PowerTorque Issue 45

A U S T R A L I A’ S L E A D I N G T R U C K A N D E N G I N E M A G A Z I N E

www.powertorque.com.au

ISSUE 45 February/March 2012 RRP: $7.95 (NZ $8.95)

FEATURE its fourth South American edition, the Dakar’s route provided a total change of scenery. Instead of the previous years’ loops, the journey took the competitors from Mar del Plata, in Argentina, to Lima, the capital of Peru, via Chile and the dunes of the Atacama Desert.

Between the 1st and 15th of January, the riders, drivers, navigators and co-drivers tackled a route that measured 9,000 km in total, navigating between oceans, mountains and desserts. Enhancing the relations built up with the continent, this year the rally also discovered Peru, giving the adventure a Pan-American feel with the three biggest Hispanic countries in the world covered in the programme.

The opportunity to race trucks through 9000 km of some of the toughest terrain in the world provides any truck maker with an invaluable chance to substantiate its products in terms of performance, reliability and competitiveness.

Teams from Japanese truck manufacturer, Hino, ranked alongside the Russian entries driving Kamaz trucks and the Italian entries of an Iveco PowerStar and Iveco Trakker Evolution II of the Iveco De Rooy team.

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The Iveco Trakker Evolution II has been designed to withstand just about any type of weather conditions and all types of terrain. Powered by a Cursor 13 engine producing almost 900 hp, it uses an original ZF transmission and weighs in at 9,300 kg. Its top speed is regulated to 160 km/h.

The PowerStar ran with a similar specification, but due to its conventional bonneted format, it provided better weight distribution, making it easier to handle in the very difficult conditions.

Joining the De Rooy team was two-times world rally champion Miki Biasion, who has been a Fiat Group driver since his days of racing with Rally Lancia. “For me this is a great opportunity to work with Iveco and the De Rooy team,” said Miki before the start of the event. “The truck is highly competitive, and both fast and reliable. My goal is to win while showing the truck’s features, bringing the Iveco brand into the world spotlight.”

The Iveco De Rooy team ran four Iveco Trakkaer Evolution II trucks in the event, and joining Miki Biasion was Spanish driver, Pep Vila. The team was headed by Gerard De Rooy, winner of several stages in the 2007 Dakar, and included fellow Dutchman Hans Stacey,

DAKAR 2012

A total of 39 Iveco personnel headed to Dakar as part of the total De Rooy team, with 15 truck crew members (three for each truck) and 20 mechanics, in addition to managers, a personal trainer, a doctor and a psychotherapist.

During Stage One, the team performed well, with De Rooy in the PowerStar just 26 seconds behind the first placed Kamaz. Although finishing this stage in 4th place, Miki Biasion was just one minute and six seconds behind the first-placed vehicle, with Hans Stacey in 6th, Pep Villa in 16th position and with French driver, Joseph Adua, in 22nd place.

Stage Two saw De Rooy take over the leadership by the close of the day, and after completing the 295-kilometre section in a time of three hours and 10 minutes, he was a full three minutes ahead of the 2nd place truck, with Hans Stacey, in the Trakker, running in 3rd. Miki Biasion finished in 7th with Pep Vila in 12th and Joseph Adua in 15th.

Stage Three skirted the Andes over a 208-kilometre leg, between San Rafael and San Juan, and saw Stacey move into first slot after 117 kilometres. Biasion took the lead on this section in his Trakker Evolution II just 50 kms before the end, with De Rooy second and Stacey third.

On day four, the stage covered 326 km of dry riverbeds, ravines and gravel, with elevations of up to 3,400 metres. De Rooy once again regained the lead spot, with Biasion coming second and Stacey third.

Stage Five, and with 275 km to run between the cities of Chilecito and Fiambala, it was time to demonstrate ability over sand dunes as they made their way towards the Atacama Desert.

By Stage Ten, the team had established a winning combination, with the Ivecos running in formation in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions, but the challenges of the next stage soon changed the order.

Showing that winning or losing could be decided by just seconds, Stage Ten finished with Kamaz in 1st and 2nd spots, followed hotly by De Rooy, Biasion, Vila and Stacey, ahead of yet another Kamaz, a Liaz, and then the Japanese Hino driven by Sugawara, closely followed by Adua in 10th slot.

In overall terms, though, the leader board still showed De Rooy in 1st, Stacey in 2nd, Ardavichus in the Kamaz in 3rd and Vila in 4th, ahead of two more Kamaz trucks. The Tatra of Czech driver, Kolomy, was in 8th place overall, with the MAN of Versluis in 9th and another Tatra in 10th.

More drama was to follow, with one of the Ivecos suffering a broken front spring, but the overall result as the trucks crossed the finish line in Peru made all the effort worthwhile.

For the truck division, the result this year was a huge success for winning driver, Gerard de Rooy, and the Italian truckmaker, Iveco.

