PowerTorque Issue 64 APR-MAY 2015

AUSTRALIA'S BEST TRUCK AND TRAILER TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE

www.powertorque.com.au ISSUE 64 APRIL/MAY 2015 RRP: $8.95 (NZ $9.95)

PROFILE

HOMECOMING

HERO Ted Woodberry of Ted’s Forest Management has a new addition to the family in the form of a Kenworth T950

At

the Tasmanian Truck how one of the first interviews was with Ted Woodberry of Launceston, the managing director of Ted’s Forest Management and the very proud owner of a Kenworth T950, the latest truck to join his eet that comprises a Mack Trident and a Kenworth T904.

The T950, modelled on the SAR with its high-mounted cab, is still missed by many operators, particularly those in the livestock and timber industries, for the additional vision gained by the driver over the sloping bonnet.

When PowerTorque caught up with Ted Woodberry, he was with his nephew Mathew Butt and his father Glen Woodberry, who joined in the conversation with some of his own recollections of the logging industry.

“I’m 52 now and I left school when I was 15. I’ve always been in the logging industry. Logging is in my blood,” said Ted.

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HOMECOMING HERO “My grandfather used to cut sleepers for the railway years ago with a horse and cart. My father was a bushman and so were his brothers. It’s in the family.

“My nickname is Ted Bullpit, so when I was looking for a name for my company I just looked to see what was available, and that’s how it became Ted’s Forest Management,” he added.

Ted’s father, Glen, commented on his own involvement in the logging industry, adding some interesting perspectives when it comes to the modern tendency towards very high horsepower engines.

“When I was young I had a MAN with a 200 hp engine,” said Glen Woodberry.

“That was considered to be a massive engine at the time. My brothers had Macks and Kenworths, and when my brother Billy bought a 350 hp Mack he said you don’t need no bloody more in Tassie than a 350. The next truck he bought was a 600 hp,” added Glen.

Back in the 1990s when the T950 was launched, it was a Cummins N14 under the hood. The 14-litre produced 246 kW at 1,600 rpm and 1,831 Nm at 1,100 rpm. The transmission was by way of a Fuller RT 147108 ten-speed direct drive with twin counter-shaft.

These were the days when if you felt like an alternative to a red engine you could opt for a Detroit Series 60 with DDEC II or go for a yellow engine with a CAT 3406B ATAAC, plus transmission choices that stretched out to an 18-speed Roadranger or a 7-20-speed direct or overdrive Spicer gearbox.

“This is a truck that I actually wanted to buy when it came up for sale five years ago, but I missed out on it by one day,” said Ted Woodberry.

“It’s a truck that’s been spec’d from the start for logging, now featuring a 15.8-litre, 600 hp CAT C16 motor, 18-speed 22-series Roadranger transmission and 46-160s on AirGlide 200 suspension, and with a JOST ball-race turntable. I’d sooner have a Jost turntable than others.

It has to have a JOST when I buy my trailers. ne of my eet actually caught fire overnight last hristmas while it was parked up. The first thing my driver knew was when he got out in the middle of the night and saw ames coming through the bonnet.

We couldn’t save it.

Ted Woodberry of Ted’s Forest Management.

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PROFILE

TRI D Don t believe all your read about the financial woes of Western Australia. es, iron ore prices have dropped through to the basement, closely followed in some areas by house prices. But, in other industries such as gold extraction and high-grade copper, there s distinct optimism that 20 5 is going to be an O year. o erTor ue travelled to Geraldton in West Australia to discuss the benefits of running tri-drive prime movers when hauling petroleum products in fuel distribution, where a typical working week would be based around a minimum ,000 km round trip north to the mines.

Lionel Ward is responsible for the fleet at Geraldton uel, distributing fuel as transport manager of a fleet of 22 prime movers, 50 trailers and around 20 dollies.

“We recently secured two new cartage contracts so things are travelling along nicely at the moment. Also, with the price of fuel dropping and lower labour costs we have seen a lot of action around the goldfields regions of WA with more drilling taking place,” said Lionel.

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“We cart fuel and bulk lubricants from Perth to Port Hedland, running through the wheat farming area of Three Springs on the idland Road, the old gold rush town of ount agnet on the Great Northern Highway, arnarvon on the mouth of the Gascoyne River and on to Newman in the Pilbara Region,” said Lionel.

