargo ranges from luxury cars to logging, livestock, fuel tankers, a circus big-top tent and heavy haulage jobs. But it’s the drivers who are the stars. “The drivers themselves are incredibly interesting and entertaining as well as highly skilled,” says Breingan. “When we started filming this series we had no idea how important the trucking industry is to everyone in New Zealand and I now have a new found respect for the drivers,” says Breingan. “They’re not being annoying driving slowly up a hill, they’re being safe and without them, our mad dash to the shops would be a waste of time as there would be nothing on the shelves.” Breingan is hopeful a number of aspects of the series will benefit both the industry and the general public. “One theme I’m sure will resonate with the industry is that we highlight the terrible state of the roads in many parts of New Zealand and the behaviour of other drivers on the road. “For the non-trucking audience its two-fold. Firstly, we want to highlight there is a great career in the trucking industry. “We focus on a number of younger drivers who through perseverance are building themselves a career. The message is that for some younger people, who maybe find that school is not really for them, there can be great career for them in the industry. “We also hope the general public gets a better idea of the challenges faced by truck drivers and hopefully they will give trucks a little more space on the road.” A second series is in the works which will bring back some the original characters and introduce some new ones. T&D
Liz Crosby-Campbell (below left) and her Freightliner (above right) feature in episode two while Mike Edwards and Summer Ratima-Thompson (below centre & right) make their first appearance in episode one.
Truck & Driver | 65
YOU HANDLE THE LOAD.
LET PETERSON TAKE CARE OF YOUR LED LIGHTING
Be Sure to Spec Peterson Lights
PETERSON LUMENX LIGHTING FEATURES Designed by Peterson USA | Manufactured by Peterson USA | International sell brand Peterson USA Limited lifetime warranty, rated life 100,000 hours. Mounting orientation, superior optics allow 360 degree compliance. Heavy duty plug n play harness, insert moulded plug terminals, wire gauge 18 awg. Integral mounting flange with skirt welded lens eliminates leakage points. Trusted lighting manufacturer since 1945, LED lights introduced in 1995. Proven in heavy duty applications, major usage by OE manufacturers and fleet operators. Accredited supplier to Caterpillar and Harley Davidson.
www.cdlautoparts.co.nz ☎ 09 262 1417 sales@cdlautoparts.co.nz
by
Brighter, Safer, Better Looking & Made in America
TD32612
CDL AUTOPARTS LTD
FEATURE
Volvo FH is one of the trucks used to move the new McLeod Cranes counterweight trailers.
Game-Changing Weight Solution
TD32612
By Dave McLeod
WHEN MCLEOD CRANES PURCHASED THEIR NEW 300-TONNE Tadano crane, they looked to Hamilton-based truck, crane, and trailer giant TRT (Tidd Ross Todd Ltd) for a game-changing new solution to an on-going counterweight issue. With a head office in Mt Maunganui, McLeod Cranes, is a family-owned and run business which according to Managing Director Scott McLeod, is a combination of three companies. McLeod Cranes Ltd, McLeod Hiab and McLeod Transport Ltd all doing different functions under the McLeod umbrella. “McLeod Cranes is a crane hire company in Bay of Plenty Waikato, with branches in Taupo, Hamilton, and Tauranga. They run 30 cranes around the region mainly in taxi crane work. So, it’s a customer-focused, service-focused business providing cranes from 3.2t up to 350t,” McLeod says. McLeod Hiab runs just over 40 Hiab’s in the Bay of Plenty Waikato region and again they are a very customer-focused business that’s heavily involved in the construction sector moving frames and trusses. “Like any Hiab company, we’re delivering via truck and
loading and unloading by a Hiab. Anything from small buildings to palletised products.” Lastly, he says that McLeod Transport has an ATF facility in Tauranga. It’s a transitional facility that de-vans containers and either stores the product onsite or delivers it. So, McLeod reckons that it does a fair bit of trucking to and from the port. “It also supports the other businesses through moving drilling rigs and managing the logistics of moving drilling rigs, geothermal, oil, and gas. And they transport ad-hoc products for different companies. So, on the trucking side you might be transporting concrete in the form of precast or transporting other building or construction materials.” He says that McLeod Transport supports their Hiab company too, providing the ability to move bulk products out of Auckland or between the different branches before the Hiab company does the last mile. “Where it’s obviously more efficient to use a quad-quad to move frames or trusses or bricks between branches.” According to McLeod, the catalyst for their four new TRT Truck & Driver | 67
McLeod Cranes’ new Tadano Demag 300t long boom crane requires up 100t of counterweight.
counterweight trailers began when they decided to purchase a new 300-tonne class crane to join their established 350 model. They had identified that they should have a long boom offering, (this machine comes with an 80-metre boom) which was missing out of their taxi crane fleet. “We could see that there was a market for a long boom option for our customers with their jobs around the region. And this new crane also gave us a bit of redundancy for the 350, to take some of the pressure off of it.’” He says that having an additional 300t unit would allow them to service their clients more efficiently, ‘without having to shuffle the deck to get the job done’. “And this particular machine has a lot of capacity upstairs, so it’s also an ideal machine for our wind farm work. We do a lot of
maintenance on wind farms and with an 80m boom, that gives us the capacity to do a lot of those lifts,” McLeod says. Crucial to the operation of a crane is the counterweight that sits on the back of the crane, opposing the force of the cargo the crane is lifting. “The larger the crane the more counterweight needed, so this 300-tonne crane has got roughly 100-tonnes hanging off the back of it,” McLeod says. He explains the new crane means that a lot of counterweight needs to be moved around with it. In fact, five truckloads of counterweight, and that means they need the most efficient, most productive way of getting that counterweight to site. “In crane hire you want to get the weight and all the ancillary items to a site in the least amount of loads to obviously provide
TRT has built four of the new counterweight trailers for McLeod Cranes.
* **
i T a a
68 | Truck & Driver
7178_C
A SMALL STEP ON OUR PATH TO CHANGE FROM 2021, ALL CASTROL PRODUCTS WE SELL IN NEW ZEALAND WILL BE
COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH PAS 2060** A SMALL STEP TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
* **
in accordance with PAS 2060, see www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information. The C02e emmisions are calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s Product Life Cycle Standard and includes life cycle emmisions. The demonstration of carbon neutrality will be assured by an Independent Third-Party and certified to BSI’s PAS 2060 carbon neutral specification. See www.castrol.com/cneutral for more information.
7178_CANZ 210x297 W 5mm Bleed.indd 2
15/03/2022 20:47
the best service to your clients and to ensure that they are only paying for the service that’s needed. So that led us to looking as to how we would achieve that, and that led to a conversation with TRT.” McLeod says that they were already in a conversation with TRT as they are also a Grove crane dealer. “I ended up buying a Tadano crane from a different company and I thought ‘now I’ve got to go and talk to them about counterweight trailers and maybe that would be a difficult conversation’ but they were awesome, really great to deal with. “They could understand the decisions I made and were more than happy to solve the problems I had of how to get the counterweights to site with the least amount of trucks.” McLeod says that the new crane requires around 93.8 tonnes of counterweight and that historically that would have sent them down the path of hunting for a second-hand trailer or maybe two. “In the past what we would do is basically target second hand trailers with a heavy 20 position at maybe $30-40,000 a piece and convert it into a counterweight trailer, which would sort of be its retirement job. “We’d strip it back and either make a frame that would fit onto the heavy 20 position with twist locks and put the counterweight on that (that’s another ten grand), or if it was a Skele, we might do it differently, but either way we would strip it back and make it a counterweight trailer.” He says that they would incur so much money every year ($6000$7000) maintaining that trailer on the road ‘because obviously it would have already had a hard life before it got to us.’ Overall, it’s not a cheap solution but had served alright in the past.
McLeod adds that the (old) solution was never going to work with this crane’s 24-tonne counterweight requirement without going for a quad-quad type set up, which brings its own issues. “That’s a lot more difficult when you’re trying to back up the long trailer to the crane on a construction site. Whereas, if you can achieve that in a smaller form factor, with a good payload then that has a lot of advantages for a crane company. Hence why the TRT trailers are a game changer for us. TRT was able to come up with a design that is a new trailer at a price point, with this system [VersaLock] that is able to adapt to different payloads.” McLeod recalls that when they were in early discussions TRT described the Innovative Load Restraint Mount System ‘VersaLock’ as “the ability to change the configuration of the trailer for the different counterweight configuration after the fact. “So, you’ve bought the trailer, and rather than building a fixed configuration into it, it would be a system that ‘plugged-in’. So, we could then use it for not only these counterweights on this crane, but potentially other cranes long term. That’s quite an attractive option because it means that in the future (13-15 years) if we sell this crane, we could repurpose these trailers for whatever crane we replace it with.” According to TRT, the patented VersaLock system is a bolt-on device which can be moved up and down the trailer, allowing the trailer load to be reconfigured in 50mm increments through a clever saw tooth design. This enables the operator to ensure the axle loadings are exactly right and also able to repurpose the trailer for other crane models.