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PROFILE

feature on owner/driver Trevor Dyson has been over three years in the making. With Trevor being the father of PowerTorque’s head of graphic design, Shannon, we’ve been well aware of the progress of his current Western Star. It’s just that we had to be patient with regard to profiling the truck until he attached all the trim pieces he bought for it.

Trevor’s wife, Robyn, has also showed extreme patience, as the truck was always work in progress. Now, however, it looks as though that day has come. With the truck off the road for the Christmas break, we took the advantage of catching up with Trevor and Robyn to check on progress.

Trevor Dyson, like his brother Mick and father Mervyn (also known as Old Mick), have always worked with trucks, equipment and engineering. An apprenticeship in boilermaking established his skills as a welder and led to his involvement early on with the trucking industry, as he built trailers and started rebuilding trucks.

“Dad never wanted to see his sons drive trucks,” said Trevor. “He was working in earthmoving, and, subsequently, my brother Mick also took that route and continues today with his own business of Mick Dyson Earthmoving.

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“Like many young blokes, as we grew up there was always an air of independence about us, so if we were told we couldn’t do anything, it was then obvious to us we had to do just that,” he added.

Trevor started driving for local operator, John Rodwell, in a Flintstone Mack, and subsequently with Mittagong operator, Bo Raddatz. He bought his first truck, a Ford Louisville LTL, to cart grain, before he subsequently moved onto Western Star.

“I ran with a B-double configuration on grain with the second Western Star, an early Constellation model, which was traded in on a Freightliner, then in 2007 I bought another Western Star, this time with a 600 hp Cummins Signature,” said Trevor.

“My current Western Star was bought through Ron McKenzie, from what was then the Sydney Star dealership at Arndell Park in Sydney. Ron has always been exceptionally good to work with and was one of the reasons we have stayed with the same brand.

“Since my first Western Star, we can see the changes made by Freightliner, which have now resulted in a degree of standardisation of components and the style of assembly between Western Star and Freightliner products.

ON THE COAL

“We run the 600 hp Signature together with an 18-speed manual Roadranger transmission, Rockwell 4.3:1 diffs and Hendrickson Primaax 46-160 suspension. This current Western Star was the first sold with the Primaax suspension in Australia.

“Problems have been relatively minimal. Things like wheel bearings and windscreen wiper motors have been replaced. The paint quality was disappointing, and

mounted squarely to the prime mover. Ron McKenzie rectified the problems quickly, but it was disappointing at the time.

The dealership has now changed ownership, and that type of experience may now be a thing of the past,” added Trevor.

The odometer reading of 235,000 km, in over four years, shows that Trevor and his Western Star run predominantly short distances these days as he hauls coal loads for a local furnace. There is, however, a fair degree of engine idle time involved, additional to the driving on-road time, so maintenance requirements are something that have to be balanced to take into account engine operating times.

“When running on engine idle, I actually increase the idle rpm to minimise the risk of cylinder glazing. Fuel economy isn’t something we monitor closely as every week the operating conditions can be different,” said Trevor.

Operating on local routes with low overall distance doesn’t, of course, reduce the need to make regular daily inspections, and Trevor recently found evidence of

we’ve had instances with the paint peeling off the chassis when using a garden hose.

Also, the fuel pickup pipes were not long enough and the engine cut out if the fuel level dropped below 15 percent.

“The dealership let down the salesman, when he first presented the truck, due to overspray on the paintwork and poor attention to detail such as the mudflaps not being

wear taking place at the water hose from the header tank where it was rubbing against the alloy down-pipe carrying air from the air intake through to the turbocharger.

“The air within the alloy downpipe at this stage, of course, is not pressurized, but I was concerned, when I found the hole appearing in the downpipe, that the engine could have ingested dust through the turbine blades and straight into the combustion chamber. Cummins in Sydney have checked the engine over thoroughly and confirmed that there is no indication of any detrimental effect on the engine.

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PROFILE

Daniel

Buttigieg started out in the trucking business driving an excavator during someone else’s lunch hour as he worked in the local tip at Penrith. As he gained more experience, he was able to drive more plant and equipment. Before long he decided he wanted to do more than just load dump trucks in a tip and headed for a full-time career that spanned both the earthmoving and excavation business through to trucks and tippers.

“My first Kenworth was a W-model with a 350 hp Cummins motor, and I also bought a tri-axled float. That was the start of Mulgoa Excavations, and I still have both the truck and the float in my fleet today,” said Daniel.

A four-year stint working with Menai Excavations gave Daniel more experience, especially working on excavators, and with the urge to start his own business, he bought his first Kenworth, a 1974 W model in 1998.

“We really look after all our trucks and we are very consistent with our maintenance. All our servicing is completed in our own workshops, and we have our own full-

“I’ve always only ever bought Kenworth. I’ve kept on buying them ever since my first W-model, and today I’ve got 15 in the fleet. I’ve never sold one, they’re kept in top condition, and they just keep working. If I need another truck, we add on another new one, and that’s the key to our growth. Every truck I’ve ever owned is still working.

