MILLERS FLAT K200 “BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS”
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TRUCKING NEW ZEALAND
kiwi favourites The results are in and we couldn’t be happier. Scania has been voted the number one* truck brand in the country by the people whose opinion we value the most New Zealand truckies.
We’re chuffed to have rated highest on all measures, including most preferred, comfort, safety, sustainability, performance, efficiency, service and parts. Thanks New Zealand. It means a lot.
*Nationwide online 2023 survey by NZ Trucking magazine with 720 respondents. 52% were heavy truck drivers, 23% were owner/operators or employees of a heavy truck brand. Truck brands currently driven by respondents – Scania 29%, Kenworth 28%, Volvo 18%, all other brands 25%.
Allied Petroleum has run Volvo trucks since inception in 1992. Here fleet No.35, a 2017 FMX 540, heads west on SH73 at Cora Lynn. Photo: Craig McCauley.
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THERE IS NO 36 WHERE ROAD, THERE IS A WAY…
K200 – From Road to Water and Back Again
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46 BUILDING THE BANDIT
W925 – Legend Honours Legend
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6 Editorial 8 Road Noise News 35 Rig of January/February 2014 50 Where’s that Road? 52 A Day at the Temuka Saleyards 54 Just Trucking Around 60 Wanaka Memory 64 ToYA 2024 Contenders 68 New Rigs 74 New Bodies and Trailers 76 Million Mile Club 78 Craig’s Trucking Snapshot 80 ITS – Super Swede LKT 84 American Connection – Bull Hauler’s Legend 86 Mini Big Rigs – Life-Sized Memories 89 Little Truckers’ Club 90 What’s On 91 Cartoon
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94 Moving Metrics 98 Incoming Cargo – Isuzu’s Future 102 IRTENZ Conference – Labour and Skills 104 Industry Update – Tyrewise 106 Industry Update – AutoSense 108 Business Profile – Rolco 110 Product Profile – NAPA 112 Product Profile – Road Ninja 114 Carriers Corner 116 Truckers’ Health 118 Health & Safety 120 Legal Lines 122 Employee Relations 124 NZ Trucking Association 126 National Road Carriers 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile
56 TRADITIONALLY, LESS IS MORE
K200 – Modern but Traditional
MILLERS FLAT K200 “BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS”
v FEBRUARY 2024
TRUCKING NEW ZEALAND
FEBRUARY 2024
18 WHEN PASSION MEETS PROMISE
Guy Knowles guides the K220 back to Palmy from Auckland, here south of Mangaweka on SH1.
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EDITORIAL
CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC
I
t’s mid-January, and just a few days ago, I wrote my first EDM editorial for 2024. The one thought that has been in my mind as we ramp up our activity and expectations for 2024 is what a difference a year makes. The year 2023 kicked off with the prime minister’s resignation, some mudslinging between the then minister of transport, Waka Kotahi and two of our industry associations over potholes, and a couple of cyclones reminding the nation how fragile its infrastructure is. By February, we were recounting tales of horror, heroism and decisive leadership in the wake of the flooding and its long recovery, and the nation had begun to align its sights on the October general election. By contrast, 2024 has just … started. Three months after Luxon’s win, there have been no shock announcements – at the time of writing, anyway – and the feeling overall can probably be summed up as cautiously optimistic. Following the elections and before the final coalition was agreed on, I commented that Luxon’s years at international corporates could serve him well if he successfully translated that experience to his term in the Beehive. Indeed, he wasted no time acting with the decisiveness of a strong CEO and implemented National’s famed 100-day plan. It’s good to see the government act with vigour, whether or not we all agree with what it’s doing. Much of this action has a direct
impact on the road transport industry – amending rules for the setting of speed limits, repealing the ‘Ute Tax’/Clean Car Discount, binning Let’s Get Wellington Moving and Auckland Light Rail, and changing employment conditions, among others. It also seems there won’t be any new ferries bridging the Cook Strait any time soon, and vocational training via Te Pukenga is getting a shake-up. Most of this would seem to proffer positive outcomes, and you can read more about elsewhere in this issue. Economic outlooks suggest conditions in the first half of the year might remain tough, but inflation and interest rates are expected to fall and GDP rise later on. For National, 2024 will doubtlessly be a year of action. It must be if the pressure on businesses and consumers is to be eased. And if a leaf can be taken from the SH25A Book of Reconstruction, it’s that efficient and effective action is possible – and good. What Waka Kotahi and its contractors have accomplished defies what we’ve become accustomed to … a 124m-long, 15m-high bridge delivered ahead of time, under budget. All praise is well deserved. As we know, the next big one will be SH1 Brynderwyn Hills, due to be closed for nine weeks from 26 February for “critical work to restore the road for the short to medium term”. It is an understatement to say this will be inconvenient, but a far stronger word would be needed if it’s not done and a
TRUCK & LIGHT COMMERCIAL adapted masthead.indd 1
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TRADER
6 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
similar scenario to SH25A results. As I write this, Fulton Hogan and its subcontractors are outside resealing my street and a few others in the neighbourhood. According to the letter that was popped into my mailbox, the work is part of the council’s annual programme, and these roads “have been identified as at the end of their given lifecycle, and work is required to ensure they are watertight to prevent further deterioration such as cracking, potholes and other defects”. Yes, it’s a simple job, small-fry compared with the others just mentioned. But as they say, ‘Focus on the small things, and the big things take care of themselves’. And, from what I can see, they have no more men, machines, or orange cones than one would imagine are needed to get the job done quickly and efficiently. (Which it was.) NZTA has 216 current projects listed on its website right now – with more to come, I’d suspect. If these can be identified (down to the smallest), committed to and accomplished with the same decisiveness and vigour of the SH25A team – even of our local council and its contractors – 2024 could be one for the books.
Gavin Myers Editor
ROAD NOISE NEWS
Ian Patchell receives his life membership from TTMF council members. From left: Neil Boys, Tanker Engineering; Tony Cook, Scania New Zealand; Ian Patchell, Patchell Group; Kate Bucknell, TTMF; Harry Clarke, MTE; Rob Johnson, Patchell Group; Matthew Gilles, Transfleet Trailers.
Ian Patchell awarded TTMF Life Membership Ian with long-time friends and colleagues Jack Topp (left) and Neil Peterken.
I
an Patchell has been presented with life membership of the New Zealand TruckTrailer Manufacturers Federation (TTMF), recognising his valued contribution to the TTMF and the trailer manufacturing industry. Ian is head of the Patchell Group, one of New Zealand’s largest heavy transport equipment manufacturers and suppliers and a TTMF member since 1981. He was the longest-serving member of the TTMF to have not yet been awarded life membership. “I’m deeply humbled,” said Ian. “It’s been a long journey, and I’ve truly enjoyed it. It’s been a great pleasure learning from and teaching my peers over the years.” In 2023, Patchell Group celebrated its 50th anniversary. Ian started small and was (and remains) old school. He had several minor jobs in and around Rotorua before becoming
8 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
a boilermaker at Kinleith Mills in Tokoroa in 1969. To this day, Ian still takes pride in the skill and craft of being a boilermaker and will often describe himself as one. In 1971, Ian returned to Rotorua, and a year later, started a small engineering workshop in View Road on the city’s western edge. This was the start of Patchell Industries, now Patchell Group. Along the way, Ian has had many distinguished milestones. In 1984, the global giant Caterpillar Corporation accorded Patchell Industries OEM status – a rare honour. Ian was a founding member of the New Zealand Log Transport Safety Council. In 2007, he was sworn in as a JP and, in 2019, won the Westpac Rotorua Business Excellence Award. In 2020, he was introduced into the Wall of Fame at his old alma mater, Rotorua Boys
High School. Today, the Patchell Group is among Rotorua’s largest employers, and Ian quickly acknowledges the hard work and skill of the team he has built. He is still active in the business and can often be found in the company workshops. While Ian currently has no plans for retirement, the Patchell name will live on in the form of the contribution it has made to the trailer-building industry and through his two sons – Colin, who heads up Roadmaster, and Don, who has a senior role in the Patchell Group. Ian was inducted into the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2022. Ian’s journey and the history of the Patchell Group were chronicled in the October 2023 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine.
Book now for the Teletrac Navman TMS Conference and Exhibition experience
T
ime is running out to register for The Teletrac Navman Technology, Maintenance, Safety (TMS) Conference and Exhibition in Christchurch on 13 and 14 March 2024. This conference and exhibition will bring together business owners, mechanics, technicians, fleet managers, technical fleet professionals, health and safety managers, manufacturers, truck distributors and industry suppliers from across the country. The event is inspired by the annual ATA | TMC Conference in Melbourne Australia and the Brisbane Truck Show exhibition. It is being organised by the NZ Trucking Association (NTA) and National Road Carriers (NRC), representing over 3000 heavy vehicle operators with one common goal: to enhance the transport and logistics industry and showcase advancements in technology, maintenance and safety. The indoor exhibition space at Te Pae Convention Centre will be put to good use for the conference and exhibition. Attendees can learn from industry experts at job-specific workshops and presentations. The conference aims to facilitate sectorspecific discussions, enabling industry professionals to address pertinent issues. Interactive sessions will gather valuable insights to shape a comprehensive workforce strategy. Teletrac Navman is the naming rights sponsor for the event. Teletrac Navman has long driven innovation and empowerment in the transport sector through its GPS fleet-tracking and telematics technology and is committed to fostering collective growth in the New Zealand transport industry. The conference and exhibition are also supported by New Zealand Heavy Haulage, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, GroundSpread NZ and the Crane Association of New Zealand. NTA and NRC are proposing the conference and exhibition become a biennial event. Registration is open for tickets, and exhibitor space is filling up fast. For event registration and trade opportunities, please contact bill.james@trucking.nz.
JAC MOTORS TO LAUNCH IN NEW ZEALAND
2024 T0YA PRESENTED AT THE TMS CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
B
ased on the International Truck of the Year (IToY) jury rules, the annual award will be presented to the truck introduced into the Australasian market in the past year, contributing most significantly to road transport safety and efficiency. The judgement relies on several critical criteria, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental ‘footprint,’ and the total cost of ownership. ToYA is run in this region by IToY associate members Tim Giles, editor of Power Torque magazine in Australia; Dave McCoid, editorial director of New Zealand Trucking Media; and Charleen Clarke, editor-in-chief of Focus on Transport magazine in South Africa. The parent organisation sanctions the regional award. As an IToY Jury member for the Innovation Award, Clarke brings vast
industry knowledge and representation from the parent organisation. “Having this year’s award presented at TMS aligns perfectly to ToYA , whichever way you look at it,” said McCoid. “A conference aimed at empowering people with usable, take-home information for operating in today’s environment and celebrating a truck we think is a great fit for trucking in the current times is an ideal union. The contender shortlist will be announced shortly.” The Truck of the Year Australasia is an annual award and alternates between being presented in Australia and New Zealand. The Truck of the Year Australasia 2024 Award will be presented on 13 March at Te Pae in Christchurch. The 2023 award was presented to Kenworth for its new K220 at last year’s Brisbane Truck Show. Read about the contenders on page 64.
JAC Motors has announced the upcoming launch of its New Zealand distribution, trading under JAC Motors New Zealand. It will soon introduce two light trucks to the country, with a 100% EV variant and a Cummins-powered diesel variant. The initial New Zealand launch sees the appointment of two sales dealerships, a mobile national fleet team, and a nationwide parts and service network. While JAC is a relatively new player in New Zealand, the automotive brand has existed for decades. The JAC brand was launched in 1964 and is one of China’s top commercial vehicle brands, selling passenger and commercial vehicles to more than 100 countries worldwide. JAC’s trucks are backed by one of New Zealand’s longest-standing automotive companies. With over a decade of automotive and trucking experience, the Kiwi team behind JAC have spent much time ensuring that the truck models are fit to support New Zealand businesses. Completing hundreds of hours of test driving on New Zealand roads, JAC’s 100% EV truck has been successfully reaching a real-world city range of 200km with the truck fitted into a body and fully loaded. The team wanted to stress that giving a genuine Kiwi range was incredibly important. “We know the ranges completed through testing don’t always stack up in the real world, especially when it comes to trucks with so many variables like a box body and carrying heavy loads,” said JAC NZ general manager Andrew Craw. “Our team has been driving the trucks around the city fully loaded, and we still haven’t managed to drain the battery in one day.” The full launch of the JAC Motors New Zealand brand and range of trucks will come in 2024.
ROAD NOISE NEWS
IVECO appoints new head of Australia and New Zealand operations
G
len Dyer has been appointed head of operations for IVECO in Australia and New Zealand. Dyer began at IVECO Australia in early 2021 as head of sales and product. Dyer assumes the position vacated by the incumbent, Michael May, who has been promoted and relocated to Italy to oversee the development of IVECO ‘GATE’ (Green and Advanced Transport Ecosystem). GATE is the IVECO Group company dedicated to sustainable commercial transport, an allinclusive pay-per-use formula for long-term rental of ‘green’ commercial vehicles designed to support customers in their transition to zeroemission mobility. Before joining IVECO, Dyer held executive positions in Australia and Britain in the commercial sales and financial services divisions of another prominent commercial
vehicle manufacturer. Dyer has helped realign IVECO ANZ’s internal sales and support structures over the past few years. As a member of IVECO’s senior management team, Dyer played a role in guiding the IVECO ANZ operation towards a full importation model, which has led to heightened industry uptake of the IVECO product line-up, most notably the Daily range and the more recently launched heavy-duty S-Way. “IVECO has gone through a profound transformation over the last few years, aiming at becoming the trusted partner of its customers throughout the vehicle’s lifecycle and beyond, and the benefits of the company’s new direction are now beginning to be seen by IVECO vehicle owners,” Dyer said. “We’re looking to grow this momentum further by leveraging our expertise in
alternative fuels and propulsion systems and autonomous vehicle technologies while making sure we continue to get the fundamentals such as service, parts and other aftersales functions right for customers. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for IVECO and will work hard to build on Michael May’s strong foundations, ensuring that we deliver on every level for our customers.”
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ROAD NOISE NEWS
Penske appoints new GM for New Zealand
P
enske New Zealand has announced the appointment of Brian Wilson as general manager of the overall Penske New Zealand business. Wilson joined the Penske New Zealand business in early 2023 as general manager of operations, and his expanded role has him overseeing all New Zealand branch operations. He also leads the Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus and Dennis Eagle truck sales business. In recent years, having opened brandnew facilities in Christchurch and Tauranga, the Penske New Zealand business is seeing solid success, particularly in energy solutions, rail, marine, on-highway and parts and service. This will be further boosted as the new MAN truck generation supply
into the country ramps up and as the new Western Star X-Series arrives. “After almost a year of overseeing the New Zealand operations, I am excited to expand my area of responsibility as general manager for Penke New Zealand overall,” said Wilson. “Our national team of on- and offhighway experts across our branch network are focused on delivering bespoke and innovative solutions to customers,” he said. Hamish Christie-Johnston, managing director of Penske Australia & New Zealand, said Wilson’s strong leadership had positively impacted the New Zealand operations. “A seasoned leader, Brian’s stamp on the New Zealand business over the last several
months has been noticeable,” he said. “He has a great understanding of our branch operations locally and the broader business in Australia, enabling him to drive our strategic priorities, ultimately improving the customer experience. “Brian will also be focused on attracting and developing local staff as we continue to grow the overall Penske business on both sides of the Tasman. “On behalf of the business, I’d like to thank Brent Warner, previously the New Zealand country manager, for over a decade of service to Penske and wish him well in his new endeavour.”
2016 Kenworth 8x4 Aerodyne sleeper Available late August 2023
Complete with 2016 12.1 metre Fruehauf 5 axle curtainsider – 38 pallet unit BPW axles, disc brakes, 19.5 DuraBright alloys right throughout. 50 tonne rated and 23 metre permitted, 930,000kms.
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DELIVERY HELPING YOU DELIVER
Isuzu Trucks NZ takes third at technician world champs
I
suzu Trucks New Zealand has placed third at Japan’s annual Isuzu Truck technician world championships, its best-ever result. Known as the I1GP, the hotly contested annual competition is attended by representatives from more than 30 countries. The New Zealand team, consisting of Harry Shaw (TruckTech Solutions, Auckland), Jonathan Ward (Blackwells Isuzu, Christchurch) and coached by Dmitriy Velikanov (Isuzu Trucks NZ), outplaced opponents from traditionally strong performing countries, including Britain and Australia. Individually, Harry Shaw achieved third-best technician at the competition, and Jonathan Ward finished in fifth place out of 66 competitors. “This is one of the best-ever individual and team results achieved by a pairing from New Zealand in this prestigious competition. The
guys should be justifiably proud of what they accomplished,” said Dave Ballantyne, general manager of Isuzu Trucks New Zealand. “The I1GP is a fiercely competitive environment, a real pressure-cooker scenario with judges scrutinising your every move across all facets of the competition, so to achieve this result is beyond impressive and a testament to the hard work, dedication and training undertaken by the team and their coach,” he said. “I’d like to recognise the achievement of both the team and individuals and also acknowledge the support of their respective dealerships, TruckTech Solutions and Blackwells Isuzu, who encouraged their involvement and participation in the competition,” said Ballantyne. “This is a phenomenal achievement, and I’m absolutely thrilled for the team.”
Daimler Truck shakes up ANZ structure
GN0823
Daimler Truck Australia Pacific has revamped its management structure, adopting a fully integrated, brand-agnostic approach. This eliminates the previous division along brand lines such as Mercedes-Benz Trucks, Freightliner, and Fuso. President and CEO Daniel Whitehead will retain his position, but each brand no longer has a vice president. Former Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific vice president Andrew Assimo is now the Daimler Truck Australia Pacific vice president, sales and marketing, covering all three brands.
Freightliner Australia Pacific’s former vice president, Stephen Downes, is now the vice president, service, product, Vehicle Processing Centre (VPC) and elite support. Alex Muller, former Fuso Truck and Bus Australia vice president, has taken on a special projects role for the company. Fuso continues as a separate entity in New Zealand, managed by Keith Andrews Trucks (KAT). Daimler Truck Australia Pacific said it was confident the new structure, which mirrors the framework adopted in
key parts of the Daimler Truck world, would lead to a better experience for its customers. “The new structure takes into account feedback from our customers and dealers and addresses brand fragmentation, allowing us to better serve our customers with one face,” said Whitehead. “It’s the best-practice model of the Daimler Truck organisation globally, and it is also the way that most of our leading dealerships are structured, so we are confident our customers will really benefit from the change.”
A
ccording to Blake Noble, Transcon managing director and Halls Group director (and New Zealand Trucking contributor), 2023 was a fascinating year. “The diversity of operators and operations I’ve had the fortune of engaging with has been vast, each with their own challenges and opportunities,” he said. It is a year since he launched Delivery, a roadtransport-focused advisory and consulting business, which now serves clients across an array of sectors from the industry, including bulk, to rural, civil construction, linehaul, general freight, waste products and recycling, vehicle recovery and everything in between. Noble said that Delivery had been focused on identifying what operators were doing well and how to build on that platform. Conversely, there had also been engagements with operators who’ve grown rapidly and identified the need to take stock and play catchup on the systems and structure around the organisation. Going into what many suspect will be another challenging year, Noble is excited at the prospect of partnering with additional operators looking for external input and perspective to optimise, refine and grow their operations, and he remains optimistic and of the view that proactive and agile operators can, and will, continue to thrive with the right building blocks in place. To find out more, visit getdelivery.nz or contact Blake at blake@getdelivery.nz.
ROAD NOISE NEWS
From hauling freight to royal recognition
H
e’s had a lifetime of driving, but it’s a lifetime of service that saw Trevor Hawkins receive the Queen’s Service Medal in the 2024 New Year Honours List for services to the community, reports industry body Transporting New Zealand. His citation said: “Mr Trevor Hawkins (Ngāti Kahungunu) is the founder of Martinborough Transport Ltd and owner/ operator of Hawkins Contracting Ltd. Through his businesses, he has sponsored a range of community organisations and sports teams, including the Martinborough Rugby Club, the Martinborough gym and the Martinborough Golf Club where he served on the club’s committee and was course convenor for four years. “Trevor is a past chairman and a current member of the Hau Ariki Marae Trustees Committee and has been a member of the South Wairarapa District Māori Standing Committee for several terms.
Martinborough Transport’s Trevor Hawkins with his sons Daniel (left), Josh and Jared. “He has also been the organiser and leader of the Martinborough Night Patrol, which he helped establish with police support.” Transporting New Zealand interim CEO Dom Kalasih congratulated Trevor, praising his community leadership.
Tyres. They’ve done their job. Now let’s do ours. Regulation is in effect for end-of-life tyres from 1 March 2024. Find out how Tyrewise is working with businesses and communities across the motu to end tyre waste. www.tyrewise.co.nz
“I’d like to say thanks for all you’ve done for the wider community, particularly, for road transport.” Congratulations, Trev, from all of us at New Zealand Trucking Media!
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Moffett forklifts in the spotlight
M
offett, truck-mounted forklifts, is a brand of HIAB. Represented locally by TRT, the company held a demo in December to showcase what the nifty little machines are capable of. Moffett forklifts are built in Ireland and range from 1.5- to three-tonne capacity, and their tare weight when attached to a truck or trailer is about the same. The M8 measures just 1350mm long when mounted to a truck or trailer. It can be loaded and unloaded in one minute, further aiding productivity on site. The model demonstrated was the M8, designed for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications. The M8 has a lift capacity from 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes. Typical applications
for the M8 include live poultry cartage, brick and masonry work, crane support trailers and metro deliveries in areas where the truck can’t get in and out of. Power comes from a threecylinder Kohler Diesel engine which is ‘tier 4’-emissions rated. An electric option is also available. With hydrostatic drive and constant all-wheel drive, this model is suitable for use on paved and rough conditions, which the TRT HIAB team aptly demonstrated. All-wheel steer allows the M8 to crab sideways, making it ideal for long loads and use in tight spaces. Moffett forklifts are registered with a WOF as a forklift and can be driven on a standard forklift licence. Each unit is backed by a three-year warranty.
T M
H
THIS ’S MONTHNER: WIN
This month’s winner of the Peterson Night Moves photo competition is Sean Doyle, who drives this K200 combination for Eden Haulage out of Invercargill. Here we see a great night shot that Sean captured of his ride parked up waiting for the ferry on the Wellington port.
ENTER NOW TO BE IN TO WIN A PAIR OF PETERSON’S SUN GLASSES Send your best night bling photo as well as contact details into nightmoves@nztrucking.co.nz to enter
T R O P S N A R S T N Y O I V T A U L HE O S G N I T H LIGHTS’ N O S LIG R E T EC PE
TO SP E R U S E ‘B
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COVER FEATURE
WHEN PASSION MEETS PROMISE Story by Dave McCoid
Photos and video by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid
PART I
18 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
L
inehaul road transport – it is without doubt one of the toughest business gigs in which to succeed, so you have to be impressed every time you see it done well. To do any business well, you must have total clarity on four key things. First, what is it you do? Second, who do you do it for? Third, what is your ‘why’? And the fourth – and most important – where are your boundaries in regards to the first three. With his signature relaxed, shortgaited stroll, Guy Knowles walks across the back lawn at his home base on the southern outskirts of Palmerston North. At the other end of the grass is a wee gate, entrance to the yard with an immaculate three-bay shed as its centrepiece. The building is 24m long with a
4.5m high roller door front and rear of each bay; suffice to say it can accommodate three of the five bounty-green and red ‘children’. At the apex of the front gable is a Kenworth bug. It’s all about finishing touches here. It seems a far cry from an excited young Child Freighters owner-driver leaping into his first truck. Decades of endless toil with life’s ups and downs under his wheels since then, today Guy Knowles Transport is one of Australasia’s instantly recognisable road transport brands, a must-see for any of the globe’s visiting truck spotters.
Crossroads “It’s not that everything goes perfectly all the time, far from it. Shit no, this is a hard industry to stay in,
Guys Knowles crests the Bombays in the new K220.
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but it’s all about your attitude, you know. Just take a moment, have a think and a cuppa, make a plan, and you’ll be all-good, driver! You know? Make a plan, driver.” Although the Manawatu capital was home as a young bloke growing up with mum Lois and two siblings, in his teenage years Guy was sent north to the Waikato for some ‘sort out’ time with his father Trevor, a Melbourne Cup-winning race horse trainer. Work as a stablehand didn’t yield the ‘shekels’ his mates were earning in the nearby Te Rapa dairy factory, so he jumped on board there and stayed for four years, working in packing and eventually processing. In typical Guy Knowles fashion, he says, “It was a bloody good job and place to work. I really enjoyed it.”
A one-year spell in Western Australia driving agricultural tractors and trucks for Southern Cross preceded a return home to Palmerston North with no fixed plans on what next. It was his mother who suggested local transport company Child Freighters due to the inquisitive interest in machines and trucks he’d always shown. “I went for an interview and started on town and around the next day. As you did then you worked your way up to linehaul, on an F86 and then a G88 Volvo. Eventually I grabbed the bull by the horns and took on a linehaul owner-driver position on an ex-Bob Laing F-model Mack. A flat deck with straps and covers at the ready, that’s how it was mostly done then. I was in my late 20s I think.”