WHEREVER YOU GO, WE’RE ALONG FOR THE RIDE. Whether you’re an owner driver looking to upgrade or a business operating an entire fleet, we’ve got flexible finance options and expert advice that won’t only help with your transport needs, but will keep your business moving forward for years to come.
TALK TO OUR LOCAL TEAM TODAY Warren Sare | 021 823 905 | udc.co.nz/truck UDC Finance Limited
Scan to apply for a loan
Delivering counter weights to a McLeod Cranes job at Meridian’s Te Apiti wind farm near Ashurst.
And the dedicated trailer itself has a low tare weight, so payloads up to 30t can be achieved while special load restraint mounts allow the trailer to be loaded then unloaded quickly and safely without the use of chains and dogs. Special mounting modules are fitted to the frame, ensuring weights are loaded in the same place each time, with the trailer weighing out legally, with platforms and steps fitted for safe loading and unloading.
McLeod reckons that these ‘dedicated counterweight trailers’ hit a sweet spot that’s a much safer method to use and a better long-term solution. “In my mind they’ve put a lot of effort into designing a trailer that can obviously take 24 tonnes but without going overboard. Because there is so much that you don’t need on a counterweight trailer.”
Warren Auger Bins (NZ) Ltd Bulk Transport with a twist
TBT32693
Custom building Feed Truck & Trailers for the NZ market to New Zealand requirements and specifications. Low Tare Weight. Fast discharge times. Full parts and service back up.
Ph: (07) 888 6925
Contact Bradley at: Warren Auger Bins (NZ) Ltd. 30 Waihou Street, Matamata. PO Box 488, Matamata Mobile: 027 309 7920 E: office@wab.co.nz | parts@wab.co.nz www.warrenaugerbins.co.nz
Truck & Driver | 71
The TRT dedicated counterweight trailers are a time saver for McLeod Cranes.
11
5 O
He says that when you’re thinking about your trailer you have to think about where the counterweight will be on it relative to the capacity of the crane and you also have to think about roadability, making it road legal, and not overloading the trailer. “So somebody at TRT had to take all these numbers and work out what would be the best configuration of the trailer for the best outcome. So that when you back up and reach out to get your counterweight, you’ve got enough capacity to lift it,” McLeod says. McLeod has gone for four trailers and although they have a consistency of set up, all come with three axles and for three of them the VersaLock system, they do have different roles. “For all of the trailers we had a requirement that whatever we do we want to do it from the ground. The first trailer is a support trailer, so that one is slightly different from the other ones because it’s also carrying steel pads to go under outriggers, lifting equipment and the forklift to move that gear around on site so they can set up.” Trailer two is carrying the hefty 24.4-tonne counterweight while trailer three is only carrying 12 or 14 tonnes so able to carry an auxiliary winch, fly jib, other hooks etc. McLeod says that it’s the added versatility of the trailers that holds great appeal too. “If we have a fleet of these VersaLock trailers, if trailer 2 had a breakdown we could potentially reconfigure trailer 6 to be trailer 2 and still be able to do the same job for our customers. And being such that we are carrying such big weights, whatever that configuration would be, the trailers are strong but light. “We’ve found one trailer that can serve multiple cranes and 72 | Truck & Driver
is size appropriate for the crane industry.” McLeod has bought four trailers so far but will undoubtedly not stop there. “I would say that now we see how it works and how clever it is, we will start to look at our other cranes and go down that path with them. And as we retire the old trailers, we’ll start replacing them with this style of trailer. Because the guys can do everything from the ground, which makes it a hell of a lot safer for them and in doing so we’re ending up with a consistent trailer at the right price point, rather than going to a second-hand trailer with the frames.” McLeod says that the biggest saving is what the client doesn’t see, the fact that they’re not loading the counterweights with a crane in the yard because they’re already loaded on a dedicated counterweight truck. “So going down this path of having dedicated counterweight trucks that are specifically designed to go to site saves considerable time for McLeod Cranes.” He says that you’d need a 60-tonner sitting in the yard loading counterweights in the past, so to put a dollar value on that is a little bit hard because it changes between jobs. But it’s substantial. “And then on the other side, it’s quicker to get the counterweights off and on because the trailer is designed for it. So, you’re in and out from the customer’s site 10-15 mins quicker. So, it’s a pretty cool system and you’re doing it safer.” McLeod is evidently impressed with the TRT solution but does have one complaint, however. “The trailers themselves have been so busy that they haven’t had a chance to get them in to be sign written,” he says. T&D
Bre B
1972-2022 1972-2022 1972-2022
50 50 50GOLDEN GOLDEN GOLDENYEARS YEARS YEARS OF OF OFKIWI KIWI KIWITRUCKING. TRUCKING. TRUCKING.
Join Join Join our our our anniversary anniversary anniversary celebrations celebrations celebrations Pre-Match Pre-Match Pre-Match FriFri 21st Fri 21st 21st Oct Oct Oct Meet Meet Meet & greet, && greet, greet, drinks drinks drinks & nibbles. && nibbles. nibbles. Anytime Anytime Anytime 7pm 7pm 7pm – 11pm. – 11pm. – 11pm. The The The Cobb, Cobb, Cobb, Palmerston Palmerston Palmerston North. North. North. Everybody Everybody Everybody welcome, welcome, welcome, nono entry no entry entry fee. fee. fee. Game Game Game Day Day Day Sat Sat Sat 22nd 22nd 22nd Oct Oct Oct Mack Mack Mack 5050 Year 50 Year Year Anniversary Anniversary Anniversary Truck Truck Truck Show. Show. Show. Anytime Anytime Anytime 9am 9am 9am – 4pm. – 4pm. – 4pm. Manfeild Manfeild Manfeild Park, Park, Park, Feilding. Feilding. Feilding. Open Open Open to to public, to public, public, entry entry entry feefee applies. fee applies. applies. After After After Match Match Match Sat Sat Sat 22nd 22nd 22nd Oct Oct Oct Drinks Drinks Drinks & platters, && platters, platters, raffles raffles raffles & speeches. && speeches. speeches. 7pm 7pm 7pm – 1am. – 1am. – 1am. Awapuni Awapuni Awapuni Racecourse, Racecourse, Racecourse, PN. PN. PN. $40 $40 $40 incinc GST inc GST GST admission admission admission - food - food - food and and and 2 x2 drinks x 2 drinks x drinks (non (non (non registered registered registered people). people). people). Recovery Recovery Recovery Session Session Session Sun Sun Sun 23rd 23rd 23rd Oct Oct Oct Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast BBQ BBQ BBQ sponsored sponsored sponsored byby Truckstops. by Truckstops. Truckstops. Anytime Anytime Anytime from from from 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am - 11:30am. - 11:30am. - 11:30am. 2929 Malden 29 Malden Malden St,St, PN. St, PN. PN. More More More info info here: info here: here: 50years.macktrucks.co.nz 50years.macktrucks.co.nz 50years.macktrucks.co.nz
FEATURE
A man with a message
By Wayne Munro Bryan Menefy, who died in June, pictured in 2014 with some of the Macks in his Menefy Trucking operation. The Super-Liner at the forefront was his flagship at the time – bearing spectacular murals inspired by the Pink Floyd album and movie, The Wall
MANAWATU TRANSPORT OPERATOR BRYAN MENEFY – WHO DIED in late June – ran trucks that carried some of the most out-there, offthe-wall branding seen on Kiwi commercial vehicles. Menefy, widely known as Ruffy, was just 57 when he succumbed to the motor neurone disease that he’d battled for five years. In 25 years of business his Menefy Trucking operation – heavily involved in tanker and flat deck work – had established a presence on the New Zealand trucking scene that was arguably much greater than its modest size. And that was largely down to a mix of a few things: His passion for the trucking industry and his drive to succeed in it – sometimes against the odds – and his great love of Macks…and for the British rock band Pink Floyd… Plus a willingness to combine those influences to send messages to those who’d laughed at him, lied to him or maybe tried to bully him during his 35-plus years in trucking. The trucks, NZ Truck & Driver discovered when we profiled Menefy Trucking back in 2014, revealed telling clues as to what made him tick…and how he’d built his successful 12-truck business. Every truck he bought (12 new Macks, a bunch of second-hand Bulldogs and a few “un-loyal” makes) was given a name inspired by Pink Floyd songs or lyrics – because they resonated with him. Thus, among others, the Menefy fleet featured names like The Thin Ice…Welcome To The Machine…One Slip….I’ve Been Mad For Years. The sleeper cab and doors on his 2014 Mack Super-Liner (named Run Like Hell) – the Menefy Trucking flagship at the time – carried eye-popping full-colour murals of scenes inspired by The Wall album and movie….about a man descending into madness. He explained: The theme of Pink Floyd’s music “is all about insanity and madness and that sort of stuff – and it fits me perfectly. “I relate to them. They don’t sing love songs like everyone else 74 | Truck & Driver
does. Their albums are stories…..stories about the demise of an individual, for instance.” The Brain Damage name originally given to a beloved 1999 UltraLiner, for instance, made sense because “all my life, since I was a kid – a crazy bugger in cars, on motorbikes and stuff like that – all my mates have reckoned: ‘Ah you’re mad, you bugger!’ You know.” Another truck was named Us And Them: “Plenty of critics out there,” he summed up. He also had a mural painted on the back of one truck showing a bare backside – a “tribute to an arsehole” encountered in a legal dispute. Even before the Pink Floyd-inspired branding – during Bryan’s early years as an owner-driver, in the late 1990s – his truck names carried heartfelt messages. When a boss ordered him to cut his long red hair, he refused…resulting in the Menefy truck often staying “parked-up by the back fence.” So Bryan named the truck Scotch Mist – because “that’s what we were to that prick.” He poked fun at Kenworth with rego plates like UP KW and UP U KW – just for a laugh, not because he hated them. In fact, he even considered buying a Kenworth as his first truck – rather than a CH Mack….but the salesman “laughed in my face….thought I was a tyre-kicker.” Macks marked many major points in his life – Bryan treating himself to a handful of Mack “hobby trucks,” including a beloved R722 Super-Liner, a 1999 610hp Ultra-Liner, a Cruise-Liner, an ’82 R797 and an ’83 R700. His love of the Bulldog brand had begun in his schoolboy days – when he’d ride his bike down to Motor Truck Distributors’ yard in Palmerston North to ogle the new trucks. In 2014 he’d had recent offers to buy the business: “I thought ‘no, I’m not doing this for money – I’m doing it because this is stuff that’s been in my head since I was a kid.’ ” Menefy had been working at the flour mills in Palmerston North in his late teens when “the truck blood came out in me….because
Above: Bryan Menefy reckoned that Pink Floyd’s words and music resonated with him – resulting in some of the wildest graphics to appear on a Kiwi commercial vehicle….like these images on his 2014 Super-Liner, nicknamed Run Like Hell.
