NZ Trucking Magazine, April 2022 by NZTrucking

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TRUCKING NEW ZEALAND

APRIL 2022

New Zealand Trucking

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CONTENTS

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Dave McCoid Ph: 027 492 5601 Email: editor@nztrucking.co.nz EDITOR

Gavin Myers Ph: 027 660 6608 Email: gavin@nztrucking.com For all advertising enquiries: Matt Smith Ph: 021 510 701 Email: matt@nztrucking.co.nz Pav Warren Ph: 027 201 4001 Email: pav@nztrucking.co.nz SUB EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

Tracey Strange

John Berkley

CONTRIBUTORS

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Craig Andrews Carl Kirkbeck Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Jacqui Madelin Alison Verran Mike Verran Shannon Williams

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THE

REST 8 Editorial 10 Road Noise – Industry news 46 Just Trucking Around 52 Gallery – Ken Bell 54 Training For the Future – Meeting Mills-Tui’s apprentices 56 Where’s that Road? 58 Great Dashboards – Mack FR (part 2) 60 Wanaka Memory 62 Aussie Angles – Ol’ School K100G 66 International Truck Stop – International K6 resto 70 Unsung Heroes 72 Craig’s Truckin’ Snapshot 74 New Rigs 80 New Bodies and Trailers 82 Million Mile Club 88 Little Truckers’ Club 90 What’s On/Cartoon

SCREENS AND MIRRORS Answering the MirrorCam Question

96 Moving Metrics 100 Incoming Cargo – Daimler Truck looks ahead

104 Better Business – Systems for success 106 Vipal’s Knowing Your Tyres 108 Business Update – Brake roller testers 112 Business Profile – Varta batteries 114 Product Profile – Narva Aerotech

116 Carriers’ Corner 118 Truckers’ Health

SIMPLE, STRIKING, SAR Clean Mount Container Mover

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAIL Completing Ken’s Merc

120 Health & Safety 122 Legal Lines 124 TDDA 126 NZ Trucking Association 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR

Associate Member

BROU GH T TO Y OU B Y

EDITORIAL

DOING THINGS PROPERLY

ccording to the Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand discards 17.49 million tonnes of waste each year. Of this, 12.59 million tonnes are sent to landfills. Within that, says the website recycle.co.nz, are 352,000 tonnes of packaging waste – approximately 42% of the 735,000 tonnes consumed. In the context of the Ministry’s figures, I’m not sure how accurate the website’s numbers are, but for the purpose of this they serve an illustrative purpose. Last year, as with most everything, the pandemic caused my local soft-plastics collection service to be suspended. Not the kerbside collection – the bins located at various spots (a local Countdown in my case) for the public to deposit their collection of soft plastic waste. Access to these bins resumed some months later and, for a couple of months, all was well. Until the beginning of March, when our local council announced that, due to Omicron, it would halt the collection of glass and food-scraps recycling

until further notice. Back in with one, out with another – and while we’re waiting, waste that could be recycled is probably going back to landfill. This all bothers me, but not because I’m a tree-hugging environmentalist. Rather, it’s because I believe that to achieve a goal and make a meaningful impact on what is a huge undertaking – in this instance, reducing that 12.59 million number, I don’t see the overall 17.49 million decreasing – everyone needs to be in it together. On the same page. Willing, able and ready. Committed. In short, if we’re doing it – the only way to succeed is to do it properly. That includes the service providers not compromising on their end. And the reason I’m banging on about this small nation’s contribution to the global waste and recycling conundrum? Because it’s an example that applies widely. Protect the environment… Save the atmosphere… Stop the fossil-fuel addiction… Reduce the road toll… Ah, the road toll. Road safety is a common theme

TRUCK & LIGHT COMMERCIAL adapted masthead.indd 1

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

8 New Zealand Trucking

TRADER

in our ramblings at New Zealand Trucking magazine, but it’s been top of mind again since Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency launched its latest road-safety campaign, towards the end of February, as part of the Road to Zero strategy. For a basic outline of the campaign and what the agency has planned for 2022, you can turn to page 12, and for more opinion, check out Nick Leggett’s column on page 128. There’s no denying the task at hand is enormous and complex, and the stated vision of zero road deaths or serious injuries is ambitious, to say the least. The interim target of a 40% reduction by 2030 (from 2018 levels) is possibly achievable, but getting down to zero will require a herculean effort and three decades of real staying power. Personally, I believe any goal of absolute zero is simply idealistic and almost set up for failure. The strategy outlines upgraded roading, reduced speed limits, safer vehicles, a tougher stance on substances… all the usual suspects. But these are all

variables that, at best, we can only try mitigate. The biggest variable, perhaps, is that we’re dealing with people. People who all need to be in it together. On the same page. Willing, able and ready. Committed. From legislators and law enforcement to business owners and the private motorist. But are they? Will they be in 28 years? And like the intermittent recyclables collection, the whole thing is just words on a page if the overall execution is compromised. View almost any major roading ‘upgrade’ as an example. That all said, I sincerely wish the government and the NZTA every success with Road to Zero. I hope the 2030 goal is achieved. Nobody wants road deaths – we’ve said as much long before Road to Zero was launched in December 2019. If things are done properly, there’s no reason it shouldn’t be.

Gavin Myers Editor

April 2022

ISU 210

TRUCKS YOU CAN RELY ON

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RELIABILITY REMAINS

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Isuzu N Series trucks are designed to offer you an exceptional driving experience by combining the comforts of a car with advanced safety features in a durable, cost effective and robust light truck. • Driver and passenger SRS airbags along with side intrusion bars • Lane Departure Warning System† • Electronic Vehicle Stability Control† • Auto lights and LED Low Beam Head Lamps* • Traction Control / Anti Slip Regulator (ASR) standard, except in 4x4 models • Hill Start Aid standard on all manual transmission models

www.isuzu.co.nz * Not available on NLR models. † Only available on NMR, NPR and NQR models. ^ NMR, NPR, NQR models only # Total 5 Year Warranty, including Base Warranty (36 months / 100,000kms) and Additional Warranty (24 months / 150,000kms), cover is 60 months or 250,000kms, whichever comes first. To qualify for Additional Warranty, all scheduled servicing during the Base and Additional Warranty periods (ie. the total 60 months) must be performed by an authorised Isuzu service dealer from the date of delivery to the first customer. If scheduled servicing is performed by unauthorized service providers, only the Base Warranty will apply. For VL24 NMR, NPR & NQR Tipper models, additional Warranty applies to the cab & chassis only. Tipper bodies are excluded from Additional Warranty. These are covered by Base Warranty only. Additional Warranty is not available for NLR & NPS models. Cab Perforation Corrosion is limited to 36 months / unlimited kms on all models. It is not included as part of Additional Warranty

ISU 21003 VL24 Series A4 - RETAIL.indd 1

11/11/21 2:37 PM

LETTER TO EDITOR

ROAD NOISE NEWS

A COMMENT ON SPEED RESTRICTIONS

am writing regarding Blake Noble’s article in the February issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine and the ludicrous speed restrictions proposed by ‘Waka Kotahi’ for various parts of the country. I’m an 82-year-old retired truck driver from the mid1960s and cut my teeth on the backcountry Raglan and Huntly roads, so I’ve a fair idea of what constitutes good and bad roads. It defies comprehension that the only solution W/K can come up with regarding road safety is to lower speed restrictions. It’s like applying a BandAid to a wound that requires cauterising. I now live in Rotorua, and it has been proposed that a speed restriction of 50kph be imposed on the new fourlane upgrade on the Eastern Corridor, this after spending millions on the upgrade, while the speed limit the four-lane South/North Old Taupo Road has been 60kph for 15 years or more. Go figure. Also, the latest proposal just released is that a total of 15 various speed restrictions be imposed on SH30 from Tikitere Junction to Whakatane. This is up for public consultation, of course. Yeah, right. And rumour has it that they are considering a blanket 80kph restriction on the whole of Northland, but you may know more about that than me. Keep on trucking… 10-4. D.H. ‘Snow’ Bruce

SOS to truck drivers

s New Zealand battles staff shortages, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is sending out an SOS – save our supply chain – to truck drivers to get them back behind the wheel. “The recruitment campaign, launched with HainesAttract, taps into the current pain in the supply chain – empty fridges, empty supermarket shelves, empty mailboxes, and the last piece of toilet paper on the roll. While there is a bit of humour, it is really no laughing matter for those trying to keep the supply chain operating under difficult circumstances. Hence the SOS,” says chief executive Nick Leggett. “We know there are drivers out there with a class 2, 4 or 5 licence, suitable for a heavy vehicle, who are currently not working as truck drivers, and we need to encourage them to help save our supply chain and get back in the driver’s seat.” Leggett says staff shortages from either

Omicron or household-contact isolation are hitting businesses throughout New Zealand. “Now, more than ever, we need every available truck on the road delivering to supermarkets, pharmacists, hospitals, doctors, and everyone else who requires goods to get through this challenging time,” he says. Leggett says there was a shortage of truck drivers long before Covid-19 hit. “Since January this year, we have been collecting details of drivers who might be able to cover a shift or two here and there, or who might want to get back into a truck on a more permanent basis,” he says. “We have been working with the Ministry of Social Development Industry Partnerships team to recruit drivers, and MSD is helping fund this work. “This campaign takes that out to a wider audience so we can ensure New Zealanders don’t actually have to face an empty fridge or fight over the toilet paper.”

NZTA to change fees

aka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has started consultation on changes to some of its fees and charges – the first comprehensive review since before the agency was established in 2008. “After a thorough 18-month review of our funding and fees, we’ve developed a new funding model, which will provide the resources and certainty we need to improve safety and compliance in the transport system through effective regulation,” says Kane Patena, director of land transport.

“The new model is based on the simple principle that everyone who creates risk in the land transport system, or who receives direct benefits from being part of it, should contribute to funding its regulation,” he says. Eight proposals make up the new funding model and include suggested changes to government funding, along with many changes to the amounts Waka Kotahi charges for services Of note are: Driver licensing: The average price for

Major Fuso stock levels available for NZ

igh levels of Fuso stock are now available to facilitate customer orders through 2022, says Fuso New Zealand. Fuso New Zealand (FNZ) has confirmed that 1250 new units across its light-, medium- and heavy-duty truck ranges are either on the ground or shortly to arrive in the country. The total order exceeds the 1096 registered units that saw Fuso lead local truck and bus sales in 2021 and is indicative of the high level of customer demand anticipated by FNZ, says managing director Kurtis Andrews. “We have secured stock across our entire range. So, across light to heavyduty, we’re in a great position to meet the industry’s needs,” says Andrews. “Also, due to Shogun’s popularity, in particular the 510hp models, we’ve doubled down on this stock. The attributes across the Shogun range are world-class,

many driver licence fees is proposed to be decreased. Fees for re-sitting driver licence tests would be removed. The cost of getting a learner licence through to full driver licence and failing a restricted test on the first attempt would drop from $425 to $352. The cost to renew a driver licence would drop from $60.02 to $31.45. The cost of applying for an exemption (DL4) would increase from $27.20 to $94.95.

and we’ve placed a big order and backed ourselves and our dealer network to meet this significantly increased demand.” Andrews says that securing stock in strong numbers “at every opportunity” has been a key priority for the FNZ team over recent months and reflects efforts to stay ahead of global supply chain disruptions. He says that being a wholly independent New Zealand-owned distributor has enabled FNZ to react quicker to market changes and opportunities than some other brands. “We are fully Kiwi-owned and operated, with a vast amount of local experience across our team. Being right here on the ground, with strong communication into our dealer network and direct access to our supplier, means we can be nimble and act quickly to service our customers’ needs. It’s all part of what we mean when we say ‘We Look After Our Own’.”

Vehicle licensing (rego): Renewal of rego at an agent (over the counter) would increase from $7.20 to $11.57. Renewal of rego online would increase from $4.10 to $8.24. Road user charges (RUC) admin (included in the cost when you purchase RUC): The admin portion of the cost of buying a RUC distance licence through an agent would increase from $7.80 to $13.25. The admin fees for buying RUC online would increase from $4.80 to $12.05.

SCANIA NEW ZEALAND EXPANDS INTO HASTINGS

cania New Zealand has opened a new and improved service dealer network in Hastings. Located at 110 Henderson Road in Woolwich, the new location opened in January this year. Scania Hastings branch manager Eamonn Farrell says the new facility reinforces Scania’s presence in the Hawke’s Bay region. “We’re now enjoying a much larger site than previously, with three times the capacity, having upgraded from one truck bay to three. We’ve also doubled the size of our Scania team in Hastings – now with eight team members on board,” he says. Scania New Zealand managing director Rafael Alvarenga says the company is pleased to add this key facility to its service dealer network – extending Scania’s service offering for the region. “This is another step toward a stronger future for Scania New Zealand as we look to strengthen our service-dealer network in the regions and across the country.”

Passenger (P) Endorsements: Cost of a one-year P endorsement would increase from $73 to $205.18. Cost of a five-year P endorsement would decrease from $254.90 to $205.18. Transport Services Licence (TSL): The cost of passenger (small and large) licences and vehicle recovery service licences would increase from $55 to $84.98. The cost of goods service licences and rental service licences would increase from $55 to $102.68.

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 11

ROAD NOISE NEWS

WAKA KOTAHI OUTLINES ROAD TO ZERO STRATEGY

aka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has launched a new campaign as part of its Road to Zero strategy. The campaign aims to build public awareness and demand for the changes needed to drive deaths and serious injuries down on the road towards zero. “The strategy adopts a longterm vision of no deaths or serious injuries on our roads by 2050, and the government has set a specific interim target for 2030 as part of the strategy – to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 40% compared to 2018 levels,” says Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie. Road to Zero includes a significant programme of work planned for 2022 including: • The ongoing rollout of a programme of road maintenance and safety improvements to roads all over the country. • Improved vehicle safety standards, and a strengthened road-safety partnership between Waka Kotahi and the NZ Police. • Reviews of speed limits and the confirmation of a new speed-limit setting rule with a focus on safe speeds around schools. • Developing and delivering a sustainable operating model for the rollout of new safety cameras, integrated with safer speed limits, and targeting highrisk areas of the system. • The establishment of a ministerial oversight group to co-ordinate government action in support of Road to Zero. • The final stage of the Accessible Streets regulatory package to improve pedestrian safety. • A review of fines and penalties. • The finalisation of drugdriving legislation.

Penske breaks ground on new Tauranga facility

ituated on 13,167m2 of land, Penske’s new, purpose-built facility at Kaweroa Drive, Tauriko, provides total retail sales, parts, and service support for the Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus, Dennis Eagle, mtu, and Detroit brands. It will comprise 2550m2 of workshop space, a 700m2 parts warehouse, and 800m2 of retail and office space, including a drivers’ lounge. The new branch will also house 17 30m truck

bays, a machine shop, a drive-through wash bay, a full-length service pit, two built-in hoists, and a certificate of fitness (CoF) and heavy-vehicle entry compliance certification bay, ensuring the highest level of customer service. “It’s very exciting to have broken ground and commenced the construction phase of our new Tauranga facility,” says Brent Warner, general manager of Penske New Zealand. “And having Kaumatua Des Tata of Ngai Tama

Rawaha hapu and Kaumatua Sonny Ranapia of Rangi Ranginui iwi undertaking a blessing ceremony on site was an incredibly special experience. “We look forward to welcoming our customers to our new site in early 2023 and demonstrating our ongoing investment and commitment to the New Zealand transport industry and the Bay of Plenty region through superior servicing equipment and state-of-theart facilities.”

Cummins to acquire Meritor

ummins has announced it will acquire Meritor, a specialist in drivetrain, mobility, braking, aftermarket and electric powertrain solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets. Under the terms of the agreement, Cummins will pay US$36.50 (NZ$54.06) in cash per Meritor share, for a total transaction value of approximately US$3.7 billion (NZ$5.48 billion), including assumed debt and net of acquired cash. Tom Linebarger, chairman

and CEO at Cummins, says the acquisition of Meritor is an important milestone for Cummins. “Meritor is an industry leader, and the addition of their complementary strengths will help us address one of the most critical technology challenges of our age: developing economically viable zero-carbon solutions for commercial and industrial applications. Our customers need economically viable decarbonised solutions.” Linebarger adds: “This acquisition adds products to our components business

that are independent of powertrain technology, and by leveraging our global footprint, we expect to accelerate the growth in Meritor’s core axle and brake businesses.” Chris Villavarayan, CEO and president of Meritor, says the agreement with Cummins builds on Meritor’s track record of performance and service. “Our offerings will continue to play an important, strategic role as commercial vehicles transform to become electric and autonomous.”

NAPA Auto Parts supports NZ Super Trucks

APA Auto Parts has expanded its involvement in New Zealand motorsport by securing naming rights of the New Zealand Super Trucks. “We are really pleased to be in a position to leverage

our Global NAPA Racing to invest locally and support a great series in times like this,” said Tony Walker, GM of sales & operations at NAPA NZ. “It is a natural extension of our connection with the commercial supply sector in

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NZ, and what an awesome series to be involved with,” he said. Dave West, president of Truck Racing Association New Zealand, said he is delighted to have a brand like NAPA show interest and drive awareness of the

Super Trucks. “As we hit the halfway point in our championship, we are excited to welcome NAPA Auto Parts as the naming rights sponsor for the remainder of the season,” he said.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

TRUCKS MUST STOP USING THE KOPAKI RAIL OVERBRIDGE ON SH30

aka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency says trucks must stop crossing the weight-restricted Kopaki rail overbridge on SH30, south of Te Kuiti, or the bridge will be closed to all traffic. The ageing timber structure is deteriorating faster than it should because trucks continue to use it, despite a maximum weight limit of six tonnes put in place in late 2021, the transport agency says. Waka Kotahi Waikato regional manager operations Rob says the agency asked the community and freight industry to spread the word that the bridge could no longer take heavy traffic. The detour around the bridge is SH4 and Kopaki Road, which adds about 12km to a trip between Te Kuiti and Maniatiti/ Benneydale. Campbell says trucks need to stop using the bridge immediately if it is to stay open for light traffic until the replacement bridge opens in April 2023. This bridge will be able to accommodate all heavy traffic and is being built alongside the existing one. Due to its age and condition, the existing bridge is regularly assessed by engineers.

Aussie Mack for mental health

special 100-Year Mack Super-Liner was recently revealed in Sydney to launch a partnership between Smeaton Grange NSW-based Attcall Civil Contractors and The Black Dog Institute. The striking black 100-Year Super-Liner truck sports a distinctive custom paint scheme to promote awareness about men’s mental health in the construction industry. “Mental health is a concern in our industry. It’s a major concern,” says Attcall owner and managing director Clinton McKinnon. “We thought we needed to make a bit more of an effort and get a bit more behind raising awareness about mental health.” “The Black Dog Institute is primarily a men’s mental health initiative for the construction industry. Our way of looking at it is that our trucks are moving billboards, so we just got behind them any way we could.” The striking paint scheme features a sepia-toned Australian flag in keeping with the monochrome

theme of the truck. The truck is dedicated to a former Attcall employee who died recently. “This truck is dedicated to a bloke by the name of Charles Simons, or Huddy for short,” explains McKinnon. “He passed away in 2020, he was a tough guy and all that sort of stuff, but he died because he was too proud to ask for some help. All he needed to do was make a phone call and ask for a bit of help, and we would have taken him to the doctor. If he had’ve done that, he’d probably still be alive today. “From that day forward, we recognised the need to engage with our employees a bit more, to recognise the signs for when people are struggling a little bit. So, we thought it fitting to put his image on the door and dedicate the truck to him as well as use the Black Dog Institute to support the cause. Our business has been going well, and it’s about time to give something back. We actually want to lend a hand. And this truck is to say that Black Dog is there for you.”

