PowerTorque Issue 75 FEB/MARCH 2017 by Motoring Matters Magazine Group

ISSUE 75 FEB/MAR 2017 RRP: $8.95 (NZ $9.95)

ISSUE 75 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2017

www.powertorque.com.au

AUSTRALIA'S LEADING TRUCK AND TRAILER MAGAZINE

THE ALL NEW T610. OUR BEST TRUCK YET.

CMY

With the most spacious, most practical and most exactingly manufactured cab ever to grace an Australian made Kenworth, THE NEW T610 delivers the ultimate driver’s experience. Add our optimised driveline for enhanced efficiency and Kenworth’s renowned versatility, productivity and durability, and there is no doubt THIS IS OUR BEST TRUCK YET.

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WHYTE AT THE WHEEL Road Test Editor Dave Whyte puts his spin on the world.

SMOOTH SHIFTING ZF’s successor for the AMT market – the ZF TraXon.

A CHANGE OF EMPHASIS Terry Warn added new equipment and reduced total operating costs.

TYRE TORQUE Paying attention to tyre choice can really make a difference.

WHATEVER THE WEATHER When you specialise in tunnel construction there’s no stopping just because it’s raining.

POWER UP! Batteries may be a fit and forget item until they fail.

HYUNDAI RETURNS The South Korean company mounts a renewed attack on the Australian truck buyer.

STEPPING OUT WITH ACTROS Ray Worboys adds the new German cabover alongside his conventional Coronado.

LOCATION, LOCATION. Business is booming since CNQ relocated north to Queensland.

BEER O’CLOCK From Garbage to Grain – Fellows Bulk Logistics.

77 TRAILER TORQUE

IN TRAINING Shane Blakeborough blends driver training into full-time truck operation.

PRODUCTIVITY PLUS Maxwell Freightlines pioneers high productivity road trains.

MAN TIME Can technology improve driving ability? – The new MAN D38.

TEN TIMES BETTER Rhino Trailers demonstrates its versatility with an 8x4 and six-axle dog.

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL With Brad Scott Excavations it’s all about reliability.

TOP OF THE LINE Scania has plenty of reasons to interest the custom buyer.

CHANGING TIMES Borg Civil increases tipper and dog trailer operation within the Sydney basin.

CUSTOM AND CLASSIC Warren Caves focuses his photographic skills on Graham Brown and Daughter Transport.

PREMIUM PERFORMER Dave Whyte profiles Barker Trailers of Woodend, Victoria.

GOING FOR BULK Thinwall Trailers help keep the feedlots full for Waterfall.

GOOD IN PARTS Don’t buy on price alone, buy on reputation.

The latest news in trailers and bodybuilding.

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For all editorial information and subscriptions please contact: Managing Editor - Chris Mullett Road Test Editor - David Whyte Contributing Writer - Stuart Martin, Warren Caves, Oliver Dixon, Rob Randazzo Specialist photography - Torque It Up Designer - Steven Foster Account Manager - Maree Mullett Editorial Division, PO Box 307, Mittagong, NSW 2575 Telephone: 0248-785373 Email: edit@powertorque.com.au Fax: 0248-785228 Website: www.powertorque.com.au

For advertising rates and information please contact: Motoring Matters Magazine Group National business development manager: Email: edit@motoringmatters.com.au Telephone: 0248-785373 Fax: 0248-785228 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.

ISSUE 75 FEB/MAR

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;17

Chris Mullett

FORWARD

new year usually brings a high level of enthusiasm from industry as it plans the appropriate marketing activities for the upcoming 12 months. What makes 2017 different is that, for those companies with strong links to the North American market, the newly-elected President of the United States has the potential to destabilise the economic sector as well as international relations.

TORQUE

The success of the North American manufacturers in the global arena relies on the stability of foreign exchange markets and international trade relationships. The possibility that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) might not last the year could well affect the price of these products in the Australian market, and, if that happens, it could result in reduced competitiveness, a fall in their corporate profitability and a shake up of the heavy truck market. With Europe and parts of Asia, such as South Korea, having now switched to Euro 6 emissions levels, we see the move of companies such as Mercedes-Benz and MAN with the latest Actros and TGX D38 to only offer trucks with the latest emission technology as being the start of a major game changer in our market. PowerTorque has long been an advocate of implementing Euro 6 emissions compliant vehicles in the Australian market, for the overall reduction in operating costs that comes from extended service intervals and improved fuel economy. The resulting reduction in engine operating temperatures also makes common sense in a country where ambient temperatures can reach above 50 degrees Celsius. Although the federal government has not shown leadership in accepting climate change, and has not actively pursued introducing legislation surrounding lower exhaust emissions vehicles, it is highly possible that Euro 6 introduction will now occur on a broader scale, brought about by a change of attitude of the European manufacturers. In an effort to show that there is no collusion between different truck makers to stall attempts to introduce new technologies, the European manufacturers may now have to adopt a more transparent and open approach that promotes early adoption of Euro 6, even in markets that have not yet mandated the move. Once the European manufacturers standardise on advanced emission treatment in export products, the North American truck makers will have to follow suit, if for the only reason that by so doing it future-proofs the investment of buyers for subsequent resale down the track.

PowerTorque ISSUE 75

This upscaling in technology is not going to be confined to the truck manufacturer. As reported in this issue, Maxwell Freight Lines, in cooperation with Vawdrey Trailers, has worked through a two-year programme to gain PBS approval to operate A-double road trains running interstate from Melbourne.

This move to improved productivity comes with the inclusion of compulsory higher safety levels, prompting the move to adopt EBS, ABS, roll stability and disc brakes to reduce stopping distances. When combined with additional truck safety features such as fatigue monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane departure assist, high-horsepower engines and improved AMT drivelines, the result will hopefully reduce our annual road toll. The implementation of all the latest efficiency and safety measures available will not single-handedly stop truck accidents or remove the risk of fatigue affecting a driver because of the imposition of unrealistic point-to-point journey times. The industry needs to adopt greater transparency when it comes to enabling a driver to have sufficient time for a break, combating the onset of fatigue. The lack of accountability in apportioning the necessary care for driver welfare by vehicle schedulers should be enforced through the Chain of Responsibility. PowerTorque is aware that some operations personnel still demand that having arrived at a final destination the driver has to complete a further local drop, even though they might be subsequently out of hours. This type of management is not acceptable, and those suggesting such actions should be reminded clearly of the penalties they and their company face for noncompliance. Join with us as we interview operators for their view of the latest Mercedes-Benz Actros, plus features on MAN, DAF, Freightliner and Kenworth. We profile the new ZF TraXon transmission, discuss the return of the Hyundai truck brand to our market, and look at the cost savings of running low rolling-resistance tyres and how the constantly evolving designs for the trailer manufacturers are leading the world in efficiency. As usual, thank you for joining us and we hope you and your families have a safe and great year in 2017. Stay safe and enjoy the drive. Kind regards,

Chris Mullett â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Managing Editor/Publisher.

YOU

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MATT WINTERFIELD WINTERFIELDS FLOAT HIRE, MT GAMBIER SA “Our trucks were impeccable, but to keep them in that condition meant a constant inflow of bills every month. With our Scanias’ we’ve gone the full maintenance and repair package. Now all we’ve got to do is put fuel, tyres and some grease on the truck.”

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K&J Trucks, Coffs Harbour Tel: (02) 6652 7218 NJ’s of Wagga Tel: (02) 6971 7214 QUEENSLAND Scania Richlands Tel: (07) 3712 8500

Scania Pinkenba Tel: (07) 3712 7900 Wideland AG & Construction, Toowoomba Tel: (07) 4633 1150

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500 Scania Bunbury Tel: (08) 9724 6200

RSC Diesels, Cairns Tel: (07) 4054 5440

22/11/16 9:02 pm

Whyte At the

G’day folks, and welcome back. Quite often I write in these pages about how technology can be used to make our job easier, safer and more efficient. While some of this technology, such as ABS/ EBS braking systems, is appropriate and practical for 99% of those in our industry, there are many products that will only work well in certain situations or applications. While they offer some benefits across the board, the theory is often different to the reality, and the same system that may benefit some operators can also be detrimental to others. One of those new technologies that has become more popular over recent times is GPS satellite tracking, and this provides a perfect example of how a system can work for some, but not for others. The original idea behind GPS tracking was that an operator could see where their equipment was, any time of day or night, without the need to contact the driver. Since the early days of GPS, the simple locating system has become a complex and in-depth data logging system that keeps an eye on all aspects of vehicle operation and performance. The humble GPS locator is now a complete vehicle monitoring system, allowing anyone with the password to keep tabs on, not just a vehicles location, but also speed, fuel consumption and harsh braking or acceleration. So smart are these systems that they can also monitor other vehicle components, such as PTO operation. Most importantly though, they also monitor working hours, including loading/unloading time when the engine is running. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not against a company monitoring their vehicles to ensure legal operation and compliance. In fact, it makes perfect sense to electronically track your assets, and those who are in control of them. The problem comes when you expect them to do more than legally allowed while still expecting them to be legal on the GPS. For those who do changeovers every night, with no loading or unloading to be done, GPS is perfectly practical – you’re only going to use 10 hours a night, and you have a couple of hours up your sleeve if things don’t go to plan. But what about those drivers that are expected to unload, reload, and still be in another city tomorrow morning? Unless things go like clockwork, it takes a little clever bookkeeping to make this happen, and the fact is that GPS doesn’t offer that flexibility.

WHEEL While I don’t condone breaking the law, I do understand how a little flexibility can take the pressure off a driver. This is where GPS has the biggest impact on the driver, with down-to-the-second timing on everything they do and instant reports to the boss about any minor indiscretion. This might be something as simple as getting stuck behind slow moving traffic, and pulling up at your chosen rest stop three minutes later than the GPS says you should have, or heading out three minutes earlier than you should. I know of some companies where if you do this three times, you’re out of a job! I also understand the ramifications of running out of hours just 30 minutes from home, due to causes beyond a driver’s control. While it may not be strictly legal, most of us would go the extra half an hour and enjoy some proper rest, a clean shower and some good home-cooked food. This is good fatigue management – not stopping beside the road with passing traffic to interrupt your sleep – but it’s not possible with GPS. In fact, if you run out of hours any more than three minutes from home then you’ll have to park the truck and walk. Part of the reason for this is the fact that, in the event of an accident, the GPS records will be checked by the authorities. If by chance you went five minutes over your allowed time six months ago, you can expect a fine. If you’ve done it a few times, it could be considered a repeated and systematic breach of fatigue laws. If the laws are really about fatigue management, this sort of flexibility needs to be available to those operating under GPS tracking. The other main impact on a driver through GPS is speed monitoring. Again, I don’t condone speeding, but there are times when this monitoring can be a little over zealous. With most systems allowing an operator to set the over-speed parameters, the numbers are usually set by someone in an office with very little real-world experience behind the wheel of a truck. While it may not be strictly legal, running off a hill at 105 km/h isn’t the end of the world, but with GPS it could result in a driver getting a warning. Sure, if a driver is doing 115 km/h all night then a reprimand might be necessary. Depending on the parameters of a GPS system, 105 km/h might as well be 150 km/h as the result is going to be the same. So, while a driver is under pressure to get the job done within legal working hours, they are also under pressure to keep a keen eye on their speed at all times, safe in the knowledge that any minor breach will result in the boss getting an email, and the driver getting a serve. The whole idea of modern day GPS tracking is to ensure compliance with fatigue and speed regulations, but the emphasis in making it work is, in most cases, put back on

PowerTorque ISSUE 75

Eaton_P

the driver. In days gone by, and even today, the log book or work diary allowed just enough flexibility to allow for half an hour here and there, or to shave five minutes off a rest break if you felt the need. With GPS, this is a thing of the past. With GPS, even if your work diary looks good, you’ll still have the boss to answer to. For the time being, GPS is not used in roadside enforcement. With the implementation of electronic work diaries (which is a case of when, not if), which will undoubtedly have some GPS component, this will all change. Either the authorities will come up with a way to inspect your GPS records, or they will have full wireless access to the device and simply send the ticket in the mail when you mess up. Unless a driver operates on a regular schedule with all parties in the process bearing responsibility for it operating on time, GPS is only another weight on a driver’s mind. The responsibility to get in on time, regardless of the previous day’s activities, rests solely on the shoulders

of a driver, which adds to stress and fatigue, rather than reducing it. Having someone watching your progress also encourages drivers to push further than they may want to. If a driver wants to stop for a nap, but is only three hours into their journey, chances are the boss will ring and ask why he has stopped. No one should have to explain the need for rest, or feel any pressure to keep driving when they are tired, but as long as someone can see what they’re doing, a driver will feel the pressure to perform. Sadly, something that was designed to make the industry safer is going to be the very thing that makes it more dangerous for many. Those in the industry have been saying for years how logbooks kill more drivers than they save, and GPS only makes it worse unless the entire company is willing to work around it. Take care, have fun and stay safe out there.

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22/11/2016 12:40 pm

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23/09/2016 5:06 PM

FEATURE

A Change

Terry Warn found that moving to new equipment brought a reduction in total operating costs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Words and images by Dave Whyte 12 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

A CHANGE OF EMPHASIS

of EmphasiS It’s always nice to hear of a family-based success story, and while the transport industry is not generally regarded as family friendly, there are some companies that really bring the family aspect to the fore. One such company is ABS Transport, a family-owned and run operation that has grown, over a long period of time, to a fleet of 46 trucks and 74 trailers, with depots in Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. Terry Warn is the man behind ABS, having started out over 40 years ago with just a single truck. “I started when I was 21, just with one truck,” Terry said. “I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but just built up a truck, and got a bit of a hit with L.S. Booth over in Adelaide, carting wine. They are good people, I was with them for five years”. Terry then decided it was time to spend more time at home, so he sold the truck and went back to his former trade as a diesel mechanic. “I got married and thought, no, I don’t want to do interstate,” he said. “Then I got back into it again, as you do,” he laughed. “But it’s been good for us. I’ve got a good partnership with a good wife. If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be here”. Terry’s daughter and two sons also work in the business, making it a true family affair. Along with his family, Terry says he has a great team of people who support the business, including the respective depot managers. “We’ve been lucky, all our managers in the other depots have been with me for between 12 and 26 years, and have been driving. So we’ve got good people,” he said.

“The people you’ve got with you are the main thing, and the customers. You look after the customers. We’ve been working with one customer for 32 years, which is a good thing. We have a lot of customers who have been with us for 10 or 12 years. We’ve lost a couple over the years, but they seem to come back. “A lot of that comes down the service, and the ability to solve problems quickly. If they ring up with a problem, they know who they’re talking to. You’ve got to get back to them if they’ve got a problem, or if they’re chasing their freight, within 10 minutes. That doesn’t happen a lot with the big companies,” said Terry. ABS has also grown out of the ability, and willingness, to do the work that some others won’t. Of their fleet of 74 trailers, Terry says that 40 of those would be flat tops. “It’s funny, because when the Tautliners first came out, people were getting a premium for having Tautliners. But gradually it turned around, where now we can charge a premium for the flat tops and drop decks, because there’s more handling involved,” he said. “A lot of our customers can’t use Tautliners, because it’s all crane on and crane off”. Another market where ABS excels is in the transport of EPA waste. “Our niche is probably the EPA waste. You’ve got to have the correct licences, and the drivers have got to be licensed, not just for DG, but also an EPA licence. We started it when the EPA was just getting started, so we sort of grew up with them,” Terry said. PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE On the topic of equipment, Terry said that ABS does things a little differently to the big companies. “We’ve tended to keep our trucks for a long time. We do all our own mechanical work and everything. This includes all minor and major mechanical work, with a dedicated workshop in the Melbourne depot committed to maintaining the fleet. We’ve just taken the plates off a couple of the old ‘94 model Louisvilles. We keep them a fair while, and it’s worked up to now”.

The fuel results from the new Actros provided enough incentive for Terry and his sons to go back through the fuel records on their line haul trucks, and compare the Actros to their current 16-litre Volvos and EGR Cummins-powered trucks. Based on the numbers, Terry figured that replacing the older trucks with 13-litre Actros’ would save the company over $25,000 a month. As Terry put it, “That’s five truck payments”. This has led to big shift in Terry’s thinking. “It’s changed our whole way of thinking, for the up-front trucks,” he said.

Recently, however, ABS was offered an evaluation truck in the form of a new Mercedes Actros. “Up until now, we’ve been keeping our trucks for a fair while, and then they go onto country and local,” Terry said.

Terry personally took the new Actros for a run out to Prominent Hill mine, just south of Coober Pedy, a 1700 km round trip from Adelaide.

“Ninety percent of our fleet is Volvo, so we run changeover gearboxes and all that, but it’s getting to the stage now where the up-front (line haul) trucks are getting close to two million Ks, so it was probably time we looked at updating. That was probably good timing on their (Mercedes-Benz) behalf”.

“Last year I did it in a brand new EGR powered Argosy – same job, same weight. It worked to 1080 litres that the EGR used, and the Actros used 760 litres. I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “After that trip, it just changed the whole way we feel we should be doing stuff. Why would you bother with old technology and old gear, and the breakdowns?”

The evaluation Actros was a 16-litre, 630 hp prime mover that really impressed Terry, but, based on the varying B-double and single-trailer task, ABS has historically run smaller engines.

Terry hasn’t committed to going with all Actros’ at this point, but the signs look good for the German brand. While it may seem we have been writing a lot about the new Actros recently, it is operators like Terry and ABS that make it something worth writing about. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen so many operators, big fleets and small, getting so excited about a new truck coming to the market. What’s more, this excitement isn’t based on looks or marketing, but on the figures that they have achieved in their own working environment – figures that can be directly compared to months and years of figures from other trucks. And if those figures are enough to get someone like Terry, a 40-year veteran of the industry, to change the way he looks at running his business, then who am I to argue?

“We’ve always had a fair few smaller horsepower trucks for the line haul, like 13-litre Volvos and a 13-litre DAF” Terry said. “We decided to concentrate on the 13-litre, which I thought was better for the line haul because it’s always paid off for us. Where they come into their own is when those trucks might do half of their work towing B-doubles at 64 tonnes, but the rest of the time they’re only towing one trailer, or extendable trailers that have only got six or eight tonnes on them”. That logic led to ABS buying the first of the new Actros’ fitted with the 13-litre engine, and Terry says bluntly, “This new one is just really kicking arse on fuel”.