1) The original FR Mack ex-Bob Laing. 2 & 3) Guy’s first 440hp V8 Mack MH, the original Razor Sharp – first in Child Freighters and then Keveys Transport. The latter shot taken at BP Truck Rodeo 1989. 4) Mack MH 525 curtainsider. 5) Following the retirement of Mack’s MH, a foray into other brands was featured in New Zealand Trucking magazine April 2002. 6) The fleet lined up at The Expo 2017 at Mystery Creek. Seven years on, this scene will be repeated with the current fleet at the Kenworth 100-year celebration this month, also at Mystery Creek. Photos: Knowles collection.
Then of course, the first V8 Ultra-Liner, Razor Sharp. “That was big gear back then, driver. “Thirteen years I did at Childs in total, just a wonderful place to work and a tragedy it fell victim to the Transpac shambles. “As things deteriorated, I got to the stage where I was owed a month’s income. About then, Morrie Selwyn [Keveys Transport] told me it wasn’t going to end well and I should get out.” Guy took heed of someone he says was a great mentor, and moved across to Keveys. Therein lay the origins of bounty-green and red, a livery he took an instant liking to, green being his favourite colour. A succession of trucks under the Keveys and then Selwyn Road Freight banners ended after a hard life lesson in human nature with the new company owner. “It was a fantastic company, it truly was, and I had eight great years there. Great people and great work, I learned a hell of a lot.” Here he was again, at another set of crossroads. It was early in the new century and time for something really brave. Following encouragement from a number of parties
that included customers, the Knowleses made the colossal leap of faith in themselves and set up as sole account operators in 2003. “The best thing we’ve ever done. The support we got from the customers … just unbelievable.” Of course, as much as many operators like us to keep the details of who they work for veiled, that’s not really going to work with Guy Knowles Transport as he devotes a fair amount of curtain livery to one of his anchor clients, the New Zealand success story that is Palmerston North-based Steelfort. “Just a wonderful Kiwi company to do business with, and we try and be the same for them. They’ve been bloody good to us, as have a number of others in the horticulture and food processing industries.” When John Murphy wrote a cover on Guy’s K108 in 2011, the fleet sat at three and today that’s snuck up by two – a reflection of success in key accounts. However there is certainly no desire to be big. “Our philosophy has worked so far. Keep close to customers, staff, and operations. It’s how we want to do it, and we love what we do.”
n sight in the late and a trophy – a commo Guy, Duke, Razor Sharp s collection. show scene. Photo: Knowle 1980s early 1990s truck
Guy and Helen Knowles: As passionate and enthusiastic about their dream in bounty-green today as they’ve ever been. Every new truck is a career highlight.
The greatest legacy is always philosophy
T
hey say never meet your heroes as dissolution is often found in the wake of disappointment. Thankfully, the road transport industry has formed the backdrop to the bulk of my life, and among the endless gifts it continues to rain upon me is the reality that every hero to date has lived up to expectation. The dynamic linehaul duo of Guy and Helen Knowles is no exception. This match made in highway heaven has lived and breathed trucking together for more than three and half decades, and it was trucking that brought them together. Guy, the indefatigable linehauler, and Helen – or ‘Aunty H’ as the industry affectionately knows her – the maître d’ at Stag Park all those years ago. That said, this union of boundless potential was in no way a fait accompli according to Helen. “He turned me down the first time I asked him if he wanted to go out!” Thankfully a friend steered the wounded and the overly focused back in each other’s direction and the rest, as they say, is polish and productivity; a.k.a. history. Guy Knowles, the archetypal glass half full, no job’s too big – or too small – linehaul trucker, who like so many of his era wrote the book on hard work and devotion in an industry they loved. Aunty H, the
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ultimate wing-woman whose need or desire for personal aggrandisement is zero; her personal KPI the happiness and contentedness of anyone tied to the vision. Hers is the perfect face to greet you with a home-cooked meal and a drink after a hard week delivering the goods – that goes for all the team. She knew at the outset what the vision was and there was no going back. They’re as smitten with each other and their boutique bounty-green fleet today as they’ve ever been. Their home is a shrine to the brand they’ve built and the machines that have served their part. Images of loyal mechanical servants past line the hallway of fame leading from the lounge to the work boots in the garage. Guy’s demeanour and refusal to see anything but the good in an industry that would appear to have rewarded him for his service often creates the wrong impression among those who don’t know him or Aunty H well. Following another upbeat and inspiring visit some years ago, I recall leaving the yard and premises in Palmerston North, when the person accompanying me attempted to utter the ‘Luc..’ word in regard to what they had just been party to. I was sabrelike in cutting them off before the ‘ky’ embarrassed them totally, saying “If you had to do what they have done to get what you’ve just seen, you’d run
a mile.” Trucking never rewards the idle. As an industry colleague shared recently, recalling the Guy Knowles week that was, well beyond four decades ago … Loading and covering general freight for Auckland ex-Wellington on a Friday night that was then unloaded and stacked carefully in the Child Freighters Palmerston North depot. Reload with farm equipment and with his trusted four-legged Alsatian companion, Duke, a delivery round of North Island machinery outlets commenced. Arriving back into Palmerston North at some time on Sunday evening, the Auckland freight was reloaded and the next week’s work commenced. I myself recall the original Razor Sharp V8 Mack thumping through the Hauraki Plains hamlet of Ngatea on more than one Saturday afternoon loaded in that manner. Another anecdote from someone equally well versed in the industry of the era, who recalls being impressed at how well his 440hp Mercedes-Benz was hanging onto Razor Sharp on the climb to the Desert Road summit, only to find later that the only similarity between the two truck’s vital statistics was the one’s payload, and the other’s gross. As we found with Matt Sherlock two years ago, the art of changing times is changing
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Guy at the wheel. “I love it. I absolutely love it.” with them, and as long as trucks have cabs, decks, loads, and need driving, Guy Knowles won’t be far away from trucking. “I love it, I absolutely love it. Loading, driving, serving the customers, seeing something delivered just as it went on, I just love it. It’s all pretty easy today, the gear is great, we keep things in trim as they need to be. You have to change, you know? And in many ways it’s for the better. We worked hard back then, crikey driver, did we what!” He rolls his eyes. “Today has its own challenges, by crikey it does, but you have to do it right, all the ‘t’s crossed and ‘i’s dotted – there’s enough to do, you have to keep the noise out of the business. Yeah, it’s all good really.” A leader who leads from the front with an infectious enthusiasm for not just
everything about trucking, but his brand of trucking. He’s impossible to impersonate, and difficult to quote on paper in the way he would say whatever it is you’re attempting to convey. Like his machines, Guy Knowles is his own brand, idiosyncratic, and unique. The Knowles business is a bastion for the truly vocational trucker – for they are the only breed who will survive here. In the words of one ex-employee, “It’s full emersion”. Come Friday night and Saturday, the yard is a frenzy of truck washing, polishing, tinkering, and banter. Just how the Knowleses like it. Keeping the visual image up harks back to the beginning as an aroundtown driver at Child Freighters in Palmerston North. Those who were around the truck
show scene of the early 1990s will recall the lineage of Guy Knowles V8 Macks regularly amassing a boot-load of trophies. Then there was the time Wellington-based linehaul trucker of the era, Ken Kirk, and I witnessed Razor Sharp thundering into Wellington in the pouring rain and wind on the night before a Lions Club Lower Hutt Truck Show of the early 1990s. “Surely not?” I said. Knowing Guy far better than I, Ken glanced across the car with a wry smile, “He will.” Little did I know there were helpers with buckets, brushes, sponges, polish, and rags waiting in a shed in Trentham, and so to tweak a famous ‘Obama-ism’ … ’yes he did’. If you think it’s about ego, you couldn’t be further from
the truth. Passion: the word is often written about, and rarely defined as well as this “living the dream, driver” reality. The one subject Guy Knowles won’t entertain is his age, the reason being its irrelevance when you love what you do and are still capable of presenting yourself at the go line come Monday morning. He has no intention of hanging up the keys anytime soon. Buying them, building them, loading and unloading them, driving them, customer satisfaction – he revels in it all. He is truly the sum of all trucking parts, and therein lays the answer to the next question. Could it have been a bigger operation than the five superb chariots and their custodians? Absolutely it could, both Guy and Helen will tell you, and shake their heads over the
enquiry that just doesn’t stop currently. But the answer comes back to the beginning of the piece – know what it is you do, for whom, why, and the boundaries you set. This is the business Guy and Helen want – one in which they can service their clientele 100%, stay involved at the frontlines, where hard-working loyal operators are more than staff, where standards of presentation and service can be maintained at the highest level, and where the man whose name is on the door knows everyone in his business from forklift drivers to financiers. “I want our customers to see their product go on one of our trucks and think ‘If that’s the care shown to the truck, my product must be in good hands’. “Having the fleet around the size we do allows overheads to be kept to a minimum. I don’t need a dispatcher, a crew in the office. It’s a model that allows us to remain price-competitive. I do the pricing, Aunty H takes care of the invoicing and we’re all good. It works for us and many customers who value the personal service.” Guy and Helen provide an incredible sanctuary for those in both their employment keep and broad circle of suppliers and friends. As you’ll have gleaned by now, everyone is tagged ‘driver’, an expression of camaraderie and acknowledgement that you too are part of the industry they
Returning home from the regular weekend run is a moment Guy always enjoys.
love. You know you’ve really made it when you get addressed by first and second names – again, it’s a quirk of the man. Although invoicing, admin, and compliance are Aunty H’s official labours, her true passion is filling the tummies of anyone within a five-mile radius and ensuring they’re well, full, happy … and ready. Like the James shed in Tokoroa or the Te Huia man cave in Coromandel, theirs is an easy place to be on a Friday arvo – a malt smoothie and a yarn about the one subject everyone loves … trucking. And like the other two venues, who you’ll find there is often telling in its own right – staff, suppliers, customers, colleagues; a relaxing sanctuary of like-minds. “The big thing with Guy and Helen is the passion they have for their business, their trucks, and the way their drivers have the same amount of pride and passion,” says Southpac salesman, mate, and trucker himself, Steve Herring. He’s managed the Knowles account almost the whole way. Of course, it is trucking and that means it never really stops, and there’s always the weekly Saturday/Sunday return run to Auckland to keep in mind. That means one person has to abstain at the Friday wind-down in the interests of maintaining the ultimate objective – customer satisfaction. You didn’t really just wonder who that might be, did you?
PART2
Winner of the inaugural Truck of the Year Australasia in 2023, the K220 is a landmark model for Kenworth. An entirely different machine beneath a form factor that continues to acknowledge lineage on the one hand, yet pokes the bear on the other. Will 220 continue to honour one of the greatest evolutionary legacies in automotive history? Who knows, but Guy Knowles Transport offers one of the best transport operations in which to open its account.
Anything you do is everything B ehind the middle door of the three-bay shed sits the latest addition to the Guy Knowles Transport fleet. One of the first two Kenworth K220s to land on our fair shore, the Knowles’ truck was a validation unit sporting some of the key 220 features that will separate it from its predecessor beyond the easily identifiable. There’s the air-suspended electrically tilted cab, hydraulic clutch, inner front wheel guards, the swanky digital dash, and of course the aerodynamic sleeper cab profile – minus the vista windows. Seen as cab/chassis on the Southpac stand at Wheels at Wanaka 2023, fleet No.83 was certainly the focus of much attention, not in the least part due to that cab profile.
In the race As all of its predecessors in the business have done before, No.83, rego ‘KW220’, will quickly become familiar with the lower North Island to Auckland
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linehaul route via the National Park. It’s the preferred Knowles passage on account of the reduced traffic. That’s not to say you won’t see members of the fleet in any other corner of Godzone, but if you’re pushed for time and can’t end your truck-pic roadie without a member of ‘GKT’ secured on the SD card, that corridor will certainly be your best bet. As the middle door rises, the first instantly distinguishing factor on the new model reveals itself. The grille shape is more angular, aligned to its T610 conventional stablemate. Personally, there was a shock factor with the K200 when I first encountered one, and familiarity, comfort, and then eventually bonding took time. The K220 felt familiar in an instant, and bonding took mere seconds – the grille, the new bumper, it all looks on-point. Of the two new-era Ks, its form factor makes it feel more of a natural successor to 108. That’s
just me though. Like all Guy Knowles trucks the inherent practicality is overshadowed by spectacular, and it’s not until you’re working in and around the fleet you realise just how usable they actually are. This is a fleet designed in every detail by a trucker – the lesson being, makeup and looks aside, Flo Jo was still fast. That said, the owner’s zest for productivity does mean there are gin traps for the non-vocational types. These aren’t trucks you could plonk a novice in and then go to bed without a worry as they motored off, lights aglow, into the northern night. They are certainly a ‘more you look, the more you’ll see’ affair and the attention to detail is mesmerising. For Guy and Helen, relationships are at the core of everything they are about – whether customer, staff or supplier. This is handshake, commitment, delivery, territory. As a supplier, get in the gate
and you’ll enjoy a long and fulfilling relationship that goes well beyond the transaction – you’ve just got to have the same approach to business as them. Southpac, Fruehauf, SAF, Tauranga Canvas, Marty’s Signs, Hella, BroLube, they all have long associations. “I try and do something a little different on each one,” says Guy as we walked around. “It’s getting harder though. We did painted tanks, then visors, then did some stuff with the lights and stainless strips on the bottom of the tanks, toolboxes and toolbox handles. There are always different curtains on each one.” Then he points to the rolled stainless edging on the front guards. “Look at this, Chris Stanley, he’s bloody good isn’t he?” It’s here you realise the infectious positivity, so evident in retelling his own story, is not just all about him. Rarely will you ever hear him say anything negative about suppliers. “No, no we’re treated pretty bloody good really, we’ve got long relationships and that’s important. There’s no one we deal with we can’t talk to about little things here and there, things we could improve, and it’s all good, we get these little things sorted and we’re all good, driver, you know?
How many times has this man rolled out beyond Palmerston North’s city limits?
Top: Rolling on to Auckland. Bottom: At Naitonal Park – where linehaul truckies have stopped for a breather since linehaul began. “I like to keep everything local, deal with local people, that way when you have a problem there’s someone to go to and it can be sorted and improved on. Even things as simple as lights. I stick with Hella here and you can get things done, it’s easy, no major at all.” Like every new truck that comes in the gates, Guy will drive the 220 for the first couple of hundred thousand, until the next new truck arrives and then he’ll hand this one on. It’s a model that’s existed here forever, and although it might not appeal to every driver reading this, like Carey Turner at OTL said about Isuzu trucks in the November 2023 issue – that’s how it works here, you know it from the get-go. “Look, it’s just a ‘me’ thing. It also allows me to deal with
any teething troubles, I hand on a truck I know works to the driver. It also means the suppliers know I’ll be turning up with the teething problems, not a driver who might not get the level of attention an owner does.” Walk-around done, Aunty H’s lunch and drink in the fridge, we idle out of the shed into the sunlight. A toot as we roll down the drive, through the gates and out onto the lane. Residential covenants mean we’re on a strict 20km/h for the kilometre or so out to the main drag on the southwest side of town. It’s actually a neat way to kick-off, ease the truck into it, and as Guy says, great for when you come home, simply drive in the shed and shut it down. Steelfort is located on SH3 at the western entrance
to Palmerston North and it’s there we load for Auckland – a substantial yard for turning the rig around and placing in the loadout bay. Of course many would say being a Kenworth it’s just as well it’s a big pad, but there’s the first uppercut the K220 will dish out. “Watch this, driver,” and with that Guy swung on the wheel and around went the truck as no other Kenworth I’d ever driven or seen had done before. It would later repeat the trick, again to my amazement in a far tighter environment at Kiwi Brands DC. I trawled the literature trying to get a radius number, but alas no luck – I guess the plethora of wheelbase and suspension options change it constantly, but Guy has certainly struck a sweet combo here. Multiplex wiring, electric tilt etc are great, but for truck drivers out in the heat of
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time-constrained battle, a good lock is real, especially when you think how many of these will end up in rural stock applications. ‘K220 – turning more than just heads!’ See, I’ve even nailed the ad slug!
All in a day’s work
Above: Fuelling at Te Kuiti. Below: Two iconic intersections in North Island linehaul. (A) Pulling away at the foot of the Te Kuiti Hill southbound. (B) Where SH1 merges with SH3 at Bulls.
A B
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One of the signs of a true operator is the masking of a slick loading and unloading time with an apparent lack of fuss. That sums up Guy to a tee. Of course, he’s aided by trucks he specs to his applications on jobs he’s now done for a long time. Things like corner-board holders angled and present on both sides of the truck and trailer. Straps on one side and buckles on the other. Their work also affords the luxury of not having to carry clunky AusBinders, ‘scratchy’ chains and the like. The toolboxes are nothing short of art. Stainless steel with beautiful recessed lockable T handles, interior lights, and pullout drawers. Designed by Guy of course, and built by Steelfort Engineering. This is no in-house job either, they do this sort of thing and it’s an area they’re interested in investigating more. Amazing and well worth a look. One of the things that does set the Knowles fleet apart is the incredible adherence to ‘cloneism’. Line up the five trucks together and they’re all identical in dimension, meaning no one’s disadvantaged by pricing, whether the truck in terms of revenue, or the customer in terms of product moved. That’s great for customers because they can stage loads and know every member of the fleet will get it on. The Knowles’ trucks are big caverns, there’s no mezzanine floors; no need according to Guy. The Fruehauf bodies and trailers are equipped with aluminium decks and recessed cross members. “One of the things we did a while back was move from fibreglass front walls to Mono-Pan laminated composite walls. That saved a huge amount of weight and gave us critical inches.” Agh, critical inches.
Guy Knowles’ trucks can be seen all over the country. Here Guy swings off at the base of the Kaimais where SH29 heads west towards Te Poi. Remember I was saying as simple as the set-up is, these machines are not for novices? With a 2.3m aerodynamic roof sleeper and 23m overall length, the Knowles trucks can accommodate 38 Chep pallets with millimetres to spare. That means the inter-vehicle space is a mere 1050mm, and that in turn means vigilance must be high the second things like entrance ways have an upward kink. Any angle at ground level will amplify itself 4.30m up; suffice to say that gap closes mighty quick. “It’s just a care thing, and we’ve got a great crew currently.” There is a drawbar extender on each unit for manoeuvring in tight spaces, but the trick is, knowing when to deploy it. The units run at 50MAX; there’s nothing to be gained going any higher, and on average they’re good for about 31 tonne. Payload concession is not something Guy is overly known for but he specs the trucks with double-skin curtains just to give the signage a little more protection from the working world inside. The relationship with Fruehauf New Zealand is
probably the longest and it’s a zero-hesitation answer when you mention bodies and trailers. “Just the best in my view; again that’s just me. It’s a long association and they know my spec so well. When I order a truck, I place the order with Jeffrey [Mear – CEO Fruehauf NZ] and they start on the trailer right then.” Looking around, there are the obvious signs BroLube has a role to play here with central lubrication; that runs to the trailer also. Having disc brakes all round means there’s only the ball-race on the trailer to grease, so running a line makes sense. “Dave from BroLube lives at Himatangi and he does great for us. I had a wee issue the other night with a broken line and he was at home when I got there. You can’t ask for more than that, can you?” The fleet names generally come from either an Eagles’ song or moments in the company history, and so with our load of mixed product equating to about 14 tonne payload, New Kid in Town pulled out onto SH3 at a featherweight 31 tonne gross. Payloads do vary
considerably and a load of produce will easily make the most of the available limits.
Consistency and change As we head out of Palmerston North through Awahuri towards Sanson, I wondered how many times this man had done exactly what we were doing now. This is the 15th K model Kenworth to wear the Knowles livery and the bugs have held up their end of the deal admirably. “Just fantastic. They’ve been a fantastic truck to me, every one of them. I can honestly say I haven’t had a dud at all.” To be fair he takes a safe approach to specification; the latest machine essentially has the same core components as the first, like the cab/chassis around them, simply keeping pace with evolution. Even then, he’s reluctant to be the first on board with anything new, and believe it or not he never moved away from EGR the moment Cummins E5 arrived, saying he got through without any real EGR horrors against his name. You do have to be able to swing off a gear lever if you want to breast the control
seat here, and probably will do until the OEM deems that impossible. Guy’s not a fan of self-shifters, and although some would say he misses out on key productivity features, like many of his ilk, you do wonder if that is actually the case. Race car driver Jim Richards’ famous quote about the art of motor racing being to win the race in the slowest possible time can be paraphrased and applied to changing gears in big trucks – the art is changing the fewest gears possible to get from A to B. As you can imagine, he is at one with his machine, an innate feel of energy and where it currently resides in the combination, adjusting the transmission in order to put it where he wants. “Look, they’re [AMTs] really good now, I know, a lot of it is just me, the era I grew up in, and what it means to drive a truck. As I said before, things are different now in many ways. We normally go up one day, unload, have our break, reload and wander home. A lot of the time it’s not pressured at all. Sixtyfive hours is a pretty good week for us. What I’m saying is we can just trundle along. His style
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Guy on SH4 at the Horse Shoe bend at the foot of the Hiwis. at the tiller probably explains why a little over 2.0kpl is where consumption usually sits also. “Kenworth was always an aspirational truck. This is just next level to the K200 and I thought that was pretty spot-on. I bought a 95XF DAF from Southpac early on. I still didn’t think a Kenworth was in my reach, but it gave me the chance to check out the lay of the land there in terms of support and aftersales. That was a lovely truck I have to say, Helen really liked it and named it Annabelle. Eventually I made the big leap to the first K104B; crikey, that was a leap of faith,
driver! I’ve never looked back, and Southpac have simply been outstanding the whole way. Steve [Herring – Southpac sales] is just superb, I’ve been dealing with Steve for so long now. He knows the product better than inside-out and he’s a great bloke and mate. Maarten [Durent – Southpac CEO], Richard [Smart – Southpac GM sales], the whole team. I’m not a big operator but that’s not the way you’re treated in my experience. “I have to mention Aaron Headington and Damian Hooper in the new truck division – they’re fantastic to work with – nothing’s a problem, driver,
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nothing’s a problem. Chris Stanley of course, and Anders and Brent Morris, Southpac Trucks’ auto electricians for the work they did. They had this thing apart, seriously, and look!” But none of this might have been so, were it not for decisions made by Mack Trucks in the 1990s. As we said earlier, the Guy Knowles V8 Mack Ultra-Liners were iconic back in the day and when Mack discontinued that model, its idea for its replacement, the Quantum, was certainly not Guy’s. “Look, the Kenworth was aspirational but I always thought out of reach. If they’d
kept the Ultra-Liner I wouldn’t have had to start looking. And I’m a V8 fan, I love V8s. Those trucks were so good to me, and they sounded so good.” But the Ultra-Liners did go, which lead to dabbling in Scania V8s, chosen for their V8 with similar injection systems to the Mack, and of course Annabelle, the 95XF. “I had a great run from all those trucks. The Scanias were good machines but not quite what I was after and the DAF was more comfortable to sleep in than the Scanias. No, from the moment the V8 Macks went away there was only one make I
Guy climbs the Kaimais from Tauranga. was after long term.” Rolling on up the island there really is no effort at all as you can imagine, and we dispatched the Taihape Deviation in 16th, 1300rpm, and 47km/h. Guy said a full load of spuds on the Bombays will see it in 10th at a shade over 40km/h. Given it’s barely 10,000km into work, it’s all semantics. At Waiouru he swings the 220 northwest, leaving SH1 and shooting down SH49 through Ohakune to connect with SH4 at Tohunga Junction, then on up through National Park and Taumarunui to SH3 at Eight Mile Junction. He knows this
road better than the back of his hand and is extra cautious at the narrow two-lane bridge at Tohunga Junction. “They come whipping around and a lot of the newer guys don’t know it’s not two lanes for trucks.” We chat about how such a deathtrap can remain on the main network for so many decades. By now we’re getting a taste of one of the 220’s real features, the cab air suspension. K108e/200 was a huge improvement over 108 in terms of ride, and 220 air has raised the bar again. At the time of writing it’s not available on the
1.7m cab. This Kenworth has an entirely different ride and suspends the lateral movement, not just the up/down and fore/ aft. It’s interesting, because that lateral rigidity is the hallmark of the ‘American’ ride and loyalists like it, however there is no hint of laziness, and when I was at the helm later in the afternoon it was rail-like through the bends, as you’d expect and hope. It’s probably the quietest Kenworth ever also. My sound meter was on the blink on this particular day, but I’ll take a hunch around the low 70s in terms of decibels. [This was confirmed by editor Gavin Myers
a week later – good guess, eh?] Like so many I was shocked to hear the vista windows had gone from the roof and the name Aerodyne consigned to history – you’ll get 100 lines ‘I must not…’ if you blurt it out. This was traumatising, grieving stuff! Yet hand on heart – and it takes a lot to say this – four hours in the 220 and I’m converted. The increased room immediately above the driver and passenger is hugely evident, as is the ambient natural coolness in the cab. Even though improved insulation was one of the 100 changes in the K220, the heat and cold
Right: The Steelfort Engineering toolbox is a work of art, and you can have one too. It has an interior light, I kid you not.
those windows allowed in and out is now evident, and as the ‘pro’ camp says, ‘most people had curtains over them they never touched anyway’. I can so understand now why someone punting one around Australia in the height of summer would be keen on consigning the ‘vistas’ to the Seagull Centre. Outside, it’s maybe a harder adjust seeing a windowless expanse, but like the K200 grille 13 years on, in six months it’ll be like your old gumboots. Of course the cab does still have some quirks that date it; a little harder to adjust without a clean sheet of paper, namely legroom in the passenger footwell. The driver gets more room – even the pedal assembly has been moved forward a tad, but the conductor is still snug.
