POWERTORQUE MAGAZINE Issue#85 October/November 2018

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 T R A I L E R M A G A Z I N E

Incorporating

ISSUE 85 OCT/NOV 2018 RRP: $8.95

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ISSUE 85 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018

DAF, KENWORTH, MACK AND VOLVO ANNOUNCE MAJOR INVESTMENT FOR AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING

ANYTHING BUT GENERAL CARGO You carry the essentials that make our world go round. Essentials that we often take for granted. Most people have no idea about the long hours spent on the highway.

To arrive on time you need a vehicle that is anything but general. This is why we don’t do one-size-fits-all trucks. No. At Scania, we tailor solutions for the only business that matters. Yours.

For more information about our new generation trucks and services simply contact your regional Scania Account Executive or visit www.scania.com.au

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AT THE WHEEL Warren Caves looks into the future on the highway OLIVER ABROAD European and North American editor, Oliver Dixon, gives his take on global events

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LEGAL TORQUE The ramifications of Chain of Responsibility legislation

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GOING CORPORATE Turps Tippers talks about company growth and branding

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DROVERS RUN The Dorahy family at Cooma Livestock Transport

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INTER-GATES The International brand has a strong history with Gates Haulage SLIM PICKINGS Brenton O’Connor drives Volvo’s latest super slippery FH POWERPLAY Briggs & Stratton powers up to generate its 100 years’ history.

LOVING THE LOADSTAR History and nostalgia play a role today with Cooma Sand and Concrete LIVE CARGO Animal welfare is a critical component for Seilers Transport BALANCING THE BOOKS Efficiency for Borger Cranes comes in the form of counterweight trucks RIGHT ON TRACK Major investment paves the way for the Volvo Group Australia to expand THREE IN ONE PowerTorque’s three road test editors give their individual views on Scania’s New Generation

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SUPERIOR BY NAME AND NATURE Dealing with waste is a global challenge DOUBLING DOWN Volvo releases its latest crawler gear technology RAM ON THE RIGHT TRACK Australia’s homegrown ute continues to improve FACING THE CHALLENGES The seventh NatRoad Annual Conference

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TRAILER TORQUE

TROTTER TRANSPORT Rytrans Manufacturing improves productivity for Seilers Transport

TRUCKS AND DOGS Matching the latest Mercedes-Benz Actros with new Sloanebuilt trailers

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FINDING SOLUTIONS Mick Murray Welding of Townsville has one approach to building trailers – they have to work, and they have to last

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DOWNSIZING The convenience of three-axled dog trailers brings added appeal

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BUYING FOR BULK Warren Caves profiles the latest AAB-quad combinations from GLT

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EURO TRAILERTORQUE The European transport scene on the eve of the IAA Hanover Expo

PACCAR STRONG There’s something very special about the PACCAR production facility

Follow PowerTorque on

TEAM SUPPORT Heading trackside with the ProStar Tickford Racing Team

For all editorial information and subscriptions please contact: Managing Editor - Chris Mullett Road Test Editors - Brenton O’Connor

Ed Higginson Contributing Writers - Stuart Martin Warren Caves David Meredith Rob Randazzo Photography - Jonathan Wood

Geoff Parrington

Mark Bean

Cristian Brunelli

Warren Caves Designer - Steven Foster Account Manager - Maree Mullett Editorial Division, PO Box 271AB, Airlie Beach, Qld 4802 Telephone: +61 (0) 7 4946 4658 Email: edit@powertorque.com.au Website: www.powertorque.com.au

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TRENDING EUROPEAN Can the Actros convince a longstanding Kenworth buyer to switch alliances?

For advertising rates and information please contact: Motoring Matters Magazine Group National business development manager: Email: edit@motoringmatters.com.au Telephone: +61 (0) 7 4946 4658 Website:www.motoringmatters.com.au Newsagency disitrbution by: Integrated Publications Solutions, A division of Fairfax Newspapers.

Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information the publisher will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequence arising from the reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in PowerTorque are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher.

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‘18

Chris Mullett

FORWARD

TORQUE

Clean and Green

The recent shuffling of the parliamentary seating on the deck of a sinking ship has highlighted the extent of the lobbying that takes place behind the scenes by big businesses intent on dismissing climate change and postponing the adoption of a realistic approach to reducing carbon emissions.

On a global scale, thanks to huge investment by our industry to develop world-class low emission technology, the latest Euro 6 commercial vehicles are the cleanest ever.

The reduction in tailpipe particulate emissions over the past 20 years means that it is now easier to identify the other sources of these types of emissions.

Data from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory shows 38 percent of total UK particulate matter (PM) emissions are from domestic wood and coal burning, 16 percent from industrial combustion, 13 percent from the use of solvents and industrial processes and 12 percent from road transport.

Whilst road transport is now one of the smaller contributors, it is obviously of benefit to overall air quality if more work is done to address the remaining particulate matter that is coming from non-exhaust sources.

Climate change does affect everyone in Australia, and over the next few years this concern will result in new technologies flowing through the transport industry. The move is already taking place with truck manufacturers introducing Euro 6 emissions compliant vehicles to the Australian market, with other truck makers already stating they will also bring these low emissions products to our market well ahead of any proposed governmental requirements.

As we go to print with this issue, members of the PowerTorque team will have attended the IAA commercial vehicle show in Hanover, Germany, Europe’s largest trucking event. The focus this year is increasingly centred on different fuel sources, with hydrogen, LPG and CNG ramping up interest, together with hybrid and electric vehicle propulsion. Full details of these new developments will appear in our December issue.

In this issue we have our own Australian example of the quest for fuel efficiency with a test drive of the Super Fuel Truck promoted by Volvo Group. It incorporates a collection of fuel saving additions, including aerodynamic aids, as well as downrating higher horsepower engines to match torque outputs to peak fuel efficiency.

While the car industry has withdrawn from Australian manufacturing, it’s a credit to both Volvo Group and 6

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PACCAR Australia, and earlier this year IVECO Australia, that these three companies have announced large multi-million-dollar investments in the expansion of their manufacturing plants, recognising the experience and ability of their Australian workforces.

Of equal significance is the investment in infrastructure by the respective truck dealership groups to service and maintain vehicles and equipment. Again, this multi-million-dollar investment signifies the support available for the transport industry matches the world-class standards of the trucks they operate.

Information and communication are taking on a more important role in effective fleet management, and a great example of how that can benefit each operator was provided by the recent NatRoad conference.

This association is the conduit for information to be passed to its membership, but also provides a channel for the reverse flow of suggestions and ideas back to government agencies. To effect sensible change requires openly functioning communication channels, and, with membership of NatRoad expanding by six percent through the past year, it’s an indication that an increasing number of operators are participating in making their views heard and consequently assisting in shaping the new legislation that will affect them in their businesses.

In this issue, our operator features include Turps Tippers, Cooma Livestock Transport, Gates Haulage, Cooma Sand and Concrete, Seilers Transport, Borger Cranes and the Trazblend/Sada Group. We report on the structural changes of waste management specialists Superior Pak, Volvo’s latest crawler gear technology and the 2018 NatRoad annual conference, plus the opening of the new VGA headquarters and dealership in Brisbane.

TrailerTorque continues to expand its coverage on the most recent developments in body building and trailer manufacturing that will match the new Australian Design Rules that mandate electric stability controls for new model heavy trailers. For specific developments in trailer building we profile new deliveries from Rytrans Manufacturing, Sloanebuilt Trailers, Graham Lusty Trailers and the European trailer scene.

My thanks to all the companies featured in this issue for making their time available, and, as always, on behalf of the PowerTorque team may we wish all our readers a safe, healthy and prosperous year.

Stay safe and enjoy the drive.

Kind regards, Chris Mullett – Managing Editor and Publisher.

Start your Christmas shopping early and take advantage of Kenworth’s bonus options available with the T4 range.

When you purchase a new T409 or T409SAR with a PACCAR MX-13 Engine, you will receive your choice of one of our special bonus options.

Choose one of the following bonuses: Disc Brakes* OR 28� IT Sleeper* OR Extended Warranty Package* OR Eaton UltraShift Transmission Upgrade*

For more details contact your local Kenworth Dealer or visit kenworth.com.au/T4option

*Terms and conditions apply.

Offer is available to retail customers who order trucks for production between 17 September and 31 October 2018, and take delivery in 2018. See kenworth.com.au/t4option for full terms and conditions and option details.

Photos above for illustrative purposes only.

WHEEL

AT THE WA R R E N

C AV E S

L O O K S

I N T O

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s drivers, we usually tip-toe off to work before the household wakes to carry out our duties and get a bit done before the roads become so congested that progress is slowed to a pace not much livelier than that of a Galapagos tortoise. We all do this with the expectation that we will arrive home safely to our loved ones for dinner, or by the weekend.

Sadly, this is not always the case, and it’s a hard fact to swallow that the road transport industry is one of the most dangerous professions in this country, with fatality rates substantially higher than the all industry average, only coming in second to agriculture and fishing.

According to the Bureau for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, NSW deaths increased a whopping 92 percent in the 12 months to December 2017, and 2.4 percent nationally, involving 168 deaths. This was a particularly bad period as fatality rates had been reducing for a time.

As with any workplace, employees are entitled to be shown a duty of care by their employer, with all necessary procedures and safety devices suitable to the specific task available for use. So why have we as road transport operators and drivers had to wait so long for a safety device that’s been standard fitment to passenger vehicles for the best part of 20 years?

Unfortunately, fatal truck crashes are treated as road accidents and not workplace accidents, excluding workcover from investigating the event, which is both unacceptable and wrong. We are classed as professional drivers and are expected to perform as such, but, if we are injured or killed in our workplace, all of a sudden we are just regular motorists who were involved in a crash. You can’t have it both ways.

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F U T U R E

O N

T H E

H I G H WAY

If there were 168 deaths nationally on building sites in a year, workers and unions would be out on the streets protesting unsafe working conditions and there would be nothing short of a Royal Commission.

Hats off to Scania for the inclusion of driver’s and side curtain airbags on their latest New Generation trucks.

The new Freightliner Cascadia is also rumoured to be including airbag fitment upon release into the Australian market, along with several Japanese-based light trucks already offering the safety device.

“If there were 168 deaths nationally on building sites in a year, workers and unions would be out on the streets protesting”

I am referring to drivers’ SRS airbags. A car manufactured today without SRS airbags would end up with an ANCAP rating in the negative figures and seal its fate as a sales disaster before it rolled off the ship.

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T H E

A lot of innovation and technology money has been thrown at accident avoidance systems on heavy trucks, which is great, provided they have the opportunity to work. Prevention is always better than a cure, but, as the last line of defence, SRS airbags could go a long way towards decreasing the mortality rate from accidents, and at the same time also substantially reduce injuries.

Vehicle manufacturers and transport operators cite reasons holding back from standard airbag fitment as financial cost. I say that’s crap!

What cost does a business incur from an injured employee on workers compensation for a long period of time? Regardless, surely the wellbeing of drivers should override the increased cost of fitment.

Engineers will spend millions of dollars in research and development in order to produce engines that can achieve one or two percent better fuel economy, and plaster it all over their advertising, but not spend a fraction of that cost on SRS airbags. I understand that they wish to keep the vehicle costs as low as possible to secure sales, but if everyone gets on-board then the playing field will be level.

With Scania leading the way in the airbag fitment, hopefully we can start to see other manufacturers sit up and take notice, and, in the end, the real winners will be us as drivers, reaping the benefits of a safer workplace.

Safe trucking, Warren Caves.

SAFETY TO DEFY CONVENTION. THE UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTIONAL. Superior safety has a positive impact on business. The Mack Bendix® Wingman® Fusion™ safety system, integrates next-generation safety technologies of camera, radar, and brakes, resulting in the most advanced collision mitigation system in a conventional truck. Stay on the safe side.

Defy Convention at macktrucks.com.au

OLIVER

ABROAD

OUR EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN EDITOR, OLIVER DIXON, GIVES HIS TAKE ON GLOBAL EVENTS

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ust when you thought it was safe to go back into the water, global trucking is confronted by another regulatory shift in terms of emissions.

From January 2020, under the terms of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) MARPOL Annex VI regulation, the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on-board ships operating outside designated emission control areas will be reduced to 0.50 percent m/m (mass by mass).

While ships that install “scrubbers” – devices that remove sulphur as the fuel is burned – will be able to continue using high sulphur fuels, those that don’t – in effect a significant proportion of the global shipping fleet – will need to start using low sulphur diesel in order to be in compliance with the new regulation.

Whoops! This could get a bit sticky. According to IEA estimates, demand for diesel could jump by around one million barrels per day. That is a highly significant amount, and there are growing concerns that this will in turn create very tight conditions for the refiners. This in turn – according to Morgan Stanley research – could drive crude to $90 a barrel. That’s a figure that the trucking fleets may well want to keep an eye on.

the storm likely due in 2020. That said, if input cost inflation through increased demand for diesel proves to be operationally negative, then this may yet spur interest and demand for alternative fuel types. We saw this happen during the previous oil shock with the rapid growth in interest in natural gas as a commercial vehicle fuel.

That interest waned, and, with the benefit of hindsight, we can argue that it was a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the automakers that served as a restraint. Will history repeat itself in 2020?

Yes and no. Interest in alternative fuel – most notably electrification – is growing. The drivers for this are numerous; issues of CSR and regulatory changes in urban areas are significant here, but, perhaps most significant is, unlike the rush to gas in 2009-12, electrification is now at the top of the automakers’ agendas. This has the effect of legitimising the notion of electrification as a viable alternative, and the likely increase in fuel costs as a function of the 2020 regulation adds to the perception of viability.

It’s perhaps premature to argue that we may witness the same trend with hydrogen, but, should automakers explore this route as well, then it would be foolish to argue against it.

“ Truck fleet bankruptcies are at a near historic low at present”

Taken in isolation, this would be a regulation that, whilst onerous, would ultimately be addressed by those impacted by it. That’s not to say that there would be no collateral damage; during the oil price shock of 2008, a number of trucking companies went to the wall.

Hardly surprising, as fuel is a significant input cost. In some trucking operations it is the most significant cost, and, when – as happened during 2008 – that input cost rises exponentially, those same trucking operations get squeezed. Those that are unviable go to the wall, and, while clearly bad for the individual organisations, this reduction in capacity has proved beneficial to the sustainability of the industry at large. Less capacity means better rates for those that are left.

However, that was then, and this is now. And now – 2018 – is a rather different era. In the US, truck fleet bankruptcies are at a near historic low at present – a function of buoyant trading conditions – but if we strip the benign environment back, it’s possible to argue that those fleets that have survived from 2008 are probably well-placed to weather 10

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There is a core strategic decision to be taken here on the part of the automakers. While it is said, quite rightly, that the trucking industry evolves at a glacial pace, what is also entirely true is that, once that evolution is ongoing, it is very difficult to reverse.

Unlike the buoyancy surrounding natural gas a few years ago, the legitimisation of electrification and potentially of hydrogen as a function of the blessing of the OEMs suggests that such evolution is now picking up pace.

What does this say for diesel, and, more pertinently, for the costs necessarily borne by the automakers to ensure that diesel remains viable as a commercial vehicle fuel?

If 2020 produces the shock that many observers now see as more rather than less likely, then first mover advantage becomes very significant indeed. Marketing is the process by which one produces a product that one’s customers demand. In this regard, there would seem to be some urgency on the part of the OEMs to redouble their efforts away from diesel. That which had been a gradual evolution, now looks set to be one that develops pace rather more rapidly than might previously have been expected.

LEGAL TORQUE

G I L L I A N B R I S T OW A N D E M I LY N G O F L E A DI N G L AW F I R M , C O O P E R G R AC E WA R D, M A K E T H E I R D E T E R M I N AT I O N S O N T H E N E W WO R L D O F ‘ C H A I N O F R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y ’.

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ll those involved in the heavy transport industry should know that the new chain of responsibility regime in the Heavy Vehicle National Law commenced on 1st October 2018. So, what is changing and what is all the fuss about?

The current CoR regime deems parties in the ‘chain of responsibility’ responsible for a series of onroad offences, such as breaches of vehicles’ mass, dimension and loading requirements, and breaches by drivers of speed and fatigue requirements. The penalty for each offence is relatively small (most offences have a maximum penalty of $11,000 for an individual and $55,000 for a corporation). There have been some occasions where parties have been ordered to pay substantial penalties, but this is usually in circumstances where multiple offences have been committed.

Under the new CoR regime, a prosecution can occur without the need for an on-road offence or incident, and the penalties that can be imposed are significantly higher.

The most serious category of breach attracts a maximum penalty of $300,000 or five years in prison (or both) for individuals and $3 million for corporations.

What is the primary duty?

Under the new CoR regime, everyone in the chain of responsibility for a heavy vehicle will have a nontransferable duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of their transport activities related to the vehicle. ‘Transport activities’ are broadly defined to comprise activities ‘associated with the use of a heavy vehicle on the road’, including off-road business practices and decision-making.

The primary duty also extends to ensuring that, so far as reasonably practicable, the party’s conduct does not directly or indirectly cause or encourage a driver or another party in the chain to contravene the HVNL. Parties in the chain include transport operators, consignors, consignees, schedulers, packers, loading managers, loaders and unloaders.

What is the due diligence obligation?

Under the new CoR regime, executive officers must exercise due diligence to ensure their businesses comply with all major safety-related duties in the HVNL (including the primary duty).

An executive is not just a partner or director, but, in the case of a corporation, extends to ‘a person who

is concerned or takes part in the management of the corporation’. Therefore, the due diligence obligation potentially extends to senior managers who are responsible for transport and safety functions.

A failure to exercise due diligence may result in the executive being jailed or fined with the maximum penalty that applies being the same as the maximum penalty that would apply if the breach of the primary duty had been committed by an individual.

What are the penalties?

Failure to discharge the primary duty or due diligence obligation can attract significant penalties. The penalties under the new CoR regime are divided into three categories: Category 1: a reckless breach creating risk of death or serious injury attracts a maximum penalty of $300,000 or five years’ imprisonment (or both) for individuals, or $3 million for corporations; Category 2: a breach of duty creating risk of death or serious injury (without recklessness) carries a maximum penalty of $150,000 for individuals and $1,500,000 for corporations; and Category 3: a ny other breach attracts a maximum penalty of $50,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations.

What do you need to do?

To discharge the duties under the new CoR regime, ad hoc unwritten and informal policies and activities that are not audited or supervised are unlikely to be adequate.

Parties in the chain need to: • identify and assess the risks associated with their business and ways of removing or minimising those risks; • properly document policies and procedures; • train and instruct personnel in relevant policies and procedures; and • ensure that measures are in place to monitor compliance with their policies and procedures and to take corrective action where necessary.

If you have any questions about the new CoR regime, you are welcome to contact Gillian Bristow (07 3231 2925) or Emily Ng (07 3231 2986).

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FEATURE

GOING CORPORATE

Warren Caves joins Turps Tippers to talk about company growth and branding

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hen you are out on the road you get to see different companies doing their thing and soon become accustomed to seeing the familiar names as you cross paths on a regular basis.

Sometimes there seems to be really rapid fleet growth over a short timeframe, as almost overnight you can notice the increased presence of an unfamiliar company name adorning the sides of an expanding number of trucks. At this point it seems to me as though some large corporation has invested heavily into a transport project, explaining the increased presence of these trucks and the high visibility of the brand.

It’s not until I’m tasked with interviewing these company owners or directors that I can gain a more in-depth understanding of how these companies have increased their visibility and presence on the road.

In many cases, the growth in a company’s presence on the road and more visible public image come from

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natural expansion. Having operated older vehicles for years, perhaps as a one-truck business, the time has finally come for the family to branch out and purchase new vehicles, increasing its fleet and, at the same time, increasing its visibility to the public.

There comes a time when having established a trucking business with one truck, the owner, who has been slogging away in the background, gradually over time adds more used trucks to the fleet. One morning, while sitting down to their morning cuppa, they realise they now have 32 trucks and 29 permanent drivers on the books.

This is basically how it happened for Ian Turner, of Turps Tippers.

“I started out 19 years ago in a Ford Louisville, working that truck all week and spending the weekend under it doing maintenance. This went on for years until a friend of mine who was also in tippers said to me, you’ll never make a dollar in this game until you buy a new truck. I thought, that can’t be right, I can’t afford a new truck, to which he replied, if you can’t afford a new truck you’re doing it wrong”.

TURPS TIPPERS & EARTHWORKS

It took a couple more secondhand trucks, and as many years, for Ian to do the numbers and see the light, finally purchasing a new truck. Ian says, “I haven’t bought a used truck since. My mate was right. The numbers just don’t add up when you factor in maintenance costs, breakdowns, downtime and YOUR time”.

Today, Turps Tippers runs a mixed fleet of trucks including Kenworth, Freightliner and Western Star.

“In my business, price dictated what I got in terms of equipment, and while our latest trucks coming in to operation are Kenworth and a Western Star, I cannot knock Freightliner. Without Freightliner I wouldn’t have been able to get where I am today. At the time they were simply $30,000 to $40,000 cheaper to buy, and this made a huge difference.

“I like running a mixed fleet of trucks, I’m a bit like the democrats, I like to keep the bastards honest”.

According to Ian, Turps Tippers has grown massively over the past three to four years, securing major contracts with

large companies. This growth has seen fleet expansion figures running at approximately six to seven new trucks coming into service each year, Ian says he expects the fleet to reach a total of 50 trucks over the next two financial years.

Work involves transporting bulk gravels, sand, soil and profile to concrete plants and subdivisions as well as operating asphalt conveyor trailers for road infrastructure works, from the company’s Bargo, Unanderra and Goulburn yards.