“Our fleet comprises mainly of enworth prime movers in x4 configuration with a mixture of T 0 s, T 0 s, T 0 s, T40 s and others such as an x4 enworth 200 that s an eight-wheel prime mover, plus a olvo H running at 00 hp and with an I-Shift transmission.

“The only reason we run an x4 as a prime mover is because of a trip we cover from Geraldton to Exmouth, a direct round trip of , 00 km. If that truck is hauling three trailers it has to return via the inland route, bypassing arnarvon because of si e restrictions.

TRI-DRIVE

DRIVE Geraldton Fuel proves that three heads are better than two, as DANA’s new tri-drive provides the answer for heavy haul Photography by SnapAction and PowerTorque “All our trucks are based at Geraldton. The Port Hedland trip is particularly challenging considering we run at regular gross weights of 0 tonnes and carry ,500 litres of fuel coupled up with an A-trailer and three standard semitrailer tankers coupled up with dollies. Other trailers are 2 metres in length and quads are just under a combined length of 5 .5 metres.

“We looked at introducing the tri-driveaxled enworth for the safety point of view rather than productivity.

“There is a definite stability benefit by operating a tri-drive as opposed to a tandem-drive unit. We run 2 tonnes on all our drive groups. oming down off the hills you can feel the weight influencing the balance of the tandem-drive as the combination pushes forwards. y view is that it should be a tri-drive,” said Lionel.

Shane arey is the regional sales and technical support engineer for DANA Australia and has been overseeing the introduction of the first of the tri-drive units to join the Geraldton uel fleet.

“Basically it s a tri-drive DANA T - 0 unit made up of two D52- 0 drive axles for the front and centre diff assemblies, driving through to a third D52- 0 unit.

The middle and the rear are like a tandem, all we ve done is add a front drive axle,” said Shane.

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PROFILE

SEA CHANGE After 35 years as a butcher, Larry Brewer switched professions to truck driving, with the proviso that he could still take his meat with him

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WHEN

you are looking for a career and about to leave school, the final outcome can often be a mater of good luck or sheer chance. or Perth-based Larry Brewer there were two choices.

It was either an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic at the local AT dealership, or a career as a trainee butcher.

By the time Larry received the news he had been accepted as an apprentice diesel mechanic he was already at work slicing and chopping meat, with the aroma of a good roast cooking in the oven outweighing the smell of diesel and an oily rag.

SEA CHANGE However, after 35 years behind the meat counter, during which time he bought his own shops and employed nine sta , arry decided it was time for a sea change.

I sold my shop to my apprentice, who bought the shop with his mum and dad. From that point I was free to pursue my dream, to drive trucks and to combine truck driving with providing a mobile butcher service to remote areas north of erth.

I had got my licence while working in the final years in the butchers shop, so the immediate task was to look around for the right truck and trailer. I considered do ens of prime movers as well as an 8x4 rigid towing a trailer, but when it came to the crunch I went for a brand-new Western Star Constellation that I bought from A Trucks edcli e.

“I didn’t want massive performance, but with a GCM road train rating of 106 tonnes I was looking for something that would do the job easily. As well as being our place of work each month, this was also going to be our home away from home for myself and the two butchers accompanying me on each trip.

“I settled for a Stratosphere with a twin bunk set-up that was the last of the Series 60 Detroit Diesel engine versions before they switched to the 15. The engine is at 525 hp and is the EGR version with the variable geometry turbocharger.

Then it was a case of looking for a trailer.

I specifically wanted an FTE refrigerated trailer because the whole trailer is a moulded shell.

“I spoke to a lot of people and the advice I received was that structurally they are better for my intended application rather than alternatives that are pinned together.

Once again I found what I was looking for through help received from estern Freight ervices at anning ale. y choice was to go with a 1985 FTE tri-axled fridge pan running on steel springs and complete with a Thermo ing free er unit. Although it was a relatively old trailer, it was in very good condition and ideal for the conversion. e have kept the free er at the front of the trailer and then partitioned the centre section to become a chiller room. The rear section we have fitted out as a complete butcher’s shop, with display cabinets and counters to serve the customers.