Full steam ahead Mr Sulu The K220, its five-year mission is to go where no K model has gone before. Okay, it won’t be five, it’ll be a decade or more I guess … maybe, but you get the theme. This K model will experience a future no predecessor ever has.
By the time we’re in the northern King Country I’m behind the wheel. Driving the latest Guy Knowles truck with the owner sitting in the passenger seat is not great for the resting heart rate, but I was thrown the keys the next day as well, so I’ll take that all day long. As I’ve said before, I grew up in an American truck enclave and I felt right at home in an instant, the hydraulic clutch was light as a feather and the Roadranger silky especially when you held up your end of the cog-swapping deal. Its’ a lovely ‘Kenworth’ place to be. The steering was quite heavy, and it appears to be a ‘this truck’ thing and Guy was working through that with the Southpac crew. It wasn’t like moving anvils around the kitchen bench, just a bit heavier than you’d expect. The only thing that made me a bit sad was the elimination of the optional kick in the top section of the steering column. You have telescope and rake, but no kickback into full ‘lax-out’ mode. As I say in the side bar, how they’ve made that dash so appealing so quickly bewilders
30 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
me, but it is a thing of beauty in terms of looks and use. And the few gauges in the wrap – nice and not out of place at all, comfort food. And then the real practical advances for the guy or gal at the frontline – climate systems that work, big buttons, and a Smart Wheel that can now hold its head proud if you like Smart Wheels – thank you platform engineering and ‘snazzo’ looms. Oh, and you wouldn’t buy a K model without platform mirrors, full stop. The biggest test of any new Kenworth, and it’s a burden of their own doing thankfully, is presenting us with something new without losing its soul. And that, ladies and gentlemen, will only get harder for them. The people who buy these things won’t be hoodwinked by marketing ‘piffle’. They buy them for one reason and one reason alone, and that’s the belief that you’ll pay a hefty sum, put it into arsey work in shithouse places, and after a decade you’ll still need to crack the window to shut the doors. Oh, and it will look cool also, not have its cab turned into something that resembles Elephant Man.
And bear in mind, I’m talking about the Kenworth product here specifically. If they can’t maintain that, then I would say retire the Bug. There’s nothing worse than an old champion boxer flailing is arms about and looking a fool. The great news is, in the K220, they’ve made some pretty bold changes. The roof, and dash, things that were key cultural components; and bugger me, they’ve pulled it off … again. It means they still get ‘it’. The what, for who, why, and where’s the limits we spoke of at the start. PACCAR understand this also, it would appear. We have another K model that looks and feels like a K model if that’s your jam – and for many, it obviously still is. And this one really will take the K badge into a brave new world. As we said with 200, will this be the last incarnation of one of the great automotive legacies? Will the mood of the market finally shift? And like we’ve said a million times about a million things, only time will tell – but ain’t this just the place to sit back and watch it all happen!
Above: Front on, K220 was a look I bonded with easily.
And the winner is…
K
enworth couldn’t have released the K220 at a better moment in terms of the inaugural Truck of the Year Australasia. Awarding it the 2023 title did what such awards always do, light up robust conversation. It had some strong techy competition in MAN TG3, Fuso Shogun, and IVECO S-Way, but the Australasian award seated in the world’s most cosmopolitan truck market has to look at far more than wizardry alone. In terms of popularity in its market, there was no competition, meaning the advancements encompassed within the K220’s design stood to have an enormous impact on the market going forward, speaking to safety and productivity. Gone are the days of ‘here’s your new truck, like it’. As is the case with OEM releases in 2023, there was exhaustive consultation with those who hand over the dosh, followed by field testing, field testing, and more field testing. There’s
no question all of Bayswater’s children will continue to inch toward the PACCAR platform family, a sensible and logical thing to do. The key will be retaining everything that made the brand what it is here and know what family bits won’t cope with the length of the Stuart Highway at 120 tonne, or the Napier/Taupo at 60. Roping the customers in on that will help immeasurably, especially when it comes to their confidence in the product.
The K220 houses more than 100 changes compared with its predecessor, and not surprisingly, it’s control of the smarts and the wiring architecture that form the foundation of any new model’s future success or longevity in the market these days. Although electric cab tilt, hydraulic clutch, and cab air suspension don’t really set the world alight in terms of innovation, the inclusion of CAN Bus control and a serious upgrade in multiplex wiring to something called VECU01
certainly do, the latter punching the K model to the front of the Aussie PACCAR wiring loom hierarchy. For the non-propeller heads among us, the CAN Bus means there’s a ‘Fat Controller’ running the whole show making sure everyone speaks the same lingo, and the wiring architecture equates to bandwidth, meaning messages get to where they need to be quickly and orderly. It opens the door to swankier platform-based safety systems and who knows what else.
Left: Cab air-suspension is a ‘biggy’ on K220. It certainly makes it a different truck to ride in – lifting the bar several notches. Right: Inner guards keep things a lot cleaner – this was after driving through a big-wet with roadworks.
The K220 comes with everything you’d expect in terms of core safety kit in 2023; adaptive cruise, accident mitigation, side protection, lane departure, hill hold etc. Sticking to its philosophical guns, Kenworth will continue to offer it all as an option, even active emergency braking, until it’s mandated in Australia in 2025. This is a truck fore-ordained for another time and the K220 will likely be the first K series propelled down the road by something other than old trees and dinosaurs. Even if it’s still big and red under the floor, it might well turn its nose up at diesel.
Easily able to accommodate Cummins’ X-15 Euro-6 offering, the red engines all now come standard with the ADEPT software. Eaton’s amazing Endurant AMT, the company’s first greenfields AMT range, is also on the tick-box list in HD trim, although not here, just yet. Tech and driveline, it makes the whole K220 package a formidable contemporary offering. Now to other things. Cabs. ‘The cab has never changed’ shouted Louis Braille from the madding crowd. Of course it has, significantly. Park a K220 next to a K124 and they’re nothing
Nose to nose. The new Aerodynamic Roof pushes well forward and it is hugely noticeable in the cab.
The thing PACCAR does so well is take its customers on a journey in a way that eliminates unnecessary shock and keeps everyone on-side. It might be the techiest KW ever under its skin, but it’s comfort food for the hard-core. That new binnacle though – that’s cool. And a proper Smart-Wheel.
32 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
alike yet instantly identifiable as lineage. Like parking a Porsche GT3 next to an original 911. It’s the art of great vehicle design, retaining the connection to heart and science at the same time. The new 15in digital dash layout is spectacular, and although my initial thoughts on the gauges in the wrap were negative, driving the truck resolved that. They’re like your granddad’s favourite stein on the mantle. They are a superb example of how Kenworth keeps you connected while surreptitiously heading off in a new direction. How they’ve
Right: Oodles of roof immediately above the driver. Below: K220 2.3m sleeper.
delivered a digital dash with ribbon gauges – of all things – dominating the customisable view and not made me dry-retch I’ll never know, but they have. I loved it, and I loved the clockface tacho, and inner numerical digital speedo. One day and I didn’t want to go back. The Smart Wheel has more going on than the last one, but because it aligns better to the common layout and vibe, I found it easier to use. The wrap is now a T610looking crossover in appearance, with the same heater gauges and big easy toggle buttons. The
demisters and heater now demist and heat; the HVAC system’s improvement is really noticeable. There’s an infotainment screen – albeit still a bit dinky by some of today’s offerings – and plenty of room for additional comms in various forms. There’s enough woodgrain to pacify, and a nonslip rubber mat in the dash-top caddy – that will be great. Access around the cab is fine. Is it the best? No, probably not, until you remember how many buy them. What then defines best? The cab shell is largely still the cab shell although it is slipperier, and strides have been made in the aero option improving room, storage, and insulation via the bold decision to eliminate the iconic vista windows. There are all the traditional things that touch the ‘don’t remove the reason they buy it’ mantra, like deep-button vinyl in a range of colours, none of which are called ox-blood … thank you cancel culture. Fit and finish are an improvement on the K200 and the big yucky left-side bolted plastic fascia panel has been
replaced with a nicer woodgrain setup. Is the K220 in the league of Europe’s finest when it comes to fasteners and panel gaps? No, as a rule you don’t see bolt heads in Europe’s elite. If the Euros actually did close the competition gap in many of Kenworth’s key markets, those panel gaps might close too. Of course, the elephant in the room with the K model shed is always access, and in this area I’m a little harder to convince of its overarching negative. You always have three points of contact, and bear your weight on your feet. I’ve carried many a bag and coffee into a K model and never once felt on the brink of having my will read in a solicitor’s office. The other thing a rear-ofthe-wheel entry means is your truck will easily comply with heavier HPMV permitting in New Zealand. The side lockers are huge and again, maybe a smidge too high for the vertically challenged, or fairer sex driver. All OEMs need to address that. Potential positive impact on the existing market? Huge … a worthy winner in 2023.
S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
Kenworth K220 2.3m Aero Sleeper – 8x4 rigid Tare: 11,500kg GVM: 32,000kg GCM: 65,000kg Wheelbase: 5020mm Engine: Cummins X-15 Euro-5 Capacity: 15L Power: 457kW (600hp) Torque: 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-5 Transmission: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual (14.40 – 0.73 double overdrive) Clutch: Eaton 2050lb/ft Easy Pedal Advantage 3 – VCT+Clutch (Manual adjust) with hydraulic clutch assembly Front axle: Meritor dual MFS66-122 Front axle rating: 13.2 tonne capacity Front suspension: Three-leaf load share – 12.0 tonne Rear axle: Meritor MT21-165GP RR cross-lock 4:1 ratio Rear axle rating: 20.9 tonne Rear suspension: Kenworth Airglide 460 Brakes: Meritor disc brakes Auxiliary braking: Jacobs Additional safety: EBSS (ADS, Drag Torque Control (DTC), Auto Traction Control (ATC)), FUP Fuel: 500L DEF tank: 225L Wheels: Alcoa alloy
Acknowledgements There are few welcomes in this world like the one extended by Guy and Helen Knowles. We are not just thanking them here for their help and support on this feature, but through all the years of our association. Truly inspirational people. We always leave fired-up. To Richard Smart. At an extremely busy time, as ever, your support was instant and as always, hugely appreciated. To Steve Herring, thank you again for your help, camaraderie, enthusiasm, and passion for all things trucking.
34 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
Tyres: Front: 307/70 R22.5 (offset) Rear: 275/70 R22.5 Electrical: 12V Cab exterior: 2.3m Aero Sleeper. Slimline air intakes. Remote heated mirrors Cab interior: Driver and passenger ISRI 6860/870 Pro black leather KW Bug embroidered air-suspension, prem cushion and integrated isolator - with arm rest. Red Garnet soft trim interior, 30L fridge and left side under-bunk locker. Infotainment
THE
RIGS
OF
2014 January/February
Every cover truck holds a special place in the history of New Zealand Trucking magazine. We love to see where their road has taken them. This month, Kevin Aldridge’s Mainfreight Freightliner Argosy 110in from the January/February 2014 issue.
Argosy Dream Freightliner Argosy 110in 8x4
KIWI 175
215/75R17.5 235/75R17.5 265/70R19.5
265/70R19.5
KIWI 20
KIWI 20 SUPER
11R22.5 275/70R22.5 295/80R22.5
385/55R22.5 385/65R22.5
HCR280 was quite a unit when new.
KIWI 21
KIWI 23
275/70R22.5
11R22.5 275/70R22.5
11R22.5 275/70R22.5
Contact Us sales@kiwityres.co.nz 0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 4897) www.kiwitrucktyres.co.nz
ED AT
D & OPE R NE W
NZ O
KIWI Truck Tyres are available from all leading commercial tyre service providers Contact your local tyre specialist today for pricing & availabilty in your area.
KIWI 24
AV
DELIVERING PERFORMANCE DURABILITY & LOW COST-PER-KILOMETER.
A
IL
UNIQUE COMPOUND
EXTRA DEEP TREAD
EXCEPTIONAL MILEAGE
E
KIWI 16/17
• Currently driven by: Maurice Jackson • Basic original spec: DD15 TC at 418kW (560hp), 18-speed Eaton Fuller MXP Ultrashift plus 20, Meritor RT46-160GP at 4.1:1 • What we said in 2014: “In this truck, with this engine, we’d have to say this is about as close to perfection we’ve come across in an American truck.”
AB
ID
Maurice Jackson bought HCR280 off Kevin Aldridge two years ago, and has done close to 300,000km in it. “The truck is still in the same condition as Kevin kept it in. I like to keep it clean,” he says.
• Currently owned by: Maurice Jackson (Mak Contracting) • Current odo reading: 1,400,000km • Mechanical work: New radiator, turbo, water pump – preventative maintenance • Current work profile: Container transport for Nupin Transport, Mt Maunganui
LE NZ
W
TRUCKS IN ACTION
We go in search of trucks doing the extra-hard or unusal yards
Story and photos by Craig McCauley
WHERE THERE IS NO ROAD,
THERE IS A WAY...
Some call it climate change; others refer to it as something else. Most people agree that damage caused to our roading infrastructure by adverse weather events during the past decade has become commonplace. Delays caused by having to detour around the affected areas, the loss of productivity in the workday, and the allencompassing question, ‘Who pays for the extra expense incurred?’, add to the transport operators’ daily toil of getting the product to market. A Marlborough Sounds transport operator is no stranger to this situation. With no road access available due to long-term storm damage, farmers and transport operators have had to get resourceful to ensure the region’s rural produce gets to where it should.
36 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
S
ituated in the northeast of the South Island, the 4000km2 area of land and water known as the Marlborough Sounds supports a sizeable industry along with the area’s reputation as a true nature’s playground. Aquaculture – predominantly the farming of green shell mussels – occupies a large amount of water resource, and forestry is prevalent on much
Ben reverses onto the MV Pukatea at Havelock.
of the steeper local terrain not suited to conventional agriculture. Gareth Parkes operates GW Parkes Contracting from his base at Linkwater, 13km east of Havelock. His parents purchased a dairy farm here in 1982, still owned and operated by the Parkes family. For several years, tractorbased agricultural work was the mainstay of the contracting
operation. But eight years ago, a second-hand Freightliner Argosy was purchased, and the operation diversified into livestock cartage. After three seasons of doing what Gareth refers to as “more than it was bought to do”, the need for a replacement loomed. “I budgeted on doing 50,000km the first year and ended up doing 120,000km.” Shortly before Christmas 2019,
the Freightliner’s replacement rolled into Linkwater – a new Kenworth K200 Aerodyne and Jackson Alloy Mono fiveaxle trailer fitted with Total Stockcrates. About a dozen farms of size inhabit the Sounds, most accessed from the Kenepuru Road. The road begins outside the Parkes’ property at Linkwater and meanders north following Kenepuru Sound for 42km
before branching off in several directions. Significant slips and subsidence occurred to this and many other Sounds roads during and after storms in July 2021 and August 2022. Following months of complete closure after the 2021 event, the road re-opened to light vehicles for residents’ access in time for the Christmas holiday period. Although access has improved over time, no
1
2 1) The Parkes Kenworth travelling on the Pukatea makes for an impressive sight. 2) The Marlborough Sounds roads aren’t exactly designed for full-size stock units. 3) Mount Stokes is a solid test for man and machine. Both are up to the challenge in this instance. 4) An example of the damage that has kept the Kenepuru Road closed to heavy vehicles since 2021. 5) Putting on another truck load to shuttle up to the trailer. 6) The Hopkinson crew and Ben Fletcher (right). 7) Reversing into the woolshed at the Kenepuru Head.
3
option exists for trucks wishing to access the Kenepuru Road. Gareth explains that before the first storm, they would drive out to the property in the Sounds the evening before and overnight there. The following morning, the stock would be collected and transported directly to its intended destination. Currently, Gareth’s truck meets one of Johnson’s barges at its Havelock base for a oneand-a-half to two-hour ‘steam’, depending on where the truck is heading. Once ashore, the stock is picked up, generally from multiple properties, before being consolidated at a central set of yards. The following morning, they are reloaded onto the Kenworth, it meets the barge and travels back to Havelock before setting off to its delivery destination. Under the new regime, up to a day has been added to getting the stock to market. On a murky morning near the end of 2023, New Zealand Trucking magazine meets the big blue Aerodyne in Havelock. Ben Fletcher drives the Parkes Kenworth. He reverses onto the MV Pukatea, a 30m self-propelled barge powered by two Cummins NT855 engines, each producing 186kW (250hp). A Claas tractor, also destined for the Sounds, is backed alongside the truck before the barge ramp is raised and the Pukatea motors out through the Havelock marina. Today’s drop-off point is a former landing used to load
4
barges with logs, located in Fish Bay. After the initial storm, it was returned to service and provides a solid platform for trucks to transit from and onto vessels. Cruising at about 10 knots (18km/h), the Pukatea took just shy of two hours to make Fish Bay. Upon arrival, the crew placed packers between the barge ramp and landing to facilitate a smooth transition from the vessel deck to solid ground. A set of cattle yards near the Kenepuru Head was the next stop; a pen of rams, destined to do their part in keeping the next generation of their species coming, were dropped off. After Kenepuru Head, the road turns to gravel and narrows up. Ben drops the Kenworth’s Big Foot central tyre inflation system onto its lowest setting as he enters some native bush at the base of Mount Stokes. Much of the road over Stokes is windy and has many tight corners. It has suffered erosion damage from the storms, and large rocks protrude through its surface – it can’t exactly be described as the easiest country to drive a truck in. Ben guides the Kenworth over the summit and slowly down the other side into a disused quarry overlooking Melville Cove, where the trailer is dropped off. The rain we had encountered since daybreak had made the road into the Titirangi Farm Park inaccessible for a large trailer, so the plan was to ferry up its share of the load.
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6
7 New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 39
The Kenworth comes back in for its second load as a ute and trailer ferry another load out. Right: Ben trans-shipping some lambs to his trailer. At the Titirangi woolshed, the Hopkinson family were well underway with loading several farm trailers with freshly weaned lambs ready for the run up the hill to Ben’s trailer, helping speed up the loading process. With all four decks of the truck crate loaded, the Kenworth made its way back up the hill where the lambs were run across to the trailer. These lambs, combined with what was bought up on the Hopkinsons’ trailers, meant the truck would only need to make one more trip back to the
yards, saving a fair chunk of time. Many hands make light work, and there was no shortage of capable helpers, which meant it didn’t take long before Ben was climbing away from Titirangi with his second load on. Once the trailer was hooked up, the Kenworth re-traced its steps back over Mount Stokes to the Hopkinsons’ home property at Kenepuru Head, 25km away. One thousand store lambs made their way out of the stock crate and into the yards, where they received a drench before being
put out on the pasture at their new home. We bid Ben farewell here as he headed off to collect some stock from a couple of nearby farms, which would go on his load to a processing plant in Canterbury the following day. Emma Hopkinson explains that the meat company has supported the region; farmers work together to ensure the truck always leaves loaded to capacity, which means some loads end up being a combination of sheep, beef and
DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING QUALITY TRAILERS FOR THE WIDER TRANSPORT INDUSTRY FOR
deer. Marlborough District Council currently subsidises the barge travel to affected properties while engineering and geotechnical work takes place on what the best roading option may be going forward. While waiting for these decisions to be made, the Parkes Kenworth will be a common sight on the water in Marlborough Sounds. Carriers and their clientele combatting the impact of extreme weather – making things happen together.
35 YEARS
Queen St, Pahiatua. Ph: 06 376 0020 Trevor mob: 0274 437 968 e: trevor@jacksonenterprises.c.nz
www.jacksonenterprises.co.nz JE0224
The Mark of Quality
The Kenworth comes back in for its second load as a ute and trailer ferry another load out. Right: Ben trans-shipping some lambs to his trailer. At the Titirangi woolshed, the Hopkinson family were well underway with loading several farm trailers with freshly weaned lambs ready for the run up the hill to Ben’s trailer, helping speed up the loading process. With all four decks of the truck crate loaded, the Kenworth made its way back up the hill where the lambs were run across to the trailer. These lambs, combined with what was bought up on the Hopkinsons’ trailers, meant the truck would only need to make one more trip back to the
yards, saving a fair chunk of time. Many hands make light work, and there was no shortage of capable helpers, which meant it didn’t take long before Ben was climbing away from Titirangi with his second load on. Once the trailer was hooked up, the Kenworth re-traced its steps back over Mount Stokes to the Hopkinsons’ home property at Kenepuru Head, 25km away. One thousand store lambs made their way out of the stock crate and into the yards, where they received a drench before being
put out on the pasture at their new home. We bid Ben farewell here as he headed off to collect some stock from a couple of nearby farms, which would go on his load to a processing plant in Canterbury the following day. Emma Hopkinson explains that the meat company has supported the region; farmers work together to ensure the truck always leaves loaded to capacity, which means some loads end up being a combination of sheep, beef
DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING QUALITY TRAILERS FOR THE WIDER TRANSPORT INDUSTRY FOR
and deer. Marlborough District Council currently subsidises the barge travel to affected properties while engineering and geotechnical work takes place on what the best roading option may be going forward. While waiting for these decisions to be made, the Parkes Kenworth will be a common sight on the water in Marlborough Sounds. Carriers and their clientele combatting the impact of extreme weather – making things happen together.
35 YEARS
Queen St, Pahiatua. Ph: 06 376 0020 Trevor mob: 0274 437 968 e: trevor@jacksonenterprises.c.nz
www.jacksonenterprises.co.nz JE0224
The Mark of Quality
JE0224
RMD909 ready to get to work.
9 ohhh 9 … what a surprise! If you think having a personalised plate gifted to you for your birthday is great, how about receiving the truck to go with it? Story by Alison Veran
S
cott Sherson of RMD Transport at Mt Maunganui had been considering adding a new truck to the company fleet to coincide with his dad Mark’s 70th birthday. “I just had a hair-brain idea one day and mentioned it to Mum. She said, ‘Go for it,’” recalls Scott. “I considered a few options, but Dad has always wanted a Kenworth T909, so the decision was made.” Scott faced the dilemma of getting a new truck right
Photos by Alison Verran and Sherson collection through the production line, signwritten and delivered, without his dad knowing. The result had to be a surprise. The order was placed, and production got underway. Word often spreads fast in the industry when the company is putting a new truck on the road, so keeping every stage of the build a secret was not going to be easy. “The truck was sent to Kentweld, in Melbourne, to have the bumper fitted. We had to ask for covers to be put
42 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
over the exhaust shrouds to hide the RMD lettering that had been laser cut into them,” says Scott. “This truck had to come into New Zealand with no indication of who it was for.”
A little bit of history RMD (Rorison Mineral Developments) has always favoured Kenworths, even back in the pre-Sherson days. In 2002, Sherson Contractors, based in Hamilton (owned by Mark Sherson), bought the transport side of RMD from the late Gary
Rorison. Mark, along with the late Neil Davison (‘Charlie’, Mark’s right-hand man) lived in Hamilton and commuted over to the Mount every day to work. After 21 years, Mark is still making the trip over the Kaimais most days. “I should have moved to the Mount long ago,” he jokes. Since 2004, Mark has purchased a variety of trucks, replacing the older ones in the fleet. “I didn’t want the company to grow too much,” Mark says. “My goal was to have late-model gear and a team
The big question is, how do you hide a truck painted in distinctive colours from an always curious bunch of trucking enthusiasts? of good drivers. Often, drivers would leave … maybe head to Aussie for a bit … but many of them returned. The company currently runs more than 30 trucks in the North Island. When the company pay clerk was away on leave, Mark asked Scott (a builder at the time) to come in and help with the wages. “I knew Scott could do the job; he was always good at maths. Back then, everything in the office was hand-written … invoices, payslips, everything. It was definitely old-school. Scott was great with computers, and he brought us into the 21st century,” Mark recalls. Scott continues: “Once I did that, I pretty much never left.” Mark tells us Scott is now stepping up, and “I’m slowly stepping out”. In about 2008, Mark moved the company from Rorison’s old yard on Aerodrome Road further down the same road to its current location. “The set-up here was purpose-built for us,” says Mark. “It gave us our own workshop and bulk
stores, all on one site in Mt Maunganui. We transport the clients’ product to and from the bulk stores countrywide. With such a large storage capacity, we can help our clients grow their own businesses.”
Back to the surprise “We ordered the truck in October 2021, with the intention of it being presented to Dad for his 70th birthday in March 2023,” explains Scott. “However, Covid kicked in and disrupted the Kenworth production line. First, we thought the only option would be to present him with a bare cab and chassis on his birthday, but that didn’t happen. We then decided to have the bin on and present it to him at our mid-year company get-together, usually held in August … but we then had to push that out to October.” The big question is, how do you hide a truck painted in distinctive colours from an always curious bunch of trucking enthusiasts? Scott explains how: “Once the truck arrived in New
Zealand to Southpac Trucks, we asked a signwriter to throw a different logo on the doors and bonnet. The colour of the truck was a bit of a giveaway that it was for RMD, so we were hoping the fake signage would distract from who it was really for. One or two people did suspect, but we put them off the scent in the hope Dad wouldn’t find out.” Next, the truck headed to Transport and General Engineering (T&G) in Hamilton to have bins fitted. “Greg Cornes from T&G found a mate with a shed who could hide it for us. We had to pull the stacks and aerials off to fit it in the shed. The day before the work party, Cliff from Truck Signs Mt Maunganui sent two guys over to signwrite it with the correct name. I had to tell Dad some little white lies to enable me to head to Hamilton and strip all the tape off the stainless, air cleaners and stacks for the signwriters to do their job. Paul, my brother, came with me to help polish and get the marathon effort completed.