A new 23-acre site at Bargo has recently had development application approval for a purpose-built depot incorporating servicing facilities and truck yard requirements for the rapidly expanding business. This will allow the move from the current Bargo location, which Ian says they outgrew some time ago.

“We have 10-15 of our quarry trucks dedicated to our contract to a major supplier of quarry products, with the remainder operating on various quarry tasks and asphalt conveyor trailer work.

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FEATURE “We have our own fuel storage in our yards and we have a contract mechanic who works exclusively for us. You can’t work any harder, you have to streamline your costs and work smarter,” said Ian. “Innovation drives this industry, and if you don’t move with the changes you’ll get left behind, which is why we have a strong presence with PBS accredited vehicles. In my time I have seen increases from 39-tonne payloads to 57.5 tonnes, and we are currently in discussion with manufacturers and looking at going out to 63-tonne payloads, not that this means we’re getting a higher rate per tonne than we did ten years ago.

“You don’t get anywhere in this business without good people around you, whether it be suppliers, industry contacts or staff, you need good people supporting you,” said Ian. It’s with this business philosophy, that Ian explains, “We do things a bit differently to some”.

five or six trucks. This then became too much for one, so another person was employed. A pattern soon emerged, with Ian identifying the number of six trucks per admin manager to be a manageable workload. Now the company has six young women managing fleet movements and compliance, including Ian’s two daughters, Jayme-Lee and Madison.

This presented a potential problem for the company, to which Ian took an unusual approach to address, particularly for a small business.

“I looked at the gender and age of the office staff and reasoned that they are probably all going to have children at some stage. This would mean 12 months maternity leave and the possibility that they may not return to work, as the cost of childcare may be prohibitive.

“We didn’t want to lose any of the girls this way as they have gained a broad understanding of our business. So, we have put in a childcare facility at the office to allow

In the early days, as many spouses do, Ian’s wife looked after the administration role up to the point of managing

“We have put in a childcare facility at the office”

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I’M PROUD

TO HAVE SUPPORTED AN AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURER.

“If you can get high quality trucks that fit the application and that are made in Australia, why would you look anywhere else? We’re really pleased with the performance of the IVECO trucks on our fleet, they do the job well and by purchasing IVECO we’re supporting Australian jobs. It’s a decision we’re really proud of.”

– Lou Polidori, Big Chief Heavy Haulage Manager

THAT’S COMMITMENT. THAT’S AUSTRALIAN JOBS. THAT’S IVECO. www.iveco.com.au/manufacturing

FEATURE the staff to return to work sooner and benefit from the childcare service provided. They get a benefit, and, as far as I’m concerned, the cost of a childcare worker for a week is far out-weighed by the benefits of retaining good staff,� explained Ian. Driver retention rates are also an area of concern for most transport businesses. To combat this Ian offers a profit share programme for his drivers. With this, Ian sees increases in productivity, with some drivers reporting delays in unloading, as they are keen to keep moving.

They also have a one-truck one-driver policy, and unused sick pay is paid out annually.

Ian Turner (on right) with driver Ben Jameson

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TURPS TIPPERS & EARTHWORKS Gilbert & Roach Trucks at Huntingwood have so far supplied three new T610 model trucks in conjunction with Muscat Trailers for PBS, truck and quad dog work, with another four units in various stages of completion and a T409 on the way as well.

“I simply get a quote, decide on a particular product, give the go ahead and sometime later it arrives here, registered and ready to work, that day. Spencer Richards is the salesperson we deal with – he knows what I like and what I don’t like.

All these trucks are equipped with the Cummins X15 engines. Currently, new trucks are being ordered with Eaton Roadranger manual transmissions, although Ian admits that this may need to change sometime in the future as some potential job candidates are coming through without the necessary skills to operate these transmissions.

“I can tell Spencer what I want the truck for and what type of work it will primarily be doing and he already knows what specifications I’m going to need for the truck in relation to compliance for work sites. The big jobs are demanding unprecedented levels of safety features, like reverse cameras, painted step treads, door alarms, lights under door openings and orange seat belts to name a few.

If you don’t have these items you don’t get on the site, it’s that simple. With prior experience in these areas, Gilbert & Roach sales get the options right, first go”.

“I believe that Kenworth trucks are the best equipment for the work we do,” says Ian, “and the combination of service we get from Gilbert & Roach and Muscat Trailers is great.

The feedback from drivers about the T610s is also positive, and they take a good deal of pride in their truck’s appearance, as is evidenced by the presentation of Brad’s truck for PowerTorque’s photo shoot.

“As I look back now on how things progressed for Turps Tippers, my only regret would probably be that I didn’t buy a new truck sooner. I don’t think that I would have prospered any sooner or grown any further, it’s just I think I may have done it a little easier,” concluded Ian.

“My only regret would probably be that I didn’t buy a new truck sooner” PowerTorque ISSUE 85

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FEATURE

DROVERS RUN

“Our work comes from a variety of sources,” said Nick.

“We can be contacted by stock agents, sheep and cattle buyers or we get a lot of repeat work from the cockies themselves. We also do subcontract work for larger freight companies when they’re oversubscribed a bit”.

As the icy July wind blows off the NSW alpine peaks and down through the country town of Cooma, PowerTorque met up with Nick and Leanne Dorahy of Cooma Livestock Transport to talk about life on the cattle trail and their small family-run livestock transport business.

Established in 2007, Cooma Livestock Transport is coowned and operated by Nick and Leanne. They operate four trucks – a T909, T650 and an Aerodyne from the Kenworth stable and an International T2700 – with a mix of sheep and cattle crates and convertibles that can handle either beast.

A ‘can do’ attitude and a philosophy of getting the job done, sees Nick and Leanne get right in amongst it to make their business a success.

Most small husband and wife transport partnerships involve the fellas out driving the trucks, and the ladies well and truly keeping the home fires burning (especially in Cooma in July), with invoicing and all that boring office

The company currently has three full-time and a couple of casual drivers.

From their hometown base of Cooma, Nick says they travel Australia-wide transporting livestock, to and from farms and saleyards and other various locations such as abattoirs and live export transfer facilities.

Warren Caves joins the Dorahy family at Cooma Livestock Transport – Images by Torque it Up 20

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COOMA LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT stuff that keeps the whole operation in the black. Not so in this case. While still attending to all the administration aspects, Leanne also drives the B-double trucks, both solo and two-up with Nick.

“While some blokes will look at women in the business with some scepticism at first, it doesn’t take long for them to recognise ability. Women are more than capable when it comes to handling the trucks, the stock and the people.

Leanne just puts on the overalls, gets the dogs out, and just gets into it. It’s not uncommon to see her inside a crate washing it out at two or three in the morning. Add that to all the bookwork and invoicing and she probably does more work than the lot of us.

“Our trips can keep us away from home for one or two weeks at a time, which is why we have set up this T909 Kenworth as best we can for living in. It’s a 600 horsepower Cummins ISXE5 powered truck, with a 2200-series 18-speed Eaton Roadranger transmission on 5160 Rockwell diffs and Kenworth six-rod suspension at a six-metre wheelbase.

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“We have a 50-inch sleeper fitted out with an inverter to power the upright fridge and microwave, and we run an ICEPACK cabin cooler unit. We also opted for the air-ride seat on both sides for the long two-up trips,” said Nick.

After a bad run of experiencing numerous flat tyres on a vehicle with ten-stud steel rims, Nick said, “I hate tenstuds, which is why I stick with the spider wheels – that, and the fact that I like the old-school look, and with the round red tanks on this truck, I reckon it looks good.

“Behind the back of the cab we have the ICEPACK, a dog box and another box with drawers for storage. Out the front we have fitted a Herd heavy-duty bullbar. We encounter all sorts of wandering stock and wildlife, which varies depending on where we are at the time. It could be cattle and roos out west one night, to brumbies and deer that are found locally in this basalt country, which is also home to roos large enough to be as bad as hitting a horse.

A good bar up front is a must,” explained Nick.

“Our maintenance is split between Kenworth Trucks in Wagga Wagga and ourselves, although with our 20,000 km regular servicing and maintenance schedules, not a great deal of additional work is required”.

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Utilising BPW axles and auto-greasing systems on their trailers has reduced maintenance and downtime, although Nick says he still fits manual slack adjusters on the brakes, preferring to keep the stoppers nipped up himself and knowing they’re right all the time.

Livestock trailers are generally defined in decks, with the 909 hitched to a convertible B-double set of trailers being a four-deck rear trailer and two-deck front trailer, for a combination of six decks of sheep or three decks of cattle.

A four-deck trailer could see an average load of 600-700 sheep, depending on size, or 1000 goats.

“We sometimes load bulls, mainly out of Dubbo, which can be a bit challenging at times. The way the facilities have the operation set up makes life a bit easier, with the bulls usually yarded and spelled for a few days before loading.

This settles them down a bit,” said Nick. “Although you still need to be very careful as bulls can be dangerous and unpredictable.

“We try to do everything right, in our work. Our main job is to make sure the stock is alright from the loading and unloading to ensuring our driving style is smooth and clean, minimising discomfort to the animals. It’s all about looking after the stock.

COOMA LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT “It can be a bit of a juggling act at times, trying to manage the animal welfare, while at the same time complying with fatigue management obligations. This is where we have the advantage of the two-up driving Leanne and I do. We can run virtually non-stop with a load to minimise the time the stock is on the truck, which benefits their condition”.

According to Nick, work is really busy right now for Cooma Livestock Transport. The continuing drought has forced a lot of livestock to be moved about, either to places with better feed options or farmers forced to sell off stock they can’t afford to feed.

Whilst the mainstay of the business is livestock transport, Nick says that they also cater for general freight, hay and machinery – if things are a bit quiet, or to help out a friend.

The modern-day drover’s life can be lonely one, with his truck and his cattle being his only companions. Nick and Leanne have managed to combat this by working together to the benefit of their business and their lifestyle.

“Any job, anywhere, we can handle it,” concluded Nick.

Nick and Leanne Dorahy with Kiana and Tallis plus working dogs PowerTorque ISSUE 85

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FEATURE

INTER-GATES

G

ates Haulage has rekindled its relationship with International trucks through the company’s latest ProStar and three-axle dog trailer purchase.

With its base in the NSW South Coastal town of Gerringong, Gates Haulage has been a prominent locallyowned family company supplying quarry materials on the coast and into Sydney concrete plants for a long time, but it hasn’t always been this way.

Way back in 1966 when the Australian population was struggling with the conversion of pounds, shillings and pence to dollars and cents, two brothers, Bryan and Stan Gates, had just purchased their first truck, a Leyland Comet. This was quickly followed by an International ACCO, to establish a business that would still be operating 52 years later under joint directorship of themselves and their two sons, Paul and Steve.

Originally starting out in nearby Kiama, Bryan and Stan were kept busy carting timber for mine support props from the far south coast up to the Illawarra escarpment coal mines. These loads saw the pair in steady work through the early years up until the mid-1970s, when a change was in the wind, with the transition from timber mine props to those constructed of steel.

The International brand has a strong history with Gates Haulage – Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up Photography.

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A period of time was then spent contracting to steelworks at Port Kembla transporting steel products to Melbourne and the Goulburn Valley on flat-top trailers, and supplementing work with the use of quick-hitch tipper trailers for bulk quarry work.

By the early 1980s the Gates Haulage business had been relocated to its current Gerringong location, with its fleet of trucks comprising almost entirely of tippers for quarry work.

This was a decisive change that was to carry through their business model right up until the present day.

Both Bryan and Stan are still active within the day-to-day running of the business – Bryan a little more so than Stan who alternates between the grey nomad lifestyle and keeping an eye on the business.

Through the mentorship of Bryan and Stan, the next generation of Gates men, Paul (Bryan’s son) and Steve (Stan’s son), are capably steering the business into the future.

GATES HAULAGE As a side diversification project, Gates Haulage has entered into a joint partnership with Brett Allen to form Resources NSW. Brett Allen has a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture, and the project sees Resources NSW source and supply a range of landscape supplies and a mix of natural and recycled products utilising Gates Haulage’s existing transport infrastructure.

“This is a relatively new project for us, which we are hoping to grow. It also does a good job of filling in the slower periods in the quarry area of work,” explained Paul.

Gates Haulage these days employs around 50 staff, including drivers, office and workshop personnel. The company currently operates a mixed fleet of 42 tippers, comprising varying combinations such as truck and dog, semitrailer and rigid variants, plus a powder tanker.

Maintenance is carried out by the company’s own workshop consisting of two full-time mechanics, an apprentice, a boilermaker and two casual mechanics to carry out the routine maintenance requirements. With the individual trucks averaging around 120,000 km per year, service schedules are maintained at 20,000 km intervals, together with the completion of any moderate repair requirements.

Bulk quarry products from the local Illawarra, NSW, sites are supplied by three major quarry companies to concrete plants in Sydney, necessitating all vehicles to contend

with pulling loads up the long steep climb of Mt Ousley. This involves a five-kilometre long grade of up to 10 percent, making the trucks work hard for their money.

Paul Gates adds, “We are often backloading as well, so the trucks and drivers get a workout both ways”.

As previously mentioned, Gates Haulage runs a mixed fleet business featuring trucks from Western Star, Mack, Freightliner, International and a new Mercedes Actros, which recently replaced a Freightliner Argosy on its powder tanker work. Interestingly, this change of vehicle make and technologies was strongly reflected in the improvement of fuel efficiency figures from the Argosy’s 1.9 km/l to the Actros with 2.4 km/l, virtually overnight.

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FEATURE

“We still like to keep some older vehicles in our fleet,” said Paul. “This gives us the opportunity to recruit younger less experienced drivers to give them a start in the industry, without throwing them directly into half a million dollars’ worth of equipment”.

At just four weeks into service, one of these new combinations is an International ProStar and three-axle dog tipper combination from Sloanebuilt Trailers.

“Our reasoning for purchasing a three-axle dog combination on PBS, instead of going down the quadaxle path is simply that we do a good deal of work in tight eastern Sydney locations and wanted to maintain the diversity of operation within our fleet,” said Paul.

Mark Stephens, a 24-year veteran within the company, was at the wheel of a Freightliner Coronado due for replacement when he was asked what type of vehicle he would like next? Prior to the Coronado, Mark had an International Eagle, which he really liked, so he thought the new-model ProStar might be worth a look. The deal was done and Mark is equally as impressed with the ProStar as he was with the Eagle.

“International Trucks has had a long history in Australian trucking. We purchased the Eagles through Nowra Truck & Tractor, as, when possible, we like to keep business local. Bryan has had a good relationship with the staff there for many years in a business and personal capacity, so it made sense to purchase our new truck from them through John Monahan,” said Paul.

Powered by the Cummins X15 engine, rated to 550 hp and 1850 Nm of torque, the driveline includes the latest UltraShift PLUS AMT with dual-mode programme. Mark says 28

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the truck performs really well at its GCM of 49.5 tonnes; so much so, that in the first few trips he was questioning whether he was carrying a full load.

Marks says the turning circle is outstanding, making it really easy to negotiate the tight cement plants he visits, adding that it took some getting used to as the dog tended to get away from him too quickly in the beginning.

He adds the vision is also excellent, and he even has room for his fridge in between the seats, thanks to the space offered by the omission of a gearstick.

With the combination often loaded in both directions, the ProStar is showing fuel economy figures of around 2.05 km/l. This is very encouraging considering its low odometer reading, and it’s fair to assume there is room for improvement once a few more kilometres have been covered.

“Our future plans involve renewing of our existing fleet and investing in compliance, tracking and data systems to keep up the with ever-increasing requirements from our clients and CoR legislation,” said Steve Gates. “This is the way of the future, so we are investing there,” he added.

The class leading DAF CF85.510 prime mover is now assembled at PACCAR Australia’s world-class manufacturing facility located in Bayswater, Victoria.

Now assembled in Australia.

FEATURE

SLIM PICKINGS Improving aerodynamics can enable a truck and trailer combination to slide through the air rather than hit it head-on.

Brenton O’Connor drives Volvo’s latest superslippery FH – Images by Torque it Up Photography.

S

omeone once said to me, when it comes to operating efficiently in the transport game, it’s not what you make, but what you save.

Obviously in many cases, if the transport company puts up its price, whether that is per tonne, per pallet or per load, they are likely to be undercut by a competitor, so the real option to increase profitability is to reduce inputs (costs).

The largest of those costs for many transport companies, after wages, is fuel. For those fleets doing high kilometres in interstate line haul averaging between 200,000 and 300,000 km per year, fuel is a massive input. Every 0.1 additional kilometres gained from each litre of diesel has genuine effects on their bottom line.

It was with this philosophy that Volvo Australia has launched its Fuel Super Truck, which is a truck and B-double curtainsider combination with a number of key modifications designed to achieve one thing – reduce fuel consumption.

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As Clive Jones, vice president of sales for Volvo Trucks Australia, explained, “The Volvo Fuel Super Truck is more than just a concept. It is a real-world truck specially engineered for Australian conditions with a fuel-efficiencyoptimised driveline and streamlined aerodynamics”.

PowerTorque recently had the opportunity to spend a day travelling from CMV’s impressive new Derrimut facility through to Volvo’s own company store in Blacktown Sydney, via the Hume highway. Accompanying me for this journey was Volvo Group Australia’s recently appointed fuel efficiency manager, Matt Wood. Matt, an industry veteran both operating trucks and also as a transport journalist, spearheaded this project to see what was possible when a truck is specified correctly, drag is reduced significantly, and also when correct driver training practices are in place.

These changes are all geared towards the operator so that each litre of fuel can be exploited to provide the maximum kilometres per litre. The full suite of innovations this truck demonstrated are all aimed with three key considerations – a reduction in fuel economy, increased safety for the driver and other road users, and, thirdly, making the operator’s job all that much easier on a day-to-day basis.

VOLVO FH

Upon an initial walk around of the vehicle, Matt is quick to explain the truck shown is nothing new or nothing that is not available for Volvo customers to order today. What the vehicle demonstrates is a unique suite of specifications that are available today, combined with the primary focus of gaining extra kilometres per litre of fuel. Matt explains that this truck is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the baseline standard spec Volvo FH16 against which this truck was benchmarked.

No mean feat, given the baseline FH16 is already regarded as an industry leader in terms of fuel economy.

The truck provided as part of our test was a Volvo FH16 with Globetrotter cabin, which had been derated to 540 hp, rather than 600 hp or 700 hp typically found in FH16s.

Whereas 540 hp Volvo FHs are typically powered by the 13-litre engine at maximum output, for the purposes of this evaluation the 16-litre variant was selected due to its extra torque at low rpm. This allowed Volvo to gear the truck with a 3.01:1 rear axle ratio to provide a 100 km/h top speed with a mere 1260 rpm.

Volvo has been able to spec the truck this way through the recent addition of crawler gears to the I-Shift transmission.

In this instance, a single crawler gear was added to the Volvo I-Shift transmission to provide the start-ability required, which would not otherwise be available with such a tall rear-axle ratio. The other benefit of the crawler gear is a very slow low reverse gear, which will alleviate the many concerns of Australian operators where

European transmissions have a reverse gear ratio that moves too fast at idle speeds when reversing B-doubles and long truck and dog combinations in tight areas.

In addition to the low gearing and tall rear axle ratio, Volvo has undertaken many other fuel-efficiency measures, including removing the front sun visor to help reduce drag, and adding a front apron underneath the front bumper to help reduce turbulence and drag under the combination. A locally sourced additional aero kit was installed to close up the gap between the rear of the cabin and the front of the A-trailer, and additional fairings were mounted on the fuel tanks and also the front step box, again, all to reduce drag.

A big change made by Volvo has been the tyres selected, which included wide-singles for the entire combination including the drive axles of the truck to reduce drag and rolling resistance. On the steer axle were 385/55 R22.5 Michelin X Line Energy F tyres with a unique lip on the outer casing of the tyre designed to reduce spray. On the drive were 445/50 R22.5 One Line Energy D tyres that are a wide single drive tyre, while the trailers were sporting Michelin X 385/55R22.5 X Line Energy T low rolling-resistance tyres.

When it comes to the trailers, The MaxiTRANS curtainsiders underwent significant modifications including the fitment of wide single tyres, full fairings under the bodies of both A and B-trailers and also fairings around the wheel area with struts added so they can be raised in order to change tyres as required. Furthermore, there were extra fairings added between the A and B-trailer also to help reduce wind resistance.

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FEATURE At a time when basically the whole of NSW is classified as being in severe drought, the weather on the day of the trial from Melbourne through to Sydney was appalling.

Undoubtedly, the fuel figures achieved would have been severely affected by these conditions, which included both gale force winds and also heavy rain. Wet roads have a severe impact on fuel economy as they create drag, with the truck having to push through and dissipate road surface water.

My initial personal viewpoint was that this B-double combination would be severely lacking in overall ability due to the extremely tall rear axle ratios. However, Matt assured me it was still a good drive, as the truck is geared to sit at 1260 rpm at 100 km/h, slap bang in the middle of the maximum torque on this engine, which is 2650 Nm from 1000 to 1450 rpm. Additionally, to help promote fuel-efficient driving, both manual mode and the kickdown function were disabled so that the truck made all decisions regarding gearshift points and peak engine rpm.

Surprisingly, the combination, at a gross weight of 63 tonnes, performed extremely well and I was not left feeling shortchanged when it came to performance.

Despite the aforementioned wind and rain, the truck maintained an average speed of 89 km/h, with only a few of the climbs on the Hume bringing the speed back to below 40 km/h. For the route, an overall average of 49.50 litres per 100 km (2.020 km/l) was recorded, which, given the gale winds and heavy rains, was extremely good.

Matt’s advice in the pursuit of fuel economy included using the cruise control as much as possible. Contributing to this reasoning was the Volvo iSee technology, where the truck maps the road network and will communicate with other Volvo trucks on the road in order for the truck to ‘learn the road’ before travelling over it personally.