Kat Holeyman, corporate partnerships manager for Black Dog Institute, is enthusiastic about the partnership’s potential for spreading awareness around men’s mental health. “Partnerships like this are so important for us at the Black Dog Institute,” says Holeyman. “We are building awareness, having a moving billboard going around Sydney, going out to construction sites and just driving along the road means people are seeing what we do and are talking about what Black Dog Institute is and what resources we have. “We may just get someone to reach out. We have come a long way. Ten years ago, we wouldn’t have been having this conversation, and we certainly wouldn’t be putting something on the side of a truck. “We still have a long way to go, and that is why stuff like this is so important to the Black Dog Institute because we need more people talking about mental health, and we need more men opening up about their mental health.”

Teletrac Navman’s AI-powered smart dashcam

0220-01

eletrac Navman’s new Smart Dashcam uses edge-computing technology to capture and analyse footage in real-time, identifying external and in-vehicle events to alert drivers of risky situations. By capturing and analysing 100% of driving time, managers are equipped with a comprehensive picture of safety and driver behaviour. Artificial intelligence combined with telematics data and advanced onboard sensors means that the Smart Dashcam can detect and determine when and how driving events are occurring in real-time. Driving alerts are then combined with telematics data to keep

drivers and back-office staff on top of fleet performance. The Smart Dashcam features built-in scorecard and driver coaching features. Analytics paired with captured footage and driver scores helps promote healthy competition between drivers, provides a structure for rewards, and is a method for managing on-road behaviour while giving greater opportunity for continual development. Drivers get automatic notifications of events as they occur, providing real-time visibility into risky behaviour and continual performance coaching opportunities to help businesses successfully manage risk.

With footage and accompanying information from the vehicle available to the back office at any time, the Smart Dashcam provides operators with the ability to request footage, ensure the safety of drivers on the road and protect the business against fraudulent incident claims while collecting detailed analytics and scorecard information. Designed specifically for fleets of vehicles from lightcommercials through to heavy trucks, the Smart Dashcam complements and enhances the capabilities of Teletrac Navman’s fleet management and regulatory compliance

solutions by providing fleet managers, safety managers and vehicle owners with critical insights into safety, behaviour, and efficiencies. “We know that safety starts with visibility, and our AI-powered Smart Dashcams solution provides customers with a first-hand view into the safety of drivers in their vehicles, helping everyone in the business to ensure safety, improve overall efficiency, incident protection against fraudulent claims, and reduce the risky driving behaviours that can lead to collisions,” says Andrew Rossington, chief product officer, Teletrac Navman.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

NEW MANAGEMENT

T Bruce Nixon (left) with Jerry Rickman.

Gavin Halley

New chair and management for TRT

he board of Tidd Ross Todd and TRT (Aust) Pty has announced the appointment of current board member and independent director Bruce Nixon as TRT board chairperson. Effective from 1 March 2022, the appointment was made due to the planned succession and retirement of the current chairperson, Jerry Rickman. Rickman was in the role for more than 27 years.

“TRT has reached several key milestones in recent years. With TRT’s founder, Dave Carden (91), retiring from the board and the new business focus initiated by the Made Possible brand refresh – both in 2021 – the time was right to progress this plan,” says Rickman. Nixon was appointed as an independent director to the TRT board in 2018, bringing with him a wealth of business

and governance experience. In addition to his involvement with TRT, he also serves as an executive director of the Power Farming Group and as an independent director of Spectrum Dairies and Connell Contractors. TRT will look to appoint a new independent director in the coming months to replace the role vacated by Nixon.

he company has also announced changes within its management structure, designed to streamline customer support and to strengthen its ability to out serve customers in New Zealand and Australia. TRT’s new roles are general manager (GM) of sales parts and service; national crane sales manager; and GM of sales for capital whole goods. Gavin Halley, GM of sales parts and service, will be responsible for managing mechanical service, parts, and now crane service and parts. This aligns all parts and service functions cooperatively. These three teams already share many of the same objectives and work together closely every day. Dean Mcllroy has been appointed the role of national crane sales manager. Mcllroy

BUILT TO PERFORM

Hiab, the World’s Le

will lead TRT’s crane sales in New Zealand, now including Hiab equipment. Mcllroy’s appointment will connect all Hiab requirements, including the supply of the units, fabrication, and delivery of ongoing parts for their growing network of Hiab customers. This role will be supported closely by the appointment of Hillary Naish in the new role, GM of sales for capital whole goods. Naish will have leading responsibility for the front-line focus on capital whole-good sales. This includes TRT’s full range of cranes and other OEM manufactured products, including heavy haulage trailers, ESS platform trailers, crane trailers, and the TIDD Pick and Carry Crane.

New Simulator Crash Class launched

utoSense has launched its new heavy-vehicle Simulator Crash Class, a programme that can tailor driving scenarios based on actual crash data. The Crash Class takes a group of three drivers on a 90-minute session and puts them through a crash scenario that actually happened using simulation training. The groups then discuss what could be done to avoid similar occurrences in future. The Crash Class is designed to take the lessons learnt from a crash or near-miss and re-enact the scenario in the simulator setting, inspiring conversation about risk. “This allows drivers to learn from mistakes made to become more aware of the

risks of driving, and ultimately make roads safer for all road users,” says AutoSense CEO Charles Dawson. The programme is split into four parts: 1. Review the Crash: Look into the actual crash, what happened, what went wrong and can be learnt from it? 2. Simulator Familiarisation Drive: Get used to driving in the training simulator. 3. Simulator Session: Have a go at driving in the crash scenario to experience the

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crash environment. 4. Group Discussion with the trainer: Collaborate with your co-workers and the trainer to embed learnings and agree on what should be done differently to avoid similar incidents reoccurring. “We’ve had some great feedback from the trials we have undertaken, and we’re really excited to take this innovative training idea to the market. We think it will make a real difference,” Dawson says.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

First series-produced Mercedes-Benz eActros handed over

he first series-produced all-electric eActros from the MercedesBenz plant in Wörth am Rhein is now in customer hands, having been officially handed over to logistics service provider DB Schenker. DB Schenker will use the eActros to transport palletised shipments in the Leipzig area. The electric truck was configured for this purpose as a two-axle vehicle with an aerodynamic box body by Spier. With a permissible total weight of 19 tonnes, the vehicle rolled off the assembly line as planned last year and has now been officially handed over following an approval for federal funding. “We are very pleased that DB Schenker, as one of the leading companies in the

logistics industry, has chosen the Mercedes-Benz eActros,” says Karin Rådström, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. “We worked closely with DB Schenker during the development of the eActros. The feedback from the practical trials were used to develop the series vehicle as well as related services,” she says. Mercedes-Benz has also handed over an eActros out of series production to logistics service provider Dachser. Dachser is planning to include additional eActros in its vehicle fleet as part of its climate protection strategy. Dachser delivers general cargo, especially palletised shipments that are too large and heavy for parcel shipping, with the eActros to its

downtown customers. In addition, the electric truck, in conjunction with a Fuso eCanter, supplies an inner-city micro-hub with

shipments, which are then distributed over the last few kilometres with electrically supported cargo bikes.

Hyundai, Iveco sign MOU

yundai Motor Company and Iveco Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore possible collaborations on shared vehicle technology, joint sourcing and mutual supply. The MOU is a preliminary step in assessing the potential for the two groups to cooperate in the domains of technology and platforms, encompassing components and systems. Areas of possible mutual interest pertain to electric powertrains and platforms, including fuel-cell systems, vehicle

18 New Zealand Trucking

automation and connectivity for commercial vehicles. The agreement is a further step in Hyundai Motor and Iveco Group’s independent strategies to create leading innovative solutions in today’s fastchanging environment by building mutually beneficial partnerships. The signing ceremony took place at Hyundai Motor’s headquarters in Seoul, and the major participants included Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company; Martin Zeilinger, executive vice president and head April 2022

of the commercial vehicle development tech unit of Hyundai Motor Company; Gerrit Marx, CEO of Iveco

Group; and Marco Liccardo, chief technology and digital officer of Iveco Group.

Mills-Tu

Govt unveils funding for new projects under Low Emission Transport Fund

he country’s first electric milk tanker, a solar-panelled bus, electric off-road farm vehicles and new high-powered EV charging stations are among projects to receive co-funding from the government’s newlook Low Emission Transport Fund. In total, 13 vehicle and technology projects will receive $3,452,025 in funding, and 13 EV charging projects will receive $3,001,400 in co-funding. The funding will see Kiwi H2 exclusively license a commercialised dual-fuel product from Britain, which

converts diesel vehicles to run on 40% hydrogen, aiming to save 40% emissions. This will help fleets decarbonise until commercially available and viable 100% zero-emission options are available in New Zealand. They will convert two trucks to use this technology in this project. Other projects include: Fonterra will operate New Zealand’s first electric 46-tonne milk tanker with battery-swap technology at the Waitoa depot in Waikato. Bayes Coachlines will build a passenger bus with solar panels providing 5%-10% of its own power and designed

to have greater range and less maintenance than other electric buses. MyFleet Rural will launch four Pickman 4WD, fully electric off-road UTVs at field days and A&P shows. Firth Industries will deploy New Zealand’s first electric battery-swap concrete mixer truck, to operate in Penrose. IntDevice will work with Auckland Transport to deploy a wireless charging groundpad solution at the Ti Rakau Drive depot for an Auckland Transport bus. Zenobe will supplement DC charging capability in grid-constrained areas by

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installing second-life electric bus batteries. As part of the LETF, a significant boost to the nationwide electric vehicle charging network has also been confirmed. “The focus of the LETF is now turning to ensuring any remaining gaps are filled, as we increase density in highdemand areas,” says Minister of Energy and Resources Megan Woods. The third and fourth rounds of the LETF will open in mid2022.

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METRO BRIEFS

ROAD NOISE NEWS LIGHT COMMERCIALS

The SEA Electric SV6 EV has been revealed in the US. The Australian-founded company says this vehicle is aimed at eliminating more than one billion kilogrammes of CO2 emissions over the next five years, primarily via sales for last-mile deliveries in the US. The company predicts a price premium will be recovered within five years. Tesla’s Cybertruck has been delayed until early next year, but a leaked YouTube clip allows a close-up look at it. Public comments have compared the edgy new ute to a steel fridge, commented unfavourably on the single big windscreen wiper (not likely to make it through to sale) and the lack of visible door handles.

GLOBAL DEBUT BUZZ

olkswagen recently unveiled two new models in the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles ID. (electric) range. The ID. Buzz and Buzz Cargo go on sale in Europe in September and are due to arrive in New Zealand in 2023. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles general manager Kevin Richards says the reveal “marks a shift for Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles into the electric era”. The ID. Buzz may look retro, but it’s packed with high-tech kit. There are no knobs or buttons in the cabin

– everything’s done via a touchpad in the steering wheel. A heads-up display projects navigation directly in front, onto the road, while LED headlight ‘eyes’ will interact with other drivers and oncoming pedestrians at night. The high spot for commercial applications is its ability as an energystorage device. It can transmit charge to a home or business or other EVs and can power external equipment. A 150kW/310Nm motor is integrated into the centre of the powered rear axle, and top speed is limited to 145kph.

The next Ford Ranger’s truck bed will include slots in the bedliner to allow pieces of wood to slide in and create various sizes of storage, a rear load box access step, structural attachment points for crossbars or a canopy, and more cabin storage, including under-seat cubbies. LDV has registered New Zealand’s first electric ute, an LDV T60 EV, registered as a left-handdrive pilot vehicle. An electric motor powers the rear wheels, with range expected at about 400km and a tow rating of 1000kg braked, with a 900kg payload.

20 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

RAPTOR ON THE HUNT

ord has announced its Ranger Raptor replacement, to hit showrooms by year-end. It will get the US Explorer ST’s 3.0-litre twinturbo petrol V6 which, with 292kW and 583Nm, offers almost double the outgoing engine’s power. It’ll also get an anti-lag system for Baja mode, which keeps the turbo spinning for three seconds after the throttle lifts off to pick up acceleration more rapidly out of corners or between gears. Drivers can even choose their preferred engine sound. Quiet, for early starts without disrupting the neighbours; Normal,

for everyday use; Sport, for audible aggression; and Baja, for rip-snorting offroad driving. Multiple adjustments have been made to the suspension, including Bottom Out Mode, to add damping force to the last quarter of shock travel. Raptor will get Ford’s Trail Control system, and it’ll have seven different drive modes, including Rock Crawl and Mud Ruts. And yes, under-body protection is beefed up, while twin-rated tow hooks front and rear improve access and allow the use of balance straps during snatch recoveries.

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COVER FEATURE

Since Mercedes-Benz launched MirrorCam locally in 2019, we’ve had many discussions on how to cover it off. Without a doubt, it’s one of the biggest moves in the history of truck cab design. On that basis, does covering one operator’s experience say anything about the concept’s application in the wider industry? We thought not. We therefore decided to ask six different operators, covering Nightcaps in the south to Auckland in the north, what they thought of MirrorCam. Good grief, we even went to Karamea and had a yarn with the Lowe family, owners of the area’s first new truck in three decades. Gav and Dave split the writing, adding breadth and body to the interpretation. We hope you enjoy a cover feature that’s a little different.

22 New Zealand Trucking

SCREENS AND MIRRORS Story, Photos and Video by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid It’s been roughly three years since Mercedes-Benz Trucks debuted its MirrorCam system on the Actros — the first series-production truck to feature the technology. Local introduction followed towards the end of 2019, and the trucks entered sale in 2020. Now, two or so years later, the system will have had ample opportunity to prove itself in various applications… or not. Let’s find out.

he premise for this cover feature was based on one simple question: When does the implementation of technology go too far? More specifically in this instance: Is replacing the traditional, simple wing mirror with cameras and screens simply implementing technology for the sake of it? And so, we thought, there could be no better way to find out than to get into as many Mercedes-Benz Actros and Arocs models in as wide and varied a range of applications as we could fathom. Then we could hear it from those who use MirrorCam every day – the drivers and operators. In the couple of years since

April 2022

Mercedes-Benz debuted MirrorCam, other European OEMs have developed their own versions of the system. Specifically, MAN introduced OptiView on its new Truck Generation, and DAF introduced the DAF Digital Camera system on its new XF and XG+. However, neither is yet available to New Zealand buyers – it’ll be interesting to line up the various systems when they are. For now, though, the spotlight is on MirrorCam and how it’s working for Kiwis. We chat to Auckland-based Reliance Transport which gives us an idea of how the system works in container cartage, with its Arocs 3246

8x4 with quad steering swinglift. Then, Carr & Haslam takes us for a drive in one of its two Arocs 3246 8x4 truck and two-axle trailer car-transporter combinations, and we talk to Hamilton-based Perry Metals, which runs an Actros 2653 6x4 with a tri-axle flat-deck semi. From there, we head off the beaten path with Taranaki logger Kevin Hartley, in his Arocs 3263 8x4, and then truly off-road with Nightcaps-based Transport Services Ltd, which runs a MirrorCam-equipped 1840 4x2 spreader. Finally, still in the south, we explore the system in the varied world of civil and rural contracting haulage with Karamea-based

1 operator SM Lowe Contracting and its Arocs 2646 6x4.

What makes a MirrorCam? Mercedes-Benz touts the MirrorCam as ‘a digital rearview mirror that improves allround visibility and facilitates manoeuvring and cornering’. Its core components consist of two streamlined arms mounted on the roof frame, which house the cameras. Inside, rigidly mounted to the cab’s A-pillars, are two 15.2” portrait-oriented displays with a resolution of 720x1920 pixels – the top two-thirds of which show the main mirror view and the lower third the wide angle. Controls are found as usual in the door module, as well as in the infotainment system. There are also buttons on the passenger side and by the bed to activate the MirrorCam when the truck is switched off. According to MercedesBenz, the system has many advantages, the first of which is a claimed 1.5% reduction in fuel use due to the elimination of wind resistance caused by traditional mirror housings. On a more practical basis, the claim is enhanced view, both ahead and behind. Once again, the lack of a physical

2 mirror housing alongside the cab means a wider view through the side windows. Of course, the screens mounted to the A-pillars cause some obstruction – but we’ll find out if that affects visibility later on. There’s no point in replacing something as fit-for-purpose as a traditional mirror if the replacement isn’t at least as adept. Mercedes-Benz’s ability to programme various functions into the MirrorCam’s operation should ensure this. When reversing and cornering with a semitrailer, for example, the display changes to a special view for manoeuvring – showing an altered perspective, the display on the inside of the vehicle’s path swivels to widen the view and mitigate the obstruction caused by the articulation of the trailer. Mercedes-Benz says this is supposed to make reversing and cornering easier by always keeping the rear of the trailer in view. In normal driving, calibrated distance lines help the driver more accurately gauge how far behind following vehicles are, with the location of the truck’s rearmost extreme also indicated. When overtaking, changing lanes and turning, MirrorCam displays red, orange and yellow markings to indicate

5 Here’s a rough idea... the view from MirrorCam (1) compared to a mirrored Arocs (2), a Scania R-series (3) and a Kenworth K200 (4). 5) An illustration of the enhanced forward field of view created by deletion of the mirror housings. Image: Mercedes-Benz Trucks. whether it’s safe to move. Finally, the system is supposed to be adept at dealing with changing light and weather conditions. The high mounting position and waterrepellent coating are supposed to limit exposure to dirt, while the system is automatically heated when temperatures fall below 15°C. The brightness can be adjusted separately for the driver and passenger sides. The system is meant to continuously adapt to the changing light conditions. MirrorCam can be integrated with Sideguard Assist (if

equipped), a warning system that alerts the driver to dangerous left-turn situations. Like systems found in many passenger vehicles, Sideguard Assist gives a visual (and acoustic) warning if there is a risk of collision with a stationary or moving object the driver may have overlooked. The system does this by displaying a yellow triangle in the passenger-side MirrorCam screen, then a red triangle. And so, with all that in mind, let’s find out how MirrorCam really performs…

‘CONTAINERS ARE CHAOTIC’

he fleet of orange and black container movers belonging to Wiri-based Reliance Transport is a common sight around Auckland, and increasingly so between major ports throughout the upper North Island. The company runs an almost full Daimler fleet. Operations manager Grant Darrah counts 26 MercedesBenzes, two Fusos, one Freightliner, a couple of lingering DAFs, and a terminal tractor. Of the MercedesBenz, currently half are

equipped with MirrorCam. “Buying the mirrorless units was just part of our natural buying pattern. As we replace the older, mirrored versions according to our usual fourto-five-year cycle, we’ve brought on the MirrorCam units,” Grant explains. Assistant transport manager Mac Moradi has number 366 at the ready – one of the company’s Arocs 3246 8x4s with quad-axle steering Swinglift – to demonstrate the truck in Reliance’s operation. Our first task is to head to the back of the yard where

Driver-side screen close to wheel but doesn’t feel cramped.