Hidden in the shed at Ngahinapouri, with the fake signwriting to throw the punters off the scent. The signwriters finished at 6pm on Friday, and after about 15 hours of polishing and putting everything back together, we finished at about 1:45pm on Saturday. I admit there were a few beers on Friday night to help the process. Our work do was starting at 5pm, so I had to go home and get all the polish off my hands. I had to tell Dad I had been helping a mate work on his car.” With the RMD work function about to take place at the C&R Developments Museum in Hautapu, Cambridge, and busloads of family, employees and their partners travelling from their Hamilton hotel, a covert operation had to take place to ensure the finished, polished T909 was not spotted making its way to the event. Southpac truck salesman Tim Finlay was behind the wheel of the 909 that day.
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 43
T F
T
t
Frank Huia is the T909’s proud driver.
Above: Lights on at the Friday night polishing session the day before reveal. Right: A smart little touch by Transport Trailers.
“Tim had to take back roads from the storage shed at Ngahinapouri to Hautapu. He stopped on the way, waiting for the all-clear. Once I knew the buses were past his point, I phoned him, and he brought it round and hid it behind a roller door. Everyone was inside when the truck arrived, and only one person heard it pull up, but I managed to
RMD909. He was rapt with it, because he thought it was for his Ranger ute. The rego on his ute was NTZ909, so he just assumed it was a replacement. “I realised at that point, Dad was so rapt with the number plate, we could have saved a lot of money!” laughs Scott. “Dad was showing it to everyone and was so chuffed with it. Then the roller door
“I realised at that point, Dad was so rapt with the number plate, we could have saved a lot of money!” laughs Scott. put him off,” Scott explains. “I told everyone I had to do a spiel about the housekeeping of the venue. I managed to get Mum and Dad up the front on the pretext of congratulating them on 50 years of marriage that year. That kept Dad off the track of suspecting anything else. Scott’s brother Ryan was then asked to come forward to present Dad with a wrapped gift for his 70th birthday. He opened it to find a personalised plate with the registration
went up, and the Kenworth grill got bigger … and bigger.” It was common knowledge among the RMD staff that management had a few Kenworth T610 SAR trucks on order, so the opening door was expected to reveal one of them. Scott’s face gets a cheeky grin when he says, “I just threw Dad the keys and said, ‘It’s all yours.’ He was gobsmacked and had no words at all. He drove it into the shed, and the celebrations began!” Mark says, “As the roller door
44 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
Jo and Mark Sherson, chuffed with the big surprise. went up, my first thought was, ‘Why would you have a 909 rego plate on a 610?’ I was blown away, totally surprised. I had no inkling at all. I genuinely thought when I received the plate, it was for my Raptor. I was happy with that!”
Keeping the secret It was exactly two years from when Scott ordered the T909 to the day of the presentation. “You have no idea how hard it was to keep it quiet for two years,” says Scott. “The only people who knew were Mum, my two brothers Ryan and Paul, Dave Jackson, our general manager, Tim Finlay, Mike, Greg and Craig at T&G, and of course, Cliff.” RMD is a family business, with Mark, Scott and Dave at the helm. Ryan runs the bulk store and Paul has an integral role in the workshop. When asked if Scott has a comment about his Mum’s role, he laughs and says: “Just that she has had to put up with Dad for so long!”
Mark clarifies and says, “She’s the boss. Jo rules the roost; she keeps everyone on the straight and narrow.”
Behind the wheel At the end of it all, the great surprise had to be put out to work to earn its keep. Frank Huia is the lucky guy behind the wheel. With the unit based in Te Awamutu, he is currently carting around the Waikato, while waiting for the HPMV permits to come through. He will eventually venture throughout the North Island. When comparing this new unit to his previous wheels, Frank says, “I like the look of the chrome and bling. I definitely have more leg room, and it’s a lot quicker on the hills.” Mark concludes: “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our great team of employees and the loyal clients and suppliers who all play a major role within our company.”
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BANDIT Story, photos and video by Carl Kirkbeck
The dreams and aspirations we have as children drive us as adults to strive for our goals. The character behind the recent Snowman truck build from the movie Smokey and the Bandit is the epitome of that philosophy.
A
s far as W-model Kenworth’s go, none would be more instantly recognisable than the Snowman truck. Written and directed by Hal Needham, the late 1970s hit film Smokey and the Bandit left a lasting impression on anyone who saw it, as it does to those who watch it today. Full of antics and hijinks, the storyline is based on illegally running 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas, to Atlanta, Georgia. For many, the hero vehicle was the Pontiac Trans-Am driven by the Bandit (Burt Reynolds). However, for us in the transport industry, the real hero was the W-model Kenworth, driven by the Snowman (Jerry Reed) and Fred, the Bassett Hound. As a young fella watching
46 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
the movie, the black and gold Kenworth captivated Charlie Bailey, today an Auckland-based construction company owner and builder. This interest wasn’t unexpected, considering that his father, Rob Bailey, is heavily involved in the trucking industry as a driver. “Yeah, the passion for trucks definitely started right back then, riding around with Dad; his influence on me was huge. Dad’s driving career is colossal. He has driven all over the place for many companies. It was his time back in the day with Combined Haulage that really got me hooked. “He was driving one of the company’s famous Kenworth ‘Little Brown Jug’ Aerodynes when I was about seven or eight years old. I would spend as much time as possible with him
cruising around in the passenger seat. But that truck had a real impact on me. I can really remember the deep buttoned interior in ox-blood red and the Aerodyne sleeper cab with its bunks. I would climb up the top and peel off the domes of the top window covers and then lie down and look down the road across the roof, airhorns and the marker lights as Dad drove. “I loved the sound of the engine as well … going through the gears, as well as the sound of the Jake brake. He would let me flick it on and off … he’d be like, ‘Yeah son, flick it on now.’ So you’d click the switch, and you would hear the Jakes kick in, and you would be like, ‘Wow, I just controlled the engine!’ And for a young fella, that was next-level cool. So, yeah, that’s what really got me hooked and
Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin’ …
ignited the passion for trucking in me.” Charlie’s childhood fascination and passion extended beyond trucks to include hotrods and custom motorbikes. Over the years, he has owned a multitude of cars and bikes and has an eye for a bargain; he would often purchase a project, do it up and then sell it to move on to the next project. “It was going to various car and bike shows like Beach Hop that was awkward for me. I would want to take more than one car or bike, but you can only drive or ride one at a time. So, I
figured I needed a transporter of some kind. I had seen the trucks overseas that some guys had modified to get their vehicles to shows, and I thought that’s the way to go. I had always wanted to build a truck, so I started looking around for a rig to purchase that would give me what I needed.” Charlie first looked locally, talking to the likes of Colin Walters with his Movin-On Kenworth, but he soon realised that he would not be able to find what he really wanted in New Zealand. It was Rob who suggested looking for Like father like son: Charlie Bailey and dad Rob sharing the passion.
something out of Australia, as there were plenty of options over there that were reasonably easy to import. So the hunt was on, and not long after, a W-model for sale owned by Mark Driver of Driver Bus Lines in Mt Waverley, Victoria, caught Charlie’s eye. The 1986 W925AR was originally new to Blue Circle Cement and actually has a colourful history as it was apparently used at some stage in its life for a cigarette heist. [Definitely, the perfect truck to run illegal Coors then, aye?] The unit was built at the factory with a 400hp Silver 8V92 Detroit and 13-speed Roadranger. The 8V92 was later replaced with a 12.7L Series-60. The original torsionbar suspension was also later
swapped out for airbags to help improve ride and handling. It was obvious that this was the perfect candidate for Charlie’s project. All he had to do now was convince Mark Driver to sell it to an overseas buyer. “Yeah, that sure was a challenge. Mark was adamant that he wasn’t interested in selling it to me, so I thought there is always more than one way to skin a cat. I got in touch with a good mate of mine who lives over there, and I got him to call Mark and pretend to be a buyer and start negotiating with him. It started getting serious, so I stepped back in and levelled with Mark about what was going on. He could see then how serious I was. So he, thank goodness, agreed to sell it to me.
“But, he was adamant that I had to come and see it for myself first. So next thing my partner Michelle is online booking me tickets to race over to Melbourne. I caught the 5am flight on the 8th of June. My mate collected me from the airport and we drove out to Mt Waverley and visited Mark, testdrove the truck, did the deal and shook hands, and my mate took me back to the airport. All the while, I was flat-out on Google trying to arrange shipping. I got back into Auckland at 3am on the 9th, and after a couple of hours of sleep I was back on the building site at 7am. I was absolutely fizzing – just running on pure adrenalin,” Charlie says with a laugh. “Yeah, it was hard out. But I just had to have that truck; it was everything I was after.” Mark kindly drove the W-model through to Adelaide for Charlie, arriving there on 14 June, where shipping had been arranged with Willship International. Two days later, the W-model was loaded and it departed Adelaide. On 1 July
it arrived in Auckland, and on 4 July, it was delivered to Charlie’s yard by ACE Towing. “We were straight into it,” says Charlie. “Literally, that first weekend, we had the bullbar off and the flat Texan bumper on. I could not wait; just had to get stuck into it. The bottom line is it took only six months to build, from finding it for sale and doing the deal, right through to a completed COF here in New Zealand. You gotta be pretty stoked with that, aye? “I was in amongst it the whole way through, trying to do as much as I could, running around, doing the research, sourcing stuff, templating for stainless-steel fabrication, going down to the painter and getting stuck into sanding and prepping the chassis for paint … all that good stuff. Having a builder’s eye I found definitely helped. As chippies, we have the ability to visualise stuff. We look at plans, and we can see 3D and imagine exactly what the end result is going to look like. With this, I found it easy to map out the process needed to get the result
48 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
I was looking for.” Like any hot-rod build, the hard engineering had to be addressed before the paint and shiny stuff could be applied. “The ride was okay, but with what I was planning for the truck, I knew we needed to swap out the old spring packs for new parabolics to smooth things out as much as possible and also get the stance that I was looking for. I then sent it to Southpac to have the rear artillery hubs removed and replaced with 10-stud hubs so we could fit up alloys to it. A good mate of mine at BNN Customs, Braden, came on board and was a massive help with fabricating all sorts of brackets and bits, like the brackets for the straight stacks. He really went the extra mile for me on the project. He could see what I was trying to achieve and wanted to be a part of it. “For all the painting, I went to Jason at Convoy Truck Refinishers in Hamilton. Jason was brilliant; things like repairs to the fibreglass hood, he just got on and got it sorted; nothing was too much trouble
for him. The end result is just outstanding, exactly the look I was after. Being a chippie came into play with the stainless fabrication as well. I deal with Darryl Smith Stainless Fabrications in Takanini, and they are a great bunch to deal with on our building projects, so I took my patterns to them, and they hand-crafted exactly what I was looking for, no hassle at all.” Everything was progressing well with the project, including the ideal trailer being located and purchased out of Tirau. “I literally bought that sight unseen, and they kindly dropped it off directly to Jason for me so he could get straight into prepping and painting it. In the meantime, I was running around trying to get an LT400 certificate for the fifth wheel, and this is where things started getting frustrating for me. You know, up until now, I had been in control of the project, and everyone had been awesome, and just got on with it for me. I was getting excited because it is all coming together and you know you can see the finish line,
Special thanks from Charlie: “I just wanted to say a special thanks to my good lady for all the support she has given me throughout the entire project. She has been right there with me from the very start of this, and you cannot do a project like this without that kind of help and support. Also, my kids for all their understanding and support and coming along for the ride as well. Dad, for all your guidance and advice through the whole project … It has been a blast being able to share this with you, and I’m looking forward to enjoying many miles together on the road again. To all the team that have played a part in this build … thank you for all you have done. No matter how big or small, it has all added up to seeing this amazing bit of kit come off the planning table into a reality that is now plying the highways.”
Looking the part from interior, to exterior and load.
but suddenly here is a bunch of bureaucrats taking control, and you feel helpless. “For example, I got told by the engineer that the base rails for the turntable had to be some 350 grade of steel, and it had to be a 12mm right angle. I spent a whole day looking for this stuff and was getting nowhere – no one had it. It was while out at Southpac that I just happened to look at the set-ups out there and I quickly realised that the engineer was leading me up the garden path. So I went back to him and bailed him up and told him what I saw on the new set-ups, and he replied, ‘Oh yeah, that is okay, you can do the same as them. The measurements I gave you are a guideline.’ I couldn’t believe it. Here I was trying to find something that
did not exist because of his lack of information and detail. You know, you pay these guys to know their stuff and they don’t. I was starting to think, ‘Man, am I ever going to get this thing legal and on the road?’ “Ah well, I can laugh at all
of that now. It is finished and I have got the result that I was looking for. I suppose I am used to these sorts of bureaucrats from working all these years in the building game”, Charlie says with a laugh. “But, straight up, I am
absolutely stoked overall with the way the entire project has come together. It really is exactly how I envisioned it at the very start. But, yeah, I suppose that’s those good old builders’ skills coming through again.”
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 49
WHERE’S THAT ROAD?
You might well have 20/20 vision, but do you have 20/20 memory? Have a look and see if you know where this stretch of bitumen is, people. This one shouldn’t be too hard at all.
So where was it? Wow! That was close. Would you believe only one correct entry this month among guesses spread from the Far North to Fiordland? Every now and then, we throw you a stumper … but there’s always someone who brings it home. Congratulations Rod from Levin, it was indeed taken at the turnoff to Ongarue on SH4 looking toward Taumarunui.
TO ENTER To enter, flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz Subject line: Where’s that road? Feb2024 Tell us your answer, and let us know your postal address. Note: Please include the subject line above, or your entry might get lost in the pile. We’ll randomly pick a winner from the correct entries and see what’s in the prize basket. The competition closes at midnight on 29 February 2024.
SH4 at the Ongarue turnoff, facing south toward Taumarunui.
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Story and photos by Craig Andrews
TEMUKA SALEYARDS
Every Monday, sheep and cattle are sold at the Temuka Saleyards, which has been offering up livestock for more than 100 years. Craig Andrews parked up for the day with a camera and captured an impressive line-up of Canterbury-based livestock trucks; nothing posed, all photographed as they went about their day.
Plenty of DAFs about.
Busy UD Condor was in and out all day for Temuka Transport.
Smart colours draped over a CF DAF owned by Geraldine-based Four Peaks Transport.
Fairlie-based Barwood Transport FH Volvo.
Cleland Transport’s smart International Eagle cosying up next to Cheviot Transport’s FH Volvo No.45.
One of the few not from the region was this tidy example of a K200 Kenworth from Trans-West Freighters over at Greymouth.
52 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
A lovely big Iveco from Mayfield Transport and a Mercedes-Benz from St Andrews Transport.
One of the smart K200 Kenworths from the impressive Mid Canterbury Transport fleet.
Long-time supporters of Mercedes-Benz trucks, Ellesmere Transport, had a couple of these on the job.
A colourful line-up of South, Mid- and North Canterbury hauliers.
A very smart FH16 running in StockLines colours based out of Amberley, creeping through the saleyards doing its best to keep the dust down.
A familiar FH Volvo from the Transport Waimate stables, alongside a Scania from Amuri Transport.
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 53
JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz
Jeff Reeve Jeff Reeve says he’s not really a truck driver – concrete pumping is his game – but he was driving an impressive unit when Faye Lougher saw him in Shannon, so he’s worthy of a Just Trucking Around yarn. The truck belongs to Wellington-based Reeve Gunite Services, specialists in concrete spraying and pumping. Jeff says his father started the company, which has been operating for more than 45 years. Jeff has been driving trucks for about 20 years and got into that side of things out of necessity when the business outgrew the ute and trailer. He admitted he didn’t know much about the Isuzu FYJ350, other than it had an auto gearbox and rides well. “The truck is just a way of getting from A to B. I enjoy getting concrete where it is meant to be, and I spend more time doing my job than driving to get there. If they checked my logbook, I’d be lucky to have done two hours’ driving a day.” The unit on the back is a Sermac 4Z27. Sermac is one of the world’s main producers of concrete pumps, making boom pumps varying from 21m to 65m vertical reach. Jeff says the concrete pumping unit makes the truck a bit top heavy, and he certainly didn’t enjoy the trip over the Opiki Road between Palmerston North and Shannon. “It’s all up and down, and you’re being kicked from one side of the lane to the other. That road is terrible.” [We know, Jeff – you’re preaching to the converted!] Jeff says he does his best to keep the truck looking good, which is not easy considering
the material he transports and works with. “It’s two years old, and I try and keep it clean – the inside of the hopper is coated in concrete, but I think the truck still looks pretty good.”
Faye gave Jeff three vexing questions – Macintosh’s Toffees or Liquorice Allsorts; pie or hamburger; beer or wine? He opted for the toffees, a burger and a beer.
Abdul Ahad Abdul Ahad was filling the petrol tanks at the Levin New World fuel stop when Faye Lougher pulled in to fill up her car, and he was happy to have a quick chat. Originally from Fiji, Abdul has been driving fuel tankers for MOVe Fuel since early 2023. He’s been on trucks for about 28 years in total and lived and worked in New Zealand for a year in 2015. When a friend told him MOVe was looking for drivers, he was driving fuel tankers in Fiji. Based in Lower Hutt, Abdul had 91, 95 and diesel on board the tanker he was towing behind his 2022 Scania G540. After refilling back at the base, his next stop after Levin would be a fuel station at Remutaka. It says a lot about the state of the roads in Fiji when Abdul says one of the things he enjoys about driving in New Zealand is the condition of the roads. “They are very good; everything is good here – the roads and the trucks. MOVe is a great company to work for, too.”
54 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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TOP TRUCK
TRADITIONALLY, LESS IS MORE Kenworth’s traditional top-of-the-line cabover, the Aerodyne, has been a long-time favourite of many New Zealand livestock carriers. Opotiki Transport holds the honour of being the first operator to bolt a set of crates on an Aerodyne-cabbed truck during the 1990s. From the turn of the millennium, catching sight of a Kenworth Aerodyne loaded with livestock on Kiwi roads was to become more common.
Story and photos by Craig McCauley
M
ore than 20 years later, livestock moves from all corners of the country on the back of an Aerodyne. Many company owners have
put a great deal of thought into creating a unique look for their trucks, using a mix of custom paintwork, graphics and the addition of individual accessories. Choosing to wind things back
56 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
a step, a new K200 Aerodyne that recently went on the road in Central Otago proudly displays a ’less is more’ approach when it comes to the truck’s look. At the southern end of the Teviot Valley in Central Otago is Millers Flat, known for the blue heritage-listed steel truss bridge that connects the town to SH8. The primary sector provides most of the valley’s industry, with substantial land harbouring pip fruit orchards or traditional sheep and beef farms. The latter provide plenty of work for a rural carrier. Established in 2004 with three trucks, Millers Flat Transport is
one such operation. It is owned by the Beel and Johnston families, and the fleet currently numbers 12 trucks. For most of the business’ existence, Freightliner Argosys have filled the front-line role, and today, three still wear the blue and silver livery. Desirable traits of the trucks include a simple chassis layout, reliability, durability and ease of maintenance. Steer axle position is also important for the operation – experience shows that the US-style cabover trucks are better suited to the area. With the front-axle position
being further forward than many comparable trucks of European or Japanese origin, less potential exists for the bumper (and the components protected by it) to contact rogue obstacles when accessing areas off-road. Graeme Beel, a son of one of the founders, explains it is advantageous in the territory where the trucks operate to have the short wheelbase and a decent rear overhang. In combination, these features, plus a full lock-up rear bogie, simplify access to properties on the hill country surrounding the valley. With the sun having set on Argosy production in 2020, Freightliner no longer had a cabover truck available and Millers Flat Transport was in the same boat as many other Kiwi operators: wondering where to go next. MAN 4x4 trucks have formed the nucleolus of Millers Flat’s
Descending out of the hill country back towards Millers Flat. ground-spreading operation from the early days. A TGX 35.540 joined the fleet during the post-Covid new-truck supply situation, and it’s done a good job. Kenworth was able to provide a truck that would fulfil every category on Millers Flat Transport’s wish-list that had made the Argosy such a great fit for the operation originally. A K200 Aerodyne was purchased from Chris Grey at Southpac Trucks. It arrived in the country factory-painted in Millers Flat’s colours, and
Custom Signs of Dunedin added all the subtle but sharp graphics. Jemtec Engineering of Balclutha fabricated the stock deck and fitted it to the Aerodyne chassis, while Balclutha Auto Electrics looked after all the electrical work. A new Delta four-deck sheep/two-deck cattle truck crate was built for the Kenworth, and a Domett fiveaxle trailer and matching Delta crate, previously towed by one of the Freightliners, was tidied up to go behind it.
In terms of appearance, the truck has been kept as simple as possible. Its twocolour paintwork mixed with a minimal amount of polished metalwork creates a stunning, almost retro, look. Graeme drives the Kenworth and spends his days carting sheep, cattle and deer over much of the South Island. Motivation comes from a Cummins X-15 producing 447-458kW (600-615hp) and 2508Nm (1850ft/lb) of torque, while an Eaton-Fuller RTLO20918B 18-speed transmission
The fitting of matching DEF and diesel tanks on one side make for a tidy appearance.
1 turns a Meritor MT21-165GP rear bogie, fitted with diff locks on each axle. Graeme’s sons, Callum and Andy, were on hand when New Zealand Trucking visited Millers Flat. They were justifiably proud of the new addition, saying
bringing it home (for the first time) was better than Christmas. A locally owned and operated business servicing a traditional rural clientele with equipment that is modern yet traditional in appearance.
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58 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
3 1) The Teviot Valley still sustains a regional saleyard; Mt Benger holds a couple of sales each year. 2) Ingenious mounting of the front number plate neatly conceals the tow pin. 3) Graeme with sons Callum and Andy.
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ruck driver Shayna Tipene of Auckland-based Machinery Relocations says gaining industry-related qualifications has helped her understand more about fatigue and other health factors affecting the performance of commercial road transport drivers. Shayna found herself drawn to the world of transport, following in the footsteps of her truckingoriented family. “I grew up surrounded by family members who worked in the trucking industry. My dad, my two brothers, my cousin— they’re all in trucking. I’ve always had a passion for trucks. The bigger they are, the better they are,” she says. “The open road, and the size of trucks, for me, creates a really calming environment. It was an easy decision to join the industry.” Shayna’s journey officially began four years ago with Machinery Relocations. Her introduction to formal training came when her boss informed her about a free programme offered by MITO - Te Pūkenga. Eager to enhance her skills, she enrolled in various programmes, including; • the Introduction to Commercial Road Transport micro-credential • Commercial Road Transport – Heavy Combination Vehicle Loading Fundamentals microcredential • Commercial Road Transport – Driver Safety micro-credential • Commercial Road Transport – Mass & Dimensions microcredential ’ and finally the • Level 3 New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport – (Heavy Vehicle Operator) “I found the programmes extremely relevant to the work I was doing in my job,” Shayna says.
“There were lots of practical benefits of the programmes. I learned a lot on where to place loads on my truck, and the proper way of tying them down,” she says. “I’ve also learned the ins and outs of the truck motor, which was really interesting to me. There are a lot of things I didn’t know about a truck that I have actually become quite fond of. All the parts, and what certain
parts do and how they operate. It actually makes me want to go into mechanics and fix diesel trucks.” Shayna says training and education plays a critical role in ensuring safety and job proficiency within the transport sector. “Whether you are new coming into the industry, or you’ve been at it awhile, you’re always going to learn new
things, and sometimes you have to go back to basics, because the industry is always changing,” she says. “Getting trained on how to do certain jobs within our industry is so important when it comes to safety. “One of the programmes I did really helped me manage my fatigue, which is a really serious issue in our industry.”
Three Routes to Success Designed for both employees and owner-operators in the Commercial Road Transport industry, MITO’s micro-credentials provide foundational knowledge that will boost your career. DRIVER SAFETY
MASS AND DIMENSIONS
Fatigue and health factors affecting the performance of drivers and safe night driving.
Vehicle mass, dimensions and High Productivity Motor Vehicle permits for drivers.
mito.nz/driversafety
mito.nz/mass
LOADING FUNDAMENTALS Heavy combination vehicle dynamics, safe driving, loading principles and procedures. mito.nz/vehicleloading
Completed online, these micro-credentials are NZQA-approved and are components of the ‘Road to Success‘ programme.
Associate Member ITOY
AND THE
Story and photos by Dave McCoid
CONTENDERS ARE… Truck of the Year Australasia (ToYA) is upon us, and following Kenworth K220’s victory in the inaugural regional award, we find ourselves with three incredibly worthy and interesting contenders in 2024.