14 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

When you specialise in tunnel construction, there’s no stopping just because it’s raining – Words by Chris Mullett, photography by Cristian Brunelli There’s nothing simple or easy about tunnelling under the city. Firstly, you have to understand why a tunnel needs to be created, which is usually to relieve existing or future congestion. Working in that environment of heavy traffic brings its own constraints, and that’s going to inhibit your ability to access the job site.

The list of tunnels on which Kingsfeld has operated reads like a compendium, with the Sydney Airport link, the Eastern Distributor, the Chatswood to Epping railway and the Lane Cove Tunnel.

The second consideration is that you not only have to extract earth, rock and rubble, you have to move it somewhere and deposit it. The third consideration comes in line with the need to support the hole in the ground to maintain its stability, all the time being mindful that local residents live near, or in some cases right above, where the excavation is taking place.

Steve’s first project dates back to the M2 Freeway, and it was here that he established his reputation for blending the operation of his earthmoving business with graders, dozers, loaders, compactors, screens and water carts in with his rapidly growing transport business.

WHATEVER Whichever way you look at the project to build a tunnel, there seems to be countless reasons why nothing is going to go smoothly, and there’s a vast range of opportunities for things to go even slightly askew, if not escalate to going horrendously wrong. The solution for all these concerns is to call in the experts, and, for many of the tunnels created in both Sydney and Brisbane, the experts have arrived in the form of Kingsfeld Excavation, Haulage, Landfill and Civil Contractors. The driving force behind Kingsfeld is Steve Rhind. Having learnt his trade as a plant mechanic, diesel fitter and welder, he started off his career in earthmoving. Working with plant and equipment would keep most youngsters fully occupied, but, at the time, Steve looked at the bigger picture, realising that, for every shovel of earth lifted from the start of a tunnel, there needed to be the infrastructure available in transport to move it. The decision to add a transport division to his earthmoving business was taken some 25 years ago, and in the interim he expanded into developing his own trucking business to load, haul, displace, stockpile and then manage up to 50,000 tonnes of material each day, in all weathers.

16 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

The Kingsfeld truck and dog tipper fleet was originally based on the Sterling brand together with Kenworth T408 SAR models. The preferred engine at the time was the Detroit Diesel in 12.7 and 14-litre format. When the Sterling ceased its production run in Australia he stayed with Daimler Trucks and moved to introduce the Freightliner Coronado to his fleet. “I view the Coronado as a reliable, capable performing vehicle positioned midway between the Sterling and the Kenworth,” said Steve Rhind. “We standardised on the Detroit Diesel engine rated at 530 hp matched to a standard 18-speed manual Roadranger transmission. Our drivers seem to prefer manual gearboxes rather than AMTs (automated manual transmissions), but we haven’t ruled out introducing AMTs in the future.

WHATEVER THE WEATHER “We add a really good sound system to each vehicle, together with Bluetooth telephone connections and an Engel fridge on board. Presentation is important and we always add a little extra stainless steel accessories to improve their appearance on the road. “From a safety perspective we include alarms to alert the driver if the PTO is engaged and an attempt is made to drive forwards, together with sensors mounted on the hoist if the bin has not been completely lowered,” he added.

have UHF radios in each unit and are currently looking to add dash cams in every vehicle to monitor the movement of other vehicles on the road to safeguard and support our drivers,” said Steve. The bodywork for the Coronados, together with the quindog and quad-dog trailers are manufactured and supplied by Sydney-based Sloanebuilt Trailers. “The Sloanebuilt team make an excellent product, which handles the type of work we do extremely well. The main construction is aluminium but we include rock liners and

the WEATHER

Today, Kingsfeld operates 16 Coronado rigids with quad-dog and quin-dog trailers and this operation is augmented by a further subcontractor fleet that numbers up to 180 vehicles. “Everything we operate, including the subcontractor fleet, is monitored by Ctrack GPS vehicle tracking systems so we know at a glance the location of every vehicle. We also

Quicksilver inserts to prevent material sticking to the walls and floor on discharge,” said Steve. “Everything we operate conforms to PBS regulated standards. With the truck and quad-dogs we get a 36-tonne payload, and this increases with the quin-dog trailers to 41 tonnes.

PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

“There’s actually very little difference in fuel economy between running quads or quins, especially around cities, so with the extra payload under PBS approval it’s an obvious choice to run with the five-axled trailers. There’s little attraction in operating tri-axled semi-tippers in this type of work today,” said Steve. All the Freightliner Coronado rigids in the Kingsfeld fleet are supplied through Daimler Trucks of Huntingwood, in Sydney, and operated under a four-year repair and maintenance contract completed by the dealership. Vehicles are usually replaced at four-year/600,000-km intervals. “Our trucks are serviced overnight by Daimler at Huntingwood, and the business relationship we have with the dealership is excellent. They also complete the service and maintenance requirements on the trailers. The trailer spec includes fitting Hendrickson Intraax axles, and with these carrying a warranty of one million kilometres it’s another endorsement of the durability and reliability of the units.

18 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

“A repair and maintenance contract satisfies every legal requirement for certified safety procedures and ensures we have every detail recorded for the PBS legislation. We are Mass Management approved and our tyre maintenance programme is managed by Metro Tyres at Penrith, which provides a full tyre maintenance programme of pressure checking, tyre rotation and replacement, right across the fleet. “Having the right support systems in place and substantiated by these failsafe systems means we can concentrate on operating our fleet in the knowledge that everything behind the scenes is managed and completed correctly,” said Steve. As can be imagined, the day-to-day running of a fleet that usually numbers in excess of 200 vehicles, plus an extensive earthmoving fleet based at Riverstone, demands an excellent management team. Steve’s daughter Chantel and son Joel both work in the business, and, out of a total personnel count of around 80 employees, there are 5 office staff managing the day-today operations, supported by a further 5 managers out in the field and additional supervisors on worksites.

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FEATURE

Stepping Out with Actros Ray Worboys shifts to the new German cabover alongside his conventional Coronado – Words by Dave Whyte.

As many of you will know, life as an owner/driver is not a simple affair. But with the right equipment, and a good support crew, there are opportunities to be had. The biggest problem within our industry is the dog-eat-dog attitude, and the number of people willing to undercut rates and put others out of a job to get work. But, as Ray and Sue Worboys have discovered, good equipment and good service can minimise the damage if you find yourself on the wrong end of this scenario. Ray Worboys, like many others in this industry, started out with basic equipment and a can-do attitude. His first truck, 17 years ago, was a single-drive Mitsubishi towing a bogie axle flat top between Newcastle and the Worboys’ hometown of Taree. After about a year, Ray upgraded to a bogie-drive Kenworth prime mover, which he ran for a while before buying a brand-new Freightliner Argosy. From there, Ray was offered another contract carting steel to Coffs Harbour, and so another truck was added to the fleet. When the demand lead to a fourth truck being added, the Worboys’ fleet was made up of four Freightliners – two Argosys, a Coronado and a Century Class. Everything was going well for the Worboys’, until their main client hit hard financial times. This led to another contractor under-cutting Ray’s rates. As Ray explained, “There were no problems with the service, reliability or relationship. I was told the rate this guy offered and that the client still wanted us to keep doing this job, but we had to match that rate”. To their credit, Ray and Sue stuck to their guns, “I said no, it’s not happening. So I had a yarn with my drivers, told them exactly what was happening, and we pulled the pin. So we went from four trucks and five trailers back to one, which was a bit of a head spin for a little while,” said Ray. Since then, Ray and Sue have worked hard to rebuild the business, to the point where a second truck was needed to keep up. 20 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

“That was going to be my retirement truck,” Ray quipped, pointing to the Coronado parked beside the shed. “But I got this extra work, and I need a cabover for the extendable work”. Given their history with the brand, you might expect Ray and Sue would go for another Freightliner, but Ray had other ideas, opting instead for the European comfort of a Mercedes Benz Actros 2663. “I almost bought a Scania,” he said. “I had a demo Scania for a week, earlier this year, and really the only thing that swayed me was the service I get from Mavin’s. I’ve been with them for, probably, fifteen years”. Mavin’s Truck Centre is a long established, family-owned dealership based in Kempsey that sells and supports Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Hino trucks. Having dealt with them as a Freightliner customer, Ray was glowing in his praise for both the sales and service sides of the business. “Any time I’ve had a problem, they’ve fixed it. They go out of their way to help you,” he said. “The salesman was honest, and explained everything, which makes it easy. Plus being there so long, you know, we have a good relationship with them all. They just make it easy – too easy – I’ll have that,” he laughed. The level of support was demonstrated when sales manager, Steve Pinkstone, arrived to check out the new Actros during our chat. While 630 hp might seem like a bit of overkill for singletrailer work, Ray’s explanation for going with the big banger was simple: “Just to spoil myself,” he laughed.

STEPPING OUT WITH ACTROS

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FEATURE “Nah, just for the ease, it should do it easy”. There are also benefits in resale, with Ray saying, “If someone wants a B-double truck, it’s set up ready to go”. Being a long-time operator of American style trucks, I asked Ray what led him to go European. “Mainly the ride. You compare that to a Kenworth, or even an Argosy, and there’s no comparison. Those things leave them for dead,” he said. “It’ll be a bit of a shock getting used to it, I think”. Another big difference between the Actros and the Freightliner comes in the way of service intervals. “They were quoting figures, which I’m a bit uneasy with, but they reckon on single work it can do 90,000 km. That’s a lot”. But being so far from the norm, Ray was honest about his thoughts on whether he’d take it that far.

From left: Sue, Bradley and Ray Worboys.

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“I’d be hesitant. The Coronado goes to 40,000 km, and that scares me a bit, but there hasn’t been a drama. So they’re saying maybe 50,000 km for the first one, and we’ll see how it goes after that. It’s a lot of Ks between oil changes,” he said. “The Actros came with five years free servicing as part of the deal, and with four years/800,000 km driveline warranty, so it’s pretty well covered anyway,” he added. Ray’s truck was ordered prior to the official Australian launch of the Actros, and was meant to be on hand at the official launch but didn’t make it. Probably a good thing for Ray and Sue, it wasn’t covered in greasy fingerprints from blokes like me drooling over it before they got their own hands on it. Being the first of the new model Actros sold by Mavin’s, the pre-delivery took a little longer than normal as the PD staff at Mavin’s were dealing with something different.

STEPPING OUT WITH ACTROS While the truck came out of the factory in the blue paint you see here, it has spent a bit of time in the workshop at Macleay Sheetmetal, also in Kempsey, having a few finishing touches put on it. “Those guys go over and above – the light bars, painting the Viesa and battery box and a few extra lights,” Ray said. “I’m a little bit fussy when it comes to the nice stuff”. This got a good response from Sue, “A little bit fussy?” she laughed. Everywhere you look on this truck there is some detail to catch the eye, from the full-length chassis cover to the stainless wrapped AdBlue tank and custom rear light bar, all of which sets the truck off very nicely.

The interior also has a few nice touches, including a flatscreen TV and a stainless surround around the roofmounted aircon unit. The Worboys’ Actros has the top of the line Home-Line interior package, with wood grain trim and all the trimmings. Twin bunks in the sleeper will make life easier when Ray takes his grandson for a trip, though the TV in the lower bunk may cause some contention as to who sleeps where. It’s a long way from where they began, but Ray and Sue are looking forward to life with the big Mercedes. “I drove a loaded one at the launch in Cairns, and I said to Sue that we’d done the right thing,” said Ray. With a new Barker extendable trailer to go behind it, due to arrive in January, the big Benz should really look the part and get the job done in style.

Ray Worboys with Steve Pinkstone, sales manager Mavin Truck Centre (right).

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FEATURE

LOCATION, LOCATION

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LOCATION, LOCATION “Virtually 90 percent of the work was out of North Queensland, doing produce, and various other parts of the mainland, servicing Tasmania. We had the opportunity three years ago to expand into Queensland and to break into general freight, so we moved over to the mainland from Tasmania and set up here”. In the short period since, the Coopers North Queensland Freight Services (CNQ) fleet has grown to 25 trucks, including linehaul and local trucks. “We have a fleet of 14 linehaul vehicles, in both single and B-double combinations, 2 local prime movers based in Cairns, and 9 rigid vehicles running around,” Graeme said. “We now have depots here in Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, so basically we cover from Rockhampton north. We employ 38 people, so within three years we’ve had massive growth. Trying to control that growth is hard”. The most recent additions to the CNQ fleet are two MAN prime movers – a TGS, which was purchased about four months ago, and a TGX, which came into the fleet only a month ago. “We bought the first one to base in Brisbane to do local work around here and changeovers at night,” Graeme said.

Business is booming since CNQ relocated north to Queensland – Words by Dave Whyte, images by Chris Mullett

“In metropolitan Brisbane, if we do it with a cabover, the visibility is great and they’re ideal for doing that sort of work. You take the big-bonneted things some of the places we have to go. You can’t back in, you get marks on the bullbar and stuff, you can’t see”.

Sometimes in life, and in business, a change can make all the difference. Since Graeme Cox and his family took up an opportunity to move their business from Tasmania to Brisbane three and a half years ago, their business has boomed.

But soon after its arrival, the growth of the business meant it was needed out on the highway, with Graeme saying that, “Now we’re that busy we’ve had to rethink it, and that truck is now based in Cairns pulling a B-double set of trailers”.

Graeme is no stranger to the transport industry, and explains the move saying, “I’ve been involved in the transport industry for 30 odd years. I started out driving in Tasmania, and then we formed our own business, basically as a transport logistics provider in Tasmania.

CNQ has not traditionally been MAN customers, but through the perseverance of Brisbane Truck Centre MAN salesman, Callie Le Roux, Graeme was persuaded to give them a go. PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE “We test drove Mack, MAN and Freightliner, and out of the three we identified the Mack would probably do the job a little bit easier,” he said. “Along came Callie, who put a proposal to us. He came into the office, then came back with a demo truck, which we had for two weeks. Our son stepped out of a 685 hp Mack into the MAN, and was very impressed with the driver comfort and visibility. The fuel economy was a little bit better, and it got the job done,” he said. Both CNQ MANs are powered by the 12.4-litre MAN D26 engine, which provides 540 hp (397 kW) and 2500 Nm of torque, and driven through the 12-speed TipMatic (ZF-AS Tronic) transmission. As Callie Le Roux explained, “Prior to the D38, this was the highest horsepower we could offer”. The TGS cab is slightly narrower than its big brother, and sits a little lower resulting in a slightly raised floor between the seats. “The TGX is the top of the line MAN cab, and offers a flat floor, high-roof cab, so it’s a little better suited to the long distance work. While the TGS is rated at the standard 70-tonne GCM, the TGX has been up-rated to the maximum 90-tonne GCM, allowing it to pull road trains should the need arise,” he added.

Having had them in the fleet for a short time, I asked Graeme what the response was from the drivers.

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“The big truck, the noise, and a driver feels like it’s pulling hard, feels like it’s working. We find that older drivers are more used to that. It’s not because it’s a brand thing, or a truck thing, it’s what we call resistance to change. But once they get into it (the MAN) they go ‘Wow, I feel so much better at the end of the day’. In terms of fatigue and noise levels, it’s luxury. “But there are other benefits over the traditional American trucks, including the ease of operation of the MAN driveline. I think also, in today’s times, it is hard to keep drivers for a long time, and when you replace them you don’t always get the guys with ten or twenty years of experience. With this product, because it’s so simple to drive, you can get a guy with three or four years experience, give them some product training, and send them on their way,” he continued. Graeme agreed with this comment, saying, “In this industry, the older drivers are running out. To attract an older driver, they like the old trucks, the big bangers as they call them. That’s the old school. There’s a complete new generation coming through now where a job’s a job, they like getting into something comfortable, and driver fatigue is a big thing. The comfort of the MAN compared to the Mack, there is really no comparison. You do substitute a little bit of horsepower, but at the end of the day you arrive in Townsville or Cairns five minutes apart, and feeling a lot better”.

“The way the economy is today, people can’t afford to carry a lot of stock, so they rely on all of us guys to get it up there. We’ve got a very good record into the north. We are reliable.”

Also on board the two MANs is the MAN Infotainment system, which includes Bluetooth connectivity, amplifiers and a subwoofer fitted to the CD radio system. The TGX also has the truck navigation pack fitted as an option. Graeme will have the MANs serviced at Brisbane Truck Centre, and while it’s still too early to say for sure, depending on the fuel consumption, that will be either every 40,000 km or 70,000 km.

“We just started a new driver in the first one (TGS, four months old) this week, and he’s very impressed with it. He’s based in Cairns and has been running north of Cairns in other trucks – Macks and Kenworths – and he’s really impressed. The newest one (TGX, one month old), the driver jumped out of a Western Star and was a bit hesitant at first, but he came in here last night and he’s also impressed with it,” he said.

“I think it’s a bit of an image thing, with the drivers of American trucks,” Callie said.

But it’s not just about feeling good at the end of the day, the trucks still need to perform the task reliably. Graeme is putting a lot on the line in trusting a new breed of truck, saying that the business has been built on reliability. “The way the economy is today, people can’t afford to carry a lot of stock, so they rely on all of us guys to get it up there. We’ve got a very good record into the north. We are reliable, it’s all word of mouth, so, as we prove ourselves, the business grows,” Graeme said. If packing up and moving his family north wasn’t enough to demonstrate Graeme Cox’s willingness to try something new, the introduction of the MAN into the fleet should be. The early indications are good, with good driver acceptance, no big impact on trip times and good support from the team at Brisbane Truck Centre. In Graeme’s words, “I’m impressed so far, for the time we’ve had them, but I suppose time will tell”. Graeme Cox

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FEATURE

BEER O’CLOCK

From Garbage to Grain – Dave Whyte profiles Fellows Bulk Logistics

With the recent harvest being one of the best in a long time, those involved in the transport and storage of the bumper crop are hard at work looking after the product our farmers have worked so hard to provide. While most of us take for granted the ability to just go down the shops and grab a loaf of bread or a slab of our favourite beer, many people have spent a great deal of time ensuring the base ingredients of wheat and barley would be both available and of suitable quality to maintain supply of these vital products. (Yes, beer is vital!) While the harvest is a very busy time for grain handlers, with a need to harvest and store the grain before it spoils, I was fortunate enough to catch up with Paul and Jenny Fellows of Fellows Bulk Logistics from Deniliquin to learn a little more about the business of moving and storing grain. Fellows Bulk Logistics grew from Paul’s love of trucks, and growing up around the industry. “I’ve always loved trucks”, Paul said. It may sound strange, but Paul’s father Don was a highway policeman who drove trucks on the weekends, eventually leaving the police force to drive Greyhound Buses.

