PowerTorque Issue 78 AUG/SEPT 2017

AUSTRALIA'S LEADING TRUCK AND TRAILER MAGAZINE

Incorporating

ISSUE 78 AUG/SEPT 2017 RRP: $8.95 (NZ $9.95)

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ISSUE 78 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2017

LOPEZ BROS TRADITION SINCE 1929

MAINTAINING THE FAMILY

ISUZU READY-TO-WORK RANGE.

THE ONLY WAY YO U

STACKS UP AGA I

Depending on the model you choose, Isuzu’s Ready-to-

the Ready-to-Work range is sharp off the mark with a

Work range lets you carry around a tonne-and-a-half (50%

surprisingly car-like ride. Also, you only need a passenger car

extra compared to your average ute). And you get the flexibility

licence to drive one*. And they have a better turning circle than

of a much larger tray for handling awkward loads.

a lot of utes, so you won’t sacrifice manoeuvrability, either.

Gaining all that space doesn’t mean you’ll have to give up any

Other touches include a telematics and sat-nav†-ready

creature comforts, though. With direct injection turbo diesel engines

Digital Audio Visual Equipment (DAVE) unit, and a reversing

and the option of a 6-speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT#),

cameraº. And to keep you safe, there are side intrusion bars,

#Available most models. *Models up to 4,500kgs GVM. New bullbar shown. †Satellite Navigation standard on Tradepack. ºReversing Camera standard on Traypack, Tradepack and Servicepack. FSA/ISZ11466

Tipper

O UR AVERAGE UTE

A INST AN ISUZU.

er

Tradepack

Servicepack

driver and passenger airbags and Isuzu Electronic Stability Control (IESC), plus four-wheel disc brakes on selected models.

Best of all, you won’t have to hang around for months to get behind the wheel, because the Ready-to-Work range is already fitted with a body and is ready and waiting to drive away. So if it’s time to get serious, head to isuzu.com.au or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer now.

8 10

AT THE WHEEL with Warren Caves

12

THE RIGHT STUFF Kenworth T610s and ISUZU 8x4s are the new arrivals for the Hi-Quality Group

66

STRAIGHT TALKING Mercedes-Benz continues to shake up the market with the release of its latest rigid trucks

18

GROWING GOOD How Calcimo Lime improved pasture and productivity

70

FIRE AND FLINTSTONES Warren Caves reports on the appeal of vintage and classic icons of trucking history

22

STAYING LOCAL Rankin Transport supplies regional needs

76

WIDE APPEAL PowerTorque’s test team duo spends a day out on the road with Hino’s wide cab 500 Series

26

VERSATILITY IN MOTION From livestock to general haulage, Betts Transport knows that success is based on service

82

CUSTOM AND CLASSIC Warren Caves catches up with the T950 Legend of Lawrence Transport

30

POLES APART The right route for East Coast Scaf folding

88

FAKE NEWS When “Fake” takes on life threatening outcomes it pays to buy genuine parts

34

DREAM WEAVER One challenge leads to another for Mick McCulloch

92

RAMBO Is the RAM 2500 the aspirational ute for tradies or the ultimate daily transport for truck operators?

38

CZECH-MATE TATRA has a formidable reputation for trucks that go anywhere, anytime

95

TRAILER TORQUE

42

HISTORY IN THE MAKING Lopez Bros, builds its future on yesteryear

96

NO CONTEST Choosing disc brakes, EBS and roll stability was an easy choice for KIM Haulage

46

CLEAN AND GREEN IN THE WEST David Meredith interviews Mark Mazza of South West Express, Bunbury

100

A DECADE OF CHANGE Using technology to reduce collisions is a simple enough concept to understand, so why delay its implementation?

50

EUROCENTRIC IVECO’s Eurocargo brings cleaner and greener credits to the medium-duty market

104

EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES Remote area operation in the harsh conditions of the mining exploration industry is an everyday occurrence for Wallis Drilling

56

ACROSS THE PADDOCK with David Meredith

58 62

SEALING THE DEAL It’s all things bitumen for Bitutek of Perth

12

CHANGING OF THE GUARD Penske Power Systems consolidates its options to grow its future

30

46

The latest news in trailers and bodybuilding

TYRE TORQUE Falken makes its move into truck and bus tyre supply

Follow PowerTorque on

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

Ed Higginson Contributing Writers - Stuart Martin Warren Caves David Meredith Rob Randazzo Specialist photography - Torque It Up Designer - Steven Foster Account Manager - Maree Mullett Editorial Division, PO Box 271AB, Airlie Beach, Qld 4802 Telephone: +61 (0) 7 4946 4658 Email: edit@powertorque.com.au Website: www.powertorque.com.au

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

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

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Chris Mullett

FORWARD

There’s

TORQUE

every reason for the commercial vehicle manufacturers to be happy right now, as, with the end of the financial year, comes the news that sales were up by 9.2 percent to peak at 16,972 units (VFacts June).

This year is very much one of expansion for PowerTorque, as we will be providing increasing coverage on a national basis, relocating our main office to North Queensland, and adding reviews of operators and opportunities from Brisbane to Cairns.

Isuzu remains the overall commercial vehicle market leader, taking 25.2 percent market share to achieve sales of 4225 vehicles. It was rival Japanese manufacturer Hino in second place with 2213 sales (13.2 percent), followed

by Fuso (1725 and 10.3 percent).

Join us as we run through the early introduction of the T610 into national fleets and judge driver reaction to the larger cab interior, increased sophistication and higher levels of comfort. Mercedes-Benz is continuing to gain great inroads into the market and we reveal the background to the rigid truck line-up as it joins the Actros prime mover range.

In fourth spot it was Mercedes-Benz at 10.0 percent and 1681 sales, ahead of Renault with the Master at 913 sales for a market share of 5.4 percent and a sales increase of 31.5 percent over the previous year. Kenworth came in at 886 units (5.3 percent), just ahead of IVECO at 827 units and a market share of 4.9 percent.

It was a different scenario when confined only to heavy truck statistics in the 8001-39,000 kg GVM segment where Kenworth took its traditional stance as the leader with 886 sales and 17.5 percent market share. Volvo Truck came in second (762 and 15 percent), Isuzu third at 594 and 11.7 percent, Mack fourth at 469 units and 9.3 percent, followed sharply by Scania at 8.7 percent and 442 sales, a rise of 22.8 percent on the previous year.

The big performer here by comparison with the previous year was MAN, which, under the revitalised control of Penske Commercial Vehicles, experienced a sales performance boost of 783 percent to retail 233 units and achieve 4.6 percent of the HD segment. IVECO came in with 231 and 4.6, with Freightliner at 208 and 4.1 percent.

Statistics give a good indication of the sales performance of the individual makes, but as we look into the next 12 months it will be interesting to see how much emphasis is placed on the adoption of Euro 6 emissions technology. More so than ever, where there’s an opportunity to future-proof your purchasing by adopting the technology earlier, rather than later, it may be the key to improved resale values with other gained benefits such as improved fuel economy.

Mercedes-Benz, Scania, MAN and now Cummins are rolling out Euro 6 engines and drivelines as they gauge the apparent exceptional acceptance by operators keen to trial the new technology. If the fuel savings stack up in accordance with some of the claims made by operators, getting to an early market is going to shape the future for vehicle purchase for the next 12 months.

In this issue, the new members of the PowerTorque team, Ed Higginson and Brenton O’Connor, have been out on the road with the latest models, and we’ve got plenty more lined up for them as they get accustomed to the world of transport journalism.

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Penske Commercial Vehicles is rapidly changing the way that Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle do business, bringing all brands where possible under the one encompassing roof of the Penske organisation.

If your passion extends from new technology to the historic and classic vehicles of yesteryear, we reckon we have all your interests covered, and as we move on through the second half of this year it can only get better.

From the Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show at Penrith to the immaculate Kenworth T950 Legend of Lawrence Transport, we thank Warren Caves for his photographic skills and for reporting on the industry from behind the wheel.

Our thanks to the Lopez family for their time spent preparing their Western Star 4800 for our cover shot. There’s no question that it’s a working truck, but, with 1.4 million kilometres under its bonnet, it still looks like it has just come out of the workshop. Great photography by Steven Foster.

Our congratulations to Mick McCulloch and the Glen Artney Truck Repair Centre in Tamworth. We hear a lot of complaints about the reduction in service quality of this industry, but Mick did something about it, backing his dream to create a world-class standard maintenance facility that could provide 24/7 services over a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. He certainly deserves to succeed on this one.

If you have a good story to tell, or a great truck for us to feature, then remember to give us a call. Check out our new contact details in the front of the magazine and drop us a line to let us know what’s happening in your world.

As always, stay safe and enjoy the drive.

Kind regards,

Chris Mullett – Managing Editor/Publisher.

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15/06/2017 11:48 AM

At the WA R R E N

C AV E S

WHEEL

C O M M E N T S

W

e have had a driver change here At the Wheel, so I’ve filled out my work diary, done my pre-trip checks and am ready to go.

As the kilometres roll by we get a lot of time out on the road to think about all manner of stuff, and I am no exception. In one of those moments recently I got to thinking about our industry and where it’s heading. And depending on which way you look at it, it’s either hugely exciting or a little bit daunting.

Straight out of school I got my first real job as an apprentice truck mechanic, which kept me busy for around six or seven years, before I found out that driving trucks instead of fixing them was a better option for me – being more lucrative, a bit easier (or so I thought) and a whole lot cleaner.

Twenty-five years later I’m still at it. One thing over those years has always been constant, a plethora of jobs and opportunities. So much so, that all you really needed to get a start was, a licence, a heartbeat and a good dose of work ethics. In this moment of highway-induced clear thought, I got to thinking about the next twenty-five years and would it always be that way?

Technology is moving forward in leaps and bounds in our industry, and, with the competitive nature of the business and the never-ending search by transport operators to improve the bottom line by reducing costs, some of this technology may well do some of us out of jobs.

O N

L I F E

O N

T H E

H I G H WA Y

I’m referring here to the rise of the machines by way of automation. Autonomous trucks are well and truly upon us, albeit in an early form. Real-world testing is being done, and by all accounts the results are promising.

While much of the testing is being done in Europe and the USA, in Europe “platooning” is the buzzword right now. Platooning is convoying of multiple trucks at a close distance to enhance fuel economy by reducing wind resistance. The lead vehicle uses sensors and radar to guide it while the following vehicles take readings and communicate with the lead vehicle. Braking and acceleration are controlled without driver input.

Benefits of platooning are stated as improved fuel economy, safer operation (removing human error resulting in collisions) and less fatigue on drivers. What the Europeans and Americans conducting these trials have not yet managed to factor in is that Australian road trains effectively platoon four trailers together with just one prime mover and driver – a significant benefit over anything they are currently spruiking about.

Something to bear in mind is the better quality of roads on which trials are currently being conducted. Platooning is usually conducted at lower than Australian highway speeds, usually around 80 km/h, and I personally think that this type of driving may well increase fatigue as drivers have a lot less to do, and the driver at the rear has nothing else to do but stare at the rear door of the truck in front.

T

B s v

B d

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*Co tyr pu

So, how will this do us out of jobs? Well, I guess the next logical step is to embrace fully driverless trucks. Mining ore trucks in Western Australia are already being driven remotely from Perth, so it’s not that far-fetched when you think about it.

For me, driverless trucks in Australia just pose more questions. If a car cut in front of the driverless platoon at too short a distance, won’t this automatically pull up the whole platoon? This would surely negate any fuel efficiency gains by creating the need to regain speed if this happens repeatedly. What would be the outcome if a car cut into the middle of a platoon because the service centre is coming up and the driver and passengers want a coffee? A little cynical I know, but those of you out there every day will attest, this happens with monotonous regularity. I could go on forever.

My prediction for the future of where Australian road transport could be is that driverless trucks could some day be operating on motorways between capitals like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, with transit hubs located on the outskirts of each, at which point a driver will jump in and finish the journey.

So, rest easy for now, I don’t think we’ll all be down at Centrelink any time soon. However, I do believe that to survive in this game, we, as drivers, will need to be adaptable.

Keep it moving, and stay safe.

Warren Caves

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ACROSS THE PADDOCK Musical Chairs WA-Style Dealer ructions in WA are aplenty and they are a telling story. They telegraph shifts in alliances, or weaknesses in marketing, or, of course, the overall business climate. Over the past year or so, two significant brands or groups of brands have either jumped horses or just fallen off.

The first was triggered by the Penske takeover of national distribution for Western Star, MAN Truck and Bus, and Dennis Eagle. During its first year of running the show, the Penske organisation seemed to be playing a watch and wait game, monitoring the various abilities of the state distributors while rebranding the MTU Detroit locations to follow the national guidelines of Penske Power Systems.

Previously, the WA dealer, AV Trucks in Redcliffe, had the Western Star and MAN products on the table and in the running for most tenders that were in play.

Earlier this year, the WA franchises for these Penske brands were summarily moved across to Penske Power Systems, an entity that was primarily a service location for Detroit and MTU. The move mirrored Penske’s actions in rural Queensland and the Territory, where Penske Power Systems also absorbed the franchises. Since then, the same act has played out in Sydney and Brisbane, with the one venue securing exclusivity.

The result is a clear-cut identification of the three main brands of Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle with a national distribution network that forms the basis for the expansion of the Australian operation. Sure, there is change, and for some operators it means forging new relationships, but from a corporate and global perspective it sets the groundwork in place for a national sales and marketing effort that has the opportunity to consolidate its efforts to the overall advantage of the product lines and the customers.

In the meantime, Iveco was also displaying signs of an impending move for its distribution in WA, ahead of an upcoming separation from the giant AHG group, which had decided on a long-term strategy that no longer included the Italian manufacturer. I’d already known that probably the biggest dealer in Perth had been looking at Iveco, all the while AHG was expressing its disquiet, but conflicts with its existing – and mightily successful – product line meant the deal was only getting harder.

That potential marriage fell over in April, and so AV Trucks’ Carlo Franzone got a call from Iveco’s head office at the end of that month with an invitation to start selling the Italian trucks two months later, on July 1. Despite the limited start-up time, the dealership is up and running and highly competitive. The second shift in the saddle has been the gradual but inevitable demise of CAT Trucks.

Taken on with great gusto by the Westrac Group, initial sales were slow but were built up on the strength of good old-fashioned hard work and shoe leather. The sales team tried their best to muscle in on every opportunity; however, all that effort was ultimately rewarded by the Australian CAT Trucks management steadily withdrawing life support.

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David Meredith reports on events in Western Australia Both events bring me to an observation common to all truck brand dealer networks. The most successful truck dealers are founded on a used truck expertise that’s taken years to accumulate. Most used trucks in WA are eventually matched to a ready group of buyers locally, and turnover is healthy for experienced operators.

Doing that part of the business well is essential for broad market success in marketing new trucks. Despite their financial strength, Westrac were only really competitive on cleanskin deals, because they had no used truck capability.

Recent discussions with Perth truck distributors suggest that the industry is showing signs of recovery, moving albeit in cautious steps but forwards nonetheless. After the boom and bust days of the mining industry, a return to a steadier form of normality will provide the much-needed stability to the market.

As a change of focus for Across the Paddock I was interested to learn recently of a hands-on experience of the advantages of the latest safety technologies as experienced by a WA operator that was running an evaluation test of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros. With a company driver piloting the Actros and running as a two-trailer road train, a second truck merging onto the highway ahead misjudged the safe speed for the upcoming corner with an adverse camber as it pulled onto the main highway.

The response from the Actros with its full suite of safety features was to initiate an emergency brake actuation to maintain safe distances and remain under full control, all actuated automatically by the vehicle’s on board electronic control systems. While no doubt the company driver had everything under control, this early intervention established itself as a driver benefit, rather than a piece of technology that would not be practical in situations of this nature.

In a separate incident, another operator had cause to experience Volvo’s Dynamic Steering System when a sixweek-old 6x4 prime mover suffered a steer tyre blow out at 80 km/h while operating as a double road train.

When the tyre blew, the right-hand-side of the truck sagged, but stayed on track as the steering wheel stayed firmly on centre. The operator told me he was able to steer safely off the road with no additional steering effort and pull up on the dirt shoulder. That’s when the ABS system cut in and prevented the affected rim locking and risking further damage. As testimony to the benefits of the steering system, the affected rim was able to be reused and remains on the truck, albeit with a new tyre.

There have been many more incidents like these across Australia, but adding up the potential cost of just these two puts the purchase price of new tech in a context that few operators can afford to ignore.

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PROFILE

THE RIGHT STUFF Kenworth T610s and Isuzu 8x4s are changing the fleet composition for the Hi-Quality Group – Report by Chris Mullett

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W

ith over half a century of service, the Hi-Quality Group continues to set new standards that are recognised as a benchmark for the civil and environmental sector.

Founded by Jim Hallinan in the mid 1960s, this Australianowned family business boasts the involvement of three generations of the Hallinan family, from Jim and his son Patrick to Jim’s grandsons Adam, Stephen and Bryan.

The different divisions within the Hi-Quality Group provide a wide range of services to the communities of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. These range from transport, logistics and plant hire to the company’s expertise in the civil and environmental sector that include quarrying, resource recovery, recycling, waste management and landfill. Other divisions supply building and landscaping product supplies, skip bins and construction site clearing and property development.

Transport is obviously the key that binds all these different business activities together, and the company has recently changed its vehicle purchase policy to include the addition of new Isuzu and Kenworth trucks, supplied through local dealer Gilbert & Roach at Huntingwood.

With a fleet that numbers around 50 trucks and support vehicles, recent additions include five new Isuzu FYJ 8x4 rigid trucks fitted with aluminium tipper bodies and six new Kenworth T610 SAR prime movers.

“The move to Japanese trucks and Isuzu came from our decision to replace our previous North American brands as we looked at new ways to maximise payload and efficiency,” said Adam Hallinan, Group procurement manager.

THE RIGHT STUFF

“With a 2000 kg lighter tare weight than the vehicles they replaced, we can obviously improve the individual trip productivity of each unit by two tonnes and achieve a payload of 17 tonnes,” he added.

The Isuzu FYJs were selected after consultation with Matt Clinton of Gilbert & Roach and feature a GVM of 30,000 kg with a GCM of 42,500 kg. Powered by the Isuzu SITEC Series III six-cylinder, turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine, which produces 257 kW (345 hp) at 2000 rpm with 1422 Nm of torque, the driveline is completed by the Allison 4430 Series fully-automatic transmission.

“The payload improvement is obviously a major point in the Isuzu’s favour, but drivers also like the cab comfort, and with automatic transmission there’s a major reduction in fatigue levels. Because they operate in the city, the drivers are finding the improvement in visibility of the surrounding traffic and other city hazards is also a major benefit to safety,” added Adam.

In other fleet requirements, Kenworth K200 cabovers are gradually replacing previous Mack and Western Star models in low-loader work for the heavy haulage aspects of the business. For truck and quad dog trailer application the company has taken delivery of the six new Kenworth T610 SAR 6x4 rigid trucks through Bill Anderson of G&R, with tipping bodies and trailers supplied by Muscat Trailers.

“Drivers are very happy with the new T610 SAR and we option them up with the inclusion of stainless steel and chrome trim, together with fridges for the drivers,” said Damian Woodbury, Hi-Quality Group transport manager.

“We were always going to go down the Kenworth path but we had held off until the launch of the T610 because Dad had always thought they were a bit short of interior cab space. We had looked at the T409 and then we heard about the new product coming out and that ticked all the boxes straight away.

“First impressions from the drivers are that they love the new T610 SAR. When talking with the team there has not been one negative feedback. Two drivers in particular had come from competitive brands and they like the new T610 so much you can’t get them out of them. They are brilliant.

“The latest shift patterns of the UltraShift Plus 18-speed Roadranger are now excellent. We are rating the Cummins ISXe5 at 580 hp and with 4.33:1 axle ratios, and that gives the SARs a road speed of 100 km/h at 1650 rpm.

“We did think of going back to a diff ratio of 411:1, but we believed at the time it might be a bit low for the type of local work we do. We can achieve a payload of 38 tonnes in a 19-metre PBS-approved combination, taking the GCM back to 56.5 tonnes instead of 57.5 tonnes.

“We worked very closely with Peter Davis at Muscat Trailers to achieve these payloads and at this weight rating we can access anywhere without being restricted to high-mass routes under PBS requirements that come into effect when operating over that length,” said Damian.

“We are getting good results from the Cummins ISXe5, although with brand-new vehicles they have only just been in to G&R for their first service. A typical annual distance covered for each vehicle would be in the region of 80,000 km per year, and the furthest they would operate would be to run from Kemps Creek down to our quarry at Goulburn for a return load of sand, pebbles of clay.

“They like the new T610 so much you can’t get them out of them. They are brilliant.”

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PROFILE “The points in favour of the T610, apart from the added interior space, are the improved vision through the low hood with the revised design of the mirrors and the reduction of interior noise levels inside the cab. We have now standardised on the UltraShift Plus automated manual transmission and that is also contributing to a reduction in driver fatigue.

“With WABCO EBS, ABS and roll-stability throughout the T610 combinations we are achieving the maximum available safety standards. The EBS and roll-stability systems have evolved in recent years and drivers have come to accept the advantages they provide.