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VOLVO FH This can achieve real gains when the truck knows it is three quarters of the way up the hill and able to back off the power through already ‘knowing’ it can roll over the top of the hill and regain speed on the downhill side. Additionally, the iRoll feature is working constantly whenever possible, with the transmission automatically selecting neutral when there are no throttle or engine/ service-brake inputs, aiming to help stretch every litre of diesel to cover as many kilometres as possible.

As with any Volvo, driver comfort and safety was top rate.

Seat travel for taller drivers isn’t as good as the Scania, as the seat fouls against the bunk when slid right back.

Personally, I didn’t find the driver’s seat as comfortable as some of its competitors, particularly the one fitted to the new Mercedes Actros.

The visibility out of the FH cabin is exceptional with the low-cut windows in the doors, allowing an excellent panoramic view of the surrounds. The revised mirrors fitted to the FH are both designed to be more wind efficient and also to help to reduce blind spots, which was a common complaint on the old model truck.

Obviously, this specific build for Volvo will not suit every application. Due to Australia’s tyre regulations, the wide singles on the trailer and drive axles reduce the permissible gross weight allowed on the combination.

Other aspects of the aerodynamic aids, such as the low skirts on both the prime mover and the trailer, will severely restrict the accessibility into any off-road terrain. It’s also a point of concern where animal strikes are the norm. However, the point of the exercise is to demonstrate to Australian operators that in today’s trucking it’s necessary to consider options, and that by selecting the right combination of driveline components they can gain further kilometres per litre. As mentioned earlier, it’s better to consider the whole of life costs and what the operator can save, as this will have tangible effects on their bottom line.

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FEATURE

POWERPLAY

When it comes to manufacturing compact stationary engines and powering small plant and equipment, the first name that comes to mind has to be Briggs & Stratton, with familiarity amongst consumers as a result of its 100 years’ history.

In addition to finding the Briggs & Stratton logo on the top of most lawn mowers in Australia, it’s now likely that you’ll be seeing the name reproduced on small, portable, petrolpowered generators.

Into a market that has been dominated by the 2.0 kVA Honda and Yamaha gensets, Briggs & Stratton has introduced three new models – the P2200 and P3000 PowerSmart Series™ Inverter gensets, plus the higher capacity Q6500 QuietPower™ Series Inverter Generator.

Inverter technology makes it safer for sensitive electronics and computer-controlled technology, and supplies smooth, steady power, adjusting engine speed accordingly to suit your power needs while saving fuel.

Portable gensets are now easy to start and quiet while running, easily capable of powering items such as lights, fans, coffee makers, laptops or TVs.

That’s where the P2200 and P3000 find their niche, both with 2x240-volt outlets, 1x12-volt accessory socket and a USB charging socket. The P2000 can be easily lifted with a weight of 24 kg, while the P3000, with a weight of 44 kg, comes with a set of wheels for ease of handling.

When operating at 50 percent load, the P2200 will run for three and a quarter hours, and this increases for the P3000 to five hours, pumping out 2200 and 3000 running watts, and a continuous output of 1700 and 2600 watts respectively. Pricing is $1299 for the P2200 and $1799 for the P3000, and their respective weights are 24 kg and 44 kg.

For those needing a higher electrical output, such as when covering the demand created by a power outage, Briggs & Stratton has the Q6500 QuietPower™ Series Inverter Generator.

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It is claimed to be more than 60 percent quieter than standard generators while delivering consistent power for essential appliances and sensitive electronics. With an all-steel frame enclosed in a protective shell, noise is minimised and internal components are protected.

BRIGGS & STRATTON GENERATOR

The integrated engine/alternator provides up to 14 hours of run time at 25 percent load, and the Q6500 can deliver 6500 starting watts of backup power, and 5000 watts of continuous power. With a design that’s 45 percent more compact and 30 percent lighter than standard generators, it weighs in at 58 kg and is easily moved around on its integral wheels by using a suitcase-style telescoping handle.

The latest feature to the Q6500 is the Bluetooth® capability available through the InfoHub™ app. The app allows you to monitor total power used, hours until empty, total unit hours and maintenance reminders. Its recommended retail price is $2999. (Starting watts is the maximum current that can be supplied momentarily when starting a motor, multiplied by the generator’s rated voltage).

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FEATURE

&

M O T S U C SIC S A L C 0 0 8 1 R A T S E N O L L A N O I T A N R E INT

History and nostalgia play a role today with Cooma Sand and Concrete – Words by Warren Caves, images

by Torque it Up.

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CUSTOM & CLASSIC

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FEATURE

I

f you started working for Cooma Sand and Concrete today as a driver in the company’s latest truck, you would be treated to such luxuries as a Cummins ISL 9.0-litre, 360 hp diesel engine, matched to an Allison automatic transmission and with heated power mirrors, electric windows and effective cabin insulation to keep your working day at an audibly acceptable level. Add to this spec air suspension, an FM radio, EasyRider 11 air suspension seats, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustments and LED dash lights, all of which are contained in the latest Freightliner CL 112, low weight, high strength aluminium cabin.

Had you landed a job as a driver with Cooma Sand and Concrete back in the early seventies, you probably would have been handed the keys to one of its two 1967 International Loadstars.

With this truck you would have been treated to a 392 cubic inch V8 petrol engine, delivering a whopping 191 hp @ 3600 rpm, with a 5X3 transmission (five speed main gearbox and a three-speed joey box) operated via the twin gearsticks.

Fortunately, all that cog-swapping while trying to keep the 20.4-tonne gross weight truck moving would keep you warm, as there was no heater or demister to keep the windows from fogging up on those cold alpine runs. The mirrors would also constantly fog up, unless you were game enough to wind down the windows in sub-zero temperatures to clear them with that oily rag from under the sprung bench seat, so luxuriously covered in vinyl.

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It wasn’t all doom and gloom though. In the summer I’m sure you would be toasty warm from the ambient day-time temperature blending together with the heat emanating from the floor pan and firewall, devoid of any real insulation properties. Ahhh, the good old days!

Gino Revelent, the founder of Cooma Sand and Concrete, started out working for Ready Mix Concrete back in 1963, carting sand to the Cooma concrete plant, until the closing of the plant in 1971. Gino then took a lease up on the plant in early 1972 and ran it until 1978.

The site of Cooma Sand and Concrete was built by Gino in 1979, and this is still the current base for the company’s operation today. Shortly thereafter, Gino opened another batch plant in nearby Jindabyne to cope with demand.

Mobile batch plants were also widely used during this time, both within the local alpine areas and further afield.

Stan Collman was Cooma born and bred and had great local knowledge.

He spent his early days with the company driving the Loadstars and can be seen here in the photos in front of the Cooma Creek Bridge, built with concrete delivered by Stan in one of the Loadstars back in 1974

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FEATURE

“Just grabbed another bucket of petrol and threw it down the throat of the Holley carby”

Gino’s son Marco Revelent is today the company’s general manager and recalls that when setting up the Jindabyne plant it financially stretched Gino quite a bit at the time.

“The plant was successful for a while, until competition moved into town in the form of another batch plant operated by Boral. Unfortunately, Jindabyne was only ever going to be a one-plant town, so the operation eventually wound up,” Marco explained.

Marco took on the role of general manager after the passing of Gino Revelent some 11 years ago. The business currently operates a fleet of six agitator trucks, and one tipper and dog combination. Two of the agitator trucks are fitted with quick-release bodies, allowing the fast swapping of bodies from agitator to tipper, to water cart, to prime mover. Marco says that the design allows fast and efficient transition of equipment to suit demand, and, with two operators who know what they are doing, the body swap can be accomplished in as little as 15 minutes.

Adding to the agitator fleet is the Freightliner CL112 8X4 truck, which was purchased through Chris Smith of Stillwell Trucks in Milperra six months ago.

“We have purchased our last three Freightliner agitator trucks from Stillwells and we seem to purchase a new truck about every two years,” said Marco.

“The 8X4 configuration on Freightliner’s own Airliner suspension has the perfect articulation we need for the sites we regularly go to. Other suspension systems we have used in the past, like camelback springs, don’t seem to yield the same level of articulation when the going gets rough. The 7.0-cubic-metre capacities of the barrels are well suited to our particular rural operation, and frontal vision is also excellent,” he added.

With a GCM of up to 40,000 kg and a light tare weight, thanks in part to the aluminium cab design, the CL112s are a solid choice for those wanting to maximise payloads without going down the mass management or PBS pathways.

“We have worked on major freeway and road projects throughout the state on a contract basis, where we supply our trucks and drivers, who stay away for the contract period. We also do a lot of work locally and in the ACT,” said Marco.

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Wanting to show how the company and concrete transport in general has progressed over the years, Marco wanted an old Loadstar to remember his father’s early days in the business. While this truck featured here is not one of the original company trucks, it is of the same specification.

CUSTOM & CLASSIC

“I did locate the original truck, but it was way too far gone in terms of rust to even bother restoring. This Loadstar was purchased from Queensland, and to get it to where it is today it only needed some minor rust repairs and a paintjob. We also did a carby overhaul and the re-racing of the Joey box, as it kept jumping out of gear,” said Marco.

The truck has been painted in the company colours, and the names painted on the sides are in recognition of the company’s early employees, Stan Collman, Westy, and Gino himself.

Stan Collman was Cooma born and bred and had great local knowledge. He spent his early days with the company driving the Loadstars and can be seen here in the photos in front of the Cooma Creek Bridge, built with concrete delivered by Stan in one of the Loadstars back in 1974.

Marco also recalls his father telling a story of a day when Stan Collman was driving a Loadstar tipper with a cargo of very wet river gravel (which one might have said at the time could have been substantially overloaded), when he drew the attention of the “scalies”. With the only available means of weight checking being located at the local railway station, Stan was directed there. At that time there were two ways to the railway station, one went a little further along the road, with a left turn onto the street to the station. The alternative route was not quite as direct as the route suggested by the “scalies,” but it did conveniently pass by the concrete plant.

Not surprisingly, Stan took his preferred option and quickly unburdened the Loadstar of its consignment before rolling into the railway station with an empty truck. Marco remembers his father saying, he could hear the yelling nearly a mile away, as Stan was berated for his cunning.

Marco is quick to add, “Those days are long gone”.

L-R: Tristan Revelent, Marco Revelent, Stan Collman, Greg “Bull” West

Kenny West or “Westy” was another long-standing employee of some 25 years’ service with Cooma Sand, later buying a truck from Gino and subcontracting to him.

Ultimately, ill health forced the sale of the truck, which, interestingly, Gino bought back from him. Westy passed away around 20 years ago. His son, Greg “Bull” West, can be seen in the photos on his behalf.

The modern-day truck driver’s environment has changed a lot over the 50 years that are spanned by these two trucks.

Comfy air-suspended seats instead of coil springs in the seat base, and complete control over the climate in the cab, make for a much easier day at the office.

Drivers of today (myself included) complain that we have it tough, and at times we do, but the challenges are of a different kind. In 1967, concern about how many kilometres per litre you were achieving was not relevant.

You just grabbed another bucket of petrol and threw it down the throat of the Holley carby. You thanked your lucky stars that you didn’t tear a rotator cuff trying to steer these heavy, often overloaded trucks, without power-assisted steering, and prayed that the mechanical handbrake held long enough for you to find the truck in the same place where you had parked it.

If it’s all the same, I’ll stick to the modern Freightliner thank you.

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FEATURE

LIVE CARGO

Animal welfare is a critical component for Seilers Transport as specialist in livestock transport – Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up.

T

he person we become is very often shaped by circumstances experienced during our younger years. For Jared Seiler, being regularly dropped off at school by his mum in a truck loaded with pigs certainly influenced his formative years by emphasising the importance of the transport and welfare of livestock, which would eventually form the structure for his later working life.

In 1990, Jared’s parents, Cliff and Joanne Seiler, set up Seilers Transport, initially starting out with rigid body trucks. Jared left school bound for ag college, followed by a stint in the Northern Territory building houses in a remote aboriginal community before returning home and obtaining his truck licence and working his way up.

Having bought out Joanne’s share of the business in 2005, Jared, with his his wife Donna, has continued to work with the assistance of Cliff Seiler to slowly expand their livestock transport business.

Jared, Donna and Cliff now operate a mixed fleet of trucks and trailers comprising eight Freightliner Coronados used on B-double work, plus two Scanias and four Nissan UDs, one Volvo and one Isuzu.

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Jared Seiler

SEILERS TRANSPORT

“We now have a total of 24 employees, with 17 of those being drivers. We have a lot of long-standing drivers who have been with us for many years. The workload is quite structured, and this makes balancing work and personal life a bit easier,” said Jared.

“This also keeps the wives happy. I reckon if you keep the wives happy, the drivers are content and stick around also,” laughed Jared.

While Seilers Transport has cattle trailers within their operation, pig transport has become the mainstay of recent operations and has driven trailer design and manufacture to accommodate this niche transport market.

“Our truck of choice, of late, has been the Freightliner Coronado. We find they offer good value for money and suit our type of work well on our short to medium-distance loads. The trucks are kitted out with fridges and TVs, and we operate on a one-driver-per-truck system. The eight of our Coronados are running in B-double configuration with five of them on the pig transport jobs,” Jared added.

Purchased through Daimler Trucks Toowoomba (formerly Westco Trucks), Seilers Transport is running its Coronados with DD15 engines rated at 560 hp and has chosen to stay with the proven Eaton Roadranger 18-speed manual transmissions.

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FEATURE “We have been very happy with the Freightliners and the drivers seem to like them as well. We can be running at weights of up to 70 tonnes gross weight at times, and the fuel economy is averaging 1.5 to 1.6 km/l.

“The Freightliners are reasonably priced and the fiveyear/1,000,000 km warranty on the engine and fouryear/800,000 km warranty on pretty much everything else is very attractive. This is especially the case when we consider that we have a preferred five-year turnover on our trucks, which would probably see the distance covered in that period at around 500,000 to 600,000 km, at which point they should still achieve reasonable resale value.

The whole package works out well for us,” said Jared.

“We have our own, in-house maintenance facility and handle all of the general maintenance and repair work. If anything major occurs for repair we send the equipment back to the relevant manufacturer for rectification under warranty.

“Each of our trucks is equipped with its own tablet, and we are now using the Gearbox programme to keep our maintenance in-check.

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“Our drivers complete their daily pre-checks on the tablet and log any minor defects or faults, which automatically sends an email to the office and our maintenance manager for logging, parts ordering and scheduling the repair, depending on the seriousness of the fault.

“We find this programme a huge improvement on our previous, paper-based system, allowing us to be far more proactive on our maintenance and really keep on top of things,” explained Jared.

“You don’t get anywhere in this business without good people helping you. We have a good relationship with our suppliers such as Rytrans Manufacturing of Toowoomba, through whom we purchase our trailers. By working together cooperatively we are fine-tuning our designs to facilitate the most time and cost-effective way of transporting our livestock,” concluded Jared.

See our feature on Rytrans Manufacturing in TrailerTorque (pages 92-97) in this issue.

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FEATURE

BALANCING THE BOOKS

Efficiency for Borger Cranes comes in the form of counterweight trucks to carry the load. Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up.

S

ydney-based Borger Cranes has teamed up with City Hino to modernise its counter-weight truck fleet, increasing reliability and function, while at the same time providing standardised equipment for their operators.

PowerTorque caught up with Borger Cranes’ general manager, Shawn Borger, a second-generation Borger, who, along with his brother Nathan and a devoted team of long standing employees, is currently working within the business started by their father with one crane, 38 years ago.

This humble beginning formed the foundation of a business that today operates 65 cranes, a fleet of 40 trucks and 100 trailers from a 30,000 sq m site in the western Sydney suburb of Glendenning, with a second site in Newcastle.

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Borger Cranes operates equipment by Liebherr, Franna and Manitowok, with cranes from 3.0 tonnes up to a massive 600 tonnes, and, as one might imagine, coordinating these crane movements requires a good deal of planning and an extensive fleet of trucks and trailers. The largest crane in use is a 600-tonne crawler, which requires 49 truckloads to transport it to site.

BORGER CRANES Shawn Borger explains the reasoning behind current fleet structuring and acquisitions: “The crane industry has changed a lot of the last 15 to 20 years. In the past, a crane truck would travel to site with just a driver and a dogman to carry out the work. These days, the cranes are set-up with counterweights, which need to be transported to site, requiring the use of a counterweight truck capable of carrying up to 12 tonnes.

“In the past we tended to purchase ex-highway prime mover trucks of different brands with a few hundred thousand kilometres on them for our trailer work.

Then, after a time, we would utilise these trucks as our counterweight trucks. We thought this was the most practical and cost-efficient way to operate.

“Running old secondhand trucks was no longer in the best interest of our business. We needed reliability and we wanted a sense a familiarity within our equipment.

“We are in the process of standardising our fleet, and in the last three years or so have purchased 40 new trucks.

This process started with our heavy trucks and trailers that we used to transport our larger cranes to job sites within Sydney, and around the eastern states in pieces for assembly on-site. For this work we have chosen Volvo prime movers up to 700 horsepower,” said Shawn.

Just prior to Christmas, 2017, four new counterweight trucks were put into service with Borger cranes, with a further four coming on-board just recently.

“Our way of thinking was always such that our counterweight trucks were a dead cost to us, which is why we utilised our ex-prime movers in this role. We probably learned the hard way that this was not necessarily the best option.

“What we ended up with were old worn-out trucks that were unreliable and ill-suited to the task. They were overpowered for the job, plus they all had different transmissions and multiple fuel tanks that were not needed. Also, we were putting drivers in them that were not necessarily qualified truck drivers. They were dogmen, and in the past they usually only had a car licence. The combination of old gear and drivers unfamiliar with the equipment resulted in high operating and maintenance costs,” explained Shawn.

What was then embarked upon was the search for a truck that would be solid and reliable, reasonably priced, easy to drive, safe and efficient for the task and comfortable enough for three occupants.

After evaluating several manufacturers, Shawn says they decided on the Hino 500 wide-cab.

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FEATURE “It wasn’t a difficult choice for us. The people at City Hino, Arndell Park, and in particular Christian Geadah, really listened to what we needed. They looked at our operation and took the time to understand it, coming up with what I believe is the 100 percent perfect vehicle for us”.

Seven of the Hinos have the 8.0-litre, 280 hp, J08E engine, and one has the 9.0-litre A09C engine at 320 hp. Whilst the 280 hp engine is the chosen variant for Borgers, a 320 hp model was lent as a test vehicle and subsequently purchased. The new Hinos in this wide-cab version are Euro 5 compliant by way of SCR and AdBlue, with no need for a DPF. This suits the intermittent daily use the trucks get, removing the need to constantly instigate timeconsuming manual regeneration burns.

All eight trucks are paired up to six-speed Allison 3000 World transmissions, meeting the company’s prerequisite of being easy to drive.

“We wanted to make the trucks as easy to drive as possible, not harder, which is why we opted for the Allison automatic transmissions. They are great to learn on for younger drivers and less fatiguing in city traffic. We didn’t need large amounts of power from the trucks as they basically spend their time following our cranes, which travel slowly anyway, so the 280 hp engine is adequate and reports are that our drivers love to drive the Hinos,” said Shawn.

Cabin space was also a deciding factor for truck choice, as Shawn explained, “We usually send out a crane with a dogman and a counterweight truck to jobs. However, sometimes the crane will remain on-site overnight, meaning that the return trip requires a truck that can comfortably seat three. The Hino wide-cab just seemed to be a better fit when accommodating a full passenger load,

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BORGER CRANES and the shelf behind the seats allows bags to be placed away from the seating area”.

The worksite and crane industry are well regulated with regards to safety, and the Hino 500 wide-cab is no different. The standard vehicle stability control (VSC), drivers SRS airbag, ABS, traction control, reversing camera and commanding view through the windscreen all add up to increased safety for the driver.

“We had the trays manufactured to meet our exact requirements. They needed to be able to cater for the payloads we are putting on them, which equates to about 11 tonnes when you add up the counterweights, chains, rigging and hardwood timber stabiliser boards.

“We have a little bit of room to move with weight and can run on full fuel tanks without worry. The counterweights on our latest trucks sit in a specifically designed cradle, which secures them from side to side and fore and aft movement. They are then just pinned in place, which fulfils our load restraint requirements and makes set-up and pack-up a speedier and much more efficient process,” explained Shawn.

City Hino handles all the servicing and maintenance, which Shawn says up to the present has just been oil and filter changes, and they have not had any other problems with the trucks so far. The Hino 500s are adhering to sixmonthly servicing schedules, as they do not cover huge distances each day. It’s with this in mind that Shawn says they envisage a ten-year life with the company, at the end of which the trucks will have relatively low odometer readings, yielding a reasonable resale figure.

“It took us a while, and we learnt the hard way that purchasing used trucks doesn’t necessarily mean saving a dollar in the long term. We won’t buy secondhand trucks again. If a counterweight truck can’t make it to a job, the crane and three employees can’t work. In the future, as we purchase new cranes, we will purchase a new Hino to complement it, of exactly the same specification as we have now,” added Shawn.

there’s a tat r a t o s u i t all your requirements

w: www.offroadtrucks.com.au PowerTorque ISSUE 85 49 e: sales@offroadtrucks.com.au

FEATURE

VOLVO, UD AND MACK – RIGHT ON TRACK

Further investment in manufacturing and customer support services pave the way for the Volvo Group Australia to expand production and market share.

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olvo Group Australia today fits well under the description of being right on track to achieve increased market share with each of the three brands it represents in the Australian market.

It’s a big deal when a company invests in opening a new head office, plus a new dealership, as has recently occurred in South Brisbane. But it’s an even bigger deal when the global head of the company travels out from Sweden to attend the event, especially to meet local customers and officially preside over the opening of the new premises alongside Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade, the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The three brands that comprise Volvo Group Australia each have their own place in Australian trucking history.