As we fitted out the truck we added a ing bull bar, low height stainless aircleaners for better vision and improved aerodynamics, E headlamps for high durability, daytime running lamps for added safety, two HID Hella pencil beam spots and a further two Hella HID broad-spread driving lamps, plus wide singles on the steer.

For the interior we added a pair of Air- ide seats, a player and an Engel fridge. ne addition out of the ordinary was to mount a fresh-water shower o the side of the truck by the catwalk.

Powered by a small electric pump feeding from a large tank under the trailer, it means we are never short of a shower and can be totally self-sufficient.

“It’s proved to be a very useful addition as in some of the places we stop for fuel the standard of the showers and toilets is, frankly, disgusting. Equally disappointing is the quality of food available from roadhouses, said arry. arry Brewer and his team started operating under the banner of specialist, and have been out on the road now for three years.

orth

est Express

obile Butchers, the outback meat

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PROFILE

POWER

PLAY GARY

West of West Transport of Adelaide is a proven Scania supporter, having added nine Scania prime movers to the fleet since he bought his first back in 4.

Today he is running two -litre Scania s, with an R 0 bought in une of last year, working alongside an R5 0 bought in 20 0. A third Scania, a bonneted T5 0 that he bought new in ebruary 2004, has just headed off for sale at the local Scania Adelaide dealership.

“The R 0 has completed 00,000 km in the past year compared to the R5 0 that has now notched up 5 0,000 km,” said Gary.

“I am actually sad to see the T5 0 leave us as it has been extremely reliable. It has covered . million kilometres and I have not had to touch the engine. “ es, we replace things like water pumps, alternators and starter motors, but much of that is by way of preventative maintenance. In the bitumen business we can t afford not to be 00 percent reliable,” he added.

In recent times Gary and ark have been working as far north as Normanton and in remote areas such as oober Pedy.

“With two trailers in road train work we run with a gross weight of 5 tonnes, rising to 20 tonnes for three-trailer work,” said Gary.

Having been in transport for over 5 years, Gary and his wife Debbie, joined by their son-in-law ark, have stayed focused on hauling bitumen tankers in single, double and triple road train combinations for prime contractor Downer EDI.

“In the business of carting hot bitumen in tankers we can get called at short notice to wherever roads are being built Darwin, Townsville or further afield. Hauling bitumen means that you may have a road gang of 5-20 blokes waiting for you to arrive, and you must be on time,” said Gary.

Through the years Gary s fleet has fluctuated from two to three vehicles at any one time.

or the trips up north the R 0 runs in a typical two or three-trailer road train combination.

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POWER PLAY

“We recently drove both the R 0 and the R5 0 side by side from Toowoomba to Adelaide, both hauling two trailers. Even though a bitumen tanker may be empty, because of the double skinned walls they weigh around 4 tonnes. “ omparing the fuel economy of the two R-Series prime movers with two trailers each in road train work, we found the R 0 returned 5. percent better fuel economy at . km litre compared to the . km litre of the R5 0. The bigger engine is just making it easier work,” said Gary.

The R 0 is Scania s flagship model for the global market, and since its release into Australia it s found a select band of supporters that want to combine European comfort with some serious top-end performance levels. oted the International Truck of the Year in Europe back in 20 0, the R-Series stands out from the on-road crowd with its LED daytime running lamps and optional Xenon HID headlamps, proving the point that seeing and being seen are both important when out on Australian roads.

The Euro 5 rated -engined versions of the R-Series come with the Highline sleeper cab as standard, but of course it s what lies beneath the cab floor that seals the deal for buyers hauling two or three trailers.

With 0 hp (5 kW) produced at , 00 rpm, combined with a peak torque output of ,500 Nm rated at ,000- ,400 rpm, the -litre is already available to order with a full Euro emissions rating, effectively future-proofing the product for all proposed emissions legislations currently under discussion, globally.

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With this high horsepower you get the option of a 4-speed manual Scania overdrive gearbox, complete with Scania retarder, or, as is usually the case, you can opt for the retarder to be linked to the two-pedal, 4-speed Scania Opticruise automated manual transmission.

West Transport goes for big horsepower on the bitumen

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PROFILE

when

it comes to providing an excellent base for equipment such as concrete pumps, cranes and elevating platforms, it seems that for reasons of tare weight and front axle capacities the European truck manufacturers pretty much have that area to themselves.