24 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

a reach stacker is waiting to pop a 40” container onto the trailer. As we manoeuvre around the yard and Mac lines up his unit to accept the container, he says: “Containers are chaotic. The sites we visit are tight – there are containers stacked everywhere. This is where MirrorCam helps a lot.” Mac explains that the biggest advantage is the system’s ability to adjust the camera’s view as the unit articulates within a yard. He pulls forward and begins to turn sharply to the left.

The picture on the left-hand screen quickly changes with the main mirror changing to a wider angle and the wideangle portion effectively zooming in on the rear but still clearly showing a wider view. As the unit articulates, the rear of the trailer comes into view and stays there to the point of jack-knife. “It will continually show the back of the trailer, and I can clearly see the back axle. At this angle, a normal mirror will only show the side of the container,” he says, as he switches the camera back to its standard view, and the screen fills with the side of a yellow 40-footer. “We go to a lot of tight sites where we have to move the truck around containers, even jackknifing it, and having that view of the rear axle of the trailer is something you’ll never get with a conventional mirror.” Mac then flicks the Arocs into reverse, and the guidelines on the screen extend out. “It allows me to know how close I am to a wall or objects behind.” Later, as we pull out of the yard, the system’s view adaption is demonstrated again. As Mac pulls into the street and begins turning to the left, the camera’s picture switches, and he can easily judge the position of the rear axles relative to parked cars

GENERAL THOUGHTS

The field of view when reversing is good. and other objects inside the turn. But first, a demonstration on how to adjust and set the view. “It adjusts like a normal mirror, and it indicates when its best positioned to have all MirrorCam functions working properly,” he says. What if you’re hooking up to a longer unit, like a B-train? “You just need to reset the camera,” says Mac as he descends from the cab and heads to the rear of the trailer to position a cone in view. “Just place an object at the back of the camera, select the driver’s screen, move the blue line to the object at the back of the trailer, save, and the camera knows where the back end of the trailer is…” Mac says that the drivers at Reliance don’t often muck around with the system. While most are now comfortable with using a screen to keep tabs on what’s happening behind them, at first some didn’t like the change. “It’s just a matter of getting used

to it. We train our drivers, go for a drive and sign them off, get them back in a few weeks and review, take their feedback and see what we need to do for them,” says Mac. “It’s easy to get used to it if you don’t fight it.” Nonetheless, with any new system there will be niggles. There are a few for Mac and many of the drivers at Reliance. At first, they noticed that some drivers struggled to judge distance behind the trailer. Of course, the indicator lines on the screen help, indicating gaps of 30m, 50m and 100m behind the driver. “Depending on the length of the unit, it changes. Working on a 20m truck and trailer, and it’s pretty close at the first line.” Mac says the night-shift drivers probably took more time getting used to the system. “We go into some dark sites, and it could help to improve the quality and resolution of the screens. It’s fine during the day, and it

does well with changing light conditions or with the sun directly behind.” Grant agrees that the cameras could have more definition at night and in the rain. “But a standard mirror is not much different. And these are magic on the open road,” he says. Interestingly, Mac comments that the length of the camera arm needs to be kept in mind. “In a tight site where you have to go hard against a wall to make a corner, you have to be aware of how far it sticks out. When you’re driving a mirrored truck, you can see where the mirror housing is, but I can’t see the camera’s arm from the driver’s seat.” Luckily, none have been lost or damaged yet. Finally, says Grant, the more recent trucks seem to be a little more finicky than the older ones when going into the manoeuvring mode.

The Mercedes-Benz models in the Reliance Transport fleet vary and include 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 in rigid and truck tractor configurations. According to Grant, the MirrorCam units are all Euro-6 with full safety systems and extended servicing periods. I ask if there’s been any noticeable difference in fuel consumption between mirrored and MirrorCam units. “It’s not really noticeable in our operation,” says Grant. “It’s very hard to work it out on what we do.” The business runs mainly in the Auckland metro. Lately, however, it increasingly runs out of town because of the chaos at the ports. Mac says the drivers tend to use the inbuilt navigation because it’s truck-specific and shows up on the instrument screen. “It doesn’t send you where the truck can’t go,” he says. The adaptive cruise control comes into its own on the highway. “It’s one of the best things about the truck,” Mac reckons. The safety suite also features automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection. Mac reckons the central touchscreen works well. Even though many of the truck’s functions have been moved into the system, the shortcut buttons allow for quick operation. He especially likes the ability to call up the axle weights and tyre pressures on the screen. “They are really comfy to drive,” says Mac. “On a 12or 13-hour shift, you still feel fresh at the end.”

THE DARK AND THE LIGHT

egular readers may recall that this truck’s predecessor graced the cover of New Zealand Trucking in July 2019. In actual fact, the truck and trailer combinations then and now are virtually identical. They’re both Arocs 3246 8x4s with dual-axle Jackson Engineering car-transporter trailers (10 cars total between truck and trailer), as are their opposite numbers. Two identical units leave from Auckland and Wellington each day and meet in the Turangi area for a driver swap. Then they do it again for the night shift. As such, just over two

26 New Zealand Trucking

years and 480,000km later, our July 2019 cover star and colleague have been shifted to the regional roster and replaced with two of the latest MirrorCam-equipped units. Already, No. 218 has clocked up more than 137,000km, and No. 220 – which joined the fleet a little earlier – 200,000km. As it was in 2019, it’s a 5am departure from the Carr & Haslam Wiri depot onto SH1, direction Tokoroa. Andrew Porter is the man behind the wheel. He’s been on this run since February (with Mike Foote on the night shift) and these are the first mirrorless trucks he’s driven. The fact

April 2022

that he’s had plenty of seat time in the other 10-car Arocs transporters means he can make a good comparison between the mirrored and mirrorless versions. “The system has its benefits and also its weaknesses,” he immediately offers. Because the sun is still a couple of hours away from breaking over the horizon, we’re presented with the perfect opportunity to see how MirrorCam copes at night, in the daylight, and during the transition at dawn. As we pull up to a set of lights, with other vehicles lining up behind, the first comment Andy makes is

interesting. “I’ve found that it’s difficult to tell whether an emergency vehicle was behind me or just a car with LED headlights. It’s hard to tell the difference until they’re right on you, but you want to be able to see them [the emergency vehicles] coming in the distance.” Image quality at night is pretty good – if you’re surrounded by good street lighting. As we head down Auckland’s Southern Motorway, there are no issues with judging what’s behind and what’s coming up alongside. This is made easier by the distance indicator lines and, as Andy

MirrorCam copes with night-time driving in the city. Without the guidelines judging distace can be difficult. indicates to move over one lane, the lines on the driverside screen extend to show how far behind the vehicles in that lane are. As we indicate to move back over to the left, the lines change to three zones; a yellow one furthest back, a dark yellow one in the middle, and a red zone nearest the cab. “You don’t want to move with a car in the red zone,” says Andy. “That would be bad…”

Overall, he likes the concept of the guidelines. “They are helpful. When you hop into a truck with conventional mirrors, you go ‘where are my lines?’, and you have to readjust your mindset because they don’t tell you how far behind a vehicle is. This gives you better insight.” However, when it comes to driving in the dark, Andy has his reservations.

Guide lines help with manoeuvrability and depth perception.

“Without street lighting, there’s no depth perception – that’s definitely one of its weaknesses. Without the distance lines, you wouldn’t have a clue.” I can see what he means as we motor along SH2 before continuing on SH27 at Mangatarata. “You can see there’s a car because of its headlights, but beyond that, it’s very difficult.” Andy’s general feeling is that MirrorCam is more effective during the day than at night. But what about the transition between the two? Interestingly, as daylight breaks and the sky brightens, the image on the screens becomes rather grainy. It doesn’t affect what you can see, though, and the image quality improves the more natural light there is. As we twist and turn our way south, I notice that the camera copes easily with the sun striking it from all angles. “When it’s wet out, the image can get obscured,” says Andy. “We have an easy solution, though… We use the air duster air guns to blast them dry. It works great!” Andy says that although the screens have a smaller area than a mirror, how much they show is probably the same. “In some cases, I can see more in terms of vehicles in the distance behind me during the day. “One of the biggest drawbacks is that the view doesn’t change when you move your body for a better angle. The mirrors have been calibrated and set – we don’t touch them,” Andy adds. Overall, it’s a good report from Andy and Mike. “It doesn’t take long to get used to looking inside the cab at the screens and not outside at mirrors. Once you get used to them, I’d say you don’t want to go back. It’s like getting a new phone – after the adjustment period, you don’t want to go back,” says Andy.

GENERAL THOUGHTS “Overall, there’s a lot to like about the Arocs,” says Andy. “These new ones are a totally different environment. I do like the displays. They’re good, once you know where everything is.” Andy cruises along the motorway using the adaptive cruise, which maintains good distance from vehicles ahead and does a good job of managing the truck’s pace up and over climbs. “It gets on nicely, doesn’t struggle,” says Andy as we climb the Bombays at about 60kph and 1300rpm. “I usually leave it in auto and shift down when I feel it needs it. And I flick between Eco, Normal and Power if I really have to. Lifting his foot off the accelerator pedal without engaging the retarder drops the engine to idle speed and allows the truck to coast along. It’s quick to pick up the correct gear again and continue providing power. I ask Andy if he’s noticed less wind noise around the cab without air resistance caused by conventional mirrors housings. “I don’t think that’s noticeable because of the air whipping around the vehicles on board. Not that it’s a noisy cab anyway,” he says.

MOUNTAIN IN THE MIRROR

had one guy come up to me and say, ‘I don’t like the look of your truck.’ ‘Oh. that’s good’,’ I said. ‘I didn’t bloody buy it for you!’” says Kevin Hartley. Obviously, the fellow with the comment didn’t know Kevin that well. Spend a day

in his company and you’ll soon learn he absolutely wouldn’t care one jot if you did or didn’t like his truck. And anyone approaching him in such a disrespectful way would likely not leave his company without receiving a few incredibly

Right: The difference the screen makes in low ambient light is stark.

28 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

well-constructed summations on the shortcomings in the industry in 2022. Had they been persistent in their disrespect, neither would he hesitate in implicating their personal shortcomings in the wider industry issues. Kevin Hartley. A son of

the Taranaki region, lifetime trucker, an owner-driver for more than two decades, farmer, businessman and grafter. At a time when the world seems toxified with paralysing overthought, apathy, disinterest, and complexity, it’s so refreshing to find someone like him. Someone who is an ardent believer in facts like hard work, not wheel polish and excuses, pays off mortgages. Is it, therefore, surprising to find this genuine hard-case grafter, a man who will keep your ribs aching for hours with his razor-like wit, sitting in his two-year-old MecedesBenz Arocs 3263 8x4? A StreamSpace cab variant, dripping with tech and void of mirrors? This monster Euro brute complete with Euro-style roof-mount lights compels you to check Google Earth to clarify you’re in the forests around Strathmore and not Saxony. The answer? No, it most certainly isn’t surprising at all. It’s an irony you often find in trucking these days. Those who missed the previous generation are the ones desperate to replicate it, maybe to prove something to themselves or others. While at the same time, those who lived it all previously are equally desperate for the advances that mean they don’t have to relive it again. “There’s nothing wrong with it,” says Kev resolutely (the only way he speaks in all reality). We were rolling up the reprehensibly greasy and

woefully inadequate SH43 north from Stratford towards a woodlot on Brewer Road near Strathmore. “Look at the space. Listen to how quiet it is. It’s had three COFs in its 265,000km, every one of them a clean sheet. I have a house and farm, and I’ve been an owner-driver for more than 20 years, the last couple here. It’s not about the bling and Autosol for me. I still enjoy it, but it’s a tool. I want something safe, quiet, comfortable, with some guts. “I’m 52. I’ll do one more after this, and then that’s it. I want to be out by the time I’m 60 and work on my farm. There’s a lot of camaraderie gone from the trucking industry, and a friendly wave now depends on what you’re driving and who you work for. “I’ve done the freight thing with the big corporates. You can keep it. Give me this any day. You can make a good living, and Warwick [Lupton], and Chris [Purcell], the owners of Total Log Haulage, are bloody great to work for. It’s a family business, and that’s how you’re treated.

MirrorCam makes a huge difference to side window visibility.

They never pass without stopping for a chat, and they always fill you in on what’s going on, whether it’s good or bad news. Put it this way, whatever you’re thinking, you can ask them without a second thought. They’re bang-on in my book.” Speaking of bang-on, let’s get to the nitty-gritty – meaning what’s behind us and how we know it’s there! “If you’re wired negative

as a person, you’ll find fault in anything. I’d seen them [MirrorCam] on YouTube and didn’t hesitate to give it a go. I won’t say it was a compelling reason for choosing the Merc, that was more price and standard features, but once I’d made that choice, I gave them a go. “Yep, they’re fine. I like them. I get a much wider field of view just as a matter of course. Before adjusting

anything, I can sit here and see the second steer and the other lane, all from the normal driving position. Then I can adjust them out, so the main mirror is almost picking up objects at 80° to where I’m sitting in the driver’s seat. The little warning light there means they need a minor calibration – it’s nothing. “They also increase the left and right clearance vision hugely because there are

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no mirrors to look past and around. I can pull down the side blinds when the sun’s coming in the side window, and I lose no rear vision at all because the screen’s on the inside. When I open the door, I also get an unimpaired rear view. The cameras and screens don’t move with the door, so if I’ve had a momentary lapse and go to open the door to get out and there’s a cyclist or something there, I see them. “In low light they show a clear, bright image, far brighter than ambient outside. I can configure lines that show me distances to the rear, but I don’t use them anymore. I know where the back of it and the things around me are. I’m so used to it. “With this one being so high, I don’t get much in the way of contamination from the wheels. Look at today, raining, yet no spray is reaching the cameras. They’re mint. I would imagine in some jobs with the low cabs you might get a bit. But then cleaning them is as simple as reaching up, and with a tiny flick of the camera, it’s done. Because the screens are on the A-pillars, when I’m driving out the bush roads, I can look ahead and behind me almost at the same time. “Security also. If I’m in the sleeper at night and I think someone’s out there, I can just flick them on. “No, I can’t fault them. I had a CVST officer pull me up, and he was going to get stuck into me for driving a truck that I’d wiped both mirrors off. ‘I haven’t got any mirrors,’ I said,” Kevin laughed. “Yep, it looks different, but I like it.” And so, to finish, a critic who takes no prisoners on any subject, Kevin Hartley has lived with MirrorCam for probably as long as anyone in the country – more than most. His is an acid test. And his is one they have passed.

SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T WORK

t the end of 2021, Perry Metal Protection took delivery of this eye-catching MercedesBenz 2653 6×4 and Roadmaster tri-axle flatdeck semi combination. The unit, based at Perry’s Hamilton facility, currently runs between there and customers in Auckland. The Actros is one of five vehicles in the company’s fleet and has been bought on a 60-month lease through TR Group. “We purchased the Actros to relieve ourselves of some of the costs associated with using a third-party freight provider. I believe if we can control our own logistics internally we can run the

trucks far more efficiently,” says general manager Steve Halse. Driver and 20-year Perry’s veteran Geoff O’Sullivan was involved in selecting and spec’ing the truck from start to finish. “We made sure that what we got was fit for purpose. Geoff knows what he needs and how to use it. We said to him, ‘Don’t worry about the cost, but if you have your dream vehicle, what would it be or what would you have?’” explains Steve. “We needed a truck with more horsepower due to the increasing load size and we looked at a number of vehicles. The Merc was a more expensive selection but fits the bill

for our changing busness. We had to ensure we had the reliability to service customers.” Interestingly, Steve says the MirrorCam system was not really a factor in selecting the Actros. “It’s cool tech, but it didn’t sway the decision.” Unfortunately, in the week we were scheduled to meet Geoff and see the Actros in action, he was out of action due to Covid-19. However, we were able to chat with logistics coordinator Bonty Ranapiri and regional manager (northern) Angela Williams. They explain that the Actros is all it’s cracked up to be, but the MirrorCam system doesn’t work in Perry’s application.

“The fuel economy is really good, and Geoff enjoys the comfort. Drivingwise, he has no complaints,” Bonty begins. “The issue with the cameras comes just by the nature of our business; Geoff is required to reverse into fabrication workshops where the steel is only a couple of inches from his wheels. The cameras don’t give him the visibility to actually see where he’s reversing due to the change in external light to internal light. He often has to get out to double-check because he just can’t see.” Says Angela: “It’s a bit of a health and safety issue. Geoff has sent us pictures while reversing into workshops, and you can’t make out steel or people due to picture clarity from the cameras. I wouldn’t want them [the cameras] from seeing the pictures, and he’s

an experienced driver.” “With hard mirrors, he has the ability to move in his seat and adjust his angle to see what’s on the back of his truck. With the cameras, he can’t,” Bonty adds. Bonty explains that Geoff needs to be able to keep an eye on his load and has been caught out with the MirrorCam system by thinking something had moved on the back. “He pulled over and there was nothing loose. Geoff says the conversations he’s had with other MirrorCam drivers is that the cameras are great for hardsiders or containers where you don’t have to see what’s on the deck, just what’s behind you. “For the nature of our business, it’s not quite there. But he loves driving the truck otherwise,” Bonty says.

Actros is a great truck for Perry’s driver Geoff O’Sullivan, but he finds MirrorCam isn’t ideal for backing into fabrication workshops.