Below: Bryan’s “hobby trucks” back in 2014: A ’99 model 610hp Ultra-Liner, a just-purchased R700, a Cruise-Liner and his treasured R722 Super-Liner
you’d get trucks for Africa there..” He convinced some ODs to let him move their R Model Macks around at the mill. Extraordinarily, it ended-up with him regularly standing-in for some of the ODs – “sneaking-off” from his job at the mill to take over a truck for the best part of a day. It was a win/win: The ODs got some time off – “and they were still getting paid. And I was getting my bloody backside in a Mack…yeah.” It was a Mack that he scored in his first fulltime driving job, at 21: A 440hp Super-Liner. And a few years later a Mack CH lured him into driving a fuel tanker: “It was the truck that did it….it was a cool truck.” When Bryan Menefy’s funeral was held in Palmerston North last month, his white coffin was transported on the last Super-Liner he bought, named One of These Days. The funeral cortege was led by a pilot vehicle carrying the sign: “Mack legend follows.” Behind were more than 50 trucks – most of them Macks and including his Menefy Trucking Bulldogs and collector trucks. MTD paid its respects by rolling out what seemed like every Mack at its disposal.
Bryan had sold Menefy Trucking to PTS Logistics a couple of years after being diagnosed with the terminal disease – staying on “as long as he was able to” to manage the business, says longtime friend (and former Mack NZ general manager) Murray Sowerby. And he sold his collector Macks a couple of years ago to mate John Matangi, who has kept them in their original colours and branding. Menefy’s small FloydTrans business continued to operate until just before his death. Sowerby first met Bryan by selling him Mack parts, then Mack trucks. He became a valued, loyal customer…..and then a close friend. Menefy Trucking rated as probably one of Mack’s top two most loyal single-owner businesses in NZ. Sowerby also says Bryan Menefy is “the one who drove me to build an eight-wheeler Super-Liner like we’ve got today. He reckoned it’d be better than a bloody Western Star or a Kenworth, you know….” So when Mack Australia said it couldn’t justify building an 8x4 Super-Liner in its factory, under Sowerby’s management and Menefy’s encouragement “it ended up being done by MTD in NZ. Bryan got the first one we built.” T&D
Truck & Driver | 75
BENEFACTORS
21
st
January 2023
Reserve Rain Day 11
th
February
Show & Shine
POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL
PROUDLY SUPPORTING BOMBAY RUGBY
M. 0277 696 179
E. ropeworxnz@xtra.co.nz
NZ DISTRIBUTOR
Bar
TD32708
Register your interest for Exhibitor space at bombaytruckshow@gmail.com
FEATURE
The first Volvo FL Electric to reach New Zealand is being put through initial testing with a customer to be announced in September.
Volvo’s electric move VOLVO TRUCKS HAS STARTED ROLLING OUT ITS ZERO-EMISSIONS transport solutions for New Zealand customers. Local importer Motor Truck Distributors (MTD) has been carrying out pre-commercial trials on the first Volvo FL Electric truck to reach New Zealand. The battery electric 16-tonne 4x2 medium duty truck arrived in April with its initial runs on New Zealand roads to validate performance data from Volvo headquarters in Sweden. The Volvo announcement follows Swedish rival Scania revealing its first electric truck in June. However the Volvo FL sits in a lighter category than the Scania 25P which boasts a 29-tonne GVM and 6x2 options. MTD says the FL Electric was scheduled to make its public debut at the EROAD Fleet Day 2022 on July 20 at the Globox Arena, Claudelands in Hamilton. Volvo has also been testing the FL Electric in Australia since late-2021. “The next few months will see us go through the approval and training process to test the FL’s performance under New Zealand conditions,” says MTD’s General Manager Clive Jones. “It will also give our on-the-ground technical service and support teams the chance to do some hands-on training, putting our team in a great position facing alternative technologies.” The Volvo FL Electric has a single electric motor developing 130kW, a 600V electrical system and a two-speed transmission. It can be equipped with between three and six battery packs offering a storage capacity of between 200-395kWh. The truck in New Zealand has four batteries which European trials have set at 150-300kms depending upon conditions and load.
Batteries can fully charge over a six-to-eight-hour period using a standard charging system. However, this accelerates with a 150KW charger which gets a flat battery to 85% in just 60 minutes. New Zealand tests are to determine how different driving styles and terrain impact the battery range. Volvo says the batteries have an expected life of eight to ten years. At the point when the long-term value of an electric vehicle battery becomes limited for the trucking industry, there is the opportunity for a second life. Electric vehicle batteries retain 70- 80% of their original capacity and can be used in applications within construction and residential settings. The Volvo FL electric is all about the delivery of smooth power and immediate torque that outperforms a diesel engine, according to MTD Senior Product Engineer, Jamie Bell. “There’s no delay in pulling away from a standing start with an electric powered truck,” commented Jamie. “Where a diesel engine takes some time to get to the top of the torque curve, the FL is there immediately.” The announcement of a key customer partnership for the commercial phase of the Volvo FL trial is expected in September. While the FL Electric is designed for a medium duty role and is ideal for metropolitan delivery work, the range of Volvo Trucks electric models is expanding rapidly and Volvo has signalled its intention to offer the entire Volvo Trucks product range fossil-free by 2040. Globally Volvo Trucks already offers six battery-electric models. Series production of the Volvo FL and FE Electric for city distribution and waste management started in 2019 in Europe while the FH, FM Truck & Driver | 77
fuels, Volvo Trucks is also turning its attention to hydrogen fuel cells for heavy transport. Volvo Trucks has started to test vehicles using this new technology and in the second half of this decade it will add this technology to its product portfolio as a third CO2-neutral option. Fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology offers the potential for produce electricity onboard from hydrogen, with a range of about up to 1000km and the only emissions being water vapor. “We have been developing this technology for some years now, and it feels great to see the first trucks successfully running on the Deutsche Post DHL is one of Europe’s biggest customers for the Volvo FL Electric. test track,” says Roger Alm, President of Volvo Trucks. and FMX Electric are heavy duty trucks with a total weight of up to 44 “The combination of battery electric and fuel cell electric will enable tonnes already on sale in Europe with production starting during the our customers to completely eliminate CO2 exhaust emissions from second half of 2022. their trucks, no matter transport assignments.” In North America production of the Volvo VNR Electric started Volvo says its fuel cell electric trucks will have an operational range in 2021. comparable to many diesel trucks – up to 1000km – and a refuelling In the New Zealand market the order book for a full range time of less than 15 minutes. The total weight can be around 65 including the heavy duty trucks (up to 44T) is due to open as tonnes or even higher, and the two fuel cells have the capacity to early as 2024. generate 300kW of electricity onboard. At the same time as being well advanced with battery electric Customer pilots will start in a few years from now and truck development and combustion engines using renewable commercialisation is planned for the latter part of this decade.
