New Zealand Trucking April 2020

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CONTENTS

EDITOR

Dave McCoid ASSISTANT EDITOR

Gavin Myers

Ph: 027 492 5601 Email: editor@nztrucking.co.nz Ph: 027 660 6608 Email: gavin@nztrucking.com

For all advertising enquiries for NZ Trucking magazine and Truck Trader contact: Matt Smith

Ph: 021 510 701 Email: matt@nztrucking.co.nz

Pav Warren

Ph: 027 201 4001 Email: pav@nztrucking.co.nz

SUB EDITOR

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER

Faye Lougher Craig Andrews Carl Kirkbeck Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Jacqui Madelin Niels Jansen (Europe) Howard Shanks (Australia) Will Shiers (UK) Paul O’Callaghan PRODUCTION MANAGER

Georgi George

Long Haul Publications Ltd OFFICE

Long Haul Publications Ltd PO Box 35 Thames 3500

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511 Queen St Thames 3500

Ricky Harris ART DIRECTOR

John Berkley DIGITAL IMAGING

Willie Coyle

the rest

DIGITAL MANAGER/CONTENT

Louise Stowell

New Zealand Trucking magazine is published by Long Haul Publishing Ltd. The contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the consent of the editor. Unsolicited editorial material may be submitted, but should include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. While every care is taken, no responsibility is accepted for material submitted. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of New Zealand Trucking or Long Haul Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

06

Editorial

64

08

Road Noise – Industry news

Safe, comfy, clean, frugal – new Volvos

68

22

Letter to the editor

International Truck Stop – CCVS

48

Just Truckin’ Around

72

New Rigs

74

50

Top Truck – Out of the blue

New Bodies and Trailers

76

Mini Big Rigs

52

Shock drive – eCanter is out

78

Little Truckers’ Club

This magazine is subject to the New Zealand Press Council.

Complaints are to be first directed to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz with “Press Council Complaint” in the subject line.

If unsatisfied, the complaint may be referred to the Press Council, PO Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or by email at info@presscouncil.org.nz Further details and online complaints at www.presscouncil.org.nz

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92

RTF Conference 2019 – Peter Mersi

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NZ Trucking Association

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Road Transport Forum

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The Last Mile

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EDITORIAL

A month like no other

I

t goes without saying there’s only one story in town, the country, or on the planet this month. The difference in worlds between the one in which I wrote last month’s editorial, and the one I write this month’s in, is simply unfathomable. A stark reminder of the tenuous base on which our civilisation rests.

It’s impossible to pass comment on the decisions of individuals attempting to guide a nation at this point in time. Like us, they too are faced with events unfolding at a breakneck pace for which there is no point of reference in text, and no real experts to draw on. Yes, they put themselves in places of high office, but we must remember, they are human, they have families too, and they’re probably as anxious as the next person. What’s more I doubt they’ve bought all the toilet paper or trampled a child in their local supermarket. We’re all writing the reference manuals on this one as we go. No doubt in the wake of Covid-19, somewhere in a more certain future, there will be exhaustive analysis, albeit cloaked in the wisdom of hindsight.

There’s a fundamental difference between the Covid-19 crisis and the GFC that I haven’t heard verbalised, or seen written as yet. Yes, from an economic perspective the cause and effect comparison is of use, but one’s a crisis of greed and the other a crisis of vulnerability, and that has to be clearly understood.

The level and seriousness of strategies required to counter their respective causes are poles apart. I was heavily involved some years back with several cancer fundraisers and learned the true meaning of the word merciless. When a sometimes compassionate and largely social creature attempts to wage war with the embodiment of Mother Nature at her most intolerant, cruel, and cleansing, there’s little room for deviation from a clear set of rules we know hold the key to hope. Rules we’ve learned as the result of failure on a horrifying scale. Yet our attempts to preserve an artificial and privileged existence may still be its ultimate weapon.

Coming away from the business end of the microscope for a moment, it’s ironic that the demographic we need most is now

adapted masthead.indd 1

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New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

8/02/2012 11:02:47 a.m.

the hardest to get to. Our rest homes, pensioner villages, and in many cases quieter more peaceful homes, contain the wisdom that younger generations need so much in times like this. The elderly have coped with hardship many times in their lives and they know the sun will continue to rise and set, and calmness, self-discipline, and community is the trick.

From an economic contribution perspective, it is again our industry’s time to shine, demonstrating without challenge the importance of the truck to the economy. As the levels of isolation increase, our industry’s people are expected to maintain critical supply lines, putting themselves and therefore their families at increased risk. Looking beyond the needs of self in order to serve the needs of many is what truckers do and have always done.

We’ll be wherever you are

In terms of the magazine, this month you’ll see there’s no What’s On section, the reason needs no explaining. On a positive note we’ve brought our introduction of wonderful AR technology forward a month so you can enjoy more digital content via the NZ Trucking AR app, downloadable for both iPhone and Android. We’re also launching our Keep On Moving podcast in the next week or so, supplementing our already extensive digital offerings, keeping you up to date, and providing entertaining content at a time where light distraction is as important as the confinement we’re all soon to find ourselves in.

We at New Zealand Trucking magazine and media wish you all well, and ask you all take great care.

Dave McCoid Editor

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

$12.1 billion for Covid-19 relief

T

he government has initiated a $12.1 billion package to support New Zealanders and their jobs from the global impact of Covid-19.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the global economic impact of Covid-19 on New Zealand’s economy was going to be significant, so the government had acted immediately to soften that impact.

The $12.1 billion package includes: initial $500 million boost for health; $5.1 billion in wage subsidies for affected businesses in all sectors and regions; $126 million in Covid-19 leave and self-isolation support; $2.8 billion income support package for our most vulnerable, including a permanent $25 per week benefit increase and a doubling of the Winter Energy Payment for 2020; $100 million redeployment package; $2.8 billion in business tax changes to free up cashflow, including a provisional tax threshold

lift, the reinstatement of building depreciation and writing off interest on the late payment of tax; and $600 million initial aviation support package.

“We don’t yet know what the full impact on New Zealand’s economy will be, however we do know it will cost us jobs and have a significant impact on business. We are moving quickly to help people stay in work and reduce the blow for business,” Robertson says.

“I want to make it clear that this is not a one-off package, it is just the beginning. As we go through this crisis towards economic recovery the Government will be constantly monitoring the situation and adjusting its response. As with every action we have taken we will be constantly reviewing every measure to ensure it is getting to the people and businesses that need it the most,” Robertson says.

Record transport investment in Draft GPS 2021

T

ransport Minister Phil Twyford has released the Draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) 2021 on land transport, which sets out a record $54 billion investment in transport over the next decade.

The GPS 2021 covers the period 2021/22 to 2030/31 and is the government’s guide to the NZ Transport Agency for the allocation of more than $4.5 billion a year raised through the National Land Transport Fund towards roads, rail, walking and cycling infrastructure, coastal shipping and public transport.

The draft GPS 2021 outlines four strategic priorities for land transport: safety; better transport options; improving freight connections, and climate change. It supports investments being made through other government investment programmes, such the New Zealand Upgrade Programme and the Provincial Growth Fund.

“The Draft GPS 2021 signals that we will make a record investment in transport of $48 billion on top of our $6.8 billion from the NZ Upgrade Programme, which will help give the transport construction industry certainty during the current global economic headwinds,” said Twyford.

The minister notes there is no proposal to raise petrol tax and that safety remains the government’s top priority. In the first three years, Road to Zero will invest nearly $3 billion in safety infrastructure like median barriers, safety campaigns, and road policing. The regions will get an extra $1.2 billion in road upgrades through Road to Zero in the first three years.

“We’re planning to invest $10 billion in our strategy to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on the road

8

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

by 40%,” said Twyford.

The GPS aims to tackle climate change through ‘unprecedented investments in public transport and walking and cycling improvement’. “Compared with the previous government, public transport investment is up 163% and walking and cycling is up 227%,” Twyford said.

GPS 2021 will also fund rail and coastal shipping to help take pressure off roads and reduce emissions. “Building alternative transport options for people and freight is a vital part of achieving the Government’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.”

The Government is now seeking feedback from local government, the transport sector, community groups and the wider public on the draft GPS 2021. To read the draft GPS 2021 and give your feedback go to: http://www.transport.govt. nz/gps. Engagement on the draft GPS closes 27 April 2020 and the Draft Rail Plan will become final when this GPS is finalised in the second half of 2020.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

New director for Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia and New Zealand

A

ndrew Assimo has been appointed director for Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific.

Daimler Truck and Bus president and CEO Daniel Whitehead said Assimo was the best person for the role, which covers the Australian and New Zealand markets.

“Andrew has played a key role in establishing Mercedes-Benz as the premier heavy-duty cabover brand for smart business operators in Australia and we are confident he can guide the brand to even greater success,” Whitehead said.

“He has a close relationship with our Mercedes-Benz customers, having helped them improve their

businesses during the past few years, and we know they will be pleased with this appointment.”

Whitehead said Assimo takes over the role at an exciting time for the brand.

“Mercedes-Benz has the best cabover truck in the market and is about to move further ahead with an even smarter Actros featuring MirrorCam and a host of other upgrades that its rivals simply can’t match,” Whitehead said.

Assimo joined Daimler Truck and Bus in 2007 as a Mercedes-Benz heavy vehicle product engineer and was promoted to senior manager in 2015, overseeing sales, production, operations and marketing.

Andrew Assimo has been appointed director for Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia Pacific.

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This is Japan’s most advanced truck.

The new FUSO Shogun sets new standards in efficiency, comfort and safety.

— Efficiency The new 10.7 litre engine is available with 400 or 460 horsepower and, coupled with the new 12-speed ShiftPilot transmission, gives effortless power that is tailor-made for New Zealand conditions. The OM470 engine is more efficient, giving less fuel consumption and extended oil change intervals.

— Comfort The new Daimler-inspired seat has an integrated seatbelt and improved ergonomic cushioning. Add to this easy-to-use steering wheel switches and a new Silent Cabin Package and you get unprecedented levels of driver comfort.

— Safety Shogun’s new advanced safety features are based on world-class Daimler technology and take trucking safety to a new level. Shogun is fitted with Active Attention Assist - a driver monitoring system using an infrared camera which monitors the driver’s face and eye closure. It also features Active Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Adaptive Cruise Control.

— New 7” Touchscreen and Reversing Camera Featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for safe, hands-free communication and navigation via smartphone.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS New vice president sales Mack Trucks Australia, New Zealand and Oceania

V

olvo Group Australia has appointed Gary Bone as vice president sales Mack Trucks Australia, New Zealand and Oceania markets.

Previously the CEO of Chesterfield Australia, Bone will succeed Dean Bestwick as the head of one of the most iconic brands in the Australian transport industry. Bestwick has gained an internal promotion and commenced his new role as regional vice president Northeast Region for Mack Trucks in North America in April.

Bone will be returning to a company and brand he knows well, having spent 16 years from 1997 with Mack Trucks and Volvo Group Australia. He worked in multiple positions in the group, including two years in the USA for Mack, before assuming the position of senior vice president Mack Trucks Australia from 2005 to 2008.

Bone’s last position with Volvo Group Australia was as vice president Volvo Trucks Australia, from 2009 to 2013. In this time, he was responsible for sales and brand management for the brand in the Oceania region in a time in which a new range of models was introduced to the market. His tenure was an incredibly successful one, with growth in market share, customer satisfaction and employee satisfaction recorded throughout.

Gary Bone joins Volvo Group Australia as vice president sales Mack Trucks Australia, New Zealand and Oceania markets.

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Eight new N-Series models join the local Isuzu line-up.

Isuzu enhances NMR range

I

suzu New Zealand has released details of eight new N-Series models, offering many new features and benefits to customers.

The NMR range builds on the already very popular N-Series models, which made up 7% of Isuzu Truck sales in 2019, when the brand claimed its 20th consecutive year as the country’s leading supplier of new trucks.

A new addition to the NMR range, one that will have particular appeal for small contractors such as landscape gardeners, is a Shinmaywa three-way tipper, as well as conventional tipper bodies.

The trucks are also becoming more car-like, featuring Electronic Vehicle Stability Control, cruise-control, programmable speed limiter, disc-brakes on all four wheels, and a choice of either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed AMT transmission with torque convertor.

All AMT transmission models enjoy the benefit of a transmission ‘kick-down’ switch, to ensure the truck can drop a gear on demand, while the torque converter has the function to multiply torque output from the engine.

This delivers increased torque to the rear wheels, which results in more responsive faster acceleration from low engine speeds, meaning overall improved performance.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS Left: Imagine a reverse warning buzzer, just a lot more serious.

Below left: In-cab control module.

Right: Marc McPherson, SGESCO-MAX’s head of engineering and research & development, says an audible alarm draws attention to a vehicle, in turn helping to change driver behaviour.

Putting the brakes on rollaways

A

leading-edge safety system designed to prevent truck rollaways is now being trialled by Higgins in Palmerston North.

Designed by Australian company SGESCOMAX, the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System provides insurance against driver oversight, as an active safety solution in the event of a driver neglecting to fully apply the park brake before exiting their vehicle.

If the vehicle’s park brake is not fully activated and the vehicle’s door is opened, the system emits an intermittent audible alarm to warn the driver and bystanders of a potential rollaway situation. If the driver ignores this warning and exits the vehicle, the audible alarm turns from intermittent to constant and the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System activates the vehicle’s park brake.

The audible alarm was designed to be louder and harsher than a standard reversing beep to ensure it was noticed and made people turn to see what was happening.

Engineers from the NZ Transport Agency’s vehicle standards and guidelines division following the trial are currently looking at all safety options and applications of the system.

AutoKraft Electrical and Diesel in Palmerston North is an authorised distributor for the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System. AED’s director, Gary Puklowski, says he saw a real need for this technology in New Zealand and that the system could be fitted on new trucks during the chassis build or retrofitted to older trucks.

SGESCO-MAX’s head of engineering and research & development Marc McPherson says that there have been numerous deaths in Australia due to trucks rolling away after not having the park brake applied. This led SGESCO-MAX to design the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System, which has now been in use in Australia for more than 18 years.

Marc says if a truck begins rolling away, drivers are instinctively more likely to do everything they can to get away from the truck than get back in and apply the park brake.

“Investigations have highlighted that in a majority of vehicle

14

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

rollaway incidents, the park brake had not been applied prior to the operator exiting the vehicle. SGESCO-MAX developed an active system that will first alert the driver and those around the vehicle, and then apply the park brake if the driver exits the vehicle without first applying the park brake.”

He says history has shown that the audible alarm sounding does draw attention to the vehicle, and this in turn helps to change driver behaviour, allowing them to learn from their mistake and avoid it happening again.

In Australia the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System has mainly been installed on vehicles in the waste industry, but Marc says it is a great safety device for any vehicles working in any industry, as the impact of vehicle rollaway at any time can be fatal. He’s hoping insurance companies will view it the same way they view anti-theft alarms and consider reduced premiums for vehicles that have the MAX-SAFE AntiRollaway Brake System fitted.

The system has an interactive control screen inside the vehicle cab, enabling user-friendly driver interaction with the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System and simple realtime system status display.

Marc says, that the next generation of the system will integrate with the vehicle’s telematics system, providing measurable and verifiable data for analysis.

“We see this as an exciting progression of the product, helping individuals and organisations in OH&S compliance.”

While the system is not designed to replace a traditional park brake, which remains the responsibility of the driver to ensure the vehicle is secure before exiting, Marc says it does provide insurance against driver oversight.

“We see it primarily as an educational system with active capability – one that reminds drivers to put their park brake on before they undo their seat belt, open the door and exit the vehicle.”

Available for both pneumatic and mechanical/cardan shaft park brake equipped vehicles, the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System is perfect for commercial vehicles of all kinds.

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J

ost New Zealand has expanded its range of Rockinger products with the new Rockinger 50mm Automatic Towing Coupling as well as a selection of associated components to make coupling trailers more efficient and convenient.

The new unit features a 285kN D Value, a strong one-piece handle and 160x100mm bolt pattern. The rotatable pin allows for consistent wear and the reinforced funnel adds extra durability. With a sealed head unit dust ingress is minimised, further extending durability.

The coupling offers mechanical or pneumatic remote controls – the mechanical enabling operation with towing hitches that are difficult to access, and the pneumatic option aiding convenience by powering the opening and closing of the coupling.

There is also enhanced sensor

technology to be had. This includes a coupling and jackknife sensor option.

Teamed with an in-cab status indicator, the drawbar turn angle warning system inspects the locking position of the coupling and sensor connections and shows them on the display in the cab. The drawbar turn angle warning system protects the vehicle and drawbar against damage, as well as rear-mounted equipment such as tail lift cylinders.

Finally, the Rockinger 50mm Automatic Towing Coupling can be upgraded with the LubeTronic automatic lubrication kit.

LubeTronic saves time-consuming, manual lubrication of the coupling that has to be done during maintenance work. The cartridge is filled with special oil and an ideal supplement for the lubrication filling of the coupling. It has a product life of up to two years, depending on the model.

The Rockinger 50mm Automatic Tow Coupling.

Pneumatic remote control aids convenience.

TM

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

15

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Small but powerful, EROAD Where changes the game for asset monitoring.

Keeping track of your assets’ whereabouts

E

ROAD has launched its latest innovation in asset monitoring, EROAD Where. Developed in-house at EROAD’s Auckland facility, EROAD Where is a response to customers’ needs for managing and keeping track of movable assets.

However, it is not a traditional tracking device.

Genevieve Tearle, general manager EROAD Where, explains that EROAD Where takes advantage of EROAD’s unique mesh network. This network is made up of the thousands of EHUBO Gen 2 units fitted to vehicles traveling around New Zealand every day, as well

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New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

as the EROAD Where App on mobile phones. EROAD Where uses its lowenergy Bluetooth receiver to hop onto this mesh network when a connected device is near, making its movements known.

There is no cellular network transmitter as IS fitted to traditional tracking devices, meaning costs are kept low and batteries last longer. An EROAD Where tag costs $30 up front and $5 per month, while its battery will last more than five years at one ping per second.

Its small size (81mm long, 37mm wide and 29mm tall) means it can be

discreetly hidden on most assets and the actual workings of the unit float in a bed of silicone inside the casing. “It’s designed for operating temperatures between -30 and +85°C, while it is IP 68 rated, meaning its protected from dust and long-term immersion in water – up to 2m for one hour,” Tearle says.

It features no visible branding, meaning it can be discreetly and anonymously installed; there is only a unique QR code that allows the device to be scanned into the system using the EROAD Where mobile app.

Tearle explains the EROAD Where device can be fitted to anything from trailers to chainsaws and portaloos. “We worked with our customers when we developed EROAD Where and they all told us the same thing: we want clear visibility of all our assets, on one screen.”

As such, the EROAD Where interface is available on desktop or ®mobile The Truckmate range and platformscustomised and allows customers seemeet productstowill all assets all either in a table or on a map your spray suppression, load view. Thesafety asset overview function gives and compliance needs. a summary of information such as asset For battery all yourstatus. product enquiries location and Items can and local distributor information be geofenced for even more control over contact our sales team: their movements.

“Among the benefits business, Phone: +61 2to9725 2777 EROAD Where allows the user to locate lost assets; manage billing and proof of service, and gives flexible and automated reporting, replacing spreadsheets,” Tearle concludes.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

SCHWING pumping along perfectly

N

ow almost six months into its working life, the SCHWING S 28 X Truck-Mounted Concrete Pump on a MAN TGM 26.340 6x4 for Kevin Bartlett of KB Concrete Services, is pumping along at a rate of knots.

Bartlett took delivery of his unit in November 2019 (see New Zealand Trucking Dec 2019/Jan 2020) and put it straight to work in the Palmerston North area. A key feature of the S 28 X is the low unfolding height of its placing boom (5.85m) which, combined with the low height of the MAN TGM, makes working inside constrained environments and under power lines a lot easier.

“I’ve done three or four jobs of inside work with it so far, and it works perfectly for that,” says Bartlett. “I had it inside a building just the other day and the low working height was outstanding.”

Bartlett has also praised the unit’s compact footprint, which allows him to set up close to the pour on tight job sites. “It has smaller dimensions than my last one, which is good, as footprint can be critical. The smaller size means it can do the smaller, tricky jobs more easily. You’ve got to have one of these machines in your toolbox.”

The NZTA has approved the S 28 X model for general road access, which further enhances its versatility and utilisation.

The 270° Double Z-fold between boom stages 2 and 3, and 3 and 4, enable the boom to place concrete from full stretch back to the truck without having to be reconfigured. This is aided

Low height and compact footprint mean the S 28 X can be conveniently positioned.

by the twin circuit pump kit with Big Rock Concrete Pump, which provides smooth concrete delivery with minimal boom bounce, and enables long line pumping jobs using a variety of stiff concrete mixes.