“By combining these benefits with lower interior noise levels, increased driver comfort and Eaton UltraShift Plus automated manual transmissions, we have significantly minimised driver fatigue. We have also simplified coupling through standardising on one large connector plug, rather than two smaller units.

“All our trucks are monitored through CTrack satellite tracking, and we also add blind-spot cameras for the

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Damian Woodbury

left-hand-side of the cab, together with rear-vision reverse cameras on both the truck and trailer.

“We do our own driver training programmes on a regular basis with annual check tests, and through satellite tracking we can monitor driver behaviour, fuel economy and be aware of any harsh brake applications.

Further information is available by our downloading the performance data collected by the WABCO EBS system, and our own service and maintenance division can access this during our weekly service schedule.

“With the exception of any warranty work, we complete all our maintenance requirements in our own workshops, with our mechanics coming in each afternoon and working through the night to have everything ready for the morning,” said Adam.

“We keep our oil drain intervals at 20,000 km because of our mainly urban vehicle operation and for the type of environment that our trucks are working in,” he added.

Adam Hallinan

THE RIGHT STUFF

PowerTorque ISSUE 78

15

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PROFILE

GROWING GOOD

How a Gippsland-based farmer found the solution to improved pasture and productivity gains – words by Brenton O’Connor

B

ack in 1960, beef and sheep farmer Jack O’Connor of Carrajung (In Victoria’s Gippsland) realised the benefits of applying limestone to his pastures to boost productivity and stock health. But due to a lack of local supply, and with the average truck carrying a payload of only 5.0 tonnes, transporting the product from distant quarries was not feasible.

After meeting with limestone producers during a trip to New Zealand to see how they were processing the raw material, Jack built what was thought to be Australia’s first mobile lime crushing plant. This initiative enabled Jack to setup a series of limestone quarries throughout Gippsland where he could produce limestone, at source, that was readily and cheaply available for the region’s farming community.

Early equipment used was mixed, including Thames Traders, and various Internationals. The biggest revolution to the fleet was the introduction of a Mercedes-Benz 1418.

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Despite the purchase price being significantly more than its competition, the decision was made to go with the Mercedes due to its, at the time, revolutionary exhaust brake. This meant instead of taking the long route (106 km further per trip) to shift limestone from Traralgon to Yarram, and having to go via Longford, in order to avoid the Strzelecki Range that is notoriously steep, Jack could now go straight up and over the range, loaded with a two-axle Fruehauf aluminium semi tipper. The addition of the exhaust brake meant the truck could safely tackle the infamously steep Strzelecki range, without overheating the service brakes – something that was previously thought impossible. This resulted in major safety and productivity gains for the business.

Nearly 60 years later, the business has grown significantly and is today run by Jack’s son Graeme, together with Graeme’s own sons forming the second and third generation of the business respectively.

GROWING GOOD In addition to quarrying and distributing lime products throughout Victoria, Calcimo offers a full service for its customers of both limestone and fertiliser inputs, including warehousing of its fertiliser products, with onsite blending facilities to tailor prescription blends to the needs of its customers. Calcimo proudly offers a complete service to its customers, supplying the lime and fertiliser products as well as their transportation and spreading options.

The Calcimo truck fleet is based predominantly on North American bonneted prime movers, operating tri-tri B-double sets at a mass-managed gross weight of 68.5 tonnes.

Although at first sight the reliance on B-doubles where off-road farm deliveries are involved may seem unusual, Graeme explained that whilst a rigid truck and super dog is the preferred combination for their type of work, the competitive nature of the industry has required the company to move with the times and run 26-metre B-doubles.

“It was a case of keep up or be left behind,” said Graeme.

“The choice of chassis tip, sliding A-trailer configured B-doubles from Hercules means they can be safely ‘split up’ and taken off-road one trailer at a time. This means that the prime mover is now going off-road at a max of 45 tonnes GCM and a length of well under 19 metres.

“Whilst we would love the productivity gains of a six-axle dog combination, it would not be practical for our work as you cannot split the load and are forced to go into the farm at full weight of 68.5 tonnes. This adds to the risk through access restrictions such as getting stuck and simply not being able to negotiate the route through tight gateways and the like.

“The same goes for Stag B-doubles. You can drop the B-trailer and take the A- trailer in and tip it off successfully, however, when you come to hook-up the B-trailer only, you have virtually no traction on the prime mover due to the long drawbar length. As such, there is virtually no weight transferred onto the prime mover with the full weight sitting on the rear tri group. This makes it extremely difficult to gain traction, particularly in steep or wet terrain faced daily when delivering into South Gippsland,” said Graeme.

Calcimo’s most recent prime mover purchase was a Freightliner Coronado 114 with a 58” XT bunk fitted.

“The last Freightliner we purchased was nearly 15 years ago when we added an FLC to the fleet,” said Graeme.

“We chose the Coronado due to its Detroit DD15, and what impressed us most was the five-year warranty, plus the extended service intervals. It was an engine designed from the ground up to run EGR technology – unlike other engine manufacturers who retrofitted emission reduction technology after development”.

The Coronado now has just over 280,000 km on the clock, and according to Graeme all is going well.

“We are getting just over 1.69 km per litre, with no AdBlue cost, which we are pleased with given we run the majority of the time fully loaded at 68.5 tonnes GCM and do a lot of local farm deliveries,” he added.

“Compared with the SCR (or AdBlue) option, the EGR/ DPF system emissions technology is working far better for us compared with the SCR vehicles we also run. To be honest we don’t even know when the system regeneration (the burn off) happens, and the driver isn’t even aware it’s going on (except for a small light on the dash). We don’t get system block ups, nor do we have the cost and inconvenience of having to regularly refill with AdBlue.”

“It was a case of keep up or be left behind” PowerTorque ISSUE 78

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PROFILE Asked about the variety of machines in the spreading fleet, Graeme explained it’s due to the variety of work the business carries out.

“The Fendt tractors are ideal on the local irrigated dairy country due to their large tyres and floatation, resulting in less damage to the farm, whereas the Mercedes Unimog is ideal for jobs further afield with its 90 km/hr road speed. All vehicles are equipped with air trailer brakes and Ringfeder towing coupling allowing them to tow two-axle dog trailers with an additional 12 tonnes of product to the job – saving unnecessary trips to and from the depot”.

“Having said that, our latest fertiliser spreader purchased is running Euro 6 technology which comprises all three emissions reduction technologies – SCR, EGR and a DPF”.

Queried on how this is going, Graeme says, “Extremely well – no issues at all to date, and the reduced AdBlue consumption also helps the bottom line”.

Whilst the company’s B-double prime movers are predominately North American, the balance of the fleet is exclusively European.

The earthmoving equipment used in the quarry and fertiliser blending depot is almost exclusively Volvo, and Calcimo’s fleet of fertiliser spreaders is also European in origin – comprising of a Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Fendt 4x4 tractors with 4.0-tonne fertiliser bins attached to the three-point linkage, as well a JCB Fastracs and a Mercedes MB Trac set with a 3.0-metre track width exclusively contracted to one customer.

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Like most business, finding efficiencies and cost reduction is the name of the game for Calcimo. Graeme has been very innovative in the business; the most recent has been the shift to new technology fertiliser spreader bins from Southern Spreader mounted to the spreader vehicles.

“Five years ago, we were spreading at a working width of 20 metres per pass – now with GPS guidance, and autosteer technology fitted to all spreader vehicles, as well as highly tuned fertiliser spreaders, we can now spread urea (a nitrogen based fertiliser) at 34 metres per pass – this means that the spreader is now covering 70 percent more land in each pass than it did only five years ago – resulting in massive productivity gains as well as much less damage to the farm due to reduced vehicle travel,” explained Graeme.

Asked about how Calcimo will continue to grow and move into the future, Graeme believes the company will need to continue seeking out new opportunities to both become more efficient and provide its customers with a better service.

“That is what will keep us moving successfully into the future,” said Graeme.

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PROFILE

STAYING LOCAL Rankin Transport grows its customer base by providing high levels of local support to its customers. Words by Ed Higginson.

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STAYING LOCAL

W

ithin the Australian transport industry there are a handful of well-known trucking names that come to mind, but, for every one household name, there are hundreds of small family operators across the country known just as well by their local communities.

Rankin Transport is located in the small Victorian town of Katunga, 40 km north of Shepparton. With just 300 inhabitants, the local farming community has enjoyed tremendous support in its transport needs over the 17 years since the company commenced operations, testimony to the high level of customer service that corporate business cannot match.

Leigh Rankin founded the business in 2000, along with his wife Kerry and his father, Gary. Their first truck purchase was a new Isuzu Giga 425 hp prime mover to pull their flattop trailer and curtainsider.

The decision to go with a brand-new Isuzu Giga proved to be a wise choice, as the big Isuzu enabled them to set up their business and has paid for itself many times over. At the time, it was a low-cost truck, but it came with the security of being backed by a five-year warranty and did a great job going off-road onto farms. Leigh knew it would be hassle free, and over the 15 years and 1.1 million kilometres with the family the truck had no breakdowns and was only sold after a neighbour asked to buy the truck knowing it had been well looked after.

In the beginning, the Rankins concentrated on farm freight, such as concrete, hay and machinery from the surrounding areas, delivering out across Victoria.

The return loads were products for the community, subsequently supplied through his father Gary’s farm supply store in town, which again continued the local relationships with their customers.

Leigh says he has always been a strong believer in loyalty for his customers, which has been the key for the business growing steadily whilst fighting off strong competition from the major transport companies. As Leigh drives a truck himself, it is also a great way to continue the daily face-toface relationship with each of his customers to ensure they are happy and everything is as they expected.

Not long after the Isuzu began running around the local area, brother Jarrod joined the business and two new Western Star 4800s were purchased through Hartwigs of Shepparton to tackle the longer B-double runs and higher weights. Powered by Caterpillar C15s rated at 550 hp with 18-speed Roadranger gearboxes, they again proved just as reliable as the Isuzu, both on and off-road, which meant the family could remain focused on their customers.

In the initial years, Rankin Transport began to use B-double bulk tippers to move grain, but as competition became ever more fierce, the dollars started to disappear, and so they took the decision to get out of that specific grain work and focus on a select group of customers with great potential to themselves to grow in the years ahead.

In aligning his business with others in the local area, Leigh knew by offering a loyalty that national companies couldn’t, he would have a strong business case for the future. It’s an operating premise that has worked very well to the present day.

After the initial three trucks, next came a new Iveco Powerstar in 2012, with a 500 hp Cummins ISX and ZFAS Tronic AMT chosen and driven by his brother Jarrod.

When the work continued to grow, the business wanted to stay loyal to Hartwigs and the Western Star brand that had served them well, so decided to buy a 5800 Western Star with a Caterpillar C13 rated at 485 hp for single farm work, then a 4800 Western Star, with a Detroit this time, fitted with a slimline sleeper to haul a 48-foot Maxi-CUBE fridge van.

With the additional trucks, Leigh called upon local guys he knew well and could rely on to serve his customers to the same standards as the family had established. So, with the help of John, Brett and Greg, the business was in a great position and began to focus on taking wholesale produce to Melbourne and returning with whatever the local farmers needed.

When Leigh decided to hand over the Isuzu to a neighbour, and it was time for him to pick a truck for himself to drive, it was an easy choice to purchase the Western Star 5800SS. As it would be the first truck that he could option up from scratch, Leigh was able to build a very impressive unit through dealing with the guys at Hartwigs.

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PROFILE The 5800 Western Star came with a Euro 5, Detroit DD13 EGR, rated at 450 hp for single work. With 1650 lb-ft torque at 1150-1600 rpm, it could easily meet the task of running to Melbourne and back each day with their 48-foot Vawdrey refrigerated curtainsider loaded to 45.5 ton under HML. With a spec that includes an Eaton UltraShift PLUS and running with Meritor axles and being covered by a five-year warranty, Leigh knew it would be just as reliable as the first truck that set up the business, and the Western Stars that subsequently joined the fleet.

As well as the standard features, Leigh’s Western Star comes with the WABCO anti-lock brake system (ABS) and traction control on all axles fitted with drum brakes. Drum brakes are fitted to everything in the fleet these days to give them the best results when operating in rural areas such as with constant runs onto dusty farms.

The dust and rough roads are further reasons that all their trucks come with JOST ballrace turntables, with the new unit getting a JOST JSK37C Z. JOST is also the choice for the landing legs and pins.

As the whole fleet runs with HML in Victoria, they use Right Weigh systems linked to the drive and trailer axle airbags. These are simple to use and give accurate axle weights so they know everything is compliant before heading out.

One of the benefits of the 5800 is that it already comes with a lot of impressive chrome, but, as the business needed a flagship truck, they opted to add a few extras.

Special additions include the Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, FUP Texas ‘Conway’ bumper from Kentweld in Ravenhall, and the custom-built toolbox plus airtank cover, with steps to match the diesel tanks, from Kyzer Kustoms in nearby Shepparton.

On the inside of the truck, Leigh also added a few extras like the Fresco 3000 cab cooler, Alpine stereo with integrated Bluetooth, the GME TX4500 UHF radio and, most importantly, a Uniden dashcam. As the trucks run down to Melbourne each day, a dashcam has become a must-have insurance policy for the drivers. Something I personally never leave the depot without either.

Leigh Rankin

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The new Detroit DD13 is giving great performance and is also a great truck to live with on a daily basis. In terms of fuel, with only 41,000 km on the clock Leigh is already seeing excellent fuel consumption at around 40.6 litres per 100 km (2.45 km/l), which compares extremely well to their other trucks in the fleet. The Western Star 4800 with a Detroit, runs at 46 litres per 100 km (2.17 km/l), whilst the other Western Star with the Caterpillar C13 runs around 49 litres per 100 km (2.04 km/l). Considering all three trucks run similar routes each day, the new truck is doing really well, and this is expected to improve further as the engine beds in.

All the trucks run on fully-synthetic Gulf Western lubricants, enabling the transmissions to go to 300,000 km between changes. With the Detroit engines, Leigh finds that 40,000 km drain intervals using fully-synthetic lubricants are without any issues, but has kept his older trucks with the Caterpillar and Cummins engines at 20,000 km oil drains, just to help them reach old age a little easier.

As with many small family businesses, the general maintenance is performed in-house, once a truck is out of warranty coverage, so being able to double the oil change intervals on the new Detroit’s is a real advantage.

For the tyres, Leigh again stays loyal with the suppliers that have served him well over the years. Numurkah Tyrepower has been there since day-one and always ready to help. As all the trucks run off-road on a regular basis, Leigh has found that Toyo tyres have stood up well. New tyres are purchased on the steers and drives, then, after a regroove, get placed on the trailers until run out. Other brands have been tested, such as the Michelin’s that arrived on the new Western Star, but Toyo has been the best performer all-round.

Rankin Transport has a solid base, with much of the equipment owned outright, and plans to continue to grow with its core customers that grow great produce for the Melbourne wholesalers. Leigh may start to look at PBS options to run with larger refrigerated trailers as customer volumes increase and as new ones come on board, but, needless to say, the Western Star will remain the truck of choice.

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PROFILE

VERSATILITY IN MOTION From livestock to general haulage, Betts Transport knows that success is based on service.

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P

eter Betts reckons that as far as having a hobby is concerned, he has yet to find one that fits the bill. Although he admits to being semi-retired these days, it seems that he hasn’t quite yet worked out the true definition of the word, preferring to still drive out on the highway when he feels like filling in on a trip.

“I think in this job you live it 24/7. That’s what it’s about. I don’t have sports like fishing or golf, I usually end up in the workshop at weekends,” said Peter.

“My wife kept saying that my trucks were my sport. We also have trucks working at weekends, so you have to be there with them and make sure that everything is okay.

We have a workshop at Tomago near Hexham and do 90 percent of our servicing, plus we have another smaller

VERSATILITY IN MOTION “When we decided to cease logging I thought seriously about what we should be doing next. I considered a motel, but that would have driven me nuts. When our son Christopher finished school he came and worked with us, and then with the start of the Sydney cross city tunnel he moved south and drove rigid tippers on that project.

“The next step was for Christopher and Daniel Bower to join forces with the founding of Betts Bower, specialising in heavy haul work with the mining industry in the Hunter Valley. Together they did a fantastic job building up the company. Then around 18 months ago, Chris decided to return home to the family base at Walcha. We were getting on in years and had to decide what we wanted to do with our side of the transport business.

“You have to have new equipment to keep competitive, and Christopher came into the family business as general manager. That enabled me to supposedly retire, but that’s something I have yet to come to terms with. I still love truck driving and I don’t seem to be doing any less work.

Perhaps the main change is that I can actually choose what I want to do these days.

“About seven years ago, Shane Carter, our fleet manager, asked why not get a stock crate? Having agreed with Shane that we should get one, I soon realised one was no good and needed some more.

“Jamie Craddock was our first driver on stock transport, and he remains with us today. We now have 11 stock crate configurations in either B-double or road train work, while Shane Carter looks after operations and running the general freight side of the business,” said Peter.

The Betts fleet hauling stock crates and general freight largely comprises of Kenworth prime movers with a couple of Western Stars hauling sheep crates. One of the Kenworths is a C509 designed more for heavy haul work that Chris brought with him when he left Betts Bower, while the remaining prime movers are T909s, all powered

by Cummins engines and rated at 600 hp.

“We like Kenworth and have a good relationship with Brown and Hurley, and we currently have a new T610 ready for delivery. We know the product and we like the product, running them also on general. The Western Star is 16 months old and is also working well on sheep crate work .The driver likes it with the extra room inside. The Detroit at 565 hp seems to be handling everything well on B-double work as well as doing a little two-trailer road train work,” said Peter.

workshop at Walcha, our home base. We also use Glen Artney Truck Repairs at Tamworth. If we need an A or B service completed they have a drivers’ room and good facilities there,” he added.

The Betts family originally got into transport as a logging contractor, with Peter’s father joining with two other brothers. By 1996 the family had moved away from logging and aimed its growth on highway running.

“We’ve stayed with manual Roadranger transmissions for the stock work, but for the on-highway general freight we have started moving to AMTs with the UltraShift PLUS fitted in K200 Aerodynes. We have a couple of T909s on general freight, but they are limited to only 32 pallets capacity, so we will move out of them to achieve greater productivity.

“Our stock crate fleet is a bit of a mixture. The first two were from Byrne at Wagga, and then we bought a Rhino stock crate from Toowoomba. We also have some PowerTorque ISSUE 78

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PROFILE Cannons Trailers from Crows Nest in Queensland. More recently we have purchased a new stainless steel stock crate combination, again from Byrne.

“There’s no weight saving from changing to stainless steel construction but the gain should be from it eliminating corrosion problems that you can encounter when using steel trailers.

“From a rust perspective it’s too early to tell, as we haven’t had them long enough. The Rhino crate is also going well.

We needed another set in a hurry, and they were able to supply quickly. It was specced up as a heavier weight unit for harsher conditions. They are good to use and could be specced in a lighter configuration,” added Peter.

In line with a common preference amongst livestock transporters, the preferred braking system in general use relies on load-proportioning valves rather than adopting EBS systems. The only exception to that is the latest stainless unit from Byrne, which was fitted from the outset with EBS. The standard axles in use with the fleet are supplied by BPW and are fitted with drum brakes, rather than moving to disc brake applications. The reasoning behind staying with drum brakes is largely historic, with memories of earlier disc brakes having smaller rotors that required replacement at shorter intervals than is the normal practice today. What Peter did find through experience was that, on extremely rough road conditions, the BPW drum brakes appeared to be more durable in service.

“With the normal run of the mill work on highway I think they (disc brakes) are pretty good. We have two stock crates with EBS and the driver is happy with it. I think it’s a sign of the times and we have them on Barker Tautliners for our general freight division, and we haven’t been aware of any problems with them,” said Peter.

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As Chris Betts explained: “Engine wise we have gone through EGR and ISXe5 alternatives, and the e5s are certainly better than the EGRs. We run trucks on New England and it certainly knocks your fuel economy down, but when on the highway work we get 1.6 to 1.89 on B-doubles, whereas the EGRs were returning 1.5 km/l.

The upgrade to e5s was a good move forwards.

“It’s difficult to put a good average fuel economy for comparison because the New England is a fuel-guzzling route. We judge most of our fuel economy from the general freight side of the business rather than livestock, as it is more predictable.

“We have a couple of e5s with the UltraShift PLUS AMT that have improved the fuel economy so far by 0.1 l/km.

From just under 1.8 and 1.76 now it’s up to 1.88, plus we are going to be trying a taller diff ratio at 3.9:1 as suggested by Cummins and Eaton.

“The UltraShift PLUS is such an improvement over the first autoshifts. Eaton is talking now about one that can have two programmes (in the gearbox control module), so that when it receives information from airbag sensors it can choose a different programme from laden to unladen application,” added Chris.

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PROFILE

POLES APART T

here are times when the future of a company depends on a total change of direction, and for two businesses located in Liverpool that change resulted in the merging of the talents of engineering company owner Chris Fermanis and roof tiler Chris Whicker to form a single entity called East Coast Scaffolding.