I
t took our international parent body 47 years to find BEV trucks slugging out with the diesel burners for the ultimate gong. It’s taken us only one full round. ToYA 2024 finds Volvo’s superb F Series electric in the ring with Western Star’s devilishly handsome X-Series and Scania’s ‘super’ Super range. By the time you read this, Power Torque editor Tim Giles, Focus on Transport editor in chief Charleen Clarke and I will have bashed our fists on the table, stated our case and cast our vote. The winner will be announced at the Transport Maintenance and Safety Conference 2024 in Christchurch next month. Tim and I have driven them all now, and
64 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
Charleen is ready to hear what we have to say, acting as counsel from the parent organisation, throwing her thoughts and views into the ring also, of course. For you, the reader, it is important to know that although we are affiliated to our parent International Truck of the Year organisation, we are not bound by any decision made by them in the award of IToY. While much of the criteria will naturally align, we have the autonomy to make decisions based on our region with its unique demands. There’s no question this award would not be possible without the cooperation of the contending OEMs. We thank them for their integrity, understanding their truck is a contender only throughout the selection
process. We would say however, making the cut is a high honour in itself. Without further ado, here’s a brief rundown on this year’s big three. Oh, and to avoid any misguided reading between the lines, they’re presented in alphabetical order.
Scania Super Series When Traton Group boss and Scania president and CEO Christian Levin said Scania’s Super Series was part of their “Vision for change, a world of sustainable transport,” it struck a note with many. Have we missed the first wave of low-hanging fruit in the tailpipe emissions race by not making the most of what Euro-6 offered? Pushing hard on the Euro-6 barrow at the regulatory level
Volvo F Series electric
around the globe might well have allowed better commercial and infrastructural continuity while new alternatives came on stream, with their own supporting infrastructure in a less adolescent state. Potentially the last combustion engine family for Scania, Super really does advance the discipline. A new singlehead, twin-overhead cam construction biofuel-capable engine, new Opticruise transmission and rear drive, all five years in the making. Scania says an 8% improvement in fuel consumption can be expected at the get-go on like-for-like work. The key to Super is downspeeding, and to facilitate that, engineers have reset the bar on 13-litre engine torque output with 2800Nm (2065lb/ft) between 900 and 1400rpm from the 418kW (560hp) unit at the top of the range. The Swedish giant is also saying it’s the most durable powertrain ever. Scania New Zealand sales director Deon Stephens pointed me toward Tim Sewell at KPH to leap behind the tiller of the latest G560 Super, with regular driver Mandeep Singh Maan on his nightly Auckland– Wairakei swap. The first most noticeable impact is torque, and how fanatical this truck was about getting into overdrive or coast as soon as possible. With the cam and induction setup, rev recovery was quick too. It all leaves you with the impression of a complete absence of work happening below. This truck seems the zenith of the downspeeding concept. Upshifts came at 1350rpm and 90km/h cruise was 1200rpm
(it’s 900rpm in Europe). The new Opticruise transmission (models G33 and G25) is up to 75kg lighter and shifts are simply undetectable. Mandeep normally leaves Auckland at around 43 tonne in his 8x4 and quad setup and with the rolling expanse of expressway now reaching Karapiro, this truck is – or would be – in its absolute element. I say ‘would be’ because the delays and roadworks on the expressway means he still heads across the Hauraki Plains to Tirau via SH2 and SH27 in the interests of time preservation – ironic. The torque is this truck’s centrepiece and I rolled over St Stevens in 12th at 1350rpm and 80km/h. “Mandeep’s a top operator,” says Tim. “He has an average consumption of 3.1kpl and he’s hell-bent on not stuffing that up.” I was under the pump with a watchful eye from the passenger seat, but I managed to get out with 2.9kpl for my leg down. That was a pass mark from the driver who gives me big grin and says, “I’ll be able to fix that up.” The fuel burn, or lack of it, is outrageous. The G cab was super comfy, super familiar, and the truck sat like on rails. The unit’s a full air job from ground to driver’s seat and I did find the steering a little fidgety at times. Again, it could be bigsemi syndrome – they never let you forget they’re there, but it was also like that on the Ramarama straights out of Auckland. Anyway, who knows? It was nothing. Come trip’s end it was a reluctant departure as Mandeep rolled off into the night. Great guy. Super truck!
Volvo Group Australia public relations and media manager Matt Wood invited us to ‘Brissy’ just before Christmas to drive the Volvo FH Electric. This is the machine that rocked the trucking world when it won IToY 2024 late last year. The first BEV to take the globe’s most coveted HGV award, that accolade came far earlier than anyone predicted, giving an indication of just how slick this thing is. I love that fact that Volvo – like others – do the orthodox transmission and diff at this time in history. There are two reasons. First, the goal is zero tailpipe emissions; plain and simple. Let’s not overthink it. Second, customer – and let’s face it – OEM comfort. The more that looks familiar and is known, the better. This truck is pitched at heavy regional and metro distribution – think Foodie’s and Countdown city routes. Specs are hard because this is essentially a device and when Matt was demonstrating the level of programmability it seemed a case of, ‘if you tell it it’s a teapot, it’ll make the tea’. To be fair, much of the programmability stuff is there on Series 5, and interestingly, Series 4 was in fact the birthplace of chassis and systems preparation for ‘another world’. Three synchronous 163kW (222hp) electric motors take power from up to six 90kWh batteries, and deliver 2400Nm (1991lb/ft) of continuous torque. Range is entirely dependent on what you’re carting, where, and the terrain between, but don’t think you’re saddling one up for your Brisbane–Melbourne run. Volvo will be incredibly interested in what it is you’re intending to do before it blesses the transaction – which will come with acres of optimisation support. Neither should you be fearful of enquiring – the unit we were in was sold. Yes, there are limitations – with all its batteries, it weighs 12.5 tonne. Full air suspension and shoeing them with big front feet will be the norm. VGA and other OEMs are leading the lobbying charge in Australia on regulatory reform. Charging ports are located on the right behind the front axle. Ours was CCS2, which will take a moderate dose high-capacity charge (375kW). Megawatt is the ultimate goal for the globe’s big BEVs. Tim Giles and I leapt on board with Matt for a two-and-half-hour whip around the ‘burbs’ and out to the port at 43 tonne GCM. Volvo will unleash the entire driver-aid suite on the big electrics to make the sparks go as far as possible: Rolling, coasting, ACC, I-See and, of course, the BEV party trick – regeneration. But at the end of the day,
qualities that make a great diesel driver will make a great BEV driver – letting the machine do as much as possible, and anticipation. The power is instant and merciless when you do call it up. Unleash 100% of dead silent torque from revolution one, and you most definitely will get up and going. If you can imagine your smooth and silent Series 5 on smooth and silent steroids, you have FH Electric. The cab and its controls are comforting and all-familiar with just the obvious difference around what’s being fed back – regeneration, battery life, etc. The motors are most happy around 9000 – 10,000rpm so … ‘yeah, nah’, we don’t need that info. Matt was rattling through all sorts on the fly. “There you are, what about light
66 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
steering?” “Yuck! Put me back on normal-heavyish.” To be fair, it was fun-as. Adaptive cruise and regen meant one pedal, and when you were good, no pedal driving was easy. Where are we in history? It was summed up succinctly while parked at the port when one truckie roared past and screamed out an assumption on how we spend our solitary leisure moments, based entirely on the truck we were driving. Moments later an owner operator ran over from the container queue to ogle through the fence and ask where he could sign up! Summation? The big OEMs are now BEV’ing, and it’s getting very cool to be around!
Western Star X-Series I’m standing in the yard at Penske’s Wacol facility in Brisbane staring at a Western Star 48X 6x4 sporting an 48in mid-roof integral sleeper, and hooked to a B-double loaded to 60-tonne GCM. Driver trainer Steve Gibbons and I are about to head up the road a ways. You do have to pinch yourself in this job sometimes. The long-awaited platform child for a brand associated with surviving in the harshest vocational work, Western Star has happily coped with down under’s darndest. In recent years, the Star has patiently awaited its platform rebirth and at the Brisbane Truck Show last year, there it was, in living tin. If looks could kill, X-Series would be John Wick. The dominant engine is Detroit up to DD16 at 448kW (600hp) and 2217Nm (2050lb/ft) with one Cummins popping up in the peppy 47X. Daimler would like you to take the DT-12 AMT for all it brings to the party, but if you want a stick … this is a Western Star … yee shall have a stick. Allison makes an appearance in 47X if that’s your gig. The New Zealand 47 and 48X spec will come with an eight-wheel option. ‘Vocational’ the tag might say, but the new X-Series wants for nothing in terms of safety and smarts. Detroit Assurance 5 means active braking (including pedestrian awareness), adaptive cruise to 0km/h, lane departure, tailgate warning, active speed intervention, aAuto headlights and wipers, intelligent highbeam, and optional side guard. On the connectivity front, there’s a virtual technician and the Detroit Connect portal.
A two-pedaller, I flicked the wand tumbler into D, applied the welly. The big DD16 set at the full 448kW motored quietly out of the yard and up the cul-de-sac. DT-12 is a lovely AMT trans and it happily decided which gear was most appropriate. Yes, I could slap it up or down at will, and induce thrust via the throttle click, but wandering out of the city bounds, the truck had itself sorted. It needed me not. Sixty-tonne all-up we rolled effortlessly out over the Gateway Bridge, cresting the arch at 1550rpm, 50km/h in ninth. The DTNA platform cab is a lovely place to be. In the Western Star, we had the dark woodgrain look on the facia. In keeping with its origins and target market, the data is delivered in gauge form, a clear six-gauge set in the binnacle with more on the wrap. There’s a ‘Driver Control Centre’ (truck, driver, trip data) between the main binnacle gauge sets. There is an immense amount of room in and around your legs and it really is incredibly relaxing. Swinging around to access the bunk is a doddle, and even in the 36in mid-roof, you can stand straight up from the cockpit. The Star of the show rolled north up the Bruce Highway as we sat and chatted. Steering was bang-on! And I mean bangon. The Smart Wheel is platform family, and switchgear is easily reached and in logical clusters. Vision is on point; it’s a big Cascadia-like vista obviously, and the pamphlets state there’s 28% more glass than the legacy trucks. They’ve really given the mirrors a bit of attention with minimal
arms, lots of glass, and not too bad on the look-past left/right clearance. The bonnet obviously slopes away on the 48X compared to the 49X, but it doesn’t render itself ‘referenceless’ in a sea of designooze. It’s a delight to place on the road. Corridors like this are going to be a big part of the model’s life over here. Its VDAM and power mean it’s aimed right at that East Coast B-double market, and at T610. Likewise, with its 8x4 and power setting, it’s going to be our ‘Leatherman’ truck in the range. Just south of Gympie is Carroy Hill, think St Stephens on the ‘Bombers’. She rounded that up at 1450rpm, at 36km/h in 8th. The DD16 has a lovely deep note down low, your classic 15 – 16L. It’s happy there too. The DT-12 was exceptional at
letting it roll over the top of a lessening gradient in the gear you were in too. I did wonder if 12 AMT cogs were enough for trans-Barkly triples in the face of a hot westerly? The engine brake was honest but not in the retarder league. Brake blending will be exactly that. All things considered, I didn’t do too bad on the consumption front. New truck, strange road, programmed for performance (the economy parameters were off ) at 60 tonne, and I got it to 52.5L/100 – 1.9kpl. Two should be child’s play with familiarity. By the time I backed it into its possie at Penske Wacol I was ready to write poetry. This is going to be a big machine in our region. It has the ability to re-establish one of Australasia’s great truck rivalries like two Buffaloes going hammer and tongs at each other.
NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD
TIP OF THE HAT OPERATOR: Seay Cartage, Auckland ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual
International RH-R6 6x4 rigid – day cab REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46160GP REAR SUSPENSION: IROS BRAKES: Drum front, disc rear. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Transport & General Transport Trailers tipper
body and matching five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stainless-steel drop visor and bug deflector, offset steerers, twin exhaust stacks, premiumplus interior trim PAINT: Factory
HARRY’S PRIDE MAN TGX 35.510 8x4 tractor – sleeper cab OPERATOR: Harry Singh, Tauranga ENGINE: MAN D26 Euro-6e 375kW (510hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: MAN Tipmatic 12 28 OD AMT REAR AXLES: MAN HY Hypoid REAR SUSPENSION: ECAS air suspension BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS, ACC, LG, ABA BODY/TRAILER: Patchell quad-semi swinglift FEATURES/EXTRAS: Alcoa polished alloy rims, Rhino plastic guards, chassis covers, painted tanks PAINT: Haddock Spray Painters, Whakatane SIGNAGE: Sign Logistics, Mt Maunganui OPERATION: Container movements throughout the BOP and Waikato from Tauranga base DRIVER: Harry SALES: Mitch James
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February 2024
SIGNAGE: Royans, Wiri OPERATION: Bulk aggregate movements throughout Auckland and Waikato DRIVER: Jono Hirst SALES: Rob Byers
SMOOTH SCOTCH OPERATOR: McWatt Group, Auckland ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B
TSL TRIPLETS OPERATOR: TSI Logistics, Hornby ENGINE: MAN D15 Euro-6e 298kW (400hp) 1800Nm (1330lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: MAN
International RH-R8 8x4 rigid – day cab
18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46160GP REAR SUSPENSION: IROS BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Transfleet
Roc-Tuff tipper body and matching five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: ECAS suspension, stainless-steel drop visor and bug deflector, offset steerers, twin exhaust stacks PAINT: Factory
SIGNAGE: iSign-it, East Tamaki OPERATION: Bulk aggregate movements throughout Auckland and Waikato DRIVER: Kevin SALES: Rob Byers
3 x MAN TGS 26.400 6x4 tractor – day cab Tipmatic 12 26 OD AMT REAR AXLES: MAN HY Hypoid REAR SUSPENSION: ECAS air suspension BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS
SAFETY: ABS, EBS, ACC, LG, ABA BODY/TRAILER: Factory FEATURES/EXTRAS: Custom Trucks headboard for Suzie connections
PAINT: Bairds Collision Centre SIGNAGE: Fulton Hogan Signs OPERATION: Grocery and produce distribution throughout the South Island SALES: Chris Sansome
Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
69
NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD
Photo: Richard Lloyd.
ELLESMERE NO.54 OPERATOR: Ellesmere Transport, Dunsandel ENGINE: UD GH8E 8L 208kW (280hp) 1050Nm (774lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Allison 3000 six-speed fully automatic
UD Croner 4x2 rigid REAR AXLES: UD REAR SUSPENSION: UD air suspension BRAKES: Disc. ABS SAFETY: ABS BODY/TRAILER: Total Transport Engineers LP stock deck and Nationwide crate. FEATURES/EXTRAS: Sun visor,
DAF CF530 Euro-6 6x4 rigid – sleeper cab
WORX HARD OPERATOR: Dirtworx, Hawke’s Bay ENGINE: Paccar MX-13 13L Euro-6 390kW (530hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF TraXon 16TX2620 16-speed AMT
REAR AXLES: Paccar SR1364 with dual diff locks REAR SUSPENSION: Paccar eight-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: Full safety suite – ACC, AEB, LKA, DA
BODY/TRAILER: Transport & General Transport Trailers tipper body and matching fiveaxle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Fridge, stoneguard, Ali-Arc front bumper
w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 70 New Zealand Trucking
stoneguard PAINT: Elite Transport Refinishers, Timaru SIGNAGE: Timaru Signs Graphix, Timaru OPERATION: Stock transport, Canterbury DRIVER: Tanya SALES: Richard Lloyd
February 2024
PAINT: Factory SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs and Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Bulk and civil work, Hawke’s Bay SALES: Mark O’Hara
2 x Kenworth K200 2.3m Aerodyne – sleeper cab
TE KUITI TWINS OPERATOR: Lime Haulage, Te Kuiti ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L Euro-5 410kW (550hp) 2508Nm (1850lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Ultra-Shift Plus 20E318B-MXP 18-speed AMT
REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46160GP with full cross locks REAR SUSPENSION: Kenworth Airglide 460 BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Truck deck by Grey Engineering with Total
Stockcrates stock crates FEATURES/EXTRAS: Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy rims, fridge, stoneguard, additional rear wall storage locker PAINT & SIGNAGE: Spray & Bake Refinishers, Otorohanga OPERATION: Livestock
movements, countrywide DRIVERS: No.67: Russell Derby. No.69: Todd CampbellWilson SALES: Adam McIntosh
EXPRESS IN THE WEST UD Quon 8x4 rigid OPERATOR: Sollys Contractors, Golden Bay ENGINE: UD GH11TD 11L 343kW (460hp) 2230Nm (1644lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ESCOT-VI 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: UD REAR SUSPENSION: UD eight-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Truck deck by Truck Build NZ with matching Cowan Trailers four-axle split tipper FEATURES/EXTRAS: Sun visor, stoneguard, Ali-Arc front bumper OPERATION: General drop-sider duties throughout the South Island from its Westport base DRIVER: Bob Ledingham SALES: Richard Lloyd
Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
71
NEW RI GS O N THE ROAD SAFETY KEY – ACRONYM BY ALPHA BB – Brake Blending CAB – Curtain Air Bag DA – Driver Alert DAS – Driver Assistant Support DM – Driver Monitoring DS – Driver Support DTC – Drag Torque Control EBA - Emergency Brake Assist EBS – Electronic Braking System EBSS – Electronic Braking Safety System ESC – Electronic Stability Control ESP – Electronically Stability
AB – Air Bag ABS – Antilock Braking System ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control ABA – Active Brake Assist AEB – Autonomous/Active Emergency Braking AEBS – Advanced Emergency Braking System ALA – Active Lane Assist ASR – Anti Slip Regulation / Auto Slip Regulation ATC – Automatic Traction Control BAS – Brake Assistant System
Programme FCA – Forward Collision Avoidance FCW – Forward Collision Warning FUPS – Front Under-run Protection System HH – Hill hold HSA – Hill Start Assist IROS - International Ride Optimised Suspension
LCS – Lane Change Support LDW – Lane Departure Warning LG – Lane Guard LKA – Lane Keep Assist
PCS – Pre Collision System PD – Pedestrian Detection RB – Reversing Buzzer RM – Rocking Mode RW – Reverse Warning SAB – Side Air Bag SC – Speed Control SD – Side Detection SGA – Side Guard Assist TEBS – Traffic Eye Braking System TECC – Traffic Eye Cruise Control TPM – Tyre Pressure Monitoring VSC – Vehicle Stability Control
w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z
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New Bodies & Trailers New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building, and we’re proud to showcase some recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship every month. To feature on these pages, send a photo, features and the manufacturer’s name to carl@nztrucking.co.nz.
TMC to Helenbak Needing a new six-axle B-train for Palmerston North-based Helenbak Haulage, owner Matt Sherlock got on the phone to TMC. The resulting build, pictured behind the company’s new SuperLiner, hit the nail on the head. Smooth running is assured riding on 19.5in Hendrickson disc-braked axles with ZMD shockless air suspension. The unit is finished with Alux polished alloy wheels and features an alloy mezzanine floor in the front trailer. FEATURES: Stainless-steel toolboxes and dunnage TMC Trailers storage, LED lighting throughout.
Fenco flexibility
FEATURES: Custom stainless-steel tool lockers and dunnage racks, polished alloy rims. Roadmaster
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Fenco of Christchurch needed a new curtainsided B-train with flexibility in mind for an Auckland-Christchurch run, so the company enlisted the help of Roadmaster to configure a combination to fit requirements. The resulting build comprises a 6.2m front unit on BPW axles with 22.5in rims, with the rear unit coming in at 12.2m, again on BPW axles. However, this time riding on 19.5in rims.
FEATURES: Peterson LED lighting throughout, stainless-steel guards, custom tool lockers, polished alloy rims. Roadmaster
Dynes’ plan B A new B-train build was in order for Tapanui-based Dynes Transport and, after discussions with the Roadmaster team, this new curtainsided six-axle build was under way.
Equal split units make up this combination, with the front and rear units measuring 9.35m each. ROR axles running 19.5in rims support the load. Topping off the visually striking build are curtainsides dressed in the company’s livery celebrating Dynes’ 50th anniversary.
Versatility in the South This new build for TSL of Nightcaps needed to accommodate multiple applications. A solution was devised and provided by the team at TES. It started with a swap-body system on the new Volvo, allowing for fitting either a liftout side tipper, stock crate, auger body or water tank. The trailer is also built for the variety general rural work brings, with 9.4m of deck space and a movable headboard for split loads.
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FEATURES: SAF Intradisc axles with rear lifting axle, rollover covers, polished alloy rims. Transport Engineering Southland, TES
104CAT, new to Brenics in 2004.
104CAT as it is now, in the sun awaiting loading.
RUDE AWAKENING
T
he number plate of this month’s first inductee into the Bridgestone Million Mile Club says it all: 104CAT. Owned and operated by Legacy Transport of Cambridge, the 2004 Kenworth K104 is powered by a mighty C15 Caterpillar. Jhai James of Legacy brings us up to speed with the truck’s history: “It was custom-built new for Gary Johnstone of Brenics in Christchurch, so it has the deep blue interior. It was spec’d with the Cat and an Eaton auto-shift AMT transmission. It was a series one, so it had the big push buttons instead of a Cobra shifter. We have made changes
by fitting a manual 22-series 18-speed Roadranger, which has transformed it. The unit has just over 2,700,000km on the clock now, and it was around 400,000km ago when a re-manned C15 was fitted, replacing the old one. So, yeah, now it’s just the normal maintenance and servicing; she’s running sweet,” explains Jhai. The truck did a stint at Johnston Trucking, so a coat of red paint was applied to the cab, along with white and blue stripes. After this, it was parked up for a while with the next owner, as unfortunately a contract it was lined up for fell through. The team at Legacy
purchased it in September of 2021, still with its red cab. Once back at home base in Cambridge, it was a given a tidy-up and put straight to work. In 2022, 104CAT was given a birthday. It was stripped back, repainted in the Legacy fleet colours and treated to a load of fresh chrome and bling and a new set of Alcoa alloy rims. The fuel lines have all been updated as they were starting to delaminate, and the old exhaust system has also been replaced with brand-new Donaldson mufflers with 6in chrome stacks. As Jhai says: “She sounds real good now.”
CALLING ALL TRUCKS ON OR OVER 1 MILLION MILES (1.6M KILOMETRES)
76 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
STRAY CAT
I
n last August’s issue of New Zealand Trucking, we caught up with Simon Pederson of Tirau-based PLL in the company Freightliner Century Class. This month, Anthony Buckley of PLL contacted us with another candidate for induction into the club. Stray Cat is a 2002 Freightliner Argosy with a Caterpillar C15 and Roadranger 22-series manual gearbox combination, with just on 2,000,000km on the clock. “It has been in our fleet near-on four years now,” explains Anthony. “It was in Ward Demolition’s fleet for some years, and Simon purchased it from them. It is one of those trucks that
you just get in and go. There are those little things that wear out, but we have been right through it and replaced many of those items that might niggle, and it pays off because you can get on and get through the work without interruption. The only thing it has let me down with was a drive belt on the Bombay Hills – that’s just one of those things. The C15 has had one major rebuild that we are aware of – about 300,000km ago.” Stray Cat is in extremely tidy shape for its age. “We suspect it started life with Otorohanga Freightlines, as a bit of their green sneaks out in a chip or a scratch every now and again. But it is a credit to the drivers
who have pedalled the truck in its previous ownership because everything is still in great condition. It has been well looked after over the years, that’s for sure,” says Anthony. “The bulk of our work is flat-deck; we specialise
in doing those ugly loads – loads that aren’t userfriendly. We are proud of the fact that we do it right and do it well, so alongside that, we need reliability.” Looking over its history, Stray Cat appears to have reliability in spades.
Right: The 2002 Argosy when the PLL team purchased it from Ward Demolition.
Stray Cat strutting its stuff, loaded with scrap steel.
Bridgestone and N ew Zealand Trucking Media want to recognise trucks that have achieved this milestone in the act of carrying the nation on their backs. Each month, up to eight trucks will be selected, and will feature in the magazine, as well as on our social media.
Those selected will get a Million Mile Club cap and badge for the truck. Terms • Only owners can submit • NZ trucks only • Supply chain may affect the timing of cap and badge arrival
TO JOIN, EMAIL: editor@nztrucking.co.nz • Quality image of the truck • Name of owner and driver • Basic spec (model, engine, trans, rear end) • Contact details
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 77
CRAIG’S TRUCKIN’ SNAPSHOT
Craig McCauley showcases a mixture of classic and contemporary images of Kiwi trucking.
A Kenworth C500B , belonging to Reefton Crane Hire, captured one evening, a decade ago, on the Fairdown Road near Westport.
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INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP
Super Swede Story and photos by Niels Jansen
Niels Jansen meets a Dutch truck enthusiast who has imported and restored an Aussiespec Scania LKT.
H
alf a century ago, several European heavy-truck manufacturers tried their luck in Australia but failed due to the country’s demanding transport conditions. Scania didn’t want to take a chance, so it developed a custom-built model for the Aussie market where B-doubles and roadtrains are popular, coming up with the introduction slogan, Super Swede. In 1970, sales began Down Under on a small scale. Not long after, the European models were adapted to typical local needs, such as a 6x4 tandem drive with inter-axle lock and crosslocks. Because of the Australian maximum axle load of six tons on the front axle, the cabover models received a forward-mounted steering axle. The Australian
version was derived from a previously produced Brazilian type. Most of the LK and LKTs had a big 14L V8 diesel engine. Other characteristic features were the high-raised air filter behind the cab and the upright exhaust stack. Of course, a roo bar and stone catcher to protect the windshield were also part of the package. More than 20 years ago, Gerard Braam from Wijchen in The Netherlands took on the adventure of bringing such a unique Scania LKT model to Europe. The 60-year-old transport entrepreneur grew up with the Swedish brand as a child and later drove Scania trucks himself in his transport company. Gerard’s father owned a Krupp in 1963 and later a Henschel and MercedesBenz. But when work expanded, Scania became the preferred brand. The fleet included a Scania LB80 and a LB110 Super. The latter was also used for demanding haulage tasks to the Middle East. With that, the Scania virus had gained a foothold in the Braam family.