Bartlett says that the unit is living up to expectations. “It does everything right; I can’t fault it. It’s performing exactly how they said it would. It’s a very versatile unit.”

While it’s still early days for Bartlett’s unit, the support he’s received from SCHWING Australia so far has been fantastic. “They’ve gone above and beyond,” he says.

“SCHWING’s reputation for reliability and efficiency, proven through thousands of machines built over 85

270° Double Z-Fold boom is aided by a twin circuit pump kit.

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April 2020

years and in service worldwide, gives New Zealanders confidence that our equipment is rock solid,” says Damien McTernan, general manager sales and marketing SCHWING Australia. “As the authorised New Zealand distributor, we’ve worked hard to deliver a range of machines with New Zealand road access and Kevin’s confidence in us to deliver New Zealand’s first new SCHWING S 28 X means a lot and makes him a real leader in the market.”

McTernan says they have new SCHWING S 28 X, S 43 SX III and S 47 SX III Truck-Mounted Concrete Pumps in stock and available now.

WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ ROADNOISE NEWS – Light Commercials

PGF investment in green hydrogen

T

he Government is investing $19.9 million through the Provincial Growth Fund in a gamechanging hydrogen energy facility in South Taranaki.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said the development of alternative energy initiatives like this was vital for the Taranaki region’s economy.

The joint venture between Ballance Agri-Nutrients Limited and Hiringa Energy Limited will see the production of green hydrogen from renewable electricity and water at a facility in Kapuni, South Taranaki. The green hydrogen produced will then be

used to power the Ballance Agri-Nutrients’ Kapuni plant.

This investment comes from a $40 million commitment from the PGF to support renewable energy projects. Through this the PGF has funded four hydrogen projects in Taranaki that lay the groundwork for a clean energy future for the region.

Another $3.16 million has been announced to fund two wind turbines on Stewart Island.

Peters said in the future, green hydrogen produced by these sorts of projects could fuel New Zealand’s heavy transport industry.

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New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

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eCanter finds 150 homes globally

M

itsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has announced that the delivery of the all-electric eCanter has reached more than 150 units globally.

Since launching the eCanter as the first all-electric LDT in series production in October 2017, MFTBC achieved the initial sales target of 150 units in about two years since the first delivery to the customer. In Japan, 53 units have been delivered in the Kanto, Tokai and Hokuriku regions, while a total of 101 units are already in operation in Europe and the US. Until now, the eCanter has been driven more than 1.6 million kilometres in total worldwide.

Driven by an electric motor, the emission-free eCanter has been highly evaluated by both Japanese and international customers as a solution to environmental problems in cities, such as noise, exhaust gas or carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Compared with conventional diesel-powered vehicles, the eCanter produces less noise and vibration, thereby easing the physical and mental burden on drivers and improving their working conditions.

Turn to page 52 to read our driving impressions of the eCanter.

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Mazda turns 100

Mazda originated 100 years ago as a cork producer, but didn’t take long to move into vehicle production. Early on the fledgling company realised that delivery vehicles were vital to any economy, and its first came in 1931 – the Mazda-Go (pictured), a 3-wheeled truck or auto rickshaw. The first of its 4-wheel trucks arrived in 1958, with the D1100, or Mazda Romper, which used an 1105cc 2-cylinder engine under the seat.

The first B-series pickup launched in

1961, and bar a brief foray into rotary utes – from 1974 to 1977 – development segued smoothly into the first Courier, in 1972, the year the company arrived in New Zealand.

Now the company holds 5% of the ute market here, with 2325 sold in 2019, though that figure is likely to grow with Holden’s Colorado bowing out.

Fuel direct with FILL A new fuel delivery service targeted primarily at companies with large vehicle fleets has launched in Christchurch to deliver fuel direct to a vehicle. The sameday service delivers fixed-rate fuel via an app. Customers download it, make a booking, and leave the fuel cap popped at a specific time of day. The service delivers diesel or 91 petrol, with the aim of minimising lost productivity, cutting fuel theft, and maximising equipment use.

Chief executive Nick Witteman says it’s hoped to roll the FILL service into other parts of New Zealand.

RAM Express for Oz RAM Trucks Australia recorded a 296.7% increase in sales in 2019, to 2868, and is celebrating with the introduction of the 1500 Express Crew V8 Hemi.

A short step above the entrylevel RAM, this one gets more space and spec. At a whisker under $90,000, it can also be optioned with lockable storage units in the tray, a sports hood and limitededition colours, but the real attraction is under the bonnet, with the 5.7-litre V8 Hemi boasting 556Nm and a maximum towing weight of 4.5 tonnes.

Metro briefs Renault NZ has confirmed its mid-size Oroch dual-cab ute will go on sale here this year. Built in Brazil and based on Renault’s Duster SUV, it’s smaller than the Nissan Navara-based Renault Alaska, with a payload of 650kg and a bed 1175mm wide and 1350mm long, with a capacity of 683 litres. The Oroch is powered by a 1.6- or 2.0-litre petrol engine with manual or auto transmission.

The Netherlands has cut its open-road speed limit from 130kph to 100kph between 6am and 7pm, not with safety in mind, but to reduce harmful vehicle emissions.

The first electric mining dump truck in New Zealand is at work at Blackhead Quarries, Dunedin. The truck takes rock down a 1.7km hill, piles it near the road and returns empty, burning power on the uphill, and regenerating downhill. Auckland-based Landex Etrucks director Ross Linton says: “It’s not quite perpetual motion, but a great result so far.” It will be interesting to see if electric delivery vans get a similar result in hilly locations.

VW’s Caddy will see changes next year, with a longer wheelbase, larger wheels and a more sloping roof. More driver assistance systems are likely, including greater internet connectivity.

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April 2020

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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HARTE MAN

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Dear Editor After reading the Dec-Jan edition of the magazine and the article regarding ‘Mack the Hopeful Black Dog’, I just wanted to say thanks for the hard work, generosity and commitment by the individuals and companies in doing this project. It is truly humbling and shows just what Kiwis can achieve when help is needed.

I also give the same respect to Josh Hart and his publicity for anti-bullying (gotta love those pink trucks).

The fact these trucks are working trucks and not just show ponies adds to the strength of the message.

I’m not sure if I’m overreacting and would be interested in other readers’ opinions on the segment that was done

by TV3’s The Project where the reporter (doesn’t have a truck licence?) just got in the truck and drove it on a racetrack (not at speed or anything stupid). To me this gave Joe Public the impression that anyone can jump in a truck and drive it. I felt this was disrespectful to the majority of our drivers and detracts from not just the legal requirements to become a good professional truck driver but the time, effort and commitment put in by the majority of our truck drivers.

Kind regards, Les Allison Thames

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MAIN TEST

Feeding

LIONS

Getting the ‘right people on the bus’, as business guru Jim Collins put it, is everything. The Moving Company’s choice of truck – and driver for that matter – for their fast-turn container operations is proving they’ve certainly got the right MAN for the job.

Story by Dave McCoid Photos and video by Gavin Myers, Carl Kirkbeck and Dave McCoid

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H

ollywood will have you believe that a special ops soldier should be tall, square-jawed, and look ‘built’, a.k.a. Schwarzenegger or Stallone. Talk to a military specialist however, and they’ll likely roll their eyes.

When it comes to elite roles like the SAS, they tend to keep an eye out for the smaller framed sinewy types, with strength disproportionate to their size, stamina to burn, and not a lot of mass to keep alive when food is short and the canteen is dusty on the inside. We all know the type, the ones still chucking ‘idiot bricks’ five high on the hay trailer when the local rugby club tight-head prop is asleep in the corner of the hay barn after complaining of a sore back.

Meet Richard Seeley, a 57-year-old trucker who has done – wait for it – 41 years on furniture. Richard is one of ‘those’ guys. Small in stature, wiry, with no off-switch … oh, and a thorough gentleman to boot.

Now meet his truck, the four-month-old MAN 26.440 TGS

6x4 tractor with a 5-axle TMC skeletal B-train that he drives for The Moving Company. And don’t be mistaken, this unit is no golden triangle container relocator, this is the real deal!

That striking yellow MAN you saw in Auckland on Monday, and then again in Invercargill on Thursday? It’s the same one buddy, there ain’t two!

…and there’s not just one…

Well, there is, but there’s not. The Moving Company has some furniture moving and storage siblings in NZ Van Lines, New Zealand Movers, and Ausmove. NZ Van Lines is surely one of the country’s more iconic trucking liveries, and they have a sister combination to Richard’s, with a year’s service under its wheels and driven by Glenn Herlihy. Both units are identical in spec, configuration, and work profile.

“You’ve struck it lucky,” said group logistics manager Peter Cochrane. “They never run together, but right on the days

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Richard Storms up the Taihape deviation on the first day of our outing.

you’ll be with them they’re on the same ferry and will be in synch for a couple of days. You’ll be able to get pics of the two together.” (Thanks Murph)

First impressions

We met Richard on the side of the road in Waiouru. Having teed the test up with the incredibly obliging Peter, we had a suspicion it was going to be a great couple of days. Thirty seconds after meeting Richard we were in absolutely no doubt.

Neil Powell in Graham Redington’s T659 Kenworth was parked alongside the MAN having his half-hour break. He jumped out to see what was going on, and to put it bluntly, if

someone had arrived at that point with five deck chairs, a sun brolly, and a chilly full of coldies, we’d have likely still been there, such was the convivial scene. But there was work to be done and an MAN to have a closer look at, so off we all went.

There’s no questioning the effectiveness of striking presentation. The truth is, 99% of us are still primal critters first and looks count; we’re drawn to nice, non-threatening things. In that context The Moving Company has done a firstrate job. The MAN’s bright yellow livery with the nation’s flag flying proudly on the flanks and air-kit looks fantastic, and the cursive script that’s used for the company name looks friendly and inviting. The MAN is a head-turner, and of course if you

Inset: Peter Cochrane, group logistics manager at The Moving Company oozes the company culture of friendly ‘doers’

Turn and burn! Richard’s stay in the big smoke can be as short as an hour and a bit!

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The striking yellow MAN descending the Piriaka Saddle.

approached the chap repping the brand behind the wheel, you’d happily chuck your beloved piano or Ming coffee mugs in the back and wave goodbye.

valves per cylinder and common rail injection, turbo and intercooling obviously, and electronic regulation. The emissions standard is achieved via SCR. Power peak as we said is 328kW (440hp) and that occurs between 1600 and 1900rpm, while torque peaks at 2100Nm Furniture … 21st century style (1550lb/ft) from 1000 to 1400rpm. Again, it’s a typical profile “They’re bloody hard to keep up with sometimes,” said for a motor of this genre, with the peaks not quite meeting, Peter. “They just cover the work so quickly. It seems they’ve although power is just a Lion’s whisker barely left for the other end of the (10kW) off its top number at peak country and all of a sudden Richard or torque.

Glenn are hovering around again. It’s Behind the engine is MAN’s a new challenge for the schedulers in 12-speed TipMatic – which as Wellington keeping the MANs fed. They we know is an MAN-finessed ZF have to think well ahead.”

AS-Tronic – with electropneumatic What Peter’s describing is the fast-turn shifting and clutch, meaning she’s a furniture operation the two companies two-pedal jobbie. operate with the MANs. In the 21st The front axle is MAN’s VOK-07 century it’s not just international furniture dropped front axle (there are high that moves around in specialist 20-foot ground clearance options) at 7.5 tonne high cube containers, domestic does as rating, riding on parabolic leaf springs well. While there’s still a good number and shock absorbers with a stabiliser. of traditional style big-bodied furniture In the rear, MAN HYD-1370/1350 trucks in the greater fleet, furniture hypoid axles at 3.08:1 with diff lock moving today is ever more modular. and rated at 23 tonne ride on MAN House lots can be packed into furniture 8-bag ECAS (Electronically Controlled containers, sealed, and then taken to Air Suspension), again with stabilisers. wherever they need to go – three house Braking is disc on the tractor (drum lots at a time with the wonders of HPMV. on the trailers), with EBS/ABS, ESC, The MANs and TMC B-trains were ASR. built especially for the linehaul legs of In terms of auxiliary braking the ‘modulisation’, able to take three 20-foot 440hp, 2020 style. The 10.5-litre D20 motor. truck sports the proprietary EVBec containers, or one 20 and a 40. The (exhaust Valve Brake electronically controlled). That’s MAN’s average payload on Richard’s unit is about 20 to 22 tonne snazzy impetus inhibitor with the exhaust flap upstream of the including the box, giving him an all-up of about 35,840 to turbo, directing a proportion of released gas to the turbo veins, 36,840kg. With its 328kW (440hp) engine, that gives the increasing speed, therefore induction, therefore back pressure…

MAN a power to weight ratio of 8.8kW/tonne (11.8hp/tonne), therefore braking. which is line-ball with a 448kW (600hp) truck at 50MAX. All in all it’s a contemporary spec for a modern truck that will likely be here for another year or more.

MANatomy Trailer wise, the B-train hails from that Hall of Fame bastion Under the MAN’s bright cab is the company 10.5-litre of Kiwi innovation, Christchurch’s own TMC. A 5-axle D2066LF40 Euro 5 motor. It’s a 6-cylinder engine with four

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The world’s nicest tough guy!

Born in Waimate, Richard was raised and schooled in Dunedin for the most part, and although Dad was painter and decorator, his Mum said he was a truck driver from birth.

“The family lived up north in Motueka for a spell when I was very young. The local transport yard was just over the fence and Mum said if she put me on the porch in a chair with a blanket over me I was right as rain for hours. I got a trike and trailer set when I was three. All I did was ride it around and around, trying to back it into anywhere I could find.”

Done with school at 16, young Seeley signed on with Movements International in Dunedin. Little did he know that in terms of career, that was pretty much it.

“Furniture’s hard, sure, but it had its appeal. The industry was regulated back then remember, and even though you spent the thick end of a day loading and unloading, you went anywhere. In those days, perishables, stock, and furniture was pretty much all there was on the Cook Strait ferries. Not like today.”

So at 16 Richard spent two years learning the finer art of packing and unpacking, and at the same time darting around Dunedin in a wee Isuzu with a 10 cubic metre box body. Once he secured his heavy traffic licence aged 18, he was finally good to go, “The boss threw me the keys to a 38 cubic metre linehaul truck and said, ‘Take that to Wellington!’ I was away.”

The early linehaul days were populated with J-Model Bedfords and Isuzus. “The Bedfords had no power steering so they doubled as strength training for the furniture,” Richard bursts into hysterics. “And the bloody seat was just a squab on a piece of plywood bolted to the steel subframe! And look, now we’re in this.”

His first real gung-ho linehaul truck was a CWA Nissan Diesel with 300hp.

“That was actually a bit of gear in the day. That was big power for furniture, and a nice machine.”

Richard’s abilities beyond the cab were quickly recognised as well, and as early as 19 years of age he was taking stints managing depots for Movements International. It’s been a recurring theme throughout his career, but he’s a trucker through and through and says he never settles or overly enjoys the office.

“I’ve helped out, relieving Pete [Peter Cochrane – group logistics manager at The Moving Company] in the past, and prior to this truck coming I did a seven-month spell in the operations role in Dunedin, which covers Invercargill too.

I didn’t mind it, but when they asked if I’d be interested in driving this, I couldn’t get in quick enough.”

Interestingly Richard’s never really left the original job he started all those years ago, having just travelled along as companies were bought and sold. He’s been working under the Moving Company banner for 13 years and is genuine in his praise for his current employer.

“It’s a great place to work, very hard to fault. I’ve worked with group logistics manager Peter Cochrane for many years now and we know how the other thinks and operates. And owner Mark Pitcher is a great bloke, totally approachable, the sort of guy who’s happy to have a beer with the boys.”

Then comes the job-related questions. This man of 41 years’ experience in one of the industry’s toughest gigs ponders the ‘weirdest’, ‘hardest’, ‘most precious’ questions put to him.

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Richard Seeley has spent his life putting people in their place, in the nicest way imaginable.

“Where do I start?” laughs Richard. Then he endorses a comment ex furniture man Blair Chambers in the Eden Haulage Kenworth K200 made (New Zealand Trucking magazine October 2019). “Wellington and Dunedin are your two toughest places to load or deliver furniture for sure. In terms of precious, we shifted the Terracotta Warriors when they were out here last year. That was an interesting experience.

It was all done under escort. One of our sister companies, New Zealand Van Lines, has moved the Symphony Orchestra around for decades and that’s all in temperature-controlled trailers.

“In terms of hardest move? Well, you’d have to say one in Wellington a few years back. The access was so small we had no hope of getting into it. We got the traffic department involved and they closed the street. We laid out cargo nets on the road and unloaded onto them, and then choppered it onto the front lawn of the house. We walked in and carried it all from the nets into the house. The cost must have been horrendous but it seemed no concern at all to the customer.

“Biggest? Well, when you think the average house lot, Dad, Mum, and 2.5 kids is about 34 cube and will fit into a 20’ container, I’ve moved some lots that were 200 cubic.”

But it’s Richard’s appreciation for what they’re entrusted to do that’s a measure of the man’s integrity.

“It’s a job that carries huge trust. A full pack, where the family walks out of a functioning house and you walk in, pack it all and shift it; they’re entrusting you with their lives and you have to appreciate and respect that.”

Richard has two boys, Jerome and Sheldon. Jerome has just got his class 5 licence and works at the Moving Company, and Sheldon operates earthmoving machinery in the Waikato.

So there you have Richard Seeley, grafter and toiler supreme. The embodiment of the phrase ‘attitude is everything’, because for all the tough yards he’s put in, you’d be hard pressed to spend a happier two days in a truck with a more positive bloke.

“I love it, I just love it. I love the truck, getting around and meeting all sorts of people. I’ve always been happy in my own company and this just suits me down to the ground. The body’s certainly not what it was, and tells me when it’s had enough.”

After 41 years in the furniture game … can you blame it?

But you won’t stop him as long as boxes have to be places, and there’s an MAN to get them there!

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The MAN awaits the right hook from SH4 to SH3 at Eight Mile Junction.

40/20 unit, it’s a classic skeletal set up running 19.5” ROR drum brake axles and air suspension, with Alux polished alloy wheels. Tare for the trailing departments is 4680kg and 2680kg respectively, with the rear unit configured to optimise the RUC cost.

It’s always amazing how cool you can make something as bare bones as a skeletal trailer set look, and the long sleek trailers in blue tones on The Moving Company unit tie in with the flag and writing on the truck and add significantly to the look of the finished package. It’s again proof that KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) always results in a classier end game.

Turn and burn

Day one was up to Auckland with a load from the great southern island, and day two was cab day, with a load for people whose lives were heading in the other direction ... literally.

Watching the operation happen in front of you it’s easy to see what Peter means about “keeping them fed”. Richard rolled into The Moving Company depot in the Airport Oaks estate in South Auckland at about 7am, and the big fork hoist whipped the boxes off quicker than you can say ‘undo the twist locks’. It then took two crisp ‘cans’ off a pristine stack in the immaculate yard and loaded them on. Richard then shot around the road to NZ Van Lines and put the tail end Charlie on. After meeting him at 7am outside the gate, we were South Island-bound at 8.10am, including a catch-up with Pete, the necessary admin, ablutions, and all the usual. Now that’s truckin’!

Later in the morning at Taupo we jumped in the cab.

Richard selected ‘D’ for forward on the direction controller and we were off.

The TGS pulled out on the highway and the first impressions were ones of nimble and lively.

The evolution of the combustion engine is a fascinating thing when you think back to say a 444 Cummins of the late 80s and compare it with this 10.5-litre 440hp engine of 2020. The 14-litre 444 was a brute of a motor with big power, and this feels so light and peppy. It’s all about displacement obviously, not to mention the advance of injection technologies.

Suffice to say the key metrics might be close, but the delivery profile entirely different.

We rolled through the Bulli Point road works on the edge of Lake Taupo and on south. The MAN was direct through the corners and not willing to put up with any shenanigans by way of cab roll, feeling quite firm on its 4-air bag cab setup and big anti-roll bar.

The TGS is an interesting model in the MAN line-up when you think breadth of application, all made possible by the wonders of modern automated manufacturing techniques. It can be a linehaul truck for the likes of The Moving Company, a concrete mixer, a high ground clearance dump truck: you name it, the TGS can do it. Richard came off a TGX 32.540 into the TGS, so he does notice the differences in terms of space, power, and the lack of a fridge, although one is available for the TGS, confirmed by Dean Hoverd, national sales manager at Penske New Zealand.