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“I went to ag college and graduated from Dookie in 1981. By then, my dad had a couple of garbage trucks, so I came home and started driving them, doing the garbage,” Paul said.

“We built that up to about 30 trucks and sold it to Cleanaway, then I went farming for about ten years”. After struggling to make money from the farm, Paul turned back to trucks. “I got a contract carting to a piggery, about a hundred Ks off the main road,” he said. Using a custom-built trailer, Paul was able to do a job that no-one else could, delivering rice hulls into the pig sheds. This contract also included the removal of the waste and manure, which Paul sold on to garden supplies companies. “That’s what got me started. We were running a double shift, six days a week,” he said. Paul saw another opportunity in carting local red gum wood chips to landscaping suppliers in Melbourne, and when Landmark set up their fertiliser business in Deniliquin, Paul also picked up their work. “So all of a sudden, I was in tippers,” Paul said.

BEER O’CLOCK The drought led to a lack of rice hulls needing to be moved, and a quiet year for Fellows. “A bloke rang me and asked if I wanted to subcontract, carting sugar cane bagasse out of Ayr. So, I went up there for three months, took a driver up, and we worked flat out for three months.” That three months of work led to Paul getting the prime contract to cart the bagasse a few years later. “This Mackay business is run by Mr. Brett Robinson and is an operation that runs 24/7. We’ve been doing it for a long time, and are recognised for providing an excellent service,” Paul said. Bagasse is the fibrous pulp left over after the liquid is removed from the sugar cane. While it was once considered a waste product, it is now used in generating power for the sugar refinery all year round, and for half of Mackay from January to April. This provides a reliable power source along with environmental benefits and virtually no waste from the refining process. “We’ll cart 130,000 tonnes of that in (to storage) this year, and 130,000 tonnes out,” Paul said proudly. The addition of a grain storage facility in Blighty to the business portfolio not only added to the services on offer, but also provided some extra stability for the tippers in the fleet, with year-round freight to be moved down south. The grain storages and Deniliquin operations are run by John Creenaune.

“That sort of underpins a bit of the work” Paul said. “I have a lot of work coming north, but not so much going south”. That site now handles 5,000 tonnes of grain, with a second site in Hay having the capacity for a further 10,000 tonnes. Given the bumper harvest, both of these sites are full this year, with a third site – also in Hay – being leased to handle the demand. “We’ll probably do 20,000t this year,” Paul said. The Fellows fleet is made up mainly of Kenworth trucks, which are bought through Darren Nichols at Twin City Truck Centre in Wodonga. “I use all SARs for the contract work in Queensland, and 909s for the tipper work. Two years ago, I thought I want to be more subjective in what we’re doing, so I bought a Volvo and a Western Star,” Paul said. “I also bought an SAR with the MX engine, and I’ve compared the two (the Volvo and the SAR). They’re nearly identical on fuel, maintenance was identical, but there was about $30k difference in the purchase price. But at the other end (resale), I don’t know what’s going to happen with the Volvo”. “We use Matilda Walking Floors, and Lusty and Pumpa trailers out of Swan Hill for the tippers. Both are premium custom-built trailers constructed especially for Fellows,” Paul added. The latest equipment purchase is a set of Graham Lusty tippers, which will offer the flexibility to operate as an A-double (double road train) or 19 metres within Victoria or NSW at weights up to 68.5 tonnes GCM.

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FEATURE “We’ll tackle that in the New Year,” Paul said. Trailers are also replaced after five or six years, with regular buyers keen to snap up Fellows’ secondhand equipment. As far as servicing goes, the Queensland based trucks are serviced by the company’s own employed mechanic Andrew Blaine, while the Deniliquin based trucks are serviced by a local mechanic, in Fellows’ depot. “Our trucks only do about 15,000 km a month. Because they’re under five years old, we have no issues with gearboxes, diffs, universals or other equipment.” Paul is a strong believer in running clean skin tyres all round, including some Chinese brands on the trailers.

“We run a lot of Chinese tyres in Mackay, because it’s all short haul and we’ll scrub a tyre before we really wear it out,” Paul said. “They’ve been running Chinese tyres up there for a few years now, with a lot of success. There’s good and bad in them as well, but the Triangles have been good tyres”. Another big aspect of the Fellows operation, is its involvement in the TruckSafe programme. Paul is passionate about the benefits of the programme, not only for his employee’s safety, but also in obtaining work. “Policy and procedure is the biggest thing in our business,” Paul said. “It’s two things – you’re protecting your staff, and you’re protecting yourself. I do everything I possibly can to protect my drivers’ safety and to try to ensure they return home safely.”

“The best part of the transport industry is the people you get to work with.” – Paul Fellows

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BEER O’CLOCK This commitment to safety has been rewarded, with Fellows Bulk Logistics winning the John Kelly Memorial Award for Transport Safety in 2016. “I care about my guys, they’re all good fellas. A lot of them have been with me a long time. Some of them are coming up for their long service, which is pretty much unheard of in road transport.”

In the long term, this is what guarantees the efficient and reliable supply of life’s essentials. So next time you’re lucky enough to kick back with a sausage in bread and a beer (as we quite often do at this time of year), spare a thought for those Fellows that make it possible.

“I give them really good equipment and pay them by the hour. They get paid when they’re washing their truck, checking the oil, when they’re waiting to load etc.,” he said. “They’re always home Friday night, and they don’t often go away on Sundays. I need my weekends off, and I’m no different to my staff”. A willingness to take on the jobs no-one else would do, along with a commendable attitude towards staff and equipment, has seen Fellows Bulk Logistics grow from a one-man operation to a fleet of twelve trucks, with operations in Queensland and Southern New South Wales. It’s interesting to see how a small business can take on some of the big business ideals, such as involvement in TruckSafe and regular equipment updates, and make them work to their benefit. While Fellows Bulk Logistics may be a fairly small player in the big scheme of things, it is a good example of how smaller operators can control quality in all aspects of their business, including equipment, employees and service.

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FEATURE

Shane Blakeborough took the lessons learned from driver training into fulltime truck operation – Words and images by Dave Whyte

The latest additions to the SBL fleet are four MercedesBenz Actros 2663 prime movers. This is a notable purchase for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the SBL fleet has, up until now, been made up of primarily Americanstyle trucks, and secondly, the choice of truck was heavily influenced by those who actually drive them.

Shane Blakeborough has been involved in the transport game for a long time, and covered many different aspects of the industry. From humble beginnings operating a crane truck, he and his wife went on to build a successful driver training school “Journey Management Group”, which is now one of the largest privately owned driver training schools in Australia.

“It wasn’t about me walking in and saying we’re buying Benzs, or we’re buying Scanias, or we’re buying MANs,” explained Shane Blakeborough.

In more recent years, Shane has returned to the working side of the industry, and over the last four years has built up a fleet of 75 trucks that cover both regional and interstate tasks. This growth hasn’t happened just through good luck, though. There has been a lot of work applied in the background to ensure the business not only services the needs of its clients, but does so efficiently and safely, and utilises cost-effective equipment to get the job done.

“Guys won’t drive them. They’ve got to have ownership in wanting to drive these trucks. Before a truck would be considered, it had to go through a 20,000 km evaluation drive. Each guy had it for 20,000 km, drove it, and would know after three or four weeks what problems came about,” he added. While there were a few other makes that went through the same evaluation process, the Actros came out on top overall in the driver’s opinions. “Within an hour, the first guy was saying this is different. He did a trip in it, came back home and said this was the rising star. This was a game changer, because we had four other trucks that were ready to be ordered, and this caused us to cancel that order. These things were so much better,” he said bluntly. With the Actros earmarked as the best potential candidate, the demo truck was left in the shed to judge the reaction of those drivers not involved in the trial.

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IN TRAINING

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FEATURE “We would park it out the front of the door here, and leave the keys in it,” said Shane. “All the interstate drivers would walk past it and say, ‘I’m not driving that, it’s a Mercedes-Benz’. But, when no-one was around, they would climb up and have a look. The comments and the feedback were just fantastic”. But, while the driver’s opinion is important, the operating costs also have to be factored into the purchasing decision. According to Mr. Blakeborough, the Actros also won out in this area. “The second thing that obviously played a huge part was the fuel. We were absolutely smashed by the fuel consumption. The fuel was just the biggest game changer,” Shane continued. “We had an SAR with an E5 (Cummins ISX E5) doing a comparison run, and we went from 2.1 km/l (with the SAR) to 2.9 km/l (with the Actros). We thought there was something wrong, we were out checking the bowser”. “This went on for a number of weeks. The more the driver wanted to be a part of making it better on fuel, the better it got. But what we also found was that we could put any driver in it and get amazing fuel consumption. There was a huge fuel number that just couldn’t be missed,” added Shane. According to Mr. Blakeborough, a typical service cost also worked in favour of the Actros. With all the electronics on the new engine, the engine will actually dictate the service intervals based on oil quality and numerous other parameters. This could be either a good or bad thing, but, in the case of SBL’s four Actros’, it seems to be a positive. “The better the driver we put in this thing, the longer the service interval got,” Mr. Blakeborough said. “So, where with the E5s we’re servicing at 40,000 km, we have seen numbers of up to 80,000 km (with the Actros). “While there is still bound to be some minor servicing in between engine services, this adds to the appeal from a whole-of-life point of view, significantly reducing operating costs and downtime.” The Actros also brings with it a suite of smart technology that benefits both efficiency and safety. All new trailers to join the fleet since 2014 have been fitted with EBS braking. “We see the EBS trailers as a great tool for our drivers’ safety. We used to say we’d never know whether EBS has been a good thing. Now we do know, because the vehicle tells us. 34 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

“The trailer and the EBS unit talk directly to the truck, so we haven’t had any of the interface issues that we had with other brands. This goes so far as to alert the driver that the lift axle has automatically raised, should the load not require a third axle. “The minute you get out the gate and you’re up to 18 km/h, and the axle doesn’t think it needs to be there, it just pops up on the dashboard. The technology from the Mercedes truck into the trailers has just been so simple”. Axle weight readings for the truck and trailers can also be shown on the dash, with Shane saying, “We fit axle air pressure weight gauges to all of our trailers and trucks, but we haven’t seen the need with the Mercedes, because it just comes up on the dash. We know exactly what the weights are, and it’s also giving us a much more accurate number”. It would seem after just a few months of operation, the Mercedes-Benz Actros is proving a good addition to the SBL fleet. Not only are the drivers happy to drive them (in fact, many other drivers in the fleet are now asking for them), but the return to the bottom line is also there. With significant savings in fuel, AdBlue and maintenance, SBL is expecting big things from these trucks. “If you’d have asked me twelve months ago would I have a fleet of Mercedes-Benz trucks in my yard, I would’ve probably told you no, there’s not a hope in hell,” he said. “But, I look at my bottom line every day. If you look at those numbers, we are seeing reductions in servicing costs, fuel, AdBlue and tyres. We expect to see a return saving of around $40,000 a year, per truck,” he added. Mercedes-Benz has been spruiking the benefits of the new Actros for some time, with driver comfort, efficiency and whole-of-life costs being touted as the main criterion in its design. While it’s one thing for a manufacturer to make claims about a new model, there is no telling how true they are until the truck is put to work in the real world. Only then can you get a true perspective on the improvements (or otherwise), from someone who has put their own money on the line to find out if those claims are true. If Shane Blakeborough’s experience is anything to go by, it would seem the numbers support MB’s claims. Page 33 photo: Shane Blakeborough (left) and Dave Williams (right).

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FEATURE

Can the selective use of technology improve driving ability? – Words and images by Chris Mullett. PowerTorque has been closely following the MAN TGX, since it was effectively relaunched at the end of last year with the inclusion of the Euro 6, 15.2-litre D38 engine under the cab floor. What also adds to the interest is the first availability in our market of the ZF TraXon automated manual transmission, the next generation AMT that follows on from the popularity of the AS Tronic. At 560 hp (412 kW) and with 2700 Nm of torque, this sixcylinder engine is part of a three-option power and torque rating in Europe that offers the operator 520 hp and 2500 Nm, 560 hp and 2700 Nm or 640 hp and 3000 Nm, all derived from the same D38 engine with MAN’s two-stage turbos, EGR and SCR+CRT. With the 12-speed ZF TraXon AMT (called by MAN the TipMatic TX), and the latest generation Intarder with a braking force of 3500 Nm, the driveline is well matched and available with a choice of three diff ratios – 3.7, 3.36 and 3.08:1. At the permitted maximum of 100 km/h, the 15-litre turns over at 1230 rpm with the 3.08 version, moves a little faster at 1340 rpm with the 3.36, and then fairly romps along at 1470 with the 3.7:1 ratio, albeit this is aimed at maximum GCMs of 120 tonnes.

In the TGX D38 prime mover under evaluation we ran with 3.36:1 diff ratios hauling a B-double set loaded to within a good breakfast of hitting the 62.5 tonnes mark. The Intarder was also highly impressive. At peak weights on the hills over the route it could hold the rig without applying the service brakes. Being a demonstration unit, it came with lane departure assist, adaptive cruise control, sat/nav and Bluetooth connectivity, emergency braking assist and emergency stopping signalling, an underbunk, slide-out fridge unit and an extremely comfortable twin bunk set-up that is fitted with an Aussie-supplied interior sprung mattress. There was no problem in terms of keeping front axle weights within legal requirements, and, even with a relatively set-back pin position, the ride and directional stability of the prime mover was really impressive. There was never a need to chase the front end down the highway, or any evidence of the back end trying to influence the front.

MAN TIME 36 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

MAN TIME

AdBlue use on the Euro 6 engines is minimal, and at around 2.0-2.5 percent it’s a big change from the early Euro 5 competitors that could use more than double that figure.

The particulate filter removes up to 99 percent of all soot particulates from the exhaust gas during normal vehicle operation by the passive regeneration process.

In our earlier coverage of the TGX with the D38, PowerTorque covered the more detailed technical bits and pieces of the engine and transmission, and for those wanting greater insight into the TraXon gearbox we’d recommend checking out the editorial feature on pages 56-58 in this issue.

It’s a compact unit that forms part of the Euro 6 silencer pack and doesn’t require driver input, unless you intend to complete a regen’ burn inside a warehouse. In that scenario the high temp of the exhaust gas during a regen’ could ignite combustible materials left lying around. The solution is to just press a cancel button and defer the regen’ until you are back in the open air.

The CRT filter system is something that you don’t experience when sitting in the cab at a truck show, so we’ll explain that bit as being a Continuously Regenerating Trap (hence CRT), that comprises an oxidising catalytic converter and a closed diesel particulate filter, located upstream of the SCR injector.

Out on the road the MAN is extremely quiet in the cabin, and with good visibility and a very comfortable driver’s air suspended seat it’s easy to quickly feel very much at home. All the lighting and engine checks can be completed from the dashboard, and the onboard computer gives the driver a comprehensive read-out of function and attitude, in respect of average speeds and fuel economy.

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FEATURE

Unlike the DAF XF105, with which the TGX is obviously going to draw comparison, the rear suspension is fitted with ECAS, making a quick and easy rear end lift or dump through the airbags when coupling or decoupling. My drive consisted of leaving Newcastle and heading south on the freeway for Sydney, scooting around the skinny lanes of Pennant Hills Road and then joining the M2/M7 for the run to the Hume Freeway and southbound to Melbourne. It’s an almost continuous climb up to Sydney from the Hawkesbury River, and then yet more climbing up into the NSW Southern Highlands. As this was the first experience I’d had with the new ZF, I gave into my curiosity and let it work things out for itself, rather than intervening either to hold a specific ratio before cresting a hill, or downshifting earlier to maintain momentum up an incline. As yet, the ZF in our market isn’t offered with the link to predictive mapping to follow the topography of the route. But it works well, with quick and snappy shifting, especially for swapping ratios back and forth between 10-11-12. These top three changes are faster than any others in the box and could not be beaten by even the best of manual cog swappers. It shows its ability on long climbs behind other laden B-doubles where momentum is lost by the vehicle ahead with every gear change, while the ZF is so quick that you can close the gap during the climb. I have driven with adaptive cruise control (ACC) in passenger cars, but never for a long period in a truck application. My natural curiosity proved to be my downfall, as, with ACC engaged, every time I came up behind a vehicle, or had a vehicle cut into my lane ahead of me, the ACC system reduced speed to maintain the selected distance between the vehicle in front, and the rig lost momentum. It’s no problem in a passenger car with ACC because a return to the previous speed is almost immediate. But, with ACC in a truck, the driver is continuously losing momentum and having to regain that by harder acceleration. That’s takes time and uses more fuel. Prior to playing with ACC, I was running at 1.75 km/l with an average speed of 75.4 km/h, and by Sutton Forest this had dropped back to around 1.64 km/l. By the time we arrived at Holbrook things had improved to 1.8 km/l with an overall average speed of 77.61 km/h. From Holbrook through to Derrimut in Melbourne the data recorder was showing an actual fuel use of 2.14 km/l over 386.2 km, with an average speed of 87.92 km/h. For the total distance of 1071.3 km the figures came in at an average speed of 82.76 with actual fuel use of 1.97 km/litre. 38 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

We are always learning in this industry, and, in hindsight, I am comfortable that even with an engine showing under 4000 km at the start of the run, in normal driving, and without ACC operating, it’s fair to expect fuel consumption in the region of 2.25 to be easily achievable on this specific run. Well, I have learnt my lesson on that one, as it’s now a feature I shall only use on level running around the Western Ring Road at the end of a long day and with time to spare. The rest of the time I’ll rely on human intervention and maintain momentum to avoid having to make up lost speed on the inclines. Having learnt by my experience with ACC, it will now be interesting to put Dave Whyte behind the wheel, and then suffer the consequences of his performance as he will undoubtedly score a better result on both journey time and fuel economy. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it needs to be applied to suit the circumstances and not taken as providing a perfect solution. MAN looks like it has the right product at the right time. If you want to try one for yourself, give Penske Truck Rental a call and see if you become a Euro 6 convert.