Times were changing within the construction industry and WorkCover requirements and OH&S (as it was known then) was driving that change. The two Chrises were starting to see the increased need for scaffolding on home construction projects, not just for multistorey dwellings but also for single-height constructions.

Prior to their amalgamation and the formation of the new company, Chris Fermanis was manufacturing roof rail components for the home construction industry. As a tradesman, specialising in tiling, Chris Whicker was critical of design shortcomings with some of the products available on the market. The result was a collaboration of their joint expertise to produce a better system.

To learn the full background to the foundation and development of East Coast Scaffolding, PowerTorque met up with Chris Whicker, East Coast Scaffolding’s general manager, and Chris Fermanis’s son Aaron, now installations manager and co-director for East Coast Scaffolding.

Armed with ideas for improving this section of the building industry, both of them set about creating a better, more user-friendly product, and for several years ran the roof rail business alongside the engineering business.

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“We knew nothing about scaffolding, but we learnt,” said Chris. “We were focusing on the safety rail side of things but saw an opportunity in combining the two systems, as up until that time companies were either dedicated to the safety rail or scaffolding. East Coast Scaffolding developed from an idea of starting a company that combined both the industry’s needs”.

POLES APART

It’s a long way from making safety rails to providing full scaffolding support for the building industry, but it’s proving to be the right route for East Coast Scaffolding.

Words and images by Warren Caves.

Chris explained that, “We soon outgrew those original premises, and the engineering business was sold off to focus on the expanding scaffolding and safety rail business. This expansion saw us move to our purposebuilt current Glendenning location in 2004”. East Coast Scaffolding now employs a total of 60 staff including drivers, warehouse, administration and site supervisors.

It was becoming apparent, that the subcontract vehicles they were using, being predominantly 6X4 trucks with around 9.0-tonne payloads, were becoming redundant for this type of work for East Coast. “We were seeing the contractors doing double turnarounds for the one job, with the second load being only a partial load, this was not cost effective for us or our contractors,” said Aaron.

Originally utilising subcontract transport hire that worked well for that time, the home building landscape was changing and the company saw a need to change as well, as Aaron explained, “We were seeing our pack sizes increasing mainly due to factors such as larger house sizes, more complex facades and builders demanding more scaffold on not only double-storey dwellings but single-storey work as well”.

This change in workload dynamics led to some number crunching and a final decision to purchase their own vehicle to cover the increased demand. After some initial scepticism and research, the decision was made to purchase the first DAF CF 75 in 8X4 configuration.

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PROFILE The first CF 75 was shortly afterwards inducted into the fleet on an 8X4 platform, the PACCAR 9.2-litre engine @ 360 hp provides power with optimum efficiency and SCR ensures Euro 5 compliance. The transmission is the ZF 12-speed AS Tronic One of the DAF trucks in the fleet utilises an Allison automatic transmission, which came about when the need for a new truck arose and a stock truck was purchased with this option – interestingly, the feedback from the drivers on the Allison transmission is very positive, “They love driving it,” said Aaron.

Also, part of the DAF’s appeal for East Coast was the low tare weight, in particular the light weight but strong chassis, with its flat pre-drilled design making the job of body fitment and Hiab installation a much easier process.

The rear-mounted Hiab Space 4000 crane takes care of the unloading task with a capacity of 1000 kg at 12 metres reach. The location of the crane to the rear of the chassis also benefits axle weight distribution, further maximising payloads.

With the first DAF ready for service, and Hiab crane installed, these new units were now capable of 13 tonnes payloads, an increase of 4 tonnes per load, which slated the new acquisition as an ideal transport solution for their operation.

Chris Whicker said, “We were a little dubious at first about our choice. However, this proved to be unnecessary doubt as the DAFs have worked out brilliantly for us, there have been no real reliability and maintenance issues and we are very pleased with the running costs”.

With the first truck in service for a while and an analysis of costs, it became clear this direction taken with regards to moving their own products was a viable one, so much

so that within six months of purchasing the first DAF, the second was on order. “The more DAF’s we bought, the more our cost of transport reduced,” said Aaron.

Five DAF 8X4 trucks in the same format now work within the East Coast fleet, four are owned by the company and the fifth is an ex-company truck purchased and now exclusively operated by a subcontractor for East Coast.

“The configuration we have chosen has worked so well for us that when we are ready to upgrade our equipment our contractors are lining up to buy them from us,” said Chris.

“Our trucks are averaging around four loads per day on Sydney metropolitan duties, which keeps them busy, and we have them on 10,000 km service intervals. We envisage that we will upgrade the trucks at around four to five years of age,” explained Aaron.

Finding drivers for their trucks has not been an issue for East Coast Scaffolding, as Aaron explained, “If we need new drivers we often offer our warehouse staff the opportunity to upgrade their licences, which we arrange for them and cover the costs. We find this gives them career advancement and variety of work, and in return we receive a happy and loyal driver”.

Ray Casley of Gilbert and Roach Huntingwood has looked after East Coast Scaffolding’s DAF purchases.

Ray suggested that for future purchases, if time permits, the truck could be purpose built from the factory in Holland. This is taking place right now, with the latest truck for East Coast arriving in Australia with the chassis tailored to suit the customer’s needs rather than having to get the original chassis extended once it arrives here, along with any other factory options. A small reduction in cost is an added benefit. This truck is due to arrive in August this year.

DAF Trucks have had mixed success here in Australia, loyalty to other brands by existing operators makes for tough sales targets. However, low tare weight and economical operating figures, for some, can’t be ignored.

Whilst I’m not sure you’ll see too many DAF trucks running in road train guise on the vast outback road network of Australia, there’s no denying that there is a place for them within metropolitan operations and intrastate/interstate highway work for those looking to see a vehicle purchase for what it is – a business equipment purchase for making profits.

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PROFILE

DREAM WEAVER

Put a challenge in front of yourself, and when you achieve that, you then find another challenge – Mick McCulloch.

T

here comes a time in your life when you become convinced that when something needs doing, it’s often easier to do it yourself.

For Mick McCulloch, that thought was very relevant when it came to truck servicing in the Tamworth area. The existing truck service outlets didn’t provide Mick with the opportunity to have trucks serviced on weekends, ready to be back on the road to start work on a Monday morning.

“Like so many in the transport business, I have often spent the week in a truck and at the weekend found myself underneath it, servicing everything from front to back,” said Mick.

“I had the idea that a good business could be created by offering 24-hour servicing over a weekend. A full truck service facility open 24 hours through every Saturday and Sunday was what the industry needed but didn’t necessarily get. It should be possible and relatively easy to drop the truck on a Friday afternoon, service it, wash it, and pick up ready for the new week.

“This level of service is ideal if the driver wants an A or B service or just a weekend off. There’s a lot of transport operation in and around Tamworth, plus the two abattoirs and the chicken industry. There’s also the sale yards for

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beef and lamb, making strong reasons why the Tamworth area can provide good business for truck operators”.

Mick McCulloch certainly knows this industry, having founded McCulloch Bulk Haulage and operating over 20 B-double combinations.

“Bulk haulage is the core part of our business. We celebrate our 30th birthday next year, and to get maximum utilisation out of your vehicles and your investment you have to keep them working.

“We have always done our own servicing, and as the company was growing we used to employ mechanics to work part time on Saturdays and Sundays. In the early days it was a case of me working with them at weekends.

We had a great nucleus of talent, but it was obviously difficult to give them continuity and to provide them with a long-term and regular employment future.

“About six years ago, when we were leasing a workshop at weekends, the opportunity arose to buy a local service business when the owner was retiring. When we took it over we were able to continue to employ good people on a regular basis and to see if we could make a go of being another transport operator that also provided service opportunities.

DREAM WEAVER

“With staff working four days on and two days off, that enabled the workshop to operate seven days a week. We were always going to build a new and larger workshop, but the size depended on how much work we thought we could attract from outside companies to make it viable.

“After much consultation between my wife and I we decided to go ahead with the concept of building a complete stand-alone, state-of-the-art service workshop as a totally separate business venture from McCulloch Transport. That was how we came to create Glen Artney Truck Repairs of Workshop Lane, Westdale, near Tamworth saleyards”.

“I’ve been a mechanic, driver, owner/driver, fleet operator and now workshop operator for over 40 years in the industry. In that time you’ve been in different workshops and you know what you want. I’ve always had the picture of the ideal workshop in my head, and we then decided to build what we now have to offer today. It’s been going since February and operates seven days a week, and through the full 24 hours every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We shall also be further expanding by opening a commercial truck wash by Christmas, which will feature a 30-minute drive-through operation for B-doubles.

“That’s basically how it came about. The name of Glen Artney Truck Repairs comes from the location originally being part of a property of the same name. Having a totally separate identity from McCulloch Transport keeps it on a more professional individual and independent basis.

It operates as a wholly stand-alone business.

“We handle all makes of vehicles and engines and have a Detroit specialist and a Cummins specialist on site, plus WABCO trained specialists in EBS and the entire latest trailer braking systems. We are Brown and Hurley service agents for OEMS and Kenworth training schools, which we can run in our own lecture room facility at the new location.

“We can handle European makes just as easily as North American, the point of difference from other outlets being that we are offering a different level of service in terms of workshop hours,” said Mick.

The facility at Glen Artney is certainly impressive, with plenty of space in the truck park and access to handle B-doubles and stock crates. With five 30 m bays, two of which feature 26 m pits, the workshop can handle all makes and combinations as well as complete servicing requirements for trailers. Additional features include a brake test unit, shaker and alloy wheel polisher, and Glen Artney is an officially sanctioned RMS certification station, employing four RMS certified examiners.

“For all of us at Glen Artney the focus is on the customer and we try to fix every problem. As we develop the business we will be looking at providing a truck rental operation in-house, which will also give support to operators having an engine rebuild while their own vehicle is off the road. But our number-one priority is to get the workshop running to maximum efficiency with the highest level of service,” added Mick.

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PROFILE When visiting the Glen Artney site it becomes obvious that it was designed from the ground up with the view of simplifying service and maintenance procedures. The 26 m pits built under the service bays are fully serviced with oil and grease supplies built in to the underground area, and tanks store the oil drains and other fluids before being collected for recycling where applicable.

Drivers are also well catered for through the inclusion of on-site bedrooms with TVs, washing machines and driers for their clothing ch Mick McCullo requirements and a lounge area for relaxing while their vehicles are being serviced. This motel-style accommodation is built to a high standard and provides a much-needed benefit to those spending their days on the road away from home.

The importance of energy sustainability has also been considered, with water being recycled and plenty of rainwater storage on site. Solar panels on the roof provide much of the power requirement and it’s the aim at Glen Artney to also become self-sufficient in its electricity generation and solar energy capture.

In designing and building Glen Artney the result has the obvious signs of input from the people that work in the facility to add their knowledge to the final outcome. At the end of the day, it’s the customers and the drivers that will experience the benefits of this close attention to detail and planning.

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YOU

SCANIA

REDUCE YOUR MAINTENANCE COSTS.

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.”

So contact your local branch to find out how a Scania Total Transport Solution can work for your business.

VICTORIA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Scania Campbellfield Tel: (03) 9217 3300

Scania Wingfield Tel: (08) 8406 0200

Scania Dandenong Tel: (03) 9217 3600

NEW SOUTH WALES

Scania Laverton Tel: (03) 9369 8666

Scania Prestons Tel: (02) 9825 7900 Scania Newcastle Tel: (02) 9825 7940

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 RSC Diesels, Cairns Tel: (07) 4054 5440

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500

FEATURE

CZECH-MATE

TATRA has a formidable reputation for trucks that go anywhere, anytime.

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CZECH-MATE

T

he mining and drilling industries of Western Australia have produced all types of requirements for vehicles that can spend their working lives operating in extreme conditions.

One make of truck that has fostered an enviable reputation for working in hostile conditions is TATRA. Manufactured in the Czech Republic, TATRA is largely unknown on the East Coast of Australia, but for those that follow European brands it has a high recognition factor, largely achieved by the success of the company in off-road competitive events such as the DAKAR Rally.

Service and support for TATRA products in the Australian market come under the domain of Offroad Trucks Australia, a privately-owned family business headed by managing director Larry Gill.

This year’s Brisbane Truck Show saw Larry Gill and his team display the next generation of TATRA products in advance of their introduction to Australia. With over 500 vehicles sold into the Australian market, it’s the specialist operators on the drilling and mining industry that are finding the big Czech meets all the design criteria with a broad range of options that even includes a choice as to the number of axles for each model.

“The original TATRA engine was an air-cooled V8 diesel, but some six or seven years ago we realised this was not going to match the requirements for Euro 6 emissions levels. The Euro 5 compliant air-cooled TATRA engine is currently available with 436 hp and 2100 Nm of torque, with the TATRA T815-2 and T815-7 models in short and long-wheelbase options and configurations of 4x4, 6x6, 8x8 and 10x10,” said Larry Gill.

“Several engine manufacturers were considered for the supply of a replacement driveline, including Navistar, Caterpillar and MTU, but the final choice was to link with DAF and PACCAR in order to fit the PACCAR MX13 engine. This is available now in two ratings, offering 450 hp and 2300 Nm of torque, and 510 hp with 2500 Nm of torque. Transmission options are now based on ZF together with Allison automatic transmissions.

The DAF cabin is also used in single, sleeper and crew options on the TATRA Phoenix.

“The ride comfort is fantastic, with independent suspension of axles, load-sharing options, variations of GVM and rearsteer axle groups. The latest configuration with the MX13 engine and driveline has now completed durability testing

by TATRA engineers over a total of 1.5 million kilometres on the company test track.

“In previous years we have been limited in terms of application by front axle weights of six tonnes. Now with West Australia increasing its steer-axle permitted weight limits to seven tonnes, and with 6.5 tonnes adopted by other states, it has opened up many more possibilities for the brand.

“Obviously we don’t compete with the highway trucks, as the TATRA products are very much specialist, purposebuilt vehicles for mining, logging in NZ and also now fertiliser spreaders as well as agitators. Tare weights remain in the region of 1.0 to 1.5 tonnes above a typical onhighway truck design.

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FEATURE “The alteration in permitted weights enables the TATRA brand to expand into new markets, with specific models available up to configurations such as 16x16 with a GVM of 92 tonnes. We can also offer rear-steering axles as well as taking advantage of maximum flotation when running offroad by fitting wide tyres for work in soft sand,” added Larry.

Although the 8x8 configuration TATRA model with a GVM of 52 tonnes on display was an early import in left-handdrive, future imports will be in right-hand-drive direct from the factory, with emissions options to conform to Euro 5 or Euro 6 levels. The same spec truck is also available in 10x10 format with a GVM of 62 tonnes.

The major feature of the TATRA design is the use of a central backbone tube that provides an exceptionally rigid frame, with the central tube and swinging half axles each featuring independent airbag suspension.

The design of half axle with the incorporation of independent suspension provides highly effective vibration absorption, greater flexibility on difficult off-road terrain and high off-road travel speeds through a wide variety of operating conditions. All drive axles feature cross and inter-axle differential lock capability.

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Offroad Trucks Australia has been representing TATRA now in Australia for 20 years and provides a full support service from its Perth location, backed by 25 additional service facilities throughout Australia. The TATRA brand itself has a history dating back over 120 years.

“In Perth, we carry 100 percent spare parts support for every truck sold in Australia, and we provide a 24/7 availability of parts supply and service,” said Larry Gill.

“We had a captured market in the mining industry, and now we start to expand into a larger market. Between DAF, TATRA and Paccar, we have come up with an amazing vehicle,” Larry added.

www.cummins.com.au ADEPT A4 Ad Final OL.indd 1

www.roadranger.com 17/2/17 3:41 pm

PROFILE

HISTORY IN THE MAKING Technology has not necessarily improved efficiency, and, for those with long memories, today’s experts could learn a lot from yesteryear – Chris Mullett.

B

efore we all got so terribly techno-efficient, preferring to stare at an iPhone than look someone in the face, people found it normal to communicate by talking to each other. The post took one day to arrive, rather than a week, voicemail didn’t exist, and newspapers contained news, rather than gossip.

On December 25th, 1938, H.W. Crouch Pty Ltd, the NSW distributors of Federal Motor Trucks, published Volume 4, Number 11 of the Federal News. This Christmas Day issue led on page one with the “Sylvan Beauty of Bathurst”.

Never mind that World War II was looming ever closer, the importers and distributors of Federal Trucks published Federal News on the 25th of each month to inform Federal Truck owners of news and progress as a service and courtesy, and it was therefore duty bound to publish on Christmas Day. The lead editorial feature on page two was titled “Federal Fleets Grow” and announced proudly the receipt of an order from Messrs. Lopez Bros. of Victoria Road, Gladesville, Sydney, for its eighth Federal Truck – this latest one being a two-tonner: 42

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HISTORY IN THE MAKING “In this particular instance, the first Federal Truck purchase was made as far back as July 1929. The second order came along in August 1935, and the third in April of the following year.

In 1937, Lopez Bros. purchased three more Federal Trucks, and this year (1938) they have purchased two. A fleet of eight Federal Trucks is a splendid advertisement for the enterprise and industriousness of the Lopez Bros”.

Based in Detroit, Michigan, the Federal Motor Truck Company manufactured its products between 1920 and 1959. Federal outsold Diamond T in 1927 and 1928, but thereafter lost the lead to its rival and never recovered, dropping sales to just 1300 units in the depression years before picking up during the war through US Defence Force purchases.

“An amazing tribute to the way the family looks after its assets, and, in particular, how Danny looks after his truck.”

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PROFILE In those days it was impressive to speak of truck engines managing to produce 90 hp at 3000 rpm from a 4.3-litre, six-cylinder hauling a GVM of 7.7 tonnes. But while the name of Federal Trucks is a passing memory, its staunch supporter at that time, Messrs. Lopez Bros., still exists today, hauling containers and general freight with its fleet from its base now in Enfield, and run by Phillip and Anne Lopez, joined in recent years by their son Ben. PowerTorque caught up with Phillip’s brother John Lopez and his son Danny on a winter Saturday morning, not to reminisce, but to discuss Danny’s 2007 Western Star 4800, the focus of attention for a photographic feature

by Steven Foster, who, as well as heading the MMMG graphic art team, is also acknowledged for the high quality of his creative photography.

John Lopez explained that the family had always been involved in trucks, and, with a history dating back to 1929, the link between those early days of the company and today is how the company maintained virtually its exact livery through nearly 90 years, complete with hand signwriting of the Lopez name and scroll work.

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“In those early days my uncle Felix started off doing general freight, and in the war years they used to cart the entertainment around for the soldiers. My uncle passed away when my father was just 15 years old, and even at that young age he then joined the company. In those days they used to do engine rebuilds at the side of the road and had a wide range of skills that nobody seems to possess today,” said John.

“When you look at the ways trucks were loaded in those days, the idea of load restraints was virtually unknown. The yard was in Gladesville, and as housing and shops encroached on the yard they restricted the available space to such an extent that the decision was made to move to Enfield, where the company remains based today,” John added.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING John still fills in occasionally for driving duties, but, predominantly, runs a property in Young, NSW. Meanwhile, his son Danny runs country NSW and occasional interstate runs mainly on drop-deck work hauling farm equipment.

With his 2007 registered Western Star 4800FXB, resplendent in the Lopez Bros. company livery, Danny has notched up over 1.4 million km without any major rework, with the exception of a new camshaft and followers.

Opening the door of the Western Star, now some 10 years old, gave a good indication why the truck with its Detroit Series 60 was performing so well. The interior could be considered to be as new, an amazing tribute to the way the family looks after its assets, and, in particular, how Danny looks after his truck.

The fleet totals some 12 vehicles, with 4 prime movers being Western Star for the longer haul work and UD for use around town hauling containers to and from the Sydney ports. The Western Stars have a variety of engines, including the Cat C13, the 12.7 Detroit and a DD13, and the 14-litre Detroit Series 60 in Danny’s truck.

Maintenance is handled in-house with the assistance of a mechanic. Oil is always BP, as John believes an engine benefits from the use of the same lubricants through its life.

“We’ve been with BP for over 20 years and we run our oil drain intervals at 15,000 km. The other benefit we have noticed is with the Eaton Auto Shift transmission. When we change the oil there’s never a hint of metal in the lubricant. We standardised on the automated manuals some years ago and it’s been an ideal choice,” said John.

“For tyre choice the Western Star 4800 runs Bridgestone 150s in 295/80R22.5 on the steer axle with Firestone 11R22.5s on the drive axle. The Firestones are performing well with tyre life of around 100,000 and 140,000-150,000 km on the steer tyres.

“In terms of fuel economy, we regularly get well over 2.0 km/litre, although some days running over the mountains if the weather is bad we may drop to 1.8 km/l with the drop-deck,” commented John.

“Danny has notched up over 1.4 million km without any major rework”

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PROFILE

CLEAN & GREEN IN THE WEST David Meredith interviews Mark Mazza of South West Express, Bunbury.

T

he first Scania Euro 5 fleet to operate in WA is now the first Scania Euro 6 fleet as well, with Bunbury’s South West Express (SWE) having just taken delivery of four G490 Scanias.