“I love the MANs,” said Richard. “Absolutely love them, I think they’re bang on.”

Company owner Mark Pitcher told us his reasons for opting for the German marque.

“The furniture game’s been the home of Japanese brands in the modern era. We went for MANs on the linehaul work to make them a more attractive proposition when recruiting; comfort, a prestigious brand you might say, and also for fuel consumption and reliability.”

Peter Cochrane talked about the Penske relationship. “Penske has been good to deal with, when there have been issues

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there have been conversations and it’s been sorted. We don’t switch suppliers without really good reason; we’d rather form relationships and work through. It’s always cheaper in the long run.”

As we rolled up toward the one-lane bridge at Tauranga Taupo, it boggled our mind to think what was being spent on things like guard rails when this fiasco has been like this for generations.

Richard picked up the CB and called himself in from the north; a truck responded with his arrival from the south, due there just after we’d crossed.

“Bloody great things, CBs,” said Richard. “I wouldn’t be without one.”

Hip and groovy

Now, a trucker approaching 60 years of age, who’s done 41 of those years in the furniture moving game driving anything and everything, when asked the AMT question, you would bet your

socks would answer, ‘I drive it in manual because I prefer to be in control’. But, no.

“Nope, I stick it in auto and let it do its thing,” said Richard.

“It knows what it’s doing. The only time I switch to manual sometimes is descending a big hill loaded. The TGX I came off had the retarder and that was fantastic, it didn’t matter, but this needs a few more rpm to get the engine brake working well enough, so I tap it down a couple. Even then I have to dab the brake in places I wouldn’t have needed to do in the TGX; in fact I never touched the brakes in the TGX, only to bring it to a complete halt.”

Even though the MAN’s probably still got a bit of freeingup to do with only 33,000km on the clock, it was no slug, climbing the Puketerata north of the sisters at a steady 55kph in 10th at 1600rpm. Richard said the auto is actually more effective in the TGS. “I think it’s because of the smaller motor. It’s working that little bit harder. It’ll take two gears on the climbs and get in

Origins of the Lion The profile of a male lion in the central part of the MAN logo is synonymous with the brand. But how did old Leo find his way there? What’s his story? Well, turns out he arrived via acquisition, his name is Heinrich not Leo, and his association with MAN specifically, doesn’t go as far back as you might think.

The Lion’s profile was a logo of Büssing AG, a company founded by Heinrich Büssing and his two sons in 1903 under the name … wait for it …

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Henrich Büssing, specialist factory for motorised trucks, motorised buses/ coaches and engines, Braunschweig.

Mr Büssing was an incredible engineer and innovator, and some of today’s base concepts around trucks and buses rest with his cleverness; things like 3-axle double drive chassis.

In 1967 MAN began a co-supply arrangement with Büssing AG that led to a full acquisition process which reached a conclusion in 1972.

In recognition of the significant

role Heinrich Büssing played in the evolution of the German and global automotive industry, MAN adopted the Büssing Lion as part of its logo.

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Paused at Levin, the MANs make for a spectacular sight.

the climbing gear earlier. It works really well. Yep, sometimes I miss changing gears, but it’s modern times.”

Taking two gear jumps early with the smaller displacement burner means the D20 often climbs at the bottom end of the power curve, numbers like 1600rpm. It’s the ideal location because the full might of torque is waiting to give that bit of extra push if it starts to slip off its perch.

Chatter in the cab covered every subject known to man, all in a serene 68 to 69 decibels. Dropping onto sister number one the auxiliary brake made little difference to the ambience, and in keeping with last month’s test, with eight modern axles and associated electronic management, 35-odd tonne is not an inducer of braking issues.

“See, I just have to dab the brakes, something that wouldn’t have happened in the TGX.” Taking the ‘A’ approach rather than the ‘M’ is really paying dividends for the company, with Richard saying the MANs are the most economical trucks they’ve run.

“I consistently get 2.3kpl out of it, and that’s pretty much loaded all the time. Yes, the weights are down compared with

‘A” is for attitude, ‘A’ is for Auto. Richard Seeley, happy to let the tech do its thing and reap the fuel burn bonanza.

Left: Richard keeps the bunk up by day so he can access the additional storage. Centre: Switch gear and direction controller is on the lower wrap you might say, and quite low. Right: MAN binnacle is clear, efficient and contemporary, although unique.

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the big fellas, but not for furniture.

“The Hino I was on was an 8x4 and 3-axle, we got 1.7kpl out of that. Then I had an Iveco, and that was better at 1.8 to 1.9, but the MANs run over two, day in, day out.”

Space X … and S

The TGS cab is not the big condo that the TGX is. In comparable configurations (TGX L vs TGS L), engine tunnel to roof internal is 175mm lower in the TGS at 1385mm, and internal width is reduced by 198mm at 2058mm. Internal cab length is the same – 2145mm. Those wee measurements certainly add up too, and equate to a 1.43 cubic metre difference between the cabs, so you do notice the cosier confines of the TGS. “Storage is the big thing. That extra space in the TGX was largely storage. Finding somewhere to put everything when

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you’re away from home most of the week. That, and the fridge.

But it’s no trouble, you get used to it and adapt; you can’t really fault the truck, it’s an easy place to work. If you’d never known the TGX cab, you’d think you were made!”

What the TGS demonstrates so well is how valuable and important that area between the seats is nowadays. This truck isn’t a pop-top and has a 260mm engine tunnel, yet it had a far greater sense of space and utility than the new Fuso did last month. What the MAN has is room defined by us as useable space. If you can’t make use of it, it’s simply space.

With one exception, let’s ignore the fact we’ve seen this cab’s successor when talking accoutrements, and look at what it offers here and now.

Munich does things its way and harking back to the blindfold thing from last month, if you knew your trucks and someone plonked you in an MAN, you’d have it sussed in half

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Probably the most instantly recognisable stretches of SH1 … soon to be consigned to the history books.

a millisecond. It’s like no other. A 6-gauge binnacle is also home to the telematics/trip information screen, warning lights, and some switches, with its own mini wrap to the left where the infotainment screen resides. The remaining switchgear, climate management, and direction controller are on an angled panel formed from the natural curvature as the lower cross cab fascia reaches the cockpit. It’s unique and almost works. We say ‘almost’, because some of the lower switchgear is a look-away proposition … at least initially.

Being a Euro it has a smart-wheel that houses the usual suspects: menu controller, phone, and cruise. Lights are on the right side of the dash, with dip, indicators and wipers on the left wand, and shifter EVBec brake on the right. Park and hand control are on a console to the driver’s left.

Now to that one exception. The big issue with the TG cab is the mirrors. They’re plentiful, clear, give great visibility, heated

and electrically adjustable. But, and it’s a huge but, the location of the main mirror sets mean zero visibility between them and the A pillars. That vital slit truckers rely on for left-right clearance is not there, and it’s a real arse. In the new truck, they’ve moved the mirrors back and we can again see between mirror and A pillar. Take it from us, there was a huge sigh of relief in Spain last month when the new trucks appeared for the first time.

Moving out of the driver’s seat, there are cup holders, oddments trays, and nooks all the way along the front fascia, with one pull-out drawer. Storage overhead comprises two deep door-less stuff trays with the area right above the driver reserved for comms units and some more switch blanks. The main interior lights are built into the two structural supports for the overhead storage assembly and look quite cool, nicely spaced at third intervals across the cab. There’s under-bunk

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A clear Pitcher Being around a business and hearing the people interact gives you a good feel for culture. Hearing them convey the culture to you enthusiastically impresses more, and then you meet the epicentre himself. Ebullient, charismatic, a total believer in his brands, people, and goals, Mark Pitcher is walking Berocca. And he’s old school. It’s about presentation, image: if he says ‘get that truck cleaned’, it’s cleaned. The yards, offices, grounds, they’re sharp.

He started on ‘the floor’ as he puts it, just like Richard Seeley, as a 16-year-old stowing furniture at … you guessed it, Movements International. That means he’s as comfortable walking out in the yard chatting to the troops as he is in the boardroom, more so probably.

Branch depots have a cook-up once a month before work. We witnessed one on a day we were there. A big barbeque, eggs for Africa, bacon, she was all on. He knows what it’s like to be at the coalface. It’s often the little things that return most on the spend. As group logistics manager Peter Cochrane says, “This is still an industry where stuff is lifted manually. There is no other way.”

Mark has big plans and he knows the direction he wants his brands to go in.

He has a great feel for ‘his’ industry, with that rare blend of upbeat no-nonsense that is a hallmark of his breed. If it’s funny he laughs raucously and out loud, if it’s not, then sort it and sort it now!

“We run asset-heavy. We own a thousand containers and our own trucks. When it’s in the care of one of our companies it stays there.

Containerisation means load it, store it, deliver it, unload it. People don’t want their stuff handled four times, and it’s not such a huge deal if a container is rubbed by a tree backing down a drive, that’s easily made good again,” says Mark.

Mark and his former business partner

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Mark Pitcher. Another leader who started in the trenches, and the signs are all over his company.

were working for The Moving Company when TIL decided to sell it off in 2001.

“It had five branches and 20 trucks.

We cut that back to three branches, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

By 2006 we had a $10 million business and 45 trucks focusing heavily on International moving. I also bought my partner out that year as we had differing visions for the future growth of the company” In 2008 The Moving Company bought Allied Movers, rebranding it New Zealand Movers, and in 2014 bought Ausmove, an Auckland-based company specialising in relocating people to Australia.

“At the moment there are plenty coming back to NZ too. That’s bloody good for us!” Mark laughs.

Then in 2015, the big one: New Zealand Van Lines. “It was one and a half times bigger than all the rest of our business put together. David bought Goliath,” says Peter. Discussing the subject led to a cathartic moment in the interview as Peter stared into space momentarily and Mark threw his head back in the chair, looked at the ceiling and said, “Bloody hell”. A philosophical laugh ran around the room, as they both flashed back to what was obviously an intense journey.

But the result was huge. There are the obvious operational benefits in terms of increased volume, consolidation of

traffic, and asset utilisation, but cultural benefits also. Harking back to the very start of the article and business guru Jim Collins, they knocked off a ‘B-HAG’ (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) resulting in a unified tight-knit team who know they achieved something big together.

Neither is that journey over, with depot rationalisation still taking place.

“Those ugly red wheels,” laughs Mark.

“They were awful, we’ve been getting rid of them. Are there any left, Pete?”

“Only a few and they face inwards.”

“We are all moving into here,” said Mark [the site on Pavilion Drive Airport Oaks in Auckland]. “The sales teams are all completely independent, customer and global partner facing. They all compete, this is critical for brand sustainability, but the operations teams optimise the trucks and scheduling.

The stingers (MANs) take any brand’s containers, and we’re moving toward UD product optimised for class 2 licences and RUC/GVM settings for container operations in the branches.

There’s still a requirement for your traditional big-bodied carpet-lined trucks, but they’re certainly becoming less common.”

And with that our time’s run out.

There are depots to shift and people to relocate. The Moving Company, somehow it’s more than a brand, it’s a metaphor for journey that’s well worth keeping an eye on.

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Boxing on

Through the North Island’s central tracts the MAN broke the Mangawekas’ steepest pinch at 41kph, in 9th at 1500rpm. The journey had been smooth, quiet, and comfortable sailing, the TGS bobbing along the Marton straights at 90kph with the tachometer just under 1500rpm.

Further south on the crappy Horowhenua section of State Highway 1 south of Levin, the ride was on point, and soaked up the ever-changing surface commendably well. The abundance of glass and having the big roof hatch open made for a pleasant afternoon’s motoring.

The TMC trailers followed along superbly well and influenced the ride surprisingly little. Obviously a testament to

Richard’s relaxed style, but also the balance of the setup.

“Because the turnaround times are so quick it’s easy to manage the driving hours, and that’s great,” said Richard. “I do the occasional unload out the back if the road or street in the town is wide enough. I might have to pick up a couple of helpers at a depot and off we go. It’s all part of it.”

Richard recalled his early times in the industry. “When I started at Movements International my supervisor was a guy called Tom. He was really abrupt and just called everyone by their surnames, ‘Seeley do this, Seeley do that’. He was the one who taught me to pack furniture and drive. The day I knew I was going to make it in this game was about four years in. A big job came up and he looked past the others in the despatch office straight at me and said, ‘Rich! You’ve got that one okay?’

It felt good to have that simple acknowledgement.”

Summary

We met up with Glenn in the Van Lines sister truck at Otaki and had a quick stretch of the legs. On down the line, the overnight stop was in Seaview, with Richard due to catch the ferry to Picton early the following morning.

The run into Jacindaville was its usual bedlam: a congested, stop/start affair. Thank goodness for Transmission Gully’s forecast opening at the end of the year; and a new SH1 from Peka Peka out beyond Levin can’t come quick enough.

So the question at the end of all this: has as there ever been a truck and trailer combination that’s a better metaphor for the man at the wheel? We think not.

The TGS in this guise is surely not the biggest truck in the sandpit, but it’s tenacious, performs exceptionally well, is superbly presented and not expensive to keep alive; and on top of all that it’s quiet, unassuming, great company, with no apparent off switch. 

PH OT O : I SR A E L A NDE RS ON

storage, the left-hand one accessible from the inside with the bed raised. Richard travels with the bunk up so he can make use of the utility trays under there.

Fit and finish in the MAN is unfaultable. Materials are heavy vinyl, rubber, plastic, and a heavy-duty foam-type compound in a black speckled pattern. This cab’s colour tones in black and grey, with lighter hues reserved for up top, is far more serviceable than poor Rex had to deal with in Waiotahi’s big bopper back in May last year.

We have to say we love the way the door lining envelopes the grab handle completely, allowing dash lines to flow onto door lines. Scania does it also; must be a Traton thing … classy. The doors are also where window and mirror controls lurk, as you’d expect in 2020.

Access is as simple as gets, with the truck’s low stance and four-step entry ensuring a safe, carefree passage to the confines.

In terms of the daily check department there are a couple of fluid levels – there’s no dipstick – and it’s all done via the front panel.

When the containers align, the result is spectacular.

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SPECIFICATIONS

MAN TGS 26.440 6X4 BLS Tare:

8480kg

Tyres:

275/70 R22.5

GVM:

26,000kg

Electrical:

24V

GCM:

50,000kg

Cab exterior:

Wheelbase:

3900mm

Engine:

D2066LF40

Capacity:

10.5 litre

Steel construction ECE29 compliant, 4-bag mount with stabiliser bar, single bunk sleeper, heated electronic mirrors (including kerb), halogen headlights, daytime driving lights, tinted windows, external lockers (left accessible from inside), keyless entry

Power:

324kW (440hp)

Can interior:

Fully adjustable air-sprung drivers seat, ‘Urban concrete’ trim package, climate air conditioning, infotainment, mattress, roller blinds and curtains, sun hatch in roof, central locking

Options:

Air management kit

Torque:

2100Nm (1550lb/ft)

Emissions:

Euro 5 (SCR)

Transmission:

MAN TipMatic 12 26 DD

Clutch:

DBE 430 single disc

Chassis:

270 x 85 x 8mm

Front axle:

MAN VOK-07 dropped

Front axle rating:

7.5 tonne

Front suspension:

Parabolic leaf spring with shock absorbers and stabiliser

Rear axle:

MAN HYD-1370/1350 hypoid 3.08:1 with diff lock

Rear axle rating:

23 tonne

Rear suspension:

MAN 8-bag ECAS with stabiliser

Brakes:

Disc with EBS/ABS

Auxiliary braking:

MAN EVBec BrakeMatic

Additional safety:

ESP, ASR, Hill Hold, Anti Jackknife brake

Fuel:

390 litre

DEF tank:

35 litre

Wheels:

Alloy wheels

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Acknowledgements What a great couple of days with some inspiring upbeat people. To Mark Pitcher, Peter Cochrane, the wonderful Richard Seeley, and everyone we encountered at The Moving Company, thank you so much for all your help.

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DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

Living the dream Story and photos by Gavin Myers

Liam Sullivan may only be 22 years old, but, with an insatiable appetite for driving trucks, he’s just purchased his first as a contractor to Auckland’s Green Gorilla and is on the road to a bright future.

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I

t’s not uncommon for youngsters to get into trucking by following in the footsteps of their elders, and Liam’s no exception. As a youngster, he’d ride with dad Kevin (who currently pedals a Scania for Foodstuffs), while other members of the family are also active in the local trucking scene. Although Liam’s just getting started, there’s no doubt trucking is in the blood of this young professional.

“It’s not a profession many younger guys are into,” Liam says.

Straight out of school, Liam decided to become a diesel mechanic. He worked for Howick and Eastern Buses until 2018, and then moved up to Gulf Harbour where he worked

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Green Gorilla Fusos are equipped with an auto gearbox and a bunch of electronic Liam Sullivan hopes to inspire younger kids to get behind the wheel.

for Gideon Contractors Ltd in Silverdale. While Liam’s happy he was able to get some spannering experience, the driving bug was biting hard so, class 4 licence in hand, he found himself a job tipping and delivering water in a UD Quon for Hibiscus Water Supply.

“I wanted to become a diesel mechanic so I could fix my own trucks – I always wanted to own my own trucks,” says the young Aucklander. So how did he get the opportunity at such a young age? Liam explains: “I heard that dad’s boss bought a truck off Green Gorilla. I went on their website and saw they had owner-driver opportunities, so I sent operations manager William McLaren an email and he replied. We met up and they gave me the opportunity.”

It wasn’t a quick and easy process, though. Liam had to open a business (LBS Trucking), get his transport services licence, put down all his savings as a deposit on the vehicle, and get finance for the balance. It took a few months, but by the middle of January Liam was standing in the Onehunga yard of Green Gorilla waiting to get to work behind the wheel of his new Fuso Fighter FK1425.

“Green Gorilla buys the chassis new from Keith Andrews Trucks and preps it for sale to the contractors. The body is a refurbished unit with new paint, bed seals and electrics.

The truck is actually derated to 12 tonnes and known as the FK1225. They’re very manoeuvrable, the turning circle is very good,” Liam says.

Part of the prepping Green Gorilla does is to fit the truck with its radio comms, a rear-facing camera, and the in-cab iPad that allows Liam to manage his jobs for the day. The only thing he’s done to it was to put on a set of polished rims. He clearly takes pride in it and says the Fuso gets a wash at the end of every day.

“It’s a positive image thing. At so many of the building sites I turn up to they say, ‘wow, your truck’s so clean’, ‘it looks mint’. I hope that in five years’ time it still looks just as good.

That makes a big difference. I’m not just running under Green Gorilla, it’s my name.”

gadgets to make the job easier.

The FK1425 has been derated to 12 tonne for the purposes of the job.

As to be expected, Liam’s loving his new job. “It’s good so far, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do, I always wanted to buy a truck. It’s not a big truck, but still. I feel I’ve adapted quite quickly; I did 15 jobs yesterday. I’m used to deadlines and high volume, so for me this is good.” Liam covers 300 to 350km on an average day, the Fuso’s clock ticking up nicely and is now well past the 4000km mark.

While we’re driving, Liam explains that having experience as a diesel mechanic has come in useful already. “This morning a hydraulic line under the body had a drip so I tightened it up temporarily. I always carry a few tools and I know if something happens I can check it before I have to take the truck to someone.”

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Liam positions his pride and joy.

More than enough to keep a young truckie busy.

The business side of things, however, has been “quite daunting”, says Liam. “It’s pretty tight the first couple of months.” Liam’s grateful, though, to have had the guidance and support of people around him who have business and industry knowledge, as well as encouragement from his new colleagues.

“There are no other younger guys, that I know of, doing this job in our company. It’s mostly more experienced guys and they’ve been pretty good to me. They’ve been helpful; if I’ve needed to know something I just call them up and someone will help me out. I was riding along with some of the guys over a couple of weekends, just to see what it was like, and so I got to know some of them before I started.”

Navigating through Auckland having just swapped out a

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skip, Liam notices that the netting covering his load has pulled loose on one corner and promptly pauses our conversation to pull over and rectify the problem. Later on, he’s reversing the Fuso down a particularly steep, narrow and tree-lined driveway to make a drop. Earlier in the day, though, he had a little trouble… “The worst obstacle for this job is power lines; this morning I couldn’t deliver a bin because the power lines were too low and I couldn’t get the gantry past without hooking them.” He’s conscientious behind the wheel and credits his experience of having to drive the bigger water tanker “into places trucks shouldn’t go”.

Liam hopes to get into bigger gear one day, maybe doing heavy haulage in the comfort of his own Scania. (It would be a European truck over American, “any day!”) But that’s in the future; right now Liam’s thankful for the path he’s on and for all the support he’s received so far.