High Access Group was established in 2004, commencing with just a few cherry pickers to capitalise on the pay T boom, which at that stage of its roll out required overhead lines to be connected to houses.

Owned by brothers ohn and ichael Newton, the company operates from its base in elbourne throughout the entire east and south coast of Australia from Brisbane through to Adelaide. The company has experienced steady expansion since its foundation and today has over 00 pieces of machinery including scissor lifts, boom lifts and travel towers in its extensive fleet. our of the company s more recent acquisitions are two AN TG x4 rigid trucks fitted with 4 -metre high towers, and two TG 4x4 s fitted with a 40 and a -metre tower. In addition to the height, these 4 and 40-metre towers are also capable of reaching metres out an important consideration when access is restricted and there is a need for height and extended reach capabilities.

In keeping with High Access Group s ongoing growth, another TGS x and x are currently on order with Patterson heney. nlike a standard order process for a vehicle bought in Australia, the supply of these specialist vehicles requires a longer timeframe, purely because the bodywork and equipment is supplied and fitted in Europe, prior to the vehicle being exported to Australia.

The customer base of High Access Hire consists of councils, road authorities, major telcos and their contractors, window cleaning companies, sporting arenas and signage companies, all of which require equipment to access high level reach areas. In addition, High Access Hire operates an associated company that fulfils public lighting maintenance work, especially around elbourne and its freeways.

The operation of any high access vehicle requires comprehensive training and licensing, and the company s expertise in this area is well recognised.

With business growing, the need to offer platforms with the longest reach and highest extension necessitated the company to look into additional heavy-duty trucks.

“There were a lot of reasons why we selected AN for this role. irstly they had an excellent reputation and importantly the travel tower manufacturer had AN as the preferred platform. Their adaptability to the intricate requirements of the travel tower machinery was also very good,” said ohn Newton.

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“Like AN trucks, the towers are made by a German company, Ruthmann, and are installed in Germany before being shipped to Australia for final pre-delivery.

“Ruthmann towers are very high tech, adaptable and strong yet lightweight, which gives them the ability to reach higher and further from the same platform,” ohn added.

The AN vehicles in the High Access Hire fleet are supplied by elbourne AN dealership Patterson heney through sales consultant Tony Lamanna.

Based at irkham Road West in Dandenong, Patterson heney provides all sales and service requirements for the full range of AN trucks, buses and coaches.

“It s a broad range of equipment in the fleet with a variation of engine choice to tailor each vehicle to the appropriate task it performs.

PICKING YOUR MARKET

The TG x4 is a 2 - 40 model, the TG 4x4s include a -2 0 and a 5-2 0 model, the TGS x is a -440 and the x TGS is a 4 -4 0. All of them feature the 2-speed, automated manual Tipmatic transmission,� said Tony. “The TG x4 is performing really well in the medium-duty truck segment where it supports the heavier-duty TGS. Power comes from the AN . -litre, six-cylinder engine range of commonrail, twin turbocharged and intercooled diesels that are currently operating at Euro emissions levels. aximum power of 2 0 kW is produced at 2, 00 rpm with peak torque of 250 Nm rated from ,200 to , 50 rpm.

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picking

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market MAN helps the High Access Group elevate its business PowerTorque ISSUE 64

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FEATURE

FORKTORQUE TORQUE IT’S SIX YEARS OF SUCCESS IN A ROW FOR TOYOTA MATERIAL HANDLING AUSTRALIA

IT'S

no easy feat to achieve national market leadership. So when Toyota aterial Handling Australia (TH A) notched up its sixth consecutive year as the nation s top performer there was good cause to celebrate.

Other features of the Toyota -Series include a redesigned chassis with fully stamped steel plate construction and ergonomic improvements like increased floor space and a larger step.

The great diversity of the materials handling industry requires the development of specific solutions. In a recent example of how forklift suppliers and end users can work closely together T HA specially tailored a 2.5-tonne forklift to meet the specific site needs at a New South Wales lime plant.

Sibelco Australia commissioned the new diesel-powered Toyota 2- D25 forklift last October at its harbon Lime plant, near andos.

T HA also extended its uninterrupted dominance of the internal-combustion counter-balance forklift market to 2 years, with market share of 5. percent.