PowerTorque remembers only too well when Volvo marketed both cabover and bonneted trucks and when Mack was wholly American owned and running its own show. UD Trucks was at that time distributed by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation, and made its name for solid reliable vehicles such as the CWA 45 that was a favourite with local authorities as a rigid tipper working on the main roads.

Now the three brands are combined, there are obvious advantages through commonality of product, making it easier for operators looking for a variation of vehicles to benefit from the synergies of similar componentry and centrally based customer service and support from the multi-franchised dealerships.

In an interview with PowerTorque, the Group’s global president and CEO, Martin Lundstedt, confirmed that the Wacol, Brisbane, manufacturing centre is to receive further funding for expansion to enable an increase in production to match additional demand in the Australian market.

Speaking at the opening of the new $30 million Australian headquarters and Brisbane South dealership, Mr. Lundstedt said refurbishment of the Wacol truck plant would enable the Group to further increase production, signalling the company’s strong outlook.

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“Our increase in market share towards 27 percent over the past five years, in combination with a strong heavy-duty truck market, makes it necessary to further increase our production capacity,” Mr. Lundstedt said.

“In the past five years alone, production at our Wacol factory has increased by 40 percent. Investing in the Wacol factory, not far from our new national headquarters, will help grow our 27 percent market share and give a boost to around 85 local component suppliers,” he added.

Important to this success is the reinforcement by Mr. Lundstedt of the brand core values of safety, reduced driver fatigue, improved fuel economy and lower total cost of operation. Gone are the video clips of trucks performing with ad hoc events involving animals and aging film stars, with safety and innovation back in the focus for all three brands.

“The results we achieve in Australia are near to a 30 percent market share with the three brands. In global terms the group made a profit in Q2 of this year of $15 billion (AUD). All five truck business areas globally increased market share and performance,” said Mr. Lundstedt.

“We know transport (demand) will increase, but it has to be considerably more sustainable. Where we have transport systems that are surviving, we have to develop the business models to support them.

VOLVO “We have the new Mack platform for Anthem, the UD Quon platforms in South East Asia and the latest safety inclusions for Volvo with crawler gears, dynamic steering, dual-clutch transmissions and well-known technologies.

“Our strengths in electro-mobility and connectivity ensure the short-term perspective is good, and from 2007-2008 onwards we have gained more knowledge on hybrids and fully electric vehicles. Connectivity provides a technology backbone with 700,000 connected vehicles around the globe, backed by driver training and fuel efficiency,” added Mr. Lundstedt.

Over the past five years since arriving in Australia, Peter Voorhoeve, in his role as president of Volvo Group Australia, has stamped his authority on the group businesses. His openly honest and totally committed aim to grow the strengths of the three brands in areas such as customer service, product support and driver training has enabled the group to establish a highly credible presence that is the envy of many of his competitors.

Coinciding with the opening of the new dealership and head office, and the additional investment in the Wacol manufacturing facility that reinforces the future for the Queensland workforce, Peter Voorhoeve now moves on to his next challenge as president of Volvo Trucks North America. His position in Australia will be filled by Scotsman, Martin Merrick. With 30 years of experience working with the Volvo Group, Mr. Merrick was previously senior vicepresident of retail development at Volvo Trucks in Sweden.

Clive Jones takes on the position of vice-president of Volvo Trucks Australia, with Dean Bestwick continuing his role as vice-president of Mack Trucks Australia.

Peter Voorhoeve leaves behind a legacy of support for driver training, not only with the Group’s own driver trainers, but with strong support for the Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls in WA, and also new links with Wodonga TAFE and Transport Women Australia through a partnership to create a pilot training programme designed to help women obtain a heavy-vehicle driver licence.

When summing up the current performance of Mack Trucks in the Australian market, Dean Bestwick highlighted the safety aspects of the brand, with the inclusion of Bendix Wingman Fusion, developed for the line haul market. Currently, 96 percent of MACK Trucks sold in our market with the MP8 and MP10 engines feature the mDRIVE transmission, with the 16-litre engine forming 25 percent of the model mix. Euro 6 versions of both the 13-litre and 16-litre engines are already developed for the European market, but no date for their introduction to Australia has yet been confirmed. Cummins engines power 20 percent of the market for the Metro-Liner.

Mark Strambi, vice-president of UD Trucks Australia, was jubilant regarding the acceptance of the latest versions of the Quon, with 113 units already delivered and a healthy order bank stretching ahead, reinforced by the expected launch of more models in the range in 2019 and 2020.

Volvo’s performance is also running ahead of expectations, with the total Australian market for heavy-duty trucks expanding from 10,000 units per year out to 12,000 units.

Providing a trigger point for the additional investment in the Wacol manufacturing facility.

Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade, the Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk, and Volvo Group’s global president and CEO Martin Lundstedt, with Volvo Group Australia’s president Peter Voorhoeve

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FEATURE

THREE IN ONE PowerTorque’s three road test editors give their individual views on Scania’s New Generation – Words by Ed Higginson, Brenton O’Connor and Warren Caves

L

aunching a new truck range is a major call in the life cycle of any truck manufacturer, and, with the New Generation, Scania is putting its future in focus for the Australian operator. Our review starts with Ed Higginson as he gives his thoughts as the first in line for PowerTorque.

We first tested Scania’s Next Generation back in the April issue of PowerTorque, running the R620 V8 and G500 in Euro 5 form between Melbourne and Sydney. With both trucks in strict economy mode, we picked the G500 as the winner for various reasons, feeling the big Scania V8 had lost its growl.

Six months on from the trucks’ official launch, we got a second chance to jump behind the wheel of the same R620 V8 with 120,000 km on the clock, and a new Euro 6 G500, taking both trucks along the coast from Port Lincoln in SA over to Kalgoorlie in WA, covering 1800 km in two days.

The Scania has a long list of impressive specifications and engine ratings, which have been discussed in previous articles, so here we have decided to focus on how the Scania is to live with, driving through the day and sleeping in at night.

We joined the Scania driver trainers on their crosscountry roadshow, stopping at Scania dealers across the country from Melbourne to Cairns, across to Port Lincoln, Kalgoorlie, and Perth before heading back to Victoria over several weeks.

I got the keys to the V8 on the first day of our test to cover 881 km between Port Lincoln and the Border Village on the SA/WA border. Setting off just before dawn, we left the yard with a set of Freighter B-double curtainsiders loaded to a GVM of 66 tonnes.

Pulling out of Port Lincoln onto the Flinders Hwy, I was pleased to find that we could now select standard mode and instantly felt a difference to our last trip. Pulling up the long hill out of town, the V8 growl was back and it effortlessly got up to speed, quickly pulling away from the G500 loaded with a lower GVM of 56 tonnes.

Driving out into the dark unfamiliar countryside, we could appreciate the fantastic Scania LED lights, with spotters that aim four metres either side of the cab to illuminate the roadside, plus integrated spotlights in the high roof that shine off into the distance to give great vision at night.

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As the sun began to rise, we got to take in the spectacular scenery, plus push the V8 a little harder as the road was starting to dry out. Scanias have always been a great handling truck, and the Next Generation has built on this. The new R-cab doesn’t roll like some of the early European cabs, so running as a B-double with EBS, the full combination handled superbly.

Scania’s driveline worked well too, and with 3000 Nm of torque matched with the 12-speed Opticruise, the truck never felt like it was working hard. Running with the power and torque output in Standard mode, it was changing gear around 1100 rpm rather than 950 rpm in Eco mode, which made a big difference over the hills. Being able to manually downshift if I saw a hill was going to get steeper enabled me to keep the momentum going, so the drive was much more enjoyable.

A feature that I hadn’t noticed previously was downhill speed control. This is activated through a quick touch of the foot brake at the required speed, and the R4100D retarder would then hold the combination’s desired speed downhill. You can also use the steering wheel controls, but blipping the brakes was a much easier way to set the speed control.

On our previous run from Melbourne to Sydney, I focused on the Scania onboard driver evaluation diagnostics that constantly scores your driving based on performance, anticipation and fuel efficiency. It’s a great tool to help improve your driving, but on this run I wanted to simply

SCANIA focus on the truck and enjoy the ride, so after 12 hours I climbed out of the truck on the SA/WA border with a smile on my face wishing I could keep the keys.

After a shower and first-rate meal in the BP Border Village truck stop, I headed back out to the R-cab for the night, so I could truly appreciate the $3 billion dollars of development Scania has spent on the new cabs.

In the past couple of years, I’ve spent numerous nights out in a few of the current truck models, from the MAN XLX, Volvo FH and a FM, the DAF XF105 and Kenworth’s T610, so I have a good range to compare against the new Scania.

After our April issue of PowerTorque, we had the good old Europe vs. American truck debate on Facebook, with many agreeing that the inner-spring mattresses in the bonneted American trucks always win on long distance work, so I had to test it out. I would normally agree, but Scania has built a cab that wins in many areas.

Compared to its European competitors, it clearly wins with a 1000 x 2175 mm pocket-sprung mattress. Both seats can be moved forward while sitting on the bed by pressing a foot pedal at the base of each seat. Then, by lifting a lever under the mattress you slide forward to widen the mattress to its full size.

It may sound like a gimmick, but it is a simple solution that works effectively, making it the widest and one of the comfiest truck beds I’ve used. The only issue was that with the contoured shape of the bed that is sealed to the base, so you can’t use fitted sheets, which might annoy you if you like to keep the cab extra tidy.

Scania has also spent its money on curtain design, one area where many others struggle. They are simple to pull around, fit with the contours of the dash and zip together, so no issues with annoying gaps. They even have the Scania badge embossed onto them for that added touch.

Locker space is class leading with 324-litres of storage above the windows, plus there are power points inside ready for a microwave, TV or kettle. The R-cab also gets two slide-out trays under the bed, so you can fit a fridge and separate freezer if required.

After spending 24 hours in the R-cab you begin to love the attention to detail, layout, features, quietness and quality finish. Coupled to a big V8, the new Scania is a winner on many fronts.

After a good night’s sleep in the R620 and a decent breakfast, it was time to jump over into the G500 Euro 6 for the second day’s drive into Kalgoorlie, covering 907 km across the Eyre Highway.

Just like the R-cab, the G design has set the benchmark in many areas, feeling much roomier than the older model.

With its seat positioned 65 mm nearer to the front and 20 mm closer to the door, it’s a lot larger than many other trucks. If you are looking for a B-double truck for running at weights under 60 tonnes, the G500 is a great option.

It might not be the ideal choice if you want to spend multiple nights away, but for the odd night or running local, the smaller cab may be preferred, with its easier access and extra windows behind the mattress and passenger seats to help visibility. The G500 on test was the high-roof option, so offered plenty of storage, enough room to get changed in the passenger footwell, a pullout fridge tray and an 800 mm wide mattress.

There were a couple of issues though, mainly that the leather seats had been fitted without armrests, which was an oversight on the demo. Plus, with only 700 litres of diesel and 80 litres of AdBlue storage, the trip across to Perth was more stressful than we’d have liked. If you were paying to refill the truck across the Nullarbor, you would also be stressed by the $2 a litre for diesel! But, realistically, this wouldn’t be the G500s normal route and a trip up the Hume Highway would suit it perfectly.

Back in the April issue along the Hume Highway, the Euro 5 G500 achieved an average fuel consumption of 2.11 km/ litre, but across the Nullarbor with strong head winds, in Euro 6 spec the G500 dropped to 1.86 km/litre with a high 10.9 percent of AdBlue usage. By comparison, the R620 V8 in Euro 5 spec dropped from 1.83 km/litre down to 1.64 km/litre when pulling around 3.0 tonne more, with a 7.8 percent AdBlue usage.

This may be down to the conditions and route, but also interesting to note is that our Scania driver scores had dropped too, perhaps confirming the importance of good driver training and the benefit of Scania’s onboard driver analysis.

Scania has been winning many accolades in Europe against strong competition, and after spending a few days test-driving, plus sleeping in the R-cab, we can understand why.

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FEATURE Brenton O’Connor gives his thoughts as the second in line for PowerTorque.

Following my introduction to the New Generation Scania G and R-Series earlier this year running on the Hume Highway, what could be better than heading to Western Australia for a two-day drive from Port Lincoln, South Australia, and on to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia?

A key difference to the trucks driven on the Hume Highway was the G500 – now appearing as a Euro 6 variant but running in convoy with the same R620 Euro 5 V8 we had driven previously. Both trucks were coupled to Freighter curtainsider B-double sets, loaded to 56 tonnes for the G500 and 66 tonnes for the R620 V8.

During the pre-drive check of the G500 I noticed this New Generation version G500 had cabin air suspension, whereas the G500 Euro 5 I drove on the Hume earlier had mechanical spring suspension.

The cab interior with its optional leather seat trim looked impressive; however, the seat was not fitted with armrests, which, after 920 km in the seat, became uncomfortable.

Whilst it may seem pedantic, spending 12 hours in a truck soon highlights small flaws like this, which become frustrating. One would have to ask the question, why armrests are not standard fitment on a premium truck such as this?

After leaving Port Lincoln it was immediately noticeable how good this truck is to drive – the 13-litre, straight-six engine is smooth and refined and made light work of the 56 tonnes gross weight. The gearshifts were decisive and quick – you can certainly notice the difference the new transmission makes with the new lay brake integration.

The cab air suspension was noticeably better than the steel sprung version driven earlier in the year, but there’s an annoying reflection of the driver’s image in the windscreen, which must be due to the windscreen angle being very vertical.

Fuel consumption recorded was 1.86 km per litre, which at first glance sounds high; however, the weather conditions were atrocious. The headwinds across the Nullarbor coming from the southwest were horrific, so much so that the truck wasn’t able to maintain 100 km/h at some points. When getting in and out of the truck, one had to be most careful to avoid the door getting caught by such gale force winds.

More worrying though was the AdBlue consumption. The Scania onboard system recorded an AdBlue usage of 11.6 percent comparative to fuel burn. Obviously, the higher fuel burn experienced due to the headwinds necessitated the higher AdBlue burn, as the Scania Euro 6 system (except for the R730 V8) uses SCR technology only. As such, due to the high AdBlue consumption and the relatively small AdBlue tank (80 litres), a refill was required on a daily basis.

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“Scania has been winning many accolades in Europe against strong competition and we can understand why.”

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FEATURE Apart from the high diesel price of $2.04 per litre across the Nullarbor, there was no AdBlue option on bowsers.

Given that every new heavy truck (except for Detroitpowered Freightliners and Western Stars) uses AdBlue, a driver would either have to carry enough for the journey or be prepared to carry separate containers from the truck stop across the forecourt to refill the trucks each night.

Day two saw me take the wheel of the R620 V8 in Euro 5 form. Immediately noticeable with the R-Series cabin is the increased room, with only a very slight engine tunnel compared to the G-cabin. There’s also more footwell room, particularly for your left foot around where you would find the clutch pedal in a manual truck.

For tall drivers such as myself, the Scania is the pick of the Europeans due to the cutout in the bed that allows increased seat travel. No other European cabover can offer that benefit unless you go to the hassle of raising the bed. Importantly, bed space is not sacrificed, as when parked up and with the seats moved forward the bed slides out, increasing its width and allowing for a very comfortable rest period.

The fit and finish in the new cabin is outstanding, and the dashboard in particular is a step above its competitors in style and feel. The doors close in similar fashion to a luxury European sedan, not a truck. Access in and out of the cabin of the R-Series is also safer and easier than afforded by its competition.

The R620 as driven was the Euro 5 variant and was using a much more modest 7.5 percent AdBlue consumption relative to diesel burn. Fuel consumption for my day in the big V8 was 1.64 km per litre, which, as per the G500, sounds excessive; however, the gale force head winds would make any truck look bad. The performance of the V8 meant it could maintain its 100 km/h despite the gale force headwinds and also the heavy gross weight of 62 tonnes.

The seats fitted to the R620 were more comfortable than those of the G500 due to the addition of armrests, and there was increased fridge storage and another drawer under the bunk for other odds and ends.

While the Nullarbor is near flat, the retarder didn’t get the chance to show off its full potential as tested on the Hume earlier in the year. What other truck can travel Melbourne to Sydney at 62 tonnes without the need to touch the service brake?

The new Scania’s are, for me, a delight in every sense. The interior fitout and styling is a step above its competitors, and cabin access is much better than other continental offerings. Despite poor weather conditions due to the gale force head winds, the Scania’s performed extremely well, and my criticism of the lack of seat armrests was mere nitpicking due to the otherwise near flawless design and drive of the truck.

Warren Caves gives his thoughts as the third in line for PowerTorque.

It’s been a long time coming, with millions of dollars and kilometres of investment and testing to refresh Scania’s ageing design platform conceived some 20-plus years ago.

Spruiking class-leading fuel economy, Euro 6 emission spec availability, driver safety features never before seen in an Australian heavy truck, along with a strong focus on driver comfort, Scania executives have high hopes for the future of the brand in the Australian marketplace.

After PowerTorque magazine had the opportunity to evaluate the New Generation models on road tests in previous issues this year, now it’s time to ramp things up a little with a more in-depth, quintessential Aussie road test.

Editor Chris Mullett kicked off the drive programme driving northwards from Mackay, as reported on in the August issue of PowerTorque. Then it was the turn of Ed Higginson and Brenton O’ Connor to pilot the vehicles from Port Lincoln to Kalgoorlie across the vast Nullarbor Plain before passing on the baton to me for the 590 km from Kalgoorlie to Perth, the final leg in the PowerTorque relay with the Scania New Generation Australia-wide roadshow.

This back-to-back PowerTorque relay provided us all with a more in-depth insight into the everyday operation of the new Scania on long haul work from a perspective of four different transport industry operators with some 125 years combined on-road heavy vehicle driving experience.

My time behind the wheel coincided with a rainy Kalgoorlie morning that greeted our test drive group during our rendezvous at the Scania dealership to pick up our assigned road test vehicles.

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SCANIA Being accompanied by a Scania driver trainer provided valuable insight into the operation of the New Generation trucks and the best way to achieve optimal performance and economy by utilising the host of driver assistance systems and features to their maximum benefit.

has a totally flat floor), so standing up to get dressed is possible for all but the tallest of drivers, who need to crouch just a little. Under the 1.0-metre wide bunk is located a slide-out fridge and a storage drawer that can also be optioned as a freezer.

This test drive of the New Generation Scania for myself comes from an interesting perspective. I have been almost exclusively driving American-based driveline trucks manufactured in Australia for the last five years.

When taking the wheel, the seat felt firm and supportive with all the usual adjustments available including firmness, two lumbar adjustments, tilt and height. At around 180 cm in height, I drove with the seat at its rearmost position for the entire trip, an indication that extra tall operators may perhaps find this a little limiting.

This brings my evaluation of the Scania from a totally different perspective than that of my colleagues, who have had the opportunity to drive this current model earlier this year on the east coast or have driven the outgoing model allowing them to directly compare the two models against one another.

My experience is that of a fresh outsider, or perhaps similar to a potential buyer with a historical preference to another brand, looking to change.

Upon approaching the R620 with luggage in hand, immediately noticeable is the large wide door opening exposing wide step access up to the cabin. The process of getting bags up into the bunk for stowage was easy, with ample area on the floor in front of the seat to place items while still allowing a three point of contact entry to the cab for myself.

The R-Series cab offers an open space feel with just a small engine tunnel hump in the floor (the S-Series cab

Immediately noticeable is the excellent forward vision, thanks to a low-set dash, and the set-back A-pillars moved rearward and narrowed to increase visibility around this area. The gap between the A-pillar and the mirror does a great job of removing that blindspot sometimes experienced in European designed trucks with large wing mirrors, hiding the presence of cars, particularly when entering roundabouts. Also aiding vision is the multitude of mirrors, all heated and electronically operated from the driver’s door panel, which also houses the light controls.

Driver safety is a real winner with the New Generation Scanias, with the fitment of a driver’s steering wheel airbag and driver/passenger curtain airbags, bringing a level of safety not before seen in the Australian heavy truck sector.

A short tutorial highlighted the controls and features for the adaptive cruise control, downhill descent control, cruise control, engine braking and retarder, most of which are conveniently located on the steering wheel, after which we set off westbound towards Perth.

The Scania R620 V8 allocated to me was loaded to a gross weight of 63.5 tonnes with concrete road barriers.

Upon rolling forward the transmission control on the right column stalk to “D” and applying the throttle, the transition from standstill to the 100 km/h speed limit was smooth and graceful, and, to be quite honest, to get the 63.5-tonne combination moving from a standstill seemed effortless.

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FEATURE The big V8, rated at 620 hp (456 kW) at 1900 rpm with 3000 Nm of torque at 950-1400 rpm, just rumbled contentedly, and committed to the task without grievance. The lowrevving nature of the engine with its low torque band equated to extremely low noise levels within the cabin.

Once at road speed any wind noise within the cab was barely noticeable. The 3.07:1 final drive ratio has been perfectly selected to maintain 1400 rpm at 100 km/h, given that the torque band spread is between 950 and 1400 rpm.

The Opticruise 12-speed automated manual transmission plays a big part in the overall refined operation of the truck. Gear changes are at times unnoticeable apart from the observance of the tachometer or selected gear display within the dash panel.

With the addition of a lay-shaft brake to control internal transmission speeds, Scania claims a 45 percent reduction in shift times, resulting in smoother changes and less downspeeding of the engine during the change.

This faster shifting produces a more seamless transition between ratios, improving fuel economy and maintaining higher road speed and momentum between changes.

Three mode settings for the Opticruise transmission are selectable from the steering wheel buttons – Eco, Standard and Power. For the majority of the drive I selected the standard option with the theory being that this would generate a happy harmony between power and fuel efficiency, which for the most part worked well until small uphill grades started to become more frequent.