World-first hydrogen hauler THE VOLVO GROUP IS LOOKING BEYOND TRUCKS WITH ITS net-zero emissions commitments with subsidiary Volvo Construction Equipment (Volvo CE) developing the world’s first fuel cell articulated hauler prototype, the Volvo HX04. The results from testing the HX04 will provide important insights into the possibilities provided by hydrogen and fuel cells as Volvo CE continues research for its future product development programmes. Volvo CE has accelerated its work into sustainable power sources to deliver on a commitment to net-zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Volvo CE already produces a range of batteryelectric solutions. “ “Being inventors of the world’s first articulated hauler more than 55 years ago, we are happy and proud to again drive change with this fuel cell hauler concept,” says Carolina Diez Ferrer, Head of Advanced Engineering Programs at Volvo CE. “While an early prototype, this innovation will give valuable insights into the opportunities of hydrogen in the energy transformation alongside battery-electric solutions. We believe that by exploring multiple technologies and working in partnership we can create the best path forward to decarbonize the construction industry.” The Volvo HX04 is the result of collaboration between Volvo CE, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, who provided specialist competence on driveline development and safety, and PowerCell Sweden, a developer of fuel cell-based hydrogen-electric power solutions. The infrastructure for hydrogen is still in development, which 78 | Truck & Driver
means refuelling the Volvo HX04 is an important aspect to solve in the project. Shell installed a state-of-the-art hydrogen refuelling station at the Volvo CE test track in Braås. Both Shell and Volvo Group are founding members of H2Accelearte a collaboration of companies working to foster conditions for the mass market roll-out of hydrogen trucks in Europe. “Providing the fuelling infrastructure for this innovative project gave Shell the opportunity to demonstrate our technical capabilities in hydrogen, and enabled us to support one of our key global collaboration partners,” says Oliver Bishop, Shell’s General Manager for Hydrogen Mobility. It takes about 7.5 minutes to fuel the Volvo HX04 12kg of hydrogen, enough for it to operates for approximately four hours. Fuel cells work by combining hydrogen with oxygen with the resulting chemical reaction producing electricity which powers the machine. In the process, fuel cells also produce heat that can be used for heating of the cab. Fuel cells only emit one thing – water vapor. In principle, a fuel cell works much like a battery except that it generates its own electricity from the hydrogen onboard as needed rather than being charged from an external source. Vehicles with fuel cell electric powertrains have an uptime, range, and fuelling time similar to that of combustion engine powered vehicles. While battery-electric vehicles and biofuels are commercially available today – as more sustainable alternatives to diesel – commercialisation of hydrogen-powered machines is expected during the second half of this decade. T&D
There are now six electric models in the Volvo Trucks line-up.
“Hydrogen-powered fuel cell electric trucks will be especially suitable for long distances and heavy, energy-demanding assignments. They could also be an option in countries where battery charging possibilities are limited,” says Alm. A fuel cell generates its own electricity from the hydrogen onboard instead of being charged from an external source. The only biproduct emitted is water vapor. Such vehicles are considered emissions-free if they are fuelled with “green” hydrogen, produced by using renewable energy sources, such as wind, hydro and solar. “We expect the supply of green hydrogen to increase significantly during the next couple of years, since many industries will depend on
it to reduce CO2,” Alm says. “However, we cannot wait to decarbonise transport, we are already running late. So, my clear message to all transport companies is to start the journey today with battery electric, biogas and the other options available. The fuel cell trucks will then be an important complement for longer and heavier transports in a few years from now.” The Volvo prototypes are equipped with fuel cells supplied by cellcentric – a joint venture between the Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG. Cellcentric will build one of Europe’s largest series production facilities for fuel-cells, specially developed for heavy vehicles. T&D
Fuel cell electric development is also being carried out by Volvo Construction Equipment with the articulated HX04 prototype.
Truck & Driver | 79
2022 Transporting New Zealand Conference 28-29 September / Ascot Park Hotel / Invercagill
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
DOUG KAMO MC
CAMERON BAGRIE BAGRIE ECONOMICS
NICOLE ROSIE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, WAKA KOTAHI NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY
CHRIS CLARIDGE CHIEF EXECUTIVE POTATOES NEW ZEALAND
DAVE FFOWCS WILLIAMS HEAD OF SUPPLY CHAIN, DATACOM
HON MICHAEL WOOD MINISTER OF TRANSPORT AND MINISTER FOR WORKPLACE RELATIONS
LIZ YEAMAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, RETYNA
KELLY MCLUCKIE SUCCESS FORMULA CUSTOMER CULTURE & TRANSFORMATION MANAGER
SIR IAN TAYLOR TECHNOLOGY INNOVATOR
NEIL WALKER WAKA KOTAHI
See the latest programme, confirmed speakers
and register today at: https://conference.transporting.nz
TD31737
Early bird special now on: Save up to $75 per registration! For a limited time only!
FEATURE
Super Rigs
America’s custom truck show lights up her standout red and orange 1985 Peterbilt 359 with a 2016 East trailer. DeSantis was awarded $10,000 from Shell Rotella and also captured the Steve Sturgess Best Theme award for her ‘The Witches Inn’ theme. She previously won Best of Show in 2019. Truett Novosad from College Station, Texas won Best of Show first runner-up and $4,000 from Shell Rotella for his 2007
TD31737
POLISHED CHROME, CUSTOM PAINTWORK, A LIGHT SHOW and fireworks. America’s annual Shell Rotella SuperRigs show celebrated its 40th anniversary in June with Peterbilt’s taking out the big prizes. The 2022 SuperRigs competition was held across three days in Branson Landing, Missouri and the Best of Show honours were awarded to Theresa DeSantis of Apache Junction, Arizona for
Truck & Driver | 81
Above: Theresa DeSantis captured the Best of Show award with her 1985 Peterbilt and the Steve Sturgess Best Theme award for her ‘The Witches Inn’ theme. Berlow: The 2021 Kenworth W900 `Pistachio Promises’ of Kyle Cousins during the Branson Landing Truck Parade.
82 | Truck & Driver
Above: The Lights Show is a spectacular part of the Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition. Berlow: The 2007 Peterbilt 379 EXHD of Truett Novosad was the first runner-up and won the Best Interior prize.
Peterbilt 379 EXHD named `Doc Holliday’. He also won the Best Interior prize. Dean DeSantis of Apache Junction, Arizona was awarded Best of Show second runner-up for his `Career Gambler’ 2018 Peterbilt 389. Additional first place winners included Todd Gribble from Somerset, Pennsylvania (Tractor/Trailer Division) for his 2012 Peterbilt 389, Kaleb Hammett of Dodd City, Texas (Tractor Division) with a 2019 Peterbilt 389 and David Foster from Joplin, Missouri who won the Classic Division with his 2005 Kenworth W900L. Daniel and Phyllis Snow of Harrison, Arkansas won the People’s Choice Award for their 1996 Freightliner Classic XL. The
winner was selected virtually with voting taking place online. SuperRigs 40th Anniversary highlights included the popular truck lights contest and fireworks, contestant dinner and the truck parade through Branson Landing. Branson Landing spans 2km of waterfront on the beautiful Lake Taneycomo in the Ozark Mountains, adjacent to historic downtown Branson. The Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition is North America’s premier truck beauty contest for actively working trucks. Owner/ operator truckers from across the United States and Canada compete for cash and prizes valued at approximately $25,000. Twelve drivers are also selected to have their truck featured in the 2023 Shell Rotella SuperRigs calendar. T&D
Truck & Driver | 83
SUNDAY 28TH AUGUST 2022 ASSEMBLE FROM 8.30AM ONWARDS EDGAR CENTER, PORTSMOUTH DRIVE DUNEDIN
ENQUIRIES CONTACT GREG INCH PHONE 0274 358 508 OR 03 488 1346
LOGBOOK AND DRIVING HOURS EXEMPTION 7AM TO 7PM
TD32725
EMAIL GREG.INCH.NZ@GMAIL.COM
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 it’s only the ACT Party taking the opportunity to offer its view. T&D
Road to zero productivity?