The official Australian Industrial Truck Association (AITA) industry sales results for 20 4 show T HA delivered in excess of 4,450 forklifts in 20 4. This represents a total market share of 2.4 percent, an increase of . percent on 20 figures, and shows that TH A is a clear market leader with sales of more than 0 forklifts ahead of its nearest rival.

Battery-electric forklifts accounted for just over half (50. percent) of Toyota forklift deliveries, and Toyota was number-one in forklifts in New South Wales, ictoria, ueensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.

T HA Orange branch manager, Richard Bopping, said the Sibelco unit at harbon is the most site specific forklift he has delivered in his years with Toyota.

“Recent expansion has seen the opening of five new branches, with more to follow in response to business growth,” said T HA executive vice president and OO, Steve Takacs.

“T HA will release new models into the market this year, including a new range of Toyota -Series batteryelectric sit down reach trucks. We lead the industry with our apprentice programme and in-house training, and are currently recruiting a new intake of apprentices for 20 5 together with additional technical and management staff,” r. Takacs said.

During 20 4 T HA launched the new -Series .5 to -tonne range, extending its industry-leading forklift safety, fuel-saving and ergonomic features to all its internal combustion forklifts up to -tonne capacity.

Highlights of the range include a new 5 kW electronic fuel injection-equipped . -litre LPG engine offering fuel savings of up to 20 percent compared with the superseded model. ey safety features include Toyota s exclusive System of Active Stability, which helps reduce the likelihood of lateral or longitudinal rollovers.

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S FD S A

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FORKTORQUE

Duties range from loading and unloading trucks to lifting machinery parts with our jib attachment, he said.

It loads the bulka bags of lime powder we sell to mines in the Hunter alley, unloads steel from trucks, carries the drums of oil we use to light the kilns and assists when we disassemble the fixed machinery for maintenance, said Andrew.

Toyota s 2- D25 forklift is part of Toyota s -Series range of counter-balance forklifts, which includes gas and diesel models, as well as a full range of battery electric forklifts.

T

It s a great example of the level of customisation available to ensure our forklifts are perfectly matched to the customer s needs. The diverse range of tasks this forklift undertakes is pretty impressive too, he said.

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Sibelco site maintenance supervisor, Andrew Schneider, said the new forklift operates on uneven ground in a limestoneprocessing plant.

It is the right tool for the right job, he said. We asked for a limited-slip differential and wide, puncture-proof tyres, because the plant is located on the side of a hill and the ground conditions vary. ost of the site has a concrete surface, but there is a lot of uneven gravel as well.

The extensive site-specific fit-out for the machine also includes a custom hydraulic fork positioner, fork vibration damper, analogue weight gauge, dual-element cyclonic air filter, a pre cleaner, radiator screen, up-swept exhaust system, high-capacity alternator, high-capacity battery and fire extinguisher.

Andrew Schneider said the new forklift has joined two older Toyota forklifts on site and performs a wide variety of roles.

The new Toyota has to be an all-rounder, because it serves as both a general-duties forklift and with the maintenance department.

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Safety features of the -Series forklift range include Toyota s exclusive System of Active Stability (SAS) and Operator Presence Sensing (OPS) as standard features.

Shifting focus to the Northern Territory, and long distance road freight operator AB Transport runs road train services from Darwin linking to Adelaide with connections also to ictoria. It also provides transport links to remote areas including indigenous businesses, outback communities and mining facilities.

AB Transport is a family-owned business and was established in with eight staff. It has achieved significant expansion over the past years, growing its workforce to over 0 employees. The company has also accumulated a large fleet of vehicles, including 0 prime movers.

In addition to its general freight line haul work, AB Transport provides third-party logistics services with extensive warehousing facilities. And it s with the warehousing operation that you ll find Toyota forklifts.

The company recently replaced its seven Toyota 2- D25 2.5-tonne, engine-powered counterbalance forklifts with new models at its Darwin depot, one of the company s three depot locations.

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TRAILERTORQUE

TAKing THE

B - TRAI N A match

ing pair the rig of new Sloa ht solu nebuilt tion fo r Gunla“b-train” tra ilers is ke Quar ries

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TRAILER TORQUE

TAKING THE B-TRAIN

are several options when you’ve got to move bulk aggregate from A to B. Traditional end-over tippers in B-double configuration are one solution, another alternative being the use of rigid trucks together with four-axled, five-axled or even six-axled dog trailers.