“I didn’t think owning a truck would happen so soon for me – definitely not. I’m not usually a big risk taker and this was a big risk to take, but it was my fiancé Lucy and our parents who pushed me to do it. They really helped me along the way and encouraged me to make the move.”

Liam knows first-hand that fewer youngsters are getting the opportunity to be exposed to trucks the way he was, and that maybe because of that, they’re not captivated by the industry.

He knows too, that for those who do aspire, buying a truck at a young age isn’t easy – let alone finding a job with minimal experience to one’s name.

He hopes though, that his journey can be some form of inspiration. “If anyone young reads this they may think, ‘shit, this guy’s young and he’s doing it, maybe it’s a possibility’. I hope it helps from that perspective.” 

1219-07

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CLASSICS LOCKER

Poole-ing power Story by Faye Lougher Photos by Faye Lougher and as credited

Many drivers have fond memories of the first new truck they ever drove, but few get the chance to own that same truck 40 years later.

I

n 1979 Ongarue Transport owner Bryan Wood was working for CR Poole of Taumarunui when Colin Poole bought the Mack R797 RS. Due to regulations at the time, it spent the first year of its life as a farm truck.

“When buying a farm truck you got an investment allowance, but it wasn’t allowed to go on the road for 12

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months,” says Bryan. “You got a 20 percent investment allowance, and then 25 percent depreciation.”

The Mack, number 2479, was used to cart hay during that first year, before being put to work as a log truck, carting logs from Tokoroa to Taumarunui.

“We carted slabs back to Tokoroa, carted timber back to Putaruru and Rotorua, and we used to bring timber back for the Taumarunui Timber Company too.”

At the time, the CR Poole fleet consisted of just four trucks, and Colin’s son John remembers his father and Bryan familiarising themselves with the Mack.

“I can remember you and Dad had to go out and load it up, and I still remember you coming back and saying to Dad, ‘Poole, you’re nearly stalling it again!’”

P HOT OS : B RYA N WOOD

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Above: An iconic fleet of the era. The R797 Mack in Poole livery loaded with timber.

Beautifully restored, the Mack R797 RS

The bill when

is a real head-turner.

new in 1979.

“It was the first brand new truck I ever drove,” says Bryan, “and it was powerful. I was 30 and I’d been driving for a while.

I had it for 12 months and then I bought my own truck.

“The truck I bought was a TK Bedford, it had a crate, and a hoist, so I could do a bit of general work, hay and all sorts of stuff like that. Went from 375hp down to 150!”

The Mack stayed in the CR Poole fleet for about six years, then was traded in and ended up with JP Dittmer in Wellington, where it was made into a tipper.

“And where it went from there I don’t know. It was doing house removals; it’s been around! It’s been in Whangarei, it’s had a few owners, it’s been all over the place,” says Bryan.

In about 2012, Kerry James from Manawatu, who owned the truck at the time, contacted John to see if he was interested in

buying the R797 back. It still had the original steering wheel with ‘Custom-built for C. R. Poole’ on it.

“When John told me about it I said to him, ‘you should buy it’, but one of the reasons he wasn’t keen on buying the truck back was because it didn’t have the original motor. About six weeks later I saw it on Trade Me and I thought ‘bugger it’. I went and had a look at it and there was a rush of blood and I ended up buying it.”

The truck came with two cabs – the original and a spare.

“That cab that’s on there now was a Freight Lines cab, and that came with the truck. Ben came over with me and we drove it to his workshop in Palmerston North, and that’s where it stayed.”

Ben Tacon, who restored the truck for Bryan, started his working life as a mechanic, spending 12 or 13 years on the

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people who could do that type of work, but the cost of it would just get out of hand, not to say it didn’t really get out of hand anyway!

“It’s a strange thing for someone who’s always worked on Fuso trucks, but I’d always been really quite keen on Macks and had quite a bit to do with them. The first job I applied for was to work for Motor Truck Distributors, but I ended up working for Jolly and Mills. And so I thought, ‘yeah, I’d like to have a go at it’.”

The original cab had quite a bit of rust right at the front by the windscreen, so it was removed and swapped for the spare cab.

“There was nothing in the replacement cab, so we swapped everything over, all the dashboard, the steering wheel, everything,” says Ben. “The cab was a later cab and so that’s why there were a lot of little bits and pieces that had to be done to it. Stuff like door catches all had to be changed to a different type.

“I’ve got a reasonable size shed at home and I stripped the

P HO TO S: B EN TA C ON

workshop floor, working his way up from being an apprentice to being a workshop 2IC. He worked at Jolly and Mills and says he’s known Bryan since the late 1980s. It was that relationship that led to Bryan asking him to restore the Mack.

“Bryan had been an owner-driver on his own account, and so I knew him and Darryl [Gulbransen] before they took over Ongarue Transport. From there I had a lot to do with them, speccing the new vehicles and that type of thing, and I always had a lot to do with Bryan. He told me he’d bought the Mack from Kerry James, who is now at haulage company Vernon and Vazey.”

Ben says Kerry had a couple of different Macks, including a Super Liner, and he’d bought the R model and was going to do some work with it but decided that he’d go another direction and bought a Marmon.

“Bryan needed somebody to take on the task of getting it on the road and there was really nobody who stood out who wasn’t going to cost an absolute fortune. There are some very capable

Left: The old cab prior to having the interior stripped.

Right: New cab doors fitted, right-hand air cleaner fitted. Working on left-hand air cleaner.

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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ The interior is very familiar to Bryan, as apart from the communications equipment, it’s all original. The iconic ‘custom-built’ steering wheel hub.

John Poole (left) and Bryan Wood.

cabs and started to swap stuff over and did the modifications that were necessary. I fitted the doors and then got the whole cab panelbeated. It was a mission all right! I spent a lot of time doing it, which was easy enough because I could do it at home,” Ben says.

When Bryan bought the truck a second air cleaner had been added on the left side, but it had been bolted to the cab, making it difficult to open the passenger door very wide.

“So to make it easy, I built a bracket that was a mirror image of the one on the right and mounted it further forward on the left so you could open the door properly,” says Ben. “It was a lot of work; I built three versions of it and then had it pressed properly and it’s plated and everything.”

Once the cab was finished, it was sent to Taumarunui to be painted by Dave (Shorty) Allen, and then the upholstery was done in Palmerston North by someone who used to do the original Mack upholstery. Tony Gulbransen [son of Darryl, who co-owns Ongarue Transport] did the signwriting.

“And then it came back down and we started to reassemble everything. We spent quite a bit of time and effort getting the cab right inside. All the gauges and everything were functioning okay. I did a lot of work with the wiring, and remounted it all to the cab and then I re-plumbed the braking system because it was pretty shabby.”

The Mack was just a tractor unit when Bryan bought it, and it had been shortened. It still had the original gearbox, a 12-speed Mack gearbox with two sticks, but a different motor.

Originally it had a 375 Mack V8, but now it’s got an 8V92T Detroit 430hp.

Ben says the motor and gearbox were in mint condition. “We never touched the engine apart from giving it a service. It was in really good order. Still is, it starts and it drives beautifully, it really does.”

A new front bumper was fitted to the truck, but as it was not the original R model bumper, Ben had to make new brackets to mount it. Metalform in Dannevirke made the custom-made new rear bumper.

“But the mudguards and everything else it has, Bryan bought. It’s had checkerplate and toolboxes added too.”

Ben says a lot of people helped him during the restoration.

“We got a lot of help from a chap in the parts department at Truck Stops. It’s got a new hood lining in it, all the windowwinding mechanisms are new, and there are new quarter-light windows. They potentially could have been hard to find but he was really helpful and it surprised me how it was quite easy to get that stuff.”

Ben says they tried to get away without replacing the windscreen but it was cracked and they had no choice.

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As is the case with most restorations, Bryan says the process “took a while”.

“It was too long and too much money! A lot of money, and it took three or four years.”

Ben says Bryan was very, very patient.

“I took it on, and – as you do – underestimated the time it was going to take. When I started I was working on it every Sunday, I would work on it for like 10 hours a day for probably four months to break the back of it in the end to get it right. It was well worth it.

“I really enjoyed it as a challenge. It did my head in a lot of the time, but it was really interesting. People were very helpful and a lot of people would just lend you a hand, give you some information or tell you who to talk to. It was good.”

Ben says the reaction to the truck has been really interesting.

“There’s a real core of people who are really, really Mack orientated. And so of that era, they know where every single one of them is. And it was one that had dropped off the radar to a large extent. And the first question they ask is, ‘did it have that engine in it originally?’ because it didn’t.”

Ben says it’s likely the engine was replaced purely because of cost.

“Bryan drove that truck brand new, and I think it had two engines in it before it was two years old. They would have wanted to keep it going and they probably looked at doing up the Mack engine and it would have been too expensive so they just bought a Detroit and bolted it in. I don’t know what happened to the original engine, I’ve never had any conversations with anybody about where that engine was or what had happened to it.”

Ben says he knows of a couple of other restored R797s,

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including Vera Lynn, owned by Bryan Menefy.

“His is beautiful, absolutely original, but better than brand new. This was put back together to a nice usable standard, but it’s still an old truck. I suppose you’d call it a sympathetic restoration – it was about making it so that it was completely drivable.”

Bryan says it’s a great feeling to own something that he drove and enjoyed all those years ago. He says in those days, not many trucks passed the 375 Mack.

“They certainly could pull. They were the first truck with power – all the other things were sluggish. You put your foot down in those things and they were just bloody into it. And when the turbo was whistling, you knew something was going on. It was a beautiful sound, they popped away – pop, pop, pop.”

The Mack is now in the colours of Ongarue Transport, the company Bryan and Darryl own together, and the end result of four years of work is a great testament to the passion put into the restoration.

“Jesus, it was a big job. Ben did a lot of work to get it up to spec, and he’s very fussy, Ben,” says Bryan.

Wherever the Mack goes, it attracts attention.

“We’ve been to a truck show at Manfeild, and we’ve been on the odd run with the Northern Classic Commercials club, and last year we took it down to Mangatainoka,” says Bryan.

“When we stopped at Taihape people would come over and comment on it. And once a fella was following me along the road near Bunnythorpe and when I pulled over he got out and he wanted to have a look at it. He worked at Motor Truck Distributors. And when I got to Manfeild a guy pulled up at the motel, another guy who used to work at MTD. People like to look at it, it’s a bit like with old cars, isn’t it?” 

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Just Truckin’

Around

www.trt.co.nz

Clay August Craig McCauley caught up with Heikell Transport 1993 Ltd driver Clay August as he was about to don his gumboots and wash out his stock crates at the company’s Gisborne depot.

As a youngster, Clay spent countless hours learning the art of trucking from his father Kohi, who drove for Farmers Transport at the time.

Clay’s driving career began with Heikell, initially out of Whakatane, before the opportunity became available to return home to Gisborne, where he now drives ‘The Wanderer’, a Scania R730 towing a 5-axle trailer fitted with Nationwide stock crates.

Clay’s work has him travelling over much of the North Island and when asked if he had a stretch of road that

he enjoyed travelling the most, he said it had to be “up the coast”, meaning SH35 north of Gisborne, which runs around the East Coast to Opotiki.

His favourite part of the job is carting sheep, especially the physical work of loading and unloading.

Clay enjoys being part of the transport industry as he sees every day as a new challenge.

Rather than choosing a vexing question from the usual New Zealand Trucking magazine selection, Craig thought truck transmissions was a worthy topic, so Clay was asked if he preferred manual or auto boxes? After a chuckle he replied “You feel more like a man with a manual”, but after experiencing the Scania Opticruise, he is firmly in the auto camp.

Darren Hampson

Faith Waho (13) hops in for a ride around the block with her grandfather, Darren Hampson.

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The Just Truckin’ Around Faye Lougher did on Darren Hampson was a little different from the usual side-of-the-road-during-the-work-day profile.

In December Manawatu’s Tokomaru School hosted a hot rod cruise and display fundraiser for Domanic Grant, 7, who had just been diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia.

Darren was taking people for rides in his 1996 Western Star ‘Big Red’ and was happy to have a chat after Faye dropped her gold coin donation in the bucket.

Darren has been driving trucks for about 30-odd years, starting at a sawmill where he drove the firewood truck. A few years ago he and his wife saw the Western Star and decided to take a gamble and buy it, and for the past year or so they have been doing contract work for the Palmerston North City Council.

Based at Himatangi, Darren said he was happy to step up to help at the fundraiser, as he had been a volunteer firefighter at the Tokomaru Volunteer Fire Brigade for seven years and his granddaughter was in her last year at Tokomaru School.

WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ Just Truckin’

Around

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JUST TRUCKIN’ AROUND – Overseas Davie Davidson Davie Davidson is an international reader from the UK who reached out to us to share his current pride and joy: a 2014 Volvo FH 540 6x2 tag-axle rigid with a Palfinger Epsilon timber loader coupled to a Robinson drawbar trailer. The unit operates at 44 tonnes GCM and can carry just under 26 tonnes of roundwood.

Davie has been driving trucks in the UK since 1983 (his first gig, general haulage, was in a Volvo F7). He bought his first truck in 1988, a Scania 112 (330hp) pulling a flatbed on general haulage, and, having done a variety of different trucking jobs in different vehicles, he entered logging in 2001.

Later this year Davie will say goodbye to his trusty FH, probably replacing it with a Scania. Clearly, Davie likes his Swedish brands. “I would find it hard to have a favourite truck as I have been lucky and driven a few really good Volvos and Scanias. But the newer ones are less reliable, with problems with exhaust emissions systems.”

The Scottish driver moves 5- to 20-foot long timber to local sawmills, doing three or four loads a day over 12 hours or so.

“The best part of my job is probably not having to deal with

delays and motorway traffic on the UK’s congested roads, enjoying the stunning local scenery and also being home every night, having spent years away from home driving all over western Europe,” says Davie.

“I think now I have my ideal job, but I would like to be able to travel to New Zealand, Canada and North America to see their log truck industries first-hand.”

Asked whether he would like to go on holiday on safari in Africa or tackle the urban jungle of New York, Davie says, “well, the safari would win that one”.

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TOP TRUCK

Run to the hills Story by Carl Kirkbeck • Photos by Mike Beesley and Carl Kirkbeck

When the seeds of trucking are planted in a young heart, it is inevitable that somewhere in their future the urge to scratch the trucking itch will surface and become intolerable.

M

eeting up with Greg (Camo) Camenzind and team on a sunny Bay of Plenty Sunday arvo, we are confronted with a freshly detailed 2019 Scania S650 and MaxiTRANS Freighter 6-axle B-train.

Walking around the unit you notice how dramatically different its presentation is from Camo’s last Scania, ‘Living the Dream’.

Whereas his previous R620 was in your face with personality, the new S650 is more subtle, clean, and stealthy in approach.

Camo’s truck driving journey started riding shotgun in an N series Ford that his Dad drove for the Apple & Pear Board.

“The old N series used to struggle quite a bit on the job, used more oil than diesel, and it felt like it took four days to get from Auckland to Nelson,” laughs Camo. This exposure to the life of trucking continued when his Dad secured Camo an afterschool job sorting loose freight and loading containers at the Mainfreight Hamilton depot, thus beginning the connection with the internationally famous blue and white livery.

After leaving school Camo was steered away from driving, instead gaining a full-time position at Mainfreight Hamilton

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working the freight sheds, and eventually moving to the Tauranga depot. It was here that Camo met Daily Freightways contractor Riki Ngatai. Not long after, Camo was finally able to scratch the trucking itch, driving Riki’s Western Star helping out with the odd nightshift. This led to a full-time position sharing the day/night duties with Riki.

An opportunity around 2010 saw Camo purchase an R500 Scania and run from Mainfreight contractor and good mate Sandy Pari, based out of Rotorua. Early in 2016 Riki had decided to finish up as an owner-driver, and Camo was asked if he would relocate back to Tauranga and pick up Riki’s run. Camo seized the opportunity as it allowed him to work alongside Riki again, with Riki taking the role as codriver this time. Late in 2017 Riki finally decided to hang up the keys and retire from driving full-time, opening the door for Craig Finlayson to take the helm as Camo’s night driver.

“I have been extremely fortunate,” said Camo. “Working with Riki was awesome and now with Craig, great guys who share the passion. I have never had to worry, they just get on and get the job done and when I get to work in the morning the truck is there ready for me to jump straight into and go; I couldn’t ask for more.”

The R500 was a great truck and set the precedent for Camo, so when it came time to replace it the decision to stay with Scania was automatic. When the R620 went on the road in 2012 it was more neck-breaker than head-turner, with its tribal motifs. Once again the run from the R620 was near faultless.

So, with this in mind, last year when the decision presented itself again to replace the truck, it was straight back to Scania

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Above: The team, Kacey and Greg ‘Camo’ Camenzind, Jaxon, Craig, Ben, Monique, Maddy and front row Abigael Finlayson.

to talk with good guy Andrew Lane.

When the S650 arrived, Camo headed straight over to see Wayne Gardner at Patchell Stainless with a head bursting full of ideas. “Wayne has worked his magic on everything I asked for, from the chassis covers through to the light bars. I really wanted that clean Euro look and Wayne absolutely nailed it.”

Continuing with the Euro theme it was James Worsnop at NZT Group who went above and beyond for an extremely appreciative Camo, sourcing the custom-formed drop visor and stone guard out of Europe that accentuate and nail home the under-the-radar stealth vibe that Camo was after. Cliff Mannington of Truck Signs in Tauranga then meticulously added the livery, signage and subtle finishing touches, and last of all Roger Creighton and the boys at Performance Diesel perfected a pathway that could set free the good Scania V8 sound without compromising the Euro 6 rating.

Factory fitted extras include fully adjustable ride height airbag suspension – including front axle – and complete leather interior. Here in New Zealand blacked-out roof-mounted quad air horns were fitted, as well as white LED bullet lights. At the rear end an extra set of tail lights were installed directly under the existing ones, reinforcing the Euro feel.

Six months and just over 100,000km have slipped by now since the S650 went on the road, and Camo is quick to report that apart from its routine maintenance a spanner has gone nowhere near the big Scandinavian. “We just get in, turn the key and go,” said Camo. “This job is all about agility and manoeuvrability, in, out, and go, and that is exactly where the Scania shines.” 

Left: “The formed drop visor and stone guard sourced by James Worsnop at NZT Group absolutely nails the Euro theme,” said a very appreciative Camo.

Below: History Repeats, Camo passing on the skills to an eager and enthusiastic Kacey, just as Camo’s Dad did for him.

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April 2020

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Shock drive!

Story by Gavin Myers Photos by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid • Video by Pav Warren

It will always be a special day when you get to drive the only vehicle of its type on the country’s roads. We took Fuso’s eCanter for a spin around Auckland to investigate the practical side of electric trucking.

“F

ancy a go?” came the request from the Fuso New Zealand (FNZ) PR department. “Would we ever!” was our reply. How could we turn down an opportunity to drive such an intriguing vehicle under evaluation for the local market on home tarmac?

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Especially so since our first (and up to this point only) encounter with the eCanter was more than a year and a half ago at Fuso’s Kitsuregawa test track outside Tokyo.

Even under those controlled circumstances, which really only provide a taste of a vehicle’s abilities and little indication of what it will be like in real-world conditions, the electric whiz kid from Tokyo left us asking “Where do we sign up?” Alas, only selected markets in Europe, Japan and the USA were lucky enough to be given the initial run of pre-production e-Canters for customer evaluation.

“At this stage our focus is on getting some stock on the ground. Initially, it is likely that vehicles will be closely managed by FNZ and we will need to assess the sales strategy when we get close to the launch of this vehicle,” FNZ managing director Kurtis Andrews told us while we were over in the land of the rising sun.

It took nearly a year, but in mid-2019 a sole eCanter arrived

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eCanter gains speed like a passenger car, and has no problem keeping up with Auckland traffic.

Cab is comfy and functional.

at the FNZ head office in Mangere for some local evaluation and promotion. Over six or seven months, it spent some brief 24-hour spells with a handful of FNZ customers. Most of that feedback, we’re told, has been very positive, especially with regard to last-mile delivery applications.

That, of course, is where lightweight electric trucks like the eCanter should come into their own as the world’s more advanced cities make a push to drive out carbon emissions from their city centre streets. Not only air pollution, mind you, but noise pollution, too.