GROWING

STRONGER For Mulgoa Excavations every year sees additional growth

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GROWING STRONGER time, fully qualified mechanic. As work dictates an external contractor, P & B Truck repairs also assists him.

“We document our maintenance record keeping, electronically, using the Service Tracker software, and this is an important part of how we operate. Because much of our work is for Government agencies and large prime contractors, our service records have to be available to the clients to show our standards and work code. Everything we do contributes to our maintenance management programme.

“We keep our clients informed, and they can then recognise our own expertise on maintenance,” added Daniel.

Mulgoa Excavations provides a total solution to customers needing both earthmoving equipment and tipper and dog fleets. Komatsu is the favoured supplier when it comes to excavators, with the company operating seven 138 zeroswing units. Two track loaders are both Cat powered.

With the common thread through the truck fleet being Kenworth, there’s a variety of engine configurations.

With the exception of the original W-model, which remains a prime mover for work with the tri-axled float, all the remaining vehicles in the fleet are configured as rigid truck tipper and dog application.

Engines range from a 3406E, 3406D, a C15 and a smaller 10-litre Cat motor in Kenworth T650, T601 and T404SAR and T480 models. The Cummins component sees the red engines under the bonnets of a T601, T402, T408, K200, T604, T609 and a T908, and there’s a smattering of Detroit product ranging from an 8V92, through to 12-litre and 14-litre Series 60 engines fitted in a T404, K100 and the W-model.

“Cummins would be our main engine supplier, and we’ve been very pleased with our local supplier, Grant Engineering, that supplied the tipper body on our new T609. Our new quad float trailer was supplied by Midland Engineering of Parkes,” said Daniel.

“In terms of engine preference and performance, we put Cummins and Cat as being very similar, slightly ahead of the Detroits on fuel. We only have one AutoShift, which is fitted to the Series 60 engine in the T404S. That’s performing very well.

If it were my choice, I’d have an AutoShift, but the drivers have said they prefer to stay with manual gearboxes at present,” he added.

The two latest Kenworths to join the fleet are a T609 and a cabover K200.

“The T609 is such a quiet truck. The clutch is light and easy to operate, and the quality is excellent. We split our truck buying between cabovers and conventionals to take advantage of the tighter turning radius of the cabover.

Kenworth is a relatively simple technology, and better built than other trucks we’ve looked at. They are also easy to fix should something go wrong,” he added.

“The K200 is a big step forwards. It runs on parabolic leaf springs at the front, rather than the multi-leaf springs we have as standard on other vehicles. I thought the ride quality would suffer with the cabover, but it’s really very good.

“Much of our work is completed off-road, and that’s why we go for a generally tougher specification. All our fleet, except for the K200, the 404 and the 402, have multi-leaf springs, and we use air bag suspension on all vehicles except for the W-model and the K100, which are fitted with six-rod suspension.

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NEW RELEASE

THE TEST

OF TIME It’s taken Volvo nearly 18 months to Bring the full range of FMX construction trucks to market. Has it Been worth the wait?

Chris Mullett reports

In

a world where email and bad news travels at warp speed, the interminable length of time it takes to integrate new products into a global market can appear both frustrating and annoying.

Of course, there’s always the old adage that nothing should be placed on sale in our market, domestically, until it’s been fully Australianised. But, literally speaking, for those skilled in engineering design and proveout, no stone should have been left unturned in the original research and development programme for a truck destined for use in quarries and heavy-duty mining operations.

Europe’s big construction show is at Bauma, and it was there, in April 2010, that Staffan Jufors, President and CEO at Volvo Trucks, introduced the FMX for the first time.

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THE TEST OF TIME

What made the difference for this introduction was that the FMX release marked a new construction phase towards further specialisation and resulted in a separation of the highly successful FM range into two dedicated parts: construction and distribution.

“Customers are asking for increased specialisation and we are listening to them,” says Staffan Jufors. “The purposeengineered Volvo FMX is the proof - a truck that truly reflects its capabilities, inside and out. It breathes construction.”

“We already have great success with our current Volvo FM model, particularly in Russia, Eastern Europe and the Nordic markets. With the new specialised Volvo FMX, we see a huge potential to increase marketshares even further - on all markets,” says Mr. Jufors.

“Volvo Trucks has a leading position within long haul.

We aim to take a leading position also in the construction segment,” he added.

For the specification of the FMX, the driveline from the current FM platform stays intact. Adding to that base, and as the result of feedback from drivers and operators, came the inspiration for many of the new features on the new Volvo FMX. The individual headlamps have polycarbonate covers for extra resistance to cracks and chips, there’s also a new central front tow hook on a rugged cross member that’s rated at 25 tonnes, new anti-slip steps, new ladder and grab handle, and a new load sensor that sends load weight information to the optimised I-Shift gearbox to improve shift quality.

The FMX range covers a 6x6 (already released for sale in Australia) plus a 6x4, and also

an 8x4 version, and it’s obvious that much of the design has resulted from the input of people involved in the construction industry, including drivers.