By Simon Court, ACT Party spokesperson on transport
WHEN I TALK TO PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS I HEAR ABOUT idiots overtaking trucks on double yellow lines, wear and tear on trucks from roads in poor condition, and how great the new sections of state highway are to drive on. The Waka Kotahi road to zero plan predicted the installation of 198km of median barriers and 322km of side barriers by mid-2021. But by April this year, only 61km of median barriers and 312km of side barriers were in place. The new target is 183kms of median barriers and 75 roundabouts between 2021–24. In addition the agency intends to make speed changes on 16,500kms of local roads and state highways. Current progress is around one-fifth of the way to the 2024 target, one Waka Kotahi themselves have called ambitious. The Road to Zero road safety strategy sets an ambition to reduce deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads, cycle lanes and footpaths by 40% over the next 10 years, which would prevent 750 deaths and 5,600 serious injuries in that time compared to current trauma. Over 50% of New Zealand’s roads have a medium-high or high infrastructure risk rating. Adding median barriers or other safety infrastructure can increase crash survival rates by up to 90%. This matters to all motorists, not just professional drivers, because driving to or for work is often a much higher risk than other workplace hazards. An unsafe road, even with a lower speed limit, is still unsafe. According to Transporting NZ boss Nick Leggett; “Road maintenance has been de-funded over a decade. Over six years, the cost of maintaining a kilometre stretch of highway has increased by 30% - we haven’t seen that per cent of increase in budget.” The Government focus on reducing speed over 16,500 kms of the road network, without any targets to reduce congestion and journey times, will be a further handbrake on productivity and business profitability. Transmission Gully opened recently, despite the outrageous $336,000 cost of the opening ceremony, this means peak-period travel time savings estimated at around 10 minutes per vehicle between Kapiti and Wellington, 15 minutes between Kapiti and the Hutt Valley, and five to seven minutes between Porirua and the Hutt Valley. A 22km section of the Waikato Expressway bypassing Hamilton is due to open on July 11. This new four lane dual carriageway will
cut 6km and up to 35 mins off journey times, and allows a maximum speed of 110km/h. The Minister of Transport, often Simon criticised for Court wasting tens of millions of dollars on bike bridges and train projects admitted that; “The Expressway will improve economic growth and Simon Court productivity through more efficient movement of people and freight, as a result of increased capacity and passing opportunities.” He also stated the obvious – that if you design and build a road properly, then vehicles can operate safely at much higher speeds. I drove from Taupo to New Plymouth recently, on some of the best and worst sections of State Highway in New Zealand. My observation is that the main barrier to installing more barriers and passing lanes, is that the roads are simply not wide enough. The geometry hasn’t changed in many places since roads were hand dug for bullock trains in the 19th century. This is simple stuff for road designers and construction engineers to remedy, as long as the Transport Agency is given the budget and direction to actually improve the road network. In addition to improving safety, we must introduce performance measures around reducing congestion and improving efficiency. ACT proposes that the Transport Agency should be reformed with those primary goals. We can safely assume that the modern safety in design approach will still deliver safer roads, and we will get there faster, with lower emissions, and happier drivers. Otherwise it won’t just be trucks and drivers stuck in the slow lane - the New Zealand economy will continue to underperform, salaries won’t catch up to rising costs, and communities along the highways will never thrive the way they should be able to. T&D Truck & Driver | 85
Early morning emergency A
RRIVING AT THE SCENE OF AN EARLY MORNING ACCIDENT, Tolaga Bay logging truck driver Neville Green had nearly 30 years of driving experience and up-to-date first aid training to swing into action. Early on a mid-June morning Neville was taking a pre-load of logs south on State Highway 35 from his Tolaga Bay home to the Eastland Port in Gisborne. It’s a familiar run for Neville in the 2018 Kenworth T659 he drives for Pacific Haulage. “The port opens at 4am so I left home about three-ish. It was about 3.20am when I was climbing up the hill which we call B5. I keep my lights on low beam going up there because it’s easy to blind the drivers coming over the top of the hill,” says Neville. “In the moonlight I could see something up ahead and as I got closer, I could see four tyres and the underneath of a car sitting on its side. All its lights were out.” Neville says the car was sitting across the centre line of the highway with a significant amount of debris and broken glass strewn across on the road. “I pulled up, switched my hazards on and put my lamp on my head before I jumped out. About the time I got to the car another truck was coming the other way and it stopped. “When I walked around the car, I could see the roof was caved in, the windscreen was all smashed and then I could see a hand. “The driver’s side window had blown out and when I peeked in, I could see there was an older guy in there. “I called `are you alright in there?’ and I heard him groan. “I ran back to my truck to get my gloves and started to remove the windscreen. I could see he had a big gash on his head, and he was bleeding profusely.” Neville made sure the other truck driver had called an ambulance and had the scene under control, then he found jackets that had been inside the crashed car. “The guy was hanging from his seatbelt across to the passenger side with his head kind of up against the roof. 86 | Truck & Driver
“With my left arm I tried to prop his head up and I used my right hand to hold the jackets and apply enough pressure to slow the bleeding. “It was about half an hour later the fire brigade arrived and cut the roof off.” Neville has been back at home on the East Coast for about three years after driving trucks and road trains in Australia for 20 years. He’d previously driven for Pacific Haulage before heading to Australia. “I have been at a lot of accidents, and I’ve done a lot of training both in Australia and at Pacific Haulage,” Neville says. “One time in Queensland I pulled a guy out of a car that was on fire. He was KO-ed.” He says a combination of training and experience kicks in when faced with an accident. “The adrenalin kicks in and you secure the scene and work out what to do next from there,” he says. This story has a much happier ending than some of the accidents Neville has attended. “After I drove into town, got rid of my load and went over to my daughter’s house to have a rest. By then the adrenalin had gone and that can be a funny thing. “I decided to ring the hospital. I told them what had happened, but they’re not allowed to give out any details. But they did ask if I wanted to give my details to the family. “Within about half an hour I had a call from them thanking me and saying the guy would be okay. “That’s the biggest difference for me with this accident. The guy was in hospital for a while, but I knew he was going to recover. “Other times I never knew what happened and that can really affect you. “Knowing he was going to be okay made a really big difference for me,” Neville says. “I was up early and off to work again the next morning.” T&D
First Aid is a Pacific priority P
ACIFIC HAULAGE SAYS IT PUTS A HIGH PRIORITY ON ITS STAFF being up-to-date with First Aid training. “Like many businesses in the forestry and transport sectors, Pacific Haulage recognises that there is an increased likelihood of our staff encountering a situation requiring First Aid treatment during their careers,” says Mitchell James, Pacific Haulage Operations Manager. “This is why we put a heavy emphasis on all our staff maintaining current First Aid and we organise three to four First Aid courses per year to ensure everyone is current. “In this instance, Neville really came into his own when he came across the vehicle on its side in the early hours of a winter morning. He assessed the scene before returning to his truck to get his leather
gloves, and then returned to the injured driver to assist and support them until help arrived. “Neville is a thorough worker who takes pride in his role, and it was reassuring to hear that the First Aid training had paid off when he described to me how he treated and supported the driver inside the vehicle until emergency services arrived. “It’s comforting for us as a business, and all road users alike, to know we are sharing the roads with people like Neville who know how to react and assist when things go wrong. “I think anyone who has received First Aid care from the general public or emergency services will agree – you are forever grateful for the care you receive when you need it most.” T&D
Pacific Haulage places a strong focus on First Aid training for its staff.
Truck & Driver | 87
TRUCK SHOP
AdBlue in stock at Truckers Essentials.
New online store for truckies Truck wash products are available from Truckers Essentials.