CUT COSTS AND BOOST EFFICIENCY WITH ZFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INNOVATIVE TRUCK TECHNOLOGY Cost-effectiveness, dependability and flexibility play an important role in operating at a competitive level in the transport of goods, and ZF gives customers this decisive advantage. Our transmissions, steering systems and axles ensure the safe and economical control of driving power, reduce strain on the vehicle, freight and the environment, and facilitate driving. These are just some of the many reasons why millions of vehicles worldwide rely on ZFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driveline and chassis technology. www.zf.com/truck

facebook.com/ZFServicesAustralia twitter.com/ZFServicesAU zf.com/au

FEATURE While we like to keep up to date with the latest and greatest in the transport industry, there are a large number of operators who, whether by choice or necessity, operate trucks that are in their second or third life cycle. Recently, we have been seeing more and more of the older equipment making its way back onto the road, with some pretty tidy examples doing the rounds, either locally or on the highway. One such example is Brad Scott Excavations’ 2003 Kenworth K104 day cab. With my spies having seen this truck working in the Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne, it was recommended that I go and take a look for myself, and I’m glad I did. Brad hails from Drouin, in South Eastern Victoria, with the Kenworth covering around 50,000 km a year transporting his equipment to job sites all over Victoria.

“I use it to pull the tag-along around – I do civil contracting work all over Victoria. It does a little bit of tipper work, but only if the conditions are right,” he said with a smile. The remarkable thing about Brad’s truck is that, even given the dirty and dusty operating environment, it is absolutely spotless. This was commented on by one of Brad’s clients before I caught up with Brad himself, with the client being very complimentary on both the presentation of Brad’s gear and the quality of his work. Looking at this truck from a distance, you wouldn’t know it had done 1.3 million kilometres but, as Brad explained, it had done most of those before he came to own it. “It was originally with Les Walkden Logging in Tasmania, then a bloke in Penguin (a Tasmanian coastal town) owned it, and then I ended up with it,” he said.

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL

Reliability comes from looking after your gear properly, as Dave Whyte found when he visited Brad Scott Excavations of Drouin, Victoria.

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LIVING LIFE TO THE FULL

The logging heritage goes some way to explaining the heavy-duty specification, with the K104 running a Cummins Signature, rated at 600 hp, an 18-speed Eaton manual transmission and six-rod suspension on the rear. “I’m not carting out of quarries or anything, so payload is not an issue,” Brad said. Unbeknown to Brad, a new engine had been fitted before he bought it, a welcome surprise for any secondhand truck buyer. “When I bought it, we didn’t know, but, when I went to register it, the numbers didn’t line up. It was a bonus on my behalf,” Brad said. That was about 300,000 km ago, so there should still be plenty of work in the current engine before it’s due for any serious attention.

“This one’s just about to get a birthday (refurbishment), this Christmas,” Brad said. He also has another tag-along trailer, a bogie-axle unit built by Barry Brothers Engineering in Drouin. “I’ve modified it to the way I want it to transport my machines. I’ve also got a dog trailer that I rebuilt. I bought two dog trailers and made one out of them,” he said. “All chrome rims, everything, just so it all matches. I’ve used it about five times,” he says with a laugh. Trucks, and looking after the gear, is something of a family tradition. “Dad started off with a 1418, and had backhoes and other gear. He always looked after his stuff, it was always mint. He was known for his bright yellow Benz truck. It used to run from Warragul all the way up to Bairnsdale every day working for V/Line, doing maintenance on the railways.”

“The six-rod suited me better for a tip truck than airbag,” Brad said of the heavy rear end. “With diff locks and cross locks, for what I do it’s magic, and it’s not actually that rough to ride in. With a load on it – the Bobcat sits in there most of the time – it takes that kick out of it”. “It was just a plain old log truck when I got it,” Brad said. “It was in those colours, but I put the tipper body on it, the chrome wheels and all that stuff”. Brad said the truck had a bullbar fitted when he bought it, but, “I took that off, I didn’t like it. Probably what spurred me on were the Safeway trucks, I really had a thing for the slim-line Safeway trucks,” he said.

Brad started out in his dad’s old 1418 Benz, which now sits proudly in the shed in original condition. “It’s never been painted, and shows a genuine 400,000 km on it,” Brad said affectionately. “She’s a ripper, still got the original windscreen in it”.

The tag-along trailer seen in this feature is 14 years old, and was custom built for BSE by Macol trailers in Brisbane.

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FEATURE forward a professional image to prospective customers. While it might seem like a bit of overkill for the job, it fits nicely into the role and provides Brad with plenty of power, whether he’s towing an excavator or load number six on the dog trailer. Given the time spent sitting idle on the job site, the cost of a new truck would be hard to justify. By choosing a good used truck, Brad has found a good solution – a versatile truck with plenty of power and the ability to present well, without the big price tag.

Since then he has operated both UD and Kenworth branded trucks, including a UD CWA46, which he says, “Was a great truck, I’m sorry I ever sold it”. He came back to Kenworth after a bad run with his last UD. “I lashed out and bought a brand-new 445 UD, and had nothing but trouble with it,” he said. “Then I saw this, just as a cab/chassis, and thought, nup, I’m going back to the Kenworth”.

This truck sets a fine example of how an older truck can be a worthwhile investment, but it also takes commitment to keep one looking the part. As Brad put it, “It’s been looked after. It spends its nights in the shed. Every night it goes into the shed, and it gets washed twice a week”, he said. There is good reason for Brad to look after his gear. Aside from the pride that comes with operating clean and tidy equipment, Brad says, “That’s my advertising. Everyone knows me for my truck and my gear, and my machines are all the same. It’s a full-time job looking after them”. From humble beginnings aboard a 1418 Benz, Brad has built his business based on the quality of his work and his equipment. The old Kenworth plays a vital role in this, not only by transporting the equipment to the jobsite, but by demonstrating Brad’s pride in what he does and putting 42 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

TGX D38 TORQUE YOURSELF UP

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FEATURE There’s really no such thing as a standard truck on today’s market. Anyone who has purchased a new truck in the last few years will know the number of options available, even on the most basic models. While many manufacturers do offer a base spec on most models, this is not always the solution to an operator’s needs, and so to add the appeal they offer a variety of specifications that cater to the market. Whether it be the choice of engine, transmission, diff ratio or even the decision between airbag and spring suspension, manufacturers are giving buyers more and more ways to make a base spec truck more suitable for whatever task they have in mind, and this can lead to some interesting combinations.

Scania has plenty of reasons to interest the custom buyer – Dave Whyte reports

Mark El Samad’s Scania R620 Topline is a perfect example of how a basic model can be adapted, not only to suit the task, but also to suit the operator. Mark’s truck is an all-the-boxes-ticked, custom spec truck designed to suit a specific task. Far from the base model Scania R620, this truck was ordered with the Topline cab, one of very few in Australia, and as a 6x2 with a rear lift axle. The Topline cab is not so popular here as it is in Europe, especially with the heavier V8 engine, due to the increased weight over the steer. In Mark’s line of work that’s not an issue, with the big Scania still coming in at under 6.0 tonnes on the steer due to the turntable position and the low weight of the freight.

TOP OF

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TOP OF THE LINE “I went with the Topline for the extra space,” he said. “When you want comfort, it’s yours, and if you’re the one driving it all the time, why not?” One of the notable features on this truck is the low chassis height, which was needed to fit under the trailer Mark tows for CEVA Vehicle Logistics. This trailer is built along the lines of a race transporter, and with no adjustable decks it is imperative to maintain a low floor height, with a low turntable height on the prime mover to maximise the interior trailer space. This was a factor that severely limited Mark’s choice when it came time to purchase a new prime mover, with very few manufacturers able to provide a 6x2 chassis to meet the 1050 mm fifth-wheel height requirement. To help achieve that, the R620 rides on low-profile 305/70 and 295/60 tyres, but even this wasn’t quite low enough.

“Even with this truck, I had to put the lowest turntable on it I could find, and lower the turntable angles (mounting plate),” Mark said. While 620 hp might seem like a bit of overkill for the job, Mark says he went for the V8 in search of, “More horsepower, better performance and less wear and tear”. At 100 km/h the 620 ticks over at 1300 rpm, and doesn’t lose much pace in the hills, making for efficient motoring. When I caught up with him, the truck had been in service for less than three months, and had just over 50,000 km on the clock. Over that period, Mark said the 620 V8 was averaging around 2.7 km/l, and improving as it got older. As you can see, the R620 certainly makes a statement. All the factory options are fitted, including leather seats, a microwave, coffee machine and double glazed windows (yep, you read right).

THE LINE “When you want comfort, it’s yours, and if you’re the one driving it all the time, why not?” PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

“They asked me, when I bought it, if I wanted single or double glazed windows, so I went the double glazed,” Mark said. “There’s less noise in the cab, and it insulates against the heat or cold. It’s very quiet”. Helping to regulate the temperature while stationary, Mark has a battery-powered air-con unit fitted. “It runs on a lithium battery, and can run for up to three days without starting the engine,” he said. Also on-board is a 32” flatscreen TV, with a satellite dish and a couple of games consoles, to while away the hours when he is parked up at race meets across the country waiting for his freight. The painted wheels, a point of conversation and differing opinions, were done by Mark, as was the unique paint on the grille and hydraulic tank. On the topic of the wheels, Mark said, “I always wanted the copper look, and to do up a truck the way that no-one, or very few people, have before. Being a spray painter myself, I can do it, so why not, and have something different”. There was a little method to his madness though, as he pointed out, “I left the outside edge as polished aluminium so they don’t damage the paint when they’re changing tyres”. Exterior lighting is also in good supply, with an overhead light bar (ordered directly from Britain) that carries six LED driving lights, along with clearance lights and flashing orange strobe lights for use in the depot. There are more flashing lights mounted in the lower grille, along with the standard Scania driving lights and fog lights. The full Scania safety pack is also fitted, with Mark being a big fan of the adaptive cruise control in particular. “That is absolutely the best thing,” he said. “If I’m running on the highway, I just use the normal cruise control. I come into the city where there’s peak hour traffic, and I hit the button and just steer it. The traffic slows down, this slows down. The traffic takes off, this takes off, and you keep your distance”. While the R620 Topline may seem a little over the top, Mark is quick to point out that it’s not his first truck. In fact, the last truck he drove (which was replaced by the Scania) was an 11-year-old DAF CF single-drive – a far cry from the truck you see here. 46 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

“I did three years in the DAF. It was like sleeping in a coffin, but now I sleep comfortably and I know I get my rest every night”. That’s not to say the CF wasn’t a good truck, and Mark is quick to say, “The DAF was a very, very good truck. It was 11 years old, had done a lot of hard work, and all I spent on it was regular servicing. It never let me down, never broke down, and cost me hardly anything”. While the look of Mark’s R620 may lead to divided opinions, it does get a lot of attention, and for all the right reasons. But it’s not only the looks that set this truck apart, with the specialised setup being the perfect answer to a difficult question. Building a truck to fit into this role wasn’t easy, but Mark is more than happy with the finished result. “It’s everything that I wanted, and the wait was worth it,” he said. “I like the size of the cab, and everything I want is in it”. In its role of moving up-market cars around the country, this truck fits the bill just nicely. In terms of presentation, performance and technology, it’s right at home among the big boy’s toys at any racetrack or car show.

Bridgestone Australia Ltd. For your nearest Bridgestone Authorised Dealer visit our website bridgestone.com.au

FEATURE

CUST O M CLAS & SIC GRAH AM B ROW N 'S 48 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

T908

CUSTOM & CLASSIC

Warren Caves focuses his photographic skills on Graham Brown and Daughter Transport

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FEATURE

“It’s very much a family affair, with Cassie having been looking after all the bookwork for the business for the past 17 years”

At PowerTorque we pride ourselves on bringing you the latest developments in technology, innovation and new model truck and equipment releases. We also understand that for some, equally as important as payloads, fuel economy and the bottom line, are styling, head-turning looks and a unique presence on the road, or the preservation/restoration of a long-serving classic. These trucks are often held with as much regard as a special family member or a loyal childhood dog long since passed, and they become part of your lifetime memories. If this sounds like you, and your working week is not over until the tanks are washed and polished to a shine worthy of shaving in, welcome to PowerTorque, Custom and Classic – a regular feature showcasing a truck, just a little different to the crowd. First in our feature is the striking purple Kenworth T908 of Graham Brown and Daughter Transport. Graham is no stranger to PowerTorque, having his fleet featured twice in our history. He is also well known for his continuing 50 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

support of local charities, particularly the annual Illawarra Convoy for Kids in aid of children suffering from cancer, plus the Trucks Across the Highlands event. Based out of Moss Vale in the beautiful Southern Highlands, a short distance south of Sydney, Graham operates a small fleet of six exclusively Kenworth trucks, predominantly towing refrigerated trailers. The fleet colours are Phantom Purple with lighter coloured scrollwork, hauling trailers that are immaculately maintained in gloss white. If you look closely at the signwriting on each truck, the business is described as Graham Brown and Daughter. For Graham, this recognises the contribution made to the business success by his daughter Cassandra. It’s very much a family affair, with Cassie having been looking after all the bookwork for the business for the past 17 years, since the age of 13, and playing a vital role in the successful running of the business.

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FEATURE

“Make no mistake, this 908 is truly a working truck, earning its keep on a daily basis”

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CUSTOM & CLASSIC

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FEATURE

“She has managed the accounts, paid the bills, looked after our customers and without her there would not have been a business to maintain. I couldn’t have stayed in business without her,” Graham added. It’s very obvious when talking with Graham and his drivers that Graham’s own standards and expectations are extremely high. It’s one of the main reasons for the successful growth of the business, and it shows in the pride that Graham shows for his drivers and equipment. “We have our niche in the market and we believe in rewarding the loyalty and professionalism of our staff well. It’s a pleasure to also see such a family attitude showing through our business that’s matched by the professionalism of our drivers,” said Graham. Graham said the purchase of the 908 emblazoned in Phantom Purple paint was the result of a cancelled order and has since seen subsequent trucks painted the same colour. Power for the 908 comes in the form of a Cummins ISX EGR engine rated at 580 hp with an 18-speed manual Roadranger transmission and 3.9:1 diff ratios. 54 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

The 1.6 million kilometres notched up in its six-year life keeps this truck out of the “show pony” club, but its appearance and condition is a credit to the company, as it is still a classy looking unit. Driven from new, until recently, by Debbie Rothwell, most of its life has seen it running between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on refrigerated duties. LED are the lights of choice, with plenty of marker lamps along the steps and on the air cleaner deflectors to announce its nighttime presence on the highway – accompanied by LED headlights and bullbar-recessed driving lights to show the way. A woodgrained steering wheel adds a touch of prestige to the interior. Signwriting is by Barry Barnett of Total Fleet Imaging at Laverton, Melbourne, with stainless steel accessories provided by Plastics for Trucks of Hallam, Victoria. The T908 was supplied by Hallam Truck Centre. Make no mistake, this 908 is truly a working truck, earning its keep on a daily basis, but even the hardest of workers are entitled to a visit to the day spa every now and then to keep up appearances.

Guaranteed Buy Back. Fuso. All day.

TRADE, RETAIN or RETURN YOUR TRUCK. At no extra cost, you can get Guaranteed Buy Back with Fuso Agility on your new truck or bus, giving you the assurance of knowing the minimum value of your vehicle when the finance contract runs the full term. When your agreement ends you have three options designed to give you and your business complete flexibility and control. • Trade: Be protected from negative equity and use positive equity towards your new Fuso vehicle purchase. • Retain: Keep your vehicle by simply paying out or refinancing the Guaranteed Buy Back amount. • Return: Hand back the keys once excess kilometre and wear and use obligations are paid. For more information on Guaranteed Buy Back with Fuso Agility, contact your Fuso dealer.

fuso.com.au Finance available to approved business customers of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd ABN 73 074 134 517 AFSL 247271. Credit assessment, lending criteria and fees apply. Guaranteed Buy Back available on Agility ﬁnance only and is subject to Excess Kilometre charges and Fair Wear and Use return conditions apply.

FEATURE

SMOOTH S

ZF’s AS-Tronic has successfully dominated the automated manual transmission market for two decades. Now it’s time to welcome its successor, the ZF TraXon. – Words by Chris Mullett.

changes, at the same time reducing driveline stress and thereby improving durability and safety.

At the 2012 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show event in Hanover, ZF and IVECO signed a letter of intent related to the fitment of the TraXon transmission family in products such as the Stralis and Trakker models.

With 20 years of manufacturing the AS-Tronic AMT under its belt, German transmission manufacturer, ZF, has notched up sales of over one million units since its launch in 1997. The development work for the AS-Tronic was carried out with a view to the first implementation being for IVECO. But it soon became obvious to the other main European truck makers that the innovative technology in ZF’s gearbox was going to be a game-changer, adding to its desirability and acceptance by operators worldwide. The second generation of the ASTronic launched in 2000 created a range of transmissions capable of handling torque outputs from 500 Nm through to a peak of 3100 Nm, with a choice of 12-speed or 16-speed alternatives, dependent on the specific vehicle application. Rather than offering a driver controlled gear preselection as offered in the early versions, the new fully automated logic introduced with the second generation units immediately simplified the shift protocol and ratio selection. The addition of the Intarder, ZF’s transmission brake, provided operators with a fully integrated retardation system that boosted engine braking power, while at the same time reducing service brake workload and brake or pad lining wear by up to 90 percent. The clever logic incorporated between the CAN bus electronic interconnectivity improved reaction times for shift 56 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

In March 2015, ZF announced the global availability of the TraXon modular automatic transmission system, after the expansion of its operating field trials to incorporate additional manufacturers such as MAN and DAF, which joined IVECO to provide an alternative to the latest generation I-Shift from Volvo, the mDRIVE from MACK and the Opticruise from Scania. As the first major truck manufacturer to offer the ZF TraXon transmission in the Australian market, MAN, with its recently released TGX D38, has taken a step ahead of its competition by offering the 12-speed TraXon transmission, which it refers to as the Tipmatic2. This unit incorporates three new fuel saving modes, idle speed driving from 600 rpm on release of the brake pedal but without throttle pedal depression and Efficient Roll, plus Speedshifting, which shortens the required time for gear splits between 10th, 11th and 12th ratios. This speeds up the gearshift timing on inclines to reduce fuel use and maintain momentum.