When you look at the solid approach to its construction, not surprisingly, the Volvo operation within Australia can see dollar signs sprouting about its potential for the PNG and Indonesian markets, adding additional volume of perhaps 50 units per year to the hoped market penetration of around 200 units per year within Australia.

In power terms, the 11-litre offers 410 hp or 450 hp, and the 13-litre increases this option to 460 hp and 500 hp. The 6x4 is expected to satisfy the demands of those running with fouraxled dog trailers that use the performance based standards legislation (PBS) to generate payloads of up to 49 tonnes, even with a six-axle dog trailer. The future also holds good for a 10x4 version with two drive axles and a lazy bogie axle.

It’s a good news item for the Queensland manufacturing plant of Volvo at Wacol, as every plant needs as much volume throughput as possible to maintain viability. If you drop production levels, you increase the pressure on the plant’s ability to stay in the market as a manufacturer.

For the Queensland workforce, it means adding the 8x4 and 6x4 to its production line, while the 6x6 remains a full import from Sweden. Hopefully, the company will find that demand stimulates supply, as, with the South African market, an estimated volume of 80 trucks within its first year on sale was eclipsed by a surprising total sales volume within 12 months that peaked at 250 units.

Since the launch of the Volvo FMX in April last year, over 5,000 units have been sold, far exceeding the company expectations.

“After just two months, we had already sold half the forecast total for 2011. This huge demand is confirmation that we have succeeded in meeting our customers’ needs and adapting to their, often, very tough and demanding working environments,” says Claes Nilsson, President of Volvo Trucks’ European division.

According to Australian CEO, Arne Knaben, the expectation for the Volvo brand in our country is to grow its market share this year, within a market that is slightly softer than that of 2010.

“The 2011 market was running softer by around seven percent, but we’ve seen a shift in selling, with the FH moving to dominate against the FM. We expect to finish 2011 with a 16 percent market share in heavy-duty trucks – effectively a 15 year high,” Mr. Knaben added.

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FEATURE

At

PowerTorque we’ve been very fortunate to have been included, almost from day one, in the strategy and forward planning of the Caterpillar/Navistar/International company plans for developing a global product for both on and off-highway work.

It’s been literally years since we first talked to Navistar CEO, Dee Kapur, in a one-on-one basis in Louisville, Kentucky, and, as regular readers will remember, we were the first to break the news of these intended developments onto the Australian market.

make inroads into the on/off-highway segment, having the stock in the country enabled Cat Trucks to search for new business without having a supply constraint.

The early prognosis for future business was based on continuing assembly at Tullamarine. This is now under review, and with global economies being affected by expected recessions, there’s a good case now to compare the advantages of fully imported products manufactured in a fully functional factory with the smaller scale production of CKD (Completely Knocked Down) assembly in local markets.

We followed those early conversations where Kapur explained his expectation that the International brand would be moving away from contractual assembly and distribution agreements with Iveco Australia. That led to further conversations with Mr. Kapur, during which he outlined his early plans to create a totally new and independent distribution alternative for the Australian market.

At the time, the whole question of ending such an iconic brand as International seemed somewhat drastic, but, as further details of the Cat involvement became available, the creation of NC2 Global, the controlling body for the Caterpillar Trucks project, gathered momentum and took on a life of its own.

Now, after just over 12 months since its official launch of Cat Trucks Australia, the company is able to build on what it’s learned in that time and establish a game plan for the future. While the company might well have thought it would be further ahead in establishing the brand after 12 months, in reality it pays to move slowly so all aspects of the business, from production to supply, can grow together.

It’s common knowledge that the initial start-up in Australia, at the company base at Tullamarine, near Melbourne airport, resulted in the assembly of over 500 prime mover and rigid truck chassis.

According to Cat Trucks Australia Managing Director, Bill Fulton, “Our job is to tell our story to the market.

Looking back on our first 12 months, we started with a plan, no people and no structure. Standing up to do business is a little like giving birth to an elephant.”

“Our customers make their living off the back of our products. We have continued to see our sales pick up, and as we step into this business, we are well aware it’s a world-class market. We aim to establish our local market capability, to design here and to release here,” Mr. Fulton added.

Quite a lot has changed since the production of the first trucks in Tullamarine. It’s easy for a competitor to criticise a business decision to build and stockpile trucks that, at the time of manufacture, didn’t have a customer name on the order form. But, for a company needing product in order to 62

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The local assembly process in Tullamarine has enabled the company to introduce specific differences to its assembly processes for right-hand-drive products. These production changes include greater attention to cable and pipework routing and clipping – improving product integrity.

In mid 2011, PowerTorque visited the Navistar manufacturing plant at Garland Texas, at the invitation of CAT and NC2 Global, where we were able to see, at

CAT STRATEGY

first-hand, the highly diverse range of products in build running down the production line.