80 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
In 1989, Gerard and his youngest brother Bas started their own transport company. He explains: “My father, whose name is also Gerard, continued on his own until 2000 when he turned 65. In 1997, Bas and I split up and I started my own company Eurobraam. We had 10 units then, all Scanias.” Recently Gerard stopped his transport activities to invest time and money in other areas of interest. In recent years he also sat behind the wheel of a Scania for about 20 hours a week. In the meantime, he had also taken over a Scania-Vabis LB76 Super breakdown truck from his father as a hobby. And the Australian LKT project had also been running for a while by then. So he didn’t have to sit still in ‘retirement’. The story of this Scania tractor begins in May 2003 when Gerard saw an LKT141 tractor for sale in the magazine Truck Hub while on vacation in Australia. He recounts: “That sale fell through,
unfortunately. Back home, I continued my search on the Internet. In December 2003, I discovered another 1977 LKT that belonged to Peter Hyett in Echuca, Victoria. I bought this truck by phone and immediately hopped on a plane with Wim Nillesen of Scania importer Beers in Holland.” The LKT owner was a Melbourne farmer who used it to transport wheat in harvest time over 25 years. The tandem axle tractor had about 1,000,000km on the clock. Yet, it still looked good in its plain white colours. That, however, turned out to be wrong later on… “After settling the payment, I drove it to the port of Melbourne myself. In April 2004, it arrived by ro-ro ship in Europe,” says Gerard. Unfortunately for the new owner, attempts to register it initially failed. Despite various attempts in 2005 by the Dutch Scania importer Beers and the German TüV
In 1970 Scania developed a tailormade model for the Australian market – the highly capable LKT.
road authorities, the tractor could not be registered. “As a result, the project came to a standstill until 10 years later, we resumed the restoration. We completely dismantled the LKT. The chassis was blasted, galvanised and painted yellow and blue.” In 2017, Gerard contacted truck restorer Theo Klaassen from Echteld because, after closer inspection, the sleeper cab was in worse condition than expected. Theo completely rebuilt the original LKT cab using parts of an ex-Swedish Army Scania LB111. Altogether, the donor was good for about half of the panels that made up the new sleeper cab. The other half was custom-built by Theo. Because Gerard used to drive an LB111 Scania with a deluxe interior, he also wanted this in the LKT141. The beige and brown trim on the walls, headliner, engine tunnel and dashboard were also custom-made by Theo, as well as the curtains. A professional shop made the seat cushions and bed. After the cab was painted in the blue and yellow company colours, Gerard opted to do the remaining restoration work himself, assisted by a mechanic. Due to lack of time, however, he decided in 2021 to approach Theo again to complete the restoration. Theo was willing to accept this if he could also do all the finishing work on the Scania. He explains: “I have a lot of experience restoring LB Scanias. But this job was much more complicated because quite a few
1
2 1) The ‘old-school’ aircon, bullet lights and airhorns are a nice touch. Attention to detail is superb. 2) Truck restorer Theo Klaassen (left). Owner Gerard Braam (right) and son Sven are justifiably proud of their big Scania. 3 & 4) Trilex wheels, snowchains and original (refurbished) roo bar give the truck a tough look. parts of the LKT are differently mounted. The model was specially designed for export markets that use a so-called bridge formula for axle loads. The further apart the axles are, the more you are allowed to carry. At the time, the LKs and LKTs
were assembled with parts from various other Scania models. Some parts even came from a bonneted model.” The plan was to rebuild the LKT141 as they were sold in Australia in the 1970s. “Well, pretty much, because we also
3
decided at an early stage to convert the steering from right to left,” says Gerard. “The reason was safety, especially concerning the visibility all around. For me, this also fitted more into my childhood memories.” Theo adds: “We also looked at
4 New Zealand Trucking February 2024 81
1 the Brazilian LKs for this conversion, because they were left-hand drive. Also, the brake system had to change. With the LKT, it is all done with forks and rods. That is quite a complicated system and, hence, difficult to convert. The fact that the steering shaft is almost half a metre forward does not help either.” Regarding the driveline, Gerard had replaced the pistons, cylinder bushings, piston rings and the like by a mechanic at his transport company. The injectors and fuel pump were overhauled by Theo, who also renewed all the pipes and replaced the alternator, clutch plates and release assembly. A modern Jost sliding fifth wheel was mounted because the Australia-fitted heavyduty fifth wheel was not allowed in Europe. Behind the cab came a nice rack for air hoses and electricity cables, plus a large locker for various gear. The air intake on the right was
2 mounted high above the cab, as is common in Australia, and the stainless-steel exhaust pipe was custom-made by Theo’s son Nico. Gerard’s son, Sven, was also involved in the project. “He was responsible for the blueand-yellow colour scheme,” says Gerard. “The design of the lettering and logos was a joint affair.” Theo says: “The intention of the whole project was to make the LKT correct in every detail. That is, built within the timeframe of the 1970s in Australia.” Gerard, who is very pleased with the result, concludes: “Theo is not only a professional when it comes to mechanics and bodywork but also has original ideas when it comes to dressing up a truck.” After 20 years of ups and downs, a classic truck now stands on Gerard’s driveway that is technically and visually one of a kind in Europe.
3
4
1) Converting the LKT from right to left-hand steering was a major task. 2) A donor day cab was used to construct the new sleeper cab. 3) The 375hp V8 diesel engine was thoroughly overhauled. 4) The big Scania when it first landed on European soil. 5) Twenty years of work, but the end result is superb.
5
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AMERICAN CONNECTION
BULL HAULER LEFT LANE Story and photos by Rod Simmonds
Myth is generally more exciting than the reality with most things in life. But, in the case of the ‘bull hauler, left lane’ myth, the truth is even more real.
I
t’s a common term heard over the CB radio in the United States and Canada. ‘Bull hauler, left lane’ is a warning for a hot-running, straight-piped, long bonnet loaded with beasts coming through well over the 70mph (112km/h) freeway limit. This is the reality; livestock hauliers in the US enjoy a basically unbridled, unregulated, unpoliced free pass and enjoy the how-itused-to-be type of running, which
84 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
was common before the fun police came along with the many rules set by the EPA, ELS, DPF, DEF and whichever other regulator that grates your gears. The many songs portraying the ‘trucking cowboy’ are usually immortalised with bull haulers – stock trucks that run hard and fast interstate with live cargo at will. The trucks are mainly longbonnet glider kits from Peterbilt and Kenworth and traditional
Freightliners. They all boast old non-EPA-regulated crate engines, twin sticks and traction-boosting diffs. All this means they can run 100mph (160km/h) or more … yes 100mph, loaded! Many states have gazetted regulations typically free for all within a 150-mile (240km) radius of the livestock pickup which, when combined with the federal turn-ablind-eye attitude, means no real regulation at all.
This also applies to those supporting the industry, such as the grain, hay and stock feed suppliers. It was all lobbied for strongly by the rural constituency, aiming to give the best animal transport care possible. Fatigue management is still a self-governing statute despite some quarters trying to push the federal electronic log books onto this segment. Currently, that’s in the toohard basket. It’s not all fun, of course. These truckers do the hard yards and hammer away for their dollar. The purposebuilt aluminium trailers with drop decks and lifting floors need to be thoroughly cleaned between loads – same shite, different country. Many regional carriers move stock from farm to farm, farm to sale yards, farm to feedlot, feedlot to abattoirs, just like in New Zealand. However, most beef is grain-fed, so feedlots play a major part in the
stock supply chain, and they’re spread state and countrywide. Five Rivers Cattle Feeding of Greeley, Colorado, is the world’s largest feedlot operation, with a feeding capacity for more than 120,000 head of cattle. Feed trucks run continuously with the livestock carriers on a huge scale repeated across the US. Texas, especially, is home to many feedlots. Being central and with largescale grain producers nearby, it is an integral part of the US beef supply chain. A short haul could mean crossing five states from farm to feedlot, then returning loads from feedlots to abattoirs, which can handle 2000 heads daily. The myth and reality are best seen at night on American highways, which abound with bull haulers mixing it with the overnighters full of LED lights and pure diesel-engine noise. And the smell of … money.
Bull haulers are also truck-show winners.
The look of a truck that’s done many hard, fast miles.
REGULATORY GUIDANCE FOR UNBRIDLED RUNNING
O
n 20 December 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a Federal Register notice proposing regulatory guidance concerning the transportation of agricultural commodities, which includes livestock, and requested public comment on the proposals. The FMCSA sought to clarify the use of this exception to industry and law enforcement and to provide as much flexibility as possible for the industry while maintaining safety. The final guidance document was published on 7 June 2018 and clarifies the applicability of the Agricultural Commodity exception in 49 CFR 395.1(k) (1) to the Hours of Service of Drivers regulations. This guidance applies to all transporters of agricultural commodities, which are defined in the regulation and include non-processed food, feed, fibre, or livestock and insects. The guidance is limited to applying the 150-air-mile exception for transporting agricultural commodities. The following operations are not subject to the HOS regulations while operating within a 150-air-mile radius of the source of the commodity: • drivers operating unladen vehicles travelling either to pick up an agricultural commodity, as defined, or returning from a delivery point; and • drivers engaged in trips beyond 150 air miles from the source of the agricultural commodity are not subject to the HOS regulations until they exit the 150-air-mile radius. The guidance also clarifies many longstanding questions about what can be
considered a ‘source’ of an agricultural commodity: • a source may be the farm or ranch where the agricultural commodity originates and intermediate storage and loading facilities, such as grain elevators or sale barns, provided the product still meets the definition of an agricultural commodity • when agricultural commodities are loaded at multiple sources during a trip, only the first loading point can be considered a source from which the 150-air-mile radius is measured. The guidance should also be considered when determining the applicability of the Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) rule. Thus, motor carriers utilising the agricultural commodities exception – like other exceptions to the HOS rule – can take advantage of an exception from the ELD requirements if they do not operate outside the 150-mile radius more than eight days out of every 30. However, transporters of livestock and insects are not currently required to have an ELD. Drivers do not need to carry any documentation regarding this exemption. Motor carriers transporting livestock have been eligible to use the 150-air-mile exemption from the HOS rules at the end of a trip since 15 November 2021. Therefore, the HOS rules are not in effect for livestock hauliers between a point 150 air miles from the source of the livestock – typically a sales barn – and a point 150 air miles from the place where the livestock will be delivered.
MINI BIG RIGS
LIFE-SIZE MEMORIES Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck
Building model trucks is an enjoyable hobby; the build process, even the problemsolving, is part of the fun and an inevitable source of happy memories.
A
t the late end of 2022, we celebrated our good mate Pin Te Huia’s birthday by building him an R-model Mack combination in Thames Freightlines livery (New Zealand Trucking magazine, September 2022). The Te Huia family feature heavily in the history books of TFL, so it was a fitting gift, stirring some great memories. But when I finished the project, I had a strong feeling that building this memory stirrer would result in a couple of orders for similar builds from others who were also part of the TFL family, namely our editorial director Dave McCoid, as well our group curator Peter ‘Mitch’ Mitchell. You can only stand so much listening to grown men begging and pleading. I relented and accepted the task for peace’s sake. For Dave, it was all about boyhood memories of sitting at the farm gate in the
evening, watching the TFL fleet passing by as they headed home to the company depot at Kopu, just south of Thames. “Fleet No.7, a tractor unit pulling a flat-deck three-axle self steerer, was the one that did it for me – an iconic truck in the fleet,” says Dave. For Mitch, it was a more personal connection, his own truck, No.9, a truck that he remembers fondly. “I loved taking that truck up to the Cape at the top of the peninsula to deliver fert; a cool-looking truck complete with its green canvas tarps,” explains Mitch. In the showcased photos, you’ll see that I have utilised the build techniques detailed within these pages over the past few years. The process, particularly when dealing with 1:64th scale, is straightforward. As with Pin’s model, the foundation for these models are DCP First Gear R-model Macks and Highway Replicas’ five-axle flat-deck road-train trailers, all sourced from Model Barn. Building a model of a truck with a personal connection is a remarkable experience. Witnessing its evolution, especially when the livery is applied, can profoundly impact you. You cannot help but find yourself staring at
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Thames Freightlines Fleet No.9. it, remembering the trips you experienced in the real rig and the people you met along the way. The experience provokes a flood of great memories. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you have a go; it is extremely rewarding.
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New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 87
It had to be done … 1:64th-scale DF black flaps from back in the day.
The line-up, reminiscent of the Thames Freightlines Kopu depot circa 1979.
The donor models: 1:64th-scale DCP R-model Macks with Highway Replicas’ roadtrain trailers.
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LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB
The Little Truckers’ Club logo is hidden somewhere in this issue, Find it, and you may win a prize. Email rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz with your name, age and where you found the logo.
HI, LITTLE TRUCKERS! Happy New Year, Little Truckers. Have you all had a great start to 2024? What did you do during your school holidays? Did anyone go trucking? Is it great to be back at school? I cannot wait to hear all about your adventures. Congratulations to 11-year-old Noah O’Halloran (top left), who was the first to find the Little Truckers’ Club logo on page 89 of the November 2023/December 2024 issue. Keep an eye on your mailbox, something awesome is heading your way. And, cheers to Kyran (10) and Kieran (11), who also sent photos of their logo finds. If you would like to see yourself here in Little Truckers’ Club, all you need to do is email your stories, jokes, photos, and/or drawings to me at rochelle@ nztrucking.co.nz with a short paragraph telling us about them along with your name and age. We can’t wait to see them.
Congratulations, Noah, on finding the Little Truckers’ Club logo first.
Kenworth Celebrates 100 years!
And well done to Kyran (left) and Kieran, too – we love your pics.
This month, Mystery Creek in Hamilton is hosting the big 100th anniversary of Kenworth Trucks. If any of you go, we would love to see your photos and hear all about it. Check out these notable Kenworth models from the past century.
The first Kenworth to arrive in New Zealand about 50 years ago: KW model LW932. Maroa Logging, owned by Mike Lambert Ltd, Tauranga. It carted logs to Kinlieth Mill. Photo: Ed Mansell.
WHAT’S ON Show organisers Please send your event details, at least eight weeks in advance, to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz for a free listing on this page.
Bay of Islands Classic Truck Run Launch of the book 100 yYears of Bay of Islands Road Transport
17 February Kaikohe Pioneer Village Contact: hndixonohaeawai@outlook.co.nz
Meatstock – Rod + Custom Rumble
24-25 February Mystery Creek Events Centre, Ohaupo Contact: meatstock.com.au/hamilton/rodcustomnz24
NZTA and NRC Conference 2024 Technology Maintenance Safety 13-14 March Te Pae, Christchurch Contact: bill.james@trucking.nz, 0800 338 338
All scheduled events may be subject to change, depending on weather conditions etc. Please check websites for updates before setting out.
NZ Super Truck Racing Round 3 15-17 March Ruapuna Park, Christchurch
Round 4 22-24 March Teretonga Park Raceway, Invercargill Contact: Facebook – NZ Super Truck Racing
Tui Truck Stop Show & Shine
24 March Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka Contact: Facebook – Tui Brewery, hospo@tuihq.co.nz
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94 Moving Metrics 98 Incoming Cargo – Isuzu’s Future 102 IRTENZ Conference – Labour and Skills 104 Industry Update – Tyrewise 106 Industry Update – AutoSense 108 Business Profile – Rolco 110 Product Profile – NAPA 112 Product Profile – Road Ninja 114 Carriers Corner 116 Truckers’ Health 118 Health & Safety 120 Legal Lines 122 Employee Relations 124 NZ Trucking Association 126 National Road Carriers 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile BROU G HT T O Y OU BY
MOVING METRICS
THE SALES
NUMBERS New Zealand Trucking reveals how the economy is travelling via key metrics from the road transport industry. From time to time, we’ll be asking experts their opinion on what the numbers mean. First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for 2023, by major manufacturer
Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in 2023 This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal. The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.
Vehicle type This summary includes data from two heavytruck classes and one heavy-trailer class. A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: (a) i s constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and (b) either: (i) has at least four wheels; or (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne.
Vehicle class
Description
NB
A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes.
(mediumgoods vehicle)
NC (heavy-goods vehicle)
TD (heavy trailer)
A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes. A trailer that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 10 tonnes.
A table of all vehicle classes is in Table A of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2016 Rule 41001/2016 https://www.nzta.govt.nz/ assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicle-dimensionsand-mass-2016-as-at-1-October-2019.pdf Note: Vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.
94 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
Class NB “Others”
Make Chevrolet Fiat Ford Foton Hyundai Volkswagen
Units sold in 2023 50 495 200 139 99 146
Class NC “Others”
Make Freightliner Mack SinoTruk Western Star
Units sold in 2023 11 44 17 17
First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles for calendar year
First registration of TD class heavy trailers for 2023, by major manufacturer
First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for years 2019 – 2023, by major manufacturer First registration of NC class vehicles for years 2019 - 2023 by major manufacturer 1600
Number of units
1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200
2019
2022
rs
vo Vo l
Ot he
Tr uc ks
UD
2021
Sc an ia
w or th 2020
Ive co
M M AN er ce de sB en z
2018
Ke n
zu
o Hi n
Isu
o Fu s
DA F
0
2023
First registration of TD class heavy trailers for years 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer First registration of TD class heavy trailers for year 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer
200 150 100 50
2022
ra ile rs
Tr an s
po rt T
TM C
TE S
2021
Ro ad m as t
2020
er
l Pa tc he l
ha uf 2019
M .T .E .
2018
Fr ue
er gh t Fr ei
Fa irf ax
0
Do m et t
Number of units
250
2023
Other units of class TD heavy trailers not included in above 2018 604
2019 524
2020 426
2021 478
2022 512
2023 518
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 95
This information is put together from metrics provided by the NZ Transport Agency. New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA in providing the data.
ROAD USER CHARGES Total value and distance of RUC purchased by year
Summary of RUC transactions for 2023 Number of individual RUC licences issued for month
3,455,387
Total kilometre RUC distance purchased (All types)
16,687,253,002
Total value of all RUC purchases (All types)
$1,859,393,183
Purchase period
Distance purchased (km)
Value of purchases
1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018
15,736,558,458
$1,875,364,397
1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019
16,166,434,103
$2,041,939,272
1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020
15,421,400,378
$2,069,615,049
1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021
16,204,803,262
$2,249,341,814
1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022
17,683,361,155
$1,710,831,998
1 Jan 2023 – 31 Dec 2023
16,687,053,002
$1,859,093,183
RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles
Purchase period
Distance purchased (km)
Average monthly distance (km)
1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019
11,502,905,782
958,575,482
1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020
10,952,303,565
912,691,964
1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021
11,427,917,860
952,326,488
1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022
13,375,038,937
1,114,586,578
1 Jan 2023 – 31 Dec 2023
12,024,320,094
733,595,667
The top eight RUC type purchases, other than type 1, in descending order RUC Type
Description
2
Powered vehicles with one single-tyred spaced axle and one twin-tyred spaced axle
6
Powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 vehicles)
43
Unpowered vehicles with four axles
14
Powered vehicles with four axles (except type 408, 414 or type 499 vehicles)
951
Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles
H94
Towing vehicle that is part of an overweight combination vehicle consisting of a type 14 RUC vehicle towing a type 951 RUC vehicle with a permit weight of not more than 50,000kg
33
Unpowered vehicles with three twin-tyred, or single large-tyred, close axles (except vehicle type 939)
408
Towing vehicles with four axles that are part of a combination vehicle with a total of at least eight axles
RUC type 1 vehicles are powered vehicles with two axles (except type 2 or type 299 vehicles. Type 299 are mobile cranes). Cars, vans and light trucks that use fuel not taxed at source (i.e. diesel fuel) are generally in this RUC type.
Total number RUC purchases issued for year (all RUC types) A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https:// www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/ licensing-rego/road-usercharges/ruc-rates-andtransaction-fees/ Please note data October differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.
96 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
RUC purchases for 2023 (All RUC types)
Average monthly RUC purchases by year (All RUC types)
RUC purchases during 2023 for selected types
By comparing distance purchased year to date with the same period for previous years, trends in changes to activity by RUC type vehicles will become clear.
RUC distance purchased by year for selected RUC types
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 97
EVision’s speedy battery exchange is a no-brainer for high-use applications, optimising truck utility and charging costs.
INCOMING CARGO
READY FOR THE
HARVEST Story by Dave McCoid
Photos by Dave McCoid and as credited
Isuzu has a new N and F range on the way here in early 2025, and any which way you look at it, there’s nothing small or medium about news like that. Following on from last issue’s look over the Japan Mobility Show held in Tokyo late last year, we take our first look at Isuzu’s new offerings in what will be one of the most influential commercial vehicle launches of the next 10 years.
New Isuzu N Series EV (Elf in Japan): certainly no shortage of interest.
B
ig words you say, but undoubtedly true. While there might be about 40,000 lions left on the planet there are 20 quadrillion ants according to
those in the know, and that’s a metaphor for road transport. Although the new GIGA is the most spectacular big ‘Suzie’ by far, there’s no escaping Isuzu’s prowess is at the light, medium,
98 New Zealand Trucking February 2024
and medium-heavy end of the market. It means a huge catchment for them is people with jobs that require a truck as well as pure trucking people, e.g. tradies, traffic management, refuse and waste, lines companies etc. When it comes to the easyto-reach fruit of climate and environmental improvement, the sooner we can get last-mile transport and services into something with low, or no, tailpipe emissions, the better. Business author Jim Collins says it a number of times in his writings, you don’t have to be first to reap the benefits. In that vein, Isuzu certainly hasn’t been early to
the zero-tailpipe-emissions party, and arch rivals have had products to market for a wee while now. How history writes about that will be interesting, and it might be that supply continuity, capital cost, capability and infrastructure immaturity means the greatest gift the first wave of machines gave us was shifting the mood, acceptance and understanding among the people, rather than market conquest. The things we do know about any new Isuzu product is it will be voluminous, reliable, and built well. Once upon a time, you would have added uncomplicated, but no OEM outside of Russia, North Korea,
Simon Humphries, product manager for medium and heavy-duty trucks at Isuzu Australia is excited about his new F Series lineup.
The new F Series (Japan spec depicted).
Photos: Isuzu Australia.
and the ‘Stans’ is immune to the march of increasing complexity. Key pillars underpinning the new Isuzus are carbon neutrality, comfort, safety, and you guessed it – connectivity, all on the back of something called I-MACS. No, not a complementary 28ft home theatre with every one sold, rather Isuzu – Modular Architecture and Component Standard. In essence, it is an increased level of platformisation across the model ranges and manufacturing processes the company says will allow more multi-model assembly lines, and more rapid development of models within their overall lifecycle. Think of that in relation to BEV trucks also.
The N and the F of it Isuzu, the great collaborators, helped write the book on inter-OEM cooperation. There aren’t many who haven’t held hands with them at some point to deliver a better product to market. Cummins, Meritor, Allison – all make an appearance
in the new F range at some point and there’s certainly evidence of closer working relationships with UD’s former Scandinavian parent. The N Series (Elf in Japan) will come with an increased GVM at the top end and two new Australian ADR80/04 and Japan16 emissions compliant 4JZ1 engines in 110kW (150hp PS) and 129kW (175hp PS) capacity. Behind them is a new ninespeed dual clutch AMT Isuzu says will provide improved driveability and economy via the elimination of torque loss, as is generally the case with such technology. Safety is paramount and the newbies will feature additional cleverness on top of the existing suite of 2023 essentials, namely intersection emergency braking (IEB), full-speed adaptive cruise (FACC) – on two-pedal models, traffic sign recognition (TSR), bi-LED adaptive headlights, and electronic park brake. With the exception of the new NKR narrow-cab ‘access master’, cabs are largely the same size with doors that open wider
retaining a sloping sill line. The smart steering wheel is smaller, and the dash conforms to the modern standard of gauges split by a data screen. Hardwearing, easy-clean plastics, vinyls and soft seat coverings clad a wellput-together driver’s office in black and grey. Workaday classy, I’d call it. A truck sure to attract a lot of attention when it arrives will be the N Series EV, with Japanesespec units due in Australia shortly for evaluation, and regional customer trials later this year. The eNLR at 4.5 tonnes GVM will have a three-battery pack with 60kWh, while the eNPR at 7.5 tonnes GVM will have a five-battery pack at 100kWh. Ports for both normal and rapid charging are accommodated (CCS socket here) up to 600V and 200A. As with all BEVs, the OEM won’t be letting you loose, and there is a suite of consultative and monitoring aids. With government agencies, contractors and last mile clearly in their sights, brand
representation both here and Australia must surely be looking to bring Isuzu’s proprietary EVision battery swap technology down under early on (Refer New Zealand Trucking, Dec 23/Jan 24 Mobility Galore). It’s a ‘trick’, fastturn-around system and for firms with high usage (and probably deep pockets initially); certainly a no-brainer. Big brother, the F Series in the 9000kg to 12,000kg bracket, is powered by the N-4HK1 5.2L four-cylinder engines with emissions via a new SCR system for reduced NOx. The 154kW (210hp PS) version will sit under the FSS 4x4, and the 177kW (240hp PS) version the FFR/D and FSR/D. Transmission options include the six-speed torque converter AMT, and six-speed manuals. The FSR/D, FV, and FTS models will house the 6.7-litre Cummins collaboration DB6A Euro-6 sixcylinder engine with Allison automatic transmissions plus some manual options likely for the Kiwi market. “This is a first-class product, and Isuzu medium-duty truck range has long benefited from Isuzu’s expertise in incorporating industry benchmark components,” says Simon Humphries, product manager for medium and heavy-duty trucks at Isuzu Australia, when speaking at the Japan event. Spec on the F Series heavyduty FV models has been boosted with higher capacity steer axles, Meritor full-air disc brakes, and an all new chassis frame. In FX and FY heavy models (over 40,000kg GCM, under
298kW (400HP)), the Isuzu 6UZ1 Euro-6 (Step C) six-cylinder engine is deployed, and again, Allison HD4430 transmission is the only option there. The fully redesigned cab sports all the features of the N Series plus an ISRI NTS2 6860 driver’s seat. The new cabs (N and F) are smoother and cleaner, designed to tie the complete range together in appearance all the way from D Max to GIGA. The strongest visual cues come from the grille fins and new Bi-LED headlights: in the case of the N Series, really big new headlights! The F Series will bristle with safety also, the four-cylinder variants have the following in addition to the now expected standard: full-speed adaptive cruise control (ACC), traffic sign recognition (TSR) and adaptive driving beam (ADB). The FRR/D and FSR/D models also get auto lighting system (ALS) and auto rain-sensing wipers (AWS). FSS 4x4 will gain advanced emergency braking (AEB) and
Securing your cargo and providing peace of mind throughout your journey
Dave Ballantyne, GM Isuzu New Zealand, addressing the briefing at Tokyo, reinforces the trans-Tasman collaboration between GM New Zealand and Isuzu Austalia. Right: EVision would be a no brainer for big fastturnaround deployments. electronic stability control (ESC) in some applications specific to crew cab models only. FRR and FRD get full air braking and EBS and CAN electronic architecture for better integration and control of ancillary and body builder equipment.