SMOOTH SHIFTING

SHIFTING Also included in the TraXon spec is the PreVision GPS linked cruise control gearshift optimisation that MAN refers to as MAN EfficientCruise

By linking the TraXon transmission to the 560 hp, 15-litre six-cylinder Euro 6 D38 engine, the new ZF starts its life Down Under with an ideal match, benefiting the operator from a torque output that runs from 930 to 1350 rpm, with two-stage sequential turbocharging. Maximum power is 560 hp with peak torque of 2700 Nm. What makes the TraXon substantially different from some of its competitors was the decision to develop the new transmission as a modular system incorporating five different elements. The basic architecture of the automated manual transmission allows for torque ranges in direct drive up to 2800 Nm, and in overdrive up to 3500 Nm, aimed at applications such as the medium to heavy vehicle gross weight segment. TraXon can be driven by a single or dual-disc dry clutch or include a torque converter clutch. For higher weight application involving high gross weight prime movers or mobile cranes with multiple axles, the ZF TraXon torque converter module combines with the TraXon transmission and the ZF PowerDivide modules to introduce a torque converter clutch that couples to the basic transmission.

The optional hybrid module contains a 120 kW/1000 Nm electric motor/generator combined with an automated separating clutch. This enables hybrid functions such as recuperation, electric driving, a boost function for increasing performance, an electric stop/start function, and the possibility of electric PTOs. The hybrid feature can also be used to power auxiliary applications such as cooling and driver compartment functions, even when the vehicle’s primary engine is switched off. In the development of the system, studies into the effectiveness of hybrid use in heavy-duty transport have found that fuel savings of five percent are possible under city driving conditions. A more traditional engine-dependent PTO module is also available, which can service a multitude of applications with torque of up to 2000 Nm. This is installed between the engine and transmission and is ideal for auxiliary features that require high torque, for example cement mixers, fire trucks and mobile cranes. In the general transport sector where torque outputs are for up to 3500 Nm, TraXon features an anticipatory shifting strategy through the incorporation of PreVision GPS, which provides a link to the transmission with GPS data and digital mapping. In this way, unnecessary gearshifts can be avoided as the combined control system “foresees” the gradient change ahead or an oncoming sharp turn and can determine whether to avoid an unnecessary upshift or downshift by holding onto the selected ratio.

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FEATURE transfer speeds such as might be required at highway construction sites. The TraXon Smart software brings the truck operator systems that are becoming a more common feature on prestige and luxury cars. Systems such as ECO or high performance with the Power programme enable the driving strategy and shift dynamics to be changed to suit the operating environment. This function occurs either via a manual over-ride by the driver or by enabling the software to make the programme changes automatically.

Dependent on the intended application, TraXon is available in 12 and 16-speed models, with both available in direct or overdrive versions, with the overdrive featuring a particularly long top ratio that provides significant reductions in engine speed whilst in top gear. For a traditional automatic transmission, this would drastically increase the shift frequency, especially when dealing with slight uphill gradients. With the dual-clutch module, it is possible to perform these downshifts and upshifts, under load and without torque interruption, optimising fuel use.

Stop/start systems have been adopted by the car and light commercial vehicle industry, but TraXon brings this technology into the realms of the heavy truck, shutting down the engine during prolonged traffic delays and then providing a quick start solution when the traffic ahead starts to move. The rolling function, similar to other systems such as ECO-Roll, activates the gear shifting logic into selecting neutral, optimising fuel consumption and minimising drag losses when not travelling under high engine loads. When combined with PreVision GPS, the rolling function is able to recognise differences in topography in advance and adapt the driving strategy accordingly.

Because the twin-clutch module allows the next gear ratio to be preselected, with a 200-millisecond clutch engagement, rapid downshifts without torque interruption are possible on gradients, making for faster journey times. The TraXon twin-clutch module is seen as being at the cutting edge of a future trend in truck transmissions. It should be noted, however, that the twin-clutch module is not currently available for the Australian market. The TraXon modular system also includes an optional torque converter clutch for use in heavy-duty prime mover applications. The system lowers life cycle costs with wear-free use at high-input torques. With a claimed efficiency of 99.7 percent from direct 1:1 ratio top gear versions, there’s also a claimed reduction in noise of 6.0 dB over the previous AS-Tronic while offering a wider ratio spread. This gain was achieved by integrating a new anti-rattling damper alongside the new gearing design, and innovations in the transmission housing. Two reverse gears are standard, but a four reverse gears option is available. The justification for four reverse gears is based on the need to manoeuvre high gross weights at low speeds, with the standard transmission ratio suited for normal on-highway work and the optional four reverse gears set ideal for slow, precise manoeuvring. Where higher speeds are required, the four reverse gears enable higher 58 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

Applications on difficult terrain are always a challenge – for driver  and vehicle. The rock-free function has an extended clutch control that is able to free the vehicle from in-ground depressions and other obstacles by invoking a rocking movement. The PowerTorque team reported first on TraXon when it was released to European eyes at the 2014 IAA Show in Hanover. For real-time performance and evaluation, check out our first road test impressions of the full Australian spec TGX D38 on pages 36-38 in this issue.

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FEATURE

Paying attention to tyre choice can really make a difference. Report by Chris Mullett

Nick Lindsay of Lindsay Transport, with Bridgestone’s general manager of commercial, Claudio Sodano

T YRE TORQUE Right now is one of the most exciting times to be in transport. New technology is racing along in its development, and consequently we can find engineers from all camps talking about fuel consumption figures that are consistently improving. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Detroit Diesel announced DDEC1, an electronic engine management system that would replace the mechanical fuel pump. Now the industry has moved on and just about everything has high pressure, common-rail fuel injection systems that achieve a combustion efficiency that was simply not possible even 20 years ago. Thanks to some major financial incentives in North America under the SuperTruck programme, and legal inducements applied in Europe, the transport industry is meeting cleaner and greener limits than it believed it would ever achieve. The introduction of Euro 6 emissions levels, AdBlue injection into exhaust treatment systems and the ongoing development of waste heat transfer, compound turbocharging and improved fuel quality, have all combined to produce a total fuel saving that’s available to any fleet. 60 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

While the engine and transmission research and development engineers have been congratulating themselves on squeezing extra energy out of a driveline that now talks to itself via onboard computers, the trailer designers have been applying equally sophisticated technology to improving airflow and reducing drag.

At some point it might be suggested that we’ve reached the boundary of efficiency and can’t push much further. But as PowerTorque’s ongoing research shows, there’s more to come. We know the big variable in the performance of trucks in a fleet rests with the driver. Proper driver training and ongoing refresher courses impact on fuel economy, plus they consistently improve safety. The only downside of driver training is that the general public don’t believe it applies to them. Once they pass the standard driving test, then whatever skills they might have displayed will, in most cases, start to deteriorate. The professional truck driver possesses a vast skill set that goes way beyond perfecting slick changes in an 18-speed Roadranger. An automated manual transmission (AMT) establishes a base line for efficiency, with the autoshifting system smoothing out the rougher moments of life and reducing driveline shock on the componentry.

TYRE TORQUE

These are not financial statistics open to question by senior politicians that prefer to deny the existence of climate change. These are quantifiable figures that show up as a credit in your companyÂ account.

Not only is the driver responsible for the truck carrying him or her down the road, they have to drive to compensate for the lack of skill or concentration of everyone else around them, throughout the day or night. Driver training again comes into prominence, not just for the increased safety levels that good training programmes can generate, but for the reduction in fuel use of between 5-10 percent that partners that professionalism to the time spent behind the wheel. The fuel efficiency of a modern truck comes from combining all the technology improvements, the fuel improvements, the aerodynamic profiling of the truck and trailer combination, and the expertise of the operator behind the wheel. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one more factor to consider, and while itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not attractive or covered in stainless steel or chrome, the next influencing factor for fuel economy comes down to tyre selection. Low rolling-resistance tyre design is putting a new level of focus on where the rubber meets the road. Bridgestone Tyres has all the data necessary to convert even the greatest tyre sceptic to believe that attention to fuel economy needs to start from the ground up. If a fleet of 50 trucks changed to running on Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, the reduction in fuel and carbon emissions would be the equivalent of taking three trucks off the road. Here are some more statistics. On average, a large fleet spending $16 million on fuel uses 14.3 million litres of diesel per year (at $1.25c/l). The right choice of low rolling-resistance tyres, such as the Ecopia, will provide overall total cost savings of 6.0 percent, reduce the fleet fuel usage by 857,000 litres per year, and generate up to 2.3 million kilograms less CO2 every year.

Tyre maintenance programmes are not confined to hitting the tyre casing with a crowbar. Pressure checking is critical for those looking to maximise their tyre life. A tyre that is 20 percent underinflated will only last 75 percent of its potential service life. Regular tyre rotation is another extender of casing life, enabling even wear rates to ensure a uniform surface and to gain another major cost saving benefit.

Bridgestone Ecopia M749 (above) and R109 (below)

Maybe now is a good time to outline the importance of fitting high technology tyres to drive tyres and trailers tyres, rather than shopping online for a container of low-priced tyres that come with old and outdated technology. In a typical B-double combination, the steer tyres, drive tyres and trailer tyres account for 91 percent of the total rolling resistance, illustrating just how critical your tyre choice can be if you want to save on TCO (total cost of operation). When fitting low rollingresistance tyres throughout the combination as a total solution, Bridgestone claims that by using the Ecopia M749 drive tyres and R109 trailer tyres the result is a reduction in rolling resistance of 21 percent. The savings continue of course when the casings are re-capped with Bandag BDL3 or BRL3 tread patterns that incorporate low rollingresistance compounds. Manufacturers claims are usually backed up by real-life experience, and Bridgestone turned to Lindsay Transport for validation of the projected benefits when using the Ecopia tyre design throughout a complete B-double or single-trailer combination. PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

ECOPIA

M749

R109

While it might give an operator a warm and fuzzy feeling by knowing their tyre choice could reduce the company’s CO2 emissions by almost 6000 tonnes annually (equal to 18 B-doubles on the road), there’s more at stake when it comes to the balance sheet. “The move to run our entire fleet on Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, and what it will deliver in terms of real environmental benefits, is incredibly exciting,” said Lindsay Transport’s fleet quality and efficiency manager, Nick Lindsay. “We are always striving to provide a premium service. In today’s competitive market, this environmental commitment is an important benefit we can offer our customers – many of whom are looking to strengthen their own green credentials. “Beyond that, we believe we have a responsibility to give something back to the community, and this is a meaningful way for us to do that.” Lindsay Transport has long been focused on operating its fleet in the most efficient manner possible, using fuel-efficient engines and aerodynamic kits, and has also found fuel economy gains through adopting BP Ultimate Diesel throughout the fleet. 62 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

Lindsay Transport initially trialled the Bridgestone Ecopia tyres on several trucks before fitting them to the entire 260-strong fleet over the past two years. “When we started to see the results coming through, we knew it was something we had to do, so we decided to go ahead and apply them to the whole fleet,” Nick said. “It’s always difficult to quantify a specific gain, as we introduce many ways of continuing to improve. Bridgestone proved to us that the environmental benefit was there. We are seeing similar benefits to the original claims, and they are performing well,” he added. Bridgestone Ecopia truck and trailer tyres are available to suit almost 95 percent of trailer fitment, and approximately 90 percent of drive fitment. They are available in 275/70R22.5 M749 sizing for drive axle application, and the 265/70R19.5, 275/70R22.5 and 255/70R22.5 R109 sizing for trailer application.

ruck, trailer and equipment manufacturers are becoming very optimistic that the new year is bringing with it a considerably brighter prognosis for expansion, through the increase of infrastructure programmes, especially in NSW, QLD and Victoria.

This level of financial planning enables you to plan for an increase in workload with the necessary finance in place, ready and waiting for you to expand when necessary, without potential delays when you might be at your busiest and time is precious.

Greater work opportunities require absolute reliability, and that’s where upgrading your equipment, or adding new machinery, is going to form a priority for those looking for growth.

With extremely well-priced finance now being approved by many banks and financiers under “fast track no financials offerings”, the ability to quickly and easily flow between different lenders and access the right rates at the right times is there to ensure a lower cost for the next four to five years.

FINANCE YOUR FUTURE Mark O’Donoghue, founder and CEO of Finlease, talks to PowerTorque about how to finance your expansion for 2017 Equipment and vehicle finance is a heavily contested space, with a dozen or so banks and financiers all competing to provide their funds to the market. But not all offers are equal, and to find the right support for your business it pays to compare and analyse your options and choose a finance supplier that already understands your own section of the industry. Unlike home loans, interest rates on equipment finance are very much open to the competition of a free market, and, as such, can often be negotiated down by as much as 1% over the life of the agreement. A saving of $100 per month over 60 months is $6000, and, if your company runs at a 10 percent margin, that saving is equal to an extra $60,000 in top line income. Finding the right finance support is a lot easier than most business owners think, and the best route is to find the accountant or equipment finance broker that is right for you. A capable broker will already know personally what competitive finance options are available, and be able to provide you with a range of potential solutions. Many financiers have switched to “behavioural” credit assessment instead of looking at historic financial information to approve transactions. If a company has been in existence for three years, has a clean credit history, and the principal is a property owner, approvals are automatic for up to $150,000 on additional vehicles and selected plant, and up to $500,000 where it is a replacement requirement. The interest rates are just the same as for normal “fully assessed” transactions. Just as in the same manner as you are approved for a “limit” on your credit card, pre-approved bulk facilities for equipment finance can be set up in advance across several financiers, and at no cost, making it easier for companies to acquire additional machinery at short notice without having to seek finance approvals in each instance. Facility limits, which can be set up for amounts from $200,000 to $3 million, are simply reviewed every year at the time the client has updated financial information.

That’s probably why over 50 percent of small businesses (with a turnover of up to $20 million) use equipment finance brokers for a significant amount of their equipment and vehicle finance requirements. Added to this, in a world where bank managers and account managers seem to change every two years, most equipment finance brokers (who are small businesses themselves) have 10 to 20-year relationships with their clients, so there is no need for business owners to continually tell their story to a revolving door of bank managers. Using advice from Finlease can make finance decisions much easier for the operator. Finlease will source finance submissions from two or three of the various capable lenders, who will in effect be competing for your business. Then Finlease will analyse what these lenders are offering and recommend the best outcome that is specific for your business. “Using the financial expertise of Finlease means knowing when the terms are fair and relative to what the market is offering, or whether they need to be adjusted slightly,” said Mark. “It may be as simple as wanting a longer term or a higher residual, or perhaps a lender is insisting on a deposit when others would approve 100 percent finance,” said Mark. As a final point, it’s important to remember that equipment finance options are not all the same when it comes to tax deductions. “Although CHP and Chattel Mortgage structures limit a company’s tax deductions to the interest and depreciation components of the asset (which is often far less than the physical annual payments of the debt), the prudent and appropriate use of an equipment finance lease can often provide a tax deduction equal to the monthly or annual payments being made under the lease as the monthly payment itself is the deduction. This is often an underutilised product, which is well worth investigating with your accountant, and may save significant tax dollars,” said Mark. “At Finlease, we think business operators need to start looking at finance as simply another service needed to run a business. “It should be accessed in the most flexible, useful form with the least amount of constraints and conditions, competitively priced and backed by good customer service. It’s how you would want your business to be viewed by your clients, and our business follows the same objectives,” said Mark. PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE FEATURE

In recent years the transport industry has seen a major increase in focus on preventative maintenance programmes, often in the form of repair and maintenance contracts (R&M). When organised in conjunction with the vehicle manufacturer, the R&M doctrine identifies the life of specific parts and then recommends replacement before the risk of on-road failure increases. This is a logical way to prevent unexpected on-road breakdowns. Although there may be a small cost imposition by replacing specific parts before they fail, by so doing the operator avoids the risk of time spent beside the road waiting for help that might be a while arriving. And, when it does arrive, it will be at a non-competitive price, when compared with replacement during a scheduled service. Service intervals are now extending out in terms of frequency, meaning you have to concern yourself less than used to be the case even perhaps ten years ago. From a time when every 15,000 km – 20,000 km meant an oil drain, replacement filters, and a brake adjustment, it’s not unusual to see those regular service intervals now extended out to 60,000 km, and, in some cases, even further. Reliability is now expected, but even though the engine makers have extended their service intervals, there’s still the need to check some items regularly, such as tyre pressures, fluid levels such as the oil, water and windscreen washers, brake lights, indicators, parking lights and headlights. There’s one more component that seldom gets a mention, and that’s the battery. While the function of the battery remains to provide an electrical charge to the vehicle,

64 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

there’s so much else that’s changed along the way that the battery has now taken on a lot more responsibility for the overall performance of the vehicle. No longer is it a weekly requirement to unscrew the caps from each cell and check the level of the electrolyte. Today’s sealed battery cases minimise evaporation, but there are still things that need to be checked, albeit now more commonly on a monthly, rather than a weekly basis. The modern truck battery has to cope with so many variables of power requirement that are way different from simply making sure the starter motor turns over the engine and the lights work. It’s also now imperative that you fit the right battery for the job and don’t buy on the basis that the cheapest will be the most appropriate. That premise changed a long time ago. The average service life of a battery is recognised as being just over three years. Some might last five years, but a prudent operator will recognise the inconvenience of an unplanned battery failure and should replace old for new at or prior to the four-year mark. A recent visit to Century Batteries, Australia’s leading aftermarket supplier of vehicle batteries and the sole manufacturer of batteries in this country, provided much food for thought. At its Brisbane factory, Century manufactures 1.5 million batteries each year, locally supplying a high percentage of its annual total sales of 1.9 million units. With 600 employees, this is a viable and profitable Australian manufacturing operation that ensures Australian motorists

POWER UP

Batteries may be a fit and forget item until they fail. But if you want the best, then Australian-made Century Batteries should be your first-thought purchase. have the opportunity to buy Australian products that are designed not only for our conditions, but also for the specific vehicles we drive. Not all batteries are equal, and, as the experts at Century are quick to point out, the technical abilities of different batteries make it now necessary to choose the appropriate unit for a specific application if you want to ensure that you get the best performance. If you operate on-road SUV’s and 4WD’s choose the Century Hi-Performance battery. For on-road and soft off-road SUV’s and 4WD’s choose the Ultra-Performance version. For heavy-duty off-road 4WDs choose the Overlander 4x4. For truck operators there’s a different battery design for short haul, around-town delivery trucks, compared to a battery for long haul interstate work in multi-trailer B-double and road train configurations. And there’s more, in the form of a unique tougher version that’s able to withstand the constant starting requirements of what manufacturers now call idle/stop/start or Intermittent Stop/Start (ISS) when the engine shuts down, as the vehicle is stationary at traffic lights. In circumstances such as stop/start intervention the engine may not be turning, and, even if it is, it needs to run in excess of 1000 rpm before the alternator delivers a charge in return to the battery. Meanwhile, during this period of inactivity the battery is still expected to provide the power for lights, heating, air conditioning and the entertainment system.