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WORLD’S END THROUGH THE LENS

ad went to the Kirwee field days and came home with this,” laughs Jonathon Lowe of SM Lowe Contracting in Karamea. He is standing in front of the company’s latest acquisition, a 6x4 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2646 with MirrorCam – and the Full Monty dual-tablet dash. This is a spec’y-techy and proves that when you launch product on the global market, it can literally end up

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where the road ends. New Zealand has several places that are the end of the road. Karamea on the South Island’s northwest coast is one of those. It has a Golden Bay feel and vibe both in terms of climate and community. It’s like the bay’s little sibling – Utopia in the middle of paradise. In fact, the two regions are actually linked by the Heaphy Track. Like Golden Bay, Karamea April 2022

is also walled in by a fortress of mountains on three sides, with the Tasman Sea rolling in on its northwest flank. The area’s ‘Taka Hill’ is the infamous Karamea Bluffs, a slow, winding, narrow ribbon of bitumen consuming an hour of the 90-minute journey north from Westport, the closest main centre. Like so many of our nation’s marvels of access engineering, the Bluffs are the only land-based

transportation link between Karamea and the rest of the nation. With their westerly exposure, keeping them open as Mother Nature toys with our tenacity is a year-round job. Selwyn Lowe founded SM Lowe Contracting in 2003, and is run today by his two sons Jonathon and Matthew, aka ‘Sharky’. With seasonal and contractual demand, they call on a group of part-time

1 2

3 1) Not being able to see the camera arm from the driver’s seat is an issue for Jonathon Lowe. 2) The Lowe machine has the ‘tablet dash’. 3) Not all of SM Lowe’s work is so well lit. staff to make up the numbers needed. The company engages in almost anything that requires a truck and a digger… and a roller, and a loader. The current truck fleet comprises six trucks, five Mercedes-Benz and a Volvo FM in a mix of tractor and truck configurations. “Yep, there’s a lot of rural and farm work, as well as civil and council work as needed,” says Jonathon. “We’re also called on by WestReef, the state highway contractor for the coast to assist, especially on the Bluffs when there’s a problem.” On the day we came over, there’d recently been a storm through, and the blue SM Lowe trucks and diggers were out in force, clearing debris. We were there to see the mirror-cam Arocs mentioned above, a truck that everyone agreed was the first new truck in Karamea in three decades. “Yes, it probably is,” laughs Jonathon. “There was

a brand-new R-model Mack, but it would be over 30 years ago, I reckon.” The Arocs arrived last April and is used across the spectrum of work, from transporting to tipping and general cartage. “It’s set up as a tractor at the moment. The turntable’s on a subframe, and we’re going to build a tipping deck for it. The semi we built ourselves, with a chassis from Christchurch and Hardox sides. We wanted something with a bit more power for transporting the 20-tonne diggers when we have to go a bit further afield.” After a year of operation, Jonathon says succinctly: “Yeah… No, I probably wouldn’t spec another one with the cameras. You probably didn’t want to hear that,” he chuckles. “Look, there are a few reasons. While there’s markings on the mirrors for distances to the back, there’s

none for out wide. We do a lot of blind backing into narrow places and with the concave aspect, it’s just too hard to judge distance. Because you’re looking at an image, moving your head to increase the angle does nothing. What you see is what you’ve got. “They also struggle to cope with rapidly changing light conditions. Absolute black, into bright, and filtered light flashing in the trees, they can take too long to adjust. A lot of our work is in the bush, and we face that all the time. And if the sun’s right in them, there’s just nothing, but then there’s not much with any mirror, I guess. “A big one for me is not being able to see the cameras from the driver’s seat. We go into a lot of places where you’re in among the bush. With a mirror, you can tell if the branch is going to hit the bracket, but in this, you can’t. I was heading up to an area called The Arches the

other day. You’re hard against the bank on one side, and the other is pushing through bush. I didn’t take this unit for that reason. They told us the cameras are spring-loaded and will bend back, but they don’t come around anywhere near enough. “It has a semi-regular driver, but we also mix drivers. We were doing an ag-lime job into a shed the other day, and the guy on this jumped into another truck, and the first thing he said was it was a breath of fresh air [compared to MirrorCam]. “On motorway and highway running, I think it would be great. The distance measures to the rear, and the blind-spot visibility especially is brilliant. It tells you who is there in the places you can’t see.” Then he laughs. “I guess we just spend so much time in places you shouldn’t be in first place. It’s just not quite there for us yet.”

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MIRRORCAM IS SPREADING IN THE DEEP SOUTH MirrorCam is brilliant for off-road work, says TSL manager and company director Wayne Williams.

et in the heart of Southland’s dairying industry, the little village of Nightcaps and its rolling countryside is about as English picture postcard as you’ll find. It draws its name, not from a peaty single-malt, but rather the stunning view on a clear winter’s night as one gazes at the snow-capped peaks of the Takitimu Ranges to its immediate west. Nightcaps is also home to one of the region’s – if not the country’s – slickest rural transport operations, Transport Services Ltd – TSL. Graced with wonderful rural carrying and service kit in the company’s simple-yetstriking red and white livery, the image TSL’s equipment projects is matched by the folk behind the doors of both its machines and offices.

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None more so than manager and company director Wayne Williams. He fits the mould of the archetypal ruralcarrying boss to a tee. He knows his customers, staff, and machines explicitly. He respects and has the respect of customers and staff and hopes the machines will earn his respect through dogged service and reliability. Neither is he afraid to dip his toes in the water of innovation in the hope of improved efficiency – and margin. But if it fails dismally, he’ll cut the toes of whoever sold it to him off with a blunt axe… figuratively speaking, of course. So, if you’re Nightcaps-bound and excited about the next big thing you have to peddle, you’d better be sure of it. Fleet No.23 is a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 1840 4x4 spreader… or sower as April 2022

they say in these parts. It’s set up with 445/65 22.5 mud-grip tyres and central tyre inflation, so it means business. It’s also fitted with MirrorCam. “When they told me it had the mirror tech, I said, ‘Oh F$%^! I don’t need that shit!” laughs Wayne. “‘How much is it going to cost me if I smack that off on a tree?’ I asked. They came back with a quote and said it’s cheaper than an existing mirror system. The picture we saw initially led us to believe the cameras stick out a long way, but when you see them, they actually don’t. Anyway, in that part of our business, if you find yourself with lots of obstructions around you that might knock gear off, it’s a case of just turning the spinners up. “It’s brilliant technology. On an off-road, it’s a brilliant system. Everyone I know

in and around trucks hates dust. With MirrorCam, you can leave the windows up in the dust and clearly see what’s going on. We all know that with a bit of dew or a light shower when the wind’s blowing from the rear, the mirrors get coated, and you have to drop them to clean the mirrors. You don’t have to do any of that, or at least not as often, and it’s a lot simpler. We supply the driver with a wee cleaner and, every now and then, he has to give the camera lens a tidy-up. Because the lens area is so small and recessed into the arm, the dust has to really get right in there to cause a problem. “I’ve driven it on the road and all you have to do is glance at the A-pillar – you barely have to take your eyes off the road. It has distance

1) Note the Williams grab-handle recessed into the guard. 2) MirrorCam copes well in low light and mist when out in the field. 3) Driver Rodney Heenan’s been in farming his whole life, and gives MirrorCam a solid tick.

markers so you can more easily judge backing into the trailer, and the blind spot alerts are brilliant. “To my mind, it’s a great piece of technology but doesn’t go far enough. All of the separate camera systems on the truck – in-cab, reversing, load, forward – should come into the one in-house factory-fitted system, instead of employing third parties who have to tap into looms and all that crap. That would be one of the best packages they could do for simplicity, efficiency, and safety. Whoever does that first would probably get me looking at their brand really really quickly.” The driver on the truck is Rodney Heenan, a Southlander who has spent his whole life in the farming and the rural industry

with 16 years’ experience distributing growing media on the gorgeous Southland landscape. When we caught up with him, he’d been with TSL for three months. No.23 is a big truck and will be close to two years old and have 2000 hours on the meter by the time you read this. It’s a long way up to the driver’s seat. So much so that Wayne has had another grab handle fitted to the front mudguard so normal humans can actually get in. “It’s bloody ridiculous. Who the hell can reach them?” he says, pointing to the standard grabs prior our trip out with Rodney. Rodney is your typical down-to-earth and welcoming Southland rural bloke and we’re off to a farm south of Nightcaps on the road to Otautau. It’s early spring

and winter’s influence is still present on the paddocks, meaning it’s all guns blazing on the sowing front, but there are still soft spots lurking for the unwary. The 1840 is a beast and easily clambers its way around the rolling countryside. “Yep, it’s a good machine,” says Rodney. “It’s a long way up, which is a bit of pain, but it goes well.” Obviously, the truck sees the trickiest of situations in its line of work, and there are traditional forward-facing mirrors to cover bumpers on the off-side and front. Out back though, she’s all MirrorCam. “The mirrors? Yes, once you get used to them, they’re great, especially in low light. They’re brilliant in low light – so much brighter than the ambient outside. That’s really

handy down here. “With less protruding, you don’t have as much to worry about in terms of clouting trees and things. And not having mirrors gives you more left-right clearance and more vision all around. “The lines help you judge distances, but you also get a feel for it. The cameras are recessed into the wings, so you just need to give them a little clean-out now and then. But your vision is not as affected by dust and the like because the screen you’re looking at is on the inside with you. “Probably the only thing is the flickering headlights on some cars. That’s probably it, really.” The general consensus in rural-spreading in Southland, then? Toes still attached! MirrorCam is a pass.

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Special thanks Many folk in all corners of the country willingly cooperated to make this cover special happen. Relaince Transport Grant and Mike Darrah and Mac Moradi Carr & Haslam Chris Carr and Andrew Porter KB Hartly Transport Ltd Kevin Hartley Perry Metal Protection Steve Halse, Angela Williams and Bonty Ranapiri SM Lowe Contracting Jonathon and Selwyn Lowe

WHAT DO WE THINK?

ere are our thoughts after experiencing six MirrorCam Mercs in a

row…

Gavin’s thoughts In October 2019, MirrorCam won its engineers the biennial Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize, which is awarded by the Vienna University of Technology to engineers who have made awe-inspiring contributions in vehicle development. And there’s no doubting MirrorCam is an impressive system. I’d have loved to have experienced it for myself from behind the wheel, but the point of this exercise wasn’t for us to evaluate it and give our verdict. It was to see it in reallife operation with the people who use it every day and report theirs. In that context, it showed its virtues in almost all our encounters – the added functionality over a standard mirror, especially when coupled with a semi-trailer, is obvious. However, it also showed some drawbacks. Mainly, these were to do with its use in the dark and its ability to adapt to rapidly changing light conditions.

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No doubt, as the technology evolves, these concerns will be addressed. Mercedes-Benz’s approach with MirrorCam was to improve visibility and, therefore, safety. In that context, I think it succeeds. Its ability to automatically vary the angle and view, coupled with the highlighting of space on the road and vehicles alongside, allows the driver to judge their surroundings quickly and accurately and decide whether it’s okay to move. The system impressively reduces blind spots, its current shortcomings in changing light and dark conditions aside. So, is it something truly worthwhile, or just technology for the sake of it? It may sound like a copout, but I’m still undecided. And it seems the driver pool is too; some swear they’ll never go back, others can take it or leave it. And we know there are some applications where it just does not work at all. However, in the correct applications, it must be worthwhile – otherwise it wouldn’t be here in the first place. And I’m always of the opinion that having the option can only be a good thing. April 2022

Transport Services Ltd Wayne Williams and Rodney Heenan

Dave’s thoughs For me, outlining what the operators do – and their approach – set the scene for their summation of MirrorCam. My three – TSL on spreading, SM Lowe working in contracting, and Kevin Hartley’s big 3263 log unit – probably had the more challenging gigs in terms of the elements and physical environment. Therefore, it was interesting to find such enthusiastic support among my trio. Rodney Heenan and his boss Wayne Williams at TSL, and Kevin Hartley in Taranaki were MirrorCam advocates, citing the low light capabilities, visibility, and lack of contamination as real pluses. That was a great strike rate and hats off to M-B’s development teams. As humans, as much as we say we embrace change, the truth is the bulk of us usually have to be dragged kicking and screaming into new worlds. For me, though, the question I pose concerns the planet. Is this sort of technology what the globe needs right now? What’s the energy in versus benefit from mirrorless trucks (and you’ll

note I’ve gone for mirrorless at a generic level here)? Yes, we can do it, and yes, it appears a great tool in the right application. But is there a true net benefit in outcome once resources consumed and manufacturing costs are encompassed? And what’s the opportunity cost of the resources and time taken to research, develop, test, manufacture, and distribute it? What could we have done with all that time, money, and brainpower? Were mirrors that much of a historical catastrophe in terms of a causation of human motoring misery? I think as mankind moves forward, we need to become a lot more critical of where the R&D dollar is spent. I think marketing needs to become the result of R&D decisions rather than a key driver. I think cool is important – but more so in a literal sense, looking ahead. But it’s here now, and it’s not going away. Therefore, a return to the fundamental question for the moment. Did I like it? Yes, I did. But it’s a work in progress in some circumstances, for sure.

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TRUCK TEST

Story and photos by Gavin Myers

UP FOR THE JOB A drive around the wider Auckland area will reveal increasing Shacman X3000s on the road. A couple of days spent with Auckland-based Quick Earth Moving and its X3000 tipper demonstrated why.

peak to anyone involved in the supply of heavy trucks, and they’ll tell you the New Zealand market is unique. It is also one of the more challenging to service, requiring a thorough understanding of legislated restrictions, buyer preferences and how to best match and cater to both. For this reason, new players, especially at the heavier end

of the market, are – let’s say – cautious and few and far between. Kiwi buyers know what they want, know what works and, overall, are brand loyal. Trying to get a foothold as a ‘newcomer’ is not for the faint of heart.

New, but not so new While Shacman may have only begun to appear in New Zealand from 2021, the brand

was founded by the Shaanxi Automobile Holding Group Co in 1968. Positioned as a ‘multinational automotive products manufacturing and service provider’, it is represented in more than 100 countries. In New Zealand, sales, service and parts are run from the company’s Wiri office, with a network of dealers slowly being built. You’d have to commend director Weir Wang and

general manager Bobby Khan for introducing a new OEM to the market amid a global pandemic and the embattled supply chain that comes with it. “Lockdowns have caused a real issue with sales; we have more than 35 delayed orders at the moment due to the factory having been placed in lockdown,” Bobby says. “There are currently about 25 Shacman X3000s running

1 1) Looks pretty good going down the road. 2) Air suspended Grammer seat. 3) A driver-monitoring system in the overhead, with camera mounted above the passenger door. 4) Pull-down sun blinds a boon. 5) Cab bright and airy.

mainly around Auckland.” The very first of those was an X3000 6x4 tipper bought a year ago by Dabo You, general manager of Quick Earth Moving Limited (QEM). In January, he added a second truck (seen on these pages) to his fleet. A third should’ve joined the party when this issue hits the shelves. As is the way with Chinese brands, several global component manufacturers are employed to supply the oily bits, and for New Zealand, Weir and Bobby have ensured only those familiar to the local market are offered – Cummins power, Eaton and Allison transmissions, ZF steering, Wabco valves… “There are other drivetrain options – Weichai engines, Fast gearboxes – but they’re not represented here. Eaton, Alison and Cummins are all here, and they’re proven in this market. There’s nothing alien to the operators, and we’re finding they are comfortable with it. The combination has been well received. Plus, Cummins’s support has been

fantastic,” Bobby says. When introducing the X3000, the decision was made to offer a standard spec of a 440hp Cummins ISM Euro-5 engine coupled to a 10-speed Eaton Ultrashift AMT. However, more power can be ordered, especially for those who want to tow. Speaking of which, a Ringfeder is currently one of just three equipment options offered, the other two being the BroLube automated lubrication system and the Kiwi Tarp retractable tarp system. Everything else you see here is standard from the factory – even the 11.5m3 Hardox bin, which we’re told has been created to suit local requirements. “It’s a turnkey idea that works for a lot of operators,” Bobby says.

Typical tipper It’s early on a Friday morning when I meet up with the X3000 and its driver Peter Stace. Both man and machine are new to the job, with just 6700km under the Shacman’s belt and about four weeks

with QEM for Peter. However, he was not unfamiliar with the QEM operation, as he had been sub-contracting for the company for quite some time before joining QEM full-time. It was handy for Dabo that the arrival of both Peter and the X3000 roughly coincided. “I was happy to jump straight in,” says Peter. “I’m not specific about the truck I drive, I look after the gear regardless,” he says. Our first job for the day consists of a few runs between a residential build in Manurewa East, a dumpsite in Papatoetoe and Winstone’s Hunua Quarry outside Papakura. Jumping aboard, the first impression is that the cab is light and airy. The driver gets an air-sprung Grammer seat while the passenger’s is rigidly mounted but comfortable. There’s a narrow bed, side and rear curtains, and some nifty roll-down sunshades with one-touch retraction for driver and passenger. The instruments, dash and wrap all have a Eurocentric design,

1 & 3) Neat dash layout, but storage space at a premium. 2) Steering wheel nice to use, driving position comfortable, Eurocentric gauges simple and easy to read. 4) Peter demonstrated the X3000’s good manoeuvrability at the tight, tricky Pukekohe site. 5 & 6) Hardox bin measures 11.5m³ and is standard from the factory. Kiwi Tarp kit an option. and everything seems to be durable and fairly well screwed together. However, this cab’s main drawback is that storage space is on the light side – with just some narrow trays in the overhead and a few shallow and oddly shaped pockets in the wrap and central dash. Peter has solved that problem with a plastic tub and lid on the floor between the seats for documents and oddments storage. However, if the driver or passenger are smokers, there should be more than enough ashtrays at hand

– two each. (Probably tells you something about Shacman’s home market…) In the driver’s seat, commanding the Shacman is an easy affair. The ‘leather’wrapped wheel is adjustable and nice to hold, boasting audio and phone controls on the left spoke and cruise on the right. The Eaton Shifter falls right to hand and just back from that are the brake levers. The orderly wrap contains the Shacman infotainment and telematics system (more on that later),

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April 2022

climate controls and switches for axle/diff locks, PTO, et al. sit neatly below in two rows, with more than enough space for any accessory switches to be added. As we drive around town, one of the first impressions is how smooth the drivetrain is. The Cummins ISM emits a throaty sound as it deploys its 324kW (440hp) and 2020Nm (1490lb/ft), and with 10-odd tonnes on the back, pulling off in third or even fourth on a flat is easy. Peter, who prefers to command the gearshifts

manually via the up/down buttons on the left side of the gear lever, says he’d flick it into second for taking off on a hill. “Whatever gear you decide to pull off in, it’ll go back to that gear when you stop, so you have to be aware of the gear you’ll need to take off in,” he adds. As is becoming increasingly common, a self-shifting box is the only option in the Shacman. It responds quickly and shifts smoothly in both manual and auto

monitoring system, consisting of an in-cab camera and a control module in the overhead. “The data is monitored by our facility in China, and we provide free coaching for one year based on the system. Thereafter, the operators can continue to use it themselves to manage their drivers,” Bobby explains. Before I get the chance to ask Dabo about the system, he mentions it as one of the truck’s standout features. “The driver on our first unit was found to be a little bit rough on his truck, revving the cold engine, harsh acceleration. Weir printed a report for me to see the data, and I could discuss it with the driver. I’d be happy to pay for that; it’s a very good thing,” he says. The system, along with the likes of the TPMS, integrates into the Shacman Telematics touchscreen infotainment system.

Entering the unknown

7) Driver Peter Stace is suitably impressed with his X3000. 8) QEM owner, Dabo You. 9) Axles getting a workout.

modes. There are four green lights in the mid-range of the rev counter, which light up successively to guide efficient driving. “I’m still getting used to the auto, but I appreciate being able to shift it myself,” says Peter, who came out of a 350hp Fuso with 13-speed Roadranger. ”While I really enjoy a Roadranger, the auto does ease the task of driving around.” The X3000s six mirrors are all very well-sized and positioned. “I like those; you can’t have enough mirrors,” Peter says [and we agree]. Indeed, the X3000 is easy to place on the road and manoeuvre, aided further by the good-quality rear-facing backup camera. Braking is ABS with EBS, and a two-stage Jake Brake helps manage the pace of proceedings.

