THE CONNECTED TRUCK

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“Quite often I leave it in cruise control and use the plus-minus to adjust speed for the corners.

“You can go to manual mode. I haven’t used it in manual mode –they have computers running them for a reason.

“I came up Mt Messenger empty in a line of traffic that was going really slow in the damp. The truck didn’t hesitate or wheelspin or anything. It was in seventh gear, but only because the traffic was so slow.

“There is a crawler gear in there and I might have to use that on some of the sites we go to. There are some gateways and driveways where this trailer is so low you have to adjust the air suspension to get enough clearance and go very slowly.”

The engine brake is located on the right hand stalk.

“It’s four-stage and works reasonably well – better than the Volvo anyway. It’s a retarder not an engine brake.”

Pete says the heaviest load on the trailer so far has been 20-tonnes.

“The whole combination is a work in progress. The trailer can handle more so potentially it could go to an H sticker, but Simon is still working on the permits.”

“With this trailer were not going to be doing the heavy weights. Although saying that there’s another three-axle widener Simon has got that we’ll be towing a little bit with diggers and bulldozers, so the weight might get up a little bit with that.”

Starting our trip from Horotiu, the S-Way gets onto the Waikato Expressway and accelerates smoothly to 90kph at just under 1500rpm in top gear.

The traffic is moderate and flowing freely and it’s not till we turn left onto Highway 29 at Piarere that the smooth and quiet progress of the S-Way is interrupted by anything other than slightly slower traffic.

On two occasions Pete’s smooth lines prompts an urgent buzzer warning from the lane departure that notes our proximity to the white lines.

At Piarere Pete demonstrates the full extent of the retarder by using the fourth stage to slow to 35kph for the left hand filter onto SH29. It’s a flat run through Hinuera and Te before the stop sign at the base of the Kaimais. Away from standstill the S-Way begins the climb and builds speed to 70kph at just under 1500rpm in 11th gear as we pass the Rapurapu Rd junction.

Further up the climb there’s a 60kph downshift into 10th gear at 1700rpm and only one more shift before the summit with the last few corners completed in ninth gear at 45kph and 1600rpm.

The only issue on the climb is torrential rain and surface water flowing across the road and Pete points out an annoying stutter in the sweep of the passenger side wiper.

“It’s not working hard at all to come up the Kaimais. Coming down I’m still trying to find the best stage in the retarder,” he says.

Heading downhill Pete reckons with this light load there is a gap in the retarder stages. It’s seems stage three is not quite slowing the S-Way enough, but stage four is a little too aggressive.

“in the fourth stage when it chops down to eighth it pulls it up a bit too much.”

I ask Pete what the response has been to the Iveco from other drivers. He laughs and replies; “it’s been mistaken as a Scania a few times because of the grill and the Hanes colours.

“I’ve had a couple of guys say `looks nice mate’ but there is a lot more interest and questions about the trailer.

“A lot of our clients are interested because it’s a different ball game. When I go to a business the guys are coming out to take a look while I’m widening it.

“Simon had talked to some of his customers about it and now it has finally eventuated they are really keen to see it and find out what it’s all about.

“It’s the low height and the fact the tyres are so big. If you look at the other low trailers, most of them are running little tyres.

“It for sure makes a difference on a longer run and the tyres seem to be wearing well.”

Pete says it’s easy to see how the design will benefit Hanes Transport customers.

“The idea of it for things like reach stackers. I can just go in and drive them up without any hassle. They can be higher masted because the deck is so low, and customers don’t have to worry about taking masts off.

“I did a 10-tonne forklift out of Christchurch up to New Plymouth that had a 4.7m high mast. We were able to kick the forklift right over and keep the load under 4.8m, so the customer didn’t have the cost of having the mast taken off and put back on again.

“That’s how we can serve our customers better with this unit.

“Most decks on the B-trains are about 900mm. That’s an extra 400mm that we’ve got to play with that can speed up the whole process.”

Pete repeats Simon’s assertion that the S-Way is still a work in progress.

“I think we’ll put a stainless cover over the chassis when the engineering guys aren’t so busy,” Pete says.

“And I’m pushing for side skirts. I think it will look way better. The left side of the truck looks a bit busy with all the air tanks and electrics and things. It would suit the truck if we added them.

“When Iveco bought this first shipment of S-Way into New Zealand you would think they would have brought a whole heap of accessories with them to surely dress at least one of them up to look as good as they could be.”

The issues of availability didn’t stop with Iveco’s accessories. A close look at the S-Way shows two brands of wheel.

There are Alcoa Dura-Brights on the front axle, but the drive wheels are a Jost 22.5 x 8.5 wheel with bright finish.

“We couldn’t get Dura-Brights for the rear wheels at the time,” says Pete.

Pete says he’s enjoying the S-Way and it hasn’t taken long to put any initial reservations to rest.

“For an old bugger like me it’s nice and comfortable and easy to drive,” he says.

“The more I drive it, the more I like it. It’s a modern European truck and so easy to drive. I’d hate to get into a new truck you don’t like and be forced to drive it.”

“There’s really nothing bad about a new European truck these days. It’s just about which flavour do you want, how much horsepower do you want and what is available.”

“The proof is in the doing and I think this truck shows how far Iveco has come. I’m pretty sure with the availability we’ll see more of them in the market.”