A drive around town

This is what the eCanter’s electric drivetrain has been tailored for. A liquid-cooled 82.8kWh (420V) lithium-ion battery back straddles the chassis rails (which is the standard 750mm wide frame and 3400mm wheelbase) in six units for even weight distribution. Connected to the 135kW/390Nm permanent synchronous electric motor, Fuso claims the eCanter will offer up a practical range of 100 to 120km (pushing a maximum of 150km in ideal circumstances). That should, in theory, be enough to shift the eCanter and its 4-tonne payload capacity around town for a day. According to FNZ, customer trials showed that, when used correctly, the regeneration process is delivering better mileage than the expected 120km practical range from a single charge.

Those with anxieties of range will find solace in the

two-stage regenerative braking (more on that later) and capability of reaching 80% charge within an hour on a DC fast charger – easy enough to fill up over lunch. For those in a real jam, the eCanter also has a single-phase 30A charge cable.

That, though, would be of more use for charging overnight than for a quick emergency top up. Fuso claims that it will cost approximately $10 to recharge the eCanter from a battery level of 20% (at an off-peak residential rate of $0.15 per kWh).

So, some form of energy management and charge planning would be needed. Luckily, the eCanter makes monitoring electricity flow easy through its dash-mounted touchscreen system that displays instant battery data including range, charge level, regeneration status and energy gain.

While on the subject of the interior, there are only a few clues dotted around the eCanter’s cab that would lead the driver to think he’s about to set off in silence. Apart from that touchscreen system, there’s a charge indicator alongside the 160kph speedo and an LCD display that imparts all manner of driving information at a glance. Otherwise, there are some eCanter badges dotted around and a push-button starter.

Hit that starter and the dash lights up as it ordinarily would, but there’s no smell, no sound, no shake, shimmy or vibration.

Move the conventional P-R-N-D gear selector into drive, lower the conventional mechanical park brake, lift your foot off the brake pedal and the eCanter glides off in a flurry of, um, simplicity?

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April 2020

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Four-tonne payload … and a quiet loading zone.

Simplified instrumentation to monitor the vitals.

Left: Plug and play. Centre: Touchscreen system lets driver monitor energy flow. Right: No fuel tank here, just a battery.

A reduction gear connected directly to the transmission shaft allows the eCanter to speed up without shifting, and with only a tonne in the box during our drive, the eCanter would jump off the line and get up to 50kph as quickly as any of the cars around it. Turn onto the expressway and before the eCanter even merges with traffic it’s already bumping on its 90kph limiter. Okay, making full use of that effortless electric shove will expedite depletion of the battery, but keep the needle of the right-hand gauge hovering in the ECO range and the eCanter maintains progress efficiently.

Big truck tech in a compact package

Managing speed is easy. Lift off the throttle and the eCanter begins to slow down against its electric motor. If more retardation is needed, flicking the left-hand steering column stalk selects the first and second stage of the regenerative braking. The amount of retardation is more than sufficient for a vehicle in this weight class (7500kg GVM), easily bringing the eCanter to all but a final stop without use of the foundation brakes. All the while, it’s putting a little bit of energy back into the batteries.

Sure, it’s a little eerie at first, driving a truck with the only noise being from the wind rushing past the windscreen and the vibration from uneven road surfaces. In fact, wind noise is only noticeable at highway speeds. Driving around town, the eCanter is serene. There’s no doubt spending every day in this cab would be far more relaxing for driver and crew than an equivalent oil-burning unit.

Air conditioning and electric windows enhance comfort, while the little eCanter incorporates a brace of advanced safety tech usually only found in larger machinery.

At the top of the list is Active Emergency Braking. This uses front-facing radar to monitor the road ahead; it will warn the driver if the eCanter gets uncomfortably close to the vehicle ahead and even apply the brakes if the risk of an accident increases. eCanter also has Lane Departure Warning, which uses a camera behind the windscreen to detect lane markings

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and triggers an alert if the vehicle crosses them without using the indicator. Electronic Stability Control aids vehicle control and improves stability.

The New Zealand perspective

By the time you read this, the eCanter will be back home in Tokyo, having completed its scoping mission in Aotearoa. We liked it and, more importantly, so did Fuso New Zealand’s customers – but where does that leave us?

Cameron Childs, FNZ national sales manager, says that there is broad global demand for eCanter but New Zealand is a very small market – meaning we won’t be high on the list.

“Our goal was to impress upon Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) the importance of e-mobility in New Zealand to ensure we are well placed in the queue for stock when supply becomes available.

“We are working closely with MFTBC to secure supply but we’re not currently in a position to speculate on local availability,” Cameron says.

This is a pity as, indeed, the eCanter has proved it’s fit for last-mile applications on the streets of Auckland. “For the right applications, moving to an electric vehicle is going to be an easy decision. The challenge initially, like any new technology, is going to be the upfront cost. However, as the market matures, any operator running last-mile delivery will see the benefits of reduced running costs, zero tailpipe emissions, quiet operation and driver comfort,” Cameron reiterates.

Factor in the low charging cost, the fact the eCanter qualifies for RUC exemption, and a claimed 30% reduction in maintenance costs, and it’s difficult to ignore regardless of upfront cost. It will be interesting to see the numbers once FNZ crunches them.

All things considered, eCanter stacks up as a viable alternative. With mass production scheduled for 2021, we hope Fuso New Zealand’s done enough to butter up MFTBC for some units. If that turns out to be the case, we suggest you don’t turn down the opportunity to give one a go. 

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2020 WELLSFORD LIONS ROARING TRUCK SHOW

A roaring

success Story and photos by Michael Isle

State Highway 1 north and south of Wellsford is a trucker’s dream the day of the annual Lions Roaring Truck Show. Sharing the road are some of the best and most spectacular rigs in Northland and, somewhat surprisingly but satisfyingly, Auckland.

T

his year the show was held on Sunday 16 February, and unsurprisingly for drought-stricken Northland, the weather was perfect. There are plenty praying for rain, but not today, not today at the vast expanse of the Wellsford Showgrounds.

On show at the showgrounds were 58 trucks, including for the first time this year those in a new category for utes. Many of Northland’s iconic trucking firms were represented and there was a good turnout taking the one-hour trip from Auckland – all in support of the event’s charity, The Northland Emergency Services Trust.

Event coordinator Bruce Wilson said that about 900 people went through the gates and $10,000, including $3400 from an on-site auction, was raised for the trust. He said the amount raised, the crowd size and the number of entries, all exceeded last year’s show.

Wilson said the aim this year was to appeal to a wider community by having more diverse entertainment. The trucks remain the main attraction, but this year there were 10 industry exhibitors covering machinery, tyres, transport accessories, and cranes.

The food tent, run by the Lions, did a roaring trade as it inevitably does at truck shows.

Mason Contractors and Lake Road Quarry funded free entertainment for the kids, and there was the usual clambering up into the cabs, and with equal inevitability for such shows, this was encouraged by drivers and truck owners. It has to be said that there are precious few industries in New Zealand that do as much to reach out and engage with the public.

The Wellsford Lions Roaring Truck Show has long been a feature on the Wellsford social calendar. With the growth in crowd sizes and entries it is likely to remain so. Wilson said he and the club look forward to doing it all again in 2021. 

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Two New Zealand Post Volvos; at left is the 2014 FH that took out the Truck of the Show Award.

The show this year was open to utes too. The Rhodes for Roads Bedford was eye-catching.

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Driver Luke Riddell gives the thumbs-up after winning the Truck of the Show Award.

Douglas Logging’s spectacular display captured the coveted Fleet Award.

More photos overleaf

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

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One of Aysha Logging’s flamed Macks.

Jason Nicholson and his pride and joy, the 2011 People’s Choice winner, Wharehine Contracting K200.

Scania that won Best European.

This Pete’s Heavy Towing and Salvage Argosy was one of a few tow trucks at the show.

RESULTS

Wellsford Lions Roaring Truck Show 2020 Spiffy-looking RMT DAF stock transporter.

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Truck of the Show R&O Transport People’s Choice Wharehine Contracting Company/Working Ute Skywork Helicopters Fleet Douglas Logging Best European RNC Freight Limited (Toll) Best Japanese Smith Transport Best American Ian Spedding Limited

2014 Volvo 2013 Kenworth 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser 2011 Scania 2019 Hino 1994 Kenworth

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DUNEDIN TRUCK SHOW 2020

TSI Logistics’ fleet is a vision in white.

A Kenworth with (CAT)itude!

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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ Dunedin draws ’em in Story and photos by Stan Mason

The fourth Dunedin Truck Show attracted trucks and people alike in numbers.

S

eventy-five trucks came through the gate, just over double the count from last year – an absolutely outstanding result from the transport industry. The weather was a big player on the day at 20-odd degrees.

Proceeds raised on the day went to the Arthur Burns Preschool, which controlled the barbeque (kindly donated by Dynes Transport), drinks and raffles.

The Dunedin Truck Show committee would like to thank all those involved on the day, but especially the truck owners, drivers, and helpers who got the rags and tyre paint out to present an outstanding line-up on the day. Thank you all.

Thanks must also go to the show sponsors. City Auto Glass (main sponsor), MTD, Transport Repairs, Roadmaster, Coombs Contracting, Dunedin Truck Servicing, General Tyres, TWL, Forestry Roading, Diesel Transport Services, CVC Dunedin, Tyremax, Multispares, Scania Trucks, CTS, Penske Commercial Vehicles, YHI, Steel & Tube, Caltex, Hose Supplies Christchurch, and TMC Trailers.  (Unfortunately, a full results table was unavailable at the time of print – ed.)

Clean and low R620.

The STL Kenworth T909 took the Best Chrome award.

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March 2020

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Isaiah McLellan in the McLellan Freight Mini Kenworth that was voted People’s Choice.

The Gerard Daldry/Paul Bennett Mack Superliner took out the City Auto Glass King Rig award.

Dynes Transport donated a truck-sized barbeque.

Rohan Haulage looking effortlessly cool.

Dynes Transport: a mix of old and new, Euro and US.

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0420-19

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Safe, comfy, clean, frugal, and chatty – swipe right Story by Dave McCoid • Photos supplied by Volvo Group

Volvo’s entered the new decade with an update across a swathe of models … and they have dashboards!

V

olvo Group beamed its new FM, FMX, FH, and FH16 trucks to the world in early March. The original intention was to have the world’s media and special guests right there in Gothenburg, but alas the pesky microbe currently touring the planet put paid to that. Thankfully, it failed to spoil a significant launch in the OEM world.

When Volvo murmurs the whole dinner table falls silent and everyone looks up to see what it’s doing. Like MAN last month, it was a review across a significant breadth of the company’s offerings; in fact models that account for around two-thirds of the giant’s annual sales, so, like their German counterpart, it needed to be right.

For the FH and FH16, Volvo has followed a similar path to the Munich lion, spending money only where it was deemed necessary.

When speaking of the FH, chief designer for user experience and human machine interaction for Volvo Trucks Carin

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April 2020

Larsson said, “The new generation FH combines the most successful elements from the previous FH series with smart technologies and a functional, human centric design,” ... read, it looks the same but inside and under the skin it’s way cooler.

The FM and FMX on the other hand get a whole new cab. Front on it’s a little different although clearly follows foundation design cues, that’s to say ‘it’s a Volvo’. The side profile, though, is really different, with new sill and door lines that make it look every bit the FH’s vertically challenged sibling. Raised A pillars give the truck a cubic metre more room in the cab and that also contributes significantly to the look.

So, the big hits other than the FM’s shed? Comfort, efficiency, environment, safety, and connectivity. No surprises with those buzz-words you say? Just stay with us, there is a bit to talk about, including beefier ratings on some.

The cab interior has had a broad redesign with huge emphasis on driver comfort and appeal. Visibility is up by 10%, available space is improved, and noise is down. (In a Volvo?

Yep, apparently.) There’s also more storage, increased by 50% in the FH, which is again hard to fathom in a truck that pretty much sets the bar in that area.

But the big thing for us was the dash. The Vikings head back toward a far more orthodox-looking and, we have to say, appealing dashboard. A genuine, big, 12” high resolution digital

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New FM. No more ‘Are you my Mother?’ Family ties to latest FH are clear. FMX looks staunch.

binnacle in four viewing options, and a proper wrap – it looks great! They’ve opted for touch, voice, and steering wheel to control the infotainment, which has a 9” screen option. It was clear from the presentations that managing the infotainment screen was agonising for Volvo and we can only imagine how many hours of robust debate went into it. This is the company we all genuinely believe when it says safety is in its DNA, and they were at pains to communicate the infotainment screen housed the functions that belong to tier two and three attention requirements. Tier 1a is the really big ginormous screen directly in front, and 1b the small one low and in front conveying the truck’s health and compliance status.

Volvo has made it abundantly clear that all cards are still very much on the table when it comes to propulsion as well.

The press material refreshingly emphasises combustion’s efficiency and flexibility, and the more you read it, the more it says: “Both the environment and economics are important factors for haulage companies. As there will not be one singular

Big gear with headlights that look-after the oncoming.

energy source that addresses all climate change issues, and since different transport segments and assignments will require a variety of solutions, several types of drivelines will continue to exist in parallel for the foreseeable future.”

The new range sports Euro-6d power and Volvo says with the I-Save package (tuned, down-speed high-torque motors and matched rear-ends, I-Shift, I-Roll, I-See) a 7% fuel saving, and in some instances more, is possible. (Bear in mind once again this is Europe talking ... about European roads, loads, and emissions.)

Not surprisingly, the main engine pitch was around the 13-litre D13TC engine, but in defending the case for combustion against the ideological global circus around alternative powertrains, Volvo also pointed to LNG. ‘Climate-Wise’ trucks are planet-friendly and extend from the most efficient oil burners to the Full Monty, a truck built in a CO2-neutral factory, then fuelled by full bio-LNG, and then recycled responsibly at end of life, making it climate neutral from beginning to end. Suffice to say it was a refreshing change seeing the bathwater go, and the baby remain.

Continuing the alternative power thing, Volvo is pretty much aligned with everyone else: EV for urban and short middleweight; diesel, LNG, and further down the road – maybe - hydrogen for linehaul. All the usual challenges were cited in terms of legislation, infrastructure, and engineering standards.

Bigger bums. Yes, if you want a bigger caboose on your Swedish dream, wait no longer. As part of the release the FH16 and FMX get heavier front-end options and the ability to choose a 38-tonne rear bogie. That means you can now get an FMX with a 150 tonne GCM. What commentary on a new Volvo range would be complete without a mention of safety? The company has had a few attackers to the throne in recent years and you’d have to say it’s now game on to keep ahead. Having said that, we loved the

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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ RUNNING ON SCR?... quip from senior VP International Per-Erik Lindström in the midst of it all about the 750, reminding us that you can have it all with a Volvo if you want.

The FH and FH16 come with new LED headlights in a V shape that adapt the full beam pattern in relation to oncoming traffic, keeping dazzle and glare to a minimum and visibility to a maximum. Adaptive Cruise is jazzed up and now accommodates deceleration to zero, and there’s descending control. EBS is standard throughout due to its implications in collision warning and emergency braking. Dynamic steering, lane keeping, and Stability Assist are optional. There’s also road sign recognition, the information displayed on the dash. A real snazzy bit is the camera built into the bottom mirror mounts that show cycle and pedestrian danger zones as clear as day.

And, yes, the fact they’re located in the mirror mounts answers the next question … yes, they still have mirrors.

Connectivity, was a real biggie and Volvo is in boots and all on this one, with information between truck, owner, and

Our purest child, Climate Wise. Combustion that’s flexible, efficient, and potentially 100% percent clean. ‘In your face batteries!’

Mother V driving many of the efficiency gains. And we’re not just talking predictive servicing, but tailored predictive servicing as per the client’s work profile and behaviours. All this sharing leads to great efficiencies, things like longer uptime and oil drain intervals (50% longer in some cases). Of course, the grand connectivity offerings from OEMs tend to peter out the closer you get to the farthest flung corners of the globe. There’s a golden opportunity looming for someone.

Summing up we’ll leave to Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks.

“With the new Volvo FH we are continuing our clear focus on designing trucks and offering services that can help drivers do a world-class job.”

So, when’s it here?

A press release from Volvo Trucks Australia said: “These four new trucks will be ‘Australian Made’ at our local factory in Wacol Brisbane, supported by local engineers, ensuring they are built for the unique, harsh Australian and New Zealand conditions, with intensive onsite testing so they can withstand the toughest of conditions.”

It went on to say they’re planning to take orders in Q4 this year, with the first examples popping up in Q2 2021. But, as we all know, a lot of water has passed under the bridge since that was sent, so we’d guess all bets are off; suffice to say, when they come we’ll rejoice aloud because it will be a sign something’s back to normal.

…and how much will Mother Planet love our ones?

The new ‘driver interface’ … aka, dash. Yes, that looks a lot better.

Revamped I-Shifter looks too young to leave the nest.

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These words from general manager, Volvo Trucks New Zealand, Clive Jones.

“The new model will remain with Euro 5 as standard at the time we introduce it into New Zealand but with some models available optionally at Euro 6, as we can currently.

“This additionally means we retain the reliable and trusted driveline we currently offer, which is extremely well accepted here, including our I-Shift transmission, while still moving to the fresh cab platform and additional connected type services aimed at driving fuel efficiency and uptime.”

Hmmm. We’ll take one of the ‘some models’ in Euro 6 thanks. 

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INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP The new Dongfeng KL-series was voted Chinese Truck of the Year 2020.

J

ust before the outbreak of coronavirus that started in the Hubei province, the China Commercial Vehicle Show, or CCVS 2019 for short, was held in the city of Wuhan. With a floor space of 80,000m2, this is not only the largest truck exhibition in China, but also in all of Asia.

This year’s motto of the show was ‘Intelligent Drive, Green Development’.

Hence there was a lot of attention on environmentally friendly and safe commercial vehicles. Because Euro 6 norm engines come into force in 2020 on Chinese roads, there were manufacturers galore offering top-spec heavy vehicles with a modern driveline and stateof-the-art cab. The latter is often produced in collaboration with foreign (read European) designers and truck manufacturers.

Makes that were present at the Wuhan International Expo Center included Chenglong, CIMC, Dayun, Dongfeng, FAW, Foton, JAC, JMC, Nanjing, SAIC and Shaanxi. Curiously, a few major brands such as CNHTCSinotruk, BeiBen, Genlyon and C&C were lacking. But all in all, there was enough news to absorb.

Dongfeng

CHINA is catching up Story by Niels Jansen Photos by Vladimir Chekhuta

If there is one thing the CCVS exhibition in the virus-plagued ‘coronavirus city’ of Wuhan proved, it is that the Chinese are rapidly making up the backlog they had in truck development and operation relative to countries in the Western world.

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One of the best-known Chinese truck manufacturers is Dongfeng, which celebrated its 50th anniversary at the show. New for 2020 are the next generation KL, KC and KR series.

Although there was a slight decline in commercial vehicles sales in general, Dongfeng closed 2019 with a sales volume of 185,000 medium and heavy trucks. The company showed a wide range of new models in Wuhan, among which were three concept trucks.

The Tianlong is a 40-tonne GCW hybrid tractor with various intelligent systems. The white, streamlined cab with small rearview cameras instead of mirrors looked very unusual, and so did the futuristic interior with an oddshaped multi-function steering wheel and two large LCD monitors rather than a conventional dashboard. Power comes from a 13-litre Dongfeng Euro 6 diesel engine plus a permanently operating electric motor of 80kW. The transmission is a 14-speed AMT. Another concept vehicle for Level 3 operation was the full-electric Tianjin

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Left: The Tianlong concept truck with diesel electric drive drew a lot of onlookers to the Dongfeng stand.

Above: The futuristic interior of the Tianlong with its unusual steering wheel and digital displays.

medium-duty chassis. And if this was not enough, Dongfeng also showed a Level 4 robot truck that could drive autonomously, called the ‘Sharing Box’.

More down to earth was the 2020 Chinese Truck of the Year award that also came from the Dongfeng stables.

The KL series heavy tractor is fitted with a completely new cab, a frugal Renault-derived 6-cylinder, 10.8-litre Euro 6 diesel engine and a 14-speed manual (Volvo licence). An automated transmission is also available, and of course it is equipped with all the modern comfort and safety features.

Contrary to a decade or so ago the majority of Chinese heavy trucks today are cabovers. But Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co. still builds ‘conventional’ tractors. The new Chenglong Dragon T7 tandem drive tractor looks very

Dongfeng also presented this full-electric Tianjin medium-duty truck.

FAW Jiefang is China’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.

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April 2020

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The new FAW J7 ‘Eagle’ looks

Installed behind the cab of this FAW

The K7W has definite Euro looks and

and rides like a European truck.

J6P is a 1000-litre hydrogen tank.

is the new flagship of JAC.

The Turkish-Chinese JMC Veyron

Top of the range JMC Veyron HV5 is

The American style Chenglong Dragon

FCV has an electric motor that is

fitted with an adapted Turkish Ford

T7 is powered by a 560hp Dongfeng

charged by hydrogen fuel.