Safety and tech Electronic and anti-lock braking are just the start of the safety and technology components Shacman has bundled into the X3000. Antiskid regulation (ASR) and electronic stability control (ESC) ensure the truck is kept on the straight and narrow, while the diff-lock and power divider further help to keep momentum up when the ground beneath turns to dust. There are also standard tyre pressure monitoring and a lane-departure warning system (LDWS). With work at the Manuwera East site done for the day, Peter has a few runs to make between the Stevenson Aggregates Drury quarry (Stevenson’s being another recent Shacman customer) and another residential build in Pukekohe. A couple of runs along Auckland’s Southern Motorway and

some secondary roads reveal two things. First, the LDWS is useful and not overly sensitive – which is great as often the persistence of these systems can lead to drivers deactivating the system as part of their start-up procedure. “I don’t mind it in this,” says Peter. Second, running at the maximum 90kph and 1450rpm, the X3000 is impressively quiet. Wind rush around the cab is unobtrusive, and the Cummins hums along softly. “You get a nice whistle from the turbo, but other than that, she’s quiet-as,” Peter comments, as we contemplate whether the front super-single tyres might have something to do with reducing road noise and adding to ride comfort. The air-suspended cab is ECE-R29 crash-test compliant. All vehicles in the X3000 range feature a driver behaviour and fatigue

Having commenced operations in 2014 – with Dabo behind the wheel of a 1996 Nissan-Diesel and his wife Claire managing the office work – QEM has grown to 21 full-time employees and 14 subcontractors, concentrating on civil work and local aggregate delivery and dirt removal. When the Nissan-Diesel started “getting old and costing money”, Dabo bought a 2006 Isuzu. Eventually, though, maintenance costs and standing time with that vehicle pushed him to buy his first new trucks; two 280hp and two 470hp Fusos. Five years later, the Fusos are still in the fleet. “I like to grow step-by-step, replacing without finance. I’ll probably continue to buy to replace,” Dabo says as we talk about his decision to run the X3000s. “When Weir first approached me, I wasn’t interested because other brands were established here, and

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S P E C I F I C AT I O N S

Shacman X3000 6x4 Tipper Tare: 11,000kg (with body), 8325kg (cab and chassis) GVM: 25,000kg Wheelbase: 4475mm Engine: Cummins ISM11E5 440 Capacity: 10.8-litre Power: 324kW (440hp) at 1900rpm Torque: 2020Nm (1490lb/ft) at 1200rpm Emissions: Euro-5 Transmission: Eaton UltraShift FO-16E308LL-VCS 10-Speed AMT Shacman didn’t have service or dealers at the time. He had to make me confident that there would be someone here to look after the truck if I bought it. Then, when the Shacman facility in Wiri was set up, I went to have a look and I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a try.’ “Before buying the first Shacman, I looked at other trucks on the market. I was straightforward; when I buy a truck, I do the research. Pricewise, there’s about a $30,000 to $40,000 difference, and a good thing is the reduced lead time in not having to wait for the body to be fitted once the truck arrived. I think Weir did well with his market research.” Dabo says he gives Weir regular feedback about how the X3000s are performing. “The original unit had a few small problems, which I talked to Weir about. Our drivers are really good, taking time before and after work to go over the trucks and check everything is in order. As soon as we see something, we go back to Weir… I don’t want to see problems and the new one has had nothing so far. We’ve never had issues with maintenance or parts.” In terms of fuel consumption, Dabo says the 440 X3000s average between 30 and 32l/100km (3.33 and 3.12km/l). “I’m not saying Shacman is the best truck, but it works just like any truck,” Dabo says.

42 New Zealand Trucking

“It’s the same with cars – you may drive a Toyota or a Ford, they’re all different, but a Toyota is just as good a car as a Ford. You just need to learn how it works and get used to it.”

Front axle: HanDe

Closing thoughts

Rear suspension: Non-independent longitudinal spring balanced

Its early years but Shacman New Zealand has made steady progress, and its trucks are becoming more commonplace on the roads of the wider Auckland area. As Dabo has done with QEM, it’s a slow-and-steady, step-by-step approach. “We need feedback from the operators, even on the little things, which we take on board and pass on to the factory. The factory is very receptive even though New Zealand spec is not what they’re used to. But that goes for all OEMs; we’re highdemand and small volume. They’re getting their heads around it,” Bobby says. As part of its response, Shacman has placed factory engineers onsite with Weir and Bobby for a year at a time. Bobby explains that offering the same base spec and just adapting the wheelbase and body for the specific application is a strategy that’s worked well. “The more models we have, the more support we need to offer, so we wanted to first establish ourselves, the brand, before expanding on the product line,” he says. “We’re now offering a 560hp X3000 tractor

Front-axle rating: 7500kg – Super Singe Tyres Front suspension: Non-independent longitudinal spring parabolic Rear axle: HanDe Rear-axle rating: 11,500kg

Brakes: Dual-circuit compressed air brake, front and rear disk, EBS Auxiliary braking: Jacobs engine brake Additional safety: Anti-skid regulation (ASR), electronic stability control (ESC), electronic braking system (EBS), lane-departure warning system (LDWS), in-cab camera, tyre pressure monitoring, insufficient brake air-pressure alarm, reversing camera Fuel: 400-litre Wheels: Alcoa alloys Tyres:

85/65 R22.5, Front: 3 Rear: 295/80 R22.5

Electrical: 24V Cab exterior: Shacman X3000 Standard Cab, four-point air suspension, water tank protection, daytime running light, beacon lights, BroLube auto greasing Cab interior: Grammer air-suspension driver’s seat, electronically controlled automatic constant-temperature air conditioning, electric windows, remote central locking, Shacman Telematics with touchscreen, multifunctional steering wheel, constant speed cruise control

unit, and before the end of the year, the 600hp Euro-6 X6000 should arrive. This is a big-cab tractor unit aimed at linehaul.” Given the tracks the brand

is making with the X3000 tipper and concrete models, it’ll be interesting to see how these do when they arrive.

April 2022

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IN THE PINK…

FINALLY Story by Dave McCoid

Spookily fitting – that’s the only way to describe the presentation of the John Murphy Memorial Top Truck of the Year Award for 2020-2021. If you were looking for a metaphor to represent everything this truck stands for, then the presentation ceremony was it. Looking fantastic on the big day.

f at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The only way to begin recovering from a knock-back is to take your first step forward. Enjoy the journey as much as the destination. And last, and possibly most appropriate: This too will end. All of these expressions are coping tools for life, and man-oh-man, were they ever drawn upon in the six months since Hart Haulage’s magnificent Western Star 4684 won the New Zealand Trucking magazine John Murphy Memorial Top Truck of the Year Award for 2020-2021. On a sunny early-autumn day in March, the New Zealand Trucking magazine crew finally rendezvoused at Ambury Regional Farm Park in Mangere

44 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

Photos by Carl Kirkbeck and Dave McCoid with Hart Haulage’s Barry and Josh Hart, and Power Retreads director Dave Leicester. It is worth noting that Dave pulled a rabbit out of the hat to make the event, travelling from Hastings at ultra-short notice. As readers will know, Power Retreads sponsors our monthly Top Truck Award and the annual People’s Choice Supreme Award. Winning was the easy part; getting the prize to the winner was another story entirely. The votes came in steadily throughout September 2021, the Hart machine winning by a healthy margin. Then the shenanigans began. As the results were finalised and agreed upon, Auckland and all who lived within her borders – including the Harts

– found themselves ‘under the dome’. We all decided the best solution was to wait it out, maintaining that the spirit and mood that always accompanies presentation day would have been lost in the sterility of an online event. Eventually, the borders opened and we were about to contact the Harts when the news came through that the Western Star had been involved in a ‘coming together’ with a wayward wheel-loader. Bugger! That scuppered things until the new year. But on Monday, 7 March, in Mangere, it was third time lucky for sure… just. No, there was nothing wrong, but the star attraction and her oh-so-proud driver Josh Hart were just about

to leave for the Marlborough grape harvest, so we had to move fast. It all came together when Josh rolled in, the Western Star looking extra shiny after her rhinoplasty procedure. Dave Leicester presented Josh with the official plaque which also entitles the Harts to the grand prize – a full set of Vipal drive tyres. New Zealand Trucking Media’s Dave McCoid then presented Josh with Rochelle Thomas’s amazing painting of the winning truck. “I’m just stoked,” he said. “I’m absolutely stoked.” The Hart’s intended plan to take the truck on a national roadshow, sharing an antibullying message, is still very much alive but has been postponed until Covid-19’s tail has wagged its last wag. “Yes, yes,” says Barry. “That’s certainly still on, for sure. We’re just doing the right thing for now.”

1) Power Retreads director Dave Leicester presents Josh Hart with the New Zealand Trucking magazine John Murphy Memorial Top Truck of the Year Award for 2020-2021. 2) New Zealand Trucking Media’s Dave McCoid was next with the presentation of Rochelle Thomas’s exquisite painting. 3) Dave Leicester, Josh, and Barry Hart.

OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

JUST TRUCKING AROUND

www.trt.co.nz

Barry Skilling Barry Skilling from Northern Southland Transport is living the good life on the northern reaches of Southland in Lumsden. Barry is happily plying his trade on the comany’s new Scania bulk fertiliser spreader, and Craig Andrews spied him giving his new pride and joy a washdown. Barry’s history with trucks kicked off at eight years old when he drove an old International around the paddocks while his dad fed out hay. He left school at 16 and went to Mid Canterbury Transport as an offsider on hay cartage and got his HT on a TS3 Commer with Precision Shingle in Timaru. He also recalls driving a 1622 White while he was there. In 1978, he went to Unwin’s Timber, delivering export timber in a D800 Ford and then onto a Dodge V8 with a Hiab at G E Tregenza, before leaving there and starting his own company, Skillings Mini Mix. A small Daihatsu and a flat-deck Bedford were the mainstays of the fleet. After seven years, he sold that and went to Wilders doing linehaul in an eightwheeler Mercedes-Benz. The call of the USA saw him head there in 1999, driving Petes, Freightliners

and Internationals all over the country. Returning home, he went back to Wilders behind the wheel of an R-model Mack with a swing lift. Some part-time work with Hiltons followed and, while there, he trained as a chef and set up a café/ restaurant in Southland. He did this for nine and half years before making his way back to trucking at Northern Southland, where he has been for the past three years. He started on a Mercedes-Benz spreader before the new Scania arrived late last year. It’s taken him 51 years to get a new truck, and he rates it highly.

Being out amongst the hills and scenery of northern Southland is what Barry enjoys about this work, and not much really gets him offside, but he feels the electronic logbooks and some rules could be more user-friendly. When he’s not doing loops at work, he likes to spend his spare time fixing, restoring and driving vehicles plus building vehicles out of wood. His vexing question was, where would you least like to go to visit? Barry’s answer: The fabric shops where his wife buys her fabrics.

Phil Airey While on a road-trip north, Mike and Alison Verran met up with an old mate, Phil Airey, at Tomarata, a stone’s throw from Wellsford. Phil drives a 510hp DAF CF85 for Wharehine Contractors, based on SH1 in Wellsford. The bulk of his work is carting aggregate in the Wellsford/Mangawhai/Matakana area, mainly stockpiling at the Firth concrete plants. Phil has been interested in trucks from a young age, driving them on and off for 33 years. “I was mates with Craig Michael [aka Daggy] at school [Hauraki Plains College]. We would push-bike from Ngatea to Mangatarata at 2am, throw our bikes in a drain and go for a ride with the guys from Scotts Transport at Tahuna. We would collect our bikes and ride home at the end of the day. It was hard to not be around trucks when you were friends with Daggy! “My teacher said I would never be anything because I spent my time just looking out the window… But look at me now! I’m out there, enjoying the freedom of being on the road.” Phil is disheartened by the roads “being stuffed” these days. He is also concerned about the lack of young drivers coming through the system. “We can’t take them with us to learn, the way we learned back in the day.”

46 New Zealand Trucking

April March2022 2022

Alison was curious to know Phil’s answer to the vexing question: pie or quiche? “Actually, quiche! I love my bacon and eggs.”

JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz

Phil Taylor One of Nathan “Nugget” and Tracey Anderson’s stunning Mainfreight units was picking up insulation product in Milton late last year when Craig Andrews flagged down the Kenworth for a quick pic. While at it, he decided to get the rundown on the life of trucking through the eyes of its operator, Phil Taylor. Phil was picking up the load on the way back to Dunedin after his regular run from Dunedin to Gore. The load was Christchurch-bound, and he was driving a 2018 K200 with around 900,000km on the clock. Not that you know it, as the truck looks like it’s on its first load. Phil is a big fan of the truck and feels privileged to drive it. He says the Andersons are great

people to work for. Phil has been behind the wheel for 34 years, and it all kicked off when he got his HT in Mike Knopp’s F12 Volvo, which Mike contracted to Mount Cook Freightlines. His love of the industry developed when he went on trips on the weekends and school holidays with his cousin Peter Alexander who drove for Thomas Transport in Dunedin. Mainfreight eventually bought out Thomas Transport, and Peter went onto one of its iconic FR Macks. Phil says he learned a lot from those days alongside Peter. Everything is good in Phil’s world. He’s just happy enough driving the big 2.8m-cabbed Kenworth. “It’s an honour to drive this

truck, and it makes work life very enjoyable,” Phil says. He sees his fair share of idiots tempting fate on the highways, plus the general deterioration of the roads is forefront in his mind when looking for a downside. This

does seem to be a common theme with truckies down here. Phil’s vexing question was, who would you most like to meet and why? Sandra Bullock was the answer. And we’ll leave it at that.

THE

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TOP TRUCK

SIMPLE STRIKING R SA T Story and photos by Gavin Myers

Some trucks stand out because they’re so over-adorned you can’t help but notice them. Others blend in to the point of being invisible. But somewhere in between is the sweet spot – where the mix is just right.

owards the end of 2021, we spotted this Raymond Transport truck crawling along in Tauranga’s ever-worsening rush-hour traffic and standing out among every other vehicle on the road. The Mount Maunganui company had just said goodbye to its trusty old fleet No.6, a Kenworth T404, and taken delivery of its replacement – the new T410

SAR and Clarke Engineering tri-axle tipping skele trailer you see here. This is the first T410 SAR in the Raymond Transport fleet. The company has run a T409 SAR for the past four years, and the new No.6 follows in a similar style yet arguably looks neater all-round. “If I were able to get one of those again, I would’ve. It’s bang-on that truck,” says company owner Chris Raymond. It wasn’t even a

question that Chris would opt for the next-best thing currently available, having always been a Kenworth man. “Quite often these days, you’ll ask the driver what they would prefer – especially if they’re a good driver. That was the case with Eugene [Iles], and he’s always been a Kenworth man too,” Chris says. Eugene has been with Raymond’s for around five years now, and he and Chris

Clarke Engineering tri-axle tipping skele gets a similarly subtle but eye-catching treatment. worked with Southpac’s Andrew Haberfield to spec the truck. “Andrew sold me my four or five most-recent Kenworths. He’s brilliant. I tell him what I want, and he says, ‘Yep, I’ve ordered it, and that’s what you’re getting.’ He’s really fussy; it’s good,” Chris says. No.6 arrived when Southpac shut due to a Covid-19 lockdown last year, and so it sat in Auckland for two months. “A few bits and pieces are missing, but just cosmetic stuff. It has enough on it,” says Chris. Southpac fitted the dual 5” stacks, with Kenworth lasercut and prominent on the shields, as well as the radiator bug screen and stainless visor. Chris had the Kentweld bumper put on it to round off the front-on shine while, on the

side, it’s continued with a set of Alcoa Dura-Brights. Chris opted for the air-suspended 760mm mid-roof sleeper, which visually is given a little extra size thanks to the side extenders and painted vanity skirts. The truck left Bayswater with its Ice White cab and blue chassis rails, and Marty’s High Performance Signs in Omanu added the Raymond Transport livery and finished off the coding and stripe work. “Sometimes I think should I change my colours and go all one colour… But the white is such a crisp white, and the Subaru blue we use sets it off so well.” That it does, Chris, that it does. Inside, the sleeper is finished in Kenworth’s Red Garnet diamond pleat vinyl and Eugene’s comfortable behind

Lovely work by Marty’s High Performance Signs.

Left: The 760mm mid-roof sleeper with more than enough space for the daily grind. Right: Classy touch in a spotless cab.

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 49

Clean lines and smart livery.

the wheel in an Isri driver seat in black leather. Chrome bezel gauges and Paccar’s 7” touchscreen infotainment system add a bit of flash to the dash, while a custom ‘Kenworth T410 SAR’ plaque fills in the space between the seats. A 42-litre fridge and TV are fitted for Eugene’s convenience. We’re pretty sure that fridge is permanently empty, though, as you won’t find so much as a crumb in this cab. “I like to have a clean office. I don’t

even like to wind my windows down,” Eugene chuckles. The biggest change that came with buying this T410 SAR was that it’s an autoshifter – the 510hp (375kW) MX-13 is paired with an Eaton Ultrashift Plus 18-speed gearbox. “You’ve gotta move with technology,” Chris quips. “It’s the first auto-box in a Kenworth we have in the fleet to see how it goes around town. This has done only 10,000km, so it’s early days.

But Eugene likes it. He’s never had an auto before, but he may do 10 container runs a day back and forth from Sulphur Point (Port of Tauranga) to the Mount, so it’s brilliant to have in town.” No.6 is not bound to the city limits of Tauranga/Mount Maunganui – it gets out into the central North Island. But whether darting around town or out on the open road, you won’t miss Raymond Transport’s fleet No.6. It’s in that unmistakable sweet spot.

Chris Raymond and No.6’s driver Eugene Iles.

50 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

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2/3/22 10:45 am

BACK DOWN THE ROAD A BIT

WITH BELLS ON

hen I first started in the editor’s role, I remember getting a call from a bloke called Ken Bell. He said, “Oh, congrats on the job. I’m a truck driver and a keen photographer. I’ve done a bit for the magazine from time to time, and if there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to yell out.” Put simply, an easy-to-get-on-with bloke with a love of trucks, trucking,

Ken says: “When Dave contacted me about contributing to this column, I thought, ‘Oh yeah, submit half a dozen influential,

1) I was driving Southern Transport No.12 for a few years, doing all sorts of work. Although I don’t normally pose trucks for photos, I couldn’t resist simulating an A-train shot. 2) One of the old original photos from my cheap Instamatic camera of my Dad’s Bedford J6 in the paddocks at home. 3) Classic trucks and relics from yesteryear feature high in my library. 4) On-road action photos are always very attractive, and this one, supplemented by a splash of road spray, is one of my favourites despite being seemingly spoiled by a marker post. (But posts and power wires are a part of our environment.) 5) This is one of the thousands of photos I took in the US a couple of years back at the Oklahoma City cattle sale, where they average about 9000 head a day through the market, leaving me in awe at the scale of the USA. 6) Although this isn’t my photo, it holds a special place for me. I worked at New Zealand Motor Corporation when I first left school. This photo was taken by the late Murray Drake, captured from a man bucket on a crane at the NZRTA conference in 1977. These days you would just get a clever 11-year-old kid to fly his drone across to capture the same.

4 52 New Zealand Trucking

and recording the industry’s history through the viewfinder. It’s still the Ken I deal with today. He’s been on the scene for longer than he’d probably want to think about and must have a treasure chest of Southland trucking history. — Dave McCoid

April 2022

inspirational photos, how hard can that be?’ But after sifting through thousands of photos, I managed to tighten things up to dozens, every one of them holding a special memory or message. “I first got into taking photos of the trucks passing our family farm in rural Southland using a Kodak Instamatic camera when I was a boy. Only a few of those photographs are worth reproducing, but they hold special memories for me. “As time went on, I got better equipment but was still pretty frugal with photo subjects. Things are a lot more relaxed today with the advent of digital. I prefer to take photos of trucks in their working environment rather than posing them and don’t mind a bit of dirt from a working day.”