Destined for use in metropolitan and outer suburban work, the new G490s replace previous Scania R500s that had reached the company’s 5-year/750,000 km term of service.

For the regional distribution arm of the business, SWE owner Mark Mazza has been juggling with his selection of Scania horsepower for several years now, aiming for the best blend of performance and fuel efficiency.

The final selection to date has depended on how the Swedish manufacturer has introduced new models and shifted its ratings through time, enabling the business to experiment with various combinations.

Mark Mazza has trialled a selection of horsepower alternatives from 500 up to 620, and then bought a 560 on a run-out deal as a one-off replacement. In Mark’s view the 560 was better on fuel than the 500 it replaced, and the 620 had too much horsepower for the job, so he’s zeroed in on that configuration as the best allrounder for the multi-role tasks the business demands.

SWE’s all-white rigs bedecked with vibrant yellow logos and signwriting are a common sight on highways south of Perth. Anchored by a Woolworths contract, the

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company runs several configurations: 48-Pallet capacity B-double and dog, 36 to 46-pallet capacity road trains, 34-pallet capacity B-double, 32-pallet rigid truck and dog trailer, and 22 and 24-pallet semitrailers.

The fleet services population centres that have grown substantially in the past five years. However, an 8x4 rigid with an A and B trailer rig is not presently used due to an easing in demand.

Every business in WA has been affected by the mining slump, but the impact on Mark’s operation is a secondary one. He says that around 500 people are leaving WA each week as mining and construction work has thinned out, and that naturally impacts on grocery supply, hence the mothballing of the rigid plus A & B solution.

However, the public demand for fresh produce and supplies that are kept within ever-tightening use-by dates keeps the supply lines humming 24/7.

Mark is one of the first operators to sign full-service contracts for all his trucks. He opts for Scania’s Platinum level of support, which delivers bumper to end of chassis service and back up for the full term of ownership. Scania meets any towing expenses if a truck has a major failure, and although Mark has structured his fleet to allow for one truck to be in service at any time, Scania has helped out with a demo for a few

CLEAN AND GREEN IN THE WEST days on the rare occasion when an unexpected major mechanical failure grounded another unit.

Scania is required to fix an unscheduled breakdown in 24 hours. If it can’t, it pays SWE $500 a day until the truck is back on fleet. The cost per kilometre is calculated to reflect the rating of the truck, and the average kilometres travelled. It’s reviewed every three to six months to ensure the agreed kilometres are not excessive.

Mark’s average cost is around $1800/month per truck.

The newest G490s are 90-tonne rated and have a longer review period. They each cost $800/month. At the other end of the scale, an R620 rated at 130-tonnes costs $3600/month.

All the drivers need to do is daily checks and grease the turntables. There’s no climbing underneath to attend to grease nipples.

The contract is tendered each five years, and at each submission the technology level of the SWE truck fleet has played an important role in securing the ongoing business.

Mark’s Scanias have the highest level of telematics, safety and environment features available. Constantly pursuing the latest emissions standard has paid off in real terms.

Five of the SWE fleet trucks were coming up for their fiveyear limit when Scania introduced the Euro 6 option. With that on the table, there was never any point in persisting with Euro 5. All the new trucks have lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. Additional safety features include four-way camera systems to help the drivers in their constant loading bay work.

Mark’s general manager, Tim Keays, told me that every driver is trained by the Scania driver training team.

As a result of the level of servicing, the emissions technology of the trucks, and a close eye on quality of service, SWE has maintained the Woollies contract for secondary transport to what’s fondly termed the South West Region for 20 years.

“The 560 was better on fuel… the best all-rounder for the multi-role tasks the business demands.”

Mark Mazza

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PROFILE Highlighting the opportunity to reduce fuel costs is a key aspect of good training, but Scania’s fuel management engineering plays the biggest role here. Fleet statistics reveal that economies of 1.4 to 1.5 km/litre from five years ago are now running at around 2.0 km/litre on the same load profile – a serious saving. Drivers who use the driver training module on board are shaving a further 0.1 km/litre from the fuel bill.

In a straight comparison of Euro 5 vs. Euro 6, the new trucks are delivering additional fuel efficiencies of between 0.2 to 0.3 km/litre. At this stage the only major hiccup was an overheating issue on the Euro 5 620 hp units that were running up the Greenmount Hill, the major route heading east up into the hills from Perth.

Drivers experienced in the Scanias were holding the Opticruise transmissions in low and lugging the engine as they’d been taught, but when fully loaded the temperature got out of hand and the engines de-rated. The engines faired better when they selected a lower gear and got the coolant flowing faster through the engine block. Problem solved.

South West Express has a broad base of customers from fresh meat and chicken producers to the corner store and fast food industries. Major contracts include Woolworths Supermarkets and Meat division.

Recently, Mark has been able to optimise SWE fleet utilisation with the addition of a backloading contract for refrigerated freight back to Perth.

Dual loading efficiencies are always attractive to both customers and the operator, and the opportunity to maximise the economic use of his extensive freezer fleet has allowed him to pass on savings to his customers.

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Critical to that service has been the configuration of his fleet of trailers. Half of Mark’s fleet of 46 freezer trailers are multi-temp three-zone units that allow independent temperature control in each zone. There is one chiller unit mounted conventionally at the front, but it channels refrigerant through three separate distributors. Depending on the load manifest, each trailer can have a freezer section, a chiller section and a section at ambient temperature, or just cool.

All Mark’s trailers are built by FTE in Dandenong and 95 percent are road train capable. He admires the build quality and prefers the integrated all-fibreglass construction rather than huck-bolted panels. Thermal qualities and ease of repair have proved to be outstanding.

Following the trend to adopt maximum safety features means the latest versions are now fitted with side underrun protection as well.

The longest rig currently in use is a B-double and dog combination that runs out to the 38.5-metre limit.

Renault MASTER

Always delivers

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15/03/2016 2:33 pm

FEATURE

EUROCENTRIC IVECO’s Eurocargo brings cleaner and greener credits to the medium-duty market – Report by Brenton O’Connor.

O

ne thing is for sure – the new Euro 6 version of IVECO’s Eurocargo medium-duty range of trucks is a very smart looking piece of machinery. The revised grille of the updated Euro 6 model, along with standard fit LED daytime running lights as part of the headlights, further adds to the visual appeal in an otherwise crowded segment.

The Eurocargo has occupied a unique place in the medium-duty truck market in Australia over a number years, taking one of the key pillars of the Japanese truck manifesto (pricing) and the strong point of differentiation of the European medium truck offerings from the likes of MAN, Mercedes-Benz and Scania – namely driver comfort and safety. So, with Japanese-like pricing and European levels of comfort, IVECO has had a strong tool with which to hit the market. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want European levels of driver comfort (and not to mention safety) along with the pricing advantage the Japanese offerings have typically had over their European counterparts?

The standard warranty offering from IVECO on the Eurocargo is three years/250,000 km, which is pretty standard across the industry in this class of truck. However, a nice touch from IVECO is the option to extend that warranty (with an additional cost), out to five years and 500,000 km.

This would be an ideal choice for most (new) truck owners, as, generally, the majority of operators can own the truck over its five-year finance term, along with the added peace of mind of warranty throughout that period.

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EUROCENTRIC

Whilst 500,000 km may not sound a lot for a busy truck, given the type of working life of this class of truck, which typically carries out metro distribution and regional deliveries, it provides a solid foundation for any business decision. Another nice touch for owners is IVECO’s range of fixed-price maintenance plans on offer. This appeals to owner/drivers and large fleets alike, as they can fully factor in the cost of maintenance across the life of the truck, without hidden surprises!

A popular role for operators purchasing this class of truck is for the transportation of boats, caravans and water tanks across the continent. Due to the limited size of the bunks in the Japanese variants, the European counterparts with their full-size bunks, high-roof options and other creature comforts stand out for this type of work.

There is a drawback in that the ML180 is not classified to tow a trailer unless engineering approval is obtained from IVECO, because there is no general GCM rating currently applicable to the driveline. Unless this approval is obtained from the manufacturer, it precludes the ML180 from being considered for towing a pig or dog trailer, which many operations would consider to be essential for cross-continental transport of this type of freight.

The constraint on towing is influenced by the driveline weight rating of the ZF nine-speed synchromesh manual, and Allison’s 3000-Series five-speed automatic. Currently, this area is dominated by Mercedes’ Atego and MAN’s TGM. However, according to the Eurocargo product manager, Paul Hunt, IVECO is currently working on a new automated manual transmission offering from ZF, which will solve this problem and allow IVECO into this important market.

IVECO has managed what many other companies achieved when moving to Euro 6 emissions technology – they have got there without EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation).

EGR was almost a swear word for many operators, particularly in the early days of the new emissions technologies, with overheating problems, cracked heads, and increased fuel consumption. Instead, IVECO has made the move to Euro 6 by its HI-SCR system, which combines SCR (AdBlue) and a passive DPF (diesel particulate filter).

No doubt this will be a winner with operators, as most of the competitors have had to employ all three methods of emission reduction, namely SCR, DPF and EGR, to meet the reduced levels of emissions and particulate matter stipulated by the Euro 6 regulations. It is worth noting, however, IVECO will continue to offer the Euro 5 variant in tandem to the Euro 6 enabling customers to choose their preference.

Upon opening the door of the Eurocargo and ascending the steps to the cabin, it’s immediately obvious that this truck has the best entry into a cab of any medium-duty truck on the market. The steps are wide, with good tread to reduce slippage, along with a high level of cascading, making each step easily visible when entering and exiting the cab. The grab handles are well placed, and, simply, this truck is outstanding to get in and out of. In a world where ease of operation and driver safety is paramount, the IVECO is likely to be a huge success.

“It’s immediately obvious that this truck has the best entry into a cab of any medium-duty truck on the market” PowerTorque ISSUE 78

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FEATURE

common-rail, electronic injection with turbocharging, and in the ML180 it produces 206 kW (280 hp) and 1000 Nm of torque. Dependent on the application, extended oil drain intervals of up to 80,000 km form part of the recommended service schedule.

As noted earlier, the gearshift is light and positive. What is a standout is the clutch operation, which would have to be one of the nicest clutches to use in the market, due to its incremental application and its light pedal weight.

Once in the ISRI air ride driver’s seat, the driver is greeted with a smart, modern looking interior. To adjust the steering column, a lever has to be pulled to the right of the steering column to release it – this lever is very stiff and not easy to operate. During the course of the test drive, the handle actually fell off completely and was found rattling around in the foot well.

The ZF nine-speed manual shift lever is dash mounted, and whilst it’s a good use of space, and makes it easier to move from the driver’s seat into the bunk area, a floor-mounted shift lever is much easier and more comfortable to use.

Driving the IVECO is by all measures a pleasant activity.

The noise levels are particularly low, and the new TECTOR 7 engine performs well, with minimal fuss. This 6.7-litre, 24-valve, six-cylinder features high-pressure, 52

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The Eurocargo tested was fitted with the optional ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LDW (Lane Departure Warning). To be honest, lane departure warning systems can be quite frustrating and typically result in the operator switching them off. The ACC is a very welcome addition and makes the driving experience much easier as the truck keeps an operator-set, pre-determined distance from the vehicle in front. If that gap reduces, the exhaust brake comes on and the truck will operate the service brake as required to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.

Out on the road, the Eurocargo makes its progress easily, with the engine making light work of the load, aided substantially by the wide torque band that keeps gear changes to a minimum.

One apparent problem on extended driving period is the amount of space available in the foot well for the drivers left foot. It would benefit the driver if IVECO could carve a bit more space out of the engine tunnel that intrudes into the area available for the driver’s left foot.

EUROCENTRIC Out on the highway, the ride is somewhat firm. However, it’s not unpleasant to sit in, with the ISRI seat with its many adjustable positions and heating function making the operator comfortable. One frustration was with the heating and cooling system. Due to the ambient temperature of 15 degrees C outside, some slight cab heating was required. However, this was difficult to achieve, as, when moving the rotary heater dial, it wasn’t possible to regulate the heat setting, even one ‘notch’ on the dial changed from either cold or hot, rather than being able to incrementally increase the cab temperature – this become quite frustrating over extended distances.

Overall, the IVECO Eurocargo is an impressive package, and with its smart looks it will appeal to drivers and

owners alike. The biggest advantage IVECO is going to have in a highly competitive market segment is the ability to offer similar pricing to the Japanese, alongside European levels of comfort and safety. With both these attributes combined, it improves the chances of the Eurocargo becoming a winner for IVECO in this country.

Positives: Euro 6 without EGR, best cab access on the market (in class), ease of access to daily checks through grill and transparent fluid reservoirs.

Negatives: No GCM available with current trans offerings, harsh ride, left foot room is limited due to engine tunnel interference.

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FEATURE

CUMMINS ROARS INTO EURO 6

Whether you want 12 or 15-litre efficiency, Cummins has you covered.

E

ngine technology continues to leap forwards with every year as research and development programmes produce better ways to reduce emissions.

Much of the credit should be attributed to the SuperTruck initiatives developed by President Obama, which encouraged manufacturers to strive for further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions produced by North American vehicle manufacturers.

The Europeans have also stepped in great strides along the path towards reduced emissions, with MAN, Mercedes-Benz and Scania all now actively promoting the benefits of Euro 6 in the Australian market.

Now it’s the turn of American engine manufacturer, Cummins, to join the greener community as it launches its latest Euro 6 compliant X12 and X15 engines with the design aim of being EGR-free for the next round of emissions regulations.

The X12, which uses SCR/AdBlue technology for Euro 6, is the next-generation evolution of a 12-litre Cummins platform that is already proven in applications worldwide as the ISG. The Euro 5 version of the 12-litre Cummins has been on test in Australia since early 2015 rated at 500 hp and 1700 lb-ft of torque, achieving the highest power-to-weight ratio of any engine in the 10-to-16-litre class.

“The results of the field test have exceeded all expectations,” says Mike Fowler, director of engine business for Cummins South Pacific. “As industry and government shift their focus to energy productivity, the X12 hits the target”.

The innovative architecture of the X12 results in a remarkably low engine weight of just over 900 kg achieved through a sculptured block design and the use of high-strength composite materials.

The X12 incorporates Cummins’ XPI (Extreme Pressure Injection) common-rail fuel system, derived from the X15. Generating injection pressures in excess of 30,000 psi, the XPI system improves combustion and fuel economy, reduces noise and enables fast response at low rpm. A standard wastegate turbocharger is also used.

The use of a rear geartrain contributes to overall engine refinement by reducing vibration and lowering noise.

The X12 offers enhanced fuel efficiency through technology that reduces parasitic power loss caused by ancillary equipment, such as water pumps, oil pumps and fan assemblies. Its single cam in-head design with roller valve train and high-efficiency intake ports continues the design theme of minimum complexity and maximum efficiency.

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CUMMINS ROARS INTO EURO 6

Cummins’ expertise in aftertreatment solutions is demonstrated in the new high-performance ‘Compact Box’ for the X12 Euro 6 that integrates the SCR system and diesel particulate filter (DPF) and is considerably smaller than the most compact Euro 6 systems already on the market.

Optimised catalysts and advanced urea dosing achieve higher NOx conversion rates and further improve fuel efficiency.

Cummins has also confirmed its Euro 6 emissions compliance for the X15, which, like the X12, continues to use SCR/AdBlue technology for Euro 6 along with the addition of Cummins’ new ‘Single Module’ aftertreatment system.

“The Euro 6 engine does not require a combination of EGR and SCR,” confirms Mike Fowler, Cummins South Pacific’s director of engine business.

Although Australia has yet to mandate the introduction of Euro 6, Cummins and its three comparable European competitors are able to provide their customers with the confidence that they can now future-proof their purchase decisions.

They can also protect their ongoing resale values and benefit from improved fuel economy and lower AdBlue usage to reduce total cost of operation while benefiting the environment.

“Our EGR-free Euro 6 platform is the right technology in that it builds on the attributes of our Euro 5 X15 engine while continuing to emphasise simplicity – the critical ingredient in the recipe for reliability and durability, the foremost requirement of our customers,” said Mike.

“In fact, the X15 Euro 6 differs very little in architecture to our Euro 5 engine,” he adds. “For example, a simple wastegate turbocharger is used along with Cummins’ well-proven XPI common-rail fuel system.

“Significantly, there will be fuel economy gains with the X15 Euro 6 due to optimised ratings and further improvements to powertrain integration including the use of new predictive technologies”.

He points out that additional efficiencies have been gained throughout the Euro 6 engine by minimising friction losses in the gear train, lube system and power cylinder.

Exhaust aftertreatment for the X15 Euro 6 features Cummins’ new ‘Single Module’ technology – a onepiece design that integrates both the SCR system and diesel particulate filter (DPF) and is up to 40 Percent lighter and 60 Percent smaller compared with existing multi-module systems.

The smaller size enables better heat management and retention for improved fuel economy capability, while the simple single-pass exhaust flow design delivers low backpressure. The single module design also results in a more robust and reliable aftertreatment system.

While peak outputs for the X15 Euro 6 have yet to be confirmed, Mike Fowler has confirmed to PowerTorque there will be a broad range of ratings.

“A specific set of ratings will be for matching with automated transmissions to enable engine downspeeding for fuel economy optimisation, while another set of ratings will be for higher GCM applications or manual transmissions where performance is critical,” he said.

“An extensive field test programme for our Euro 6 product will begin later this year. We will have a significant number of trucks involved in the programme in a variety of duty cycles, from single trailer to road train,” added Mike.

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FEATURE

TYRE TORQUE

Falken makes its move into truck and bus tyre supply

T

he world’s sixth largest tyre manufacturer, Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), cemented its own future in the Australian market back in March 2015 as the result of the purchase of local tyre distribution companies Transport Tyre Sales (TTS) and Summit Tyres Australia.

With 11 global tyre manufacturing facilities, SRI produces tyres for passenger cars, light trucks, trucks and buses, motorcycles and agricultural machinery. Sumitomo Rubber Australia (SRAU) is the local subsidiary and manages three brands – Falken, Sumitomo Tyres and Ohtsu.

With its head office based in Chipping Norton, Sydney, the new company of Sumitomo Rubber Australia Pty Ltd (SRAU) was founded to oversee the importation of its performance car, SUV, 4WD and truck tyres that are marketed under the Sumitomo, Ohtsu and Falken brands. Previously, Falken products had been distributed independently by Transport Tyre Sales, a division of Haulmark Trailers.

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As the Falken name has gained recognition in the passenger car and performance car segments, the company has recently announced a new range of Falken truck tyres, including the release of a selection of large and small/medium truck tyres for highway regional/ interstate and mixed on/off-road applications.

“We’re excited to be reintroducing ourselves to the Australian trucking industry with no less than 24 truck tyres changes – and we have more in the pipeline,” announced Ken Furuhama, managing director of SRAU. “Whilst we designed the new products with abrasive Australian roads in mind, the take-up of some products has been impressive, with BI850 being the standout,” said Mick Small, SRAU’s technical service manager.

TYRE TORQUE “Tipper/dog and livestock operators have quickly adopted it, with great results coming from the 22.2 mm deep open traction pattern and mild cut/chip resistant compound”.

To further validate the new tyre range, SRAU has conducted extensive testing in Australian conditions with fleets.

“Falken and Sumitomo tyres have always performed well in our tipper and dog operations,” explained Paul Gates of Illawarra, NSW-based Gates Haulage.

“We have been running the new Falken BI850 drive tyre for over six months now. Basically, they’ve become the standard fitment for all of our PBS combinations,” Mr. Gates added.

Mount Gambier-based Raymond Scott Transport also commented on the results Falken tyres have been producing, as explained by managing director Ray Scott: “The Falken RI128 super single steer gets much better life, with a sharper price point, so it is much more competitive than the major brands we’ve run in the past. What’s most impressive is that all Falken truck tyres are made in Japan, so you’re buying top quality,” said Mr. Scott.

The two new steer tyre patterns are also suitable for multi-position fitment and are the RI151 in six sizes – 295/80R22.5, 265/70R19.5, 225/70R19.5, 235/75R17.5, 215/75R17.5 and 205/75R17.5.

Also available is the RI150 in size 255/70R22.5 to suit medium trucks and drop-deck trailers.

The BI851 drive tyre has two pattern designs and four sizes.

The 295/80R22.5 line-haul drive has a six-block pattern, while the narrower 205/75R17.5 and 215/75R17.5 delivery truck sizes, and 235/75R17.5 have a five-block pattern.

The BI850 deep traction drive tyre has been introduced in the most common 11R22.5 size. The BI877 is a four-block traction design for popular mid-sized trucks running tyre size 225/70R19.5.

In mixed on and off-road applications Falken has extended its product range for the construction and mining industries with new mixed service and off-road tyres now available. The GI388 is an all-position tyre, suitable for steer, drive and trailer, with deep cut resistant tread and offered in sizes 315/80R22.5 and 11R22.5.

The key new products in the Falken truck tyre range include tread patterns designed for highway, regional and interstate use.

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PROFILE

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here’s an expectation that by the very nature of bitumen being black and sticky, the trucks that carry this commodity are going to find it hard to keep up appearances.