With the Standard mode selected the vehicle was quite content to lug down as low as 950 rpm before initiating a downshift, which in some circumstances seemed to result in the loss of too much momentum dependent on the length and degree of the grade. In hindsight, there may have potentially been benefits in either selecting the Power mode, or manually prompting a downshift via the column stalk. Power mode saw downshifts on up hills lifted to around the 1200-rpm mark, resulting in maintaining higher road speeds.

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Scania’s focus is on your business and total cost of operations to deliver class-leading fuel economy and performance with reduced downtime.

It is virtually possible to operate these vehicles with just your thumbs, utilising the adaptive cruise control, downhill descent control, plus the engine brake and the R4100D transmission retarder.

On the final descent into Perth via the long steep Greenmount Hill, the downhill descent control was set to the 40 km/h heavy vehicle limit, holding the combination at the set speed by automatically applying the retarder and/or the engine brake with no input from me.

For occasions when conventional or emergency braking were required, ABS and EBS with disc brakes all round (including the trailers) were available.

The in-dash satellite navigation system did an admirable job guiding two unfamiliar drivers into Scania’s Kewdale facility to end the day’s drive.

Regular Scania drivers would be familiar with the onboard driver evaluation diagnostics, but for those new to the system it does take time to acclimatise. My statistics over the drive were okay to start with, but the unfamiliarity with the functions, aka forgetting to turn off the retarder a couple of times after jumping back on the throttle, apparently doesn’t do much for your score, so I’m going to take the action I did with my school reports and keep the figures to myself. That said, a few days to get in tune with Scania’s systems would undoubtedly result in a better performance.

If there were any negative points that I noticed it would be the restricted seat adjustment that limits sufficient rear extension for some drivers and the omission of a trailer brake control lever (but I’m a little old-school). The last point is not so much a negative, although it could be. With such levels of quiet comfort and the unstressed driving, it is well possible to forget that you are piloting a 63.5-tonne B-double truck.

The Scania R620 proved a quiet and refined vehicle with safety and smart features to warrant its New Generation title. On that basis it’s well suited to a new generation of drivers who will benefit from the reduced input to the driving task and increased safety that millions of dollars in development and testing has produced.

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FEATURE

PACCAR STRONG I t’s called personal involvement, enthusiasm and dedication, and it becomes self-evident with every area of the assembly line that you pass as you walk the floor. Whether it’s as you move between the chassis assembly area, engine dress area, the mating of the driveline to the chassis with axles and tyres, or the cab construction, the overwhelming impression is one of a workforce that genuinely wants to make the best product possible for the Australian truck operator.

PACCAR Australia does its job extremely well when it comes to liaising with its customers, many of whom have longstanding relationships through their own families with the manufacturer that has now produced over 60,000 vehicles for the Australian market. The members of the production-line workforce in many cases have their own appreciation of the customer base, often able to meet with the operator when they visit the factory to view progress on a new truck for the fleet.

This is a place where genuine tradespeople put part of their own value and worth into the construction of the vehicles heading down the assembly lines. But it’s also a place where young talent is recognised, with young men and women graduates that have brought their own level of enthusiasm into the business of making trucks.

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In this day and age of robotic construction and automated manufacturing facilities, there’s something very special to be learnt by walking through the Bayswater PACCAR production facility on the eastern outskirts of Melbourne.

Kenworth has long been the focus for Bayswater since 1971, when the first Australian-made Kenworth, a K125CR, rolled off the production line. But while this editorial builds on the history of Kenworth in Australia, it’s time to talk about a new direction for the company, as the Dutch brand of DAF Trucks changes its heritage from being imported fully built-up from Europe and becomes “Australian Made”.

The European factories build trucks to suit the European roads and conditions. PACCAR Australia has, until now, built trucks to suit the more arduous conditions of Australian transport, where each component and its associated connections, wiring harnesses and control systems are assembled and fixed to the chassis with the aim of them remaining where they were put without the risk of premature failure.

DAF is the leading heavy truck band in the United Kingdom and has strong heritage for the early adoption of technology, being the first truck maker to offer turbocharging, and always leading the way with cab comfort, safety and ergonomics.

In place of a full import operation, the PACCAR Australia plant at Bayswater now incorporates a DAF assembly line

DAF FACTORY

Above L-R: Jan van Keulen, Managing Director of DAF Sales Operations; Dan Cahill, Director of Cahill Transport; Michael Cahill, Director of Cahill Transport; and Michael de Boer, Area Manager of DAF Sales Operations.

Left: Meredith Young, Production Supervisor

the presentation of the first DAF to exit the factory, a CF85 powered by the PACCAR MX 13 engine rated at 510 hp.

within the plant, with the DAF CF now running down the same assembly line as Kenworth cabovers and conventionals.

Prior to the production start-up, members of the assembly line team were able to visit the Dutch and Belgian DAF factories and work alongside their European counterparts, learning the intricacies of the production process as they apply to the DAF product. Interestingly, although the DAF CF range will be the first models to be locally built, behind the scenes the company is planning for the product range to widen to include the LF and XF models, adding full Euro 6 confirmation well in advance of the suggested legal requirement for introduction to the Australian market.

Knowledge gained in the assembly and construction of Kenworths for Australian conditions is also flowing into the assembly of the DAF products, with cable and pipework clipping, wiring connections and general mechanical fit and finish upgrades being incorporated into the full production process. The aim of course is to build a DAF to the same standard as a traditional Kenworth, and with all the right checks and balances in place for quality control the proof will certainly be evident in the final build standards.

The celebrations surrounding the announcement of the start of DAF production in Bayswater were built around

PACCAR Australia managing director, Andrew Hadjikakou, officially presented the first locally-produced DAF CF85 prime mover to long-term customer and supporter of DAF Trucks Australia, Cahill Transport. The presentation took place on the factory floor, where Mr. Hadjikakou proudly handed over the keys to directors of Cahill Transport, Michael and Daniel Cahill.

Cahill Transport was started in 1951 by Joe Cahill, moving from the horse and cart era to buying his first Kenworth in 1976. In the company history, Cahill’s was the first operator to purchase over 60 DAF trucks, making the presentation of Australia’s first locally-produced DAF a fitting moment in the brand history.

What made the event particularly memorable was the presence of the entire Bayswater production facility workforce, with the production line stopped completely to enable all to attend, followed by a lunch to continue the celebrations.

But the good news for the workforce doesn’t stop with the first DAF to exit the production line. PACCAR Australia also announced a major investment programme to expand production capability from the current 15 Kenworth models each day, plus the additional DAF products, reinforcing the company’s commitment to local production and the value placed by the company on its workforce.

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TEAM SUPPORT

David Meredith aims for the trackside with the ProStar Tickford Racing Team

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ace support trucks are the prima donnas of the highways. They do relatively low kilometres as only three events are big distances, and then between meetings the trucks are parked up, pristine clean and ready to go when the clock ticks down.

But the timetables are still tight. The teams don’t release the racecars to the transporters until the last minute, so, when the cars are loaded, there’s no time to fix something on the truck that’s decided to play up.

IVECO has supplied Tickford Racing with two International ProStar prime movers for this year’s Virgin Australia Supercar Championship, and they’re both hooked up to super-model style, fully-shrouded B-double trailer sets that carry the cars and the team’s equipment.

Having always wanted to see at close quarters how a team runs, a call to IVECO managed to get me on board one of the trucks for the run from Perth to Coolgardie after the Perth round.

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I met the driver and team transport boss, “Dodge” Aldridge, at a parking bay on the Great Eastern Highway in Midland, late on the Sunday night. The night was clear but very cold, and, as the trucks arrived at the busy and welllit intersection, the parade of colours and noise turned heads at the local servos and fast food joints.

This International was the original that spawned the CAT Trucks short nose version. It’s clearly a bonneted truck, but in the cab the distinction isn’t so clear. The nose drops away so sharply you can actually think you’re in a cabover, albeit with a miraculous amount of legroom. Combined with the one-piece windscreen, the vision is superb.

PROSTAR TICKFORD Dodge hasn’t fitted bullbars to the trucks because part of the sponsorship deal is that the nameplate is clearly visible all the time, and they don’t do enough big distances to justify the extra weight. Also, the trailers stretch the length limits to the maximum and a bullbar would complicate that.

The ProStar seat is a top-grade ISRI unit with a foldable armrest on the left-hand side. There isn’t one on the right because there’s a wide sill on the door that suffices. If I’m fussy, it could do with some padding, but it still means this is a truck you can drive with just wrist movement.

ProStar helps in getting all the operating controls at your fingertips by placing the control unit for the Eaton UltraShift AMT on a swinging binnacle that comes close to the knee when driving, but swings out of the way when you’re stopped and need to move around the cab – makes a bigger difference than you might think.

We moved onto the highway into a procession of race trucks and headed up Greenmount Hill, the main drag out of Perth and the biggest incline for more than two thousand kilometres.

Loaded to around 56 tonnes, most of the weight was in parts, equipment, and on-course accommodation items, as the racecars weigh only 1400 kg each.

Dodge commented as a competitor hauling a rig with a Mack Super-Liner rumbled past us up the hill. “He’s got 600 hp,” he said. The two ProStars both have 550 hp Cummins X15s on board, handling the climb easily.

Once over the hill, the International cruised quietly and comfortably. I’ve always said the CAT trucks steered well, and the International-sourced truck is of course no different. There’s very little steering correction needed on broken surfaces, and the rig went exactly where it was pointed. The trailer suspension helped here, and of course being a race team they’re finicky with things like wheel alignment and tyre pressures.

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FEATURE The standard lights on the ProStar are LED globes and provide pretty good illumination, but even they paled into insignificance when the aftermarket LED bar was powered up.

The short and sloping nose helps with more than just overall length. It also helps with aerodynamics. If the absence of wind noise at a comfortable 100 km/h cruise is any indication, the ProStar is a slippery little sucker.

Dodge and the team had arranged to stop at Carrabin, around 50 km east of Merredin. It was straight to bed as the morning start was scheduled for 5:00 a.m. – with breakfast at Coolgardie, where the guys would branch right for Norseman, and I’d hitch a lift leftwards for Kalgoorlie and a return flight to Perth.

It was clear from this leg that the long-nosed variant sold

by CAT was unnecessary. ProStar has all the necessary power and systems packaged tighter, so there’s no need to stretch it out and increase the turning circle. With the Cummins X15 using SCR emissions systems and running cooler, airflow under the hood isn’t so critical.

ProStar is one of the few trucks that retains an opening fly window in the door forward of the main window glass. It reflects back to past styling but is handy for fresh air when the aircon isn’t wanted. However, it does mean there’s an extra pillar behind the A-pillar that partly obstructs the passenger-side mirrors, particularly when reversing. If it were an option, Dodge would delete it.

The morning run kicked off with a lengthy warm-up from a cold night. I released the park brakes via the old-style plungers that most US truckers still demand, selected drive and slid back onto the highway.

The ProStar quickly and smoothly accelerates up to a comfortable 100 km/h cruise, skipping the gearbox splits all the way. Given that the trailer set is fully shrouded, there’s no disturbance from flapping side curtains. Both trailers were built by Graham Lusty Trailers and tracked perfectly behind the ProStar, even through the broken and bumpy sections east of Southern Cross.

Both Tickford ProStars are pretty much standard spec, with the aforementioned 550 hp and 2508 Nm of torque.

Since the trucks were handed over, IVECO, the distributor of International in Australia and NZ, has announced the X15 can be spec’d up to 600 hp.

Dodge and the Tickford team aren’t all that concerned about fuel efficiency, so a fuel test wasn’t relevant on this run. But I did note that the X15 runs a whole lot cooler than previous generations. The temp needle got to 83 degrees and refused to budge over that. These trucks are also using less than half the AdBlue of the team’s previous prime movers.

Eaton’s UltraShift PLUS 18-speed automated manual does the driving work for Dodge and his pals, and it’s well suited to the role. The Cummins-Eaton interface is thoroughly sorted, and there was always a gear at the right time to plant you slap-bang in the middle of the torque band.

All-round, I think IVECO can expect some success with this brand and model. With 600 hp available, the comfort and quietness of the cab can be enjoyed by more of those operators who feel that 550 is just not enough neddies to get the job done, despite ProStar’s light 8.54-tonne tare weight.

Doug Aldridge, Tickford Racing Team driver and transport manager 66

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FEATURE

TRENDING EUROPEAN Can Mercedes-Benz and the latest generation of the Actros convince a long-standing Kenworth buyer to switch alliances?

Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up Photography

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here’s a wealth of experience behind the Trazblend/Sada Group, which has been operating its coal processing, transport and wash placement facility from its Kenny Hill and Glenlee sites, on Sydney’s south western outskirts for nearly 40 years. Trazblend is the transport side of the operation, while Sada is focused on the coal processing aspect of the business.

From a background of operating coal trucks in the ‘60s, Max Dunbier formed Trazblend in 1981, originally based from nearby Kenny Hill, then transferring to the Glenlee site in the early ‘90s.

Trazblend is these days managed by Max’s four sons as joint directors. Three of the four sons are trade qualified mechanics, giving them a unique insight into what does and doesn’t work as far as trucks and equipment are concerned in this demanding transport environment.

The current fleet comprises 17 tipper combinations of varying configurations, featuring five from Mercedes-Benz, one Western Star, one Freightliner and the remaining ten being Kenworth.

As with many operators working in the coal industry, the working environment is quite demanding on the equipment.

Coal and other mineral products are transported to and from the company’s coal facility in the Burragorang Valley and the Glenlee site, down to the Port Kembla and Wollongong area via the steep Mt Ousley road. These working conditions are dusty, dirty, wet and abrasive,

MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS taking a toll on any complacency in the maintenance area.

Even without these constraints, the steep descent down to the Illawarra region and long pull back up also create a good deal of strain on the equipment.

“We bring in coal reject or shale from the Helensburgh mine for placement here at the Glenlee site, and have been placing coal reject here for the past 17 years at a rate of 200,000-300,000 tonnes per year. We were, for a time back in the ‘80s, the biggest coal washery facility in the southern hemisphere. We also transport our own freight from here and the Burragorang site down to Wollongong.

“Our coal wash placement programme here at Glenlee is drawing to an end and I envisage that we will reach capacity level in around nine to ten months’ time. This is why we are currently redeveloping the site to move on to our next project here, moving away from coal, but with the intention to utilise our existing rail infrastructure,” explained Keith Dunbier.

“We were needing to up-date some of our trucks and trailers to accommodate our existing work, and our new projects will be utilising the new vehicles as well,” said Keith.

“With a strong Kenworth presence in our fleet we looked at replacing like-for-like, and also looked to other manufacturers for options. Mercedes-Benz and Stillwell Trucks offered us an Actros for evaluation, and it performed faultlessly during our test period. When you add to that the buy-back scheme on offer from MB, and the contract maintenance programme, the Actros ticked all our boxes,” Keith added.

It was late 2017 when the first Actros joined the fleet as a prime mover on 19-metre B-double work, and, so far, Keith says, “This truck has performed faultlessly, with excellent fuel economy.

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FEATURE

“We were also looking for improvements in safety, ergonomics and fuel economy from our fleet acquisitions.

We had Mercedes trucks in the 70s and had a good run out of those then.

“The safety features that come with the new Actros come as a total package. They’re not add-ons, they’re incorporated into the design from the factory. Also, with nature of the driver availability situation not being the best, we also thought that AMTs might be the way to go to expand the available pool of potential drivers into the future,” explained Keith.

Following on from that initial Actros purchase, Trazblend recently commissioned a further four new Actros rigid tippers and PBS four-axle dog trailer combinations into the fold. These are the Actros 2658 models and they will start work on existing tasks prior to transitioning over to the company’s new direction.

Purchased through Stillwell Trucks in Sydney, the sale was handled by Shane Boag, Stillwell’s sales manager.

“Shane was very helpful and really knows his products,” says Keith.

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Trazblend’s move to Mercedes-Benz trucks, and in particular to the AMT versions, could be seen as a bold move from a company so entrenched in American-derived equipment and crash-box manual transmissions. But this may also be explained by the changing face of the transport industry. Truck technology and the drivers who pilot them are changing at such a rate that equipment needs to accommodate the skill set available, and companies must do what they can to attract the next generation of drivers and offer the levels of safety that the workplace demands.

MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS

“These are the first trucks we have ever had that don’t have a gearstick,” said Keith. “Interestingly though, driver acceptance has been good, even from some of our more veteran drivers. They report at the end of the day is that they feel less fatigued than they previously would have expected.

“We opted for the larger 580-horsepower engine (OM473), not so much for the pulling power, but more for the extra engine

retardation properties available from the bigger engine.

The descent of Mt Ousley at our permissible 57.5 tonnes gross weight demands good engine braking,” said Keith.

“The Actros trucks are on a contract maintenance scheme through MB and Stillwell Trucks, and they go back there for servicing at schedules determined by the onboard

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FEATURE

telematics systems. In addition to that, as we do with all our equipment, we run them into our workshop every four to five days to give them the once over, a grease and address any minor issues that may arise before they become major problems”.

Fuel economy figures are proving favourable, with Keith reporting that the Actros is about 35 litres per day better off than existing fleet trucks – estimated to be around 2.1-2.2 km/l.

Keith comments on one of the major influencing factors determining the purchase: “We have the security of the buy-back scheme, which gives us the flexibility to hand back the trucks after five years and replace them, or perhaps run them a little longer, depending on how they stand up to the working conditions.

“As I said previously, this is a tough environment. In the past, with trucks running in and out of coal washes, we have experienced corrosion issues between chassis rails and

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electrical connector problems. It will be interesting to see how the Actros performs under these conditions, and the early indicators are that they are shaping up well,” Keith added.

Two of the Actros rigids are kitted out with tipper bodies and four-axle dog tipping trailers from local manufacturer, Sloanebuilt Trailers. Currently these combinations are running under PBS at a GCM of 57.5 tonnes, which yields a payload just a little shy of 39.5 tonnes. You can read more about their qualities and build specifications in the TrailerTorque section of this issue.

Will all the European trimmings of comfort, safety and class-leading fuel economy win the hearts of longstanding truck buyers that have bought Americanbased vehicles, and go the distance in a harsh working environment? The difference could well come down to the aftersales service, maintenance programmes and total service-life cost figures.

Only time will tell.

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FEATURE

SUPERIOR

BY NAME AND NATURE

Dealing with waste is a global challenge – Words by Warren Caves

T

he waste collection industry is an area of transport that for many doesn’t warrant much more than a passing thought. While we go about our lives in blissful ignorance, tucked away warmly in bed or curled up on the couch watching Netflix, the bin fairies come and take away all our discarded refuse.

Fortunately for those in the waste industry, this waste management process takes on a much higher priority.

Queensland-based Superior Pak, manufactures domestic and industrial waste collection bodies for fitment to most of the major truck chassis suppliers in Australia.

Tracing the company’s origins back to the early 1990s, Superior Pak’s managing director and business development manager, Rob Wrigley, was in the employ of Brambles-Cleanaway. At this time, most of the truckmounted collection bodies were imported from North America, and the citizens of Australia were just being introduced to the plastic style wheelie bin.

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Seeing the operational disadvantages of the American designed units, which were essentially too heavy and inefficient, Cleanaway set up the company’s own manufacturing division to build its own bodies. This activity was continued until Cleanaway management decided that manufacturing was not part of the company’s core business and it chose to opt out of the body-building sector.

Rob explained, “My boss was the state manager at the time and said to management, if you (Bramble-Cleanaway) are not going to value this part of the business, we’ll buy it. And there, in the mid 1990s, began the inception of Superior Pak”.

For the following ten years the business grew before being sold to Trans Pacific Industries, which, after seven years of operation, took the same view as held by Cleanaway management some 17 years earlier. The resulting management buyout in 2013 saw the company return back to Rob and two partners.

SUPERIOR PAK Since its initiation in the 1990s, then manufacturing just one unit per month, Superior Pak has grown to become Australia’s leading manufacturer of waste compaction equipment, now manufacturing an average of two units per day.

The main manufacturing operation is located in Bundaberg, Queensland, based in a factory that had been occupied by Austoft, a cane harvester manufacturing company that moved operations offshore. As so often happens, the move offshore left behind some manufacturing equipment and 300-400 employees out of work. This enabled Superior Pak to procure a unique 20,000 sq m facility and employ a high percentage of qualified personnel from the outgoing company.

Council being our largest client. We service these contracts from our dedicated customer service centres in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, which includes our 60 mobile service vehicles operating nationally”.

“If you are not going to value this part of the business, we’ll buy it”

The range of equipment manufactured by Superior Pak comprises side and rearloader compaction/collection units, frontlift units, hooklifts, and on-site compaction systems, from small 6.0 cubic metre, rear-loader units up to 35.0 cubic metre, front-loader models, with the domestic side-loader designs being the major product line.

“We try to achieve a balance between strength and lightweight design in our manufacturing processes. We import our structural steel products from northern Europe and North America, although some of our plate and RHS is still sourced locally. This helps us achieve payloads of 10.5 to 11.5 tonnes in the heavy end of our truck range, which we believe to be class leading,” said Rob. “Service is a really big part of our business. We have approximately 500 vehicles nationally on full service contracts, with SUEZ, the contractor to Brisbane City

Looking into the future, Superior Pak is embarking on the development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to complement its compaction body designs and to offer unique operational benefits to its client base.

Entering into a partnership arrangement last year with Victorian-based SEA Electric has seen Superior Pak appointed distributor of EVs for the waste industry for Australia and New Zealand.

SEA Electric is making outstanding progress, through the help of government funding, in the manufacture and installation of electric drive systems into the transport industry.