Although a relatively old plant, which originally provided the manufacturing home base for Marmon trucks, the way in which the plant operates enables a very diverse range of products to be built at one time. Different specifications and models follow each other as they wind around inside the plant, illustrating that diversification is already a common occurrence.

“We would retain Tullamarine to add local content such as fuel tanks, dual exhaust stacks and variations in sleeper box configuration, and to provide any further modification to finetune the trucks for specific applications,” he added.

“Garland is now under consideration as the future production centre of Cat Trucks for Australia,” said Bill Fulton.

Cat CT610 prime movers now joining major line haul fleets such as the Toll Automotive fleet where seven Cats are now part of the Toll carrier group. Power for the CT 610 comes from the Cat C13 engine and the vehicles were supplied through William Adams of Melbourne with ongoing service requirements handled

by Hastings Deering of Queensland.

CAT STRATEGY The Cat Truck scenario develops its plans for a future that includes a strong involvement in Australia PowerTorque ISSUE 45

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PROFILE

It’s

said that political parties don’t actually win an election; they gain power and position because of the failure of the opposition. There’s a similarity to this observation when it comes to selecting the right choice of truck. If the product you use is reliable, and the manufacturer and local dealer provide top-level service, then you’ll stay with the brand forever.

Because of the association with the Mack parent, Volvo Trucks, Kerry’s company, Char-Lee Haulage, also brought the Swedish prime movers into the group for his Hemmant, Brisbane-based operations.

That’s how Kerry Wilkins viewed Mack. As a third generation truck-operating family, it’s always been Mack prime movers that ran in the fleet. He learned to drive on a Flintstone model, and apparently even went to his own christening in his father’s Mack. He even bought a bulldog as a pet, and of course, you’ve guessed right, the dog’s name is Mack.

“We have always run very specific maintenance programmes, and all servicing has been completed by the authorized dealerships. In the case of the Volvos and Macks, the servicing has been carried out by the dealers at Pinkenba and Wacol.

Kerry started his career in truck driving on long haul interstate operations, working for 23 years on the road before he decided to found his own business and take control of his own destiny.

“It was back in 2003 that my wife and I decided to start our own company. It was a totally new way of life for us, and my first truck was an R-model Mack with 350 hp that I used for hauling sea freight and produce,” said Kerry.

“We are very much a family business focused purely on providing the best level of service possible. We don’t advertise, and our growth has been achieved through word of mouth by our clients. My wife Paula, daughter Kirsty and son Jamie all work in the business, and we also have additional assistance from Chanel, our office assistant.

“If we are asked to provide a specific trailer and don’t have one in our fleet, we will hire in a unit to do the job. We are always prepared to support the client. If that work is then maintained over the long term, we’ll then invest in purchasing the right equipment,” said Kerry

“During the intervening years, we added a Mack CH with a 427 hp engine, and now our fleet comprises four Macks, two of which are R-models at 500 hp, with one Vision at 470 hp and the CH. Also joining the fleet were two Volvos, both running at 500 hp,” said Kerry.

“In the last financial year our service costs relating to the Volvos escalated to a total of $162,000 for the two vehicles.

We were obviously concerned over this high cost, but as the costs were skyrocketing, we felt the quality of the service that we received, personally, was dropping off.

“The straw that broke the camel’s back related to the replacement of an air dryer. Six months later it failed. The replacement air dryer failed again two days out of warranty, and again we had the added cost of replacement.

“Macks were a lot more reliable. The cost of replacement parts of Volvo were astronomical compared with the Macks.

“As our Volvos were getting a bit long in the tooth, and, due to us being third generation Mack users, we looked at replacing the Volvos with two Mack daycab Tridents. After nine weeks of asking for a spec and the price from the dealership, I was told they were too busy. Three weeks later I got the same story, and frankly, I snapped it. I then went looking for alternatives, and looked at Western Star.

“While I was looking at Western Star, the dealership also suggested I looked at the MAN product. I knew nothing about

BEST O

BREED When an operator changes truck makes after a long association, it has to be for a good reason

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BEST OF BREED

them, but was impressed to find the salesman, Callie Le Roux, spent three hours showing me right through the trucks.

“Because it was still largely an unknown make, I still wasn’t sure, so the MAN dealership at Rocklea provided me with a demo for one week. This was driven by my son, Jamie, and also our driver, Andy Fensom.

“Every decision we make is by consultation between the members of the family. Everything about the MAN was a plus, including fuel economy and servicing intervals. The warranty cover is also extremely comprehensive.

“I wasn’t happy to no longer be a Bulldog operator. No one likes change, but I am now very happy. The MAN has completed just over 36,000 km, and we are already seeing fuel savings from a new engine of a consistent 0.5 km/l, compared to the Volvos. As a result we have traded in one Volvo against the new MAN and already have another MAN on order to replace the second Volvo.

“We’ve never seen fuel economy figures as good as the MAN in our fleet. We are regularly returning 2.34 km/litre, and when we get delivery of the Euro V MAN, it’s highly likely we will see a further improvement out to 2.6-2.7 km/l as we move to introduce the SCR engine.