“With recently commissioned mobile and static manufacturing facilities we have the ability to modify bitumen into many forms including emulsions and PMB’s in any part of the state” said Chris Paton of Bitutek.

That’s certainly not the case with the Bitutek fleet, as, although the company is completely focused on providing the highest grade of bitumen, it’s also focused on fleet maintenance and presentation.

Unlike most other forms of road transport, bitumen tankers need to be heated, and good temperature management is a critical part of the expertise required by the transport operator.

Bitumen is actually the liquid binder that holds together the asphalt used in road making. A bitumen-sealed road is therefore one that has a layer of bitumen sprayed and then covered with an aggregate. Other uses for bitumen include its use to waterproof products such as roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs.

The size of Western Australia is just one of the factors that affect bitumen distribution,” said Chris.

For Bitutek, the three avenues for its business cover the supply, delivery and transportation of bitumen to asphalt companies around the state, contracting to apply the bitumen on the road, and, more recently, that of manufacturing.

To give an idea of the distances travelled while hauling and heating the bitumen load, Bitutek currently has crews working near Kununurra, a distance of 3500 km each way that necessitates a seven-day road trip. And when the load has been supplied, the return trip back to base can only be completed without the financial benefit of being able to collect a back load.

Having the right equipment and maintaining it in top condition is also a prerequisite, as the specialist nature of the trucks and trailers means that a replacement is not just a simple exercise of ringing the nearest rental fleet.

SEALING THE DEAL

It’s all things bitumen for Bitutek of Perth

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SEALING THE DEAL “Bitumen sprayers and aggregate precoaters are equipment that you can’t rent or lease to make up numbers. It’s all special tools for the trade and that’s why we tend to keep to our own workshops,” said Chris Paton.

The fleet of bitumen tankers operated by Bitutek is predominantly comprised of Holmwood Highgate units manufactured in Melbourne.

German manufacturer MAN provides the majority of prime movers and rigid trucks that operate in the Bitutek fleet, with TGX prime movers powered by the 540 hp MAN engine and seven TGS 6x4 rigids working as aggregate spreaders with tipper bodies.

With its 560 hp Euro 6 compliant diesel, this 15.2-litre, six-cylinder in-line D38 shares the same basic design and high-tensile materials with the D20/D26 engines, and is therefore built around a design that has proved itself over millions of kilometres. This includes the use of cast iron with vermicular graphite (GJV450) for the engine block and the cylinder head, and the solid basic geometry of the engine and the crankshaft main bearing. The use of weight-saving materials has meant an overall reduction of 160 kg, compared to the previous engine.

The latest addition to the fleet is the first MAN D38 sold in Western Australia. Supplied to Bitutek through Scott Hall, product manager for Penske Power Systems at Hazelmere, this unit is also the first D38 registered for triple road train work.

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PROFILE

At the time of its launch, MAN engineers claimed that comparative trials would show that the D38 with 560 hp and Euro 6 emissions standard uses up to 3.0 percent less fuel than an equivalent Euro 5 engine with 540 hp – at the same time providing 200 Nm of extra torque.

And that’s not the only saving – MAN is stating that AdBlue use with the D38 running at Euro 6 compliance is down by 60 percent compared with the Euro 5 version.

That sort of saving really sticks it to those manufacturers that are currently avoiding introducing Euro 6 on the grounds it adds too much cost into the equation.

Measuring claims of improved fuel economy always makes for a spirited discussion, primarily as all operators know that a driver can influence fuel economy more than the best improvement achieved by the engineers.

But right now there’s a strong interest level amongst different fleets that centres on whether Euro 6 brings with it substantial savings in fuel consumption, or whether the greater levels of technology actually have the reverse affect, increasing the cost when purchasing the engine to pay for the technology but not delivering on the promise.

It’s this claim of better fuel economy that brings us to compare the D38 at 560 hp with the existing 540 hp TGX models already serving in the Bitutek fleet.

“When it comes to fuel consumption, the two MAN 540s are returning a lot better fuel economy than the Cummins and other engines,” said Chris Paton.

“The 540s do a round trip from Perth to Port Hedland and back, running laden one way. The Western Stars and Kenworths are returning 1.7 km/l, while the MANs are returning figures into the 2.5s. That’s about $800 per trip saving on fuel costs.

“The new MAN is returning good fuel but it is still early to consider hard numbers. As the first MAN D38 in WA rated for triple work, a typical GCM would be up around the 79 tonnes mark as a double, and with three trailers at 115 tonnes.

“We have been with MAN product since 2006. When we first got them they were promoting the 50,000 km service intervals and we questioned whether that was practical.

That said, the very first MAN we bought back in 2006 is still in the fleet today, without any mechanical concerns. In recent years it has been modified from being a prime mover to a six-wheel spreader truck with a tipper body,” said Chris.

Other MANs in the fleet include seven TGS 440 hp aggregate spreaders with tipper bodies. These work alongside four Western Stars and two Kenworth K200s, a Scania and Volvo, plus four DAF CF85s, two MercedesBenz and Volvo, UD and Isuzu models.

“Initially we were dubious about that 50,000 km length of service interval, as although the vehicle itself may not exceed 100 km each day, it may be running at idle for anything up to 12 hours a day for the power take-off to drive the bitumen pumps. Our service schedules also take into account engine operating hours.

“Our MAN tippers also have long service intervals. There are no grease nipples on the truck, the king pins have set-in bearings, so there’s much less incidence of front tyre wear. There’s no room for things to go wrong from someone not having greased it. When you look at it that way, there’s a considerable saving.

“The D38 takes service intervals out further, working on the premise that the engine completes its own self analysis and tells the driver when it recommends it is ready for an oil drain interval,” added Chris.

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SEALING THE DEAL

The engine gives its maximum torque from 930 rpm to 1350 rpm. This engine characteristic enables low engine

speed and economical driving with high drive ratios to be achieved at motorway speeds. This also means that high gears can be engaged for longer when negotiating slopes without the need to change down.

The MAN D3876 features a third-generation common-rail system that injects fuel into the cylinders at up to 2500 bar, thereby achieving finer atomisation of the fuel. The system enables the injection to be precisely configured with pre-, main- and post-injection. The combustion reaches a particularly high degree of efficiency, which is critical for low consumption. Additionally, the combustion produces particularly low particulate levels.

ADVANCED PERFORMANCE &

LEADING TECHNOLOGY.

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BRAKE SHOES • Reduced wear rates

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• Reduced replacement cycles • Cleaner technology

• Comprehensive range across most applications

• Comprehensive range across most applications

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City Traffic

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BRAKE LININGS

• Improved surface technology

Highway

“Performance “

Amidst all this technology there are some interesting engineering differences between the D38 and its predecessor. The D38 uses two-stage exhaust turbocharging with intermediate cooling. The turbocharging system comprises two differently sized exhaust-gas turbochargers connected in series. The smaller, highpressure charger responds even at low engine speeds. As engine speeds and loads increase, it receives more and more assistance from the larger, low-pressure charger. If a high level of output is required of the engine, the lowpressure charger takes on the majority of the pressurisation.

Long Haul

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FEATURE

CHANGING OF THE GUARD E

x-president George W. Bush reportedly said that the French didn’t have a suitable word for entrepreneur. Had he thought a little more about that comment and talked to fellow American Roger Penske, he would undoubtedly have come away from the conversation a little wiser and much more aware of what that one word can mean in today’s world of business.

Penske Power Systems consolidates its options to grow its future – Words and images by Chris Mullett.

The Penske Automotive group operates 359 retail automotive franchises representing 41 brands and 26-collision repair centres throughout the United States, Canada and Western Europe, and distributes commercial vehicles, diesel engines, gas engines, power systems and related parts and services in Australia and New Zealand. The Penske Truck Rental fleet numbers over 255,000 vehicles, and in total the group employs over 25,000 personnel worldwide.

I can claim to have started my interest in cars in much the same way as Roger Penske, as a teenager buying cheap, slightly tatty vehicles, repairing and refurbishing them and selling them on, hopefully for a modest profit. That similarity with Mr. Penske obviously didn’t extend quite the same, given that he appears to have been slightly more successful. We are, however, both still in full-time work, with Mr. Penske somewhat ahead of me in both experience and profit as he notches past 80 years of age.

Mr. Penske’s first association with the Australian heavy trucking market can probably be linked back to his ownership of Detroit Diesel, bought from Roger Smith, then chairman of General Motors as the company was launching its Series 60 engine range. From a dysfunctional business in a state of disarray, Mr. Penske turned the business around, preparing Detroit Diesel for its next expansion as a member of the Daimler Empire, which retains its ownership today.

Undoubtedly the perfect definition of an entrepreneur, Mr. Penske has built his business on the background of his love for motor racing, both behind the wheel and owning professional race teams. With interests in NASCAR and INDYCAR Series Racing in the US, for Australia that translates to the Shell V-Power racing team of Fabian Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin with team founder Dick Johnson.

The point of explaining the history is that the name Penske is now forging its own identity in the Australian market, appearing as Penske Transport Group International with Penske Power Systems and Penske Commercial Vehicles for the distribution of Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck and Bus and Dennis Eagle Trucks, MTU Detroit, Allison Transmission and Penske Truck Rental and leasing operations.

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“Consolidation of the sales and support services for the three truck brands” PowerTorque ISSUE 78

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

“It’s difficult not to be impressed by the diversity of the work carried out by the technicians”

The national distribution network of MTU Detroit Diesel has now rebranded to Penske Power Systems. This move has led to what is a natural progression for the group, that of the consolidation of the sales and support services for the three truck brands, building on the facilities and expertise already held within the personnel at the various locations across Australia.

Having control of one’s own destiny means being able to standardise on levels of customer service and customer expectations. There are now six Penske Power Systems locations that are full line sales, service and parts outlets (Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Darwin, Townsville and Mackay), having replaced the original network of independently owned dealerships and the Penske owned Brisbane Truck Centre. There are two additional parts and service outlets at Kalgoorlie and Cairns.

Penske Power Systems currently has 16 branches, 9 field offices and more than 70 dealers across Australia and New Zealand. This growth is very much a logical progression, bringing all the brands under one collective roof and consolidating the revenue and investment in the various brands, without diversifying into alternate independent groups for distribution.

The Hazelmere, Perth, WA, location is the fifth Penske Power Systems branch over the past six months to assume the full retail sales, service and parts capabilities. The Hazelmere location preceded the Chipping Norton facility, which was also appointed as Penske Commercial Vehicles dealer in June.

These dealer transitions will ensure that Penske Commercial Vehicles can deliver on its ‘customers first’ philosophy, allowing Penske Commercial Vehicles to leverage the extensive Penske Power Systems network.

PowerTorque recently visited the Hazelmere branch, which is genuinely a state‐of‐the‐art, custom‐built 2 facility featuring a 6720 m workshop that houses 26 truck bays, along with a bespoke engine, transmission and truck testing facility with full chassis dynamometer capability. The facility is also the distribution centre 2 for parts across Western Australia, with a 2500 m warehouse and in excess of 9000 lines of inventory, available 24/7, in support of Penske customers.

Kevin Dennis, managing director of Penske Commercial Vehicles, is an old acquaintance of PowerTorque, having done his time originally with Detroit Diesel based in the US before returning to management roles in Australia.

“The customer is at the heart of everything we do. The Penske Power Systems branches nationally have well‐ earned reputations for delivering superior customer service and workmanship,” said Kevin.

“We have world‐class trucks in Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus and Dennis Eagle, and our philosophy is to provide world‐class service to our customers. What better way to deliver on that than through leveraging our own Penske network?” he added.

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FEATURE It’s one thing to strip down a Detroit Series 60 or 15-litre, but it’s a whole new world when you are stripping down a massive MTU Series 4000 from a colossal mining dump truck or one of the six MTU engines from an ANZAC Class Frigate or Armadale Class Patrol Boat. The Austal company shipbuilding facility and defence prime contractor is also a major user of MTU marine engines.

There’s also a consistent reminder of the scale of service support necessary to provide peace of mind to operators in Port Hedland, the Pilbara or more remote regions.

During PowerTorque’s visit to Hazelmere we caught up with Leigh Henderson, state manager for Western Australia.

Leigh explained some of the extent of the diversity of the Hazelmere branch, which, in addition to taking on the representation of the truck brands, already had a wide portfolio of responsibilities.

“The Hazelmere site has been in operation since 2010, when it replaced the previous MTU Detroit Diesel Australia site at Bassendean. In a nutshell, we represent and support six key brands, including MTU. We employ 130 personnel, two thirds of whom are technical and mechanical,” said Leigh.

“We expanded to 26 service bays, complete with drivethrough and pit installations and wash bays, added extra heavy lifting equipment and remodelled our parts and service support. In August we will be adding a full Penske Truck Rental and Leasing operation.

“We also extended our operating hours to a twin shift system through the week from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with full service and parts availability also on Saturday mornings, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. These hours are constantly under review and can be expanded to suit customer preference,” said Leigh.

Walking through the dealership it’s difficult not to be impressed by the diversity of the work carried out by the technicians.

Below: Leigh Henderson and the sales team at Hazelmere.

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Remote area service and customer support brings with it a unique set of disciplines, such as the need to provide fly-in/fly-out technicians throughout the state that covers an area that is one third that of Australia.

Mining is an extensive operation, and at current estimates there are over 300 MTU engines operating in the Pilbara.

Currently underway is a major repowering operation for mining dump trucks, with MTU replacement engines. The benefits to the operator are increased engine longevity and durability, plus reduced fuel consumption.

This diversity of service and support requirements also extends to the maintenance of stationary engines. This corporate synergy may find a MTU engine mounted on a MAN 8x8-drilling rig, bringing the benefits of both brands together for the operator.

Critical assets are also vital to local requirements such as stand-by generator systems to power hospitals, or oil and gas drilling rig platforms. Further examples include the Crown Entertainment Complex in Perth, which relies on MTU stationary engines to power its emergency generator back-up systems.

Even to the casual onlooker, the tactical and logistical benefits of combining the attributes of the different brands represented by Penske Power Systems under one roof make economic and efficient sense. As the consolidation continues, it can only further strengthen the overall brand and customer benefits.

5 year warranty now standard. no japanese truck can match it.

Fuso. all day.

YEAR

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Fuso is the first and only Japanese truck with a full 5 year warranty as standard on every new truck and Rosa bus. That’s a genuine manufacturer’s warranty, so you’re guaranteed genuine Fuso parts and service from an authorised Fuso dealer.

Contact your Fuso dealer or visit fuso.com.au Warranty terms and conditions apply. See an authorised Fuso dealer or our warranty policy at www.fuso.com.au/service for full details.

FEATURE

STR

G N I K L A T T H AIG

Mercedes-Benz continues to shake up the market with the release of its latest rigid truck chassis.

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here’s no doubt about it, Mercedes-Benz is on a roll. The reaction by early adopters of the latest Actros models has established the bona fides of the breed, with operators forecasting substantial savings in total cost of operation.

The enthusiasm for Actros is not just confined to the operators; the drivers are also universally applauding the ride comfort, interior appointments and low fatigue levels, catapulting the brand back into the spotlight as the truck the industry is talking about.

Having successfully introduced its new generation of prime movers in October last year, Mercedes-Benz is now releasing a family of versatile Euro 6 compliant rigid models covering everything from distribution to waste applications.

Just like the Actros prime mover flagship, the rigid models bring a suite of new technology including Euro 6 emission ratings, fuel economy savings, reduced AdBlue consumption, advanced safety technology and new levels of comfort and refinement.

The new rigid model range was part of a comprehensive local testing program that has now included more than 35 customers, 20 trucks and more than 1.8 million kilometres.

The model line-up features a wide range of applicationspecific models, configured to get the job done. Later this year will see the introduction of the construction and allwheel-drive rigid models ready for off-road work.

The rigid model line-up now available extends from a 12-tonne rigid city distribution unit through to a 32-tonne 8x4 model that can be used for palletised freight, equipment haulage or waste work.

The 8.0-litre OM 936 six-cylinder engine is available with either 299 hp or 354 hp, while the 11-litre OM 470 unit is available with ratings of 394 hp, 428 hp or 455 hp. The 8.0-litre OM 936, features one or two turbochargers depending on the model (using asymmetrical turbo technology) and high-pressure fuel injection. The OM 470 11-litre uses a single asymmetrical turbocharger and X-Pulse variable high-pressure injection.

This engine uses a higher compression ratio and delivers higher torque at lower engine rpm.

Engine braking has been upgraded across the range, with 300 kW for the 8.0-litre and 340 kW for the 11-litre unit. The engine brake comes on automatically when the service brakes are engaged. Three cylinders are used in phase one, six-cylinders are used in phase two, while sixcylinders, the EGR valve and wastegate are used in phase three for optimum braking power. Additionally, a water retarder offering maximum braking force of up to 750 kW is available as an option.

New-generation rigid models feature a full Electronic Braking System with a back-up pneumatic system and anti-locking brakes. Also standard is a hill-hold function to aid moving away from a stop on a grade.

While these two engines will cover most applications, customers are also able to select the OM 471 13-litre and OM 473 16-litre for specific rigid models.

All engines use one-piece steel pistons instead of aluminium, and have reinforced con rods and a more rigid crankcase.

The Mercedes-Benz asymmetric turbocharger improves performance at low engine speeds. The asymmetric turbo design, with its fixed turbine geometry, varies the intake flow with a simple valve. This turbocharger design features less moving parts than a variable geometry turbocharger. To achieve Euro 6 compliance, the engines use Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) with AdBlue/ DEF fluid, Exhaust Gas Recirculation and a Diesel Particulate Filter.

Fully-automated 8-speed and 12-speed PowerShift 3 transmissions are standard across the rigid range and feature ratio shifts that are 20 percent faster than the previous-generation unit, plus a new creeper gear for low speed work such as when moving into loading bays.

The new PowerShift 3 transmission also features an EcoRoll function that disconnects the drivetrain in overrun mode in certain circumstances when the truck is in automatic mode and is travelling in excess of 55 km/h. It returns to normal operation if the accelerator, brake pedal or engine brake is applied.

There are three different cab groups, starting with the smaller 2.3 m S ClassicSpace for the 1630L 4x2 medium-duty distribution model, moving up to the 2.3 m M ClassicSpace for 2530 and 2535L 6x2 heavyduty distribution and capping off with the 2.3 m M ClassicSpace for the 6x4 and 8x4 heavy-duty distribution and vocational models. Sleeper cabs and rear seat options are available on select models.

All of the cabs exceed the Swedish cab strength test standard as well as ECE R29, while a driver’s airbag is standard on all models. The cabs come standard with roof-mounted air-horns, remote locking, electric mirrors and a locally-developed touchscreen sat/nav and audio unit with DVD player and Bluetooth connectivity.

The new driver-focused interior delivers a big improvement in refinement levels, with controls located well within reach of the driver. Several items can now be controlled using the steering wheel controls. Customers can also option up the cabins with interior style packs and are able to choose the wood-look/velour Home Line treatment or the metal-look chrome Style Line treatment.

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FEATURE Active Brake Assist 4 has the ability to perform emergency braking when it senses a road hazard. It now has the ability to perform full emergency braking for stationary objects and is active from 0 km/h. It can even automatically begin partial braking for pedestrians.

Mercedes-Benz is offering a complimentary servicing programme for key on-highway new-generation rigid models. The coverage for medium models includes Best Basic servicing for two years/250,000 km and five years/500,00 km for heavy-duty models. This offer does not apply for off-road, specialised, waste and steel suspended models.

The new rigid range comes standard with an Electronic Braking System, with key models incorporating Stability Control Assist, ABS, Hill Hold Assist and Traction Control.

Models 18-tonne and above are also available with optional advanced safety systems including Active Brake Assist 4.

Mercedes-Benz is offering advanced safety technology to customers of rigid models 18-tonnes and above with an optional Safety Pack that includes Lane Keeping Assist, Proximity Control Assist, Attention Assist and Active Brake Assist 4.

Lane Keeping Assist warns a driver if the truck departs the lane without indicators engaged while travelling at more than 60 km/h.

Proximity Control Assist helps the driver maintain a distance to the vehicle in front. It is now effective from 0 km/h and includes the ability to come to a complete stop and start again, as long as the truck is not stopped for more than two seconds. In that event, the driver needs only to tap the accelerator and the system will engage again.

Attention Assist monitors the driver’s attentiveness based on steering behaviour, lane keeping and driver activity. It activates Lane Keeping Assist as a first warning (if the system is deactivated) and issues another warning after 15 minutes if the inattentiveness worsens.

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Keeping track of your new Mercedes-Benz has been simplified through the release of a smart telematics system for the Australian market. This is a premium fleet management tool including factory-fitted hardware and an Australian-developed software suite.

In addition to the desktop portal with full functionality, Mercedes-Benz Telematics also includes innovative apps for both the fleet operator and driver that increase convenience and visibility.

The telematics app allows the fleet operator to view a large amount of real-time data on each truck, including vehicle location, driving behaviour, alerts such as over-speeding, sudden braking instances and geofence breaches, along with other features. The driver’s app includes driver ID functionality and access to their own driving data.