THERE

As we’ve seen recently in TrailerTorque, there’s also increasing interest currently taking place for the adoption of 8x4 or even 10x4 rigid tippers. Add the further alternatives of side tippers and belly dumpers and it soon becomes obvious there easily is more than one way to get the job done.

The B-Train configuration works well in the Gunlake application.

One option we haven’t yet mentioned is that of the B-Train trailer combination, where the three-axled B-trailer runs with an overall body length of 6,300 mm, in direct contrast with the lead trailer that has a body length of 10,355 mm.

Sloanebuilt Trailers of Smeaton Grange, in Sydney’s west, recently delivered a matching pair of B-Train trailers to Southern Highland's operator Gunlake Quarries.

These immaculate aluminium tri-axled trailer sets were required for a specific regular daily transfer of hard rock aggregate and concrete products from the company’s quarry near Marulan, NSW, to its concrete plants at Silverwater, Glendenning, near Smeaton Grange, and Narellan.

As Trevor Dennis of Gunlake Quarries at Marulan explained: “Our depot at Smeaton Grange is also tight on access space. That’s where the advantage of the B-Train trailer design provides benefits, said Trevor.

On entering the site the driver reverses back over the grid with the B-trailer and then starts tipping the contents of the lead trailer over the drawbar of the B-trailer and into the grid.

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TRAILERTORQUE

f l e S SUFFICIENT SWINGLIFT PROVIDES MORE OPTIONS FOR CONTAINER HANDLING

As

the majority of container movements are often taking place within the inner city, where space is at a premium, there s an immediate advantage of being able to utilise smart technology if it can make collection and delivery easier.

Swinglift Australia is growing its market share in the container-handling segment of the transport industry in Australia, and, since being launched at the elbourne Truck Show in 200 , has introduced many new units into operation.

Swinglift is gaining critical mass in the Australian market with this well-known original brand name.

The background to Swinglift is typical of many stories where innovation results from an enquiring mind. Back in , New ealand engineer Rob Wynyard developed his ideas for a better container-handling system after watching cranes, large forklifts and other materials-handling equipment sometimes struggling to load or unload boxes efficiently.

Today, with a history of over 40 years, Swinglift has maintained that level of innovation. As part of the Patchell Industries Group since 2004, it has become one of the leading suppliers of truck or trailer-mounted container-handling equipment in the Asia-Pacific market.

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The Patchell Group is a heavy transport trailer manufacturer based in Rotorua, New ealand. In addition to manufacturing Swinglift units, their manufacturing facilities produce a wide range of other heavy transport equipment, including skeletal container trailers, log transport trailers, floats and stainless steel road tankers. uch of the research and development work completed in-house by the Patchell Group applies across the range of equipment it manufactures. One example of this is how in-house finite element analysis, combined with the use of high-tensile steels in the fabrication process, has resulted in greater inherent strength trailers without any additional weight.

A major feature of the Swinglift design is how versatility is engineered into its products. or example, a Swinglift TriLifter has the ability to load or unload two empty 20 ft containers individually, or one 40 ft or 45 ft.

SELF SUFFICIENT

The design of the Swinglift allows the operator to load or unload 20 ft to 40 ft containers from a skeletal trailer (or 20 ft on a truck) and place the container on the ground, while a container remains loaded on the Swinglift, and vice versa.

The development by Swinglift of the “Leg-over”® design, further enhancing stability, continues the theme of Patchell Group to make safety in operation the guiding factor of all its Swinglift designs.

Each Swinglift customer can develop his or her own individual specification, literally from the ground up. The advent of new legislation for 20 5 in the Australian market dictates that all trailers will require either ABS (Antilock Braking System) or a load proportioning braking system, a feature that Swinglift made available several years ago.

“Our recommendation would be to move straight to EBS (Electronic Braking Systems), for the added benefits these systems provide, such as roll stability, on-board weighing, reverse warning systems and the improved stability available by lowering the ride height of the combination during freeway running,” said Gordon Dyson of Swinglift Australia.

