BOMBAY TRUCK SHOW
The Bombay Rugby Club grounds were filled with new and old trucks for the second Transfleet Trailers/Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show.
Bombay Truck Show delivers
By Colin Smith
PICNICS AND BARBEQUES, LIVE MUSIC, KIDS ENTERTAINMENT and trucks… literally acres of trucks old and new. Saturday January 21 saw 465 rigs roll through the gates as official entries in the Transfleet Trailers/Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show. A year later than planned due to Covid-19 restrictions last summer – and with an even higher degree of anticipation as a result – the second annual Bombay show exceeded all expectations. And even the dubious summer weather made an effort. A few spots of rain threatened late morning but the show was completed without interruption. There was plenty to see. A host of Counties region, Auckland and Waikato trucking firms provided the core of the huge entry but there were trucks from throughout the North Island and plenty of new metal on the distributor stands. The turnout of trucks polished and ready to compete for UDC Finance Show & Shine honours wasn’t the only record. A new record of funds raised for charity was also achieved and the attendance is estimated at three times higher than the inaugural Bombay event in 2020. The numbers suggest a crowd figure in the region of 16,000 to 20,000 and the fundraising total currently sits at $77,000 but is likely to climb even higher. The beneficiaries from the show – each receiving a third share of the funds raised – are the Leukaemia Blood Foundation, Franklin Hospice and the Bombay Rugby Club, which provides the venue for the event. Attendance numbers are still being finalised but show coordinator Marieka Morcombe says an initial `on-the-day’ estimate of 15,000 may be underestimating the turnout. “We had 8000 people at the first show and it was at least double that number. We were very close to running out of parking and we were worried we might have to shut the gates,” Marieka says. The Bombay show aims to be both a family-friendly community event and provide commercial value to exhibitors.
“The feedback hasn’t stopped and it’s been astounding,” says Marieka. “It actually started during the show with exhibitors saying how much they were enjoying it and already talking about coming back next time even bigger and better.” Trucks entered for the UDC Show & Shine competition were in contention for $16,000 worth of prizes. Porter’s won the best fleet display and the best classic award went to the 1974 Kenworth W924 of Allen and Jackson Wills. People’s Choice honours went to the Hawke’s Bay-based Kenworth T659 logger of R&L Beale Ltd. The UDC Finance Best New Truck Award was claimed by the new Kenworth K200 bulk unit of Wyatt Haulage. The show also has a commercial element with truck distributors and product suppliers displaying their latest offerings. You had to look harder to find one of the stars of the show. The first new Kenworth K220 to go on New Zealand roads wasn’t on the Southpac Trucks stand but was alongside several of its Dynes Transport stablemates among the ranks of the Show & Shine entrants. It’s an early trial unit and the full launch of the K220 is planned at Easter weekend. But there was no shortage of enthusiasts looking closely at the K220 and taking a peek inside the new high tech cab. Iveco also played the role of teaser with the new S-Way on show but with a cover across its nose. Not was bashful was the new Volvo FL Electric that Fonterra is putting to use on Auckland metro work. Other new trucks to regularly have a crowd around them included the new Ace Towing Scania R650 XT heavy recovery vehicle, Ezy Moves Mack Super-Liner house transporter and Roadchill’s new Kenworth W900 SAR. And on the subject of new technology there were plenty of interested visitors to the Mills-Tui stand to see the latest updates to the carbon fibre tipper bin developed by Transport Composites. Continues on page 69 Truck & Driver | 65
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