The waste collection industry is seen

by Superior Pak management as the perfect environment to best make use of EV technology. With relatively short route distances from depots and assets sitting idle for at least 8 hours in every 24, the industry seems to have all the prerequisites for success in this arena.

“With our relationship with SEA Electric we can now confirm that we are able to offer our clients the option to purchase a conventional diesel-powered waste collection vehicle or an EV unit. Essentially, they are purchasing the same type of vehicle as they have been using historically, in that they can specify a particular brand of cab/chassis manufacturer. The only change is in the method of propulsion,” said Rob.

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FEATURE Rob Wrigley and Garry Whineray, Superior Pak’s national sales and marketing manager, outlined areas of benefit to the waste industry.

“Where we see some real benefits to the waste industry is that EVs can easily complete routes within the capacity range of the batteries, and most of our clients will already have the necessary infrastructure within their premises to cater for the charging requirements. Generally speaking, we charge our units from three-phase, 415-volt connectors at around 30 amps. The only changes that may need to be made are for multi-vehicle charge point facilities or for allowances to be made for fast-charge capabilities. The preferred method is a slow charge cycle as it is cheaper and can be completed overnight when assets are idle, when electricity rates are at their lowest cost base.

“A major benefit is that EVs produce far less operational noise. High-density housing is increasing, with collections taking place sometimes in the evenings for accessibility reasons. EVs are so much quieter in operation than traditional diesel units; so much so, that we are now looking at ways to reduce noise levels within the collection phase of the vehicle’s operation. Up until now the engine has been the noisiest part of the process, but with EVs this is no longer the case.

“Environmentally, there are large-scale emission reductions and lower noise levels. Fuel and maintenance costs are also greatly reduced. No longer is there any need for oil, filter and coolant changes, reducing costs and downtime. We also make use of regenerative braking technology, whereby the energy normally lost as heat from braking friction is converted into electrical energy and directed back to the battery cells. Regenerative energy

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capture has two benefits – firstly, it tops up battery levels as the vehicle brakes, and, secondly, it reduces brake wear. Waste collection vehicles are historically hard on brakes, with the stop/start nature of the work resulting in high brake wear rates that in some cases require brake relines at intervals as short as three months apart. As a bi-product of regenerative braking we see greatly reduced brake temperatures extending out brake servicing by up to eight times,” added Rob. Although the comment may be made that coal is still burnt to provide the electricity to charge EVs, the opportunity to charge vehicles at night applies when demand is reduced.

The base-load power is already available and does not require additional use of fossil fuels for its creation and supply, as the power generation system continues to function even when demand is reduced.

The battery life figures provided by Superior Pak for their systems are based on a five-year warranty and the expectation of a ten-year life, after which the battery capacity is estimated to decline by a rate of ten percent per annum. The electric motors are warranted for similar periods to conventional diesel engine technology.

When EVs and batteries are compared directly with conventional drive systems, the EVs incur a weight penalty of around 500-700 kg, which obviously comes at the expense of payload. Battery densities and weight are constantly reducing over time, with Superior Pak working hard at fine-tuning exact kW/h requirements in different applications. The goal is to optimise batteries to hold around 10-15 percent remaining capacity at the end of each shift cycle, with a reduction in size equating to lower battery weight and increased payload.

ENHANCED OPTIC L.E.D DRIVING LIGHTS

175 & 225

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O L L E H R E T H BRIG TS NIGH Superior technology meets premium style.

Part of Narva’s top-of-the-range Ultima L.E.D family, the all-new 175 & 225 Driving Lights utilise enhanced free form ‘Optic Drive’ L.E.D technology to capture and harness light output, precisely focussing it for maximum volume and penetration on dark highways.

Available with pencil or broad beam patterns, these premium lights have been engineered in Australia with a European style to enhance your vehicle’s appearance.

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FEATURE Drawing on its partner arrangement with SEA Electric, a 6X4 Hino EV waste collection side-loader has been operating in New Zealand since October 2017, where it functions both as a front-line working unit and trial vehicle.

The results are impressive and both Superior Pak and SEA Electric are very happy and pleasantly surprised by the truck’s performance.

New Zealand is a proactive, committed renewable energy country and is getting behind the project by offering registration incentives and up-front funding for EV projects.

Following on from the success of the NZ trial, and after holding off on Australian promotion of the vehicles until after initial results, Superior Pak is now looking to secure interested Australian operators to take up the challenge of EV operation in the waste industry.

“We are very comfortable with the performance of the initial vehicle, and we have three rear-loader EVs in production currently for a client in Victoria that should be in operation before the end of the year. Interestingly, this client has already won tenders for contracts with the EVs,” said Rob.

“These are exciting times, and we are seeing substantial interest in the side-loader market ”

“These are exciting times and we are seeing substantial interest in the side-loader market from large contractors and councils throughout the country”.

Currently, the extra gross investment cost over a conventional vehicle design is reportedly averaging around $200,000 per unit, dependent on size. But with the option of being able to order cab/chassis units minus the engine and transmission, costs could be reduced by $50,000-80,000 per unit. Alternatively, some large clients may choose to purchase a whole truck and remove the engine and transmission for use within its existing fleet.

As time progresses, the net result could be reduced operating costs over the life of the vehicle.

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The future for Superior Pak is certainly exciting, with the company announcing a joint venture with FAUN Group, part of the worldwide operating KIRCHHOFF Group, Europe’s leading manufacturer of waste handling equipment and road sweepers. With a history dating back to its foundation in 1845, FAUN produced its first “dust cart” especially for collecting rubbish in 1897. Production of refuse collection vehicles and sweepers commenced in 1908 with the name FAUN established in 1916.

FAUN became a division of the KIRCHHOFF Group in 1994 and is today highly regarded for its expertise in manufacturing, selling, renting and leasing waste disposal vehicles and sweepers worldwide, and for its development of fuel-cell and electricdrive options that are state of the art.

Announcing the joint venture, Superior Pak stated the current executive management team would remain unchanged. To coincide with the transaction, Superior Pak will take over the FAUN distribution rights previously held by Wastech, effective immediately.

“The move will provide further depth to the company’s business and product range,” said Rob. “New technologies for vehicle drive systems combined with the expertise of both partners in the production of class-leading waste disposal and collection equipment will reinforce the strong future ahead for Australian manufacturing and the abilities of our workforce,” Mr. Wrigley added.

“We are very pleased to welcome Superior Pak in our Group,” said Patrick Hermanspann, CEO FAUN Group.

“It is an honour for us to work closely together and to strengthen our business. All parties can learn from each other and we provide our customers with the best trucks and aftersales services,” he added.

HIGH POWERED

L.E.D DRIVING LIGHTS

180 & 215

The all-new 180 joins the Ultima L.E.D family.

Part of Narva’s top-of-the-range Ultima L.E.D family, the 215 and all-new 180 Driving Lights utilise a class leading hybrid beam pattern combining volume for offroad 4WD use and long range performance for transport.

Available in two sizes, these heavy-duty premium lights have been engineered in Australia for Aussie conditions.

4x4ers, farmers and truckers, these Ultimas are for you!

• Powerful 5 watt XP-G2 Cree® L.E.Ds • Tool-free vertical adjuster knob

• Customisable bezel and trim • L.E.D Front Position Light Pipe

For more on the Ultima L.E.D 180 & 215’s visit

narva.com.au/highpowered Take the VR Driving Light Experience at

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FEATURE

DOUBLING DOWN

Volvo releases its latest crawler gear technology for heavy haul and improved economy – words by Brenton O’Connor.

T

he technology race makes for exciting times in industry, and Volvo Trucks Australia can lay claim to releasing a constant stream of new ideas and technologies aimed at increasing market share on a truly global basis.

With a demonstration drive programme based around the Mount Cotton driver training centre in Queensland, what started initially as an opportunity to evaluate the company’s crawler gears released within Volvo’s I-Shift transmission, ended up expanding into further advances in technology.

Ove Wikstrom, product strategy manager for transmissions and rear axles, known affectionately by Volvo people as the Father of I-Shift, had flown out from Sweden to be on hand to give a technical explanation of the point of the crawler gears.

The crawler gears are the addition of either one or two extra very-low-geared ratios to the otherwise standard 12-speed I-Shift transmission. The extra gears make the I-Shift box slightly longer in length, otherwise it’s very similar in its original design. For heavy haulage applications, the addition of two crawler gears offers a reduction of 19:1 (direct drive) and 17:1 (overdrive) with the second crawler gear providing an even deeper reduction of 32:1.

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The deep reduction reverse gear, with a very slow 37:1, alleviates the concerns of many operators when it comes to the ratios of some European gearboxes being too fast, especially when combined with tall rear axle ratios. It now compares well in applications such as tipper and dog that historically have enjoyed the slow reverse gear provided by an Eaton 18-speed gearbox combined with a typical rear axle ratio of 4.3:1.

Two Volvo FH16 prime movers coupled with loaded B-double trailer sets at near maximum gross weights were provided to test the single crawler gear for startability. The key difference being one truck had the standard 12-speed I-Shift with a first gear reduction of 15:1, while the second truck was fitted with a single crawler gear, which provided a lower first gear of 19:1.

When driving both trucks around the Mt. Cotton track back-to-back, the benefits of the crawler gear were clearly noticeable. Upon stopping both trucks on a reasonably steep gradient, the truck with the crawler gear was able to lift off much easier, and you could easily feel there was less stress on the clutch when lifting off this weight on the incline. Whilst the truck without the crawler gear still lifted off satisfactorily on the gradient, there was certainly a noticeable difference.

VOLVO It was even more noticeable when reversing both combinations, with the truck equipped with the crawler gear providing an even slower reverse gear, making it ideal for backing the B-double unit. Once reverse was selected, the accelerator is depressed, and when the engine reaches 800 rpm (or greater) the clutch fully engages. As such, the operator can take their foot off the throttle and the truck will continue to push the loaded unit back using the electronic engine controls. More importantly, it allows the driver to concentrate on watching both mirrors and reversing the combination.

A common complaint about many AMT transmissions is reversing, as the operator needs to ‘nurse’ the throttle to keep the unit moving, as once the driver lifts his/her foot off the accelerator the truck stops. Also, some units seek to ‘feather’ the clutch, which results in clutch overheating warnings in long reverse distances.

The next units driven were loaded to much higher gross weights and were fitted with both crawler gears and hub reduction rear axles to cope. Both were FH16 units coupled to low-loader trailers with high ballast weights, with one of the units loaded to a whopping 203 tonnes.

Driving both units was a breeze, and the truck was able to lift off with such heavy gross weights, not to mention huge drag due to the number of axles on both the trailer and the dolly unit fitted. The combination of the dual crawler gears, with the low rear axle ratio featuring hub reduction, certainly complemented the high torque of the 16-litre Volvo engine at 700 hp. This combination easily lifted off from a standstill and was able to get the weight moving positively and upshift through the gears. Even up the gradient, it was possible to back off the rpm to 1000 rpm and let the engine sit in its peak torque range to drag the large weight up the gradient.

On the trip down the gradient, the power divider and dual cross locks were engaged along with the engine brake at the maximum setting. However, due to the high weights and the massive push of the trailers there was axle hop noticeable on the prime movers as the push caused the prime mover to break traction. Ideally, more weight would be carried on the prime mover to help prevent this, but Australian road rules don’t allow this.

While there was no vehicle to drive on the day to demonstrate the new dual-clutch transmission, Ove Wikstrom provided an explanation of how it works and the benefits it offers.

Currently the dual-clutch transmission is only available in FH13 up to 540 hp, as by far most worldwide production of Volvo trucks is for the 13-litre (and 11-litre) engines.

However, the benefits of this transmission sound outstanding in terms of reduced trip times, increased fuel efficiency and increased driver comfort.

Dual-clutch transmissions are not new in passenger cars; however, for a heavy truck transmission, the Volvo I-Shift dual-clutch is a world first. The transmission consists of two input shafts, and a dual-clutch, which means that two gears can be selected at the same time. So whenever a downshift or upshift is required, the next gear is already preselected and ready to be engaged by the second clutch, allowing for a seamless and jerk-free shift, not to mention a near instant gear change.

Volvo recommends this transmission for applications where rapid and numerous gearshifts are required, and also for sensitive freight such as livestock or liquid cargoes as the seamless gear changes prompt less movement within the cargo itself. The I-Shift transmission with dual-clutch will be available for customers to order from production slots later this year.

Also experienced on the day was Volvo’s updated Dynamic steering system, designed to make steering of heavy trucks both safer and easier.

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Carl Johan Almqvist, traffic and product safety director at Volvo Trucks, explained, “Volvo Dynamic Steering has revolutionised the driver’s job behind the wheel. Better directional stability, easier manoeuvring and higher comfort have reduced the risk of road accidents and strain-related injuries”.

Each individual driver can adjust the steering wheel resistance to suit their different perception on how heavy or how light a truck’s steering should be.

The system works via an electric motor mounted on top of the truck’s conventional steering box, allowing for the extra assistance of the steering, particularly when the truck’s revs are low, and, as such, the oil flow from the power steering pump is limited.

Driving trucks both with and without this system strongly contrasted the differences. The truck equipped with Dynamic steer was incredibly light to steer at low speeds, enabling one-finger steering at low speeds around the test track. The steering resistance increased proportionally to the speed increase, so the truck still felt positive and safe to steer when at higher speeds, particularly when cornering.

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Personally, I think the Volvo Dynamic steering is sensational, and I would certainly option it as it offers much better control of the steering through lighter steering at low speeds. As the speed increase so too does the steering resistance, profiling it to suit the needs of each driver.

Also available for evaluation was a version of Volvo FH16, derated to 540 hp. Typically, the FH16 is only available in 600 hp or 700 hp offerings in this country; however, Volvo is currently undertaking fuel economy trials on the derated version of the 16-litre engine – particularly equipped with a crawler gear for startability and tall rear axle ratio to keep the revs down at 100 km/h.

The reasoning behind Volvo’s move to the 16-litre 540 hp could be due to industry reluctance for high horsepower 13-litre engines on high-duty cycle B-double work, with the belief that a 16-litre engine is going to provide increased longevity, subjected to less stress than its 13-litre sibling, particularly on high weight and long-haul applications.

Teresia Fors, Volvo Group Australia’s vice president of marketing and communications with PowerTorque’s Brenton O’Connor

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FEATURE

Australia’s homegrown ute continues to improve

T

he RAM Truck Australia marketing machine continues to move ahead of its competitors, announcing a series of upgrades to the flagship vehicles in the fleet, the 2500 and 3500 RAM utes.

Production capacity is on the increase and the forecast is for the Melbourne production line to target over 4500 vehicles per year across the range.

It’s taken RAM Trucks Australia two and a half years since production started in December 2015 to produce its 1000th RAM pickup truck in Australia. With production of the RAM 1500 adding to the numbers, the company looks set to achieve the 2000 vehicle mark in less than half the time of the climb to 1000 sales.

Having tested the market with the RAM 2500 and 3500 models, RAM Trucks Australia has now blasted into the hugely popular ute segment by launching the RAM 1500 in three different trim levels and with two different choices of engine, one a petrol V8 HEMI Head of 5.7 litres, the other, due for release later this year, being a 3.0-litre VM Motori diesel, which also finds its way under the bonnet of the Chrysler 300C. When compared to the current crop of Japanese-styled utes, the RAM 1500 sets higher standards for towing capacity, tub size, interior space and comfort. Adding the 5.7-litre HEMI petrol engine brings back the V8 burble that’s part of the Australian ute owning psyche.

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RAM REPORT Those wanting more can have more in the form of the already established 2500 and 3500, both powered by the Cummins 6.7-litre, straight six with 276 kW of power and 1084 Nm of torque. This is matched to a six-speed Aisin automatic transmission with double overdrive ratios on 5th and 6th to give effortless cruising and surprisingly good fuel economy.

As its local remanufacturing assembly line in Victoria expands to match demand for the RAM 1500 Express and 1500 Laramie models, RAM Trucks Australia has announced a series of upgrades to its 2500 and 3500 trucks for 2018.

The RAM 2500 and 3500 feature revised suspension settings for 2018 that have been developed in Australia for Australian conditions and use Bilstein dampers. These provide a smoother, more comfortable ride quality without impacting on the class-leading towing ability of the RAM 2500 and 3500 of up to 6.9 tonnes.

For 2018, the latest uConnect 4 system brings a new 8.4-inch touchscreen with pinch to zoom operation, Apple CarPlay and Android compatibility. The USB flip connection allows two phones to be plugged into the system simultaneously, and, at the touch of the screen, the system will switch between the two phones without them being plugged in and out. Voice commands control the operation of the sat/nav unit and the phone operation.

Standard features now include rain-sensing wipers and headlights that dip automatically for approaching vehicles. The load bay lights may now be set to come on automatically when the RAM is unlocked.

As fully factory-approved imports that are built specifically for the Australian market, the RAM 2500 and 3500 may be ordered with factory fitted optional equipment.

The standard fit-out is with six seats, but the RAM 2500 may now be ordered as a five-seater, with two bucket seats in the front replacing the current bench seat.

More choice extends to the tub sizes, with the standard length being 1938 mm or the optional extended length of 2496 mm. The minimum width between the wheel arches remains identical at 1295 mm, able to accept a standard pallet. Selecting the longer tub also brings with it a larger capacity fuel tank of 132 litres, plus a further factory fitted option for the 2500 of auto-levelling rear air suspension that automatically detects load on the suspension from a trailer or payload. The air pressure increases until the vehicle reaches normal ride height, levelling the truck and improving the laden ride quality. By manually deleting air pressure the rear may be lowered by 25 mm to assist with hitching up trailers.

RamBoxes are a great use of space with 243-litre capacity lockers built in to each side of the tub and accessed by a lift-up lid that is locked and unlocked as part of the central locking system. A full tonneau cover is now standard equipment.

The RAM Sport Appearance package adds a colourcoded grille and front and rear bumpers, black tubular cab-length side steps, performance-tuned shock absorbers, and black 20” rims with Nitto 275/65 R20 All Terrain tyres, black badging and dark lined bi-function projector headlights.

The towing ability for the RAM 1500, RAM 2500 and 3500 is class-leading amongst the ute fraternity, with a 50 mm tow ball matched to a 3.5 tonnes limit, rising to 4.5 tonnes when fitted with a 70mm tow ball. When fitted with a pintle hook the towing limit rises to 6.9 tonnes. The payload is 913 kg in the 2500 and up to 1713 kg in the RAM 3500. Depending on specification and driving licence type, the RAM 3500 can have a gross combined mass of up to 11,479 kg.

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FEATURE The long wheelbase contributes to exceptional towing stability, with the added safety of a full exhaust brake system to reduce or control speed on over-run for less brake wear. A slider control for electric trailer brakes is also standard and built into the dashboard, and ratio shift points in the automatic transmission can be modified to suit the vehicle load and terrain by pressing the Tow/Haul button. Camera vision of the tray area and the tow ball makes trailer coupling easy when reversing.

two-piece welded component, essentially vacuum formed between the front axle and oil pan. The larger plated structure’s interface to the frame brings a lengthened weld surface that creates a significantly stiffer, more robust front section. Centre frame rail sections are roll-formed, and in the rear portion of the new frame the structure includes fully boxed rear rails and a factory-installed rear axle cross member with provisions for 5th wheel and gooseneck hitches.

Power adjusted seats and external mirrors, windows and sunroof are complemented by power adjusted pedal positioning to suit different leg lengths. The front seats are also heated and cool-air ventilated and the steering wheel is also heated. The large centre locker between the front seats has two cup holders and USB power points and folds upwards to provide a backrest for the centre seat. The dashboard, also has the usual USB and 12-volt sockets, but adds a 240-volt 100-watt mains power socket. The air con is dual-zone and the driver can start the engine from outside the vehicle through using the remote key fob to organise the cab temperature prior to entry.

Four-wheel disc brakes are standard, with front/rear rotors of 373-mm/356-mm operated by dual-piston callipers.

The rear bench seat takes three passengers and the seats can be flipped upwards in a dual/single seat combination.

With the seat bases flipped upwards, a foldout flat floor panel levels the rear of the cab for load carrying or to facilitate pet comfort. Rear seat passengers are also well catered for by the inclusion of air conditioning, storage lockers, a centre armrest with cup holders and reading lights.

The decision of whether to buy a 2500 or 3500 really comes down to the intended use. The RAM 2500 features a coil spring rear suspension while the 3500 is fitted with a Hotchkiss leaf spring rear suspension to meet additional towing demands. To maximise this ability, the RAM 3500 is available in two versions, one rated for a car driving licence and a second version rated for light rigid driving licence, which allows a higher payload as well as the 6.9-tonne towing capability.

New chassis frames for the 2500 and 3500 feature highstrength 50 KSI steel and include eight separate crossmembers, hydroformed main rails and fully boxed rear rails for optimal strength and mass efficiency.

Wide front frame rails (approximately 25 mm per side; 50 mm overall) enable front suspension springs to be positioned slightly outboard – generating more positive roll stiffness. A new front suspension cross member is now a

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The exhaust system for the Cummins 6.7-litre uses AdBlue (diesel exhaust fluid or DEF), which is injected to reduce NOx (nitrogen oxides) emissions coming out of the tail pipe. This is a fully automatic system, and with a 27-litre AdBlue tank the refill intervals are timed to match regular service intervals. For those with more interest in technical features, the frame-mounted fuel-filter/water-separator unit delivers best-in-class, 3.0-micron particulate filtration and water stripping. A unique venting system is designed to prevent dirt and water from entering the tank and a warning light illuminates on the truck’s instrument cluster when the high-capacity sump requires draining.

With more than 45 active and passive safety and security features, RAM Trucks include standard front air bags and seat-mounted side pelvic-thorax air bags with Enhanced Accident Response System (EARS), BeltAlert system and ParkView rear back-up camera system. The standard electronic stability control (ESC) hosts a number of technologies including all-speed traction control, trailer-sway control, hill-start assist and anti-lock brake system (ABS).

