BIG KAITOA IS EFFICIENT LOG TOWER

Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

Plenty of power is the answer to getting logs out of the bush, and our Little Trucker Down Under Top Truck for Autumn 2023 certainly does not disappoint.

The big Scania V8 engine is popular with many drivers and operators across all areas of the transport industry, and this R730 that is driven by Steve Miles of Mamaku near Rotorua is no exception.

When Steve was ordering the new Scania for his employer Kaitoa Logging Ltd of Whakatane, he was looking for a truck that would have plenty of comfort on the rough bush roads, as well as ample amounts of horsepower and torque to get out of skid sites with a heavy load of logs on board, especially in the mud on rainy days.

So to tick the box on big horsepower and plenty of torque, Steve specified the Scania with the DC16 Euro-6 V8, this one delivering 730hp and 3500Nm of torque. Behind this is the 12-speed Opticruise automatic transmission, complete with 4100D retarder to assist with slowing the big Scania down on steep hills. Jumping into the cab you will find big comfy leather Scania V8 seats, as well as overnight air conditioning, microwave oven and fridge making trips away a breeze.

Fitted to the chassis of the Scania to hold the logs in place there is Evans logging equipment and matching Evans 5-axle trailer, and when the sun goes down the entire combination is lit up with an impressive package of quality Hella LED marker lights.

Talking to Steve, we asked him, how did you get into trucks?

“Well, my Dad was a truckie and he would take me for rides on the

getthe logs to theLum

CaLumber Mill Start

weekends and school holidays so that got me hooked for sure,” he says.

“But it was funny at school though, my teachers would tell me off for looking out the windows instead of doing my school work! They would say things like ‘you will never get paid to look out a window’.

“Well, all I can say is, they got that one wrong! I get paid very well thanks for doing just that every day, looking out the window of my big Scania and loving every minute of it.”

There are more than 2000 trucks in New Zealand's log and forest industry.

‘Miles Ahead’– can definitely see for miles at night with its array of big ‘Hella’ spotties