Batteries that supply the internal power requirements for in-cab heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems require a battery design that can specifically handle long periods of supplying constant power without recharging. These deep-cycle batteries are a totally different design from a typical auto battery. In Europe, batteries need to be able to cope with minimum temperatures as low as -18 C. In Australia the upper limit of temperature tolerance for Century batteries is +80 C. The development work completed in Australia is what lies behind the ability of the new Overlander 4x4 battery. Its hybrid technology design incorporating both calcium and antimony plates produce dependable starting power plus added semi-cycling capabilities. This allows the battery to handle the discharge from additional accessories without damaging the internal components and affecting the overall life of the battery. Furthermore, commercial vehicle batteries can be subjected to pretty torrid conditions. Not just extreme hot and cold temperatures, but endless corrugations and bumps. These conditions create havoc for batteries, attacking critical internal components, which in inferior design batteries can lead to early failure.

PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

Century has addressed this with thicker full frame cast plates improving the strength and durability of the battery. Additionally, the company’s exclusive Platelock™ Technology uses an adhesive that binds the battery plates securely together to provide superior vibration and impact resistance. This is a vastly different construction from that of your normal retail battery, and essential if you want reliable power in your truck on typical rough roads to combat vibration as well as high ambient temperatures while providing exceptional performance and longer life in heavy haulage applications. Manufactured using some of the toughest internal components and materials available in the battery industry, Century Heavy Duty batteries are designed and built tough to provide superior power and performance in truck, bus and heavy equipment vehicles. In long haul on-highway interstate truck operation the Ultra HiPerformance Severe Service battery is designed to cater for starting and semi-cycling for onboard accessories. The design is highly resistant to vibration and features a full frame cast plate design with Platelock technology, glass mat separator and labyrinth lid technology. It is backed by an 18-month warranty. Century Hi-Performance Truck, Bus and Heavy Equipment batteries are designed to provide short haul, off-highway intrastate truck drivers with dependable performance and reliability. Manufactured using calcium plate technology, this range of Hi-Performance batteries features higher cranking capacity and lower self-discharge as well as reduced water loss. It is backed by a 12-month warranty. In operating conditions where short haul, off-highway vehicles require extra starting power, Century recommends the Ultra Hi-Performance battery for its greater resistance to vibration. The construction design uses cast positive plates, expanded negative plates, PE separators and labyrinth lid technology. It is backed by a 24-month warranty. 66 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

Finally, the Century Hi-Performance battery is designed for short haul, off-highway vehicles where vibration is reduced. The design incorporates expanded positive and negative plates, PE separators and labyrinth technology, and the Hi-Performance battery is backed by a 24-month warranty. Century’s typical research and development programmes involve testing units such as the Overlander 4x4 battery at 75o C. This is much hotter than the universal battery test standard of 40o C, and far more realistic to the under bonnet temperatures of Aussie commercial vehicles. Being able to resist the affects of extreme heat or cold are just part of the features and benefits of a Century battery. The double-layered lid and advanced labyrinth lid design aids in the retention and condensation of water vapour that is produced in the battery during operation and charging. It prevents leaks during tilting and vibration, and if the battery is overcharged the excess gases it produces are safely discharged by the integrated central venting system. The design incorporates an integrated flame arrester to prevent the risk of a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen. Water loss is reduced by 40 percent, and this in turn extends the service life of the battery by up to 30 percent. Century has been making batteries in Australia for 88 years. The company’s in-depth knowledge of the climatic and operating conditions that are unique to our country has been instrumental in the final designs of the batteries it makes here for our use. When it comes to specifying a replacement battery PowerTorque Magazine has no doubt that the specialised research and development work completed by the Century team has produced a range of battery products that stand out from the crowd, and from the competition that simply imports units from overseas. In celebrating 88 years of quality production, the company can rightly congratulate its workforce for its achievements, and, in particular, for its recycling programmes that enable 98 percent of the products they make to be recyclable.

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FEATURE

The South Korean company that excels in the passenger car market has regrouped for a renewed attack on the Australian truck buyer – Report by Dave Whyte and Chris Mullett. It never ceases to amaze me how many manufacturers want a piece of the Australian truck market. Given the limited number of trucks sold across many different weight segments, the number of players in the field is remarkable. Just as remarkable is the number of new entries into the market. Most of these now come from Asia or India, with Great Wall, JAC, JMC and Mahindra coming to mind. A recent announcement from Hyundai Commercial Vehicles Australia (HCVA) heralded the re-arrival of Hyundai in the light-truck race, and the promise of a heavy-duty model on our shores next year. Australians are no strangers to the Hyundai brand, with the Korean manufacturer having forged an enviable reputation, and gained massive market share, in the passenger car market over recent years. Those of you with a good memory will also remember Hyundai trucks being available here for a short period many moons ago, before Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) dropped the light-truck range, and focused its efforts on selling the car and light-van products that have proven so popular. While HMCA was selling those light trucks in Australia, the Peninsula Motor Group, under the guidance of Dilip Kumar, was the best performing dealership in Australia for Hyundai trucks. It seems fitting then, that the Peninsular Motor Group should take on the import and distribution of the current model Hyundai trucks through a newly formed subsidiary, Hyundai Commercial Vehicles Australia (HCVA). HCVA has an agreement with Hyundai in South Korea, and will act as an agent, importing, selling and supporting Hyundai’s light and heavy-duty truck products. The problem with many of the newer brands to the local market comes in the form of product support, as many price savvy buyers have learnt, with servicing and spare parts seemingly being overlooked by importers. The HCVA deal seems to be a little different though, with dealerships around the country coming on board before the product hits our shores, and the promise of national support for the new products entering the country.

68 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

At the recent announcement of the new agreement, Dilip Kumar, managing director of HCVA, described the event as, “A historic day for HCVA and the Peninsula Motor Group”. He continued, saying, “Opportunities to secure a major and well respected brand such as Hyundai are very rare, and highly sought after. The Peninsula Motor Group has been a Hyundai dealer since 2008, and, as such, we are aware of the esteem and popularity of the brand with Australian buyers. So when the commercial vehicle distributorship became available, we immediately registered our keen interest in securing it”. Having secured the rights to distribute Hyundai commercial vehicles in Australia, the emphasis then turned to choosing which products would be brought into the country, and offered to Australian buyers. “While we had sampled the product range on several occasions in Korea as part of our negotiations, it was time to put each vehicle under the microscope, and select the best possible specifications to suit Australian buyers,” Mr. Kumar said. “Once we had a product line-up secured, we spent many months visiting existing and new dealers, to detail our vision and long-term commitment. That commitment included the building of a new headquarters for HCVA, which includes training facilities, offices for administration, sales and marketing personnel, and a distribution centre. “As you can imagine, this is not an inexpensive exercise,” Mr. Kumar said. “We have committed to this venture for the long term”.

HYUNDAI RETURNS

PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

HCVA general manager, Anthony Hulme, was on hand to detail the initial product offering from HCVA, which includes three basic models available with varying wheelbases. At the lighter end of the scale, the EX4, with a GVM of 4.5 t, is available in short, medium or long wheelbase. The next step up is the EX6, with a 6.5 t GVM, available in either short or medium-wheelbase configuration, while the 7.5Â t GVM EX8 will be available in short, medium, long and extra-long-wheelbase variants. There are two cab variants available, with the standard cab or super cab, which offers around 200 mm of extra space behind the seats. The super cab is available on any model (EX4, EX6 or EX8) with the exception of short-wheelbase variants.

70 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

All models are powered by the same Euro-5-compliant 3.9-litre turbocharged engine, which delivers 170 hp and 610 Nm of torque. While the EX4 and EX6 get a five-speed manual transmission, the bigger EX8 is fitted with a sixspeed manual to better handle the weight. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth mentioning that all models will be fitted with four-wheel disc brakes, including vehicle dynamic control. Hill-start aid and lane departure warning are also on the list, along with steering-wheel-mounted cruise control operation, a heated seat for the driver, and four power outlets to operate all the techno gadgets that drivers use today. Various factory-fitted bodies will also be available on the EX range, including vans, refrigerated bodies (down to -25 degrees), tray bodies (steel or aluminium) and a threeway tipper that will be available early 2017. Having seen the refrigerated and van bodies on display, it would seem the quality of construction and finish is very good. In a smart move by HCVA, the factory-fitted bodies will also be covered by the vehicle warranty, which covers the first three years or 200,000 of the vehicles life and includes roadside assistance for that period.

road, with some alsowater. offering themay useAuto of showers andthat spare were still justof treading (You also remember we Australian distributor Command Group, says Australian with every issue. examples simple, decent humanity at work – the fallout from The Trade Payments Analysis, which examines the millions and piping characteristics. How often, significantly in the venture capital sector, have beds. This was repeated north offuel Sydney where fires had had a 5000-litre head start on the account.) fleets are crying out for technology like Mobileye. Sandy in New York being a case in point. of accounts-receivable records contained on thepaying D&B executive misconduct or wrongdoing by inept directors been closed the Pacific as well, with residents showing Under the currentHighway industry standard practice of database, shown national average forshows business-toexposed tocompassion the detriment ofstranded shareholders? genuine forthe This invoices on anhas end-of-month plus 30drivers. days basis, any that

in the New Year. charge from AppStore. bank for fuelshop next week. I am sleeping better (mycomputing wife wouldpower ™ vision-system-on-a-chip, which has the of best shoe in Mogadishu, itof could belure worse. It could be 205 sales. announcements by a many number Australian companies, Dun potential disaster. While aspire to the of mansions, Take care, have fun and stay safe! say, too much), and enjoying my job again. Sadly, the longtwo powerful Pentium computers Europe. & idea Bradstreet’s latest National Business Expectations Survey minions, new wives, theoff, sexy car and yacht, fewindustry held thattrophy hard work pays doesn’t apply to our shows a gloomy outlook for jobs growth this year. succeed if they possess a modicum of integrity. any more.

Dave Whyte Dave Whyte

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PowerTorque ISSUE 35

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FEATURE To back up that warranty, HCVA has already established a network of 21 dealers across the country, with plans to add another 9 in 2017. Most of these are truck dealerships, with technicians to be trained on Hyundai trucks at the HCVA training facility in Sydney. Orders for workshop parts, according to HCVA, will be despatched to anywhere in the country overnight using TNT express. With all of this being in place before the first shipment of trucks arrives in February, it would seem the management team at HCVA has done its homework on supporting the product. While we haven’t yet driven the new Hyundai EX range, it would seem that HCVA and Peninsular Motor Group have made a big investment into the future of Hyundai trucks in Australia, and are keen to show Australian customers just what the Korean brand has to offer. Having launched the light-truck range, they are confident of bringing the heavyduty Xcient prime mover into dealerships sometime this year, with a range of large vans and buses to follow.

The spec sheet also shows just how serious Hyundai is about beating the competition. Optional disc brakes all around, a driver’s side airbag and ESC braking headline the safety checklist. The four-point air suspension under the cab includes lateral shock absorbers to reduce cab sway, and provides a great ride. There are also tyre pressure and tyre temperature monitoring, onboard weighing and self-diagnostics systems. Back in 2014, PowerTorque was invited to visit Korea to experience the Xcient at firsthand, with the company able to prove that this truck is a genuine competitor to the European brands. The ride quality and noise levels in the cab are excellent, leaving nothing to be desired. The driver’s seat offers all of the adjustments you could need to get comfortable, and the tilt and slide steering-wheel

Having seen the success of these buses and vans overseas, and the market domination of the Xcient in Korea, the re-emergence of Hyundai trucks into the Australian market could well ruffle a few feathers. The Hyundai Xcient is a real surprise. Powered by Hyundai’s own 12.7-litre engine, which produces 520 hp and complies with Euro 5 emissions standards, and offered with a 16-speed ZF AMT, the driveline leaves nothing to be desired. When specified in Euro 6 compliance, the power rating of the six-cylinder engine increases to 540 hp. The optional retarder provides 4000 Nm of brake effort, and there’s also an exhaust brake and Jake brake on offer. The cab, inside and out, combines elements from many competitors, without bearing a striking resemblance to any of them. There are various cab options available, with the largest being a high-roof variant with a flat floor, good-sized bed and all the comforts you’d expect from the big Euro players. Interior design is a direct reflection of the current style used by Volvo and Scania, with colours and materials to match. This includes fitment of a standard sunroof, under-bunk fridge, and the option of leather seats and door trims. There are also reading lamps and controls for lighting and ventilation located in the bunk. The fit and finish is remarkably good, with plenty of storage available, and the option of a second bed or extra storage on the rear wall. 72 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

adjustment means you can be comfortable and still see the gauges easily. The dashboard layout is great, with ergonomics obviously a major part of the design. External vision is also good, courtesy of wide, flat mirrors and convex spotter mirrors on each side.

HYUNDAI RETURNS

The Hyundai engine and ZF gearbox work very well together and provide very smooth gear changes. Along with the Eco Roll function, the ZF can be fitted with a hydraulic retarder, adding to the safety features and minimising brake wear. Also developing into a further option for Hyundai in the Australian market is the opportunity to import the H350 van range. Introduced into the European market in 2015, the H350 van derivative will offer two wheelbase options, 3435 mm and 3670 mm, with overall length dimensions of 5515 mm and 6195 mm to provide cargo volumes of 5.5 and 6.2 cu. metres. The cargo payload options are 1336-1365 kg and 1233-1262 kg for the higher volume version. The maximum towing weight for a braked trailer is 2.5 tonnes. Internally, the cargo area provides a load length of 3780 mm with a width of 1795 mm, an internal floor to roof height of 1955 mm and a deck height of 695-700 mm. H350 benefits from a range of the latest active and passive safety devices, and the four-wheel disc brake system is supported by a vehicle dynamic control system (VDC). The VDC system controls H350’s engine and braking systems. Automatically preventing a loss of traction through its rear wheels, the system works in conjunction with the hydraulic brake assist (HBA) to activate the brakes quickly and efficiently in the event of an emergency stop. Linked to this system is Hyundai’s emergency stop signal (ESS) system, which warns following drivers of heavy braking through a strobe effect function for the rear brake lights. Further aiding safety is rollover mitigation (ROM). This is an important system on a highsided light commercial vehicle, reducing the chance of rolling the vehicle (laterally) during high-speed cornering. There’s a choice of two power and torque ratings from the 2.5-litre CRDI diesel that it shares with the current iLoad. Undoubtedly, as Australian buyers tend to prefer the most powerful versions for their drivelines, it will be version that produces 125 kw at 3600 rpm and 422 Nm rated at 1500-1725 rpm that slots in for Down Under if the decision is made to market a right-hand-drive version in our territory. The transmission choice is restricted to being a sixspeed manual only at this stage. The full monocoque chassis boasts a large proportion of high-strength steel (75%), creating a robust and rigid steel framework, which employs a closed-ring structure for maximum strength. A sophisticated sideframe design has been engineered with an overlapping structure to provide optimal forward crash protection. As a result of this advanced design, head-on collision testing has confirmed H350 offers class-leading crashworthiness. PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

The cab interior features driver and (optional) passenger air bags with pre-tensioner seat belts and hill-start assist control fitted as standard. The optional emergency stop signal and lane departure warning systems are partnered by an optional front and rear parking assistance system. Hyundai claims the H350 has the longest corrosion life expectancy of any vehicle in its class, thanks to anticorrosive treatments used during construction. Hyundai has engineered the H350 with 98% anti-corrosion steel, and has protected the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chassis with an electrocoating process to ensure it resists corrosive fatigue. Like the Ford Transit, which is an obvious competitor, the H350 is built by Karsan Otomotiv Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S, a long-term commercial vehicle production partner of Hyundai Motor Company based in Turkey. With over two million kilometres of sub-zero testing in the cold of Finland and Russia, plus the summer heat of Spain, the H350 may not have yet turned a wheel in Australia, but it nonetheless starts out with an impressive list of credentials. It remains to be seen whether HCVA can emulate the success of the Hyundai passenger car business, or whether the experience with random importers of Chinese-sourced products has left a bad taste in the mouths of Australian light-truck buyers that will take more years to overcome the buyer resistance resulting from poor customer service and product support, and low resale values.

74 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

FEATURE

GOOD IN PARTS Don’t buy on price alone, buy on reputation

There’s no such thing as a cut-price part, that is if you want to maintain the integrity, efficiency and, above all, the safety and reliability of your vehicles on the road. The appearance of cut-price, non-genuine parts on the global market has escalated to dramatic proportions in recent years, largely traceable to the entry of low cost manufacturing centres such as China and India where legislation is not controlling product standards. Tens of thousands of fake and counterfeit vehicle parts were seized recently in a raid in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and, according to investigators, their likely destination was that of Australia. The confiscation of over 500,000 fake and counterfeit car parts was the largest of its kind in Abu Dhabi’s history. Raiding a warehouse and distribution centre in Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain city, the investigation netted parts with a value of over AUD$5.4 million. The 21 truckloads of parts will be destroyed. Director of Nationwide Research Group, Craig Douglas, has 25 years experience working with a number of Australian automotive brands to investigate counterfeit parts. “The global fake car parts market is worth almost AUD$20 billion,” Mr. Douglas said. “Dubai dealers have been contacting Australian automotive retailers offering to sell them genuine parts at less than local prices, and our experience has shown that in most cases those parts are, in fact, counterfeit.

“Through our investigations over the last 25 years, we have increasingly seen spare parts for the major car brands, many of which are subsequently found to be fake, being imported into Australia from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other parts of the UAE. “This recent seizure of fake parts suggests the problem is on the rise and Australian consumers should be vigilant,” Mr. Douglas said. The raid was the result of an extensive collaborative investigation by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) and automotive trademark owners. The fake parts emulated and bore the trademarks of 15 different automotive marques. The seizure mirrors a collaborative raid in May last year that saw 33,000 counterfeit Toyota parts, many safetycritical such as airbag triggering devices, confiscated in China’s Guangzhou city by Chinese police. FCAI chief executive, Tony Weber, said the seizure brought home the scale of the international counterfeit car parts problem. “Investigators tell us there is a good chance that thousands of these inferior, illegal and dangerous parts were on their way to being fitted to Australian vehicles,” Mr. Weber said. “We have demonstrated the manufacturing inferiority and danger of counterfeit parts, and this black market is risking the safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians”.