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FEATURE

STAR GAZING The current growth of Daimler Trucks seems to be unstoppable, with new ventures and advanced forecasts suggesting that this year could see real growth in the global market. Chris Mullett reports

If

economic and financial advisers were perfect, they would have predicted all the global financial recessions we had to have, well before we had to have them. Instead, the surprise shake-up we all had to have, as we watched our superannuation funds shrink like a pullover in the hot wash cycle, was blamed on computer glitches, automatic overreactions and, of course, banks and finance houses lending money to people who could not repay their loans.

The big banks gained support from governments keen to ensure fiscal responsibility and durability, and, meanwhile, the small business customers got squeezed as they were refused investment loans. No doubt the banks had bigger fish they wanted to fry.

On the morning radio I have been listening to financial experts once again identifying that the Euro Zone may collapse, or may not, that Greece may have to go it alone, or perhaps may not, or that Italians may have to pay tax, itself a ridiculous idea. I was comforted by the thought that, once again, the experts talk a lot but don’t seem to know any more in reality than the newspaper seller on the high street corner.

So, as we head into 2012, let’s establish what we do know. China seems to be just as scary as ever and intent on undercutting the pricing of just about anything manufactured in the western world. If the Chinese can supply a route bus into Australia at 40 percent less than we can build one, how much longer will we be able to sustain an Australian bus and coach industry.

The American economy seems to actually be making signs of a recovery, with unemployment dropping back slightly.

President Obama appears to have finally convinced the Republicans that blocking everything he has tried to do is actually counterproductive to everyone. But, at the same time, we’ve seen the quest for an alternative Republican candidate produce a range of options that are as equally scary as the military regime running North Korea.

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Meanwhile, our government in Australia appears to have been on holiday. Consequently, we have been spared the continuing discourse on “moving forwards” when it appears to the rest of the population that we, as a nation, are actually moving backwards.

So, in the face of all that negativity, we went looking for someone who was excited about 2012. Someone who would forecast things were going to get better, and who could comment on having recovered from the troubles of 2011 and was actually looking forward to finding some new challenges in 2012.

Well, we found them in the person of Mr. Andreas Renschler of the Daimler Board of Management, and responsible for Daimler Trucks and Buses.

Mr. Renschler is very bullish when it comes to forecasting what lies ahead in 2012.

“Production at Daimler Trucks plants around the world will remain at full capacity into the first quarter of 2012,” said Mr. Renschler, and he backs this extremely heartwarming statement by explaining that between January and November 2011, Daimler Trucks received orders for 420,000 units, representing a 26 percent increase from the prior year (334,200 units).

As well as the best new order figure since 2007, sales were also up 15 percent to 371,400 units during the same period.

This result is mainly due to positive developments in the NAFTA region (North American Free Trade Agreement of North America, Canada and Mexico), where Daimler Trucks received orders for 124,400 units between January and November 2011 – its best result since 2006 and an increase of 81 percent from the same period in the previous year.

At 102,400 units, sales in the NAFTA region through November were up 47 percent from the period JanuaryNovember 2010 (69,700 units). Daimler Trucks sold 53,500

STAR GAZING

In view of the anticipated expansion of global truck markets, Daimler Trucks expects to be able to increase annual sales to more than 500,000 units by 2013. The division also plans to be selling 700,000 trucks per year, worldwide, by the end of the decade.

“Because we seek to achieve not only growth, but also profitable growth, we have set ourselves the clear objective of reaching an average return on sales of eight percent beginning in 2013, and plan to maintain this level of profitability across the entire business cycle. We’re definitely headed in the right direction”, says Andreas Renschler.

As Mercedes-Benz plans to reduce its sales operation in China, it is looking to new markets for overseas manufacturing capacity.

In April 2012, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) will open its truck production plant with a new name to be recognised, that of BharatBenz.

Initial production capacity for BharatBenz will be 36,000 units per year, which can later be ramped up to 70,000 units.

The trucks will be manufactured with a localisation rate of 85 percent, which means DICV (Daimler India Commercial Vehicles) will take advantage of the Indian supplier industry’s potential from the very start.

Daimler Trucks will also further expand its partnership with Kamaz in Russia, building on the existing joint ventures already in place between Kamaz and Mercedes-Benz Trucks, on the one hand, and Kamaz and Fuso on the other. These are already up and running and sold a total of 3,400 trucks between January and November 2011 (2010: 1,100 trucks).

Kamaz presented the first jointly manufactured truck at the Comtrans show in Moscow. The featured vehicle was a Kamaz truck with Daimler components tailored to the needs of Russia – the largest truck market in Europe.

Back to China, and now that the final approval has been given for the cooperation with Foton in China, the new joint venture will be able to begin operations in just a few weeks.

units in Western Europe between January and November 2011, or 11 percent more than during the same period in the previous year (48,100). Despite the triple disaster in Japan, Daimler was able to sell 111,500 units from January to November, more or less the same number as during the same period last year (112,100).