There are some tricky tech features such as the flashers initiate and doors are unlocked after air-bag deployment, which also corresponds with shutting off the flow of fuel to the engine. Tyre pressure monitoring of all four wheels gives an accurate reading on the dashboard and an alert when there’s any pressure deviation from the norm, interior surfaces are designed to minimise the opportunity for head impact, and knee bolsters keep the occupant in the right position for airbag actuation.

American-style utes have the benefit of offering the buyer greater suitability for towing, and, with local production and a significant level of local Australian input, the future for RAM Trucks looks particularly impressive.

RAMTRUCKS.COM.AU

FEATURE

FACING THE CHALLENGES The seventh NatRoad Annual Conference created strong motivation to focus on addressing the key challenges facing the road transport industry

H

amilton Island in the Whitsundays may seem a strange hub for a road transport conference, given the normal form of transport is either electric powered golf buggies or a pair of jogging shoes. But the reality of using such a venue was that other influences on the time and focus of the delegates attending the two-day event were never allowed to intrude on the purpose of the itinerary to discuss the challenges affecting today’s transport operators.

NatRoad is a not-for-profit association that is 100 percent funded via its membership fees and business partnerships. No funding is provided by government or unions. The governing board comprises members who run transport businesses from owner/drivers to road freight and large fleet operators, representing all aspects of the industry including general freight, road trains, livestock, tippers, express, car carriers, as well as tankers and refrigerated operators.

The NatRoad conference attracted over 200 delegates for an event that was officially opened by the Hon. Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, who, at the time, was also acting Prime Minister, following the unexpected behaviour of the federal parliament as it reshuffled its various incumbents.

The attraction of the NatRoad conference is that, unlike many industry organisations, the conference content is aimed at identifying concerns and finding solutions, rather than providing a forum for complaint without making an attempt to rectify the problem. Not surprisingly, with this attitude of finding the right way forward, the membership has grown by 6.0 percent over the past 12 months.

With a proud history dating back to 1948, NatRoad operates to represent its members, and as advocates for the $96 billion road freight industry. With more than 45,000 trucking companies employing more than 140,000 people across the country, the road transport industry is one of Australia’s biggest economic drivers.

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In his opening address, the Hon. Michael McCormack recognised the need for better roads, wider bridges and more rest areas, and showed his understanding of the demands facing the transport industry with the expected doubling of the freight task.

From left: Scott Davidson (NatRoad board member), Tony Hurley (Brown and Hurley Group), Ross Cureton (PACCAR Australia), Warren Clark (NatRoad CEO)

NATROAD Paul Retter, CEO of the National Transport Commission, kicked off with a review of heavy vehicle national law and the proposal to replace 13 different state and territory laws with one piece of legislation to achieve compatibility.

“There are 800 sections and 5 sets of regulations without the agreement or involvement of WA and the NT Governments, highlighting the fact that transport regulations were neither national nor fully uniform,” Mr. Retter indicated.

Following Mr. Retter’s presentation, Gary Mahon, chief executive officer of the Queensland Trucking Association, reviewed the way that trucking businesses paid for road usage and forecast how things could change for the better in the future by adopting telematics to simplify and speed development in the area of mass distance location charging.

“Currently, we’ve only automated a process that was implemented 80 years ago,” said Mr. Mahon. The future lies in being able to gain electronic supply of authorisations, permits and approvals and to plot a journey using onboard weighing systems, satellite navigation and vehicle positioning to incorporate road charging. This would enable mass distance location charging to be based on the identification of weight, vehicle configuration, type of road network used and the length of the journey, both when laden and unladen in real time.

Electric mobility also needs to be considered for inner city applications with government establishing what charges it expects for the adoption of these zero-emissions alternatives, bearing in mind the reduction of state revenue resulting from a reduction in fuel excise returns. The point was made that some European cities have already banned Euro 3 vehicles from entering within city limits. Australia has to implement cleaner and greener technologies to combat climate change to improve the environment. Although government is rejecting the option to take a lead initiative to provide incentives for compliance in these areas, the pace may be led by vehicle manufacturers conforming to the requests of their customers, considerably earlier than the projected date of 2022.

Jane Farrell, Senior Marketing Manager – NatRoad

realised. Mr. Rossetto’s knowledge of forensic accounting requires him to carry out in-depth financial analyses and investigation of the operations of businesses, including the identification of mistakes carried out by business. Attention to detail in the financial world can be the difference to maintaining a profitable operation or realising too late that what you thought was profitable, has in fact made a substantial loss from which recovery is impossible.

“The demands facing the transport industry with the expected doubling of the freight task”

Finance expert, Mariano Rossetto, a forensic accountant for Vincent’s Chartered Accountants, provided an insight into his expertise to remind the delegates that although “revenue is exciting and cost is boring”, it’s important for any business leader to be mindful of costing an operation to its full potential.

Do you predict staff loading on a needs basis? Do you identify the cost per unit? Does more work mean more staff and does that produce a higher return or inflict the business with higher cost? The answers lie in determining the true profit rather than an anticipated profit that might not be

Relationships with police forces across the country depend on trust and understanding, and it’s difficult not to take an adversarial role in the relationship when vehicles are found to be unroadworthy, with deliberate tampering of road speed limiters or general lack of maintenance that makes a vehicle unroadworthy and inherently dangerous. Chief Inspector Phillip Brooks of the NSW Police provided real-life documented examples of inadequate mechanical condition, and, significantly, the dangers of using mobile phones in all categories of vehicle. Poor practices of load restraint were also highlighted as being a commonly found concern on the nation’s roads.

When it comes to the evaluation of dangerous practices affecting road safety, it’s necessary to lay the blame fairly and squarely at those in management that permit flagrant breaches to occur, and it’s here that all those working on road transport have to sit up and take notice of the incoming chain of responsibility legislation.

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Road transport operators and business have partnered to address the national skills shortage with NatRoad, working in collaboration with funding supplied by PACCAR Australia, in association with the PACCAR dealer network. The aim is to establish a scheme similar to that of apprentice trades people to create a recognised professional qualification encompassing driver training, load restraint, general safety issues and a full appreciation of operational requirements.

The opportunity exists for closer cooperation between transport operators, vehicle dealerships, original equipment manufacturers and recognised driver training authorities, such as Wodonga TAFE or the Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Institute, to work with the existing network of driver trainers employed by the OEMS to create a recognised government-approved qualification as a transport operator.

The key to reducing accidents, improving road safety and raising the acceptance of truck driving and transport operation as a highly sought after employment opportunity depends on being able to provide training at all levels to a much wider pool of the workforce than is currently canvassed.

Gillian Bristow

Gillian Bristow, special council for Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers, and a regular contributor to PowerTorque magazine, in her presentation held the attention of every member in the room. She outlined the primary duties of management and how companies could protect themselves from liabilities and limit their exposure during the term of a contract to clauses that could restrict or prevent their ability to incorporate rate reviews, such as are incurred through fuel price increases. (See page 11 in this issue for further details of CoR requirements).

A common concern of truck operators is the shortage of qualified drivers. With less than 15 percent of truck drivers under the age of 30, and with the road freight task set to double by 2030, the industry has to be proactive about the looming driver shortage in Australia.

NatRoad’s Jane Farrell working together with NatRoad consultant Laura Hobson have amassed a tremendous amount of data surrounding the current driver shortage, defining which areas need to be investigated in order to attract newcomers to the industry.

As outlined by NatRoad CEO, Warren Clark, these include improving the overall professional status by working with government agencies and trade bodies to develop recognised industry trades, addressing insurance head on to find a solution, and improving the image of our industry through non-traditional approaches.

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There should be no restriction on gender, with improvements to working conditions commensurate to the major raising of safety standards incorporated into the design of the latest vehicles. The aim of replacing the work description of being “just a truck driver” with a more qualified and recognised approach can only be good for the future of the industry.

Special Commendation

The annual NatRoad awards, sponsored by NTI, recognise and reward those in the road transport industry for their ongoing commitment to safety, developing skills and an overall professional approach.

Dave Wilson from DJ Cool Freight took home the 2018 Professional Driver of The Year Award. As a professional driver with over 20 years of total driving experience, he has distinguished himself as an advocate for the industry by taking the initiative to educate and encourage the younger generation to consider a career in trucking.

Angela Bawden from SRV Freight received the Youth Employee Award. In her role as compliance and fleet officer, Angela has demonstrated exceptional dedication and passion for the road transport industry.

The Ted Pickering Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Road Freight Industry was presented to Jim Pearson, managing director at Jim Pearson Transport.

With over 40 years’ experience in the transport industry and extensive operational expertise in all aspect of the business, Jim Pearson goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure that his sites, equipment and vehicles are compliant with safety regulations. He works with the community to educate them on the importance of safety and is actively involved in rescue operations.

“I’ve never wanted to build the most of anything, just to build the best” Mick Murray

THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN

TRAILER TECHNOLOGY

TRAILERTORQUE

TROTTER TRANSPORT S Rytrans Manufacturing improves productivity for Seilers Transport – Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up.

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eilers Transport of Kingaroy in Queensland currently operates a mixed fleet of trucks and trailers comprising six Freightliner Coronados working on B-double work, two Scanias, two Nissan UDs and two Volvos.

Having previously purchased livestock trailers from manufacturers in NSW, Seilers Transport has more recently made the move to purchase locally-built trailers from Rytrans Manufacturing of Toowoomba. Today the company operates two B-double combination pig transport trailers built by Rytrans, with another single trailer currently in the build (at the time of writing).

RYTRANS MANUFACTURING As Jared Seiler, co-owner of Seilers Transport, explains, “It’s to our benefit to keep the manufacturing local for several reasons. We are constantly looking for ways to do the job better, easier and safer, which can result in wanting to make small changes on the run. I can go to Rytrans and ask for brackets to be welded two inches higher to make the job easier in some way, and it’s not a problem.

“We’ve also learnt a lot from our experience, identifying what works and what doesn’t. Ashley and Blake Daley from Rytrans are willing to listen to us and even visit our operation to adjust standard builds to meet our requirements. Some manufacturers simply offer up their designs and that’s it,” said Jared.

The new combination developed by Rytrans Manufacturing for Seilers Transport is a B-double, tripledeck configured, pig transport trailer, complete with through loading.

Health and quarantine regulations factor strongly throughout the transport and handling chain, with the trailers being used exclusively for the transportation of pigs. This is to prevent disease and bacteria transfer.

These pigs are predominantly supplied to the main large supermarket retailers in the domestic food market, with a small amount going to export.

“We’re here loading at one of our major client’s piggery on the Darling Downs in Qld, at a loading ramp that we specifically designed and built to accommodate our vehicle and loading preference,” said Jared.

“The pigs are brought down from the main piggery some distance away in the piggery trucks and ushered into the loading area to be loaded onto our three-deck pig trailers.

There is a fence in this area that the piggery staff are not allowed past, and our drivers are not allowed to pass over to the piggery side. This is to prevent any potential contamination or disease transfer. Our drivers must wear overalls and gum boots while they are loading, which stay here at the facility.

“We can load up to 20 pigs per pen, but choose to drop that back to 17 to 18 to give them a bit more room. We are very conscious of the animal’s welfare, and this procedure results in less-stressed pigs. Unlike transporting cattle, the pigs lay down during transport, so it makes the vehicle stability much safer compared to cattle,” explained Jared.

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“The average round trip from the piggeries to the abbatoir in Kingaroy is 320km, and loading usually takes about an hour, as does the unloading and washing out. As we also have to work in with the piggery operating hours and demand from the abattoir, this effectively limits our drivers to only the one round trip per day,” he added.

Each load consists of approximately 320 pigs, loaded over the three decks with each pig averaging 95-115 kg as determined by the buyers’ specifications for size and weight, with payloads averaging around the 34 to 35-tonne mark. Although this payload figure may seem a little low, the trailers carry up to 1500 litres of water when full, which needs to be taken into consideration “Cleanliness is a big part of our business; our trailers are constantly being washed out at our yard and at the abattoir. Trailer-mounted tanks capture the effluent, which we then transfer to a settling pond at our property in Kingaroy. The liquid runs off the top, and we then put it out onto our pastures, and every couple of years we then bring in a vacuum tanker to remove the solids and silt, which is also put on to the pasture that is used for fattening cattle,” said Jared.

As TrailerTorque learnt from its visit to the piggery, the pigs’ health and welfare have to be closely monitored.

They can’t be left in direct sunlight as they can suffer from sunburn, so shade covers are installed over the top deck to prevent this and keep them cool. During their transport, an on-board sprinkler system keeps them cool, fed from the 500-litre water tank on the A-trailer and the two 94

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Jared Seiler and Blake Daley (l-r)

500-litre tanks on the B-trailer. These sprinkler systems are used while in transit and are supplemented during loading and before leaving by hosing down the pigs using the water on site. During longer trips, the trailer can have water nipples connected to the water line offering a cool water supply for the pigs while on the move.

“The welfare of the animals is a high priority and we avoid causing any undue stress to the pigs,” said Jared.

“By using low stress handling techniques, coupled with good loading facilities and well-designed trailers, it helps us to keep our animal welfare standards high,” said Jared.

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TRAILERTORQUE Cleanliness along with disease and bacteria transfer control are paramount during transport of the animals.

The trailers are washed out multiple times each day, and, as a result, are always wet. Through firsthand experience, Jared Seiler has been able to identify wet areas that can hold water and moisture-producing corrosion problems down the track.

To facilitate the safe and contamination free transfer of the pigs, a good deal of attention to detail has been given to the trailer design and construction, including stainless steel floors. As the area is always wet and being washed, Jared says they have opted for stainless steel anywhere possible for health status purposes, and it can also be a little lighter than a general steel floor. Upright posts and framework are constructed from DuraGal, with alloy side panels. “In the past, we would get three to four years out of our trailers before starting to spend serious money on repairs, mainly due to corrosion. Little things like welding the lower side panels 5.0 mm above the lower rails sees increased air flow and removes a corrosion point,� explained Jared.

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RYTRANS MANUFACTURING Airflow has also come under the spotlight during manufacturing with generous spacing on all sides, and to the front and rear end panels. This helps keep the humidity down and the pigs comfortable.

“Anything that can be done to reduce bacterial contamination or to prevent rust formation has been done,” says Jared. “It may cost a bit more initially, but should remove the high repair costs in a few years’ time. This is a very corrosive environment”.

Sectioning pens are incorporated to allow staged loading in order to secure small numbers of pigs. This makes loading safer in case they try to turn back. Also, once the pigs have entered the trailers they are not permitted back into the piggery area.

Each deck is fully effluent-controlled with no seepage from upper decks onto the pigs below. All effluent is contained within the on-board tanks and even the side boards are spaced in a way to minimise any side leakage, while also ensuring a generous airflow can be maintained.

Seilers Transport is trialling a new rear door design with the latest trailers that features a three-quarter opening.

This improves the flow of pigs into the trailers resulting in less resistance from the animals with the added benefit that it speeds up the loading and unloading. It’s been made possible by the design of the loading ramp that Seilers purpose-built at the piggery and has also encouraged the abattoir to incorporate the ramp design features into its own facility.

“We like to do things once and get it right from the start.

That’s why we have invested heavily in stainless, as we need to get ten years out of these trailers to make them pay,” said Jared.

A brief tour of the Rytrans Manufacturing facility in Toowoomba revealed the next Seilers Transport single trailer part way through its build. Sharing the workshop floor was a nearly completed B-double cattle crate trailer set for Johnston’s Livestock Transport, also of Toowoomba.

This featured straight-through and side-loading capability, BPW axles, stainless steel decks, weight gauges, steel mesh catwalks, standard fitment block gates for load isolation, full-width deck ramps and custom powdercoated side boards with LED lighting throughout.

Blake Daley of Rytrans Manufacturing says the build time for production of a new trailer is currently about a six to eight week turnaround, with the company wheeling out on average a B-double set per month.

It’s this design input from experienced operators that allows a company like Rytrans Manufacturing, that is willing to listen and work with its customers, to achieve class-leading design, thereby benefiting its current and future customers.

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TRUCKS AND DOGS Southern Sydney coal processor and bulk material transport operator, Trazblend, chooses Sloanebuilt Trailers to provide the perfect match for new four-axle dog trailers coupled to the company’s latest fleet acquisitions, the Mercedes-Benz Actros.

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SLOANEBUILT TRAILERS

A

s part of an ongoing vehicle and equipment replacement programme that is modernising the fleet and taking advantage of new technologies and payload improvements, Trazblend has added four new truck and fouraxle dog trailer PBS combinations to operate out of its Glenlee facility.

Working with Sloanebuilt Trailers, through its manufacturing base at Narellan, NSW, Trazblend has settled on its ideal spec for aluminium rigid truck bodies as being 4500 mm in length, mounted upon the 4225 mm wheelbase of the Actros rigid truck chassis.

With side heights of 1670 mm and 8.0 mm floors, the CS13.3.3.3469TLB Edbro hoist does the heavy lifting with oil supplied from the original off-side fuel tank. This tank was converted by Sloanebuilt to act as the oil supply tank, and a lock has been fitted on the filler cap to prevent any fluid mix-ups.

A standard top hinge tailgate is fitted with in-cab control, and the Georges Canvas Auto Tarp system makes load covering a breeze. The body is marked out with Hella LED lighting.

Following closely behind is a four-axle dog trailer built to PBS specifications to cater for the coal and shale freight currently being carried, and for the imminent new direction of business for Trazblend.

The 90,000 kg GCM of the Actros should easily handle the intended gross mass operational weight of 57.5 tonnes.

The 8500 mm long x 1670 mm high aluminium bins also have 8.0 mm flooring fitted with 12 mm OKUSLIDE floor liners for ease of tipping off tacky loads such as clay.

The drawbar length is 3645 mm and fitted with 19 mm Bartlett safety chains. Keith Dunbier, managing director for Trazblend, said, “While some operators don’t run safety chains in favour of saving on tare weight, after experiencing what can happen when a trailer breaks loose we won’t run without them”.

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Featuring Hendrickson INTRAAX axles for low tare weight benefits, the trailer runs with EBS controlled drum brakes supplied through Air Brake Systems with sensing on the 2nd and 4th axles. The dolly axle spread is 1250 mm and the tandem spread is 1500 mm. Ten-stud Alcoa aluminium Dura-Bright rims on the outside and Alcoa level-one rims on the inside are all shod with Michelin X-MULTI 11R22.5 tyres.

Tipping ability is provided by the Edbro CS 17-4-5966TLB hoist, with the load covered by an electrically operated Auto Tarp, again from Georges Canvas. Hella LED lighting marks out the extremities, and a Quacker reverse alarm sounds out the driver’s intentions.

The chassis is finished in durable PPG Autothane paint, which Sloanebuilt tradesmen apply in their own in-house spray booth, alleviating the need to send components out for painting, while streamlining the build process.

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FEATURE The combinations are estimated to tare in at a little over the 18-tonne mark, as Keith reported payloads just shy of 39.5 tonnes.

The low tare weight and high payload, coupled to the excellent fuel economy from the Actros, should go a long way to boosting profitability and reducing the overall cost of operation for Trazblend.

Trazblend has been operating in the Macarthur region, south of Sydney for many years, and, with the coal reject placement phase soon to reach capacity, it will be interesting to see what is in store for these new combinations in the near future.

“While some operators don’t run safety chains in favour of saving on tare weight, after experiencing what can happen when a trailer breaks loose we won’t run without them”

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TRAILERTORQUE

FINDING SOLUTIONS

Mick Murray Welding of Townsville has one approach to building trailers – they have to work, and they have to last – Report by Chris Mullett

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MICK MURRAY WELDING

W

henever PowerTorque meets executives visiting Australia for the first time, their comments are usually similar, in that they had not appreciated the harshness of operating conditions. The next comment usually is where they express surprise at the remoteness of some operations, typically those in the mining industry, that result in service and maintenance taking on a new level of importance when help is not available at short notice.

In general freight it’s more than possible for overseas manufacturers to find that a local solution that works in Europe will work equally well when transported to Australian line haul operations. The next question is of course durability, as to whether European designs will cope with higher speeds, longer running periods and rough road conditions.

Trailer manufacturing in China and Thailand may work well for their local markets, but the Australian market has proven difficult for them to compete effectively on the grounds of durability. This has resulted in some of the Thai manufacturers in particular pulling out of the Australian market after an unprofitable foray that has proven to be costlier than projected.

The heavy haulage sector for trailing equipment is perhaps clearer cut when it comes to the designs and construction that work, and those that fail.

Mick Murray started work as a young welder at the age of 15 and in his early 20s he fine-tuned his trade in Alice Springs, where he built dollies for road train work and repaired tankers.

Involved in the transport industry ever since completing his apprenticeship, Mick founded his own business in Alice Springs, then Darwin, before finally relocating to Townsville, where Mick Murray Welding has been based since 2013.

“The Townsville council and local authorities were totally supportive of our move to Queensland, and it’s proven to be an excellent centre for attracting the right calibre of local tradesmen. We also run an apprentice training programme, so we are future-proofing our skill set to continue into the future,” said Mick.

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“In our history we’ve based our company philosophy on innovation and like to work closely with a customer to find the right solution for their transport task. Our business succeeds because we have built an excellent and very capable skilled workforce. We specialise in the top end of heavy-duty transport where strength and durability mean that equipment we have built has outlasted by three times the service life of some of our competitors.

“It’s common in on-road tippers in the southern states to run with 4 mm thick flooring, but, for the type of work completed by our customers, that’s just the point at which we start our designs. We work with trailers where the floor thickness can be up to 16 mm and the tare weight can be 21.5 tonnes. That’s at the high end, but the construction depends on the application, consequently we work with all sheet thicknesses ranging from 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, 12 mm and 16 mm.