PowerTorque ISSUE 75

GOOD IN PARTS Headquartered in Queensland, Truckline has a national network of stores and two parts distribution centres, one in QLD and a new centre in WA that opened in January of this year. Expansion into other states has seen Truckline, and Minecorp Tasmania, join forces to open CMF Solutions retail outlets in two locations in Tasmania – Spreyton and Hobart – with the aim of providing a huge range of truck and trailer parts “straight off the shelf” for Tasmanian customers. CMF Solutions, operating as a Truckline reseller, opened in Spreyton on 28 October 2016, and in Hobart this year, with the two outlets servicing the entire state of Tasmania. CMF Solutions director, Michael Coleman, says the company’s goal is to have as wide a range of product as possible on the shelves so customers can access what they need immediately.

Above: Truckline’s national operations manager, Phillip Stanton Left: CMF Solutions director, Michael Coleman, with the Tasmanian sales team

“Counterfeiters are more sophisticated than ever. These inferior copies are so close in appearance to the originals that even professionals can have difficulty telling them apart until they test their actual performance. The only way for consumers to ensure they are getting genuine OEM parts is to purchase spare parts and accessories from the authorised genuine part dealers and dealerships,” said Mr. Weber.

“Our market research showed the biggest problem for truck and trailer customers in Tasmania is no one holds enough stock to meet their needs at short notice – which leads to downtime and losses,” he said. “Our aim is to turn that around – because, unlike other outlets, Truckline keeps more than 80% of its huge inventory in stock in each branch. “We work with our clients to identify the most common fast-moving stock – like components for brakes and suspension, airbags, axles and so on – so that when a customer calls asking for a part, most times we can literally reach out and put a hand on it,” Mr. Coleman added.

One parts supplier that can be trusted is Truckline, Australia’s largest retailer of aftermarket truck and trailer parts, supporting all makes and models of North American, European and Japanese commercial vehicles.

“We also work with clients to stock parts tailored to fit their fleets and customer bases, to provide fast efficient supply of parts, reducing down time and improving productivity”.

During the company’s 60 years servicing the Australian trucking industry, Truckline has built an extensive network of 24 company-owned stores nationally, all with warehousing facilities.

With the Hobart store recently opened, Mr. Coleman says the business performance in Spreyton – and customer requests for a southern base – are strong indicators of market need across the state.

Owned by CNH Industrial, Truckline sources renowned products from leading suppliers around the world to cater for Australia’s unique conditions and climate. The company caters for all road transport needs, whatever the age, make or model of the truck or trailer.

“Customer feedback in Spreyton has been very good, with customers saying they’re delighted with the product range and availability,” he said. “Many customers have their own outlets down south, and started asking when we were going to open in Hobart – it was our logical next step.

Truckline’s national operations manager, Phillip Stanton, plans to modernise behind-the-scenes procedures for the company’s spare parts systems to deliver better speed and service for trucking customers.

“It also allows us to duplicate our stock holding, so parts can be quickly moved between the two locations if required, rather than coming from interstate, across that stretch of water that holds things up!”

“Regardless if their truck is American, European or Japanese, we have more than 25,000 products in stock, and more than 80% of our inventory is held in our branches, which means we lead the industry in parts availability,” Mr. Stanton said.

Truckline’s territory business manager (VIC/TAS), Casey Stewart, says the venture is based on a long-standing, committed relationship, with Minecorp Tasmania initially a client of Truckline, before forming CMF Solutions to become a reseller.

76 PowerTorque ISSUE 75

THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN

TRAILER TECHNOLOGY

TRAILERTORQUE

PRODUCTIVITY PLUS Maxwell Freightlines pioneers high productivity interstate road trains from Melbourne

It’s often said that the Australian road transport operation is one of the most efficient in the world. Certainly, other countries envy our ability to run B-doubles and road trains, already one jump ahead of the Europeans with their single semitrailers. While the Europeans are experimenting with the idea of platooning, we are already way past the idea of having multiple prime movers, each running with one trailer, travelling so closely to each other that every one in the group relies on autonomous technology intervention to avoid an accident.

With multiple trailer combinations such as we operate in road train application, Australia offers the productivity that Europe is trying to achieve, but with the added benefit of using just one high-horsepower prime mover out the front hauling multiple trailer combinations. The advent of Performance Based Standards (PBS) has resulted in further opportunities to improve productivity, aligned with higher safety standards. But in order to take advantage of what PBS approval can offer, it takes an operator with foresight and determination to carry through a project from the ideas stage to completion. 78

TRAILER TORQUE

Melbourne-based Maxwell Freightlines (MFL) has taken delivery of two new A-double PBS High Productivity trailer sets, adding to its growing interstate linehaul fleet. Developed in conjunction with Vawdrey Trailers and the NHVR, these first two A-double combinations are soon to be joined by a further two combinations, and, as they prove their effectiveness, there are further orders in the pipeline.

The A-double road train combinations are at 30 metres in length and can run up to HML weights of 85.5 tonnes, providing exceptional efficiency possibilities to MFL’s expanding customer base. Coupled with the latest IAP Tracking technology and safety equipment including EBS, ABS, roll stability and E-Max weighing systems, the commencement of these A-double combinations on interstate running from Melbourne places MFL at the forefront of efficiency and safety.

PRODUCTIVITY PLUS

The attraction of improved productivity and efficiency means that for every two A-double road trains brought into the fleet, the company is able to carry the same volume and weight that previously required three B-doubles. Given that the industry is very concerned about current, and in particular future driver shortages, this initiative is capable of going a long way to assisting Australian operators to handle the forecast increase of the freight task.

Once the approvals were granted, it allowed MFL to benefit from the increased productivity of the A-double concept, that in MFLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s case enables it to operate as two 20-pallet trailers within a 30 m overall length. This is achieved while offering a greatly reduced carbon footprint and benefiting the environment with the lowest emissions per tonne of carbon carried on an Australian road today.

MFL is not the first operator to run A-double road train combinations from the eastern states, but the company is the first Victorian-based transport operation to commence an interstate A-double road train service from Melbourne.

With EBS and ABS throughout each entire combination, the fleet incorporates all the latest levels of driver intervention technology such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot alert and Wabco reverse warning systems.

What makes the MFL A-double operation unique is how the company took up the challenge itself to organise all the necessary planning and approvals of road and bridge weight analysis through a two-year consultation programme with local authorities and shires.

The Vawdrey Titeliner trailers were built specifically for this operation with a focus on low tare weight to achieve maximum payloads. Total operating flexibility is also ensured through the new trailer sets being supplied in straight-deck and in drop-deck configuration incorporating two mezzanine decks. TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE Using Hendrickson INTRAAX axles with HXL7 hubs, the Vawdrey Titeliner trailers feature Super Strap load restraint curtains, lightweight aluminium extruded floors and alloy gates throughout, plus Alcoa alloy wheel rims.

“We are a general freight carrier, not an express freight operation. From a profitability point of view we have done the numbers and it comes down to how the A-doubles fit in to our style of operation.

JOST Australia was selected to provide landing legs and fifth wheel couplings, with the dolly featuring a JOST JSK37 greaseless fifth wheel. Lighting is by Hella Australia, and Emax Air-Weigh digital on-board weighing systems are featured throughout the trailers and dolly.

“We know the future of transport is to have less combinations on the road. With two A-double units able to carry the same load as three B-double combinations we thereby reduce the number of vehicles on our roads.

The A-doubles are currently able to operate at CML weights of 81.5 tonnes, and this weight level may be subject in the future to an increase to 85.5 tonnes once further bridge assessment reviews have been completed. The prime movers are themselves rated for road train application at 90 tonnes. MFL has never been afraid to pioneer different ideas in transport, with experience in operating quad/quad skeletal trailers and B-doubles. Since MFL was established in 2008, the MFL fleet has grown to its current position where it operates more than 50 interstate linehaul rigid and B-double combinations. Because of the overall length restrictions applicable to A-double combinations, the company has moved from its traditional selection of conventional prime movers to that of cabover 6x4 units. As Tony Tomarchio, general manager of Maxwell Freightlines, told PowerTorque: “Above all, we pride ourselves on our service and safety records. We had to find different ways of being more productive and responsive to the needs of the industry.

TRAILER TORQUE

“As the A-doubles come into play, bonneted trucks are not going to suit this application, so cabovers are the future for this type of operation. “For our B-double operation we currently run prime movers rated from 600-700 hp, all fitted with automated manual transmissions (AMTs). We fit all cabs with fridges and we try to get the biggest bunks we can, as driver comfort is very important to us. At the end of the day, that is their workplace. We don’t do twoup anywhere and where possible we work to a one-driver/onetruck regime.

TRAILERTORQUE “In A-double application the PBS approvals authorised by the NHVR have produced an exceptional focus on safety, with Wabco EBS, ABS, roll stability and Emax Air-Weigh onboard weighing systems. We also include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blindspot monitoring systems. “We don’t need to upgrade our horsepower and torque ratings to move from B-doubles to A-doubles, but the prime movers are not interchangeable between the two different applications.

“Under PBS requirements the prime movers have to be designated to run with the A-double combination and are limited to a maximum road speed of 90 km/h, with different gear ratios and final drives. “All have IAP units so we are able to monitor everything, and we aim to maintain a one driver per truck system,” added Tony.

TRAILER TORQUE

The difference in vehicle specification due to the higher weights of PBS-approved A-doubles and the maximum permitted road speed of 90 km/h sees a typical rear axle ratio of 4.56:1 for a North American driveline and 3.78 for a European driveline. The prime movers operating currently on B-double work have diff ratios that range from 4.33:1 to 3.4:1 and 3.73:1, depending on power and torque ratings. In terms of tyre fitment, MFL has a tyre maintenance programme administered by Samios Tyres running with Kumho KRT01 275/70R22.5 tyres on the trailers with inflation pressures of 90 psi.

The fitment of Hendrickson TIREMAAX PRO automatic tyre inflation systems, as standard, safeguards tyre performance and the average tyre life is said to be 250,000 to 300,00 km. Other tyre preferences include Michelin Multi-D and Bridgestone M766 drive tyres, running at inflation pressures of 95 psi, and Toyo steer tyres. Haulmax 11R22.5 sized tyres are fitted to the road train dolly.

PRODUCTIVITY PLUS

“With the fleet consisting predominantly of new prime movers, the service requirements are completed under a contract maintenance programme with the manufacturer through the local dealership network,” said Tony Tomarchio.

“Driver training takes a high priority with MFL, with regular requirements for medical checks, and alert systems in place for upgrades and renewals. We don’t have a major driver turnover, which is to our advantage. “The drivers are very accepting of the new safety intervention systems. They appreciate they are there to assist them, and if this technology is available why would we not introduce it? It’s part of our usual business regime to have the safest, most cost effective vehicles on the road.

“That gives the benefit of a complete paper trail. We know how it works out on a fuel economy basis. If you know your fixed costs then you can lock in for that TCO with just a few variables. With a locked-in contract maintenance programme in place for 48 or 60 months, dependent on the application, you know your costs.

“We are not an express freight operation so our trucks are generally off the road at midnight. We keep the drivers to a regular regime as the safest way to operate and have found that in the long term it pays dividends. All the things we need to do ensure our safety and the safety of our drivers,” added Mr. Tomarchio.

TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE

TEN TIMES BETTER Rhino Trailers demonstrates its versatility with an 8x4 and six-axle dog

The Australian trailer industry continues to set global standards through its ability to provide innovative solutions that raise productivity while ensuring the highest possible standards of safety.

As the parent company of Rhino Trailers, The Davey Group is well known throughout Queensland for the diversity of its manufacturing operations, which sees it specialise in three areas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engineering, road transport, and agriculture and forestry.

The introduction of Performance Based Standards (PBS) has enabled Rhino Trailers to expand its expertise into new truck and trailer configurations, building its market share while strongly supported by the reputation and ability of other divisions that make up The Davey Group.

The engineering division specialises in large, complex industrial equipment, storage solutions, materials handling, processing plants and supporting plant infrastructure. The size of the group and its network of suppliers allow the company to ramp up capacity to handle larger project work very quickly and effectively.Â

TRAILER TORQUE

TEN TIMES BETTER

Operating from a modern 39,000 sq m facility, including over 8000 sq m of workshops serviced by overhead cranes, it has the capacity to undertake jobs up to $10 million in value. The workshop site has 8000 sq m of hardstand area for storage and loading. A 1500 sq m abrasive blasting and protective coatings facility that was commissioned in 2013 includes a 23 m x 6.2 m x 14 m “environmentally friendly” abrasive blast chamber capable of using all types of material for surface preparation. Also on site is a 24-metre heated booth that compliments the baking oven. Operating as the premium protective coating facility for the entire region, this unit is capable of all types of protective coatings to exact Australian Standards and International specifications.

In February 2001, AFM – O’Phee Trailers was purchased by The Davey Group, which resulted in a division name change to that of Rhino Trailers. The resulting company realignment saw Rhino Trailers develop its product range to offer a wide range of trailer and bodywork designs, encompassing, skeletal trailers, livestock trailers, extendable floats, grain trailers and tippers, B-doubles, road trains, single semitrailers and multi-axled dog trailers. The Freightliner 8x4 Argosy tipper, shown here and built for a Queensland customer in Kingsthorpe, illustrates the diversity of design available from this Toowoombabased company. This is the latest Rhino unit to join the fleet of Sleba Farming, which already includes amongst its equipment an aluminium-bodied 8x4 rigid hauling a five-axle dog trailer, also manufactured and supplied by Rhino Trailers Configured as a 8x4 rigid and six-axled tipper combination, the Rhino SuperLite trailer includes a RAZOR powered rollover tarp with flexi-bows, aluminium chequered-plate trim panels on the drawbar, and Hendrickson INTRAAX axles and suspension with a lifting lead axle on the trailer. Each aluminium body includes rear grain chutes, additional LED reversing lights and reverse cameras. Both the truck body and trailer feature AirTec onboard weighing systems, while the Freightliner Argosy chassis is also fitted with an IcePack 2000-S auxiliary sleeper cab airconditioning system. Alcoa 8.25x22.5 alloy rims are shod with Kumho 11R22.5 KRTO3 radial ply tyres.

The SBT Division (Silo, Bin and Tank Engineering Pty Ltd) manufactures a variety of different storage solutions for a number of industries, with a large range of conical-based silos in capacities from 6 t through to 1200 t for farm and commercial applications. Continuing its roots in the agricultural segment, the Davey Group also manufactures machinery, with the brands of Savannah Forestry Equipment; AFM (Australian Farm Machinery), manufacturer of tillage equipment; Grainmaster Silos; and the Homan brand of earthmoving buckets, blades, cutter bars, drawbars and ploughs. The Davey Group’s road transport division is represented by Rhino Trailers. As an Australian-owned and operated road transport trailer manufacturer, Rhino Trailers has a well-established reputation for building quality custom-built semitrailers that date back to 1988, when Australian Farm Machinery purchased O’Phee Manufacturing to create AFM – O’Phee Trailers.

Built to PBS requirements, the equipment incorporates disc brakes with Wabco EBS and ABS together with Wabco SmartBoard control, air-operated tailgates and double-acting hydraulic doors. The WABCO SmartBoard combines the functions of a wide range of trailer monitoring devices that previously had to be separately mounted into a single multi-functional system. Easy-to-access and easy-to-use, WABCO SmartBoard is available both in a standard version and in a new ADR version developed specifically for use in vehicles carrying hazardous goods. Some of the features and benefits included in the SmartBoard unit enable an operator to monitor records of kilometres travelled, brake lining or disc pad wear, load monitoring, tyre monitoring, air suspension monitoring with axle lift or lower requirements, vehicle inclination warning and advanced braking features together with full immobiliser trailer brake actuation. TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE

The Rhino Superlite trailer design conforms to all PBS requirements for increased productivity and higher payload

TRAILER TORQUE

TEN TIMES BETTER

General manager of Rhino Trailers, Scott Arnold, told TrailerTorque the company was experiencing high interest in the growth of the A-double road train segment for 30 metre-road trains where operators are looking for higher productivity. “The A-double road train configuration is certainly growing in popularity, but customers are also looking for diversification where B-doubles as well as rigid truck and trailer combinations provide specific benefits,” said Scott. “A combination such as the 8x4 Freightliner rigid tipper and six-axle tipping dog trailer can achieve HML mass weights of 73 tonnes and provide the operator with a payload capability of 49.5 tonnes. “In terms of volume, the trailer offers 54 cubic metres, and that combines with the 8x4 rigid to provide a maximum capacity of 88 cubic metres,” added Scott.

The Rhino Superlite trailer in tri-axle format continues to provide the productivity advantages available with dog trailer designs

TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE

Changing The creation of new infrastructure has meant a major increase in tipper and dog trailer operation within the Sydney basin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Words and images by Warren Caves Despite changes in leadership, governments, both federal and state, have initiated various programmes that combine to link expenditure of over $33 billion to deliver infrastructure benefits that are crucial to the future efficiency of Sydney. These programmes go under various names, such as the Western Sydney Infrastructure plan, the WestConnex, NorthConnex, Western Sydney Airport and supplementary programmes such as the Parramatta light rail project.

TRAILER TORQUE

CHANGING TIMES

Times

Suddenly, from a road transport prospective, the focus is all about rigid tipper and dog trailer operation, and, where PBS approval is involved, there’s a subsequent change in the configuration of new equipment, designed to provide greater efficiencies along with higher standards of safety. Whichever way you look at the building and construction industry, business seems to be booming. TrailerTorque recently caught up with Michael Borg, director of one of the rapidly expanding entrants in the Sydney construction business in the form of Borg Civil Australia Pty Ltd. Conveniently located on Western Sydney’s sprawling fringe, Borg Civil is well placed to cater for the large number of road, housing estate and infrastructure projects currently on the go in Sydney. Founded in 2008, the company was born out of a small rural farm at Horsley Park, in Western Sydney, where, after years of exposure to machinery on the property, Michael purchased a truck, excavator and bobcat to initialise the beginnings of Borg Civil.

Fast forward to 2017, now operating out of a ten-acre property at Bringelly, plus the original Horsley Park property, Borg Civil hosts an impressive fleet tally of 27 tippers, 5 water carts, a sweeper, float and semi flattops as well as 13 excavators, 9 dump trucks and a good deal more miscellaneous machinery. All machinery movements are carried out by the company itself to wherever it’s needed, in order to facilitate the land clearing, site remediation, cut, and excavation work in which it specialises. The company currently employs 54 staff, including drivers, office and administration personnel, and four full-time mechanics that handle all aspects of the fleet maintenance, other than any warranty issues, which are handled by the equipment supplier. Bulk fuel storage is also supplied to a trans tank on site to control fuel costs and reduce off-site fuelling downtime. As a highly competitive segment of the industry in which to operate, Michael outlined some of the company involvement in the local area, with work on the M5 and M4 widening, Jordan Springs development and Narellan Road, among others. TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE The growth of Borg Civil is testimony to the high standards established by Michael Borg and his team within its civil construction business, and the continuing focus of the company on buying the right equipment on which to found a strong future.