88 | Truck & Driver
A
NEW ONLINE STORE DEDICATED TO THE NEW Zealand transport industry went live from the start of July. www.truckersessentials.co.nz has been developed to provide high service levels and direct channels for purchasing key truck, tractor, bus and heavy vehicle products including AdBlue, truck wash, degreasers, coolants, fuel additives and tyre shine products. Established as a one-stop shop for purchasing key fleet consumables, Truckers Essentials says it will continue to expand its range to provide customers with what they want, how they want it and when they want it. The emphasis of the online store was brought home during Covid when the traditional distributor model for key consumable products was restricted and fragmented resulting in frustrating delays for customers. The online store features easy to use product selection tabs which is accessible from both mobile devices and desktops. Monthly and seasonal specials will be offered to help lower costs in these inflationary times. Company CEO David Boshier says a guiding philosophy of Truckers Essentials is to minimise the impact on the environment by shipping direct to customers in recyclable and reusable packaging. “Empty drums and IBC’s can be recycled by returning the container for another life rather than to landfill. Future Post in Waiuku also reuses the plastic to make its award-winning black fence posts now proving popular around the country,” says David. Focus is also placed on shortening the supply chain and Truckers Essentials use a variety of logistic services, including their own personalised delivery service to make sure the product is delivered in full, on time, every time. The overall manufacturing and distribution process is being monitored and audited by one of New Zealand’s foremost sustainability teams at www.getinstep.org so customers can be assured that all products and processes are sustainable. T&D
Summit Poster PRINT 2 x Mag sizes.pdf 1 13/06/2022 2:57:43 pm
MORNING TEA J ULEGENDS LY 3 0LUNCH TH 2022 AFTERNOON TEA C H IHAPPY R S T HOUR CHURCH
$75.00 +GST
BOOK NOW! TICKETS $75
C
FEATURING
MINISTER OF TRANSPORT, HON MICHAEL WOOD
M
Y
THANKS TO THE SPONSORS AND MEDIA PARTNERS
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
MITO MORNING TEA, TELETRAC NAVMAN LEGENDS LUNCH, AFTERNOON TEA, Z ENERGY NETWORK HOUR CONVENTION CENTRE
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
WORKFORCE STRATEGY DECARBONISATION ROAD TO ZERO SAFE ROADS SUMMIT FORUM REGISTRATION & TICKETS: NZTRUCKINGASSN.CO.NZ/TRUCKING-INDUSTRY-SUMMIT 0800 338 338 | rebecca.dinmore@trucking.nz
SERIES
SAFETY Advanced Emergency Brake System Lane Departure Warning System Electronic Vehicle Stability Control Distance Warning System Headlight Shape Change LED Low Beam Headlights Automatic Headlamps
CALISUZU.CO.NZ | 0800 266 628
National Road Carriers
PUBLISHED PROGRAMME OF HIGHWAY INVESTMENTS NEEDED By James Smith, COO, of National Road Carriers Association
T
HE TIME HAS COME FOR A PUBLISHED PROGRAMME OF investment for 10 years of state highway improvements to be shared publicly. It would help with the Road to Zero dialogue if such a programme was shared and all stakeholders could understand the plan and work towards it. But it must be agreed by all political parties as roading requires a long-term commitment that transcends political cycles. What’s holding us back from getting a safer network? What’s stopping us from getting the infrastructure improvements we need? And what are we doing to address the causes of at-risk driver behaviour? It’s not just about stopping people from driving slightly over the speed limit. And it’s not about putting people through an advanced driving course – that’s been shown not to work. In fact, it can make things worse by falsely bolstering confidence. And it can’t be about enforcement because we can’t have traffic police sitting on every piece of road that has been identified as high crash risk. Drivers can be deceived by distances in New Zealand. Journeys take much longer than similar length trips in other countries because our geography and roads are more challenging. A 360-kilometre trip from Auckland to New Plymouth that takes about five hours would be much less on high-quality European roads. People underestimate the effort and concentration required to drive safely on our roads. Road safety is a science that is often counter-intuitive. More warning signs aren’t the answer. University of Waikato research shows people don’t see, comprehend, or remember signs – apart from the electronic signs that flash up your speed to get you to
James Smith
slow down. The research showed the only static signs that stuck in memories were McDonalds’ golden arches! One counter-intuitive option that does make roads safer is to make them appear narrower with road markings. It’s amazing how a line of paint can create a perception that makes drivers slow down and be more careful. Even new safety technology in vehicles, while helpful, is not fool-proof. Unless we have open and honest conversations about the barriers to creating a robust, reliable, safe road network, people will suffer under the illusion that we can improve without making real and effective changes to our state highway network. What is stopping us from having curb easements or centre barriers. Is it a money shortage or a resource issue? In many cases our roads are too narrow for these safety measures – that itself is a clue. If it is impossible to improve or roads given our finance and resource constraints, let’s be honest and admit that. Everyone agrees there is too much carnage on our roads. But all the talk about Road to Zero isn’t lessening that. We need a national conversation about what a safe system looks like – and the answer is not everyone staying at home. We are starting the conversation at our Trucking Industry Summit on 30 July which will be in progress or just finished by the time you read this. There is no question that our state highway network and local strategic freight corridors need significant work to bring them up to a first-world standard. The sooner New Zealand adopts a longterm plan to get us there, the better. The NRC team is always available to assist anyone who chooses transport as their occupation. If there is anything you need assistance with, please call us on 0800 686 777. T&D Truck & Driver | 91
Join us today ! YOU have been invited to join the National Road Carriers Association! Join New Zealand’s leading Transport Association for Advocacy and Representation. National Road Carriers confirm the Hon Simon Bridges will be partnering with NRC as Chair of the newly formed Transport and Logistics Advisory Group
TD32608
If you have any questions regarding the benefits of joining or the application process, please don’t hesitate to call us 0800 686 777
Join us today!
natroad.co.nz
The first new DAF for Mainline Distribution of Matamata is driven by Merv Philips carting general freight nationwide. The XF 8x4 Space Cab has a 530hp Paccar MX13 Euro 6 engine, TraXon 16-speed AMT and Paccar rear axles with full X-locks. A night heater, dual air horns and custom-built truck body and 5-axle trailer feature on the new unit. The striking silver paintwork was completed by Fleet Image.
Truck market still performing IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2022 THE NEW ZEALAND HEAVY truck market is outperforming the other segments of the new vehicle market. Slowing sales of passenger cars and SUVs are now running 3.2% behind 2021 volumes year-to-date while the total vehicle market is 20.4% behind 2021 levels as the brakes have been applied to utility sales since tax changes on April 1. But the heavy truck market (4.5 tonnes GVM and above) continues to deliver record sales. YTD January-June registrations of 2727 units are running 14.9% ahead of the same half-year period in 2021 (2372 units) and ahead of the previous record first-half total of 2620 registrations achieved in 2019. Monthly registrations of 503 units in June is 7.7% ahead of the same month last year and just seven units behind the June record of 510 registrations set in 2018. The new trailer market recorded 118 registrations in June, down on the same month last year, when the market clocked 127 sales. It is also a sharp contrast to the 164 trailer registrations achieved in June 2018. The top-selling truck brand for June is Isuzu with 124 units ahead of FUSO registering 116 units. FUSO retains YTD 2022 market leadership with 577 registrations ahead of Isuzu with 485. Isuzu is now ahead of Hino ( June 79/YTD 469) in the 2022 sales race. Scania (197/37) continues in a strong fourth position and Iveco (143/16) also retains fifth. UD (143/36) and Mercedes-Benz (128/22) both moved ahead of Kenworth (126/12) during June while both Foton (122/16) and DAF (73/4) held their top-10 YTD rankings. In the 3.5-4.5t GVM crossover segment, Fiat has reached 159
YTD by adding 48 for the month (although well behind its 216 YTD at the same point last year), followed by Mercedes-Benz (48/7) and Volkswagen (47/3). In the 4.5-7.5t category, FUSO (275/53) is strengthening its lead, ahead of Isuzu (148/39), Hino (100/20), Iveco (85/10), Foton (79/11), Mercedes-Benz (76/12), Hyundai (29/5) and Volkswagen (25/4). Isuzu (191/39) continues to dominate the 7.5-15t segment, with Hino (145/26) remaining second and FUSO (114/25) third. In the 15-20.5t segment, Hino (60/10) leads FUSO (32/5), UD (29/7) and Isuzu (15/3) and in the very small 20.5-23t segment, Hino (10/1) remains clearly at the top ahead of Sinotruk (2/0). FUSO, Iveco and Isuzu have each registered one unit YTD in this category. The premium 23t to maximum GVM segment sees Scania (184/36) consolidating the number one spot while FUSO (155/33) edged ahead of Hino (154/22) during June. Isuzu (130/42) is the top-selling brand for this segment of June registrations and moves ahead of Kenworth (126/12) YTD. The rest of the top-10 remain unchanged with UD (108/28) ranking sixth ahead of DAF (71/4), Volvo (69/13), Mercedes-Benz (47/10) and MAN (38/4). The June trailer market figures see Patchell (70/17) increasing its YTD lead while Fruehauf (58/12) moves into second position ahead of M.T.E (52/4). Roadmaster (51/9) retains fourth position ahead of Domett (44/10) improving two spots to fifth, ahead of Transport Trailers (40/5) and TMC (39/8). It’s Transfleet (26/5), Fairfax (19/3) and Freighter (18/1) completing the YTD top 10. T&D Truck & Driver | 93
A new International 9870 R8 Sky Roof has gone to work for HWT 2016 Ltd from its Christchurch depot carting wood chip and general freight in the upper South Island. The 8x4 with Fruehauf tipping curtain sider body and 5-axle trailer is powered by a 615hp Cummins X15 and has an Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B manual transmission and Meritor 46-160 axles. ECAS front suspension and an alloy bumper are fitted to the International.