REMEMBRANCE

NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING MAGAZINE REMEMBRANCE PAGE

t’s a sensitive subject – and one we’ve been discussing for a while – but we think a remembrance page at the back of the magazine’s vocational section will help draw attention to any person associated with the industry who has died in the past month. The format will be as follows: 100 words max Small thumbnail photo Send to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz

It will be open to anyone involved in or connected to the road transport industry. Entries must be submitted by a family member, with a contact phone number so we can verify if we need to. There will be no advertising on the remembrance page.

From left: Madyzin Rogers, Dean Purves, Jason Andrews and Sherwin Sioson.

TRAINING FOR THE

FUTURE Story and photos by Gavin Myers

Mills-Tui is one of many manufacturers to embrace vocational training. The Rotoruabased trailer-builder currently has three apprentices on its staff, all of whom have promising futures.

ou’re never too old.’ ‘Age is just a number.’ ‘You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ True, true, and completely false. When it comes to learning the ins and outs of a new trade, you’re never too old or too young to learn. Just ask Sherwin Sioson, Jason Andrews and Madyzin Rogers over at MillsTui. At 22 years old, Jason and Madyzin are the young bucks,

ready and eager to chart the path of their respective futures in a trade they’re clearly enthusiastic about. And at nearly double their age – 43 – Sherwin’s proving it’s never too late to enhance one’s knowledge and skillset. All come from vastly different backgrounds and are part of a desperately needed pool of tradespeople entering the transport industry and learning on the job. Mills-Tui managing director Dean Purves explains why the current lack of fully qualified tradespeople has been a massive issue, not only for Mills-Tui but for all trades. “We’ve talked to the other bodybuilders around town, and they’re doing the same thing. There’s such a shortage of tradesmen, and transport engineering is a specific niche

where you can’t necessarily apply other engineering skills. “Years ago, when Mills-Tui was a big company, there were a lot of apprentices coming through. Then we went through a period in the 1990s and 2000s where, like many engineering businesses, we didn’t take on apprentices because of the cost. Now, there’s the incentive to do that; the government’s support makes a huge difference because apprentices aren’t productive for the first 12 months. I think it’ll slowly come right, and this is where we start.” In 2019, Madyzin was the first to begin a heavy fabrication apprenticeship with Mills-Tui. Sherwin, who’s doing his auto electrician qualification, started his training shortly after. Both had

already been working with the company and took the opportunity to further their professional development. Jason joined in 2021, also doing heavy fabrication, and Dean says the company is in the process of hiring a fourth apprentice, with the aim of taking on one a year. “We want to train the guys from the ground up. We found that many of the people coming through from the 2000s, especially, might have had practical experience, but there weren’t many tradequalified people. We need to have guys that are fully qualified,” Dean says. As apprentices, neither Madyzin nor Sherwin are short on hands-on experience. Madyzin left school in 2016 to join Mills-Tui. “I wanted to be a truck driver, but my

grandparents said no way. So, I found a way to work in the industry. When it came to doing the apprenticeship, I saw the opportunity and I took it. I’ve always liked building things and standing back going. ‘Yeah, I did that’,” Madyzin says. Sherwin’s path to his apprenticeship was a colourful one. Born in the Philippines, he graduated as an air-conditioning technician. After he graduated, he went to Saudi Arabia, where he worked as an air-conditioning technician. From there, he spent some time in Sudan before moving to New Zealand and joining the Mills-Tui team. “The electrical side of it is all the same, but I’ve had to learn additional aspects like health and safety. But I’ve learnt a lot. It’s been exciting and challenging,” he says. After leaving school in 2017, Jason dipped his toes into engineering as well as trades such as building, bricklaying, sawmilling. “It was always engineering,” he says. “I like knowing I helped build something.” Under the guidance of operations manager Todd Picken (who was unfortunately off work with Covid-19 when we did the interviews), the apprentices have to follow the curriculum set by their relevant industry training organisations, which is roughly 50% theory and 50% practical. (These are MITO for Sherwin and Competenz for Madyzin and Jason.) An assessor does a quarterly check in to track their progress and, once a year, the apprentices complete a three-week block course, where they demonstrate all the knowledge learnt over the year in a project. It should all take three to four years to complete, depending on experience gained and progression through the unit standards.

Jason sets a piece of metal in the press. All three agree that sitting down and doing the coursework after a long day’s work in the shop is one of the most challenging parts of the programme. However, as Dean predicts, tapping into that inner motivation will help down the line. “When I finished my apprenticeship, I was told, ‘Right, now you can go learn something’,” he says. “And that was right. You learn so much more actually doing the work and realising how it all fits in.” Naturally, the shop floor is not necessarily where the journey ends. “Those who move into the office from the floor, like our engineering manager Jeff Miller, are hugely valuable because they know how stuff gets built and understand how things go together. You can always teach them how to draw and use the software.” No pressure for Madyzin, Sherwin and Jason, then – especially with iconic names like Ian Patchell and Graham Kelly having spent their formative years with Mills-Tui. “We know they might not stay here, and hopefully some do – but if we don’t help put them into the industry, the whole industry is going to suffer. Who knows, one of them might come back and run the business,” Dean says.

Part of being an auto electrician for Sherwin involves plumbing the trailer.

Madyzin tidies up some welds.

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 55

WHERE’S THAT ROAD? Have a look at this pic, eagle-eyed truckers, and see if you know where this stretch of bitumen is. The winner of Where’s That Road from the February issue was Michael Badcock, who correctly identified SH65 between Sullivan’s Bridge and Springs Junction, just past Maruia Lodge, before the Shenandoah Saddle. Michael’s was among a group of early entries, all correctly identifying the area. We must have made that one too easy. Mind you, she’s a truckheavy stretch of carriageway. Well done, Michael. Great job! Good luck with this month’s mission, everyone.

TO ENTER

Michael Badcock correctly identified this stretch of SH65.

Flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz Subject line: Where’s that road? APR-22. Tell us your answer, and let us know your postal address too. Note: You must include the subject line, otherwise it might get lost in the pile. We’ll pick a random winner from the correct entries, and see what’s in the prize basket. Competition closes midnight on 30 April 2022.

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GREAT DASHBOARDS OF THE PAST In this series we look at great dashboards of the past, when character, quirks and idiosyncrasies dominated the driving department’s control centre. When gauges were physically connected to hot and cold bits and, when they worked, told you if those bits were hot or cold. When Kysor alarms bleared on summertime ascents and you could manually control shutters and fans. When switches made shit happen when it wasn’t important and didn’t when it was. Yes, the great dashes were yesterday’s infotainment – sometimes low on information but always high on entertainment.

L T

A far more hospitable environment. One thing that stands out when thinking about the cab’s evolution is fore/aft space. There is simply none in both these trucks. Headrests weren’t necessary – the cab’s rear wall had that covered for you. In both trucks, the gear selection is far more an up/down affair because of the angle of attack on the shifter. Gravity helped make 1st to 2nd and 3rd to 4th a slick affair indeed.

A FEW MORE COMFORTS OF

HOME Story by Dave McCoid

ur first great dash was from the Les Hayden FR Mack in Greymouth. The RP (Reinforced Plastics) cab was certainly a rudimentary workplace and – bear in mind – Les even tarted his up a bit with some additional upholstered panelling. As we promised last month, our second great dash comes from Mr Hayden’s co-conspirator in miracle truck restorations, Murry

Bruning, and the interior of his FR Mack, TNL fleet No.217. Fleet No.217 features the steel cab that succeeded the RP cab. It’s a more refined workspace for the driver with a significant increase in trim and vinyl panelling. Note the big Pyrometer on the wrap. Many Mack drivers drove the Bulldog on the Pyro’s feedback.

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This is what it must have looked like when driving your brand-new FR Mack away from the Palmerston North factory back in 1978. Goosebumps!

NZT 22

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Don’t let your payload weigh on your mind! Tipping Units, Bulk Haulage, Logging and Weighbridges

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WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

We bring you a pictorial memory from the phenomenal 2021 Wheels at Wanaka event – to keep the embers well and truly lit on the run-up to 2023!

Superb rides on resplendent, or superb carries resplendent, take your choice. Burnside Contracting’s beautiful Kenworth T908 barrels up State Highway 8a towards the 2021 Wheels at Wanaka festivities with Nelson McBreen’s International Payscraper in Burnetts livery onboard.

Make sure you listen to EP8 of the Keep On Moving podcast for an update on 2023 with Annabel Roy from the Wheels at Wanaka organising team.

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NZT 21

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AUSSIE ANGLES

RETRO TAG ON

OL’ SCHOOL

K100G Tasmanian-based Andrew Flynn is an innovative operator who repurposes old highway prime movers to suit his growing firewood business. This striking K100G is one of Andrew’s creative custom builds, enabling him to deliver generous loads of 4.2m firewood logs to his expanding customer base.

Story and photos by Howard Shanks

A real old-school express-highway persona.

62 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

asmanian winters are long. Damn long, and cold. Consequently, demand for firewood is high in the island state, especially this time of year. The more perspicacious firewood cutters take advantage of the warmer months to split and stack their new-season firewood into drying heaps, capitalising on the hot, dry winds in late summer to help cure wood ahead of the winter. If you have the room to store logs, and the time to cut and split them yourself, then a load of logs from Andrew is the most economical way to get firewood. At the time of writing, he had taken more than 70 orders in the previous week, and as he put his phone back in his pocket, he smiled and said, “there’s another one to add to the list”. But let’s put the intricacies of firewood aside for a moment and check out Andrew’s unique K100G. After a glance at the photos, it is quickly apparent that there is extensive customisation to this 1995 K100G, which gives it a real old-school, express-highway persona. The hand-rolled stainless drop-visor is most noticeable at the front, as are the old-school chrome ‘Haulin Ass’ tags attached to the stone guard. Above the cabin loom the twin stainless air-intake rams that feed the Series-60 under the

cab. Andrew said the intricate bends in the tubing were more time-consuming to construct than he first envisaged but added that the result was undoubtedly well worth the effort. Step around to the side, and adding a third axle to the drive group certainly makes this a unique unit, but more on that a little later. Incidentally, this K100G was built the same year Kenworth launched the model. Back in the 1990s, Kenworth Australia managing director Andrew Wright and general manager of sales Joe Rizzo had the extraordinary ability to predict market demands and trends the like we’ve not seen since. As a result, the K100G’s launch in 1995 coincided perfectly with the announcement of an additional 2m-length increase to B-Doubles, from 23m to 25m. While many in the industry thought this additional 2m would permit greater competition and choice of vehicles, such as with European-sourced setback frontaxle COE prime-movers, it did little of the sort. Instead, the K100G’s set-forward front axle, spacious sleeper and light tare allowed it to dominate the market with greater productivity. So much so that operators could carry two more pallets in a K100G B-Double combination. So popular was the K100G that at one point, 50% of Kenworth trucks built at the time were K100Gs. Because most K100G trucks were

destined for intensive B-Double linehaul applications, they came spec’d with high horsepower and robust running gear. But, set the clock forward to 2022, and the investment in that heavy-duty running gear is paying dividends for operators, such as Andrew, who are looking for an ex-highway truck with a solid backbone and heavy-duty running gear. It’s also a reasonable price, leaving enough funds to complete the extensive modifications required to transform the K100G for its next roll. Upfront, under the cabin, is a Detroit Series-60 and, judging by the crisp note it produces, it has all 550 ponies cracking. “It goes all right,” Andrew said when asked about how much power it delivered. A twin-plate 15-inch Eaton heavy-duty Easy-Pedal clutch connects the Detroit Diesel engine to the 18-speed Roadranger. A pair of Eaton DS-461-P diffs at 4.56:1 ride on Kenworth Airglide suspension down the back. This K100G certainly ticked all the boxes for Andrew in terms of truck specifications. He did a lot of research, exploring short bogie and single-axle stag-type trailers before settling on the lift-up tag axle solution for the K100G. The new lift-up tag axle moves the K100G into the NHVR 4-axle rigid-truck category, giving it a GML (General Mass Limits) of 26 tonnes (up

1) A solid backbone and heavy-duty running gear make the K100G an ideal log haulier. 2) A spacious sleeper was one characteristic of the K100G that helped it gain wide popularity. 3 & 4) How 1990s is that wrap?

from 22.5 tonnes), and raising it an additional one tonne when on CML (Concessional Mass Limits). Engineering-wise, Andrew said it did take some time to work everything out, and as expected, there were a few hoops to jump through before getting the green light to commence the build. For this K100G, Andrew used a TQA lift mechanism and axle assembly. However, he scored a second-hand Hendrickson HLM-2 series liftable suspension on his next project and said there was little difference between the two. The TQA and HLM-2 liftable suspensions are load-sharing when paired with the prime mover’s drive air suspension. They can raise the axle 150mm and the assembly positioned in either a pusher or tag-axle configuration. The installation kit includes an auto raise and lower air valve, which automatically lowers or raises the axle when a predetermined load is put on or taken off the truck. Weight-wise, the complete lift assembly, including the axle, brakes, drum, wheels and tyres, is 902kg, effectively giving a 2.5-tonne payload

64 New Zealand Trucking

advantage on GML and 3.5tonne on CML. “The ride and handling have indeed improved since installing the lift axle,” Andrew said. “These logs have a very high centre of gravity, and on the high-camber narrow roads around the northeast, you certainly had to drive steady and have all your wits about you when it was only a bogie drive. And that was with less payload, too. “When I’m in the bush or in wet greasy paddocks where it’s hard to maintain grip, I can manually release the air out of the tag axle airbags, which puts more weight onto the two drive axles to enable better traction. “Overall, I’m very pleased with how the tag axle is working out,” Andrew said. “It is certainly a lot better to drive. But most importantly, it has increased productivity, and my customers are happier with the loads I’m bringing them. Of course, you’ll have to come and check out the eightwheeler I’ve nearly finished. It will be a head-turner when it finally hits the road in a few months. But that’s enough talking for now. Those logs won’t cut themselves.”

April 2022

3 1) ‘Haulin Ass’ stone guard is a classic touch. 2) The axle-lift mechanism can easily be retrofitted to most trucks or trailers. 3) Andrew Flynn knows firewood and knows trucks.

S P E C I F I C AT I O N S

1995 Kenworth K100G Engine: Power: Torque: Transmission: Front axle: Front springs: Rear axles: Rear-axle ratio: Rear suspension: Brakes: Alternator: UHF: Bumper: Cab colour: Chassis colour:

Detroit Series-60 550hp (410kW) 1850lb-ft (2508Nm) Eaton RTLO18918B 18-Speed Meritor MFS66 6.6T 7.2-tonne taper leaf Eaton DS461-P 4.56:1 Airglide Drum 160A non-isolated Electrophone Polished alloy Ice White Light Blue

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FARM TRUCK

FANTASY In dark sheds and private museums hide countless vintage cars and trucks that hardly anyone knows about. This story is about one such gem. Story and photos by Niels Jansen

idely known person in the European classic auto world is Quirien van Vliet from The Hague area. The 72-year-old

Dutchman has been collecting and refurbishing old vehicles as a hobby for 35 years. Although the emphasis is on classic trucks and luxury cars,

he also owns several special tractors and earthmovers. Some of the collection stands there ‘as found’; others have been restored in detail. The

latter takes place in his wellequipped workshop. Quirien is often helped by a few old-timer friends. The first truck he did in the 1990s was a Volvo L475 of 1962 vintage. Quirien says: “Before the war, my father had a farm. With his horse and cart, he sometimes did transport work. After the war, the horse was replaced by an old Fordson army truck. He used it to bring fruit and vegetables to the market. At some point, I became a fan of fruit and vegetable trucks – maybe because they always looked neat with nice colours and lots of details.” Since then, Quirien developed a weakness

1) Period brochure. 2) A photo of the ‘farm truck’ from 1961 in Kentucky. 3) Under the long bonnet hides a six-cylinder, valve-in-head petrol engine. 4) Although the cab was not bad, it received a thorough rebuild.

Left: With a load capacity of 3200kg, the K-6 looks heavier than it is. Right: Without a synchronised transmission and power steering, driving the K-6 is kind of hard work. for English and American classics. “A friend of mine who is a big fan of vintage Ford vehicles helped me at the time with the restoration of a 1950 Ford F6 tipper truck. Through him, I have come to own several rare luxury cars and trucks from the US over the years.” Over the past 30 years, Quirien has collected and restored some great commercial vehicles, including this 1946 vintage International K-6 ‘farm truck’. Since 1941, the K-Series had a Blue Diamond OHV gasoline engine under the long snout and was stronger, more fuel-efficient and more

reliable than the pre-war truck offerings. Not surprisingly, for a manufacturer that once began developing and producing farm machinery, International trucks became especially popular with farmers in the Mid-West. Quirien’s K-6 comes from Lexington in the state of Kentucky. “It was a so-called ‘farm truck’, with which the owner brought his harvest to the market or fed his livestock. What else he did with the truck is not clear, but the Inter never covered many miles. The counter only reads 39,057 miles [62,856km]. That includes the few hundred

miles I have driven with it since its restoration. You could tell from everything that these digits were correct, and that the farmer had been very careful with his workhorse. Nothing was missing. Well, except for the outside mirrors, strangely enough! Usage marks were only visible in the interior, such as the seats. Luckily, the stench of cow manure had long since been pulled out. Haha!” When the old ‘farm truck’ arrived in the port of Amsterdam by RoRo ship in 1996, it turned out to be even better than in the seller’s photos. Quirien says: “We started work on it right away

because a classic like this just screams to be on the road again in a new ‘dress’. First, we stripped it down to the bare chassis because I don’t like half work. I had all the bolts and nuts galvanised, and almost all the chrome has been treated. The chassis and cab were still in a sound condition. Of course, we had them sand-blasted. The mudguards and running boards didn’t need much work either, because they showed hardly any dents. Even the bumper was still straight! “And best of all, the sixcylinder valve-in-head petrol engine did not need much work, either. Of course, regular maintenance was done, such as replacing spark plugs, setting valves, replacing gaskets, changing oil, and lubricating it. New brake lines were installed, and the lighting was renewed. And for safety’s sake, there were six new tires fitted. At rear, they have an off-road tread, because that looks tough on an agricultural truck! “During the restoration, it was a good thing that almost all the ornaments, such as brand plates, lights, gauges and the like, were still present. Even the original heater was still present. But it was kind of strange that the rear-view mirrors were missing! It was nice that all the windows were still intact, and the windscreen is special because it can be opened in different positions. “We did change the electrical system. It has been converted from 6V to 12V. That makes a big difference when starting the engine up.” When the chassis and the cabin looked like new again after three years of tinkering, it was time to think of a suitable cargo body. Quirien made it in-house. “I already had the idea for it in my head for some time. It had to look like the vegetable-carrying

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 67

1) A view of the neatly refurbished, typical American interior. 2) Note the relatively low mileage. 3) Quirien van Vliet prefers English and American classic trucks. 4) The rear of the truck is also restored in old style. trucks that could be seen here in the region during the 1950s and 1960s. The iron frame of the load deck was welded together in our own workshop. The rear mudguards were also homemade. For the wooden floor, we used Canadian oak. The headboard, tailgate and sideboards were made of French oak. Then the whole thing was protected with six coats of varnish. That looks

great and will never rot again. “Furthermore, while constructing the body, we paid extra attention to nostalgic details. Just look at the beautiful curves in the wood and the suspension of the side boards. The latter can be lifted out easily. They used to call that ‘vegetable flaps’.” On top of the cabin roof, a wooden sail rack is mounted with text on the front panel.