Both truck body and trailer are constructed of aluminium for its weight saving properties and “rock lined” for longevity and to maintain appearance. Edbro CS series hydraulic hoists are fitted with a CS13 on the truck and a CS 17 on the trailer.

As Michael Borg explained, “We look for sound engineering and manufacturing processes, coupled with solid aftersales back-up and support to ensure that we can operate at the highest level of efficiency and productivity”.

X-Tarps and electric Roll-Rite one-touch PVC tarping systems are utilised on both, keeping dust at bay and drivers on the ground, a must in these workplace health and safety focused times.

“Companies such as Gilbert & Roach provide the back-up we look for behind the Kenworth product, and we chose Sloanebuilt Trailers of Smeaton Grange, Narellan, as the preferred supplier of truck tipping bodies and dog trailers for Borg Civil Pty Ltd”. The truck fleet is almost completely Kenworth orientated. “They look good and are rugged enough for the demanding site work we do,” said Michael. Four new inductees into the Borg line-up are two T409’s (an SAR and an Aero Bonnet), a T909 and a K200. All of these have been purchased through Gilbert & Roach Trucks, Huntingwood, with the assistance of Kenworth specialist salesman, Bill Anderson. “Sloanebuilt Trailers handled the fit-out of the four latest truck and quad dog tipper combinations. These units have already hit the ground running and a fifth dog trailer is on order. All our new trucks are fitted out with Sloanebuilt equipment,” said Michael. TrailerTorque caught up with one of the latest Kenworth T409s, mounted with a Sloanebuilt rigid tipper body and hauling an aluminium four-axle dog, chassis tipping trailer to PBS (performance based standards) spec.

TRAILER TORQUE

Two-way offset tailgate hinges look after the discharge end of things, with optional tailgate finger indicators being fitted for peace of mind. LED taillights and marker lamps are fitted throughout, along with two LED work lights at the rear of the dolly and rear of trailer reverse lights. Hendrickson INTRAAX axles keep weight down to a minimum, coupled with Hendrickson AAT 250 suspension, incorporating a third lift axle, all riding on 11R22.5 tyres. Drum brakes with ten-stud hubs and Alcoa Dura-Bright rims to the outside add some shine. ABS and EBS are of course utilised for PBS requirements. Chassis paint is applied using PPG Autothane paint in Sloanebuilt’s state-of-the-art specialised spray booth with mixing room. Ben Weckworth, Sloanebuilt’s business development manager, told TrailerTorque, “We have done a lot of paint and line work on the cabs for Borg Civil as well, which our customers find handy, as all the colour branding work is carried out in-house by us, negating the need to get the vehicle to another facility. The finer scroll type work is finished by Signs, Lines and Scrolls,” said Ben.

CHANGING TIMES

“Appearance is important to Michael, as evidenced by the presentation of his trucks, so this additional service is a real benefit,” added Ben. With all of the new equipment except for the fifth quad dog combination already out on the road and in service, Michael says he is very happy with the performance of the Sloanebuilt product, and is equally impressed by the backup service they provide. “If we have the need to go there for a repair, even if it’s unscheduled, their door is always open and we go straight in without waiting. This is good service and it’s good for our business. I like my trucks to look good,” said Michael.

“They look good and are rugged enough for the demanding site work we do.” Any keen eye will notice that the trucks are not just “run of the mill” examples, with a lot of chrome and stainless work to spice things up and customise their appearance. The four new Kenworth’s operate under the NVHAS, the T409 and the K200 are general 19-metre spec, which can be operated on all non-weight-limited roads up to 50.5 tonnes gross or at 57.5 tonnes on specified routes. The T409 SAR and the T909 are 19-metre-plus spec and are limited to PBS approved routes due to their length. Payloads achieved for these units as quads vary from 37 tonnes up to 39 tonnes.

Custom additions include, stainless wrap on all tanks, chromed entry steps, and stainless grille mesh and grille bars were added as well as the removal of the original roof lights being replaced with LED bullet lights. Vertical lasercut cab side skirts with Borg Civil were also installed, with similar work carried out on the T909 as well. To add yet more sparkle, the truck was whisked off to Windsor Exhaust for some custom treatment. Eight-inch Bullhorn stacks were added to the K200; however, the second exhaust pipe is actually a “dummy” with a water tank disguised as a second muffler to enhance appearance and add functionality at the same time. The increase in roadwork involving junction installations and upgrades to cope with higher traffic flows seems to increase proportionately alongside the growing menace of impatient and risky behaviour on the part of car drivers. To combat the poor levels of car driving safety by the public, Michael has installed dash cams in the vehicle fleet, providing undeniable evidence of “what really happened”. When asked the question, do you have any problems that many employers in the transport industry are experiencing, regarding driver shortage and maintaining good drivers? Michael says, “We have a good bunch of guys here right now and all the trucks are full, I put this down to the good-looking, new, reliable Kenworth trucks and the high standards by which we operate”. With new infrastructure projects being announced regularly by political parties chasing votes and favourable polls, and housing shortage issues needing to be addressed, the collaborative trifecta of, Borg Civil Australia Pty Ltd, Gilbert & Roach Kenworth and Sloanebuilt Trailers is driving growth for this Western Sydney civil construction company.

Not being able to cover all the vehicles in detail, TrailerTorque has focused in depth on the most recent unit to join the fleet, the K200. Specifications as organised with Gilbert & Roach included Cummins power with an ISXe5 rated at 580 hp and 1850 lb-ft of torque. An RTLO20918B Eaton manual transmission drives through to Meritor 46-160 rear axles with dual cross locks, dual 450-litre fuel tanks, while Alcoa Dura-Bright rims add some initial sparkle.

TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE

PREMIUM PERFORMER

Dave Whyte profiles Barker Trailers of Woodend, Victoria Barker Trailers has long held its reputation for building strong, long-lasting trailers, built to the specific needs of its customers. From its main factory in Woodend, an hour north of Melbourne, the company has built almost ten thousand trailers since manufacturing started in 1975, and, while the market and the products have evolved, a Barker trailer is still something many operators aspire to own. To find out what is so different about Barker trailers, I took a trip to the factory, and caught up with Ned Jeffery, national sales and marketing manager for Barker Trailers. Barker employs around 180 people between its main Woodend factory and a second metal fabricating facility in nearby Maryborough. The growth of the company meant finding good staff from the surrounding area to keep up with demand became difficult, which lead to the company looking for an alternate site where quality metal workers were in good supply.

TRAILER TORQUE

Maryborough provided a good opportunity to source the right staff, and so a plant was established to draw on the available talent in the area. This not only provided a productivity boost for Barker, but also a good employment opportunity to many in the Maryborough region. While the company has grown, Barker has stuck to its guns in terms of offering a quality product. This includes sourcing materials and products that may not be the cheapest, but are chosen for their quality and longevity. This is true for everything from the chassis rails to the lights, and means that there may be a small price premium in buying a Barker trailer over some of their competitors. As Mr. Jeffery put it, “We’re not a cheap, bargain basement manufacturer”. Taking a look through the factory is probably the best way to experience the Barker difference. From the outset, a Barker trailer is manufactured onsite, with everything from chassis rails to paint done in-house.

PREMIUM PERFORMER

The main strength of any Barker trailer is in the chassis rails, which are cut and have the top and bottom flanges fitted in-house. As Mr. Jeffery explained, “We cut, and produce, all our own main beams. We’re one of the last major manufacturers to produce every set of main beams right here”. On the topic of material used, he proudly stated, “If it’s mild steel, it’s all Australian steel. There’s no imported mild steel, the only steel we have to import is the high-tensile material, which comes out of Sweden”. While the straight beams can be constructed automatically on specialised machines, any curved or odd shaped beams have the top and bottom flanges fitted by hand to ensure the fit is right, and the beam as strong as possible. “We choose, when we’re building a set of main beams, exactly how strong it needs to be, and we can pick and choose (the thickness of) our top and bottom flanges accordingly,” Mr. Jeffery said. “You can see that they’re all Australian steel, and we bring our customers around and show them that it’s all Australian steel they’re getting”. Once the main rails are complete, they are moved over to the metal fabrication department. “They meet up with a separate set of paperwork at this point, which comes with a full engineering plan of how it’s going to look,” Mr. Jeffery said. “Then the guys have to lay it out, and then it’s just all steel fabrication work basically”.

As opposed to most manufacturing plants that use a production line scenario, a Barker trailer is fabricated in the same bay from whoa to go, only leaving that bay when it is ready for paint preparation. “A trailer will come in here and get blasted, and then it goes into one booth for priming, and another for finishing,” Mr. Jeffery explained. “We get a very good finish on our paint, it’s one of the things we pride ourselves on. It’s almost an automotive finish – you can see your face in our paintwork”. With walking-floor trailers making up a big part of the Barker business, it’s no surprise to find that a large section of the factory is dedicated to aluminium work. “We’re probably the biggest walking-floor manufacturer in Australia,” Mr. Jeffery pointed out. “Because we are able to use our own moulds for extruded sections where applicable, we can extrude what we need. The widest mould currently available in Australia is 300 mm and so Barker uses a 600 mm wall board that is imported from Europe. The company is currently working with an Australian supplier to produce a 400 mm wall board locally that will be exclusive to Barker Trailers. Our floor boards and top hats also come out of our moulds, so we can pick and choose what we’re going to use, with no joins to any length,” said Mr. Jeffery The entire assembly process is done on site, with Mr. Jeffery saying, “We make all the doors, front walls, rear walls, top headers and stuff separately. It’s all done right here”.

TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE Curtainsiders also make up a big part of the transport fleet, and, therefore, are a big part of Barker’s business. Front walls, rear walls, and roof sections are built on-site, with Barker using pre-cambered steel roof beams to increase the strength and lifespan of their roof sections. While a lot of trailer manufacturers use aluminium roof beams to reduce tare weight, the Barker design incorporates high strength steel beams. “Over its entire life, a Barker trailer will always keep that beautiful camber in it because of the use of steel beams that maintain the original design profile,” said Mr. Jeffery. “A further benefit is that our curtain track can be easily replaced because the steel beams maintain the roof integrity,” he added. These steel beams are wrapped in Barker’s own design of aluminium extrusion, which runs the full length of the trailer and incorporates a channel for hanging gate rollers, a channel for the curtain rollers and a channel for the rubber flashing that provides protection from the weather. The final area of the factory is the finishing area, where all the other equipment is fitted to a trailer. This includes suspension and axles, mudguards, toolboxes and all air and electrical lines, including lights. This is the area where a trailer really comes to completion, with the many different designs all lined up side-byside showcasing the variety of Barker’s range. Flat tops, curtainsiders, widening drop decks and walking-floor trailers, in various configurations, were all being prepared for delivery in the same area. Anywhere from 400 to 600 trailers roll out the doors of the factory every year, depending on demand. Sitting just outside the factory doors was one very different looking trailer. This was the first Barker trailer ever built, which has now been bought back by the company and refurbished in the lead up to them celebrating trailer number 10,000. The differences in design are obvious, but the fact that this trailer is still around is a testament to the endurance a Barker trailer. Having rolled out of the same factory over 40 years ago, it would seem like some sort of homecoming for the old girl, and a fitting way to commemorate the upcoming company milestone. At a time when we are seeing a massive decline in Australian manufacturing, it is encouraging to see a family business that can remain successful and competitive in a hard-fought market. With the influx of imported trailers, and the mass production capability of some other local manufacturers, Barker has managed to carve its own place in the market by providing a solid, long-lasting product, designed specifically to each customer’s needs. What’s more, it is keeping Australians in a job and using Australian materials in the process.

TRAILER TORQUE

GOING FOR BULK

GOING FOR BULK Thinwall Trailers help keep the feedlots full for Waterfall – Story by Dave Whyte

Bulk haulage can be a hard industry. With most payments made by the tonne, the incentive is there for operators to go in search of equipment that will allow maximum payload without sacrificing on strength. Some operators have a different incentive though, with the emphasis more on the demand for bulk commodities than the dollars being made between the farm and the delivery point. Waterfall Feedlot in Goomeri, Queensland, is one of those operators that run trucks primarily as a way of ensuring reliable and efficient supply to support their main business. With the feedlot using over 100 tonnes of grain a day during the busy times, reliable transport is imperative to the ongoing success of the business, and the wellbeing of the valuable livestock.

Waterfall operates three trucks to maintain a steady flow of product into the feedlot, with a Western Star 4800 and two Kenworths – a T659 and a T909. The latest addition to the fleet is a B-double set of Titan Thinwall aluminium belly-dump trailers, used to cart grain direct from farms to the feedlot. The Thinwall design minimises tare weight by utilising aluminium throughout the design, including the suspension sub-frame on which the steel axles are mounted. This removes the need for hydraulics on either trailer. The new Thinwall trailers are paired with the Kenworth T909 and driven by Ken Wheildon, a long-termer in the bulk haulage industry. This is not the first time Ken has unloaded bulk commodities through the floor, though he recalls it was a bit different in his younger days. TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE “I’ve been in the grain carting industry for a long time,” Ken said. “Things have come a long way in the last 30 years. I remember back in the old days when we just had bogie trailers with holes in the floor. You used to have to shovel and broom it out”. There are no such problems with these trailers though, with everything operated via remote control, including the tarps. The Thinwall trailers have been doing the rounds for a little over two months, with Ken swapping an older set of Moore tippers for the new Thinwalls. “They are easy, there’s no doubt about that,” Ken said. “There was a bit of a transition period to get used to how everything worked. You’ve got to load them a little bit differently, and they’re certainly different to unload”. Ease of operation aside, the Thinwall trailers are providing other benefits, including a significant increase in payload, with Ken saying, “I’m saving 4 tonnes in tare weight between the Moore trailers and these, so that’s an extra 4 tonnes of payload on every load. You don’t have to be a mathematical genius to work out the difference”. At an average of five loads a week, Ken stands to move an extra 1000 tonnes a year, without doing any extra miles, and with no fuel penalty over the older trailers. The Titan Thinwall Unibody Hopper Trailer design originates in Canada, where all-aluminium trailers are far more common than they are here in Australia. The design uses extruded, double walled, interlocking aluminium panels that are welded both sides to provide good strength in the side walls. This also provides a smooth wall surface, both internally and externally, allowing for a clean unload and easy washing of the trailers. The extruded walls also provide plenty of room to run electrical and air lines within the walls, making for a clean and tidy appearance while reducing the risk of damage. The floor is made up of angled panels, which direct the load to the individual outlets, in much the same way as pressurised tankers, allowing for good weight spread and quick unloading over a pit.

TRAILER TORQUE

In the case of Waterfall’s B-double combination, there are five individual compartments along the length of the trailers, with two chutes in the A-trailer and three in the B-trailer behind the landing legs, ahead of the rear suspension, and between the rear axle and the back of the trailer. Unloading time over the pit, as I witnessed, is remarkably fast. The tarps do not need to be partially opened to allow for airflow and avoid being sucked into the trailer when unloading, because of the vented internal divider walls. The rate of discharge can be controlled by how far the hatch is opened, and can be anything from a trickle to a rapid gush of product, depending on the capacity of the pit. “It’s great having the electric, remote-operated hoppers, because you can stay out of the dust,” Ken pointed out. “You just stand back, press the button, and the thing opens up”. The hoppers can also be operated manually, should an electrical fault occur, meaning an operator will never be stuck with a loaded trailer. Being electrically operated also eliminates the risk of potential contamination caused by burst hydraulic hoses. The Thinwall trailers also feature easy-toaccess aluminium ladders, and standing platforms to improve safety while loading. Using these platforms, it is easy to stand and watch the product being loaded, without the need to hang over the wall of the trailer and without the sore calf muscles caused by standing on a ladder for long periods of time.

GOING FOR BULK

“It’s great having the electric, remote-operated hoppers, because you can stay out of the dust, you just stand back, press the button, and the thing opens up”.

TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE Waterfall’s Thinwalls also have digital load scales fitted, allowing for accurate measurement of the weight on each axle group. This ensures that Ken can make full use of the extra payload ability, and still remain legal. It’s a far cry from Ken’s early years, when he says, “You used to just stand up on the trailer and have a look in the back and say ‘Yeah, that’s enough’. You’d ask the farmer what the grain was weighing like, and try to load it accordingly. It didn’t always work though,” he laughed. “All the mod-cons we have now, all the computers and weighing systems that they’ve got, they’ve certainly taken a lot of the guess-work out of it”. While the belly-dump idea might not work for everyone, Ken says it works well in their line of work. “For our system that we’ve got, with the pit to unload over all the time, they’re good, they work out fine”.

“You’ve got to give them credit, they’ve set the trucks up really well. They’ve got the big sleepers and all the gear in them – Ice Pack, microwave, fridge, inverters and so on”. In terms of productivity, the Canadian Thinwall design certainly has a lot to offer those looking for maximum payload, but it wins out in a few other areas as well. With OH&S being one of the leading factors in new equipment purchases, the ease of operation, stability during unloading and the ability for an operator to be well clear of the dust zone are three very big boxes to tick. With all of the systems on the trailer being electrically operated, and the battery charged through the lighting circuit, there is no need for truck-mounted hydraulics, saving operators more dollars up-front, and a little more tare weight.

“At an average of five loads a week, Ken stands to move an extra 1000 tonnes a year, without doing any extra miles, and with no fuel penalty over the older trailers.”

He did point out that they had measured underneath, and that a hopper for an auger should fit underneath to allow unloading in a shed, but as yet he hasn’t needed to put that plan into action. Ken has the best of both worlds in his job, with good equipment and the opportunity to be home almost every night in his own bed. With a need for year-round grain supply, the feedlot does a lot of buying from farms around the South Burnett region, but occasionally the trucks travel further afield when local supplies dry up. When they do, Ken says the T909 is just right for the job. 98

TRAILER TORQUE

Only time will tell how they last on our roads, but it would seem the Titan Thinwall trailer has a lot of potential as an efficient, profitable and safe alternative to conventional tipping trailers.

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