The telematics hardware is installed in new-generation Mercedes-Benz trucks, but can also be retrofitted to selected earlier models to aid with fleet integration. A large amount of data can be exported to the fleet operator in MS Excel, CSV and PDF formats. The system also allows for alerts to be sent regarding extreme vehicle incidents, as well as an alert if movement of the vehicle is detected when the ignition is not on.

The Mercedes-Benz Telematics system uses the Telstra 3G network for ultimate coverage. It features onboard memory that can retain three months of data when not in GSM range, and has a battery back-up system and a secure encrypted cloud portal.

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TRUCK SHOW

Warren Caves reports on the appeal of vintage and classic icons of trucking history 70

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FIRE & FLINTSTONES

FIRE & FLINTSTONES W

hile new truck shows are full to bursting point with technology and innovation, there’s nothing like the appeal of the older generation to whet the appetite of both young and old alike.

Trucks from bygone eras in transport all have a story to tell, and their owners are usually only too keen to pass on their details to those with the time to listen.

With regional trucks shows always attracting a collection of historic and vintage vehicles, it’s a constant surprise that new additions to the fleet are still surfacing, some found in barns and others just rusting away quietly in the corner of a paddock before finding a new home and the ever-continuing need for some tender love, care and attention.

The Museum of Fire Penrith hosted the 7th annual Sydney Classic and Antique Truck Show (SCAATS) recently, with outstanding weather contributing to a 5000-strong crowd.

The day’s events and activities included rides, stalls, and food vans, as well as vintage firefighting equipment displays and vintage double-decker bus rides. For the kids and the kids who never really grew up there were RC trucks to take for a spin.

I’m sure many of the trucks’ owners will agree, that SCAATS is not just a truck show, it’s an opportunity to get the “Old Girl” out of the shed (simmer down ladies, I’m not referring to spouses) for the day and meet up with like-minded people in a relaxed atmosphere to discuss the good old days of life in the trucking game.

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TRUCK SHOW These were the days long before town freeway bypasses and Safe-T-Cams, a time when holding your log book out by the side of the road virtually guaranteed you a lift to get you out of trouble or home to the family.

The show is also a perfect opportunity to share restoration tips and techniques or chat with someone who just might have that vital puzzle piece you’ve been looking for to finish your project, or, if not, answer you with, “I know a guy that has one of those”.

One thing is for certain, these people have immense pride in their trucks, reflected in the attention given to the smallest of details to keep things authentic.

SCAATS’ appeal has many levels and transgresses generations, from the youngest awe-inspired, openmouthed youngsters, to the veterans of the industry. It has something for everyone.

With our transport equipment heritage being lovingly cared for by these worthy custodians, future generations will able to see a timeline of progression to how we ended up where we are today.

I personally take my hat off to the men and women who carried the nation’s goods in some of these older trucks, I seem to take for granted my air conditioning, air-suspension seat and power steering. The three days it took to drive from Sydney to Melbourne would have been an arduous task indeed.

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The day showcased almost all the conceivable breeds of trucks used to shape this country, from models back to the 1920’s and 30’s up to the American-based iconic models of the 70’s and 80’s. Featured were Fodens, Bedfords, Internationals, Kenworth, Mack, Oshkosh, Chevrolet, Volvo and many more to while away the day, inspecting and wondering what their life of toil consisted of.

Each truck seems to have its own colourful biography, with the final chapters written by the owners who rescued them from an undignified existence of decay in a paddock or shed somewhere.

An International 1971 C1840 caught my eye, and her owner Gary Schroder recalled her story: “I have had this truck for about six years now, and during that time I have completed a full restoration. The truck was found on a farm in Ararat, Victoria, and it was used to pull a tipping trailer. I did all the restoration work myself – the engine, a Cummins 160 hp in-line six-cylinder didn’t require much at all, the repair of a few small oil leaks was all that was necessary. The truck was pretty much rust free apart from the front apron, which I replaced with a new one I tracked down in Cowra, NSW. I painted it myself inside and out, replaced the hood lining, and the seat had been repaired when I got it”.

This 1971 International C1840 owned by Gary Schroder is powered by a Cummins 160 hp, in-line six-cylinder engine with a five-speed overdrive transmission and a two-speed diff.

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TRUCK SHOW

Gary is a regular on the show circuit with the Inter, and takes part in the Hauling the Hume annual run. “With a five-speed overdrive transmission and a two-speed diff, it drives really well, and comfortably sits on 100 km/h, with good fuel economy,” said Gary.

Gary Toms took the spirit of the show one step further to include army-themed attire whilst showing his 1945 6X6 ex-army Studebaker truck.

The striking blue Ford LTL with matching trailer “Mean Intentions” was a real eye catcher, with amazing airbrush art work adorning her length.

Liz White, the museum’s administration manager, said, “We had attendance numbers of 5000 through the gate on the day, which we were very happy with. SCAATS is our second biggest fundraiser for the year, following closely behind the Penrith Working Truck Show”.

“Our response to the Fire Brigades re-enactments, put on by the Historic Fire Engine Association and the Museum of Fire, were wonderful,” said Liz. Special thanks go to this year’s sponsors – Shannon’s Insurance and Metropolitan Towing. The next Working Truck Show will be held on the 11th of March, 2018.

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FIRE & FLINTSTONES

Gary Toms took the spirit of the show one step further to include army themed attire while showing his 1945 6X6 ex-army Studebaker truck.

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DRIVEN

BROADENING

PowerTorque’s test team duo spends a day out on the road with Hino’s wide cab 500 Series – Ed Higginson gives his first impressions with Brenton O’Connor having the benefit of second thoughts.

Ed Higginson

H

ino launched its new 500 Wide Cab range just a few months ago, and already there are good reports coming through from early buyers, showing great signs of customer approval with strong sales. From a development perspective it’s been a nine-year project to bring it right up to date, and in many areas it’s fair to describe the 500 Series as being class leading.

The medium-duty truck market is hotly contested, with models coming from Japan, Europe and America, making the Australian market unique. However, the Japanese brands certainly take the volume share in this segment with Hino being firmly in the front row just behind Isuzu.

Hino boasts that there are 51 model variations with the 500 range, soon to be 53 with crew-cabs arriving in a couple of months, so one for every conceivable application. To get a decent understanding of how they perform for both the fleet owners and drivers, we had to narrow down the list to just two versions to take for a day’s drive. Joining me for the evaluation would be my fellow PowerTorque journalist, Brenton.

We chose the FG1628 with the Allison six-speed automatic box in 4x2 configuration on spring suspension, and the GH1832 also with the Allison six-speed in 4x2 form on airbags. Our choice came mainly so that we could compare how the Allison 3000 series auto gearbox worked under slightly different horsepower ratings, but with similar configurations and weights, plus the difference with modern springs and airbags to look after the bumps and potholes of NSW roads.

As my daily drive is more commonly a modern Volvo or Mack running B-doubles, it took a few kilometres to get 76

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used to the different characteristics of the Japanese ride.

But after running through the small narrow streets of southern Sydney in stop/start morning rush-hour traffic, we soon understood where the new model was targeting, and that it was doing a decent job of it, too.

For the route, we chose to head south out of Sydney, through the hills of the M1 Princes Motorway, down Mount Ousley towards Wollongong and beyond to the small town of Berry for a round trip of 240 km.

After a quick overview of the trucks and prestart check, I jumped in the smaller of the two units, being the FG1628 (16-tonne and 280 hp) on springs. Setting off from the Hino’s head office in Caringbah in southern Sydney, we quickly got to appreciate where the nine years of development had been spent, and the type of work for which the Hino 500 was designed.

The power behind the brand for the Hino 500 range starts with the 7.0-litre engine at 220 hp and has seven variants up to the 9.0-litre 350 hp unit.

The smaller truck of our two test units, came turbocharged and intercooled, and powered by the 8.0-litre, six-cylinder, in-line, overhead camshaft design that utilises SCR to reach Euro 5 with the assistance of the addition of AdBlue.

The direct injection engine is labelled the J08E-WA, running with 280 hp @ 2500 rpm and 883 Nm of torque @ 1500 rpm, so ample for a GVM of 16000 kg.

The larger unit that I subsequently drove back from Berry came with the slightly larger 9.0-litre, six-cylinder, in-line, overhead camshaft design, again with SCR to reach Euro 5. This engine is labelled the A09C-US. With 320 hp @ 1800 rpm and 1275 Nm of torque @ 1100 rpm, the ride felt much more relaxed with the quieter engine note, especially when pulling away from the lights or when moving into a gap on our route in order to overtake slower trucks, a task that it did with ease on the many hills we covered.

By comparison, the smaller FG1628 revved a lot higher, which made it sound like it was working much harder, but, surprisingly over the route, the smaller truck performed better on fuel, going an extra 0.3 km/l of fuel and didn’t get delayed too far behind its bigger brother.

BROADENING HORIZONS

HORIZONS The 500 range comes with two widths of cab, being the standard with day-cab, rest-area-cab and crew-cab, plus the new wide-cab model that we’d be taking for the day, that comes with the option of rest-area-cab or crew-cab.

The two wide-cabs that we’d be taking would be virtually the same, except that with the smaller engine under the FG, it gets just two steps to climb into the cab, making it an ideal choice for those multi-drop jobs around the city.

Inside, the cab interior and materials are typically Japanese, which you know will stand up well to heavy use, especially in the multi-drop segment where different drivers jump in each day. The ISRI driver’s seat is great and much better than you’d expect in this segment. It’s just a shame it doesn’t come with the armrests, which would have helped on the longer drives.

The steering wheel tilts and is also telescopic, so you can get it into the position you want, plus an airbag now comes as standard. The cab comes with a shelf behind the seats for short rests rather than sleeping, and also with three seats where the centre seat can be folded down for storage when not in use.

An area where Hino has leapt the competition, not only in this segment, but the best across all trucks I’ve been in (I know this is a bold statement but surprised me too!) was the entertainment device. As standard fitment, it comes with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, incorporating DAB+ digital radio, AM + FM radio, CD, DVD, USB and SD access plus Bluetooth to pair with your phones including streaming.

A reversing camera is standard fitment, and on our tautliner body the camera lens had been mounted high on the body so that it was virtually facing down, which restricted the area displayed on the screen and made it harder to use. A word here is necessary to the bodybuilder, as when fitted correctly and providing a broader area display it could be very useful safety tool.

As an optional extra with the entertainment system, you can also add the Navigation SD card that is designed specifically for truck applications asking for your height, length, weight and DG status before setting off. This ensures that the mapping system doesn’t send you towards those low bridges as can be experienced with some iPhone-based mapping systems.

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DRIVEN The Allison box also meant we could relax and concentrate on the road as we tried to get south towards Wollongong. It especially helped in the morning traffic and endless number of traffic lights, so it comes as no surprise to find that Hino now claims to sell more trucks with autos than manuals these days. The Allison gearboxes are well proven and fitted across a lot of trucks and sizes, so we know it is a more than capable unit.

As we got out from the slower moving and congested traffic and up to 100 km/h, the smaller engine had to work a little harder but didn’t slow down too much going up the hills, with the box picking the right gears at the right times.

For the down sections, the exhaust brake worked well at holding us back on most sections.

The larger of the trucks was able to pull a little ahead on the bigger hills, and the addition of the engine brake along with the exhaust brake worked even more efficiently at holding us back, and undoubtedly would help with the maintenance bills over time.

The guys at Hino have focused heavily on the safety features of the updated model, which will be a big draw card in this segment.

The trucks all come with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) as standard, which incorporates rollover stability along with ABS, a first for a Japanese brand. The trucks also get Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), or more commonly known as traction control. Also comforting for the driver and any passenger is the news that the new wide-cabs have been built to meet ECE R29 European crash tests that are seen as the highest standard, plus they now all come with a driver’s airbag as well.

Hino has not only been focusing on the driving experience of their trucks in recent years, but also delving in to the overall ownership experience for fleet operators. In doing so, Hino has called on the reach of its parent company Toyota to broaden the offerings it can provide.

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Under the caption, “Hino Advantage” it offers innovative business solutions, such as Hino Finance, service agreements with set fees, a five-year extended warranty, Hino Traq to monitor your fleet’s performance 24/7 through telematics, road side assistance, and a call centre to answer queries about your truck. To these attributes is added a support network through 62 service centres and dealerships to ensure every customer has the benefit of a great Australia-wide coverage.

Only the customer knows what deals can be achieved on the trucks they are going to buy after making the required number of phone calls to different suppliers. With the Hino 500 the customer gets a great package that will surely offer a very competitive cost of ownership over its life.

Combined with the many improvements that this newest model update has brought to the market, the result is a truck range that will continue to increase its sales appeal and one that should be a serious consideration for any upcoming purchase option.

ED’S VERDICT Points in favour: Fantastic entertainment unit, safety devices as standard and total cost of ownership with Hino Advantage a major benefit.

Points against: Passenger mirror couldn’t be used with tinted wind deflector as fitted to the test vehicle, the sun visors didn’t go full width of cab so let a lot of sun through the intervening gaps, and the Allison gear selector control box needs changing to a lever or stick.

BROADENING HORIZONS

Brenton O’Connor

A

n invitation from Hino Australia to review its new 500 Series Wide Cab range was a unique opportunity to learn more about the important updates to one of the mainstays of the Australian distribution truck offerings over the last 30 years.

Sarah Rosales, Hino’s National Marketing Manager, gave us an outline of Hino’s “Advantage” program, which encompasses a range of products and services designed to benefit the customer.

As with some other European manufacturers, Hino has come to the realisation that today’s truck buyer wants more than just ‘the truck’ – the expectation today is for the vehicle manufacturer to provide a Total Business Solution.

The purchase price of any truck is relatively small compared to the total cost of ownership when you factor in fuel costs, wages costs, service and maintenance, tyres, depreciation and finance costs over the working life of the vehicle. As such, many of today’s buyers are looking beyond just the initial purchase price and want their vehicle supplier to be able to offer a complete package. Consequently, many are now offering contract maintenance at an attractive cent per kilometre price, as well as in-house financing options and guaranteed residual values, amongst other offerings.

Hino, through its Advantage programme, has jumped on board this shift in the market to offer its customer more than just a truck – its Advantage programme comprises six founding pillars including:

QDR – quality, durability and reliability – something Hino has been famous for.

Business Solutions – Hino’s in-house telematics systems to monitor vehicle performance.

Service – including fixed-price service plan offerings.

Hino genuine parts – allowing quick turnaround of vehicles and guaranteed quality.

Finance – Hino, being part of the Toyota group, allows for aggressive finance offerings.

Care Centre – allowing 24/7 assistance, including roadside breakdown assistance to customers.

Hino has a large footprint on the Australian market with a total of 42 selling dealerships and an additional 20 parts and service dealerships ensuring that customers have ready access to not only purchasing a Hino, but, more importantly, parts and service allowing operators to keep their vehicles moving and doing the job they were purchased for – namely to move goods from point A to point B. Following the presentations from the marketing and sales departments we were provided with the keys to two of Hino’s latest medium-duty rigid models from their new 500 Series, including a FG 1628 XLong Auto and the GH 1832 XLong Auto.

Hino has in recent times adopted the naming structure that Mercedes-Benz has used for many years – with the first two numbers identifying the GVM of the vehicle and the subsequent two numbers identifying the horsepower rating of the vehicle (by adding a zero to the end). Both vehicles were fitted with 12-pallet tautliner bodies built

by Alltruck in Melbourne, both loaded with bulk bags of sand to provide ballast and an overall gross weight of approximately 14.5 tonnes.

The two new Hino’s are immediately impressive to the eye – the new grille looks very sophisticated, and the addition of alloy wheels as standard across the new 500 Series range is a nice touch – both giving a tare weight advantage as well as a visual lift to the vehicle.

Standard specification on the new Hino 500 Wide Cab range is really impressive, both from convenience features for the drivers as well as some of the standard fit safety features. A media centre encompassing AM, FM, DAB+ (digital radio), reverse camera, Bluetooth telephone and media connectivity as standard, and optional navigation is a very welcome addition to the vehicle. The inclusion of both roll stability control and traction control as standard fit is even more impressive. Not so long ago, these features were typically only found on expensive European cars, but no matter if you are an owner/driver or running a large fleet of trucks, this is sure to add to the desirability of the Hino 500 Series Wide Cab compared to other Japanese truck offerings.

To the untrained eye, both trucks looked identical – both 4x2 rigids with 12-pallet tautliners fitted, however, upon closer inspection, there are key differences – namely an extra step to enter the cab on the 1832 model (three steps to enter the cab vs. two steps on the lower hp rated 1628).

This above model will help differentiate Hino from an otherwise crowded Japanese truck sector in the Australian market, and will put Hino in a position to compete with similar offerings we have seen, in particularly, from the European truck manufacturers.

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DRIVEN This is due to the cabin being fitted higher above the chassis to allow for the bigger engine in the 1832 (8.7 vs.

7.7 litres respectively), also the bigger truck has four grille slats vs. three slats on the lower hp variant.

Opening the door to both trucks shows a relatively narrow staircase to the driver’s seat – however the steps are cleated and cascading and offer good grip to help avoid slippages. Once in the driver’s seat the biggest problem of the truck becomes apparent, there simply is not enough seat travel. Anyone over six-feet tall in height will struggle to be comfortable, as the seat will not slide back nearly as far as required by many drivers with long legs. As such, the gap between the front of the seat squab and the steering column is relatively narrow, making entry and exit somewhat difficult for tall drivers and those who frequent the fried food sections of roadhouses a little too often!

On a positive note, the standard fit ISRI seat is excellent, offering excellent support, with numerous lumber adjustments – an armrest on the left-hand-side of the seat would be a welcome touch, however.

In addition to the seat, the mirror positioning for tall drivers was problematic, through the mirror heads having been mounted too high on the support brackets. This resulted in the top third of the mirror view being restricted. Readjustment during pre-delivery check will fix the problem.

Both around town, and out on the open road, the Hinos perform really well – the Allison automatic is brilliant and cannot be faulted.

The Allison is a far superior option to an AMT for the type of work that this type of vehicle is likely to do, due to faster gear shifting and enabling reverse creeping back into a loading dock much easier. I’ve always been a huge fan of Allison transmissions, and, given that they can stand up to rubbish collection work, which, as well as route bus work, is going from full horsepower to stop hundreds of times a day, this is testimony to their robustness. In addition to the ease of use, particularly in city driving, the Allison will also

BRENTON’S VERDICT Points in favour: Ride with air suspension, Allison automatic, standard specification vehicle is well equipped.

Points against: Lack of seat travel for tall drivers, armrest needed for left-hand-side of seat, need to adjust mirror position on mounting bracket.

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help reduce repair costs on clutches and synchromesh transmissions, particularly when many truck drivers use a synchromesh gearbox like a constant mesh Roadranger and double de-clutch – which leads to premature wear of the gearbox synchronizers.

This comparison also provided a striking contrast between steel leaf suspension and rear airbag. The difference is huge, with the airbag version providing a far superior ride, which is beneficial to the overall life of the vehicle, the freight being carried as well as the operator – providing a less fatiguing workplace. A further bonus in Victoria comes from a 4x2 vehicle on air suspension being able to carry an extra tonne of freight compared to its steelsprung brethren. This back-to-back comparison was a timely reminder of the benefits of air suspension, and why anyone would option spring suspension for this type of vehicle is difficult to understand.

On the trip from Caringbah, NSW, to Berry and return, the overall fuel consumption was 3.5 km per litre for the 1628 and 3.2 km per for the higher hp 1832. This was considered good fuel consumption given the nature of the route and the stop-start traffic found along the route.

However, the big advantage of the new 9.0-litre engine is the integrated engine brake, providing far superior engine retardation compared to the exhaust brake found on the smaller 1628.

Overall, both trucks are an impressive package, and it’s recommended that with the optional air suspension and Allison automatic it’s an ideal package for both metropolitan and regional distribution work. The 280 hp variant is more than adequate for the 4x2 variant, given the gross vehicle weights allowed (15.5 t GVM in NSW), and there was quite a reasonable fuel gain advantage on this engine. However, if stepping up to a 6x2 variant with a 14-pallet body, operating at a GVM of 23.5 t, the new 9.0-litre engine, with the additional horsepower and also the brilliant integrated engine brake would really come into its own – especially on regional routes that may include some hilly terrain.

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.

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& M O T S U C SSIC A L C FEATURE

H T R O W KEN Warren Caves catches up with the T950 Legend of Lawrence Transport.

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D N E G E L 0 5 9 T

CUSTOM & CLASSIC

W

hen Kenworth Australia decided on releasing the limited-edition T950 Legend, essentially making old new again, I suspect that even their own management team was taken aback a little by the demand. All 75 units sold out within 48 hours of release announcement, in fact they were oversubscribed.

A real plus for the sales team for certain.

The nostalgic appeal must have been substantial to generate the kind of excitement caused by the announcement of the T950 Legend. Perhaps it was the lure of a limited edition, creating a sort-after classic in the future, or the chance to grab a truck of “Legendary� heritage amalgamated with all the modern advancements in technology to create that perfect partnership of old and new.

Originally released in 1992 and running through to 2007, the 950 was a solid performer, equally at home pulling triple road trains as it was on East Coast highway duties.