F-Max cab and engine.

Cummins diesel engine.

American with its long bonnet and integrated sleeper. This attractive looking truck is equipped with a 14-litre Dongfeng Cummins Euro 6 diesel engine pushing out 417kW (560hp), and a ZF 12-speed AMT transmission.

Younger drivers especially favour it.

FAW

FAW Jiefang is the largest Chinese automaker. It showed the new FAW J7 ‘Eagle’ with a GCW of 40 tonnes.

The top of the range cabover not only looks much better than its angular J6 predecessor, it is also technically more advanced with a Level 2 autopilot system.

There was also a FAW J6P tractor shown with a 328kW (440hp) Xichai Euro 6 engine and 12-speed FAW gearbox.

The 6x4 drive truck had a 1000-litre cryogenic fuel tank behind the cab.

JAC

JAC Motors unveiled the JAC K7W that has a 14-litre Dongfeng-Cummins Euro 6 diesel engine pushing out 417kW (560hp), and a 12-speed automated ZF box under the European

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style sleeper cab. It was proudly announced that the new truck could achieve a top speed of 115kph!

JMC

Built in cooperation with Turkish Ford, JMC Heavy Duty Vehicle Co displayed its new Veyron range. The HV5 6x4 tractor shown was fitted with an adapted version of the latest Ford F-Max cab.

The 13-litre, 395kW (530hp) Euro 6 diesel engine is also a Ford licence and is coupled to a ZF 12-speed AMT. A hybrid is the JMC Veyron 4x2 FCV with old style Ford cab. It has a 250kW electric motor and a hydrogen fuel cell.

Shaanxi

Shaanxi is not only a well-known name in China but also exports commercial vehicles to many foreign markets. Its new X3000 LNG heavy tractor has a 343kW (460hp) Weichai Euro 6 engine that can run on a mix of 95% liquefied gas and 5% diesel. Transmission is a manual 12-speed from Chinese manufacturer Fast. Some components are European sourced, like the

licence-built MAN rear tandem axles.

Dayun

Another new flagship that attracted quite a bit of attention in Wuhan was the Dayun V9.550. Under the goodlooking cab lies a 13-litre Weichai Euro 5 diesel that is coupled to a 16-speed Fast manual transmission.

Foton

Beiqi Foton Motor Co, which has close ties with Daimler-Benz, showed the new Foton Auman EST-A 2.0. Power comes from a 13-litre Foton Cummins X13 diesel of 417kW (560hp), with a 16-speed automated ZF transmission.

The cab is a modified Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 and it comes with all the intelligent monitoring systems for comfort and safety that are seen in the latest heavy Benz. Why Foton as a partner of Daimler-Benz does not make use of the proven OM-engine platform is not exactly known, but the rumour goes that the Chinese cannot match the high quality level of (licence) build that the Germans require. 

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New Rigs New ON THE ROAD ON THE ROAD

The TheSky’s Sky’sthe theLimit Limit Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Renault Lander 8x4 Bang on460.32 accommodation!

Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui International ProStar T6 LRSLP 6x4 tractor Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Richards Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Operator: Prime Explosives Ltd – Tauranga Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission Optidriver Engine: Cummins X15 459kW (615hp) Transmission Optidriver Rear axles Renault P2191 hub reduction Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Transmission: Eatonwith 18-speed UltraShift AMT Truck body deck with front46-160 mounted PK12000 Truck body Rear axles: FlatFlat deck with front mounted PK12000 Meritor Palfinger crane Rear suspension: Palfinger crane IROS Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Features: First sleeper-cab ProStar, sliding fifth Dura-Bright alloy wheels

Dura-Bright alloy wheels wheel, light tare (8580kg full of fuel and Operation Carting roofing material around Operation Carting roofing material around DEF) the Bay of Plenty area

the Bay of Plenty area

Operation:

Explosives ex Tauranga

Twin TwinTippers Tippers Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Renault Lander 8x4 Nine at 460.32 a time

Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Volvo FM 540 sleeper 8x4 rigid Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Richards Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Engine Operator: 0Xi11, 460hp Auto Despatch – Wellington Branch Transmission Optidriver Transmission OptidriverVolvo D13C 343kW (460hp) Engine: Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear axles Transmission:Renault P2191 with hub reduction Volvo AT2612F I-Shift 12-speed Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Rear axles: Palfinger Volvo RTS2370B single reduction crane Rear suspension: Palfinger crane Volvo RADD-GR 8-bag air suspension Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Body: MFalloy King Wellington Dura-Bright wheels

Dura-Bright alloy wheels Trailer: Foot Engineering Auckland Operation Carting roofing material around Operation Carting roofing material around Operation: the Bay ofVehicle transport nationwide Plenty area

the Bay of Plenty area

Safety and performance fused Fuel Hauling FH Fuel Hauling FH

Sultan ofStar cement Shooting Star Shooting

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Renault Lander 460.32 8x4

RenaultLander Lander460.32 460.328x4 8x4 Renault

Operator: Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui A S Wilcox and Sons Ltd Operator Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Engine: Cummins X15 448kW (600hp) Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Richards Transmission: Eaton Roadranger RTLO 22918B Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission Optidriver Optidrivermanual Transmission Rear Meritor with full diff locks Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear axlesaxles:Renault P2191 with46-160GP hub reduction Rear suspension: AG460 Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Domett body and 5-axle trailer Body/trailer: Palfinger crane Palfinger crane Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Features: Disc safety suite (ESP, EBSS, Bendix Features brakes,Full Bluetooth,

Dura-Bright alloy wheels Fusion), disc brakes Dura-Bright alloy wheels Operation Carting roofing material around Extras: Carting Alcoa Dura-Bright Operation roofing material aroundwheels Sign writing: thethe Bay of Plenty area Bay of Plenty Truck area Signs Mt Maunganui

Operator: Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Dibble Bulk Transport Ltd Operator Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Engine: Mack MP8 13-litre 399kW (535hp) Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Richards Transmission: Eaton Roadranger RTLO 22918B manual Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Rear axles: Optidriver Transmission OptidriverMeritor 46-160 Transmission Rear suspension: Mackwith AP460 Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear axles Renault P2191 hub reduction Features: sleeper, polished alloy Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Truck body Flat deck 36” with mid-height front mounted PK12000 wheels

Palfinger crane Palfinger crane Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Trailer: Feldbinder 4-axle pneumatic tanker Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Paint and signage: Dura-Bright alloy wheels Fleet Image Te Awamutu Dura-Bright alloy wheels Operation Carting roofing material around Signage: Carting Wrapped Autoaround Signs Tauranga Operation roofing material Operation: the the Bay of Plenty area Bay ofCement Plenty area cartage ex Mt Maunganui

Kenworth K200 2.3m Aerodyne 8x4 rigid

Operation:

Produce and machinery North Island

November 2015

72 New Zealand Trucking April 2020 10 10 NZNZ TRUCKING TRUCKING November 2015

Mack Trident 36” mid-roof sleeper 8x4 tractor

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Triple Kiwi classic Carperton Argosy

Mellow Miles & Michelin Men AndLander then there were two Renault 460.32 8x4

International R8 9870 Renault Lander 460.32 8x4Sky BT 8x4 rigid

Kenworth K200 2.3m Aerodyne sleeper 8x4 rigid Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Driver Frank Richards Operator: Semco Group Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Engine: Transmission OptidriverCummins X15 410kW (550hp) Transmission: Eaton with FO-20E318B-MXP Rear axles Renault P2191 hub reduction UltraShift AMT Rearbody axles: Flat deck Meritor RT46-160 full diff locks Truck with front mountedwith PK12000 Rear suspension: Palfinger AG460 crane Body/trailer:Disc brakes, Fruehauf Features Bluetooth, Features: Dura-Bright Alcoa wheels alloyDura-Bright wheels Operation: Carting roofing General freightaround North Island Operation material Photo: Baker the Bay ofHayden Plenty area

Operator: Roadex logistics Twist Trucking LtdMaunganui – Waipawa Operator Ltd, Mount Engine: Cummins X15 459kW (615hp) Driver Frank Richards Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission: Eaton 18-speed UltraShift AMT Transmission Rear axles: Optidriver Meritor RT46-160 GP Rear axles Renault P2191 Rear suspension: IROS with hub reduction Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Body/trailer: Transport and General Transport Trailers Features: Palfinger crane Alcoa Alloy Dura-Bright offset wheels, Features Disc brakes, twinBluetooth, air intakes, tinted windows, wrapped Dura-Bright alloy wheels fuel tank Operation material around Operation: Carting roofing Bulk product central and upper North the Bay ofIsland Plenty area Driver:

‘Pluto’

Superb Superahead!

Liner Full cream

Dew’s Rollin’Jewel since ’47

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4

UD CG 32-420 8x4 rigid Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator: Mark Scarfe Driver Frank Richards Engine: UD GH11 313kW (420hp) Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission: Transmission Optidriver Escot-6 12-speed AMT axles:Renault P2191 UD RTS2370A RearRear axles with hub reduction Rear suspension: UD front air suspension Truck body Flat deck with mounted PK12000 Body: MaxiTRANS body, Thermo King Palfinger crane refrigeration Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Features: Dura-BrightAccu-Lite alloy wheels alloy wheels Operation: Carting roofing Milk material distribution Hawke’s Bay Operation around Driver: the Bay of Mark PlentyScarfe area

DAF FAT CF85 6x4 rigid

Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator: Yelavich Transport Ltd Driver Frank Richards Engine: PACCAR MX13 380kW (510hp) Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission: Eaton Roadranger RTLO 20918B manual Transmission Optidriver Rear axles axles: RenaultMeritor Rear P2191 46-160 with hub reduction Rear suspension: AG400 Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Body/trailer: Palfinger Transfleet crane Features: Cab side skirts, polished alloy wheels Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Sign writing: Dura-Bright Kinghorn Signs alloy wheels Operation: transport Operation CartingBulk roofing materialgreater aroundAuckland Driver: Yelavich the BayLogan of Plenty area

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New Zealand Trucking AprilNZ 2020 73 11 November 2015 TRUCKING

WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ RUNNING ON SCR?... new kiwi bodies & trailers New Zealand Trucking brings you New Kiwi Bodies & Trailers. Bodies and trailers are expected to last twice as long as trucks. What’s more, there’s new technology and advanced design features showing up almost every month.

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. If you want a body or trailer included on these pages, send a photo, features and the manufacturer’s name to trailers@nztrucking.co.nz

Understated class TKO Holdings recently took delivery of this new Mills-Tui 7.3m Low Rider trailer. Fitted with G450 high-wearresistant steel bathtub, the unit has high stoplights, additional sidelights, and classy polished highlights that convey the new owner’s pride well.

Features: Hendrickson disc brake axles with Mills-Tui alloy wheels. Set up for HPMV. Mills-Tui.

Cart it, billet!

Patchell Industries has worked with Marsden Transport Services to produce three complete truck and trailer sets, of which this stunning new Scania R650 is one. The truck and 5-axle billet wood unit will join the Whangarei-based fleet.

Features: Truck – Painted steel cab guard, fixed stanchion and lay-over bolsters, non-slip plywood chassis infills, LED lights, TrailMax LED load and reversing lights, 4-channel weight system.

Trailer – Hendrickson INTRAAX disc brake axles and air suspension, Knorr EBS braking system, Hendrickson TIREMAAX pro, Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels, rifle bolt ‘push-up’ remote extension pins on all bolsters.

Patchell Industries

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New Zealand Trucking

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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ In them thar hills!

Fresh out the door from Patchell Industries comes this sleek 4-axle skeletal semi-trailer bound for trucking’s utopia in the hills of the King Country, PGF. The semi’s presentation is exactly as you would expect any vehicle heading PGF’s way, with attention to detail front and centre.

Features: ROR SL9 axles and suspension, WABCO disc brakes, JOST polished alloy wheels, and multiple optimised container positions.

Patchell Industries

Impossible to miss Mills-Tui has produced this glorious monster for Rob Dahm Ltd. Made from Hardox steel, the bins have a onepiece top combing rail, heavyduty tail doors, one-piece folded rear posts, stainless steel guard pole, and customer logo on back door.

Features: Hendrickson disc brake axles, WABCO EBS, MillTui alloy wheels.

Mills-Tui

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April 2020

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MINI BIG RIGS

Front suspension installation Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

Now we have a strong, straight and true chassis, it is time to begin the running gear installation, starting at the front end.

T

his month we move on to step 2 and start installing the running gear. Again, as we did with the chassis build, the first task is to identify the parts required on the sprue, carefully cut them free, and lay them out in order as per the instruction sheet. I

find it helpful when completing a step like this to draft up a sheet of paper where you can lay out the parts in their assembly groups. This is especially helpful when you have left and right specific parts that look near identical.

In instances like this, write down their

Identifying the required parts and laying them out on a sheet of paper with their reference numbers will save you from any possibility of confusion while assembling.

corresponding identification numbers; this way you eliminate all possibility of confusion when you are halfway through applying glue.

As I mentioned previously, you will find that the moulding process sometimes leaves a raised ridge/mark on the parts that I feel needs to be cleaned away. It is not critical to clean these moulding marks, however a little time spent here results in a more realistic finish when the model is painted. To clean away these moulding ridges/ marks I use a mix of a very fine file as well as a fine grit sandpaper. Take your time and gently work at removing these imperfections, as you do not want to grind away excessive amounts of plastic.

You will see on the instruction sheet that step 2 is broken into two stages.

The first stage is to fully assemble the front axle. The model is designed to have working steering to add to its realism, so extreme care and patience is required here when applying glue so that you do not accidentally bond the steering in a fixed position for all eternity. The next item to be installed is part 22A, the tie rod; this again requires a little care and patience. This part is not glued. Instead, as you will see on the instruction sheet, the pins on the tie rod ends are inserted into place, then the ends of the pins are ‘mushroomed’. This is achieved by heating the tip of a small fine blade screwdriver or the like with

Cleaning the moulding ridge marks from the parts before assembly

The completed front axle and suspension installation,

makes for a clean finish, especially once paint is applied.

complete with working steering.

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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ Cancellation announcement Regrettably the organisers (NZMTA) of the 2020 NZ Model Truck Show that was to be held Easter weekend in Palmerston North have had to cancel the event in light of the global Covid-19 situation. We will keep you informed with future show plans as they come to hand.

Our subject matter, Pilkington Automotive Glass/Ken Kirk circa 1992.

a candle/lighter etc. While hot you use the very end of the screwdriver blade to gently but quickly burr over the pin to resemble a mushroom top. If done correctly you will now have a working steerable front axle.

Now for the easy stage of step 2 where we bring all the parts together by first fitting the front springs to the chassis.

Once these are set in place we can install the completed front axle assembly onto the springs, along with the sway bar and shock absorbers. At this time before the glue sets, check that the axle is seated correctly and is square with the chassis

rails. It is easy to make a tweak now if required, however it is an Italeri kit, so rest assured it will fit.

Well, there is the first half of our running gear in place, next time it is on to the rear bogie installation. 

Do you build model trucks? Would you like to share your stories and model builds with our readers? Then please feel free to contact us – carl@ nztrucking.co.nz. These pages are dedicated to supporting the hobby, and we would like to hear from you.

Take your time and be careful when applying glue near the moving parts, this way you will retain the working steering feature of the model.

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LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB Hi Little Truckers! It’s starting to cool down now; I hope you are all enjoying our puzzles and fun facts, especially on those cold days you are stuck inside.

Thank you for your entries into the Auto Art by Rochelle colouringin competition. So many wonderful artworks to choose from!

Congratulations to Ryan Schutt, 5 years old from Rotorua! Ryan is very passionate about trucks and loves going for rides with dad at every possible

opportunity. He coloured in lots of copies of the Kenworth from our February issue. I love his use of colours and how much effort he put in to his art. Fantastic work!

Keep an eye on your mailbox Ryan, an activity pack is on its way to you, thanks to Auto Art by Rochelle.

If any of you would like to show me your drawings, please send them to me; I absolutely love seeing them. You can either take a photo or scan them and email me at: rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz.

LITTLE TRUCKE

RS’ CLUB

Fun Fact Well done to 5-year-old Ryan Schutt from Rotorua.

Ryan loves riding in dad’s

Ryan had great fun

truck when he gets the

coming up with different

chance.

designs.

Find a Word

1 2 3 4 5 6

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78

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New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

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097-0219

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DIESEL TRANSFER EQUIPMENT 40L/ MIN

200L & 400L DIESELPOWER UNITS • 12V DieselPower Self-priming pump • Strong double walled lockable pump cover (padlock incl.) protects the pump and tank breather from unwanted access) • High quality auto shut-off nozzle • Suction foot screen filter on internal suction line • 4m wiring harness with alligator clips • 4m of ¾” delivery hose with swivel and crimped fittings • 30 min duty cycle, 30 min on/off • Baffled tank (400L) • Low profile design

OPEN FLOW

40L/ MIN OPEN FLOW

SQDN400-7

300 LITRE DIESELPOWER • 4m wiring harness with alligator clips • 12V DieselPower self-priming pump • 4m of ¾” delivery hose with swivel and crimped fittings • High quality auto shut-off nozzle • 30 min duty cycle, 30 min on/off

40L/ MIN OPEN FLOW

SQD300-7

LOCKABLE FILLING CAP

650

400 LITRE

1,300

$

STRONG LOCKABLE COVER

• 12V 40L/min open flow pump • 4m ¾” delivery hose with manual nozzle

$

SQDN200-7

4M OF ¾” DELIVERY HOSE

100 LITRE DIESEL UNIT

SQDN100-P1

200 LITRE

1,000

$

1,250

BAFFLED TANK

$

BAFFLED TANK

BAFFLED TANK

200L AND 400L DIESELPRO TRANSFER UNITS • 12V PIUSI self-priming pump • High quality auto shut-off nozzle • 5m of ¾” delivery hose with swivel and crimped fittings • 45L/Min open flow • Lockable filling cap with 2 keys • 4m wiring harness with alligator clips • Suction foot screen AUTO filter on internal suction line • 30 min duty cycle, 30 min on/off SHUT OFF TRIGGER • Baffled tank (400L only)

200 LITRE

1,400

$

SQDN200L-Z1 400 LITRE

1,700

$

SQDN400L-Z1

600L DIESELPRO TRANSFER UNIT • 12V PIUSI self-priming pump • High quality auto shut-off nozzle • 5m of ¾” delivery hose with swivel and crimped fittings • Tank bottom 8mm brass inserts for bolt down mounting to a tray, skid or platform

SQDN600L-X1

2,000

$

45L/ MIN

TWIN BAFFLED TANK

OPEN FLOW

BAFFLED TANK

STRONG LOCKABLE COVER

BAFFLED TANK

BAFFLED TANK

BAFFLED TANK

1100 & 2200L DIESELPAK TRANSFER UNITS Large capacity diesel storage for farm and construction equipment.

• 5m hose & auto shut-off gun • Foot design allows bolt down mounting

800L DIESELPAK ITALIAN PUMP

INDENT ORDER ONLY

BAFFLED TANK 1100L ONLY 1100 LITRE

2,300

$

SQD1000-X1

ALSO AVAILABLE: 2200L UNIT FITTED WITH 85L/MIN HIGH FLOW PUMP AND 4M HOSE

2200 LITRE

3,760

$

SQD2200-5

TWIN BAFFLED TANK • 5m 3/4” delivery hose with auto shut-off nozzle • Suction foot screen filter on internal suction line • 30 min duty cycle, 30 min on/off BAFFLED TANK • Large Internal twin baffle • SquatPak style accessory mounting points. Two tank corners with large M10 Inserts for mounting hose reels • Deep Tie-down locating channels for straps mounting and tank strength 12V PIUSI SQD800-X1 SELFPRIMING PUMP

2,100

$

45L/ MIN OPEN FLOW

UNIQUE TWIN

BAFFLED TANK

BAFFLED TANK

BAFFLED TANK

TWIN BAFFLED TANK

0220-09

Prices valid until 31st March 2020.

Prices exclude GST, exclude dealer installation and/or freight charges.

BAFFLED TANK

0508 745 826

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Contents 82 86 87 88 90 92 94 96 98

Moving Metrics Truckers’ Health Health and Safety Legal Lines IRTENZ conference RTF conference NZTA RTF Last Mile

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Number of units registered.

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Moving metrics

Heavy vehicle registrations Year to Date (TD) 600

534

500

451

392

400

340

New Zealand Trucking shows 214 you 212 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.

300 200 100 0

NB

NC

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers Heavy vehicle class first registered in January YTD 2019

TD

YTD 2020

This information is put together from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency through its Open Data portal https://opendata-nzta.opendata. arcgis.com/

Vehicle type This summary includes data for three heavy-truck and -trailer classes.