23,001kg-max GVM 2022
4501kg-max GVM 2022 Brand FUSO ISUZU HINO SCANIA IVECO UD MERCEDES-BENZ KENWORTH FOTON DAF VOLVO MAN HYUNDAI SINOTRUK VOLKSWAGEN FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL MACK SHACMAN FIAT RAM WESTERN STAR PEUGEOT JAC Total
Vol 577 485 469 197 143 143 128 126 122 73 69 47 34 29 25 13 12 11 8 7 5 2 1 1 2727
% 21.2 17.8 17.2 7.2 5.2 5.2 4.7 4.6 4.5 2.7 2.5 1.7 1.2 1.1 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 100
June 22 Vol % 116 23.1 124 24.7 79 15.7 37 7.4 16 3.2 36 7.2 22 4.4 12 2.4 16 3.2 4 0.8 13 2.6 5 1.0 5 1.0 6 1.2 4 0.8 0 0.0 2 0.4 2 0.4 2 0.4 1 0.2 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.2 503 100
3501-4500kg GVM 2022 Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ VOLKSWAGEN FORD CHEVROLET RAM RENAULT LDV IVECO PEUGEOT Total
Vol 159 48 47 28 25 15 10 7 6 2 347
% 45.8 13.8 13.5 8.1 7.2 4.3 2.9 2.0 1.7 0.6 100
June 22 Vol % 48 72.7 7 10.6 3 4.5 5 7.6 1 1.5 0 0.0 1 1.5 1 1.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 66 100
4501-7500kg GVM 2022 Brand FUSO ISUZU HINO IVECO FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN FIAT RAM PEUGEOT Total 94 | Truck & Driver
Vol 275 148 100 85 79 76 29 25 7 5 1 830
% 33.1 17.8 12.0 10.2 9.5 9.2 3.5 3.0 0.8 0.6 0.1 100.0
June 22 Vol % 53 34.2 39 25.2 20 12.9 10 6.5 11 7.1 12 7.7 5 3.2 4 2.6 1 0.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 155 100
The top-selling truck brand for June is Isuzu while FUSO retains YTD 2022 market leadership
Brand SCANIA FUSO HINO ISUZU KENWORTH UD DAF VOLVO MERCEDES-BENZ MAN SINOTRUK IVECO FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL MACK SHACMAN WESTERN STAR Total
Vol 184 155 154 130 126 108 71 69 47 38 26 25 13 12 11 5 2 1176
% 15.6 13.2 13.1 11.1 10.7 9.2 6.0 5.9 4.0 3.2 2.2 2.1 1.1 1.0 0.9 0.4 0.2 100
June 22 Vol % 36 16.6 33 15.2 22 10.1 42 19.4 12 5.5 28 12.9 4 1.8 13 6.0 10 4.6 4 1.8 6 2.8 2 0.9 0 0.0 2 0.9 2 0.9 1 0.5 0 0.0 217 100
Trailers 2022
7501-15,000kg GVM 2022 Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO FOTON IVECO UD HYUNDAI MERCEDES-BENZ MAN Total
Vol 191 145 114 43 19 6 5 2 1 526
% 36.3 27.6 21.7 8.2 3.6 11.0 1.0 0.4 0.2 100
June 22 Vol % 39 39.4 26 26.3 25 25.3 5 5.1 3 3.0 1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 99 100
15,001-20,500kg GVM 2022 Brand HINO FUSO UD ISUZU SCANIA IVECO MAN MERCEDES-BENZ SHACMAN DAF SINOTRUK Total
Vol 60 32 29 15 13 13 8 3 2 2 1 178
% 33.7 18.0 16.3 8.4 7.3 7.3 4.5 1.7 1.1 1.1 0.6 100
June 22 Vol % 10 35.7 5 17.9 7 25.0 3 10.7 1 3.6 1 3.6 1 3.6 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 28 100
20,501-23,000kg GVM 2022 Brand HINO SINOTRUK FUSO IVECO ISUZU Total
Vol 10 2 1 1 1 15
% 66.7 13.3 6.7 6.7 6.7 100
June 22 Vol % 1 50.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 50.0 2 100
Brand Vol 70 PATCHELL FRUEHAUF 58 M.T.E. 52 ROADMASTER 51 DOMETT 44 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 40 TMC 39 TRANSFLEET 26 FAIRFAX 19 FREIGHTER 18 TES 15 JACKSON 14 HAMMAR 13 CWS 12 KRAFT 11 MTC EQUIPMENT 10 TANKER ENGINEERING 10 EVANS 9 MILLS-TUI 9 MAXICUBE 8 LUSK 7 MD ENGINEERING 7 TIDD 6 SEC 6 LOWES 6 MAKARANUI 6 WHITE 5 STEELBRO 4 4 ADAMS & CURRIE PTE 4 LILLEY 4 WARREN 3 MODERN TRANSPORT 3 COWAN 3 KOROMIKO 3 TEO 2 OTHER 80 681 Total
% 10.3 8.5 7.6 7.5 6.5 5.9 5.7 3.8 2.8 2.6 2.2 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 11.7 100
June 22 Vol % 17 14.4 12 10.2 4 3.4 9 7.6 10 8.5 5 4.2 8 6.8 5 4.2 3 2.5 1 0.8 3 2.5 2 1.7 2 1.7 0 0.0 3 2.5 0 0.0 2 1.7 1 0.8 2 1.7 0.0 1 0.8 1 0.8 0.0 1 0.8 1 0.8 2 1.7 2 1.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 1 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 1 0.8 0.0 19 16.1 118 100
Ricky Marino is driving a new Western Star 4884 FXC that has gone to work carting export logs in the Gisborne-based fleet of LM Marino Transport. The 8x4 Day Cab has a 600hp Cummins X15, Eaton Fuller RTLO-22918B transmission and Meritor RT-46-160GP rear axles. The Western Star has Patchell high-spec logging gear and TRT Traction Air system and tows a 5-axle Patchell logging trailer with Hendrickson INTRAAX air suspension and drum brakes. An SI Lodec onboard weigh system is fitted. Paint is by Haddock Spray Painters, Whakatane, and signage by Signs Direct, Whakatane. LM Marino selected the Western Star and Patchell log equipment because it is well suited to the rugged East Coast forestry environment.
With a Bigfoot onboard With a you’ll Bigfoot monster any onboard you’ll surface
ELLESMERE TRANSPORT CO LTD
monster any surface Make light work of any surface using the OptiTraction footprint with a Bigfoot Central
TM
Make light work of any surface using the OptiTraction footprint with a Bigfoot Central
Features of the Bigfoot Central Inflation Tyre System ●
Designed and tested in some of the worlds harshest conditions
●
Easy to use in-cab control unit in safety features prevent operating outside safe emlimits for selected tyre pressure ● Precision manufactured in New Zealand using only ipsu Lore ● Full after sales service and parts network m ● Full manufacturers warranty
TD32701
●
●Lor Built
T. 07 347 7066 / info@bigfoot.co.nz
The brain behind the Bigfoot system is the Bigfoot OptiTraction control module. and makes monitoring and adjusting tyre pressures simple. The display also provides visual and audible alarms.
www.bigfoot.co.nz
Truck & Driver | 95
Pukekohe’s Balle Bros Transport has a new DAF FAD 8x4 Sleeper Cab carting farm produce on a Fruehauf flat deck body and 5-axle trailer. `Stretch’ has the driving duties of the new DAF, after climbing out of his previous DAF. A 530hp Paccar MX-13 drives through a ZF TraXon 12TX2620 16-speed automated transmission and Paccar SR1360T rear axles with dual diff locks. Paccar air suspension with electronic hand control adjustment is fitted along with full safety system (driver assist, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation with autonomous emergency braking). Fleet Image Te Awamutu painted the cab and chassis into fleet colours and Frank Bogaart applied the signage and striping.
Wilson Bulk Transport in Tinwald, Ashburton have put this smart Kenworth T410 8x4 tractor unit into service on container work around Canterbury hauling a four-axle trailer. The 13-litre Paccar MX-13 engine with 460hp is matched with the 12-speed Paccar PO-18F112C automated transmission. The unit is being driven by Artem Kononyuk.
96 | Truck & Driver
McKeown Group Ltd
K & L Distributors BOP Ltd
Auckland Oil Shop
McKeown Group Ltd is proud to be the Caltex lubricant distributors for the South-Canterbury and Otago regions. For 55 years we have run our business from our Oamaru base, and we have oil shops here as well as in Dunedin. Our oil distributing network covers all areas from the Ashburton River all the way down to the Clutha River. Alongside our businesses of chemical distribution, delivering bulk fuel to farms and businesses throughout most of the South Island, and our 45 McKeown-branded 24/7 Card-Fuel sites, McKeown Group offer our customers a comprehensive range of services and quality products. We pride ourselves on having the expertise and resources to deliver quality Caltex product, service and technical support to meet our customers’ requirements throughout our region. For sales and technical support enquiries, call one of our expert Sales Managers: Michael McKeown - 021 221 8384 Dave Honeyfield - 027 432 2770 Allan Crawford - 021 396 639 Come visit us, or call one of our oil shops: McKeown Oil Shops OAMARU Waterfront Road Ph. 0800 800 908 or 03 433 1022
AND HAWKES BAY
Greymouth Equipment Centre 03-769 9060
McKeown Oil Shop SOUTH DUNEDIN 11 Broughton Street Ph. 03 455 4845
For more information on McKeown Group and our sites, please go to www.mckeown.co.nz.
Delo® 400 SLK with ISOSYN® Advanced Technology
For your nearest Oil Shop Freephone 0800 372 374
TD31793
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.
Intertruck Distributors in Christchurch have delivered a new International Prostar R-LGHD logger into the 100plus fleet of Invercargill-based DT Kings Transport. Chris Wills is driving the 8x4 Prostar which has a 550hp Cummins X15, Roadranger 20E318B MXP UltraShift transmission and Meritor 46-160 axles. A log spec bumper, twin vertical exhaust stacks and 9-inch offset front wheels are among the extras on the New Zealand-built truck which is towing a 5-axle Modern Transport multi-bunk log trailer.
David O’Neill Contracting at Omarama has a new Scania R620 XT for agricultural cartage work around the Mackenzie district. The 620hp 8x4 is equipped with the 14-speed Opticruise transmission. It’s the eighth truck in the David O’Neill Contracting fleet and is fitted with a lift-out side tipper body.