When it comes to the outlook for 2012, Mr. Renschler added the following comments: “We’re keeping a close eye on the overall economic situation. To date, we expect Daimler Trucks to post another global sales increase in 2012. Things will continue to pick up in the NAFTA region and in Japan. Although the general economic situation creates uncertainties for the truck business in Europe, we’re, nevertheless, prepared for all types of cyclical developments and can react flexibly as needed.”

“The final approval of the joint venture between Daimler Trucks and Foton marks another important step in Daimler Trucks’ Global Excellence strategy, one that will allow the division to thoroughly participate in the growth of the Chinese truck market over the long term,” says Renschler.

Market volume for the medium and heavy-duty segment in China was 1.2 million units in 2010, and forecasts indicate that about 1.5 million trucks over six tons GVW will be sold in China each year by 2020.

In terms of its global operations, Daimler Trucks consistently expanded and modernised its product range in all market regions in 2011. The Freightliner and Western Star brands introduced new vocational trucks, Fuso launched a new generation of its high-volume Canter model and the new Actros is the result of a substantial investment of more than 10 years of work, over 20 million test driving kilometers, and more than €2 billion spent on development and production technology.

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TRAILER TORQUE

Statistics, dimensions and weight restrictions form the basis of how each state likes to control its transport operations. For some operators it is undoubtedly easier to stick with what you know works and remain traditional to the cause. But, if you are prepared to delve into the regulations, and spend time understanding every aspect of whatever change might be forthcoming, there are benefits in efficiency and profitability available for all those that venture along that path.

The national mass standard for a three-axle dog trailer being hauled by a three-axle prime mover is 42.5 tonnes.

However, for many operators, there are other alternatives.

Most state and territory legislation allows 45 tonnes for these combinations, provided that rating is less than the prime mover’s GCM,

and the extreme axle spacing from the steer axle to the last trailer axle, and internal axle group spacing, meet minimum dimensions.

In the case of a four-axle dog trailer being hauled by a three or four-axle prime mover, most state and territory legislation allows 50 tonnes for these combinations. This is provided that the rating is less than the prime mover’s GCM, and the extreme axle spacing from the steer axle to the last trailer axle, and internal axle group spacing, meet minimum dimensions.

The minimum extreme axle spacing for 45 tonnes is typically 12.5 metres, and for 50 tonnes this increase to 17.5 metres.

The maximum length of truck and dog combinations is 19 metres in most states, but Victoria allows 22 metres for log truck/trailers, and Tasmania allows 21.3 metres for log truck/ trailers with load retention guards.

NSW permits 48 tonnes on a three-axle truck and three-axle dog combination, provided an extreme axle spacing of 15.5

THE

LOADED DOG The popular idea of Performance-Based Standards (PBS) vehicles is that they need to be long in order to gain a payload advantage.

Allan Whiting checked out a short four-axle PBS dog combination for this report

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THE LOADED DOG

metres is achieved. NSW also permits a four-axle truck and three-axle dog combination to gross 50 tonnes, provided an extreme axle spacing of 17.5 metres is achieved.

Aren’t you glad, at this point, that you live in Australia rather than Europe, where foreign borders and different legislation have, in the most part, been overwritten by a common law to make a system more simple.

PBS dogs It’s obvious from the above statutory dimension requirements that GCMs near the magic 50-tonnes mark require extreme axle spacings that suit long-distance bulk haulers, but not short-haul operators who need manoeuvrability around tight suburban streets and on building sites.

To date, most of the PBS effort has been in the direction of long vehicles, and examples include Victoria’s approval of 20-metre, 57.5-tonnes quad-

We checked out one such combination at Hercules Engineering.

The vehicle in question was drawn up by the Hercules Engineering design team, in conjunction with PBS certifier, Ken Cowell, to the requirements of Danny Duggan Haulage.

With its PBS compliance, the combination achieves two tonnes payload increase over a non-PBS vehicle.

According to Hercules’ Kevin Wright, the Duggan quad dog is only 200 mm longer than a three-axle dog trailer, and is just as manoeuvrable.

“The bonuses – apart from the obvious payload advantages over a three-axle dog – are the acknowledged much better towing stability of a quad, and much improved braking,” Kevin Wright told PowerTorque.

“Hercules’ quad dogs are all fitted with either ABS or EBS –usually on the first and fourth axles – to achieve optimum

braking performance in concert with most prime mover braking systems.

dog combinations; 22-metre, 63-tonnes fiveaxle dog combinations; and up to 26-metre, 68-tonnes, six-axle dog combinations.

Hercules Engineering is one of the leaders in PBS-vehicle production, and, during a recent tour of the company’s Melbourne plant, we saw several PBS trailers in build. The most spectacular was a six-axle dog trailer that, at first sight, looked like a semi-trailer. The giveaway up front was a superlong, 7.7-metre drawbar that’s necessary for bridge formula weight compliance.