Vehicle class

Description

NB (medium goods vehicle)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes.

NC (heavy goods vehicle)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes.

t registration in New Zealand in February of NB, NC and TD classes TD (heavy trailer)

Number of units registered

Heavy vehicle first registration in New Zealand for First registration of NB, NC and TDmonth classes for February year on year 300 250 200

239 203

189

167

150

104

100

96

50 0

NB

NC

TD

Heavy vehicle class Feb-19

Feb-20

Heavy vehicle ofregistrations toyear Date (TD) First registrations NB, NC and TD Year classes to date 600

Number of units registered.

534 2020 for major manufacturer t registration of NB and NC classes for February 500 400

451

392

340

300

214

200 100 0

NB

NC

Heavy vehicle class YTD 2019

82

212

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

YTD 2020

TD

A trailer that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 10 tonnes.

A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: (a) is 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.

A table of all vehicle classes can be found 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/vehicledimensions-and-mass-2016-asat-1-june-2019.pdf ).

Note: vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

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First registration in New Zealand by vehicle class February 2020 for major manufacturers

16

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Number of units

Number of units

60 49 50 39 34 40 30 20 1820 15 First registration in New by vehicle class 20 First registration of NBZealand and NC classes for 9 10 7 7 February 2020 by major manufacturers 10 2 for major manufacturers February 2020 0 60 49 50 39 34 40 25 30 20 1820 16 15 20 9 10 7 7 NB NC 10 2 0

NB forNC First registration of TD class heavy trailer February 2020 for major suppliers

Class TD trailers first registered in New Zealand forformonth First registration of TD class February 2020 by major supplier 47

Others

51

Supplier

4 trailer for February 2020 for major suppliers st registration of TDTES class heavy 4

Supplier

8 8 ClassRoadmaster TD trailers first registered in New Zealand 11 Patchell for month16 Others

MTE

TES

4 Fruehauf 4

Roadmaster

Domett88

51

9 9

Patchell MTE

47

12

7

7

5

9 11 16 10 0 12

20

Feb-20

30

40

Feb-19

50

60

9 9

Fruehauf

5 charges purchased summary user 9 – February 2020

Domett Road 0

10

20

30

Feb-20 Feb-19 RUC purchase for February 2020, all RUC types

A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https://www.nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/ licensing-rego/road-user-charges/ruc-rates-andtransaction-fees/ Please note, data may differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.

40

This information is put together from information provided by the NZ

50

Transport Agency. New Zealand Trucking magazine acknowledges 60 of the media team at NZTA for providing this the assistance information to us.

Total value and distance of all road user charges purchased between 01 January 2018 and 29 February 2020.

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

1 January 2018 – 31 December 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

1 January 2019 – 31 December 2019

16,166,434,103

$2,041,939,272

1 January 2020 – 29 February 2020

2,656,155,613

$343,922,436

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

RUC type 1 vehicles are powered vehicles with two axles (except type 2 or type 299 vehicles.

Type 299 vehicles 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.

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

1 January 2019 – 28 February 2019

1,811,526,743

1 January 2020 – 29 February 2020

1,905,432,990

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

83

WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ 1 January 2020 – 29 February 2020

1,905,432,990

Rolling trend month-on-month purchase of RUC during 2019 – 2020

1,450,000,000

RUC Distance Purchased (km)

Jan-20

Feb-20

Dec-19

Oct-19

Nov-19

Sep-19

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

1,150,000,000 Jul-19

43

1,200,000,000 Aug-19

Powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 vehicles)

1,250,000,000

Jun-19

6

1,300,000,000

Apr-19

Powered vehicles with one singletyred spaced axle and one twin-tyred spaced axle

1,350,000,000

May-19

2

1,400,000,000

Feb-19

Description

$190,000,000 $185,000,000 $180,000,000 $175,000,000 $170,000,000 $165,000,000 $160,000,000 $155,000,000 $150,000,000 $145,000,000 $140,000,000 Mar-19

RUC type

Distance purchased (Km)

The top eight RUC type purchases, other than type 1, in descending order are:

Purchase value ($)

RUC RUCtypes types RUCpurchases purchases all all RUC

RUC purchases for the top eight RUC types

RUC Value ($)

14

Powered vehicles with four axles 6 $44,318,200 414 or type 499 43 (except type 408, $19,630,981 vehicles) 14 $32,165,882 951 Unpowered vehicles 951 with five or more $11,407,065 H94 axles $15,203,345 33 $6,331,018 H94 Towing vehicle that is part of an 408 $8,687,209 overweight combination vehicle Total Year to type 14 RUC vehicle Date consisting of a$167,538,101 towing a type 951 RUC vehicle with a permit weight of not more than 50,000kg.

Purchase value ($)

Distance purchased (Km)

109,059,281 $0.41 Rolling trend month-on-month purchase of RUC during 2019 – 2020 86,656,581 $0.23 78,219,846 RUC purchases$0.41 for the top eight RUC types RUC purchases year to date (end of 66,914,300 $0.17 The top eight RUC type purchases, other than type 1, in descending order are: February $0.41 2020) for selected RUC types 37,041,291 35,961,168 $0.18 RUC type Description RUC class $0.38 RUC value ($) RUC distance (Km) Cents/km 22,909,656 2 Powered vehicles with one single-tyred spaced axle and one twin-tyred space 2 201,889,775 $0.15 axle $29,794,401 $638,651,898 $44,318,200 109,059,281 $0.41 6 $44,318,200 109,059,281 6 6 Powered vehicles with three axles, (except type$0.41 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 veh 43 $19,630,981 86,656,581 $0.23 43 Unpowered vehicles with four axles 43 $19,630,981 86,656,581 $0.23 78,219,846 1414 Powered$32,165,882 vehicles with four axles (except type 408,$0.41 414 or type 499 vehicles) 14 $32,165,882 78,219,846 $0.41 951 $11,407,065 66,914,300 $0.17 951 Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles RUC purchases February 951 H94 types $11,407,065 $0.17 33 Unpowered vehicles with three twin-2020 for selected $15,203,345 66,914,300 37,041,291 $0.41 H94 Towing vehicle that is part of an overweight combination vehicle consisting of $6,331,018 35,961,168 tyred, or single large-tyred, close axles 120,000,000 H94 33 $25,000,000 $15,203,345 37,041,291 $0.41 type 14 RUC vehicle towing a type 951 RUC vehicle$0.18 with a permit weight of no 408 $8,687,209 22,909,656 $0.38 (except vehicle type 939) more $6,331,018 than 50,000kg. 35,961,168 33 $0.18 100,000,000 Total Year to $20,000,000 408 Towing vehicles with four axles that Unpowered vehicles with three twin-tyred, or single Date $167,538,101 $638,651,898 408 33 $8,687,209 22,909,656 $0.38 large-tyred, close axles 80,000,000 are part of a combination vehicle with (except vehicle type 939) $15,000,000 Total Year to Date $167,538,101 $638,651,898 60,000,000 408 Towing vehicles with four axles that are part of a combination vehicle with a t a total of at least 8 axles $10,000,000 of at least 8 axles

40,000,000

RUC purchasesFebruary February 2020 selected types RUC purchases 2020 for for selected types $5,000,000

20,000,000

$25,000,000

120,000,000

Purchase value ($)

Distance purchased (Km)

0 $0 The red dots represent the cost of RUC 2 6 43 14 951 H94 33 408 100,000,000 purchased for that RUC type for theRUC year RUC purchases year to date (end of February 2020) for selected $20,000,000 RUC types type to date (end of February 2020) only, thus 80,000,000 Total RUC distance (Km) Total RUC Value ($) $15,000,000 RUC distance for RUC type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles RUC class RUC value ($) Cents/km 60,000,000 (Km) with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, $10,000,000 2 The red dots represent the cost of RUC purchased for that RUC type for the year$29,794,401 to date February 201,889,775 $0.15 40,000,000 399 or 413 vehicles), the higher value results 2020 only, thus for RUC type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, $5,000,000 20,000,000 from the high cost of RUC for these type 311, 399 or 413 vehicles), the higher value results from the high cost of RUC for these type vehicles vehicles above 12 tonne. $0 0 above 12 tonne.

2

RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types

6

43

14

951

RUC type

Total RUC distance (Km)

H94

33

408

Total RUC Value ($)

The red dots represent the cost of RUC purchased for that RUC type for the year to date February

only, thus for RUC type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309 RUC Date2020 (YTD) RUCpurchases purchases Year Year to to Date (YTD)

Year to date: January and February 311, 399 or 413 vehicles), the higher value results from the high cost of RUC for these type vehicl above 12 tonne.

RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC distance purchased year to RUC date fortypes selected RUC types

200,000,000 150,000,000 100,000,000 50,000,000 -

250,000,000 2

6

43 YTD 2019

84

New Zealand Trucking

14

951

RUC Type

YTD 2020

April 2020

Distance purchased (km)

Distance purchased (km)

250,000,000

H94 33 200,000,000 150,000,000 100,000,000 50,000,000

By comparing distance purchased year to date with the same period for the previous RUC purchases Year to Date (YTD) year, any trends in changes to activity will Year to date: January and February become clear.

408

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Prepare as best you can…

Commentary by Morgan Strong, general manager, Commercial, UDC Finance

T

he recent events relating to Covid-19 have created significant challenges for many businesses. These range from income completely stopping overnight, to a significant increase in demand and challenges being able to keep up.

Whatever the impact on your business from the outbreak, these will potentially be ongoing for a period of time and may linger for a while after the current outbreak is contained. You may need to make some changes in the business, either temporary or long term to get through.

It is important you work through different scenarios and have some plans in place, which you can implement if required.

Getting the plan in place. Work with good team of advisors, including an accountant, to develop a plan and continually monitor your progress against it. Ensure your advisory team is prepared to challenge the numbers you put together, doing what we call ‘sensitivity analysis’ in the finance game. Don’t assume that everything will go to plan

– build your plans to allow for something to go wrong.

Communicate with your funder. By having open, honest conversations early we can work together to support you in delivering your plan. This can help you protect your business and ensure you are as well positioned as possible when the next upswing comes. By sharing your plan, your funder can better understand the challenges you may be facing and can work with you to overcome these.

Retain and support your people. Look at how you can reduce the risk to your people by considering options to work remotely and minimise the risk of your workforce all becoming unwell. Think about what back-up options you have if critical staff are affected. Work with your suppliers, customers and staff to support each other – taking a longer-term view where possible will help build strong relationships and ensure you’re well placed to take advantage of future opportunities.

Look upstream and downstream. By considering what related industries are experiencing and looking at the downstream risks, you’ll be in a better position to front foot challenges which may be coming and also see opportunities on the horizon.

YOUR FIRE SUPPRESSION PARTNER Fire is a serious risk to on-road commercial transport. Its consequences can be catastrophic on the welfare of people and assets. Protect your personnel & On-Road Fleet with one of the world’s most sophisticated fire suppression systems, which utilise the latest engineering technology to provide 24/7 fully monitored solutions.

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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

Trucking up to the challenge

E

very month I bring you new ideas to try help you to improve your overall health and fitness. I understand that I am in a completely different boat from you as I work fixed hours, 40 hours a week, and, of course, I work at a gym. As a truck driver you obviously work a lot more hours, are constantly travelling, and wouldn’t always have a set routine as to when you get home each day.

So I am very excited to announce that I have found a trucker who has signed up as a member of my latest 8-week health and fitness challenge at TCA Fitness Club in Thames. I wanted to get a trucker on board to show what is realistic to achieve around a trucker’s lifestyle and hectic work commitments.

Let me introduce Maurice Watson. Maurice was born and bred on the Hauraki Plains and currently drives for LJ Paul Limited, contracted to Mainfreight Thames. Initially, he wanted to become a mechanic, but his family ties were too strong and he was drawn into the trucking industry five years ago and has never looked back.

As a general freight driver in his Kenworth K104 day cab, Maurice begins work at 12pm and returns home around 2am Monday to Friday. As with any job, trucking has its pros and cons. He struggles with big deliveries in the heat of the day and finds “the hardest part of the job in terms of fitness and health would be finding the time to get out and go to the gym or play sports. I’m normally too tired or straight lazy and can’t be bothered to be honest. Instead of making a healthy lunch I end up just buying food because I am too tired.”

But Maurice loves his truck. “It’s old school, well looked after, and a reliable truck. I wouldn’t change it for any other,” he says.

Maurice also has a busy family life with his partner Sharna.

They own a home together with their three young girls. “If it wasn’t for her holding down the fort I couldn’t do my job. She works part-time as well as looking after our girls.”

We will be following Maurice’s journey throughout the 8-week health and fitness challenge and I will keep you in the loop as to how he is managing to balance his job and family life as well as trying to improve his health and fitness – which is one of the main reasons he wanted to take part in the challenge.

“I want to make a change and improve my health in general so I can live a longer and healthier life,” says Maurice.

There are many ways that I track progress throughout the challenge. The classic weigh in (scales), body measurements, before and after photos (everyone’s favourite) and a fitness test.

“I thought my fitness wasn’t too bad. I play golf most weekends and go on bush walks with the kids – until I had to do the fitness test and that was a big wake-up call,” says Maurice.

Another massive part of the challenge is helping the participants with their training and nutrition. Nutrition is an absolute make or break in terms of improving overall health, losing weight, maintaining, or even gaining weight. Maurice says his current diet isn’t great. “I go to the Papakura BP each night and get a coffee and grab a pie or chocolate bar just to

86

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

Maurice Watson is going to prove keeping fit and healthy while living the truckers’ lifestyle is possible.

help keep me awake on the way home.”

Maurice’s workmates are in full support of his 8-week mission. “They think it’s a good idea to show an insight to being able to manage fitness and health while pulling a standard 70-hour working week in the truck.”

I will be checking in with Maurice each week to look at his daily food and exercise diary and give him pointers on how to make small improvements and adjustments each week, so that by week eight he will have improved his nutrition and training regime with small, sustainable steps along the way. Stay tuned to see how Maurice goes throughout his 8-week mission. 

Laura Peacock Personal trainer TCA Fitness Club

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

Mobile phone rules

A

If using a phone rather than hands-free or Bluetooth, the couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend who phone must be secured in a mounting fixed to the vehicle; and had been stopped in a line of traffic because of an the driver may only look at it infrequently and briefly. accident. He reached down, picked up his phone to In short, mobile phones are a take a photo of the accident, temptation that is hard to resist. We and decided that it was not appropriate have become accustomed to immediate to do so – because of the people’s privacy, How can Safewise interactions and find it very difficult not the rules about phone usage. help? to resist using our phones, even when Unfortunately, a policeman at the scene We work with organisations we know better. The phone should be saw him do this and pulled him over. A that need more health left out of sight and reach, connected fairly short time later my friend was $80 and safety knowledge, to a hands-free device, or turned off. poorer and 20 demerit points richer. or more time, than they Pull safely to the side of the road when Since then he has been noticing how have in-house. For more using the phone if you are likely to be many people use their mobile phones information, check the distracted by the conversation. while driving, many of them quite website Note that the definition of a mobile blatantly. NZTA reports that, in 2018, www.safewise.co.nz phone does not include CB or other driver distraction was a contributing two-way radios. factor in 12 fatal crashes, 155 serious injury crashes and 956 minor injury crashes.

Refer to the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 or the This might be a good time to review the legislation around NZTA website (www.nzta.govt.nz) for more information.  phone use in vehicles while driving. The driver must not: • make, receive, or terminate a telephone call; • create, send, or read a text message; • create, send, or read an email; • create, send, or view a video message; • use a mobile phone to communicate in a way similar to the above.

However, the driver may: • use the phone to make a 111 or *555 call, and it is unsafe or impracticable for the driver to stop and park the vehicle to make the call; • make, receive, or terminate a telephone call if the phone does not require the driver to hold or manipulate it to make, receive, or terminate the call; • make, receive, or terminate a telephone call if the vehicle has stopped for a reason other than the normal starting and 23031 DANI1 TRUCKING PM stopping ofAD.pdf vehicles27/5/10 in a flow3:12:58 of traffic.

Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Limited, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 10 years’ experience working with organisations from many different industries. Tracey holds a Diploma in Health and Safety Management and a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health. She is a graduate member of New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is the Waikato branch manager.

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: 64 9 379 7658 mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@hobsonchambers.co.nz Referral Through Solicitor Required and Arranged

New Zealand Trucking

April 2020

87

WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ LEGAL LINES

Tackling unsafe speeds

I

n 2015, speeding was a contributing factor in 93 fatal crashes, 410 serious injury crashes, and 1286 minor injury crashes. These crashes resulted in 101 deaths, 496 serious injuries, and 1831 minor injuries.

The Government’s Speed Management Guide (‘the Guide’) is at the heart of changes aimed at reducing these numbers. It will target high-risk roads by lowering speed limits to 30kph or 40kph in certain urban and residential areas, or by lowering some rural roads’ speed limits to 80kph or 60kph.

Some alternatives to placing reminder signage at regular intervals when posting non-default speed limits include: • optimal placement of speed limit signs; • marking the speed limit on the road; • a combination of speed limit signs, place name signs and other road markings, such as side islands or plantings; • road markings placed at an angle to the edge and centrelines which lead to vibration or noise within a vehicle; and • enhanced road markings.

What is the scope of the proposed changes?

What is the process for setting a 110kph speed limit?

Julie Anne Genter, the Associate Minister of Transport, has pointed out that “we know speed makes the biggest difference to whether or not someone walks away from a crash, but a speed limit reduction makes very little difference overall to travel times”.

For many roads, no changes to travel speeds or speed limits will be needed. It is only for those corridors where current travel speeds or speed limits may be too low or too high that changes are being recommended. However, so far the bulk of proposals have been aimed at lowering speed limits rather than raising them.

What does the existing setting of speed limits rule cover?

The Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2003 (‘the Rule’) sets out the requirements and processes for setting a speed limit. It creates a default speed limit of 100kph for rural or open roads and 50kph for urban roads. It also has very prescriptive signage requirements, particularly in rural areas, for notifying road users when the open road speed limit is not the default.

It requires a speed limit sign not only at every point where a speed limit changes, but also at intervals of 2 to 3km where the speed limit is not 100kph. It reflects speed-setting methodology developed in the 1960s, which is no longer fit for purpose.

How is the speed management guide different?

The NZ Transport Agency will be responsible for approving potential 110kph roads. Approval will be considered for roads that have been shown to be designed, constructed, maintained, and operated to the necessary standards to safely support an increased speed limit. Some of the most heavily used sections of the national road network meet the criteria for an increase to a 110kph speed limit and these sections are:

Auckland Motorway Network:

• Tunnel to Lonely Track section of the Northern Motorway (SH1) • Upper Harbour Motorway (SH18) • Takanini to Bombay section of the Southern Motorway (SH1)

Waikato Expressway:

• Cambridge, Rangiriri, Ohinewai, Ngaruawahia and Te Rapa sections (SH1) • Longswamp section of the Waikato Expressway (SH1) • Huntly and Hamilton sections of the Waikato Expressway (SH1) • Tauranga Eastern Link (SH2) If the rule is amended to permit a 110kph speed limit, then a bylaw approval process will begin and the NZTA will progressively introduce 110kph roads, with the Tauranga Eastern Link and the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway being early deliverables. 

The guide modernises the approach to speed management. The proposed changes as part of the amendment to the rule are: • to replace the existing speed setting guidance with the Speed Management Guide; • to enable the setting of a 110kph speed limit on roads that are safe and appropriate to do so; and • to allow for a more flexible outcomes-based approach for speed limit signs by enabling road controlling authorities to find more appropriate or different lower-cost solutions than repeat reminder signs by having a broader range of options for signalling open road non-default speed limits.

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice and if you have a particular matter that needs 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) 377 1080 or 021 326 642.

Danielle Beston

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CONFERENCE 2019

Wonder fuel of the next decade Reporting by New Zealand Trucking Media

Hydrogen fuel cells are expected to be the real breakthrough for electric vehicles over the next decade. Jonathan Leaver, associate professor Unitec Institute of Technology, explains.

T

he virtues of hydrogen as a fuel to generate energy in vehicles have long been known. Among them, hydrogen is a zero-emission fuel and, if done correctly, its production also has little to no impact on the environment. It’s a domestically produced, renewable and secure energy source, while operators benefit from low operating cost per kilometre.

Hydrogen fuel cells directly convert the chemical energy in hydrogen to electricity, with pure water and potentially useful heat as the only by-products. They are pollution-free and have more than twice the efficiency of traditional combustion technologies.