All the lettering and the logo on the doors was handpainted. “All around, we tried to recreate the old style from the vegetable farming days. You rarely see a more beautiful wooden body,” claims the proud owner, who continues: “The few times I’ve been out on the road with that truck, I have received purely enthusiastic reactions!” Introduced in 1941, the K-series was initially available

The Inter is not often seen outside because Van Vliet has over 100 classics to choose from in his museum.

68 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

in 51 different versions and 166 wheelbases. Not surprisingly, this plummeted considerably during World War II. In 1946, an improved version was presented as the KB series. Quirien says: “Although International trucks were reliable and comfortable, sales in Europe declined in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The unfavourable dollar exchange rate and the high price of gasoline were factors in this. Competitors such as Scania and Volvo, with their economical diesels, were able to gain an ever-larger market share in the medium- and heavy-duty segment.” Because a trip in such a gas-guzzling American truck has become expensive in recent years, the K-6 has not left the garage for some time. “I have so many nice trucks in the museum that I cannot drive them all. That is why I sell some vehicles now and then. And I need the money for my retirement!”

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UNSUNG HEROES

Featured this month is another gem discovered while chasing the Lilburn K200 around for our December 2020/January 2021 issue. It’s the 1992 Hino FF3HP owned by Elco Direct Wool Buyers, which for the past eight years has been in the custodianship of the company’s Taumarunui branch. It was originally bought new for the Cambridge branch. “It’s picked up wool all its life,” says Taumaruni manager Jeremy Tuck. “We can get 50 bales on it, so we still use it when we have to pick up 100+ bales of wool,” Jeremy says. “ Since 1992, the Hino’s covered roughly 638,000km, a fair distance when you consider it never really ventures more than 50km from home. Unfortunately, the Hino’s future is uncertain, and it might be up for full retirement from its wool-collection duties. Late last year, it was superseded by a new Fuso Fighter and the branch also has a smaller Hino 300. “We do have trouble with COFs. It’s not used a lot anymore but just seems to cost us money,” says Jeremy, adding that the drivers prefer the comfort of the newer trucks. “It’s a bit underpowered, and you bounce around in the seats. We have some gnarly bumpy roads around here, and when you haven’t got bales on the back, it’s not ideal.” But for now, at least, the plucky Hino’s still got some wool carrying miles ahead of it.

t can’t all be 7” twin shooters, Texas bumpers, ram intakes, Kelsa bars, polished stainless steel, and Dura-Brights. Millions of tonnes of freight are moved every day in trucks that only the true enthusiast ever looks twice at. Yet owners and drivers alike often look on these old trojans

with fondness – like the holey jumper you put on when it’s cold. This new monthly section, running opposite Rust in Peace, is aimed at those trucks. They may be near to God, but they’re dear to our hearts also.

IS THIS YOU? Do you own, drive, or know of an old truck that fits the Unsung Hero mould? Send us a good-quality pic and a little about her, and she might just have her moment in the sun as the headlights start to dim. Don’t forget, if it’s not yours, make sure whoever owns it is happy for you to submit the truck. Send your pic to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz

70 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

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CRAIG’S TRUCKIN’ SNAPSHOT

Craig’s Truckin’ Snapshot is a new feature where long-time contributor Craig McCauley showcases a mixture of classic and contemporary images of Kiwi trucking.

Maroon-coloured Volvos from the Westport-based Johnson Bros Transport fleet have been a regular sight on South Island alpine passes for the past four decades. Pictured here on a summer afternoon, west of Cass on SH73, is one of the company’s FH540s, driven by Glen Martin, with a healthy load of straw on board.

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Kraft Engineering Limited 5 Wikaraka Street, Ngongotaha, Rotorua | Phone: +64 77 357 4597

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Colin King: Ph: 027 539 0075 | E: colin@kraftgroup.co.nz James Worsnop: Ph: 027 572 2642 | E: james@kraftgroup.co.nz

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NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

THE OCEANS ARE MY BOUNDARIES OPERATOR: Aotearoa Haulage, Ruakaka ENGINE: Cummins X15 15-litre Euro-5 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton UltraShift MXP 18-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor 46-160 REAR SUSPENSION: IROS

International 9870 R8 8x4 rigid – Sky Roof sleeper

BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Transport and General Transport Trailers FEATURES/EXTRAS: Custom sun visor, Ali Arc front bumper, Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, Eagle trim package PAINT: Ex-factory

Iveco X-Way 510 6x4 tractor – AS Sleeper

SMOOTH IN BLUE OPERATOR: Mainfreight, BM & Co Transport, Foxton ENGINE: Cursor 13, 13-litre 375kW (510hp) Euro-6 TRANSMISSION: Iveco HI-TRONIX 12TX2420 TD REAR AXLES: Meritor MT23-150/D hypoid with diff locks

REAR SUSPENSION: Iveco 8-bag ECAS BRAKES: Disc. EBS, ABS SAFETY: AEBS, ACC, BAS, ESP, ASR, DAS, HH PRODUCTIVITY: Iveco Telematics BODY/TRAILER: Tractor rigged, Transmech, Auckland / Trailers: Domett FEATURES/EXTRAS: Air management

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 74 New Zealand Trucking

SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Bulk cartage, nationwide (based in Mt Maunganui) DRIVER: Brett Friar SALES: Hugh Green

April 2022

kit, stone guard, polished alloy wheels. Full leather interior, cool-box and fridge PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Linehaul freight DRIVER: Beau McLeod SALES: Pieter Theron

FIRST SERIES-5 AT ALL BRANZ OPERATOR: PBT – All Branz, Palmerston North ENGINE: Volvo D16G 16-litre Euro-5 560kW (750hp) 3550Nm (2618lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Volvo RTS2370B single

Volvo FH16 750 Series-5 6x4 tractor – Globetrotter sleeper

reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Volvo RADD-G2 BRAKES: Disc. ABD, EBS SAFETY: ACC, FCA, LCS, DA BODY/TRAILER: Tractor-rigged, Fruehauf NZ FEATURES/EXTRAS: Air-management

skirts, 385/55 R22.5 front tyres PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Container work (day), curtain-side (night) DRIVER: Trevor Avery and Carl Westwood SALES: Scott Robinson

THE GRASS IS GREENER MAN TGM 18.320 4x4 C-cab OPERATOR: Edgecumbe Spreaders, Edgecumbe ENGINE: MAN D0836LFL88 Euro-5 235kW (320hp) 1259Nm (922lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF 9S-1310OD 9-speed manual REAR AXLES: MAN Hub Reduction HP-1333 REAR SUSPENSION: MAN Parabolic spring 11.5T rated BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY: Southern Spreaders split chain with variable rate application. Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. FEATURES/EXTRAS: Heated and electric mirrors, cruise control, navigation PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Diverse Graphics, Whakatane OPERATION: Ag spreading, Eastern Bay of Plenty DRIVER: Dave Warren SALES: Mark Ellerington

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

Scania G500 XT 6x4 rigid

RUGGED UNDER BIG SKIES OPERATOR: Wilson Contracting, Waimatua, Southland ENGINE: Scania DC 13-litre Euro-5 373kW (500hp) 2550Nm (1881lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO905

14-speed AMT with manual over-ride REAR AXLES: Scania RPB735 hub reduction with cross lock and diff lock REAR SUSPENSION: Scania parabolic spring with shock absorber and stabiliser bar

BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: TES (Transport Engineering Southland) FEATURES/EXTRAS: XT spec, Central tyre inflation, 385/55 R22.5 front tyres, Alcoa Alloy wheels

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL Kenworth T909 6x4 tractor – 50” Aerodyne sleeper OPERATOR: TAA Logistics, Auckland – Andrew, Tracey & Brendon Faire ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 448kW (600hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO22918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP with cross locks REAR SUSPENSION: Kenworth Airglide 460 BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Rigged, Southpac Engineering FEATURES/EXTRAS: Twin 7” stacks, stainless-steel drop visor, Kentweld polished bumper, lower swing plate. Additional strip and marker lights. Additional stainless-steel panelling and stainless-steel bug deflector, front-wheel arch flares, drive guards, headlight surrounds, and tank trim panels. Rear dress-up kit and painted smooth chassis covers. Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels. Blind-spot camera behind grille. Auxiliary cab-cooler, fridge, TV PAINT: Ex-factory / tanks, lower sleeper skirts, entry steps, chassis covers: Transvisual Graphics, Wiri SIGNAGE: TCC, Auckland OPERATION: General freight, nationwide DRIVER: Paul Zachan aka ‘Needle’ SALES: Mitch Redington

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 76 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Vital Signs, Invercargill OPERATION: Aggregate cartage, Southland DRIVER: Brendan Moore aka ‘Mouse’ SALES: Kere Menzies

HAURAKI’S BIG SMOOTHIE OPERATOR: Hauraki Bulk, Auckland ENGINE: PACCAR MX13 Euro-6 390kW (530hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF TraXon 16TX2820 16-speed AMT

DAF CF530 Euro-6 6x4 rigid

REAR AXLES: DAF SR1360T single reduction with inter-axle and cross-locks REAR SUSPENSION: 8-bag ECAS with shock absorbers and stabiliser bar BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS

SAFETY: ACC, FCW, AEBS, LDW, ESC, ASR, RW, FUPS BODY/TRAILER: Transfleet Trailers FEATURES/EXTRAS: Alloy wheels, stone guard PAINT: Ex-factory

SIGNAGE: Headcase Design, Auckland OPERATION: Aggregate cartage, greater Auckland DRIVER: Fred Pereiha SALES: Steve Wilcocks

A FLASH OF RED AND YELLOW! UD QUON CD 25.360 6x2 rigid OPERATOR: New Zealand Couriers, McDonald Contracting Group, Feilding ENGINE: UD GH8 8-litre 269kW (320hp) 1428Nm (1053lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: UD Escot-VI 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: UD RSS1344C with factory fixed rear axle REAR SUSPENSION: UD air suspension electronically controlled BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: FUPS, TEBS, TECC, LDW, ESC BODY/TRAILER: Fruehauf NZ 16-pallet curtain-side FEATURES/EXTRAS: Super-single front wheels, Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: NZC supplied OPERATION: Parcel deliveries, Palmerston North, Manawatu DRIVER: Brett Macdonald SALES: Rex Hansen

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

NEW RI GS O N THE ROAD SAFETY KEY – ACRONYM BY ALPHA AB – Air Bag ABS – Antilock Braking System ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control ABA – Active Brake Assist AEB – Autonomous/Active Emergency Braking AEBS – Advanced Emergency Braking System ALA – Active Lane Assist ASR – Anti Slip Regulation / Auto Slip Regualtion

BAS – Brake Assistant System CAB – Curtain Air Bag DAS – Driver Assistant Support DM – Driver Monitoring DS – Driver Support DTC – Drag Torque Control EBA - Emergency Brake Assist EBS – Electronic Braking System EBSS – Electronic Braking Safety System ESC – Electronic Stability Control

FCW – Forward Collision Warning FUPS – Front Under-run Protection System HH – Hill hold HSA – Hill Start Assist LD – Lane Departure Warning LG – Lane Guard LKA – Lane Keep Assist PCS – Pre Collision System PD – Pedestrian Detection RB – Reversing Buzzer

RW – Reverse Warning SAB – Side Air Bag SD – Side Detection SGA – Side Guard Assist TEBS – Traffic Eye Braking System TECC – Traffic Eye Cruise Control TPM – Tyre Pressure Monitoring VSC – Vehicle Stability Control

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z

MECHANICAL FITTERS

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICIANS

HEAVY DIESEL MECHANICS

Background in a mechanical trade or similar technical industy.

Three to four years experience as an Auto Electrician.

Pre-trade training or three to four years experience as Diesel Mechanic.

Work to specifications and be methodical.

Install electrical components to heavy transport trailers for the Australasian market.

Previous mechanical experience with earthmoving equipment, trucks and trailers.

Carry out electrical related preventive maintenance and fault diagnosis on all vehicles.

Class 2 licence required, Class 4, 5 & WTR would be an advantage.

Pride in producing quality work consistently. Good time management skills and communication skills. Repair and service vehicles as necessary.

Repair and service vehicles as necessary.

0420-19

If this sounds like you, apply now, please include a CV and a cover letter to LenS@modtrans.co.nz, please include position you are applying for.

0420-19

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, and

New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building,

new technology and advanced design features are showing up almost every month.

included on these pages, send a photo, features, and the

and we’re proud to showcase some recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship every month. If you want a body or trailer manufacturer’s name to trailers@nztrucking.co.nz

Ramps away! There are many road transport configurations that look cool. But, if you made a list, a pull or dog trailer set up as transporter must surely be near the top. And look what we have here, fresh from TMC’s creative complex. Built for Tidy Tilt Slabs in Lower Hutt, the trailer sports clean, crisp lines and fully hydraulic ramps, all the required placarding, and ample toolbox provision. It has everything it needs to execute its daily list of to-dos.

Features: ROR 17.5” Drum-brake axles and air suspension. TMC

Hooked on the future JWI Group has taken delivery of this Mercedes-Benz Actros 8x4 3253 with a HIAB XP22S MULTI-LIFT supplied by TRT in Te Rapa, fitted by CAL Group Engineering. The MULTI-LIFT is a hugely versatile hook loader able to be deployed across a range of applications, with low weight and high operating speed being two key attributes. JWI will deploy the unit in the field of bio-mass cartage for energy generation. Fitted with TRTs Traction Air central tire inflation system, accessing the bio-mass for uplift shouldn’t be an issue. Features: HIAB XP22S MULTI-LIFT. Supplied: TRT / Installation: CAL Group Engineering

KIWI 16/17

Contact John O’Donnell 027 226 9995, Jim Doidge 021 190 1002 or Hayden Jones 0800 549 489 | sales@kiwityres.co.nz |

0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 489) | kiwitrucktyres.nz 80 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

KIWI 175

Features: JOST disc-braked axles. Fruehauf NZ

Now you see it….. Well, we’re talking about the cargo in this case because this brand-new four-axle PSK semi-trailer, built for Reliance Transport in Auckland by the team at Fruehauf NZ, will always stand out. Making life immeasurably easier for its operator is the retractable Libner curtain body, which allows both rapid covering and overhead loading and unloading. The

semis come ready for everything, with twist locks galore and deck pegs for steel cartage, something the curtain graphics suggest it will be doing quite a bit of. Presentation sells so much, as they say, and the alloy drop-guards and shiny JOST alloy wheels certainly set off what is an intelligent build for an iconic Auckland trucking identity.

Features: (Trailer) Hendrickson INTRAAX drum-brake axles and air suspension. Patchell Industries

Heart and soul Here’s a special new body and trailer, built for Greg and Alicia Murray’s LDM Haulage in Rotorua. The special bit is that Alicia also works in the costings department at Patchell Industries, so this really is a heart-and-soul gig. Patchells built both the truck gear and the new five-axle trailer. Up-front on the Kenworth 8x4 chassis, Patchell Industries bolsters have winch restraints, and there’s fuel- and DEFtank protection also. Traction is not an issue with Bigfoot

CTI, and as well as additional lighting on top of the cab guard, there’s a Bluetooth information transfer system. To the back! Patchell’s EVO4 trailer chassis also sports the company’s industry-standard bolsters, winch restraints, knuckle-type ‘push-up’ extension pins, and additional TrailMax reverse lights. How do you set the whole thing off? Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, of course.

Spec your trailer on KIWIs – the new tyre of choice for KIWIs KIWI 16

KIWI 17

KIWI 175

265/70R19.5

215/75R17.5 235/75R17.5 265/70R19.5

265/70R19.5

Wide grooves will not hold stones Heavy-duty case Excellent mileage performance 17mm extra-deep tread

The KIWI 16’s tougher twin Super heavy-duty case Puncture resistant 17mm extra-deep tread

Multi-use tread pattern Urban/highway/off road Puncture-resistant 17.5mm extra-deep tread

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 81

SIMPLY RED

othing warms the heart more than an older truck that’s still running hard and looking fantastic. Jono Simpson drives this magnificent 2013 Scania R620 for Johnston Trucking, based out of Rolleston just south of Christchurch. It’s instantly apparent on seeing the well-placed and well-cared-for

custom shine and additions that this is one loved big ol’ Swede. The adage, ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’, is playing out nicely in the Bridgestone Million Mile Club, and there weren’t many in 2013 that were chunkier and could out-punch Scania’s venerable V8 in (463kW) 620hp trim. Behind the

bent-eight is a 12-speed AMT with a proprietary rear end to boot. Even with close on a decade of solid motoring under her wheels and nudging 1,607,000km, the R620 still whisks Jono along in comfort on his regular run carting machinery between Christchurch and Auckland.

Age is certainly no barrier to good looks when it comes to trucks. Jono’s R620 is resplendent with a six-axle B-train in Cardrona Angels livery.

CALLING ALL TRUCKS ON OR OVER 1 MILLION MILES (1.6M KILOMETRES)

82 New Zealand Trucking April 2022

A – OK Some still say the model that bore the last incarnation of the traditional Kenworth K-model grille was the coolest. That truck was, of course, the K108, and here is a fine example of the breed in the hands of Andy Vuleta’s, Vuleta Haulage, also located in Christchurch. Under the high-wide-andhandsome cab is a Cummins ISX 15-litre motor producing 373kW (500hp), and behind that sits a 15-speed Eaton Roadranger manual shifter – a 15, how cool is that?

Andy Vuleta’s K108 Kenworth – a model that will always have a special place in trucking history. Out back Meritor 46-160 diffs perch on Airglide 460 8-bag air suspension. What a bulletproof truck. Andy says that these days

the Kenworth’s kept busy in and around Christchurch on container and general freight, with the occasional romp out of town just to stretch her

legs. Even with 1,700,000km travelled, it certainly looks like there are a lot more stories in her life-book yet to unfold.

FOLLOW THE YELLOW CAT LOAD You’re not seeing double, and we haven’t made a mistake and repeated one of last month’s inductees. We took some editorial licence and shunted a Bridgestone Million Mile Club entrant up the queue, based on a comment made by Trevor Masters in the March podcast (Episode 7) feature interview. “The best Kenworth I ever bought” is how he described fleet No.19, a 2008 8x4 K104B purchased after a spec phone call from Kenworth salesman at the time, Ken Ireton. The original customer had cancelled the truck, and Ken told Trev he’d have to be quick. Not traditionally a Caterpillar man, in the interview, Trev laughed as he said, “I am now.” When the Masters family sold their log haulage business to the Sargison family in 2013, No.19 hadn’t

Exemplifying everything that makes great brands what they are: Kenworth, Caterpillar, Eaton, and Meritor. TML fleet No.19 has clocked up a stellar million miles. put a foot wrong, continuing on undeterred in the years since to where she is today at a little over 1,600,000km. Like fleet No.7 last month, this grand old girl has earned her accolades pulling logs off the unforgiving Coromandel

Bridgestone and N ew Zealand Trucking Media want to recognise trucks that have achieved this milestone in the act of carrying the nation on their backs. Each month, up to eight trucks will be selected, and will feature in this new section of the magazine, as well as on our social media.