“A customer can chose between our standard Hendrickson INTRAAX suspension to BPW axles and suspension systems, with either self-adjusting drum or disc brakes.

Other options include self-greasing systems and full wireless remote control operation of the loading and unloading process, tyre inflation and pressure monitoring and automatically lifting axles for light-load running,” said Gordon.

Swinglifts, whether 20 ft or 45 ft, with their “Leg-over”® design and 5 tonne lift capacity are the lowest tare weight side loaders on the world market.

TRAILER TORQUE

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The

resurgence in the Tasmanian logging industry, with a focus on the renewable aspect of plantation timber, enabled TrailerTorque to take a close look recently at the very unique designs of specialist timber hauling equipment.

Graeme Elphinstone, the founder and managing director of Elphinstone Weighing Systems and Elphinstone Engineering, grew up in Highclere in Northern Tasmania.

Originally a farmer, he moved to Triabunna in 1971 where he worked for McCulloch Logging as a log faller. After 13 months he became a logging inspector with Tasmanian Pulp and Forest Holdings. Whilst working as a faller, Graeme repaired chainsaws and this sideline blossomed into the Elphinstone Saw Centre in 1972.

In 1976 raeme imported the first on-board weighing system into Australia and had it fitted into a log truck. The following year he designed and built the first Elphinstone folding pole timber jinker.

Elphinstone on-vehicle scales have been fitted to almost every type of transport vehicle used in Australia, and have found particular application in the agricultural, timber, mining, transport and waste industries. ehicle applications that have been fitted with on-board scale systems include log trucks, tippers, fixed-body trucks, semitrailers, bulk feed tankers, explosive batching trucks, feed wagons, garbage compactors and hook-lift rigid trucks.

The fitment of weighing systems for stationary installations include semi-portable weighbridges, silos and tanks.

Initially imported from the USA, Elphinstone started developing and building its own electronic control systems in 1988 and added loadcells to its product range in 2001.

TIMBER

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TIMBER AWEIGH!

Ted Woodberry’s Kenworth at the Tasmanian truck show was absolutely immaculate and sported his latest Elphinstone timber tinker.

Aweigh The Elphinstone story is one of continuing innovation in trailer design and on-board weighing systems

Elphinstone Easyweigh loadcells are mounted to load bearing points on the chassis of the truck to give accurate readings of the weight of the body. In applications such as front loaders in the waste industry this helps the operator to stay within legal load limits whilst carrying the maximum amount by easy monitoring of the payload as each round is collected on daily runs. The on-board weighing system can tell the driver the weight in real time on a dash-mounted display.

The application of loadcell technology extends to a much broader customer base than simply with vehicles.

Elphinstone also designs and installs methods of weighing at waste transfer stations by utilising a number of options tailored to the precise needs of the client. These options extend from on-board weighing systems and air transducers wirelessly displaying on a scoreboard, to weighbridges and loadcells mounted in strategic locations to monitor load weights and keep within legal limits.

Elphinstone Engineering built its first logging trailer in 1977, and since then has revolutionised the logging transport industry with many unique designs and efficiency gains for the industry. While most development has been with logging transport, there have been some specialised trailers built for carrying zinc, and special trailers for Antarctica.

In 1981, the company built the first Elphinstone folding tri-axle jinker, subsequently designing the “Tri-beam” suspension and expanding the fitment of onboard weighing systems to include tankers and explosives trucks.

In 1986, Elphinstone manufactured the world’s first folding skeletal trailer, the Fold-A-Skel, following this achievement some two years later by producing the company’s B-double timber jinker. This was the first in Australia with a tandem bogie lead and tri-axle rear trailer.

In 1994, the company produced its first hydraulic folding skel’, incorporating air suspension into the design of all trailers in 1995. The first Easyloader™ tri-tri B-double followed in 1997, with the release of the first tandem/tandem Easyloader™ B-double 12 months later in 1998.

This decade also saw the export of B-doubles and the introduction of on-vehicle weighing to South Africa, the introduction of air suspensions to trailers for the Australian market, and the introduction of tandem and tri-axle jinkers to the rear of Easyloader™.

Further innovation were released in 2005 with the introduction of the world's first Easyloader™ self-loading B-triple, the self-loading road train and the Long Logger B-double, capable of carting 19 m loads in a single length.

TRAILER TORQUE

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