However, as it stands now, fuelling vehicles with hydrogen is expensive, the production and refuelling infrastructure accounting for the most part. Currently, installing a 500kg capacity per day (1kg hydrogen = 3 litres diesel) hydrogen refuelling station costs in the region of NZ$3 million. The cost of producing hydrogen from water, at an electricity cost of 8c per hour, is around NZ$8 per kilogram. The main cost to produce hydrogen is the cost of electricity.

The upfront costs of the vehicles themselves are high too.

While there are no production heavy HFCVs on the market, light HFCVs cost in the region of NZ$100,000. The number of hydrogen vehicles currently on the world’s roads (11,000) is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decade.

“We’re not seeing the same penetration with heavy vehicles, but there is substantial progress coming,” said Leaver. “We’re seeing a move regarding buses. The Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe will deploy 300 HFC buses in 22 cities, at close to NZ$1 million each. In London, 20 double-deckers will be deployed in 2020 at a similar price.

Tokyo aims to deploy 100 HFC buses for the 2020 Olympics.”

Then of course there is the case of Nikola, which we’ve covered in detail in the past, as well as the 1000 Hyundai HFCVs the OEM has committed to provide to Switzerland in the next five years (see New Zealand Trucking November 2019).

This year, Toyota and Paccar will unveil the first 10 HFCV trucks for use in Los Angeles.

The prohibitive costs are all expected to come down. “Over the next 10 years the cost of a refuelling station is predicted to fall by as much as 50%,” said Leaver. “The lower the cost of electricity, the lower the cost of hydrogen (and the lower the running costs of a HFCV), and we’re seeing bids overseas for renewable production of electricity from solar at around

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NZ$0.4/kWh. Additionally, the capital cost of the electrolyser, to split the water and produce the hydrogen, is fairly low with high utilisation.”

That high utilisation is going to be needed, said Leaver, if we are to reach future emissions reduction targets. There’s no doubt transport will play a significant role in this reduction, accounting for 20% of total emissions. Heavy vehicles themselves account for about 20% of that total. “Burning a litre of diesel is the equivalent of emitting 2.7kg of CO2 into the atmosphere,” said Leaver.

With many countries having indicated their intention to ban fossil fuel powered vehicles within the next decade, a 2017 global survey of automotive executives showed that 78% absolutely or partly agreed that HFCVs would be a real breakthrough for electric mobility.

Leaver’s own modelling shows that hydrogen will not simply swoop in as the silver bullet to take over from all other forms of fuel.

“We predict a convergence of four technologies: the internal combustion engine, hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and HFCVs.” In Leaver’s high infrastructure support scenario, each will have roughly equal penetration in the heavy-vehicle market – unless government policies dictate otherwise.

The key here is high infrastructure support. “Somebody has to put up the money to get the infrastructure into place. This is problematic as a hydrogen fuel station is far more expensive than a $50,000 battery charging station,” Leaver comments.

Globally, there are currently 369 refuelling stations split across Europe, Asia and North America. “Given that HFCV adoption is about eight to 10 years behind electric vehicles, there’s a predicted growth in fuel stations to close to 5000 in 10 years’ time,” Leaver said.

Also important will be the establishment of hydrogen hubs. “That’s being planned at Taranaki at the moment. The hubs will maximise the use of capital equipment and where other industries can make use of the hydrogen.” Again, initial funding is critical.

Leaver reiterates that it’s not the economics of the situation that will be the main driver here, but likely the drive to meet commitments to cutting out greenhouse gases and reaching those 2050 targets. Among them are the continued improvement and efficiency of fossil fuelled engines, allied to low oil and carbon prices. “Carbon prices need to be very high to make a significant change in consumer behaviour,” said Leaver. On the electric vehicle side, there’s improved battery performance (which would be an advantage to HFCVs too) and recharging infrastructure to contend with. Finally, to completely replace its heavy-vehicle fleet with HFCVs, New Zealand would need about a 31% increase in national electrical energy generation. “That doesn’t necessarily mean a 31% increase in generating capacity because not all our capacity is currently fully utilised,” said Leaver.  GM

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CONFERENCE 2019

Strategising the future of transport Reporting by New Zealand Trucking Media

Improving transport systems to meet increasing demand and support prosperity and wellbeing for New Zealanders is the driving force behind the Ministry of Transport’s future strategy. Peter Mersi, CEO Ministry of Transport, covered three topics in his address to RTF delegates.

Improving driver licensing and road safety

Mersi began by saying University of Otago research suggested about 25% of road fatalities involve a person driving for work, making road crashes by far the single largest cause of work fatalities. While trucks are not involved in significantly more crashes per kilometre than any other type of vehicle, these crashes are far more likely to be fatal, accounting for over 20% of road deaths.

This is why the Road to Zero draft road safety strategy has been developed, which philosophically says ‘it is ethically unacceptable for anyone to be injured or to die due to road crashes’.

“The Road to Zero philosophy proposes that while driver education and safer vehicles remain vitally important, we also need to acknowledge that people make mistakes and we need a roading network that is forgiving of driver error,” said Mersi.

He noted the strategy proposes a number of immediate actions relating to the road transport industry, and that the government is developing a package of initiatives to ensure organisations are aware of road safety related risks and their obligations, and to build an understanding of best practice for different sectors.

Also proposed is the strengthening of commercial transport regulation with a focus on opportunities to improve fatigue management. “This includes reviewing logbook and worktime requirements as part of the 2019/2020 rules programme; ensuring that the regulatory system under the Land Transport Act 1998 is fit for purpose, including examining the roles and powers of the regulators; ensuring effective coordination between NZTA and WorkSafe, including examining the boundary between their roles; and implementing the outcomes of the review of the NZTA’s regulatory functions,” Mersi explained.

The ministry is also progressing changes to the heavy vehicle driver licensing system. The review proposes a range of changes that would remove some special type vehicle endorsements, allow easier renewal for some endorsement holders, and improve oversight of course providers.

“Feedback from the consultation process raised concerns about the current licensing system and how it might be contributing to a current shortage of drivers. We heard your concerns about

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the complexity of the heavy vehicle licensing system and that the cost of progressing from a class two to a class five licence acts as a disincentive for drivers and transport companies to invest in obtaining higher licence classes,” Mersi noted.

Trucks move 91% of New Zealand’s freight tonnage and freight movements are projected to increase by over 50% in the next 25 years. Mersi said changes need to be made to manage the planned increase and enable growth. That means making the system easier to understand, reducing costs and improving compliance without compromising road safety outcomes.

“The goal is to deliver an enhanced licensing system, one that maintains an appropriate focus on the regulatory outcome but saves users time and money,” he continued.

Mersi expects the rule changes to be progressed within this financial year (by June 2020).

Shaping future transport investment

“Transport in New Zealand is part of an ecosystem. So how do we hammer out transport priorities in a way that takes into account the things that really matter?” asked Mersi. The answer was the 2018 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), an outcomes framework for New Zealand’s transport system.

“The framework is designed to be enduring and to look at the impact of the transport system holistically and over the long term. This supports consistency in the decision-making process. The outcomes framework defines the overall purpose of delivering a transport system that improves wellbeing and liveability,” said Mersi.

“The GPS provides guidance on how around $4 billion is spent through the national land transport fund each year. It also provides signals for spending of a further $1 billion on land transport through local government investment and over $500 million dollars of crown investment.”

GPS 2018, said Mersi, represented a significant shift, with ‘safety’ and ‘access’ identified as the top priorities. However, the next GPS for 2021 is in development and that, said Mersi, will focus on getting the best from all modes of transport and ensure over time that each mode can effectively and efficiently make an appropriate contribution to transporting people and freight nationwide.

“As that transport system continues to evolve, we will also need to consider the future of transport infrastructure funding.

Our focus is to ensure New Zealand enjoys an efficient, multimodal transport system where all forms of transport can play their part and their potential contribution to the whole system can be realised.

“We know that the transport system is not straightforward, it’s a system that’s very interconnected where changes in one mode can affect the way another operates. A resilient transport system is one where the different modes of transport are well integrated and supported to play their role well. New Zealand’s transport system also needs to be resilient in the face of shocks and challenges and able to adapt quickly when needed,” he said.

WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ Positive changes are on the cards at the Ministry of Transport, says CEO Peter Mersi.

Driving investment in the transport network

As it stands, revenue from fuel excise duty, road user charges, and motor vehicle registration and licensing are the primary source of funding for land transport. However, said Mersi, over the coming years this revenue stream will face a number of challenges. Issues such as higher levels of fuel efficiency and greater use of alternative fuels, potential double taxation for vehicles that use a mix of fuels, each subject to different charging systems, and increased ride sharing and use of public transport are all currently encouraging a shift in thinking.

“Over time we expect to see fewer single-occupancy vehicles on our roads. This could quickly lead to a debate about the fairness of the charging regime,” said Mersi. “Incorporating costs would enable externalities – the costs imposed on others by those using the road – to be paid for by those using the road.”

For instance, new vehicle technology such as hybrid, electric or alternative fuel could be charged on a per kilometre basis

through the existing RUC system. This could also replace the excise duties for petrol vehicles. “Moving the entire fleet onto the RUC system creates the possibility of a more sophisticated charging system to recognise factors other than just kilometres travelled. These could include location, time of day, vehicle weight and other characteristics like the amount of emissions from a vehicle, real-time congestion levels and the type of roads used,” Mersi said.

Research into the effects of pricing travel behaviours shows the benefits could include shifting some vehicle trips from peak to off-peak periods, reducing vehicle trips and distances, increasing mode shift, increasing reliability and providing information for better traffic management and investment. But there are some challenges.

“If one of the objectives is to ultimately influence behaviour, we must ensure users know what they’re paying at any point in time. We don’t know what transport investments we’ll need to fund in the next 20 to 40 years, so a future revenue system needs to also be flexible enough to adapt to changing behaviour and evolving technology.

“To better understand the future challenges and opportunities, the ministry is currently undertaking a project that takes a fundamental look at the land transport revenue system and how it will need to adapt for the future. Reforming the land transport revenue system is, however, a complex policy issue. For this reason, it’s important the debate is methodical, thorough and transparent,” he said.  GM

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NZ TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

Marquees up but industry show cannot go on…

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Cancelling the event was the right thing to do. Putting all he 2020 TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show had to our top drivers in one place at the start of a serious global be cancelled on Monday 16 March, just two days before pandemic was too high a risk. We need our drivers to stay exhibitors were due to begin setting up. A government healthy to keep the wheels turning and make the deliveries of directive was issued to cancel events of 500 or more food and essential supplies around the country. Truck drivers people. It’s a huge disappointment to the organisers of the have just become the most valuable people. show, who have spent the past two years planning the event.

The team must now look forward and put its ideas and The NZ Trucking Association has always run the event to energy into making the 2022 Trucking Industry Show even break even and raise enough to make a generous donation to more spectacular. Planning will start soon. We will attempt to charity. Since 2014, the price for sponsorships and exhibitor come up with a package for all the sponsors and exhibitors who sites has not increased, and this is to encourage everyone to supported the 2020 show and never join in and take advantage of such an got to attend. There is no doubt amazing event. the team will work harder to make Charities benefited from the Do you need help?

2022 even bigger. donations at the gate and a charity The year 2020 has been unbelievable so While the UDC Show & Shine auction during the show dinner, far; only three months into it and the whole trucks cannot gather and park but they will now miss out on those world has changed and is still changing. together right now, it doesn’t mean vital funds they need to run their Covid-19 is of concern to every single person we can’t celebrate them. The UDC organisations. The purpose of the and business and is having a direct effect in Virtual Show & Shine competition event was to design and implement some way. The transport industry faces some is under way on Facebook. Each a world-class show that created real challenges right now, and when the registered entry will receive a UDC opportunities for the trade to sell world’s countries get back to normal, other goodie bag. Some categories will product and services, create an challenges will arise. have additional sponsored prizes. environment so everyone felt it was If your company is experiencing difficulties, This is a great initiative right now, the premium event to participate please contact the NZ Trucking Association as many people are stuck at home and attend, celebrate the professional and we will try and help you. If we can’t help, and can still access the competition truck drivers and industry skills, and we can recommend where you can go, or online and feel a part of it. promote the huge variety of industry who you should talk to.

Running alongside is a colouringcareers to encourage the public to Before signing a contract, please give us a in competition for the kids. All the choose transport as a career option. call – we can provide a transport cost model kids can colour in the picture, take The NZ Trucking Association that will show you if the contract stacks up. a photo, and send it in. Age group team had done more promotion for It’s important we keep our business heads on prizes will be awarded. Look out this show than ever before and that and reach out for independent advice. for all the details on the Trucking was possible because of the huge Industry Show Facebook page. number of sponsors. A massive number of flags, banners and flyers A message from Rebecca Dinmore and Carol McGeady: “We were purchased for the show and marketing started 18 months want to thank every single person who supported us in planning ago. This included many flyers, posters and banners that were the show. We invested two years of work into the 2020 show and distributed in letterboxes as well as being posted around New we loved every minute of it. We are humbled by the generosity of Zealand and Australia. The social media campaign attracted the sponsors and volunteers who helped organise competitions, gave a large following. From feedback that was being received, the prizes, and who have supported us through organisers were expecting an attendance of tens of thousands of this difficult time. We are passionate about people. the industry and opportunities and will A large contingent from Australia was on its way, including work hard to bring you an even better show Glenn Kendall, better known as Yogi from Outback Truckers. for 2022.”  This group included industry suppliers and visitors who have a vested interest in trucking or who wanted to meet new and existing customers.

The trade industry had really stepped up this time and many companies had invested a lot of money into their display, marketing and promotions – not to mention getting all their product there in time. This is a cost that can’t be recovered. It NZ Trucking Association, 23 Islington Avenue,

By Carol McGeady, is gut-wrenching for the organising team, because the decision Waterloo Business Park, Christchurch executive officer NZ Trucking Association 0800 338 338 www.nztruckingassn.co.nz on whether to hold the event was taken out of its hands.

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ROAD TRANSPORT FORUM

Navigating your business through coronavirus

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ovid-19, or the coronavirus, has landed in New Zealand, with the first case identified as I write this. By the time this magazine hits the shelves the likelihood is that there will be many more cases, and the global outbreak may have been elevated to the level of a pandemic.

Without a doubt, the spread of Covid-19 is a serious situation and not something that can be ignored. The Otago University School of Medicine has suggested that up to 40% of New Zealanders could contract the virus here over winter, which could result in as many as 10,000 deaths. By comparison, normal strains of the flu lead to around 500 deaths annually.

Amidst the understandable public concern that this creates, it has been extremely disappointing to see some of the hysteria promoted by the mainstream media. Having major newspapers needlessly inciting panic in order to run punchy headlines does nothing to help authorities, such as the Ministry of Health, which has been doing a fantastic job dealing with the outbreak.

The rapid spread of the virus presents two main risks to New Zealand road freight transport businesses. The first is managing coronavirus risk in the workplace.

This is not something to be taken lightly, and as WorkSafe NZ advises, the objective is to keep employees safe and well “before thinking about the interests of the business or organisation”. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act employers are legally required to make sure they take every practical step to prevent their staff from contracting the virus.

The Road Transport Forum has set up a page on its website (www.rtfnz.co.nz/covid-19/) with practical advice for operators on how to manage the risk of the virus spreading, including how to provide safe and clean washing and waste disposal facilities, provision of protective gear, how to organise workflow, and minimise person-to-person contact. There is also advice on what to do in the event of a suspected infection.

The road transport industry is experiencing considerable business interruption problems. Resulting from the inertia in the global freight network – imports not arriving, exports not being allowed to leave New Zealand or enter overseas ports – the long-term consequences for businesses could long outlive the initial health crisis.

RTF has formally requested government, both ministers and agencies, help alleviate the situation road transport businesses are facing by removing stand-down periods for benefits for those workers affected by the economic downturn from Covid-19.

We have also asked that tax breaks be provided to operators and contractors who will struggle to meet upcoming tax payments.

We have gone right to the top because operators are telling me how serious things are getting. A government support package has been announced; however, we believe this has been a bit slow in arriving.

One of the issues for operators is where to go for relevant and up-to-date information. The government response, which has focused on the health side of things, was a bit slow when it came to providing information to businesses on what to do and what help was out there. A good place to keep on your daily watch list is the www.business.govt.nz website, which is regularly updated with advice for businesses, including what they need to know with regards to the tax relief available, as well as Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advice on travel, and employers’ obligations when it comes to health and safety.

RTF will continue to distribute all relevant and up-to-date information through its associations and out to members as it is received.

The reality is that what we are experiencing now in terms of the impact to the economy is just the start. The impact from Covid-19 could last for many months, even if the threat from the virus itself dissipates. This is something that operators should be preparing themselves for, and as well as accessing government assistance, I would recommend discussing options with your bank if you are facing major cashflow difficulties.

Should a serious pandemic eventuate, and New Zealand be in a crisis response situation, it is likely that trucks will be a vital lifeline to distribute goods and medical supplies around the country. At the RTF we are readying ourselves to help with communication between government agencies managing the crisis response and operators. Our associations will also have a critical role to play, as it is vital that information is passed on to members in a timely and coordinated way.

Finally, I can assure you that the RTF is doing all it can to help operators through this difficult time and we will continue to push the government to provide assistance to our industry as the medical and economic impacts of coronavirus become clearer. 

The impact from Covid-19 could last for many months, even if the threat from the virus itself dissipates.

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Nick Leggett Chief executive officer

0420-14

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THE LAST MILE

Goods service licences should have to be renewed

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he Transport Services Licensing Act 1989 introduced the qualitative style of transport licensing we have today; previously we had a quantitative system.

Under the quantitative system, if you wanted to operate a goods service you had to apply to the licensing authority and prove to them that the service was needed. You were required to advertise your intention to provide the service in the newspapers, and anybody could object. Objectors often included existing licence holders who saw new operators as competitors. The railways were frequent objectors.

Under the qualitative system a person no longer has to prove the service is needed and there is no provision for others to object to another operator starting up. Instead, the person who will be in control of the new service has to pass what is called a certificate of knowledge of law and practice test and be assessed by the NZ Transport Agency as being a fit and proper person to control a transport service. Grandparent rights were granted to those who already held a licence when the qualitative system came into effect. Once granted, a TSL continues in force unless it is surrendered, or deemed to be surrendered, by the holder, or the licence is suspended or revoked by the NZTA. As long as you don’t draw attention to yourself you can generally continue to operate without the need to regularly prove your business is run along qualitative lines, the aim of the licensing system.

The increase in reports of licence holders coming to the attention of the NZTA suggests that perhaps the current approach needs a rethink. I have no doubt that a number of the licence holders who have been subject to closer scutiny by the NZTA would, up until the NZTA paid them a call, claim they were operating within the spirit of qualitative licensing.

So what should happen?

TSLs should be granted for a specific time frame, say five years, after which you have to reapply for its renewal. The

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NZTA would evaluate your application, and, if they were satisfied you still met the standards, reissue the licence for a further period. If you didn’t meet the standards, your licence would not be renewed and you could no longer operate.

The renewal process does not need to be onerous: 12 months out from the expiry date the NZTA would send you a reminder and invite you to complete a self-audit; this could be online.

The audit would ask you to evaluate your current systems and processes against a number of standards and expectations of how a quality transport organisation should operate. The standards would be jointly agreed between the NZTA and industry, perhaps based upon the draft New Zealand Road Transport Industry Code of Good Practice that was prepared in May 2003 but which died soon after.

When they got your application the NZTA would have several options, including accepting your self-audit and renewing your licence for a further period, having an external agent verify that what you have said in your application is correct, or conducting an audit themselves.

We regularly claim that we are a professional industry, so isn’t it about time we actually started to put some evidence behind these claims? Having to renew our licence is one way to do this. Doctors and lawyers have to renew their practising certificate, plumbers, gasfitters, and drainlayers have to renew their licence every five years, and electricians every two, so why should we be any different?

Road Transport Forum CEO Nick Leggett recently wrote that the industry must earn its social licence; one way in which we could do this is prove to all New Zealand that we operate in a professional way that is regularly reconfirmed by the regulator.  The accidental trucker

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The highly anticipated new IVECO X-Way is now available. Designed in Europe, manufactured in Australia and engineered for New Zealand, the X-Way features the latest Euro6 technology which emits fewer emissions while still delivering outstanding power and torque. These engines also use less fuel, and when matched to the smart Hi-Tronix AMT, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more efficient driveline anywhere. Add to this, market-leading safety features as standard, cutting-edge driver assistance systems and lower total cost of ownership benefits, and you won’t want to consider another truck model.

X-Way stock is now at Dealerships, so visit your local outlet and discover all that the new X-Way has to offer.

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