Simon Hanes is also happy with how the S-Way is getting its work done.

“It’s a good looking truck and with a nice paint job and a bit of bling they look great,” says Simon.

“But it’s got to be able to perform and so far, it’s delivered on what our expectations were.

“It should be an ideal truck for what we want it to do. It’s comfortable and quiet and it’s got enough horsepower. And it’s good value for what it is and what it does, and it comes with a hell of a lot of warranty.” T&D

THE NEW IVECO S-WAY IS A BIG LEAP forward for the Euro brand here in New Zealand.

And if first impressions count, it’s fair to say the S-Way is a good looking truck. I have seen some people commenting that it looks like a Scania, and a few have gone so far as saying it looks like a Freightliner Argosy. But I’m not fooled. It’s an Iveco with its own distinctive design and it’s a disservice to the S-Way to compare it to others.

I have been following the launch of this truck for some time now and even got the opportunity to test the demo models that had been put through their paces in Australia earlier this year.

This was a valuable preview to this test as I got the opportunity to have the driver trainers in the passenger seat on the test track and learn about how the functions in this new model work. And get an explanation for why some things have been done the way they are.

Now that we have new S-Way’s going on the road in NZ we thought it time to catch up with Hanes Transport in Horotiu to see how their new 570hp example is performing. Our test involved taking a reach truck over to Mt Maunganui to drop off and pick up two forklifts for the return trip. But first we had a bit of time to also learn about the impressive new trailer, built by TRT and based on the ideas which Simon Hanes has developed to keep Hanes Transport at the forefront of innovation. We head to the Bay of Plenty in some pretty horrible weather and after the reach truck has been delivered and the forklifts are loaded it’s time for me to take the truck back over the Kaimais.

It’s an easy climb up into the high cab (AS sleeper cab) which is the largest you can get in the range. Once settled inside it’s a modern feel with an almost flat floor giving a spacious feel very much in keeping with its European origins. In the driving position I found everything at my fingertips.

It’s an easy take off with not much of a load on and with the three-axle semi tracking in we negotiate out way out of Tauranga through the roundabouts. Before we got going, regular driver Pete Cunliffe tells me he has a little issue with the brake pedal feeling spongy. It doesn’t take long for this to be tested as I’m pulling up to a set of traffic lights a car changes lanes in front of me at the last minute and I feel like the brakes just aren’t fully there. The truck does stop but it’s just a strange feeling through the pedal. I have been told this has since been remedied.

Once we are climbing the Kaimais the 570hp 13-litre Cursor engine paired with the 12-speed automated manual transmission really get to work with the truck picking up speed with only light throttle and you can barely notice most of the gear changes.

It’s a nice easy cruise up the Tauranga side which included passing other trucks. I do make a mistake when pulling out into a passing lane - instead of putting the indicator on I accidently pull the engine brake lever. This engages the engine brake even with the foot on the throttle so with being flustered slowing down going uphill I forget to take my foot completely of the throttle for a second to stop this. Crisis is averted in short time once I come to my senses, and we don’t lose to much speed. I do prefer a truck that allows the engine brake to be left on and able to use the throttle.

Once over the top we head down the Waikato side. I’m very interested to see how the engine brake works as I was impressed with the fourstages system on the test track in Australia. But that’s not anything like NZ Roads.

On the descent I use all four stages, adjusting to suit the speed of the trucks in front of me. I barely have to use the foot brake at all, but I do find the gap between the third and fourth stages to be a bit of a leap in braking and if possible, this could use a little adjustment.

Pulling over in Te Poi I give the Iveco back to Pete. My verdict is the new S-Way is not only a great looking truck, but its driver comfort and drive train are also impressive. The ride quality and cab noise are also very good and coupled with a competitive price point and service intervals, I can already start seeing more of these trucks on the roads around New Zealand in quite a few fleet colours. But that’s just my thoughts. T&D

Iveco S-Way 570 AS 6x4

Engine: Iveco Cursor 13 in-line six cylinder Hi-eSCR (Euro 6, Step E)

Capacity: 12.9-litres

Maximum Power: 425kW (570hp) at 1600-1900rpm

Maximum Torque: 2500Nm (1851 ft-lb) at 1000-1605rpm

Fuel capacity: Diesel 550 litres, AdBlue 80 litres

Transmission: Hi-Tronix 12TX 2640

TD 12-speed automated manual

Ratios:

Crawl –

1st – 16.69

2nd – 12.92

3rd – 9.93

4th – 7.67

5th – 5.90

6th – 4.57

7 th – 3.66

8th – 2.83

9th – 2.17

10th – 1.68

11th – 1.29

12th – 1.00

Reverse – 1st 15.54, 2nd 12.03, 3rd 3.40, 4th 2.64

Final Drive ratio: 3.09:1 (option)

Front axle: 8,000kg rating

Rear axles: Tandem drive with differential cross lock (21,000kg max axle loading)

Brakes: Front and rear discs with ABS/EBS and Brake Assist System and Advanced Emergency Braking

Auxiliary brakes: Engine brake 518KW at 2600rpm

Front suspension: Parabolic leaf spring with stabiliser bar

Rear suspension: 8-airbag

Electronic Control Air Suspension

GVM: 25,000kg

GCM: 70,000kg

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by Dom Kalasih Interim Chief Executive