However, it’s possible to have a PBS-approved quad dog combination with only 16-metre extreme axle measurement and a GCM of 50.5 tonnes on general access road routes, and 52.5 tonnes on B-double routes.

“Mack stays with a load proportioning valve trailer braking system as standard on non-mDrive trucks, but we much prefer it if Mack buyers opt for ABS.” PowerTorque inspected the completed Danny Duggan Haulage rig just before it was delivered, and, by way of contrast, Hercules lined up a 20-metre quad dog combination for comparison. Guess which one made the tight turn around the Hercules Engineering facility the easiest!

“The finished Danny Duggan Haulage PBS units measure 18.6 metres overall, with a Kenworth T609 short sleeper,” Ken Cowell told PowerTorque.

“But with a short cab prime mover it could be around 500 mm shorter overall and still comply with PBS requirements.

“PBS regulations are extremely strict, so the concept isn’t suitable for everyone.

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FEATURE

Going Modular

Scania shows off its new global modular engine platform that meets all emission standards and can be used with 100 percent biodiesel

At

a time when engine manufacturers are consolidating their design features with EGR and/ or SCR componentry, Swedish truck and engine manufacturer, Scania, has previewed its new global engine platform with boosted performance that meets all emission standards.

Scania offers the widest range of five, six and eight-cylinder heavy-duty trucks on the market, providing a global range of engines based on the same platform that matches emission standards around the world.

In 2012, the new engines, Euro 5 and EEV engines, with SCR technology, will be introduced into European production.

These engines can operate on up to 100 percent biodiesel and match or exceed emission legislation requirements while ensuring low fuel consumption.

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Since its original Euro 5 EGR engine platform was launched in 2007 (2010 in Australia), numerous refinements have been made to improve the intake and exhaust manifolds, EGR system, turbochargers, pistons and cylinder liners.

Liners, for example, are now plasma-coated for lower friction and extended service life. Scania’s SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) after-treatment systems have also been further developed.

Injectors for the DEF/urea solution have been upgraded to prevent clogging, and, on the latest Euro 6 engine family, electrically controlled DEF/urea injectors further improve control in combination with an advanced exhaust management system.

The new engine platform comes with the latest versions of Scania Opticruise and Scania Retarder for even better uptime and productivity.

These engine refinements, in combination with dedicated service support, will enable Scania to provide its customers with complete solutions tailored to match their needs in any part of the world.

The new inline 5- and 6-cylinder engines share the same architecture and modular design, which was conceived for easy servicing and minimum downtime. The familiar engine architecture means that the products are recognised by service technicians worldwide, reducing the need for additional training.

GOING MODULAR

The use of a common bore on the 9.3- and 12.7-litre engines means that a large number of cylinder parts and components are identical, significantly reducing the number of unique parts needed and facilitating repairs and parts supply.

Australian Scania customers have already had access to the 12.7-litre six-cylinder XPI EGR Euro 5 engine for some time, but in 2012, Scania will add a range of six-cylinder Euro 5 SCR engines, rated at 360 hp, 400 hp, 440 hp and 480 hp.

The SCR engine solution will be ideal for customers already using SCR systems on their other vehicles, for example Scania V8 engines, or for customers who would like a Euro 5 emission package combined with a low roof cab, such as the Scania P-series.

Scania will make three SCR six-cylinder engines available to P-series customers, bringing the 440 hp engine to the P-series for the first time.

In some cases, the torque outputs of the Scania SCR sixcylinder family are higher than those of competitor engines of similar horsepower ratings. The 360 hp SCR engine produces 1,850 Nm of torque, the 400 hp SCR engine produces 2,100 Nm of torque, the 440 hp SCR engine produces 2,300 Nm of torque and the 480 hp SCR engine produces 2,400 Nm of torque.

The Scania EGR six-cylinder engines produce identical torque within the same 1,000 -1,300 rpm green band as the SCR engines, with the exception of the 480 EGR engine, which produces 2,500 Nm of torque.

Three SCR six-cylinder engines available to P-series customers, bringing the 440 hp engine to the P-series for the first time.

The new Euro 5 six-cylinder SCR engines require the use of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid/urea/AdBlue) to achieve emissions compliance.

“Scania Australia is very pleased to be able to offer its customers the option of an SCR six-cylinder engine range solution in 2012,” says Roger McCarthy, Managing Director.

“We will of course continue to offer our EGR solutions in parallel to the SCR solution for customers who find the DEF/ urea solution suitable for their needs.

“We believe the availability of a 440 hp six-cylinder engine installed in the P-series cabs, for the first time, will have appeal to a wide variety of operators. This is particularly of interest to those using our 6x2 drive configuration, which allows a higher payload thanks to weight saving provided by a single drive axle,” said Roger.

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AUSTRALIA’S GUIDE TO UTES, VANS, LIGHT TRUCKS & PEOPLE MOVERS

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