Previous limited-edition models, such as the T909 Director, were dressed up versions of their original stablemate, with extras and bolt-on bling. Not so with the T950 Legend.

A genuine stand-alone Limited Edition was designed, created and built at the Bayswater manufacturing facility.

With its high, setback modular cabin with no engine intrusion into the firewall, the 950 is a unique beast with old-school credibility, modern-day compliance, and safety, appealing to obviously a large spectrum of purchasers and more than a few disappointed bidders.

From a cabin interior styling perspective the Legend gets a flat dash panel with white background gauges, air-operated windows, custom wood-grained gearstick knob and retro badging on the doors and gearstick boot surround, plus custom seating. This is all embellished by the studded red vinyl trim providing styling accents dating back decades.

Externally, the stainless-steel infill panels below the air cleaners give away the limited-edition status, as does the Cummins Diesel, black on gold insignia recreated for this release. Laser cut identification of the model is also carried over into the Mr Bullbar side wings, adding a nice blended touch. There also must have been a few cans of Cummins beige spray paint left on the shelves from the eighties, which was used to paint the usually red ISX engine. Retro external steel door handles are also included.

Our featured truck is owned and operated by Lawrence Transport and has the title of #72 out of the 75 sold.

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FEATURE Lawrence Transport was started by John Lawrence 38 years ago and is still very much a family oriented business, still operated by John and his two sons, Kel and Blake. Currently operating 18 prime movers and 70 trailers, the company utilises up to ten subbies, as needed, out of its Ingleburn NSW depot.

“We are a family business and pride ourselves on old fashioned personalised service,” said John. “We have customers that have been with us for 35 years. We do quite a bit of wharf work in containers as well as generalised work in curtainsided trailers. A lot of the work we specialise in is dangerous goods, and we operate all over NSW as well as interstate as demand dictates”.

The Lawrence men have always been loyal to the Kenworth brand; however, John said that this is the first Kenworth he has had that is Cummins powered, being an ISXe5 @ 615 horsepower. With the absence of Caterpillar power as an option, John admits to having a little trouble getting used to its mannerisms. But, being only eight months in service and with 45,000 km on the clock, it still has time to get on his good side and prove it can match it with the Caterpillar engines he has previously been accustomed to. Interestingly, John said, “It (the Cummins) seems to work best at 64 tonnes, more so than when it’s running lighter”.

An 18-speed Eaton manual transmission and 4.1 Rockwell differentials round out the driveline.

Purchased in late 2015, the Legend was ordered in the company maroon paint as a base, with the final painting to the company scheme, and then given to Max Smash Repairs in Smithfield.

Blake Lawrence explained that, “We feel very privileged to have been lucky enough to be a part of this limited-edition model, particularly with such demand”.

A good deal of customisation was also carried out on #72 before it was put into service as John’s truck. Blake explained that it went to Klos Custom Trucks for the bulk of this work.

“On the outside, we wanted to keep with the old 950 feel, so we changed the original roof bullet lights for some more period-styled lights and swapped the round bonnet blinkers for square ones. Stainless steel rock guards around the headlights, stainless steel elephant ears on the front of the air cleaners with LEDs and a stainless steel mid-drop sun visor were also installed”.

John is the first to admit that, “I’m not that keen on polishing, which is why we went with stainless steel wherever possible. It costs a bit more initially, but is worth it in the long run”.

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CUSTOM & CLASSIC

“On the outside, we wanted to keep with the old 950 feel” PowerTorque ISSUE 78

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FEATURE The fuel tanks have been stainless wrapped, cleverly incorporating the wrapping around the AdBlue tank, making it look as one. Stainless wrapping was also used on the alloy wheels, ensuring a long-lasting durable shine, without the polishing. Stainless steel was used on the battery box covers and guards, which utilise low mount brackets hidden from view. Seven-inch exhaust pipes reach skyward.

The inside of the cabin didn’t miss out either, with Custom Air in Melbourne fitting a diesel-powered heating and cooling unit with dual-zone control. Other luxuries include an upright Waeco fridge, TV and DVD player, and, wait for it, a fully-automatic espresso machine, for those mornings when you just can’t get going without your morning heart starter. All power is distributed by the 2000-watt pure sine-wave inverter.

Occasionally a two-up run is needed, or John’s wife or grandkids might go for a run, so a double-bunk is also featured in the cab.

The legacy of the T950 has well and truly been revived, albeit in limited numbers, much to the chagrin of some.

The T950 Legend will no doubt be a sought-after acquisition for years to come by way of its limited availability, so, if you missed out on this one, perhaps you got in quick on the recently released T900 Legend. If not, you’ll just have to be content crying over your beer in the pub, and dreaming of what might have been.

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INTRODUCING THE CODE BLACK LIMITED EDITION RAM 2500 LARAMIE

UP TO 6.9 TONNE MAX TOWING 6.7 LITRE CUMMINS TURBO DIESEL ENGINE 276KW / 1,084NM OF TORQUE Distinctively stylish from any angle, this CODE BLACK limited edition 2500 Laramie boasts a dramatic all-black colour coded front grille and rear bumper, black badge accents, black out RAM emblem, exclusive ASV badge, along with aggressive black off-road wheel flares, 20� rims and all-terrain tyres. This CODE BLACK Limited Edition model is available in limited quantities, Silver or White only. Time is of the essence to secure yours today.

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11/07/2017 10:35 AM

FEATURE

FAKE NEWS

When “Fake” takes on life-threatening outcomes, it pays to buy genuine parts

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ake goods are made, shipped and sold all around the world every day, and, as a consumer, a decision to make that purchase – with the full knowledge the product is counterfeit – keeps that industry thriving.

It’s a multi-billion dollar international criminal business based around exploitation, greed and almost certainly any number of other grubby, manipulative practices such as corruption and mistreatment of workers. Now with the ubiquitousness of online trading around the world, shifting counterfeit goods across the globe is easier than ever.

Ask most consumers why they make the purchase of a known counterfeit item, and the common response is to save money. The rationale which underpins that is: (1) full acceptance that the product bought is almost certainly of inferior quality, and, (2) a naïve assumption that no harm can be derived from the purchase.

The online purchase of a fake Rolex watch or Gucci handbag is not just ripping off the genuine manufacturer’s

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intellectual property, but that maker’s huge investment in their brand, their quality and the processes that have generated a desirable, reputable product worldwide.

However, while buying that watch or handbag rip-off is a deplorable practice, it’s one that generally won’t cause you physical harm or injury.

But in the case of counterfeit auto parts, the potential for harm or injury is very real.

Two years ago, the Australian automotive industry, alarmed at the spiralling rate of counterfeit automotive vehicle parts coming into the country from places such as China and the UAE, embarked on a public awarenessraising program about the issue.

“Genuine Is Best” was established primarily to advise consumers of the safety issues that surround the purchase of a counterfeit product.

FAKE NEWS

And to demonstrate the potential harm, a number of vehicle component tests were undertaken whereby the quality of the counterfeit goods was physically assessed against the genuine goods – and the results speak for themselves.

One of the most revealing tests – and one that in the case of a failure could have potentially fatal consequences – was undertaken at Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground in Victoria, whereby counterfeit Mercedes-Benz AMG alloy wheels where given a standard 50 km/h pothole test.

Superficially, the fake wheels appeared quite convincing, right down to the cast raised AMG lettering on the wheel and bogus Mercedes-Benz logos.

With independent witnesses and the cameras rolling, the counterfeit wheel hit the simulated pothole and a large alloy shard scythed off the rim edge, narrowly missing a photographer’s head. It was a most telling demonstration of completely compromised safety and quality.

Minutes later, the genuine AMG wheel rolled through the same test without an issue.

The same counterfeit wheels were subjected to independent testing at a laboratory in Victoria where pores and cavities were found in the alloy, as well as examples of alloy hot tearing (cracks on the surface, subsurface and inside the casting) caused by poor quality casting and manufacturing processes.

The Genuine Is Best campaign has detailed investigations into fake car parts scams going on all around the world.

What has become apparent is that counterfeiters are fastidiously reproducing the exact labelling, barcodes, packaging and printing of the genuine products so as to fool consumers. By doing so they can slip under the radar of border protection authorities charged with protecting the international intellectual property rights of global manufacturers like Toyota, BMW, Holden, Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz.

This makes the task even harder for consumers who are keen to fit and repair with genuine parts, not just to protect the mechanical and physical integrity of their vehicle, but also the resale value, given that a dealer-stamped service handbook is commonly regarded as a valuable asset when the time comes to change over vehicles.

From a safety perspective, one of the most concerning of the recent investigations was that involving a counterfeit spiral cable for a Toyota driver’s side airbag.

This is the activation device for the airbag, and on the genuine Toyota cable is even gold-plated to ensure that the physical connection between the two electrical surfaces cannot degrade or become less effective over time. It is a part designed by Toyota’s engineers to work first time, every time.

At a counterfeiter factory in the northern Chinese city of Guangzhao however, profits came before safety. Around 33,000 fake car parts with a retail value of $1 million were seized from a single factory. When the fake parts were examined in Japan, detailed investigations revealed cheap and nasty materials used, design flaws and inferior production processes including a substandard wire-toring connection for the airbag triggering mechanism.

Again the packaging and printing of the sham product was highly convincing, faithfully reproducing Toyota’s distinctive red and white wrappings, logos and product descriptions.

When these fake products are usually sold online and into busy independent workshops where there is no way of checking the bona fides of the devices before fitting them, it’s little wonder that consumers have good reason to be very choosy about where their cars are serviced and repaired.

Critics of the Genuine Is Best campaign claim manufacturers are using this as an excuse to bolster their parts business.

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FEATURE “There are very healthy profits in this trade for the counterfeiters,” Mr. Douglas said.

“We have considerable expertise in this area and have a very good team of people working on it, but the scale of the problem is enormous”.

The industry’s key message to all consumers is to be prepared to ask questions of their mechanic or repairer about the genuine nature of their parts used. The same questions should also be asked of an insurance company when it comes time to renew your car insurance.

But the same critics have no adequate response when questioned about how consumers can best protect themselves against these potentially harmful products.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries supports the Genuine Is Best campaign. When the alternatives look doubtful, the clear and obvious solution, according to the motor industry’s peak body, is to always buy parts through the authorised network.

Tony Weber, the FCAI’s chief executive, continually reinforces this message to the public in any Genuine Is Best communications because he knows the ease with which the authenticity of products can be easily disguised online. What you see isn’t necessarily what you get – and that’s a huge risk when a faulty filter or seal could result in a blown engine. For any business that relies on vehicle reliability, it’s a risk not worth taking.

“These seizures of counterfeit parts, such as the one in Guangzhou City and a larger and more recent one in Abu Dhabi where 500,000 fake parts with 15 different car and truck makers’ brands, offer a clear reminder to consumers that just because they see a branded box, bag or label they shouldn’t assume they’re buying a genuine part.

“The way to avoid safety concerns posed by fake parts is to ensure you or your repairer sources genuine replacement parts from the vehicle maker’s authorised supply chain,” he said.

Fake parts – those which are branded genuine and copy all the vehicle manufacturer trademarks but are found to be counterfeit – such as filters, cables and seals have been found in auto stores and online across Australia. In many cases, the shopfront retailers have been unaware themselves of the issue and have been happy to apologise and reimburse their customers.

The director of Nationwide Research Group, Craig Douglas, who has some 25 years of experience in investigating counterfeits and works on a regular basis with many of Australia’s major vehicle brands, said the global trade in fake car parts is worth almost $20 billion and is growing every year.

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Within their Product Disclosure Statements (PDS), car insurance companies are increasingly avoiding the use of the specific term “genuine” parts in describing the parts they will use in the repair.

This is despite the fact that a pilot programme by insurance giant IAG (which includes NRMA, SGIO, CGU, Swann Insurance and WA’s WFI brands) found there were advantages for repairers in using genuine because these fitted properly and did not require a time-consuming rectification work.

The issue of a warning is just the start of the campaign to ensure that repairers and vehicle operators take greater care when selecting a parts supplier. The final outcome for those that ignore the warnings may be a legal recourse under Duty of Care legislation where personal injury occurs as the result of the failure or poor performance of a fake or non-genuine part.

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.

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.

Owned by CNH Industrial, the parent company for Fiat PowerTrain, IVECO, Fiat, Maserati, Chrysler and RAM Trucks, 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.

Marketing manager for the CNH Industrial Truckline division, Caroline Clement, told PowerTorque Magazine the company was experiencing strong growth in aftermarket parts supply across Australia, based on a strategy of supporting an increasing product range across the spectrum of different truck weights.

“The vendors that supply Truckline parts are also those that supply the major manufacturers. We have a very rigorous criteria that guarantees the highest quality control levels,” Ms. Clement added.

FEATURE

RAMBO Is the RAM 2500 the aspirational ute for tradies, or the ultimate daily transport for truck operators?

Chris Mullett finds the answer.

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eighing in at 3820 kg with a full tank for fuel, the RAM is no shrinking violet. It oozes its self-confidence on the road by outshadowing everything around it that’s not actually a full-sized truck, with the height of its bonnet equalling the roofline of most of the aerodynamically-focused sedans and hatchbacks in the adjoining traffic lanes.

So, is the RAM a vehicle fit for a poser, or does it have a genuine place in the consideration process for tradies looking for transport, or a working vehicle for a truck operator looking for a rather more special service vehicle than the average ute?

The first hurdle to cross is of course the cost. A driveaway price of $139,500 for the RAM 2500 crew cab 4x4 literally means there are no hidden extras, unlike the obvious comparison with the Toyota LandCruiser where additional on-road costs include dealer delivery charges, stamp duty, CTP and registration. Pretty much the same charges apply to buyers of the top of the line Ranger and

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Colorado models, albeit they can tip the pricing into the mid $75,000 area when adding all the extra bling. Both these options will also be eclipsed by the Mercedes-Benz X-Class, where rumoured pricing will be slightly north of the $100,000 mark, but it will undoubtedly come with a high degree of prestige.

Is the RAM a go-anywhere off-road challenger? Definitely not! With a wheelbase of 3797 mm and approach and departure angles of 21.8 and 22.3 degrees respectively, plus an overall length of 6027 mm, there would be an

RAMBO embarrassing moment at the first culvert. Is it capable of easily covering long distances on dirt roads or freeways?

Absolutely! With one click of the switch, selecting 4WD while on the move before reaching 88 km/h, you’ve got the benefit of additional traction and control from all-wheeldrive on loose dirt roads.

The first impression on heading into inner city traffic is one of its enormity. It dwarfs everything around it and there’s a perception that other drivers are probably thinking that you are the epitome of their concerns about gas-guzzlers and high emissions producers.

Let’s tackle that supposition first. The 6.7-litre Cummins diesel produces 276 kW at 2800 rpm and 1084 Nm of torque at 1600 rpm, a far cry from the common torque rating of the general ute brigade at 400-430 Nm. The fuel tank holds 117 litres, while the DEF/AdBlue tank holds approximately 19 litres.

The exhaust gases emitted at the tailpipe are treated by Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), which means the RAM conforms to a higher standard than any other ute currently of the Australian market. The SCR process using AdBlue in Australia (called DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) in the United States) is becoming increasingly common in the latest medium and heavy truck engines conforming to Euro 6 standards. The fluid is injected into the exhaust system to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and turn it into harmless Nitrogen (N2) and water vapour (H2O). The ratio of DEF/AdBlue use is around three percent that of diesel fuel consumption, meaning that in most cases the DEF/ AdBlue tank will be refilled by the dealership at the time of an interim 12,000 km service. Major service intervals remain for oil drain and filter replacement at 24,000 km intervals.

necessitating a visit to the local truck stop and the purchase of a 10-litre container over the counter. If you don’t refill the DEF/AdBlue tank and ignore the warning prompts the engine will de-rate and limit your speed to 8 km/h when it runs out. No, you can’t fill the DEF tank with any other fluid or it will again shut down the engine.

Because it’s an American vehicle, the gauge indicating the DEF/AdBlue tank level is marked as DEF. On our test vehicle with 18,000 km on the odometer the DEF tank low-level warning advice came up on the dashboard,

Now that you are comfortable with your green credentials, matched only by some premium luxury diesel engined, Euro 6 compliant prestige cars, we come to the question of fuel economy.

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FEATURE With a six-sped automatic transmission and more than double the torque output of competitors, we managed a best figure on a highway run of 10.9 l/100 km and an overall average of 12.8 l/100 km. This figure is undoubtedly helped by the top two ratios being overdriven at 0.82:1 and 0.63:1.

Front seats are heated or cooled individually, and even the steering-wheel rim has its own heater for frozen mornings in the snow season. If you want to have a warm interior you can start the engine remotely by pointing the key fob and pressing the engine start button. The engine will then idle for 15 minutes, warming up itself and your environment.

If you need instant acceleration for an overtake the power comes through by the bucket load. If you need additional retardation such as when towing a laden trailer down a steep hill you can switch on the exhaust brake, which slows down the combination without reliance on the footbrake.

In the rear seat area the seat bases lift upwards, and a fold-out shelf then levels off the floor area making it suitable for carrying parcels or shopping and not having it rolling around in a foot well. In the front seat, the centre passenger seat has a fold-down backrest that turns into a centre storage area, creating individual left and right bucket seats.

When towing with the 2500 the weight limits are 3500 kg with a 50 mm tow ball, 4500 kg with a 70 mm tow ball and 6989 kg with a pintle hook. Your payload level is 913 kg, and the RAM comes with an integrated electric trailer brake actuator with controls on the dashboard.

Becoming acclimatised to the size of the RAM happens surprisingly quickly, and within a couple of days a driver can feel safely in control, assisted when parking by reverse cameras that show the tow ball position and surrounding rear area, plus front and rear reverse park sensors. As you select reverse the wing mirrors tilt downwards, another benefit to safe reversing.

With a huge amount of interior space and six seats, RAM is much more upmarket in terms of its inclusions and comfort levels that any of the Japanese-style competition.

A high-quality sound system with Bluetooth connectivity and voice-actuated controls sets the scene for the premium level interior of the Laramie, and with leather trim and power seats with adjustable lumber support it sets a high standard of personal comfort.

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With a tare weight over 3500 kg, this is obviously not a vehicle to throw into corners and challenge the neighbours, but, with its coil springs all-round and three-link front suspension with five-link rear suspension designs, it handles Australian roads better than expected.

Remember though that your overall width is 2009 mm and you will need 13.38 m to complete a U-turn.

Finally, from a tradie perspective, the tray bed length is 1939 mm with a width of 1295 between wheel arches and 1687 wall to wall, and side heights of 511 mm. Standard equipment only provides a tie-down point in each corner, but you can add a genuine accessory in the form of additional side rails with sliding tie-down points. The same applies to adding a tonneau cover, some extra chrome bling and a chromed exhaust pipe tip.

The RAM turned out to be a complete surprise, in terms of interior appointments, quality of the conversion and general ability of the vehicle. Look past the initial potential for sticker shock of the pricing, and you’ll find a work-oriented vehicle that is unique for safe towing and that offers so much more than the current standard ute alternatives.

THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN

TRAILER TECHNOLOGY

TRAILERTORQUE

NO CONTEST

Choosing disc brakes, EBS and roll stability was an easy choice for KIM Haulage.

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ome three years ago, PowerTorque visited KIM Haulage of Londonderry, on the north western outskirts of Sydney, to discuss how being an early adopter of technology could prove to be the right decision for efficiency, reliability and, above all, safety.

Founder and managing director, Ken McClelland, has always been open to the benefits of developing technologies, switching to BPW axles with BPW disc brakes from drum brakes and embracing EBS with roll stability and anti-lock braking from 2000 onwards.

This was considerably in advance of the standard truck and trailer specification of the time, and, even today, Ken is still ahead of many in the pack, although comparable with those that have already moved on to gain the benefits of performance based standards (PBS).

Ken’s focus on using different technologies to improve safety, reduce vehicle downtime and minimise driver fatigue has enabled him to cope with the vagaries of the transport business. As the workload increased, his fleet expanded, reducing in number when demand lessened.

From a fleet that previously numbered around 14 vehicles, by 2014 Ken had downsized to just 4 rigid tippers and dog trailers, all that was needed to satisfy a local coal contract.

“The ever-changing demands of the industry today has seen the fleet expand once again, growing to 22 trucks and trailers, but with the emphasis moving from rigid tippers and quad-dog trailers to tandem A-double combinations. We also have more units currently on order and awaiting delivery.

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“Introducing AMTs with reduced fatigue means a fresher driver. It not only introduces new younger drivers to the industry, it also means that older drivers can remain in the industry longer.

“In the early days of disc brakes we experienced an imbalance in brake effort between trucks and trailers.

BPW moved from 370 mm to 430 mm larger rotors, and we worked through it to improve the overall balance and solved all the problems. We got a lot better tyre life as we run the Vigia tyre inflation system from BPW Transpec,

plus brake balance with discs is much better and there’s no brake fade or lock-ups.

“We had to work with the truck manufacturers to modify their systems to work with what is a more sensitive disctype foundation brake. The upside is that the stopping distance is so superior for discs versus drums.