Kiwi implications We asked Isuzu New Zealand GM Dave Ballantyne about timing for arrival in New Zealand. “We’re very excited about the new range. We’re
working closely with colleagues in Japan and Australia and will have more to share on exact timing toward the middle of the year.” Although both countries represent the product in different ways – Isuzu Australia is an outpost of Isuzu Motors Japan and in New Zealand Isuzu is marketed through General Motors – Dave said the two countries work closely together as New Zealand’s parts supply comes ex-Australia. “We get great support and
Transport Development & Certification
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Conference 2023 Last November, the 2023 IRTENZ 18th international conference, themed Future Highways – Future Vehicles, brought together speakers from New Zealand and throughout the world to present the latest developments on transport matters, including vehicle productivity and efficiency, road safety, legislation and policy, and infrastructure. We covered infrastructure and enforcement in the December/January issue of New Zealand Trucking. This month, we look at our workforce’s challenges, including skills shortages, immigration, education and training.
Scott Mathieson Scott Mathieson, founding director at Working In, an organisation facilitating people to work in New Zealand, says addressing the people shortage in the transport sector is crucial. “I’d prefer an environment where our workforce is entirely local. However, global structural dynamics necessitate finding the best talent worldwide,” he says. “Working In has been aiding employers for over two decades in recruiting skilled individuals and integrating them into New Zealand.”
Looking ahead, Mathieson says the ageing workforce poses challenges in healthcare and social welfare. He says government spending is likely to increase in these areas, impacting the fiscal landscape. “Migration becomes essential for economic sustenance, requiring a consistent and clear approach from the government.” Mathieson says it is important to understand and embrace cultural differences when bringing in skilled workers worldwide. “In terms of offshore recruitment, exploring markets like India for skilled
workers is a viable option. India, with its technological advancements and educated workforce, offers potential opportunities. However, cultural assimilation is crucial, and employers should be prepared to support the integration of skilled individuals,” he says. Mathieson says being prepared for future challenges is crucial. “Recognising the global competition for talent and understanding cultural nuances is essential for successful workforce integration. New Zealand must proactively address these dynamics to ensure sustained growth.”
and trained professionals. “The education system needs to respond better to what industry needs because we don’t have the qualifications that support the training that supports what we need on
the ground. And then we’re going to fail not only to retain staff but also to attract staff.” Alexander-Crawford says the amalgamation of polytechnics will contribute significantly to workforce training. “There also needs to be a strong connection between industry and government, advocating for formal links to immigration settings.” When looking at attracting the younger generation to the industry, AlexanderCrawford says young people currently completing NZQA credits will expect the same sort of training and recognition process when they enter the workforce. “If we’re going to attract and retain that generation, it’s important we have qualifications in place to bring them on. “That’s the reality. They’re expecting to go into a workplace and receive training, but also a piece of paper or digital piece of paper of recognition of what they’re doing.”
Phil Alexander-Crawford Phil Alexander-Crawford, CEO of Hanga-AroRau, the Workforce Development Council for Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics, shared insights into the challenges and opportunities in addressing skills shortages. He highlighted immigration as a crucial driver to fill the skills gap, and emphasised the need to explore various avenues, including tapping into the growing Pacific and Māori populations, ensuring that we try and keep as many people in New Zealand as possible. “There’s a huge campaign on TikTok at the moment, targeting users to fly in and fly out to Australia,” Alexander-Crawford says. “It is so clever; the campaign is designed to penetrate a youthful market. So, we are up against it in terms of retaining our existing talent – not just attracting it.” Alexander-Crawford says it is crucial we align the education system with industry needs to ensure the availability of qualified
102 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
Ian Smith Patchell Industries’ Ian Smith gave his view on training and qualifications and why the industry must be open to adapting to how we train and treat the young workforce. “Our approach involves comprehensive training workshops, encompassing stock manufacturing and welding education. Emphasising the importance of certifications in our industry, we aim to equip individuals with the necessary skills to seamlessly integrate into our workshops and, ideally, pursue apprenticeships,” Smith says. He says the current education system lacks emphasis on fundamental skills such as woodwork, metalwork and technical drawing. “To address this, we are exploring the possibility of organising night classes, collaboratively funded by the industry, to supplement the existing training,” he says. “Certification in areas such as electric trucks and hydrogen technology is crucial, and we’re actively working on incorporating
these aspects into the qualification framework.” Smith says the evolving nature of the industry requires the sector to adapt its training methods. “Young individuals today may lack exposure to basic tools, necessitating a shift in our training approach. Patience is crucial in working with this generation, and acknowledging the importance of mental health is paramount,” he says. Smith says to secure the future of our industry, we must adapt to the changing landscape, address workforce challenges and reshape the perception of trades as a viable career path. “If we don’t adapt, we won’t have anything. I think it’s very important that in our industry – and every industry – we adapt to what we’ve got coming through. “If we don’t learn how to, we are going to continue supporting migrants coming into New Zealand because we are not able to
work with what we’ve got. So we’ve got to find ways to do it. How do we help young people getting into the trades, and hopefully also changing the schools?” he says. “By actively engaging with schools, introducing more hands-on experiences and collaborating with industry experts, we aim to foster a positive environment for the next generation. I’m fortunate to work for a company that shares this vision and actively supports training initiatives.”
most constructive thing we could do then with that knowledge is to develop an intervocational pathway and training.” Lavin says the lack of visible, documented practise knowledge in the heavy vehicle specialist certifier (HVSC) space created barriers to industry entry. “This scenario prompted the creation of our project with the key goals of establishing a vocational pathway, enhancing ongoing professional development for certifiers, and improving the effectiveness of the mentoring system,” she says. The project’s benefits include an increased number of certified heavy-vehicle specialists (HVS) through promotional activities, improved certifier retention, production of well-trained and competent certifiers, and a focus on continuous training and learning
development for established HVS. These outcomes are expected to lead to improved road safety by expediting the competency development of engineers. “While it takes time for HPCs to become competent, we believe that the training programme will help engineers reach competencies sooner,” Lavin says. “This, in turn, helps alleviate pressure on the commercial freight industry through greater capacity of certifiers and increased certification procedure knowledge. “That will help increase efficiencies while meeting compliance and get some real consistency across the board.” The fundamental skill sets cover a range of modules, each focusing on critical aspects such as regulations, proper inspection, welding and fatigue requirements. These modules use real-life scenarios, online training, webinars and practical sessions to ensure a comprehensive learning experience. Lavin says the programme’s success hinges on the collaborative efforts of all involved parties. In the coming months, Waka Kotahi plans to launch the training programme, and Engineering New Zealand will develop a learning management system to host the modules and record training progress. Fees for the training will be set in line with government requirements for cost recovery.
Eleanor Lavin Eleanor Lavin from Engineering New Zealand discussed the new training and development pathway and programme for vehicle specialist certifiers. In 2019, Waka Kotahi reset its regulatory focus, bringing vehicle inspection and certification processes into the spotlight. The focus on the heavy-vehicle certification industry revealed that there was a national shortage of engineers. “The HVSC industry workforce is older, and in 2019, many engineers were already indicating that they would soon retire. This lack of capacity was, and still is, putting pressure on the commercial freight industry,” Lavin says. Waka Kotahi was then tasked with addressing a lack of consistency across the inspection and certification industries. “What we had here with this was an ageing work workforce who often worked reasonably in isolation, and they were very protective of their work and their IP, and how they go about their engineering and their certification practice. “From a regulatory viewpoint, transparency about what good practice looks like sets up an industry for success. It’s impossible to do that when the knowledge is contained in individuals and in their heads. “So the most effective thing we could do for the workforce alongside the agency was to extract that knowledge. And the
New Zealand Trucking
February 2024 103
INDUSTRY UPDATE
National scheme to manage end-of-life tyres kicks off 1 March There are just a few weeks left before changes in how Aotearoa New Zealand funds the management of end-of-life tyres come into play.
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n 1 March, the first stage of government regulations designed to reduce environmental harm from endof-life tyres will take effect, something the tyre industry has been working hard to get into place for years. Buyers will notice a tyre stewardship fee when they purchase new tyres – or vehicles imported with tyres – that will be used to manage those tyres at the end of their life. It must be applied at a standard rate nationwide and has been set at $6.65 (excl. GST) for a standard passenger tyre and will go up in increments depending on the size of tyre. The fee payable on your new tyres for their future management applies from 1 March. Existing ad hoc disposal fees may apply on any old tyres that need disposal until 1 September, when this must stop. From 1 September, Tyrewise will arrange the free collection of end-of-life tyres from registered tyre sellers, garages and public collection sites. The scheme will also ensure the tyres go to registered processors and manufacturers so they get a second life in a new product rather than being landfilled, stockpiled or dumped. From 1 September, it will mean the free collection of end-of-life tyres from the registered network and, for the trucking industry, better diversion of casings that are suitable for retreading. According to Adele Rose of Tyrewise implementation project managers 3R Group, this is especially relevant to the trucking sector as tyres are a significant factor for the industry due to how often
104 New Zealand Trucking February September 2024 2023
they need to be replaced. The scheme wil help increase opportunities for retreading, she says, as the system will be able to better identify suitable truck tyre casings for diversion. “We aim to work with the
Adele Rose, of Tyrewise implementation project managers 3R Group. trucking industry organisations to further promote the use of recycled rubber from tyres in our national roading network as we see successfully demonstrated internationally.” Tyrewise has set a target of 80% of tyres processed by the fourth year of operation and over 90% by the sixth year, Rose says.
Currently, only about 40% of end-of-life tyres in New Zealand are recycled or used to create new products. “Specially designed software will track the volumes collected and delivered to processors and manufacturers so that we can measure and report our progress against the targets,” Rose says. “Our implementation team has been busy behind the scenes for months now, registering tyre importers, sellers, transporters, processors, and end-market manufacturers, making sure everybody is ready to play their part. It’s amazing what you can achieve when an entire industry comes together to make a positive difference.” The scheme will initially cover all airfilled and solid tyres for use on motorised vehicles for cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, tractors, forklifts, aircraft and off-road vehicles. Tyres for products like bicycles and non-motorised equipment such as prams, as well as precured rubber for retreads, will be brought into the scheme later. Consultation with stakeholders on these scope-two tyres is expected in late 2024.
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INDUSTRY UPDATE
Join NZ’s transport leaders to discuss the real issues
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ear up for Creating NZ’s Fittest Fleet Transport Leaders Forum breakfast! Sponsored by NZI and hosted by AutoSense at the Due Drop Events Centre in Auckland on 22 February, the event promises a fantastic line-up of speakers who will share their experience in health, wellness and driver safety. A handful of tickets are still available for last-minute attendees. “If transport operators are serious about investing in their people – this is an event not to be missed,” says AutoSense CEO Charles Dawson. Life coach and BBM founder Dave Letele, motorsport legend and road safety advocate Greg Murphy, and Coda Group CEO Deena Clarkson, will address the important issues facing the transport industry. “The forum will prioritise the crunchy
conversations such as creating safe work environments for people in transport, combatting the sedentary nature of the job leading to health issues, and the work-life balance challenges associated with shift work that transport and logistics workers face daily,” says Dawson. “Dave Letele’s business aims to motivate people to get fit and transform their lives. Coda Group CEO Deena Clarkson will discuss the health, safety, and wellness strategy of one of New Zealand’s largest logistics providers. And Greg Murphy will talk about his motorsport career, emphasising the importance of driver safety.” Tickets for the breakfast are $1500+GST per table of eight or $199+GST per individual ticket, and can be purchased at autosense.co.nz/transportleaders
Forum Agenda 7:30 AM: Doors open. Buffet breakfast served 8:00 AM: Opening address by MC, Doug Kamo + sponsor’s welcome by Garry Taylor, NZI executive general manager 8:15 AM: Dave Letele – Path to health and wellness 9:00 AM: Greg Murphy – Driver safety 9:20 AM: Deena Clarkson – The Coda journey 9:50 AM: Panel – Quick fire Q+A
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BUSINESS PROFILE
A RCC roundabout and road Rolco recently laid for Tauranga City Council.
Costing less and lasting longer New Zealand’s roads and infrastructure need a revamp, but Taranaki-based Rolco suggests a rethink in their construction is just as important.
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hen considering roads and roadbuilding, we immediately envision laying down steaming asphalt or thin layers of chip seal. While concrete is used and proven around the world, for some reason, we don’t often consider it for road construction in New Zealand. Rolco NZ is
here to challenge that. Rolco’s director Willem de Bod suggests Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a viable, durable, cost-effective solution for hightraffic areas, especially those serving heavy vehicles. Rolco began operating at the start of 2022. At its helm are two civil and two mechanical
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engineers. “I was consulting to ports, and looking for alternative roading solutions,” explains De Bod. “I came across RCC as the most favourable alternative for heavy loaded roads and hardstands. “However, we soon realised the complexities around the construction process, which made it unviable for traditional road construction contractors to undertake.” This was when Rolco was born. Rolco invested in specialist equipment and with
108 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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extensive training from international experts, Rolco is now the leading contractor for RCC in New Zealand. So why RCC? De Bod explains that concrete is often the best choice, but time, cost and the need for extended traffic management make it prohibitive. However, RCC addresses these issues. While it has similar attributes to conventional concrete, it is constructed without reinforcing steel or mesh. RCC is placed with a paver and then rolled to produce a smooth finish. RCC has a much higher tensile and compression strength and is, therefore, stronger and more durable. It’s also faster to lay and can be ‘trafficked’ within two to three days. “We have done a few public roads where we closed the road after peak traffic on a Friday, milled out the existing asphalt road, laid the RCC and had the road open again by Monday.” De Bod says RCC performs well on a weak subgrade. “It offers a much stronger pavement than structural asphalt for the
RCC has a much higher tensile and compression strength and is, therefore, stronger and more durable. It’s also faster to lay and can be ‘trafficked’ within two to three days. same thickness (typically over 150mm).” He adds that RCC is ideal for high-load applications, intersections, roundabouts, truck yards, static load areas or where trucks often turn. “It would be money well spent if we use RCC for those critical areas where the road fails again and again, places where asphalt, even structural asphalt, requires permanent maintenance. “When we design a building, we design it to last 50 or 100 years. RCC roads can be designed to match the design life of the buildings. “RCC provides lifecycle cost savings and although it’s tempting to go with the
cheapest upfront cost, the costs soon stack up when the first reseal needs to be done on conventional roads. “Ratepayers ultimately benefit from the longer lifespan of RCC, because that maintenance issue no longer exists. The full cost of the project is where we save. “The trucking industry is one of the biggest users of our roads and should not accept substandard roads and excessive road closures. “There are better options for the resources and budgets at hand. The trucking industry should really push for that money to be spent on the right options in the right places,” he concludes.
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The INTELLI-GENT way to get started Jump starting heavy-duty vehicles can present some unique challenges when compared to light-duty vehicles.
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he primary function of any jump starter is to get your vehicle started when you need it. The starting needs of heavy-duty vehicles are much higher than those of passenger vehicles. Properly matching your equipment to your application will result in more effective starting, more efficient operation, and longer jump starter life. It is prudent to select the correct jumpstarting equipment in accordance with the needs of a fleet’s operations. Jump starters come in a wide range of sizes and are designed to perform a variety of functions, so it is important to determine the right jump-starting equipment for a fleet’s needs. The Projecta IS3000 and IS5000 industrial jump starters are designed with heavyvehicle fleets in mind. Both the IS3000 and IS5000 offer a truly mobile jump starting solution for professionals, with unlimited jumpstarts.
IS5000 12/24V 5000A Intelli-Start Industrial Jump Starter The IS5000 Industrial Jump Starter will start just about any vehicle or piece of machinery, and is ideal for 12V or 24V prime movers, buses and medium and large industrial machinery, including mining applications. Features: • Starts 12V diesel and petrol vehicles up to 16L (IS5000) • Starts all 24V vehicles • Up to 1500A of clamp power (12V, IS5000 model) • Easy to use with an intuitive LCD colour screen • Automatic 12/24V voltage detect
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110 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
CELEBRATE NAPA TURNING 100 AT NAPA EXPO 2025. SPEAK TO YOUR NAPA REP TO SEE HOW YOU CAN WIN/EARN YOUR WAY TO THE EXPO
NAPA is getting ready to celebrate 100 years of serving the automotive industry come 2025, with the 2025 NAPA Expo in Las Vegas set to be the pinnacle of the celebrations. This will be the biggest NAPA Expo to date, with more than 15,000 delegates expected to attend and more than 300 suppliers showcasing the very best on offer at the trade show. Along with the 100th anniversary celebrations, attendees will get to see some of the best of NAPA Racing up close.
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PRODUCT PROFILE
Free NZ app removes need for paper trucking logs, improves road safety A new, free phone app for truckers, making it easy to log driving hours, will remove the need for old paper logbooks, which are still used by an estimated 90% of Kiwi drivers.
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og Ninja founder Bodhi Vette says automating logbooks is essential for safer roads. “When I drove buses, I found all that paperwork created a massive administrative burden, on top of driving long hours. “There’s the stress of recording your hours properly so you’ll be paid what you’re owed, and then, as drivers, you also need to ensure you’re taking regular breaks as required by law.” Log Ninja automatically reminds drivers when they’re approaching a mandated rest break, reducing worry about compliance with the rules. Vette says there is a real cost and burden to staying compliant. “Our market research found that the cost to buy these digital tools is a barrier for drivers. If all drivers were using the existing digital logbooks, it would cost the industry approximately $24 million every year. “Even those using the approved paperbased version still pay between $10 and $18 for the 50-page triplicate logs, which require physical transfer and storage for a minimum of two years. “We’re removing that barrier by making Log Ninja free to every driver in New Zealand.” Vette says drivers still favour paper logs because of the autonomy and simplicity it affords. “We want drivers to be able to make the switch to digital easily, so Log Ninja is
Bodhi Vette wanted to create a digital version of familiar paper logbooks. usable by any driver with a smartphone and keeps logging data under their control.” Dan Burt has been driving trucks and buses for 12 years and has just started using Log Ninja. He says the most significant barriers to going digital have been the cost and unfamiliarity with the new systems. “I’ve tried other digital logbooks and
112 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
quickly gone off them. I found them difficult to use, and making edits was very timeconsuming. It wasn’t worth paying more over the paper version. “So, to have a free option which is modelled on the paper logs is a lifesaver. “Everything is familiar, and Log Ninja works even without cell reception. Now, if I get a late call-up to work, I just grab my wallet and phone, and I’m good to go.” Vette says Log Ninja is also the first NZTAapproved logbook that allows truckers to build a portfolio of experience by recording hours for different driving disciplines. “When a driver starts logging, they can choose from 92 different types of driving across five license classes – from B-train truck and trailers to tractors and taxis.” Log Ninja aims to have 30,000 commercial drivers using the logbook in its first month, he says. “Every sign-up will make a driver’s life easier, their record keeping more meaningful and New Zealand roads safer.” Log Ninja is approved by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and can be downloaded free on the App Store and Google Play.
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CARRIERS’ CORNER
Navigating challenges and opportunities for improvement The lead-up to Christmas saw me jump behind the wheel for a couple of days, assisting with overflow freight volumes. It was a reminder of what our teams deal with daily – not from other road users, but from the industry and associated customers and suppliers. enough, an additional trip was required to uplift the correct product a couple of days later. Yep, so much of this might be deemed commonplace and just good people trying to get their job done under pressure, but does that make it right? Or is it something we can all consciously look at improving? Again, we talk about engaging new people in the industry and providing an easy/simple/clear pathway, yet I couldn’t even find the pathway to a despatch office. The reality is it wouldn’t have taken much at these sites to improve the operator/customer experience radically; what was needed was for the operators to simply put themselves in the shoes of the other party coming onto their site. A little would go a long way. I don’t raise these issues as a beat-up, but as an opportunity for us to embrace and really make a big deal out of our ‘customer’ performing that critical task of getting the freight to its destination. They’ve got enough on their plate … competition, traffic, compliance … surely, we can take site complexity off that list?
In a similar but completely different vein, it’d be rude not to shine a spotlight on the stellar effort of all parties involved in the lightning-quick remediation of SH25A between Kopū and Hikuai, a key regional connection in the North Island’s Coromandel region. Here, we saw first-hand what could be achieved when a pragmatic and objective approach was taken in the design and execution of what could easily have blown into a much bigger roading project. Most incredible was the fact the project was delivered ahead of what was already a very short proposed construction timeframe and, from initial reporting, under budget too; two outcomes we’ve simply become unaccustomed to in local infrastructure projects. The common thread in both situations? The need to consider who our customers are and how to achieve something that works for them within the bounds of what we’re all trying to achieve: safe, costeffective, efficient, timely transport that’s well-communicated and understood by all parties. Doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? With a new government and its 100day plan of attack starting to come to life, some of which has a strong weighting on transport, roading and infrastructure, here’s hoping Luxon and Co mimic the performance we saw in the Coromandel and not what I saw in my pre-Christmas freight jaunt.
H
FIV 50
Do you agree with Blake or want to engage with his comment? He’d love to hear from you. Contact Blake at: blake@transcon.co.nz. Blake Noble is managing director of Transcon, a 16-truck general-freight operation based in Warkworth, north of Auckland. He is also the founder of specialist transport growth and advisory provider Delivery. Head to getdelivery.nz to connect with Blake.
114 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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found several uber-busy (yes, I am aware it was December), high-volume freight terminals that were challenging at best to work out where and how to do the right thing. In one case, simply finding the despatch office was like a pick-a-path adventure. I spoke to the guy in the hi-vis leaning against the pole, who told me to head to the distant roller door. At the roller door, I headed across a yard, along a congested canopy area with multiple vehicle hazards, and eventually spied a portacom tucked nicely inside a warehouse and out of anyone’s view. Turning up at each site, I could readily see signage proclaiming the usual ‘safety first’ approach. However, that was where any form of customer-centric approach came to a sudden halt. Beyond that, I had to rely on following other carriers or making a couple of calls to team members to get a better read on how to do things ‘right’. It was all somewhat counterintuitive to the ‘safety first’ messaging I saw proudly displayed everywhere. When I eventually found my way to the right locales, what blew me away was the total misalignment between site protocols and procedures, let alone the behaviours that needed to be adopted simply to try and make things work. There was loading and unloading in car parks, people walking through loading and unloading zones (albeit in their magical lightweight hi-vis vests to shield them from potential harm), and just a general attitude of getting the freight moved in some form, regardless of what convention suggested might be the ‘right’ way to do it. There was a degree of inevitability that some of the pallets being collected would be incorrect. But the site knew best, and sure
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TRUCKERS’ HEALTH
Exercise more in 2024 The sun is out, the barbie is cranking, and you can feel the sea breeze in your mullet – am I setting the scene of the summer season?
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he Oxford English Dictionary should define New Year’s resolutions as ‘unrealistic and overly optimistic goals we set when filled with too much Christmas ham’. We have the best of intentions, but more often than not, these goals are mildly unachievable. Most New Year’s resolutions centre around health, wellbeing and fitness. We promise ourselves that we will eat fewer takeaways and exercise more. Gyms are often chocka-block in January with people wanting to create a better version of themselves – which is excellent. However, we often see the new crowd dwindling off come March as they may not have achieved what they set out to in that short time. This is the problem I often encounter with my clients – they expect to achieve their lofty goals within a short timeframe. For example, they want to lose 15kg in three months. Although this may be doable in some circumstances, it is not a sustainable or realistic goal for most of us. Setting weight goals from the outset can often make you feel disheartened and negative about your fitness journey. The number on the scale does not account for your muscle mass or define how fit and strong you are. Don’t even get me started on BMI. So, how do we kick-start 2024 with a healthy mindset and goal? My advice is to start small, be specific (and throw your scales out the window).