98 | Truck & Driver
Matamata’s Bluegrass Contracting has put the first of two new MAN 18.320s into spreading duties in the Waikato. The 320hp 4x4 Day Cab has a ZF 9S-1310 OD transmission, VP-09 front axle and HP-1333 hub reduction rear axle with a 5.33:1 final drive ratio. A Paul Hoyle-built spreading unit is fitted along with CTI tyre inflation system, TRS supplied offroad wheels and tyres and custom cab side skirts. Signage was completed by Tonz Signs & Graphics in Matamata.
The first Kenworth T610 SAR heavy haul unit rated to 160-tonne is the latest addition to Grant Reid’s Waiau Pa Bulk Haulage fleet. Powered by a 600hp Cummins X15 the T610 tows a new MTE 4 rows of 8 trailer with 2-axle dolly. An Eaton RTLO22918B 18 speed manual transmission, Meritor RT50-160GP diffs, with rear diff cooler and X-locks plus Neway AD246 heavy duty rear air suspension provide the heavy haul capability. A Kenworth polished front bullbar with LED driving lights, super single front wheels, Dura-Bright alloy wheels, stainless bug deflector and 90mm fifth wheel are among the features. The Southpac engineering department took care of extra stainless and lighting and MTE did the rigging of the fifth wheel and hydraulics. The signage is supplied by Transvisual in Manukau.
Yelavich Transport in West Auckland has taken delivery of a new DAF E6 CF530 FAT truck and trailer. It’s managing director Milan Yelavich’s second DAF, following an E5 model which has been on the road for 18 months. Long-time company driver Greg Wigg is driving the CF equipped with Paccar MX13 530hp engine and 16 speed TraXon transmission. The 4-axle trailer is a new Transfleet Trailers alloy big smoothy unit. Kinghorn Signs in Waimauku applied the Yelavich livery.
Reddy Tranz has a new International R8-9870 Sky-CT working nationwide from its Tauranga depot. A specially configured Domett curtain sider and 5-axle trailer allows general freight and live mussels to be carried. The 8x4 is powered by a 615hp Cummins X15 driving through an Eaton 20E318B UltraShift transmission and Meritor RT 46-160 GP axles. A deep-vee visor, fridge and offset rims are part of the build.
Truck & Driver | 99
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
TRANSPORT, DIESEL & MARINE
THE RIGHT PARTS . . . THE RIGHT PRICES . . . RIGHT HERE!
THE RIGHT PARTS…THE RIGHT PRICES…RIGHT HERE!
6109 AND 8209 REMAN TRANSMISSIONS AND PARTS AVAILABLE
HUBO’S FIVE YEAR/500,000KM WARRANTY
ALL FULLER ROADRANGER TRANSMISSION PARTS
CLUTCHES POA
RECONDITIONED EXCHANGE OPTIONS AVAILABLE
TDM DRIVELINE RANGE
SELECTION OF YOKES, COMPANION FLANGES, UJ’S, STRAP KITS POA
HI & LOW BASE
SPRING BRAKE CHAMBERS
GENUINE PARTS
2424 / 2430 / 3030 From $65.00 EACH + GST
JAPANESE TORQUE ROD BUSH
FILTERS
$30.00 EACH + GST
Auto Air Conditioning
Auto Electrical
Mechanical Service & Repairs
Available at our Penrose and Papakura locations
Can’t find the parts you need? Call us we can help
www.tdm.co.nz
TRANSPORT, DIESEL & MARINE
Ph: 0800 501 133 8 Prescott Street, Penrose, Auckland
100 | Truck & Driver
Email: ray@tdm.co.nz
I john@tdm.co.nz
HOT DEALS PROUDLY NZ OWNED & OPERATED
Brake Rotors 8 Stud Non-ABS to suit ROR
Jost 50mm King Pin Kit
AM21224263NABS
JTKZ101201
110.00
$
EA SAVE OVER 25%
110.00
$
EA SAVE OVER 30%
GET YOUR BRAKES ON! ROR BMX Drum Brake Kit 350x200, 8 or 10 stud, $ .00 includes drums, lined shoes & hub seals TDBK8BMX / TDBK10BMX
565
SAVE OVER 25%
SEATING - REPAIR AND INSTALLATION - protect your biggest asset REPAIRS: You don’t always need to replace your seat with a new one. We provide a complete seat repair service from minor trim and foam repairs to full refurbishments. We only use genuine replacement parts and stand behind our workmanship offering a 12-month warranty.
INSTALLATION: Our experienced teams can install your seat at our workshops in Hamilton, Auckland, Christchurch or our mobile service can come to your site. With our certified adaptor plates, installation of your new seat from TRT in your repair workshop is simple.
GET TRADE DEALS with a TRT TRADE ACCOUNT!
Before
After
Apply Online @ trt.co.nz or scan the QR code for easy application
CALL US TODAY to talk with our parts team! Prices shown exclude GST and freight and are valid from 1st June to 31st July 2022. *Terms and conditions apply.
Ham: 07 849 4839
Akl: 09 262 0683
Chch: 03 741 2261
www.trt.co.nz
11 ISSUES
11 ISSUES $ 00
88. $80
105.00
Grabasub
$
ONLY
$95
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%
NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS
4 SUBSCRIBE EASY WAYS TO
Post PO Box 112062 Penrose, Auckland 1642
Ph 09 571 3544
Email accounts@trucker.co.nz
www.alliedpublications.co.nz
Tick boxes NZ TRUCK & DRIVER 1 year (11 issues) for $95 incl. GST
FOR ME
NZ LOGGER 1 year (11 issues) for $80 incl. GST
Renewal of current subscription:
No.
NZ TRUCKBODY & TRAILER 1 year (4 issues) for $32 incl. GST
RECIPIENT DETAILS FOR GIFT SUBSCRIPTION NAME:
GROUNDSPREAD MAGAZINE 1 year (4 issues) for $32 incl. GST
ADDRESS:
3 TITLES $180 incl. GST
Please tick appropriate magazine title box
MY DETAILS NAME:
SEND A GIFTCARD TO (tick one):
EMAIL: VISA
MASTERCARD
CARD HOLDER NAME: SECURITY CODE:
EXPIRY DATE: SIGNATURE:
TO ME
TO RECIPIENT
Terms and conditions: Subscription rates and a free copy of Equipment Guide are for NZ orders only and only for NZ Truck & Driver, NZ Logger and Groundspread Magazine subscriptions. Rates include GST and postage. For overseas prices please enquire.
PHONE (day): PAYMENT
PHONE (day): EMAIL:
ADDRESS:
AP21327
A GIFT
XMAS SUBSCRIPTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN 14TH DECEMBER 2021
Sliders for fifth wheel couplings Light weight, Standard and Heavy Duty, we’ve got it covered! Protech Sliders for wider chassis’ • • • •
25kg lighter than comparable competitiors product Suits wider chassis frames Double wrap around profile for improved safety 610mm travel
SLE Sliders - lightwieght, compact and robust • • • •
660mm & 1067mm travel 4 mounting heights: 173, 203, 220 or 263mm Manual or Pneumatic release Greater degree of travel with smaller external dimensions
EVM, EVP Slider base for JOST bolt-on 5th Wheels • • •
546mm travel Suits frame width of 700–775 mm Pneumatic or manual release
EVHD Heavy Duty Sliders • • •
800mm travel Pneumatic or manual release 8 slide positions
JOST New Zealand Ltd | www.jostnz.co.nz | Ph 0800 567 869 | sales@jostnz.co.nz Member of JOST JOST New Zealand Ltd | www.jostnz.co.nz | Ph World 0800 567 869 | sales@jostnz.co.nz
CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER
GOT SURPLUS
EG31450
EQUIPMENT?
LET OUR PROVEN, FULL SERVICE SOLUTION TURN YOUR IDLE INVENTORY INTO CASH....
Fast
Talk to our team today WHEN YOU NEED A REPLACEMENT HOIST it pays to ring Hoist Hydraulics
TRUDY WOOLSTON – M: 027 233 0090 – E: TRUDY@TRUCKER.CO.NZ
0800 856 700 (09) 8186 287
HAYDEN WOOLSTON – M: 027 448 8768 – E: HAYDEN@TRUCKER.CO.NZ
EG30643
sales@hoisthydraulics.net
AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND
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
mills-tui.co.nz
INNOVATIVE
BUILT TO LAST MAXIMISE Your
BOTTOM LINE
Our Low Rider chassis has been refined over many years with safety and stability in mind. With your load lower to the road, you can be assured your drivers are safer and loading is easier. Mills-Tui’s industryleading, 5 years/1,000,000 km chassis warranty finishes the job off nicely. If you want a trailer that is innovative and built to last, call 0800 MILLS-TUI
alloy or
Steel
Mills-Tui Limited 16–38 Pururu Street, Managakakahi, Rotorua 3015 P 07 348 8039 T 0800 MILLS -TUI (645 578)
Mills-Tui A4 Trailer Advert 2021-09.indd 1
22/09/21 8:57 AM