“We are very much innovators. Everything we have ever done has been to our own design, although we have been copied on many occasions. I’ve never wanted to build the most of anything, just to build the best. We were the first to introduce a greaseless side tipper door and body hinge system. The entire coupling systems for the MLG Oz road train side tippers were built to our greaseless design without one grease nipple in the combination, including tow couplings, slew rings, hydraulic rams etc. Cantilever hydraulic lid systems were another first, developed by MMW, and we are still holding the patents for their construction. Another innovation in design was our double deck banana carrying trailer, which dramatically improves productivity and efficiency.

“I still love to get out on the floor and weld and build when I get the opportunity”

“A typical example of our work is the recent completion of five quad-axle side tipper road trains and a further six tri-axle side tippers for three-trailer road train operation by MLG Oz Pty Ltd. (Murray Leahy Group) of Kalgoorlie for bulk transport and minesite services. In the past 18 months Mick Murray Welding has delivered 11 road trains for MLG Oz, all of them being side tippers.

All of the chassis builds required steel plates to be specifically rolled for the arduous operating conditions.

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“Anything that’s a bit unique and bit different we like to do, such as quad-axle belly dumpers with a pivoting suspension that was designed and built entirely by us using York suspension components. These have been really successful for the customer.

“We work with York, BPW, K-Hitch and Hendrickson. Again, most of our suspension and axle choice is generally customer oriented, as to what they want to use. We are always keen to fly to a location and look at the task in that environment and come through with a workable solution.

This specialist approach results in equipment that is tailored exactly to the requirements of the customer and results in our very broad portfolio of tipping equipment that ranges from 14 - to 75 cubic metres.

MICK MURRAY WELDING

“Companies we supply are utilising our trailers that are specifically built for their operation. These include 35-cubic-metre capacity, tri-axled side tippers that offer around 60 tonnes payload or 40-cubic-metre capacity quad-axled tippers with 70 tonnes per trailer payload.

These operate as triple road trains in a purely off-road application,” added Mick.

“I still love to get out on the floor and weld and build when I get the opportunity. I am very passionate about our product and our product development. The first thing in our designs we look at is how it will operate and handle.

We’ve designed them to be safe and to simplify the operation for the driver. If a trailer handles well it reduces driver fatigue and makes it safer on the road.

The focus on safety has taken development work on trucks and trailer equipment to new levels, with the introduction of satellite monitoring incorporating geofencing with monitoring of weight and speed in addition to location.

“The right degree of care also applies to the replacement of components. We have a unique U-bolted ram system that makes getting a ram on and off really easy. Our hydraulic manifolds on the insides of our tippers have removed all but two hydraulic hoses internally and are also very easy to access.

A greater percentage of customers are now specifying disc brakes with EBS and roll stability controls for offroad application, as typified by a recent stock crate road train combination for the Kimberley region. Careful design takes into account the movement of the livestock and the weight distribution of the load together with the tow couplings and connections to maximise the handling stability of the trailer. These benefits result from our analysis of king pin and Ringfeder and drawbar lengths to maximise loading, handling and stability.

“In any industry the focus on safety is about the workers’ well-being. It needs to focus on worker safety and not just the paperwork that suggests it is safe. If it’s not safe, don’t do it. No amount of going to court will bring back your fingers, hand or even worse, your life. Decisions have to be made by people with work experience, rather than inexperienced people without industry knowledge,” said Mick Murray,

This prevents hydraulic leaks and blown hoses from occurring. It’s about making the design of the trailer work for our customers, handle the weight, and live up to their expectations, while remembering to make it easy for any mechanic to work on it.

“Lack of foresight can turn a one-hour job into a sixhour job. Anything we build is designed for ease of maintenance, service and access. In the field, you have to know that a design is easier to work on and you don’t have to remove any component to replace any worn or damaged parts.

“It’s about making things cost effective. When we build lightweight trailers, we are never willing to sacrifice weight for integrity. Everything is built for longevity and not for the length of the contract,” said Mick.

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DOWNSIZING The convenience of threeaxled dog trailers brings added appeal for Gates Haulage – Report by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up

W

ith the preferred service life of some of its truck and three-axle dog trailer combinations coming to an end, Gates Haulage, based in Gerringong NSW, resisted the urge to add yet another PBS truck and four-axle dog trailer combination to its fleet. TrailerTorque finds out why.

Notching up its first month in service, the latest three-axle dog combination is settling in well, working behind a new International ProStar.

According to Paul Gates, co-director of Gates Haulage, “Current thinking has been to automatically order a four-axle dog trailer combination of PBS specification to gain maximum payload efficiency. However, we have a rather diverse scope of work in sometimestight situations, from worksites in eastern Sydney, to concrete plants with limited access. This led us to believe that the best course of action, with regards to replacing our older three-axle units, was to replace like-for-like to maintain flexibility”.

Sloanebuilt Trailers was selected for the truck body and trailer build.

“Sloanebuilt advised us that it could build the combination to comply with PBS specifications, and apply to have it attached to our current approval. This is the first three-axle PBS trailer that Sloanebuilt has manufactured,” said Paul.

The trailer build consists of an aluminium threeaxle dog, low-body PBS unit of 6100 mm in length and 1670 mm in height with a 10 mm floor.

The drawbar length is 4100 mm. Other features include a low-rider ball-race turntable on the dolly, an air tailgate with grain chute, tailgate finger indicators and tailgate anti-lift lugs.

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GATES HAULAGE

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“It has an outstanding turning circle and is exceptionally manoeuvrable in tight situations. This confirms that we have made the right choice of equipment”

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GATES HAULAGE The chassis is painted in durable PPG Autothane black paint over an epoxy PPG primer for durability.

Axles are by BPW with vertical shock absorbers, drum brakes and Alcoa ten-stud aluminium wheels, while in the braking department the air brake system’s EBS kit with ABS sensing on the first and third axles keeps brake performance up to date. The axle spread on the tandem group is 1350 mm and axle sensing air pressure gauges have been plumbed to the in-cab gauges for weight evaluation to be viewed directly from the driver’s seat.

An Edbro CS15 hoist does the heavy lifting, and a 12-volt one-touch control POWERTARP encloses the load.

“Operating under CML PBS level 2A, the combination can run at a GCM of 49.5 tonnes,” said Paul Gates.

“This is giving us a payload of around 33 tonnes. Ideally, we would have liked this payload figure to be a little better.

However, we were not prepared to sacrifice long-term durability for shortterm payload gains.

“We are frequently backloading home to the Illawarra with varying loads, so to keep the versatility of equipment, we had the trailer built to last the distance. If we were just carrying sand and aggregates at sub-40 mm in size we could have had the trailer built lighter, but durability equates to a bit more tare weight,” he added.

With the competition jumping straight to the four-axle configuration, this may well lead to a shortage of smaller combinations to cater for tight-access jobs at larger payloads, placing operators with these types of units at a distinct advantage.

With the first unit performing so well, there is the possibility of another to come on board very soon to replace another older combination.

“Our driver, Mark Stephens, reports that the three-axle dog trailer when coupled to our new International ProStar has an outstanding turning circle and is exceptionally manoeuvrable in tight situations. This confirms that we have made the right choice of equipment,” concluded Paul.

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TM

INTRAAX AANT’s narrow tapered beam and large diameter axle technologies provide the ultimate axle and suspension system for high roll stability, low weight and improved durability.

Coupled with Hendrickson’s HXL7 Extended-Life Wheel Bearing Package, which boasts a five-year, 1.2 million km on-highway warranty*, you have a system that delivers reliability and performance kilometre after kilometre, maximising your bottom line.

TRAILERTORQUE

BUYING IN BULK

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KALARI TRANSPORT

Warren Caves profiles the latest AAB-quad combinations from Graham Lusty Trailers – Images

by Torque it Up Photography

I

n the transport industry it pays to be special, and whenever specialised trailers are involved the GLT brand logo will often be found on the bodywork.

The latest example from Graham Lusty Trailers of Brisbane results from a contract to build a total of nine AAB-quad trailer combinations for Kalari Transport, Australia’s market leader in specialised bulk logistics.

With four units already delivered, the company is currently working on units five and six at its Parkinson, Brisbane, facility.

With over 30 years’ experience in specialised bulk logistics to the mining and resources sector, Kalari, a Swire Group company, operates a large national fleet of multi-combination, high-productivity vehicles across Australia.

The four trailer combinations, of a tag trailer, dolly, tag trailer, dolly followed by a B-double, when completely assembled behind a tri-drive prime mover, will measure in at just under 50 metres long with a GCM of 164 tonnes.

A low tare weight of approximately 47.5 tonnes equates to a healthy payload of around 115-116 tonnes.

The trailers are destined for coal transportation duties based in the central Queensland town of Moura.

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Graham Lusty Trailers works closely with its clients to design and construct trailing equipment to meet the exacting needs of each application, through many years’ experience and the use of the latest CAD software.

James Yerbury, GLT’s managing director, recently completed a follow-up visit to Kalari’s operation to assess the combinations already in service and to sort out any potential teething problems. The visit was obviously successful, as James has confirmed the units are achieving their projected weight distribution and mass goals.

The trailer chassis are manufactured from 700 grade, mechanically and thermally hardened steel imported from Sweden. GLT has a strong focus on high strength with low tare weight manufacturing to maximise payloads, so these bins are manufactured using 5083 aluminium sheeting, 6.0 mm floors and side doors and 5.0 mm front and side walls.

“We find this provides a good balance of rigidity and low tare mass construction,” explained GLT’s engineer, Edward Greenaway.

This Kalari combination is PBS compliant with disc brakes on all wheels, Hendrickson axles, Bridgestone tyres and EBS functionality, which will allow potential operation under varying state compliance and jurisdiction.

The tag trailer bins are 9.0 metres long with a capacity of 47 cubic metres, and the A trailer has a 5.8-metre bin.

The use of phasing cylinders controls tipping actuations, ensuring tipping remains in synchronisation throughout the process alleviating body twist, and stress cracking around cylinder mounts.

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Other design characteristics worthy of note are the Razor tarps. These extend beyond the bin edge to retract out of the way during the loading process. Safety props

KALARI TRANSPORT

have been fitted to all bins for maintenance purposes and fire extinguishers are to be fitted to all tag trailers.

Also noteworthy are the side mount connections for the hydraulic hoses and trailer electrical leads, which negate the need to climb onto the trailers for connection. An incab airbag dump function is fitted to allow the suspension to be dropped to lower the centre of gravity during the tipping process.

“We have a good relationship with Kalari Transport, and we work very closely to achieve design and construction criteria to meet their goals. With our current order, we are essentially delivering one combination per month to this client,” said James Yerbury.

Graham Lusty, GLT’s founder and CEO, is very much hands-on within the business, and it’s the culmination of his and MD, James Yerbury’s, many years of traditional trailer building experience, coupled to modern CAD technology, that accounts for the company’s success. This high reputation also stems from GLT’s six-stage build process of planning, drafting, purchasing, fabrication, fit-out and delivery that streamlines the production process, resulting in trailing equipment to perfectly suit any application.

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B-DOUBLE? If one Vector 1550 unit from Carrier is good, then double is better right? The Vector 1550 is one of the lightest trailer refrigeration units on the market (712 kg) and operates with low noise emissions (71 dB). And while Vector 1550 units weigh less, they also offer way more.

Designed using the patented combination of a hermetic compressor with an economizer, it delivers a 40 percent increase in refrigeration capacity during pull down. As a result, Vector 1550 units deliver faster temperature pull down, reaching the desired set point up to 25 percent faster compared to conventional technology and with extremely precise temperature control (+/- 0.8°C).

NO TROUBLE! As if that’s not enough, the Vector 1550 unit’s low fuel consumption reduces its overall carbon impact by up to 19 percent compared to conventional systems, the equivalent of removing 2.8 tons of CO2 per unit per year.

Lighweight, economical yet still powerful, the Vector 1550 has proven itself performing reliably on A & B trailers of B-Double combinations all over Australia in our hot Australian summer. If you’re looking for a way to reduce weight, lower fuel consumption, lower maintenance costs, look to Vector 1550 from Carrier.

Carrier Transicold Australia Nationwide Ph: 1800 448 166

Performance data dependent on a range of operational settings, environmental conditions, and model type. Data is based on the Vector 1550-T Low Noise model. © 2018 Carrier Corporation.

TRAILERTORQUE

EURO TRAILER TORQUE

Thai transportation specialist Silamas owns more than 550 Goldhofer axle lines in its fleet and recently used Goldhofer axle lines as well as the Hydronic steering system to move heavy waste gas scrubbers for the Takehara coalfired power station in Japan. The entire 40-metre-long vehicle combination could be controlled with just one operator.

Chris Mullett reports on different levels of efficiency common to the European transport scene on the eve of the IAA Hanover Expo.

A

The advantages of being a Krone customer extend further than the customary building of a trailer or bodywork by offering a comprehensive service that includes telematics, spare parts, maintenance contracts, pan-European service partners and financing solutions. Furthermore, trailers and general transport equipment can be rented through Krone Fleet and used vehicles are available via Krone Used. s the concept of the global market beckons to industry, the Australian transport scene continues to present an appealing option for trailer and bodywork manufacturers seeking to increase volume on a world scale.

Entering the Australian market is not subject to a clear and unfettered introduction, as evidenced by some of the manufacturers of China and Thailand that have tried unsuccessfully to make the transition. But with an increasing interest in our country tempting the Americans, and other countries offering lower build costs or part fabrication options, there are no guarantees for Australian manufacturers expecting an invisible trade barrier to safeguard their future.

German trailer manufacturer Krone produces flatbeds and semitrailers, container chassis, swap systems, trailers and vehicle bodywork, as well as CEP vehicles for parcel services. Surprisingly, swap bodies (also known as demountables) have never achieved prominence in the Australian transport scene as they improve supply and collection efficiency by reducing vehicle standing idle time.

Ideally suited to supermarket deliveries, the option of dropping a full fridge pan body at night and plugging it in to mains power ready for unloading during the day improves efficiency by enabling the operator to deliver in off-peak periods. Within ten minutes, the truck is back on the highway with a body that has been unloaded earlier in the day, keeping the capital expense of plant and equipment working to its maximum.

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In-house components such as the Krone Trailer Axle and the ‘All-In-Krone Trailer’ ensure that customers can rely on just one contact person to handle all enquiries.

In terms of efficiencies, the Europeans rely on volume production, which is not an option for local Australian manufacturers. The annual turnover of the Krone Commercial Vehicle Group (Fahrzeugwerk Krone and subsidiaries) is 1.3 billion euros. In the past fiscal year, Krone manufactured around 52,000 vehicle units (around 41,000 semitrailers plus almost 11,000 interchangeable systems).

The Group employs approximately 2500 personnel across five locations. With 27.2 percent of its production going to Germany, Western European countries take 43.8 percent and the Eastern European countries 21.6 percent of its total market share.

One of Krone’s recent sales successes was the delivery to Danish operator N&K Spedition of its 1000th refrigerated semitrailer from Krone Fleet Denmark since 2010. N&K has currently commissioned 225 new refrigerated semitrailers for delivery during 2018/2019 to transport fresh and frozen goods to Western and Eastern Europe.

N&K’s fleet of semitrailers features Krone Telematics, which enables all data to be scanned into N&K’s internal IT system.

Moving from trailers to rigid trucks, and in the United Kingdom a fresh produce supplier has taken delivery of 15 innovative refrigeration units to replace conventional diesel motors on its fleet.

EURO TRAILER The engineless refrigeration units are supplied by Warrington-based Carrier Transicold UK, which has delivered 15 of its Syberia engineless refrigeration units to fresh produce supplier Swithenbank – including five TWINCOOL models for multi-temperature operations.

Swithenbank, a trading arm of BFS Group Ltd, chose the Carrier Transicold systems for a new fleet of 18-tonne DAF LF rigid trucks, which will be used across its chilled and frozen produce contracts.

“Since their introduction to the fleet, the Syberia units have performed exceptionally well,” says Graham Rennie, director of fleet, BFS Group Ltd. “After the single-temperature units gave us such great results for our chilled produce, we decided to increase the order and specify the multi-temperature variants to handle our frozen contracts.

Goldhofer step-deck float (top), KRONE Profi Liner Multi-Lock (centre) and Talson trailer (below).

“The engineless technology was key to our decisionmaking process, as it means each vehicle meets all current legislation and helps to ensure we’re prepared for upcoming changes that might affect our urban delivery operations”.

Both the Syberia and Syberia TWINCOOL units are driven by the truck’s Euro VI engine and Carrier Transicold’s Eco-Drive power module, which uses a hydraulic pump connected to the engine power take-off. The variable displacement pump drives a generator, which delivers electrical power to the unit and provides high refrigeration capacity even at standard idle speed – a frequent occurrence in congested urban centres.

The system also operates below the PIEK-compliant noise level of 60 dB(A), even at 100 percent capacity, which contributes to significantly quieter operations – ideal for Swithenbank’s inner-city deliveries.

A spokesperson for Carrier Transicold told TrailerTorque the introduction of the Syberia models was currently under consideration for the Australian market, especially where customers recognise and value overall life-cycle costs versus up-front costs.

Back to Germany, and Goldhofer Aktiengesellschaft has collaborated with heavy haulage company Transportes Muciño of Mexico by combining a Goldhofer Faktor 5 and an ADDRIVE to transport 13 gas turbines over a distance of more than 1200 km.

Transportes Muciño was the first heavy haulage company in Mexico to use this combination to move the gas turbines that individually weigh 186 to 289 tons and will be used in the construction of three power plants.

“By using the Faktor 5, and with the help of ADDRIVE, we were able to make the overall vehicle configuration as compact as possible and to carry out the entire project in the shortest possible time,” explained Raul Cuevas, commercial director at Transportes Muciño.

The route of the more than 1100 km was mostly on good roads, but it presented a number of challenges such as bridges to be crossed, the climb into the mountains of Cd Victoria and the steep descent to Saltillo.

With the additional power available from the ADDRIVE, the Muciño team was able to take gradients of more than 10 percent. Frequent use was made of the Bluetooth synchronisation feature on the ADDRIVE for optimum coordination with the prime mover at travel speeds of up to 15 km/h.

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It also made it possible to cross bridges without using prime movers in order to reduce the overall weight of the configuration. Each combination measured 95 m long, 6.84 m wide and around 5.3 m high.

At this year’s IAA event Goldhofer will be unveiling the ARCUSPK. The new STZ-PK 8 low-loader semitrailer has been designed with a completely new steering system developed by Goldhofer that ensures optimum steering control in all situations to prevent steering errors in forward and reverse motion and reduce tyre wear to a minimum. The outstanding steering geometry takes the hassle out of narrow construction site entrances and offers considerable timesavings.

The ARCUSPK is the first low-loader semitrailer with selftracking pendular axles in series production. Thanks to the innovative steering system, the vehicle has excellent cornering characteristics. A new, unique and user-friendly control system called SmartControl enables individual functions to now be operated at the touch of a button. The operator has a good overview of everything and is never in the danger zone when operating a ramp, for example.

Goldhofer will also use the IAA to present its new ALLROUNDER, the STN-L 3 low-loader semitrailer with self-tracking axles. With its low dead weight and full range of load-securing options, it is a universal workhorse designed with a focus on construction site operations.

Equipped with wheel recesses and a one- or two-piece hydraulic ramp as required, the ALLROUNDER is a safe solution for transporting all kinds of construction plant, including high machines at low ride heights. The wheel recesses can be quickly transformed into a continuous platform for fast and easy loading of tracked vehicles and construction materials.

In other early news of the IAA Show displays, Kögel announced it would be presenting its portfolio for the forwarding and construction industry that will make the freight transport of tomorrow safer, simpler, and more environmentally friendly.

Included in the display was the robust Kögel Cargo of the NOVUM generation weighing only 5920 kilograms in its basic version. Also on show was the payload-optimised Kögel Lightplus Coil for transporting split strips and coil with up to 410 kilograms more payload compared to the previous model.

Other models included the lightweight, high-volume Kögel Mega that weighs only 6130 kg in its basic version, the Kögel Cool – PurFerro for even simpler handling in day-today use, the lightweight dry freight box body Kögel Box Light with up to 730 kilograms more payload compared to the Kögel Box, the lightweight and flexible Kögel Port 45 Triplex container chassis weighing only 4550 kilograms with front, centre and rear extension, the Kögel tipper trailer with a clever steel and aluminium material mix and up to 430 kilograms more payload compared to a pure steel tipper body, and the Kögel trucker trailer – Kögel Lightplus, now also with a 90 millimetre frame neck for more internal height and a significant weight advantage.

Dutch based Talson is one of Europe’s market leader air cargo semitrailer manufacturers. The company is currently celebrating its 35th year anniversary since it was established by a university graduate of aviation technology, Mr. Ir. Kees Thunnissen in 1982.

The company has successfully merged aircraft design with box trailers to produce the Talson trailer made of aluminium and self-supporting upperstructure delivering lower weight and internal heights.

One of the first developers of rollertracks for aircargo, and inventor of Talfix® multi-functional load carrying system, Talson addresses the needs of the box trailer segment with a range that includes air-cargo, FNA line for perishable goods, pharma and flowers, multi-functional boxes for general cargo, intermodal solutions as well as inner-city logistic boxes with advanced security options.

In final news, SAF-Holland has released a new hub unit repair kit allowing quick and easy repairs on trailer axles that are equipped with the SAF B9 technology. The new kit makes it possible to replace the hub unit in one single step, in combination with the new mounting sleeve. The special design concept of the convenient mounting tool supports users during the installation and prevents damage to the axle thread.

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For upgrading or repairing an axle, the user releases the axle nut and the brake calliper, but does not have to detach the brake disc from the hub.

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