Do something small to improve your nutrition Although the temptation to start a quickfix, fad diet is compelling – we need to look at what we are currently eating and make tweaks along the way. This way, you are making the change more doable and realistic and you’ll likely include many more foods you find enjoyable. For example, if you are currently skipping breakfast, prioritise having a healthy breakfast every morning, which could help prevent binge eating later in the day and
balance out your meals overall. You want to ensure you get protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats in your breakfast. For example, you could have scrambled eggs (protein) on toast (carbohydrate) with avocado (fat).
Do something small to improve your fitness Look at how much exercise you are doing. Are you a gym member, involved in a team sport, or have an active summer hobby like cycling or kayaking? It’s important to start from our base and work from there. Looking at an online programme with six workouts a week is no use if you are currently doing zero. Your body would be in too much shock (and pain) to suddenly jump from zero to hero in a matter of weeks. For example, if you are currently managing to go for two walks a week, you could aim to increase that to three walks in the first week, four walks in the second week and re-evaluate at the end of each week if you are feeling up to adding more exercise or you may feel like you are being challenged enough as you are. Progress is never linear and can depend hugely upon your work and personal commitments each week. Never feel disheartened when you encounter setbacks or hover around the same routine for a while without progressing – this is normal!
stuff” is a helpful and common mantra, but it is not overly specific. Instead, you could say that you want to do 10 minutes of meditation four mornings a week to try to help manage your stress levels. You will 100% know if you have achieved that or not. My overall advice is to start the year with a fresh perspective on where things are at for you now and where you could realistically be in one, six, and 12 months from now regarding your health, fitness and overall wellbeing. Resist the temptation to jump on board with the latest fad diet and fitness trend and, instead, make small, achievable changes to your current nutrition and exercise regime. If you are starting from square one and are currently inactive or not eating well, do not overwhelm yourself with complicated diets counting macros and calories – this will only confuse you more. Deep down, we all know what is healthy and unhealthy for us – we don’t need to overcomplicate things unless we intend to enter a bodybuilding competition. Include plenty of lean meats (unless you’re vegetarian or vegan), vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes in your diet. The outside aisles of the supermarkets are where you will find healthy, whole foods. The middle aisles are where the heavily processed foods live. If you follow those simple guidelines, you will already see massive changes in your energy levels and maybe even your weight (if that’s what you want to achieve).
Do something small to improve your wellbeing Your wellbeing can be anything that contributes to your overall mental health – getting enough sleep, managing stress, having time to yourself, doing things you enjoy and spending time with loved ones. These goals can be more difficult to pinpoint than fitness and nutrition goals. It’s important to be specific and set a measurable goal because if you are too broad, you won’t really know if you have achieved what you set out to when you come to reflect on it. For example, “don’t stress about the small
116 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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HEALTH AND SAFETY
Implementing a FATIGUE MANAGEMENT POLICY Yes, employees are responsible for managing their fatigue, but employers are also responsible for observing and managing it. There are formal ways to handle this.
I
f you feel or recognise that your drivers are displaying signs of fatigue, implementing a fatigue management policy is one of the best ways to help them. This policy aims to ensure that drivers are fit to drive and that employers do not put them at risk. A fatigue policy should be developed for all workers, from drivers to managers. It should include information about maximum shift length and average weekly hours, work-related travel, procedures for reporting fatigue risks, and for managing fatigued drivers. Any worker can report fatigue-related issues to management, and these reports should be investigated. The Land Transport Act 1998 (NZ) and the Land Transport Rule: Work Time and Logbooks 2007 (NZ) contain several fatigue management conditions and requirements that drivers and employers must be familiar with. On the right is a guide to the basic requirements of New Zealand’s legislation. Drivers and employers must familiarise themselves with and abide by the Work Time rules, including rules on rest breaks. Similarly, while there may be slightly different rules for drivers of packaged goods, all drivers must observe and abide by the logbook rules, and management should review the entries regularly. 23031 DANI1 TRUCKING AD.pdf 27/5/10 3:12:58 PM For further information, please contact the
New Zealand Transport Agency or read further on the NZTA website, nzta.govt.nz.
Basic requirements for drivers in New Zealand In any cumulative workday, as a driver (whether providing passenger transportation services or delivery services) you: • May not exceed 13 hours of work time; and must have at least 10 hours of continuous rest time. • If, as a driver, you are providing delivery services, you must take a rest break after five and a half hours of continuous work time. • You (whether providing passenger transportation services or delivery services) may not exceed 70 hours of work during a cumulative work period. The words highlighted in bold and italics above are defined further below: Cumulative workday means a period: during which work occurs; and that does not exceed 24 hours and begins after a continuous period of rest time of at least 10 hours. Rest time means all time that is not work time; and is at least 30 minutes in duration, and is not spent in a moving vehicle associated with work. Rest break means a period of rest time taken within a cumulative workday.
Cumulative work period means a set of cumulative workdays between a continuous period of rest time of at least 24 hours. If drivers do not follow these rules, they can be fined up to $2000 and disqualified from driving. Your fatigue management policy will need to be reviewed and updated regularly, read and signed off by all drivers to show that they have read and understood any new updates and authorised by the officer of the company.
Kaye Byrne is a health and safety consultant who works for Safewise, a health and safety consultancy organisation. Kaye has been in the health and safety field in one way or another for the past 10 years, most recently as a consultant. Kaye has experience working with many different industries and people. She holds a New Zealand Diploma in Workplace Health and Safety Management (level 6) and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management.
Danielle L. Beston Barrister At Law Log Book & Driving Hours Transport Specialist Work Licences Nationwide Road User Charges Contributor to New Zealand Trucking ‘Legal Lines’ Column Telephone: (09) 985 5609 mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@trafficlawyerauckland.co.nz Referral Through Solicitor Required and Arranged
118 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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LEGAL LINES
Are you covered if your goods are damaged during freight? Ensure you are aware of the complexities around liability for goods in transit.
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hen transporting goods by road, rail, sea and air within New Zealand, the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017 determines who is liable for damage occurring during a carriage of goods contract and what remedies are available. The only situation it doesn’t cover is the mail service. Liability for goods starts when the goods are accepted by a carrier for carriage in accordance with a contract and ends once the goods are delivered to the receiver or the receiver has collected the goods.
A contract for limited carrier’s risk: the carrier is liable for the loss or damage to goods up to a certain amount.
What if there is no contract? A contract for limited carrier’s risk is the default position if there is no contract between the parties. If it is a contract for limited carrier’s risk, this allows compensation for up to $2000 per ‘unit of
When do I need to make a claim? Typically, you have 30 days after the date the carrier’s responsibility for the goods ended. However, it would be advisable to check the wording of your contract because it may specify a shorter period. You must provide reasonable particulars of the alleged damage or loss when making a claim. Notice of a claim is not required if the carrier ought to be aware of the damage or loss or in the case of fraud by the carrier.
Do I need insurance?
Types of contract A carrier’s liability under section 248 of the act depends on the type of contract you have with the carrier, and these include: A contract for carriage at owner’s risk: the carrier is not liable for the loss or damage to any goods except where the carrier intentionally causes the loss or damage. A contract at declared value risk: the carrier is liable for the loss or damage to any goods up to an amount specified in the contract. A contract on declared terms: the carrier is liable for the loss or damage to the goods in accordance with a specific term of the contract.
more than $8000. If each unit is worth considerably more than $2000, you need to ensure that your freight contract will entitle you to claim the actual value of the goods.
goods’ if any damage or loss occurs. A ‘unit of goods’ is defined as an item of goods. So, if you were transporting a large table from Whangarei to Christchurch but it had been dismantled into four separate parts, this is counted as four units. That means that the total amount of compensation that could be claimed for the table is no
120 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
You must clearly establish what kind of contract you have with the carrier from the outset to avoid arguments over liability or the amount of compensation involved. You should also carefully consider arranging your own insurance policy because carriers are not liable for loss or damage that results from: • an inherent defect in the products • products not packed properly • packing of dangerous goods • seizure under a legal process, or • when the carrier is saving or trying to save life or property.
Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice, and if you have a particular matter to be addressed, you should consult with a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law, and she can be contacted on (09) 985 5609 or 021 326 642.
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EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
The winds of change are here With a change of government, employment law is in for a shake-up. Here are some of the big changes you need to be familiar with.
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appy 2024. I trust you have all had a chance to rest, reflect and reset for a positive 2024. With a change of vision and focus signalled by the new coalition government, a sense of purpose and confidence in the future is to be embraced. Although the year ahead will undoubtedly be challenging, optimism is forecasted. Employment law is also set to change, with this government about to rapidly change or modify those laws considered restrictive in allowing businesses to be more productive, to compete and to flourish. The initial main changes being signalled by the government are: Repeal the Fair Pay Agreements legislation (with effect from 20 December 2023). This does not restrict the rights of unions representing their members to bargain with the employer for various terms and conditions of employment, which may include: a collective agreement being • negotiated and signed off between the parties, which sets the terms and conditions for those workers covered by the collective and agreed to by the employer there is an obligation on both parties • to negotiate in good faith. As from 23 December 2023, all employers will be eligible to use 90-day trial periods, which will not be limited by how many employees they have. Remember, for a 90-day trial period to be valid, it must be agreed to by the employee in writing and in good faith, and signed off in the employment agreement before the employee starts work.
A review and reform of all health and safety laws and regulations. The government will consider simplifying personal grievances and specifically: • removing the right to remedies if the employee is at fault, and setting an income threshold over • which a grievance cannot be pursued. Independent contractors who have signed a contractor agreement will not be able to challenge their employment status in the Employment Court. The government will also look at immigration settings to improve the Accredited Employer Work Visa to focus the immigration system on attracting workers targeted to the needs of the workforce. It also intends to ensure that the obligations on jobseekers ‘work ready’ beneficiaries are accountable and implement appropriate sectors for non-compliance. The coalition has agreed to commit to moderate increases to the minimum wage annually. It will look at establishing an ‘essential worker’ workforce strategy to better plan out the likely skills and labour needs in the long term. It will also look at a system to commit accountability and enforcement of the laws relating to abuse of migrant workers and the consequences. This should ensure a better-coordinated transition of migrant workers and the skills they bring into a positive New Zealand citizenship experience. In conclusion, these are all positive ideas to restore New Zealand to a desired place to live and work, where people are valued and can achieve their hopes and dreams in a highly productive working environment.
The specific details of some of these reforms still need to be worked through, and policy developed to allow implementation. This will allow a better understanding of the issue and the practical steps needed to achieve viable remedies. I will keep you updated as the information becomes available. Remember – the focus on productivity negates complacency.
Mike Kyne is the director of Kyne Management Services, which offers advice and expertise in employment matters, compliance issues, analysis, auditing and review. Mike has considerable experience coaching managers and business owners in the application of procedural and practical requirements under current business legislation. He also represents employers in mediation and in the Employment Relations Authority. Mike has established a strong reputation for providing practical advice and on-site assistance to transport firms.
Note: This opinion piece is written as an advisory of ideas when dealing with people. It is not intended as specific advice for any circumstances. Mike can be contacted at kyne@kyne.co.nz or on (03) 365 3414.
122 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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Carol McGeady general manager NZ Trucking Association
How can TRANSPORT OPERATORS find relief from economic pressure?
T
he cost-of-living crisis is affecting individuals and businesses alike. The trucking industry is not immune to these economic pressures. Transport operators are feeling the pinch as they grapple with rising fuel prices, increased operational costs and the challenge of maintaining profitability. In these trying times, it’s not just the trucks carrying heavy loads but also the operators managing the financial burdens. The New Zealand Trucking Association (NTA) offers vital tools to help operators unlock hidden productivity and cost savings. Transport operators in New Zealand are facing a multitude of financial pressures. The surge in fuel prices and increased costs for vehicle maintenance, tyres, parts, capital equipment and labour has significantly impacted their bottom lines. Additionally, the need to offer competitive wages to retain skilled drivers amid a nationwide shortage adds to the financial strain. Some hourly rates have increased as much as 30% in the past couple of years, well ahead of inflation, as operators struggle with staff retention in a constrained labour market. Recognising these challenges, NTA, in collaboration with the National Road Carriers Association, has been working with Infometrics and Stats NZ to build an interactive tool that will allow operators to see the impact of cost increases on their business. Over 2023, they have developed a customisable cost index specifically for the trucking industry. This tool allows operators to clearly understand their costs in relation to the current economic climate. By inputting specific data about their operations, transport businesses can see a
detailed breakdown of their expenses and identify areas where costs can be optimised. The index highlights areas where operators can reduce expenses and enables operators to benchmark their costs against industry standards to gain a competitive edge. For those seeking a more comprehensive analysis, NTA offers cost-modelling services to full members. This involves a detailed examination of a business’s financial operations by industry experts. The outcome is a bespoke report that identifies cost-saving opportunities and suggests strategies for enhancing
By empowering operators with tools like the customisable cost index and cost modelling services, NTA is cultivating a more resilient and adaptive industry. productivity and efficiency. It aids in longterm strategic planning by providing a roadmap for financial efficiency. The report offers recommendations for streamlining operations, potentially leading to significant cost reductions. By reviewing and optimising costs, transport operators can offer more competitive pricing or renegotiate rates with clients, gaining an edge in a challenging market. Rising fuel prices have become a significant concern for the trucking industry, directly impacting operational
124 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
costs and profitability. NTA offers its members an incredibly competitive fuel scheme. This exclusive programme is designed to alleviate the financial burden of high fuel costs, providing substantial savings that can make a real difference to the bottom line of trucking businesses. NTA membership grants free access to this fuel scheme, presenting a valuable opportunity for operators to mitigate one of their most significant expenses. By taking advantage of this offer, members can enjoy the benefits of reduced fuel costs. Beyond individual cost savings, the collective benefit of these NTA initiatives for the trucking industry cannot be overstated. By empowering operators with tools like the customisable cost index and cost modelling services, NTA is cultivating a more resilient and adaptive industry. These resources enable operators to not only navigate the immediate challenges of the cost-of-living crisis but also to position themselves for future growth and sustainability. The ripple effect of this empowerment is significant – as individual businesses streamline their operations and reduce costs, the entire industry benefits from increased competitiveness and stability. This collective strengthening of the industry is essential in an economic landscape marked by rapid changes and uncertainties. By staying ahead of these challenges with the NTA’s support, New Zealand’s trucking businesses are setting a benchmark for operational excellence and economic resilience. For more information and to access these valuable tools and fuel schemes, members of the trucking community are encouraged to contact the NTA.
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T
here is much to celebrate about the speed at which Waka Kotahi has moved to construct a new 124m viaduct bridge on SH25A between Kopū and Hikuai. Re-opening the road reconnects communities that have become increasingly isolated and provides a muchneeded economic lifeline for businesses hit repeatedly by economic shocks. From Covid19 to cyclones, the Coromandel has been hit hard. It’s important to recognise how significant this engineering feat is – because it is, without a doubt, a true feat in human and machinery terms – by Waka Kotahi and its contractors. However, we also need to stay grounded in the facts about how we got to this point. Yes, SH25A failed following repeated extreme weather events over the summer of 2023. But the road’s increasing fragility and lack of resilience had been in the making for quite some time. Inadequate road maintenance and poor drainage likely led to gradual water egress under the surface. When the heavy downfalls associated with Cyclone Hale hit, the already waterlogged soil could take no more, and the road slumped and cracked before it fell away altogether. The reconnecting of SH25A shows how powerful a shared desire by central and local government to streamline processes, remove hurdles and expedite contracts can be. Not only is the work coming in ahead of schedule, but under budget. And this is where we need to be careful not to kid ourselves. This has come at immense personal and financial cost to the communities and businesses of the Coromandel and was likely avoidable had appropriate maintenance been carried out. Further north, we see a similar situation playing out. SH1 through the Brynderwyns
has been a problem since the 1960s. It has a long history of continual slip and under-slip issues requiring repair. If ever there was a better example for why we need a 50-year roading infrastructure plan, you might say the Brynderwyns epitomises it – talk of a diversion to the Brynderwyns has been happening since the 1970s. New Zealand has demonstrated a long history of lack of leadership when it comes to roading infrastructure. We consult everything to death, and everyone’s an armchair expert. We move at a glacial speed, and it’s not until we are faced with catastrophic failure that we find a way to move forward. Right now, we are potentially one major weather event away from a significant roading failure with the Brynderwyns. If
and freight traffic safely. Recent weather events led to diversions that exposed several weaknesses across the detour network, but these lessons can now be used to enable officials to facilitate planned diversions far more safely and effectively – minimising disruption as much as possible. There is no doubt a two-month closure will still feel like an ‘economic barricade’ for the communities and businesses of Northland. Like the Coromandel, it will come at a cost, and that is why NRC is calling on the authorities to provide financial support via a resilience fund for affected businesses. Repairing SH1 is the first part of the government’s ongoing commitment to Northland. The second part is continuing to invest in the ongoing maintenance of
Right now, we are potentially one major weather event away from a significant roading failure with the Brynderwyns. If this happens, there is no quick fix; instead, Northland would be faced with a very long wait for a bypass. this happens, there is no quick fix; instead, Northland would be faced with a very long wait for a bypass. This section of SH1 consists of seven or eight corners, all delicately balanced on a steep slope. Repairs require space to be dug out of the uphill slope to move the road across while the existing under-slips are simultaneously remedied. This work cannot occur while the road remains open; there is not enough space. However, repairs are a critical priority due to the precarious state of the road. To do nothing is not an option. A planned road closure will enable authorities to prepare detour routes appropriately to accommodate commuter
126 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
the Brynderwyns while fast-tracking the consenting, design and build process for the bypass. Just like SH25A, once the paperwork is ticked off, the bypass can progress at pace, unconstrained by other road users, likely delivering similar savings in time and money. But first, it must be prioritised. Looking ahead, we can only avoid repeating this type of devastating network failure by developing a 50-year roading infrastructure plan that delivers a safe, productive and resilient roading network. The plan and its funding must be overseen independently from the government to ensure the emphasis remains on the long term, not the three-year election cycle.
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S
afety on the roads is always a hot topic over the holidays, and sadly, we have not done well. Twenty people died on our roads over the official New Year holiday road toll period, which started at 4pm on 22 December and finished on 3 January at 6am. The holiday road toll is down from last year when 21 people died during that same period – but just one less death is hardly something to celebrate. Most fatalities were in Waikato, where seven people died. The majority of the victims (13) were male and six were female. The provisional annual road toll for 2023 is 343 – down on 372 in 2022, but well up on 2020’s road toll of 318. According to a piece by Mike Yardley in The Press, that sorry statistic shows the Ministry of Transport’s Road to Zero strategy, brought in by the previous government, has failed. It is “struggling to maintain any street cred. It’s in tatters,” Yardley writes. “Four years since its inception in January 2020, the national road toll defiantly makes a mockery of the strategy’s projected dividends. “The Road to Zero plan, which was purposely designed to deliver an incremental reduction in road deaths, has failed to fire. Its paramount goal in its first 10 years is to reduce road deaths by 40% by 2030, based on 2018’s benchmark of 378 deaths.” While there’s no disputing the intended reduction in deaths isn’t trending as planned – and we’ve had other factors like Covid-19 – I’m mindful indicators like this never trend strictly in a linear fashion and, often, there can be a considerable lag before changes come into effect, therefore gauging change over a relatively small period such as four years can be misleading. The Ministry of Transport’s figures recording deaths by calendar year since 1990 indicate to me that progress was achieved
between then (730) and 2013 (253). I suspect there are multiple reasons for that fall, including a good balance between the ‘three big Es’: enforcement, engineering (roads and cars) and education. However, since then, the road toll has been trending slightly upwards, or at best, plateaued over the past several years. Therefore, I’m hesitant to attribute blame to the Road to Zero strategy, and I would tend to look further back for what significant changes have occurred in transport governance and regulation.
“Four years since its inception in January 2020, the national road toll defiantly makes a mockery of the strategy’s projected dividends.” On 1 December 2004, the Land Transport Safety Authority and Transfund New Zealand were disestablished, and Land Transport New Zealand was created. Then, on 31 July 2008, Land Transport New Zealand was merged with Transit New Zealand to become the NZ Transport Agency or what we now know as Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. I don’t know whether those changes are connected, or even if they are, to what degree they might contribute to slowing down progress in reducing road trauma. But I do think the government needs to carefully consider significant factors of that order because that historical downward trend indicates to me that something was working pretty well – and unless the reason for the change is identified, I think reducing the annual road toll down to a couple of
hundred deaths is magical thinking. Of course, vehicles today are much safer with better passive and active safety systems, such as airbags and ABS brakes. Also, medical advances and the speed of getting emergency help within the first so-called ‘golden hour’ will have helped. Better roads are safer roads, and unfortunately, many New Zealand highways are in a woeful condition or are hopelessly inadequate for today’s transport requirements after years or decades of underinvestment. Already this year, mayors have called for urgent upgrades to state highways, including SH1 – the country’s main highway – as well as SH5 between Napier and Taupo and others throughout the country. Public and media interest in the state of our roads is still high. Over the break, I travelled a few thousand kilometres over state highways, and apart from dodging several potholes, I have a cracked windscreen being replaced this week, caused by a stone flicked up by a car travelling the other way. We are still concerned at the additional stress and strain truck drivers face when travelling on poor sections of road, particularly if they’re faced with approaching cars suddenly crossing the centreline to avoid potholes. Transport Minister Simeon Brown has repeatedly declared his intention to fill New Zealand’s potholes and rethink pavement rehabilitation. This is encouraging but the government will need to turn thoughts into action and do that quickly. National published an ambitious longterm plan for roading pre-election, and we will be doing all we can to keep the pressure on to ensure these promises become a reality. This year needs to be one that focuses on problems and effective change.
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128 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
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HAMMAR 110:
+Fast –new SledgeLeg™ technology, 50% faster +Narrow – SledgeLeg™ use for confined spaces +Light –from 8.4-tonne tare +Safe –optimal crane geometry +Reach – long outreach cranes +Weighing – by each crane or total
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THE LAST MILE
Has an era of COMMON SENSE arrived?
W
ith 2023 now behind us and the coalition government’s legs planted under the table, we now wait to see if all the pre-election promises come to fruition. Already, we have seen that this government is not afraid to move at pace to deliver what it said it would. But the question is, ‘Can it keep up with the pace it has set?’ Whether by coincidence – or perhaps they are shell-shocked – I have noticed a change in attitude, for the better, from several government departments and agencies I deal with occasionally. There appears to be an outbreak of common sense. Let’s hope this continues. I fear, though, that it’s just a sign that the bureaucracy has yet to regroup and reorganise to meet the challenges of adapting to a new administration – but regroup they will. Wouldn’t it be nice if the way in which the repairs to SH25A were handled became the norm? Completing a project like this under budget and under time is something we are not used to, but it
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proves that if there is a will to do something, then it can be done; one would have to be cynical to suggest that the pending election in 2023 had anything to do with it. One thing that has not changed with the new administration is the number of groups seeking government (our) money to support what they do. I am sure that each of these groups is sincere in what it wants to do and who for but, unfortunately, except for taxing the ‘rich pricks’, each appears devoid of ideas about where the money will come from. The decision to axe the planned Cook Strait ferry revamp caused more than a few adverse comments. I am all in favour of getting new ferries, but why do they have to be so big? At 50,000 tonnes, they were the size of some aircraft carriers. I wouldn’t like to be on board one if control were lost navigating the Tory Channel. I cannot understand why you would want to build something that would not fit the existing facilities, and why only two? The answer is to build two new passenger ships with roll-on roll-off capability that fit the current terminals and get one dedicated to rail. Also, isn’t it about time that discussion was opened up again about reinstating a daily Wellington-to-Lyttelton service? The scrapping of the Let’s Get Wellington Moving Project comes as no surprise, and I am heartened by the intention to put a second tunnel through Mount Victoria and to fix the shemozzle around the Basin Reserve. But, of course, there are already two tunnels through this pile of dirt. In 1907, a tunnel was driven through to accommodate trams, now buses. It is still in daily use. Why somebody has not devised a plan to use this better beats me. Also, if you can get hold of a copy of Don Neely and Joseph Romanos’ book, The Basin, published in 2003, have a look inside the back cover. There is a drawing given to the Wellington City Council in 1907 that proposed lifting the playing surface of the Basin by 10 feet, providing for shops and other amenities underneath and a tunnel for trams to connect both sides of the Basin. Minus the shops, this concept of lifting the playing surface and putting a traffic tunnel underneath is being discussed again. Finally, with the reorganisation of Te Pukenga looming, it is time for the industry to decide if it wants an equivalent organisation to an ITO or if it is comfortable with another organisation looking after its training needs. We have had our own ITO once, and while we gave it good verbal support, the industry was sadly lacking when it came to the practical side. A hope I have for 2024 is that the industry organisations will organise themselves again under a single united umbrella and speak with one force for all the industry. After all, if David Seymour and Winston Peters can do it, surely, they should be able to. Or do David and Winston just have common sense? The Accidental Trucker
130 New Zealand Trucking February December2024 2023 – January 2024
MADE FOR NEW ZEALAND
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