“Now the balance is right, the disc pad replacement is around 200,000 km intervals with 180,000 km minimum.

Steer axle life is 200,000 with drive axles at 250,000 km.

Rotor condition is regularly monitored and under normal circumstances we expect two pad replacements to each rotor replacement.

“With brakes and tyres on quad-dog trailer work we experienced more brake pad wear on the 1st and 3rd axles, and more noticeable tyre wear on the 2nd and 4th axles. It’s the same with the trucks, with the 1st drive axle showing more brake pad wear and the 2nd drive axle highlighting more tyre wear.

NO CONTEST

“Now with tandem A-doubles the payload and productivity equations have all changed. With a gross weight of 74.5 tonnes we have achieved major productivity gains.

compliance point of view with Ken putting a lot of time into making sure this is 100 percent correct and to Ken’s high standard.

“Sloanebuilt for bodywork and trailers is our standard choice throughout the fleet. It’s my belief they are the best when it comes to PBS requirements. They understand it far better than any other and their knowledge is far superior to anybody else.

“Throughout the development of the A-double trailer combination concept, the RMS and NHVR have provided extensive help and assistance to facilitate the approval of these higher productivity designs. Because of their assistance and their understanding of the objectives and final vehicle applications, it has enabled us to make combinations like the A-double a commercially viable unit,” concluded Ben Weckwerth.

“In terms of payload under PBS legislation with rigid trucks and quad-dog trailers, we can achieve payloads of 39.5 tonnes on a quad, 43.5 tonnes on a five-axle and 51.5 tonnes on the tandem A-doubles. Everything has BPW axles, BPW disc brakes, Wabco EBS with the Smartboard and we use Edbro hoists,” said Ken.

In order to simplify things for the drivers, the controls and instrumentation in each truck are identical, with

Commenting on the specification of the A-doubles for KIM Haulage, Ben Weckwerth of Sloanebuilt Trailers said:

“Both of the KIM Haulage A-doubles are under 26 metres in length, the A-trailer being 9040 mm long with the B-trailer being one of Ken’s existing PBS-compliant quaddog trailers at 11,850 mm, all featuring side heights of 5’6”,” said Ben. “All of the KIM Haulage Sloanebuilt dog trailer fleet can be operated as the back trailer in this combination, as KIM Haulage has a full PBS fleet of trailers with all trailers having been added to the vehicle approval.

“Ken has used his knowledge and understanding of PBS, mass, fatigue and maintenance management, and by working with Sloanebuilt Trailers he has been able to put KIM Haulage at the forefront of PBS operators in New South Wales, if not Australia.

“The amount of effort that is put into each and every new truck is also mirrored from an administration and

mobile telephones being non-removable and nonoperational when the vehicle is in motion. Alongside the phone installation are two screens, one providing sat/ nav coverage, the other enabling the driver to monitor five on-board cameras. A further camera attached to the windscreen covers the view of the road ahead, constantly recording the movements of all other road users.

“We speed limit trucks when the pto is engaged to 25 km/h, and we have blindspot cameras and hoist alerts with visual and audio alerts when the hoist is in the air,” said Ken McClelland.

“The camera vision covers any possible blindspot, and individual cameras are mounted on the top of the lefthand air intake and behind the truck body and the rear of the trailer,” said Ken. TRAILER TORQUE

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“I can’t understand why you don’t include EBS and automatic tyre inflation systems”

Tyre condition is monitored visually with regular rotation completed in-house, and tyre wear immediately reduced by 20 percent as a result of the Vigia tyre inflation system.

“Prior to PBS we ran with tyre pressures set at 95 psi as we were only running 13.5 tonnes on each bogie spread.

With PBS adding more weight we then increased to 100 psi. All our maintenance is completed in-house with our own team, and I believe that makes us much more handson when it comes to maintenance management and regular inspection.

“The disc brake advantage is that we don’t flat-spot tyres.

In the old days with drum brakes, even on brand-new equipment the adjustment could alter between drums.

Disc brakes are always perfectly adjusted equally and you don’t flat-spot tyres.

“Using the Vigia automatic tyre inflation system from BPW has not cut down the puncture rate, but it has reduced the number of blowouts. The most common cause of blowouts is caused by a tyre deflating through a puncture, and that puts more weight on the adjacent tyre, causing overheating and failure.

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The Vigia system maintains pressure in the tyre experiencing the puncture, dramatically reducing the opportunity for a blowout of the neighbouring tyre.

“We believe that by maintaining correct tyre pressure management we also reduce the opportunity for bearing wear as the bearing is always evenly supported over both dual wheels. We just wash and repack bearings on a regular basis and very rarely need to replace them.

“When you are paying $150,000 for a new five-axle trailer, I can’t understand why you don’t include EBS and automatic tyre inflation systems,” said Ken. The KIM Haulage fleet comprises two Super-Liners at 685 hp, and the remainder of the fleet of Mack Tridents are at 535 hp, all of them have the mDRIVE AMT. Oil drains with the Macks are now 33,000 km intervals with a C-service every third service. It’s easy to remember when a service is done and ensure that everything is completed correctly, with oil sampling on every service.

A DECADE OF CHANGE TRAILERTORQUE

Using technology to reduce collisions is a simple enough concept to understand, so why delay its implementation? – Report by Chris Mullett.

A

ccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, in 2008 there were 29,000 rear-end collisions involving heavy trucks on the North American road network. That’s over three rear-end collisions every hour of every day.

Rear-end crashes represent approximately 30 percent of fatal accidents, according to NHTSA, but more than 80 percent of rear-end crashes can be prevented or made less severe through the use of collision mitigation systems.

There are three “generations” of OnGuard. The first was introduced in 2007, the second in 2013, then the third (dubbed OnGuardACTIVE) in 2015.

“Every day in the past 10 years, the system has proven its worth as truckers have driven it across billions of kilometres of North American highways. With the launch of OnGuardACTIVE, we now address 20 percent of the truck accidents that occur on stationary objects, further improving accident-reduction rates,” Stevenson added.

Keeping a safe distance behind a vehicle is one way to help any fleet avoid these costly crashes that impact financially on the company, but, more importantly, impact with devastating effect on the lives of the drivers involved, and their families.

At a recent Senate Commerce hearing on surface transportation, Christopher Lofgren, CEO and president of major American fleet Schneider National, said his company has experienced a 69 percent decrease in rear-end accidents and 95 percent reduction in rear-end accident claims since it began equipping all new prime movers with OnGuard in 2012.

It’s now ten years since Meritor WABCO introduced its OnGuard Collision Mitigation System. In the following years the company estimates its fitment has helped prevent approximately 2000 fatal or personal injury accidents since the nation’s top US fleets have been equipping their trucks with the technology.

Schneider National ranks No. 7 among the top 100 “forhire” fleets. The company hauls nearly 20,000 loads per day, with over 10,000 vehicles, 33,800 trailers and over 11,600 drivers.

“Fleets equipped with OnGuard report a reduction in rear-end collisions up to 87 percent, and up to 95 percent reduction in the cost of rear-end collisions,” according to Matthew Stevenson, president and general manager, Meritor WABCO. “The adoption of OnGuard has nearly quadrupled in the past five years, growing to 130,000 systems on the road and embraced by more than 70 percent of the top 50 forhire fleets. As the number of OnGuard systems increases, the number of injuries, fatalities and crashes continues to decline,” Stevenson added.

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Commitment to safety is Schneider’s No. 1 core value, according to Lofgren.

“The reality is, if you look at the dramatic improvements in (reducing) rear-end accidents that we’ve had as a company since we put the OnGuard technology in, it speaks for itself,” Lofgren said. “There is so much evidence to say that this (system) needs to be a part of what is hauling freight today”.

OnGuard is a forward-looking, radar-based active safety system that is always on, continuously monitoring speed, range and range rate of vehicles travelling ahead. It offers collision warnings and collision mitigation with active braking, as well as adaptive cruise control.

A DECADE OF CHANGE

Bendix ESP, introduced in 2005, was the first full-stability solution widely available for the North American commercial vehicle market, addressing both roll and directional stability through additional sensors and throttle and braking interventions. Its technology serves as the foundation for Bendix’s ongoing advancement of active safety systems.

Wingman systems launched in 2009 with Wingman ACB – Active Cruise with Braking, and evolved with the 2011 launch of Wingman Advanced, which introduced collision mitigation technology.

The OnGuard Collision Mitigation System detects objects ahead and measures the vehicle’s position in relation to others on the road to warn the driver of a possible rear-end collision by delivering audible, visual and haptic warnings.

“The system mitigates or prevents impending rear-end collisions by reacting to moving, stopped and stationary vehicles,” Stevenson said. “It delivers high performance in all seasons and during low-visibility driving situations when camera-based sensors on other collision mitigations systems may be impaired”.

Meritor WABCO is of course not the only company to pioneer the work of introducing collision mitigation systems.

Bendix Knorr-Bremse has an equal involvement in the field of collision mitigation, and its latest development, the Bendix Wingman Fusion system, has been developed for fitment to Volvo, Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth and International Truck products globally.

This ongoing progress and development of Wingman Fusion as a natural evolution of existing Bendix driver assistance systems means the system has been designed to provide its own backup plans: If the camera becomes inoperable, Fusion’s radar will maintain Wingman Advanced functionality, including collision mitigation.

The latest version of Bendix Wingman Fusion was unveiled at the 2015 Mid-America Truck Show, in Louisville, Kentucky. It combines radar, camera, the vehicle’s brakes, and SafetyDirect, into a comprehensive driver assistance system claimed by the company to be more powerful than any other system or combination of safety technologies in the commercial vehicle market today.

Wingman Fusion integrates technology from the ESP Electronic Stability Programme, Wingman Advanced – collision mitigation technology, and AutoVue lane departure warning system. Built on these existing technologies, Wingman Fusion gathers input through radar, video, and the vehicle’s brakes, creating a highly detailed and accurate data picture that’s achievable through its deep, multi-system integration.

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When travelling at speeds over 25 km/h, if the combination of both radar and camera data definitively recognises a large, stationary, metallic, in-lane object as a vehicle, it notifies the driver up to 3.5 seconds before a potential impact. If the driver takes no action to avoid or mitigate this potentially severe impact, the system can automatically engage the brakes to assist in lessening the severity of, or possibly avoiding, a potential collision altogether.

If the system’s data does not definitively recognise the stationary object as a vehicle, it will alert the driver up to 3.0 seconds ahead of a potential impact, with no automatic braking.

Wingman Fusion’s overspeed alert and action can be activated at 60 km/h or above, and uses the system’s camera to read roadside speed limit signs, working in tandem with Bendix ESP to alert the driver when the vehicle is travelling a specified amount over the posted limit.

Fusion to potentially reduce the vehicle’s speed up to twice as much as earlier systems.

Following-distance alerts and lane departure warning, previously available as features in separate Bendix safety technologies, are both integrated into Wingman Fusion to alert drivers to potentially hazardous situations.

When driving too close to a forward vehicle, the system will sound an alert that silences when the gap with the forward vehicle grows. This feature is customisable to meet different fleet operational needs. Lane departure warning, powered by the camera, sounds an alert if the vehicle is travelling at or above 60 km/h and departs its lane without activation of a turn signal.

The system provides two customisable levels of intervention: Level one, initially set for 8-15 km/h over the limit, is an audible warning; level two, if the vehicle is travelling 16 km/h or more over the limit, is an audible alert accompanied by a one-second engine de-throttle.

By continuously gathering, sharing, and confirming information, Wingman Fusion uses its radar and camera together to identify potentially threatening objects, both stationary and moving. This significantly improves upon their individual performance, and substantially reduces false alerts or activations as they work together.

The radar unit excels at detecting the distance, speed, and angle of objects in an area in front of the vehicle, covering roughly a 22-degree arc extending approximately 150 metres. The radar is good at penetrating visually difficult conditions such as snow, rain, fog, and smoke. By comparison, the camera covers a slightly shorter but much wider arc – about 42 degrees by 90 metres – and detects objects visually.

The camera processor features advanced object detection algorithms adapted for commercial vehicle applications.

Together, these components complement one another by determining the size, lane position, and similarly critical characteristics of an object. The combination of these different technological inputs enables much of the advanced functionality of Wingman Fusion, resulting in better collision mitigation, alert prioritisation, and integration of previously separate technologies.

When triggered by a slower-moving vehicle ahead, Wingman Fusion’s combined video, radar, and brake data generate a fast response to the situation by enabling 102

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The new breed of European cabovers from companies such as DAF, IVECO and MAN, together with an increasing number of Japanese truck makers, are offering inclusions such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Guard System (also known as Lane Departure Assist), Emergency Brake Assist and Emergency Brake Signal Warning, which flashes the rear brake lights rapidly to further attract attention. Add to these the standardisation on Electronic Stability Control (ESP), with ASR (Traction Control) and finally Hill Start Assist (which prevents roll back from a stationary position on an incline).

Fleet managers are rapidly reaching the situation where, for the purposes of initiating the highest standards of workplace safety, they should be considering most, if not all of these technology upgrades in the vehicles they are operating. If they ignore implementing these systems they could risk being culpable in the event of an accident.

Safety does not start out on the road; it starts in the corporate boardroom.

WEIGHS LESS, WAY LESS. The Vector 1550 unit from Carrier is one of the lightest trailer refrigeration units on the market (712 kg) and operates with low noise emissions (71 dB). And while Vector 1550 units weigh less, they also offer way more.

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

As if that’s not enough, the Vector 1550 unit’s low fuel consumption reduces its overall carbon impact by up to 19 percent compared to conventional systems, the equivalent of removing 2.8 tons of CO2 per unit per year.

Carrier Transicold Australia Nationwide Ph: 1800 448 166 www.transicold.carrier.com.au

Performance data dependent on a range of operational settings, environmental conditions, and model type. Data is based on the Vector 1550-T Low Noise model. © 2017 Carrier Corporation.

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Exploring Opportunities Remote area operation in the harsh conditions of the mining exploration industry is an everyday occurrence for Wallis Drilling

W

ith over 50 years experience, Wallis Drilling of Perth, WA, is now one of Australia’s largest privately-owned mineral drilling companies, employing over 250 personnel and operating in excess of 50 drilling rigs in Australia and global markets including the Middle East and South Africa, Europe and North and South America.

Founded in 1964 by Marty and Jamie Wallis, Wallis Drilling pioneered the drilling of mineral sands, inventing the Wallis Aircore drilling technology, which today remains in use globally. The drilling services provided today include Aircore, Reverse Circulation, Mud Rotary, Diamond Core and Blasthole.

While many drilling companies outsource their maintenance and engineering needs, the vast experience of remote area drilling contained within the company enables it to design, manufacture and operate its own equipment, constantly pushing the design envelope to higher performance and efficiency standards.

The company’s designers and engineers are also expert and experienced at adapting rigs to suit specific projects and building complete custom drill rigs from the ground up.

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EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES

As Paul Kalisch, the company’s senior design engineer told PowerTorque: “We specialise in Aircore and Reverse Circulation drilling.

Basically, the drilling process extracts rock samples in the form of cores or chips, which then pass through a cyclonic collector and a separator to be sent for analysis of the mineral content.

“Of the total drilling rig fleet that Wallis drilling operates, three quarters are dedicated Aircore or Reverse Circulation rigs, both truck mounted and tracked.

“Our biggest rigs are capable of RC hammer drilling to a depth of 500 metres, using a twin-tube rod system with a hammer on the bottom. These are heavy-duty units that individually are grossing 50 tonnes. What we are currently developing are lighter, faster units to cater for the increasingly more common demand to drill to between 150 and 200 metres”.

MAN all-wheel-drive rigid trucks have literally provided the company with the backbone upon which Wallis Drilling has mounted its specialised drilling rigs, as well as the support vehicles required to carry drill rods, additional equipment and even the accommodation for the support teams that operate the drilling rigs.

The latest development for Wallis Drilling is the design and manufacture of a compact Reverse Circulation drilling rig to target sub-200-metre holes – the Wallis 300RC.

“On the new machine we have designed and built almost everything ourselves, except for the stationary engine and the compressor. The deck, drill head, rod handler and the entire mast structure was designed, fabricated and built here by Wallis Drilling,” said Paul.

“The new unit mounted on the MAN 6x6 is a lot more efficient, lighter in gross weight and easier to manoeuvre.

The client asked for a high degree of automation and that became a number one priority. The controls are all operated wirelessly via a full-functioned driller console. Once again we produced all the graphical work and the programming for the electronic control software in-house,” he said.

The latest MAN TGS 6x6 is available in a choice of two wheelbases and features high ground clearance with a GVM of 33,000 kg. In the Australian market the specification and off-road ability make this unit ideal for mining support vehicles as well as in different applications such as super spreading, drilling rigs or as an off-road elevated work platform.

Power for the latest TGS 6x6 models comes from the MAN D20 10.5-litre turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine that produces 324 kW at 1600-1900rpm with peak torque of 2100 Nm rated at 1000-1400 rpm. In other all-wheel-drive applications the alternatives available from MAN include the TGS 8x8, while for less arduous conditions the TGS is also available as an 8x4 with high ground clearance, powered by either the 10.5-litre or 12.4-litre engine.

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105

TRAILERTORQUE TRAILERTORQUE “In addition to the W300RC, our Reverse Circulation fleet includes ten Schramm-mounted 8x8 trucks, plus a large fleet of 8x8, 6x6 and 4x4 support vehicles. The mine site rig fleet is typically track mounted, with a service and support fleet of 4x4’s and prime movers.”

The insertion and attachment of additional drilling rods used to be completed by hand with the aid of winches.

These days all heavy pipe is handled by a mechanical rod handler/loader, which picks up the rods and presents them to the drill head.

“The rest of the fleet comprises light vehicles and trucks for general tasks, as well as our smaller 6x6 Landcruiserpowered Mantis exploration rigs. For a typical diamonddrilling programme you would have a diamond drill rig, plus other vehicles equipped with rods, mud-mixing and extra water capacity to assist in the drilling process,” said Paul.

“On the new 6x6 rig we have automated the rod handling process. The rig will automatically operate the rod handler to pick up the rod, get it to the drilling position, screw in the head and then hand back control to the driller,” said Paul.

“Wallis Drilling wheeled fleet is predominantly all based on MAN rigid trucks. We still have a few bonneted 26-280’s in the fleet in amongst the newer models. MAN is relatively unique in offering the 6x6 and 8x8 unit and although the competition has increased in this sector the MAN remains the preferred brand for our type of work,” added Paul.

From a transmission and driveline perspective the fleet has standardised on the ZF 12-speed AS 2330 overdrive automated manual transmission with a differential ratio of 4.00:1.

Although in the past drill rig units have always tended to be built for 8x8 operation with higher gross weights, the increasing trend to reduce the required drilling depth from 500 metres down to 150-200 metres has enabled Wallis Drilling to invest the time and expertise in developing the lighter 6x6 unit that grosses at around 32 tonnes. As a special-purpose vehicle these trucks are not able to carry a payload, hence the need for support vehicles to carry drill rods and additional water and equipment.

“Our development of the electronic control system on the W300RC mean there are no levers on valves on this new rig – everything goes through the controller, with an operator that can be outside a 30-metre radius.”

“The advantages are about getting people out of the potential fall zone and being able to maintain a personnelfree exclusion zone around the mast. On other machines we provide physical mechanical protection for the driller similar to ROPS and FOPS, but we also have things like rod catchers, which safeguard people if there is any risk of a rod being dropped.”

“We have developed the control system to include a telematics link that can interface from the drill site back to a head office anywhere in the world. The system logs a whole host of diagnostics of the drill rig but also adds ability to log in to monitor the rig's operation.”

“These developments are a great example of the ability and knowledge that we have at Wallis Drilling, which relates to a global opportunity for export and equipment supply and operation,” said Paul.

Service and support for the MAN vehicles in the Wallis Drilling fleet is provided by Penske Power Systems of Hazelmere, Perth, managed by Scott Hall, product manager for Penske Perth.

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2017 NatRoad Conference 5-6 September, Hamilton Island Over two interactive days hear from key industry experts on topics such as: • industry direction over the next 3 years • competitive advantage through technology, and • diversity and its benfits.

Speakers include: Paul Retter CEO, National Transport Commission

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Both members and non-members are welcome

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(02) 6295 3000

hino.com.au

ALL NEW HINO 500 SERIES WIDE CAB. IT’S A GAME CHANGER. THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

XAVIER_HINO35103_0517

The Challenge: to redefine what to expect from a hard working truck.

The Solution: the astonishing all new Hino 500 Series Wide Cab. With unrivalled build quality encompassing next level chassis, suspension and axles, a range of engine and transmission options, and a cabin with unsurpassed driver comfort. The all new Hino 500 Series Wide Cab boasts the most comprehensive active safety package of any Japanese truck in the medium duty truck category – in an Australian-first for this class, Vehicle Stability Control is now fitted as standard across the new wide cab range. Plus at Hino, we’re driven to do more for you with Hino Advantage, our innovative new range of support solutions. So make sure you check out the all new Hino 500 Series Wide Cab today.

It’s a game changer! To find out more visit hino.com.au

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