Peninsula. Packing a Caterpillar C15 motor set at 373kW (500hp), an 18-speed Eaton Roadranger manual gearbox, and 46-160 Meritor threads on Kenworth Airglide 460 8-bag air suspension, she motors along happily in the

Those selected will get a Million Mile Club cap and badge for the truck. Terms • Only owners can submit • NZ trucks only • Supply chain may affect the timing of cap and badge arrival

hands of local trucking icon Neville ‘Yogi’ Chambers.

TO JOIN, EMAIL: editor@nztrucking.co.nz • Quality image of the truck • Name of owner and driver • Basic spec (model, engine, trans, rear end) • Contact details

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

MINI BIG RIGS

IT’S ALL IN THE

DETAIL Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

The little details bring our model to life as we hit the home straight on the Pilkington Glass Mercedes-Benz build.

ith both the chassis and cab structures of our prime mover now completed, it is finally time to add the finer details, which, piece by piece, complete our build and add the sense of realism. Our first task is to add the Pilkington Glass logo and signage to the cab. You can achieve this in two ways. The first is with a fine brush, steady hand and 20/20 vision – the oldschool way of signage is a skill that many modellers have

mastered over the years. The second is to use technology and develop our own custom decals by having the signage and logos digitally printed onto transparent transfer paper. This system is becoming more readily available, and we will investigate how this process works in greater detail in an upcoming article. For now, the basic idea is that we use digital images found on the net that match what we require, then scale them for the correct fit and print

to the transfer paper with an appropriate printer. The reason we complete the sign-writing task first is one of accessibility. The cab is bare of all its accessories at this stage, giving uninterrupted access to the surfaces we need to apply the decals or signage. This, in turn, achieves a clean and accurate finish – decals require a delicate touch and not too much fussing about. The first step is to cut out the required decals. For this, use scissors rather than a

hobby knife – you will get a cleaner cut, as well as it being a safer option. Then, submerge the decals one at a time in a small bowl of warm water for about a minute until they have let go of the backing paper. The trick here is to remove the decal from the water as soon as it has broken free of the backing paper, as too long in the warm water will dissolve the glue, and the decal will not adhere properly to the model. Once you have soaked the decal, place it, backing

A & B) At long last, we have an almost perfect replica of the Pilkington Automotive Glass Mercedes-Benz 2244 driven by Ken Kirk.

paper side down, alongside its resting location, and slide it off the backing paper and into place with a cotton bud. Products such as Tamiya Mark Fit can assist with the setting of the decals. Applied while the decal is still wet, these products help with positioning as well as fixing the decal in place while it dries. Once you are happy with its position, use a dry cotton bud or tissue paper to dab the decal dry, allowing it to attach itself more efficiently – just be careful that you don’t bump it out of place. Another method – used for smaller decals – provides a more controlled activation option with less likelihood of damage as the glue is activated. After cutting out the decal, gently pinch the very edge with a pair of locking tweezers. Next, apply the Tamiya Mark Fit liberally to both faces with the product’s built-in brush. It will have the same activation effect as the decal being dipped into the warm water, and after some seconds, you will see the decal breaking away from the backing paper. This approach will afford you a more controlled activation and application as there is less risk of having to fish it out of the bowl of water folded in two and stuck to itself.

1) Careful and accurate cutting out of the decals is critical. Be sure to use small scissors rather than a hobby knife to assist with this. 2) Once the transfers have been cut to shape, test-fit them in readiness for application. 3) While holding small decals with locking tweezers, apply Tamiya Mark Fit liberally to front and rear surfaces. It will activate the adhesive for application, negating the need for you to submerge them in a bowl of warm water and risking possible loss or damage. 4) Gently remove the decal from its backing paper with a cotton bud. Then carefully dab it into place to remove the excess water/Tamiya Mark Fit solution from the surface with a dry cotton bud or tissue paper.

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 85

5 7

6 For the mirrors – parts 181B and 195B – you will find there are silver decals to represent the surface of the mirrors. To make life easy, attach these to the mirrors while they are still joined to the sprue. This will give you a handle of sorts to hold while attaching the decal. Now the fun really begins with the fitting of all the accessories and the bullbar to the model, as laid out in the final stage of the build – step 11. Once again, start by identifying the parts required. As you remove them from the sprue, lay out a sheet of paper to place the parts on (with their respective identification numbers). This will help save confusion further down the track. Working through step 11 sequentially one piece at a time is the way forward, and as shown on the instructions sheet, one side at a time. By working this way, you can lay the cab slightly over

onto a soft cloth, which will provide a slightly flatter work surface and reduce the battle with gravity, with parts falling off before the glue has fully set. Slow and steady here also wins the race. This is no time to start getting impatient. You are now working with the fine and fiddly parts, which will be obvious every time someone admires the model, so attention to detail is critical. To assist with the level of finish and your sanity, I highly recommend you use a water-based hobby glue such as Revell Contacta Clear. The reason is that water-based adhesives are extremely userfriendly on painted surfaces. Water-based adhesives bond directly, whereas solvent-based adhesives are very aggressive and physically weld/bond the two plastic surfaces together. The risk of a solvent-based adhesive attacking the painted surface, causing it to bubble

5) Applying the mirror-surface decals onto the mirror assemblies while still attached to the sprue gives you a handle to hang onto during this process. 6) It’s best to complete the full assembly of the bull bar before attaching the bumper to the front of the chassis rails, reducing the risk of damage to the chassis and increasing the construction accuracy. 7) Identify the parts required and prepare them in readiness for attaching to the model, being careful to lay them out on a sheet of paper with their corresponding parts numbers written beside them. This will eliminate confusion further down the road. 8) Working on one side of the cab at a time allows you to lay it on its side on a soft cloth. This will help overcome the effects of gravity and parts falling off before the glue has completely dried. A water-based adhesive for attaching these parts is much less likely to cause damage to painted surfaces.

86 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

DO YOU BUILD MODEL TRUCKS?

Would you like to share your stories and model builds with our readers? Please feel free to contact us by emailing carl@nztrucking. co.nz. These pages are dedicated to supporting the hobby, and we would love to hear from you.

and blister, is a real threat. It is sure to disappoint you, especially since so much effort and time has been invested into the build. As the build nears completion, there are a few easy details that will add the icing to the cake, such as

carefully detail-painting the cab-roof marker lights on the sun visor, as well as the indicator lenses on both of the mudguards – parts 174F. These little details will really help the model pop. At the end of step 11, we find ourselves looking at our

completed Pilkington Glass Mercedes-Benz model and patting ourselves on the back for a job well done. However, looking at our photographs from back in the day of Ken’s pride and joy, we see that there are a few important items not represented

– mudflaps, spotlights and stone guard, not to mention full factory roof aero kit with matching side skirts. Yes, this month brings to an end the out-of-the-box stock-standard build of the Mercedes-Benz. Next month, we will continue the journey and look at ways to manufacture and add these items to take our model to the next level of realism.

Enhanced

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LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB

HI LITTLE TRUCKERS! Easter is upon us. I am not sure about you guys, but I am definitely looking forward to Easter egg hunts and lots of chocolate. I hope you all enjoy your wee break from school, another perfect opportunity to either go help with the truck or go trucking – barp, barp! Congratulations to 10-year-old Lily Welsh, who won last month’s Find-a-Word draw. The missing word was Toyota. And congratulations to 4.5-yearold Elon from Bulls, who found the Little Truckers’ Club logo on page 107 of the March issue. Keep an eye on your mailboxes, kids – something cool is on its way to you both. There is also a story behind how Elon got this magazine. “He loves trucks, and most nights we go for a ‘truck walk’ – basically truck-spotting and waving at all the truck drivers,” says Elon’s mum Kisha. “Most of the time, he either gets a wave or a honk. On Wednesday night, we walked to the truck stop in Bulls, and this lovely truck driver called Red Eye let him jump in his truck and had a conversation with him and asked for our number. That night, he messaged us to ask if it was okay to visit. The next day he turned up in his truck at our house and gave Elon the March edition of the New Zealand Trucking magazine. He was absolutely fizzing, to say the least. “It’s awesome to see truck drivers taking time out of their busy schedules to make a little boy’s day.” A big shout out to Red Eye: thanks for making Elon’s day! Don’t forget, if you would like to see yourself in Little Truckers Club, just email your stories, jokes, photos, and/or drawings to me at rochelle@ nztrucking.co.nz with a short paragraph telling me about them along with your name and age. We love seeing them all.

FIND THE LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB LOGO The Little Truckers’ Club logo is hidden somewhere in this issue — find it and let me know where it is, and you may win a prize. You can email me at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz

88 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

Truck-mad three-year-old Elise Thomas from Palmerston North enjoying old copies of New Zealand Trucking magazine.

2 1) Toots changing her truck’s tyres. 2) Toots and her truck.

Who likes

My granddaughter loves to help me with my work. Here she is, attempting to give me a hand with last year’s Top Truck winner’s painting! You may have seen the article and presentation to Josh Hart in this month’s issue. If not, go to page 44 and have a look!

reading? I do! I have just purchased Toots, a Woman in a Man’s World, an inspirational story by Toots Holzheimer about a mother of eight children who is quite famous for driving her blue MAN across some of Australia’s roughest countryside from the 1960s to the 1990s. Toots changed her own truck tyres and did all her mechanical work and servicing (see above). Have you read any good books you would like to share? Who is a trucking legend in your eyes?

Elon and his sister Anna showing us where the logo was found.

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MOTOR TRUCK DISTRIBUTORS’ 50-YEAR CELEBRATION

30 September Bill Richardson Transport World Contact: roadtransporthalloffame.co.nz, events@twevents.nz

22 October At the Manawatu Car Club Octoberfest Manfield Park, Fielding Contact: 50years.macktrucks.co.nz

TMC TRAILERS TRUCKING INDUSTRY SHOW 25 and 26 November Canterbury Agricultural Park Contact: truckingindustryshow.co.nz, info@nztruckingassn.co.nz

Please check relevant websites/Facebook pages for Covid-related information.

90 New Zealand Trucking

All scheduled events may be subject to change depending on weather conditions etc. Please check the websites before setting out. Show organisers – please send your event details at least eight weeks in advance to editor@ nztrucking.co.nz for a free listing on this page.

April 2022

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“The creative team at NTA are busy finalising NEW desIgns”. Technology will transform the inside of the Toll trailer. The inside will be an amazing visual experience. One side will be dedicated to the SafeT360 virtual reality road safety program. The other side will be an interactive road way, where young students can drive their truck and pick up a load. They will learn all things Transport, starting with how logs don’t fit on a milk tanker. They will also learn what trucks carry, why we need them and how they are an essential service.

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inspiration is key, that’s why Transport Careers will be showcased and Take-home resources will be available.

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96 Moving Metrics 100 Incoming Cargo – Daimler Truck looks ahead 104 Better Business – Systems for success 106 Vipal’s Knowing Your Tyres 108 Business Update – Brake roller testers 112 Business Profile – Varta batteries 114 Product Profile – Narva Aerotech 116 Carriers’ Corner 118 Truckers’ Health 120 Health & Safety 122 Legal Lines 124 TDDA 126 NZ Trucking Association 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile BROU GH T TO YO U B Y

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES

NUMBERS New Zealand Trucking reveals how the economy is travelling via key metrics from the road transport industry. From time to time, we’ll be asking experts their opinion on what the numbers mean.

First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for February, by major manufacturer

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in February 2022. This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal. The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.

Vehicle type This summary includes data from two heavytruck classes and one heavy-trailer class.

First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles for February, year on year

A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: (a) i s constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and (b) either: (i) has at least four wheels; or (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne.

Vehicle class

Description

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

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes. A trailer that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 10 tonnes.

A table of all vehicle classes 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-as-at-1-june-2019.pdf Note: Vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

96 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

First registration of TD class heavy trailers for February, year on year by major manufacturer

First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles year on year, to date

First registration of NC class vehicles year to date 2018 – 2022, by major manufacturer

First registration of TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018 – 2022, by major manufacturer

New Zealand Trucking

March 2022 97

This information is put together from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency. New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA for providing this information to us.

ROAD USER CHARGES Total value and distance of road user charges purchased between 01 January 2018 and 28 February 2022 by purchase year

RUC purchase for 2021, all RUC types A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https://www.nzta.govt. nz/vehicles/licensing-rego/road-usercharges/ruc-rates-and-transactionfees/ Please note data may differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data. In February 2022 there were 48 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 1,275,337,872km at a value of $180,108,810.

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

16,166,434,103

$2,041,939,272

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

15,421,400,378

$2,069,615,049

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

16,046,928,628

$2,232,551,444

1 Jan 2022 – 28 Feb 2022

2,591,103,751

$357,162,792

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Average monthly distance (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

11,502,905,782

958,575,482

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

10,952,303,565

912,691,964

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

11,427,917,860

952,326,488

1 Jan 2022 – 28 Feb 2022

1,855,274,770

927,637,385

RUC type 1 vehicles are powered vehicles with two axles (except type 2 or type 299 vehicles. Type 299 are mobile cranes). Cars, vans and light trucks that use fuel not taxed at source (i.e. diesel fuel) are generally in this RUC type.

RUC purchases all RUC types

98 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

The top eight RUC type purchases, other than type 1 in descending order RUC Type Description 2

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

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

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

Powered vehicles with four axles (except type 408, 414 or type 499 vehicles)

951

Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles

H94

Towing vehicle that is part of an overweight combination vehicle consisting of a type 14 RUC vehicle towing a type 951 RUC vehicle with a permit weight of not more than 50,000kg

Unpowered vehicles with three twin-tyred, or single large-tyred, close axles (except vehicle type 939)

408

Towing vehicles with four axles that are part of a combination vehicle with a total of at least eight axles

By comparing distance purchased during 2021 with previous years’, trends in changes to activity by RUC type vehicles will become clear.

Average monthly RUC purchases by year (all RUC types)

RUC purchases February 2022 for selected types RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types

New Zealand Trucking

March 2022 99

INCOMING CARGO

LOOKING AHEAD Interview by Gianenrico Griffini

We catch up with Karin Rådström, member of the board of management for Daimler Truck AG and CEO of MercedesBenz Trucks, who says it’s an amazing time to be in the transport industry and experience the transition to loweremission vehicles. Exclusive article in association with

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR

100 New Zealand Trucking

Story by Shannon Williams

Last May, during Strategy Day, Daimler Truck set out its ambitions in the European and South American commercial vehicle business. So far, are you on track with those challenging targets? The long-term target for Mercedes-Benz trucks is to reach double-digit figures [market share]. I think that’s where we need to be. The plan towards that target is working on our top line – to sell more and be more successful in specific segments to improve our service business and reduce costs, including personnel and production and material costs. We’re attacking more or less everywhere, and so far, it’s running according to plan. April 2022

Photos Mercedes-Benz Trucks

In terms of top-line, bottom-line cost focus, etc, I would say we have a good programme in place that we are following very closely – tracking all the activities, making sure we move them forward, increasing the implementation of our ideas. So far, it’s going very well. Obviously, there is still a lot of work to do. We are about halfway through, but I feel very confident that we are on a good path. In particular, which plans are you implementing? Can you explain them in some detail? Overarching themes are customer-focus and looking at our product portfolio in markets such as Brazil. We

have got rid of some products and models that we don’t market anymore, and we are trying to really focus on the ones the customer demands. In Europe, we have had a very big product portfolio, and we have streamlined it with very little customer impact. It will allow us to invest more into the products that we actually need. We want to penetrate certain segments better, and since we talk about Actros L and Actros F, obviously our long-haul segment in Europe and mainly with small to medium customers is where we are doing a lot of activity and where we think we have potential to grow market share. In the service segment,

Karin Rådström. started working in a more structured way to see what we are doing right, so we can measure that we are really making progress. Mid-term, we are starting to prepare for having truckdedicated parts logistics, and this will be a big difference for our customers since today that is all handled through the car organisation, and the need is a little bit different. With e-mobility and hydrogen, we see big potential along the ecosystem side, and with digital services, we have a lot of growth potential. It’s a hard target, but there is a lot of potential to improve.

“Our customers are generally very logical people, and they will do the switch when it makes sense,” says Rådström.

there’s potential in the current service business and selling more contracts, having better parts availability. Also, with new technologies – that is a new opportunity for us to be more solutions-focused. Daimler Truck sees significant growth potential in services to increase the

revenues on the service portfolio from the current 30% towards 50% by 2030. How can you achieve this target? We have a lot of potential in traditional services. When we look at service-contract penetration, we are really good in some markets and not so good in other markets,

so we try to focus on getting that up, and that also means that we will sell more parts and services when we have a contract. One of our KPIs is the turnover of parts and services on the 10-year rolling fleet in each market, and we also see that we have huge regional differences, so we have

Electrification – both with BEV and FCEV vehicles – is one of the main pillars of the Daimler Truck strategy in the coming years. Do you think Daimler can still achieve 60% Zero Emission Vehicle volumes by 2030, despite market disturbances (increase in raw material prices, microprocessor shortage, inflation, cyclical business ups and downs)? The 60% is based on when we do scenarios of TCO (total cost of ownership) parity, so it’s quite well worked through

– meaning that it would make sense for more than 60% of our customers to buy an electric truck instead of a diesel one. Whether it is by 2030 or 2032, the direction is clear. What scenario for alternative trucks do you foresee (and prefer)? That is, a very slow-rate uptake for some years, followed by an exponential increase of volumes or, conversely, a steady, linear increase? It will be based on the TCO development. One part of that is the subsidy programmes. We saw that with city buses – suddenly, a city is going to be emissions-free and then you don’t need TCO because it’s just decided, and we start to see these zero-emission zones and maybe that will make certain applications transition faster, even though the pure TCO is not there. It’s super hard to predict, but we are quite prepared for different scenarios. As an engineer, I like the idea of a steady increase and not this ‘hockey stick’ curve where everything happens in

102 New Zealand Trucking

Karin Rådström: “What an amazing time to be in this industry.” the fifth year. That might be the case, and if it is, we have planned to have flexibility in our production system to gear off between the different technologies. Which one of these elements makes the difference in alternativetruck uptake by the market: reliable BEV/FCEV vehicles with a TCO equal (or better) to a diesel: offering the customer a complete

solution portfolio, economic incentives, availability of a suitable charging network? Some businesses are already willing to pay 20% more for transport if a sustainable zeroemission truck is used. That’s still quite unusual, but we’ve started to see it from the big companies such as IKEA and Proctor & Gamble. But if that accelerates – and I think it will – that will also be part of the TCO, so maybe it will make sense to transition faster.

But our customers are generally very logical people, and they will do the switch when it makes sense. It will be TCO-deciding, but into that, I put what price can you get from your customer? What subsidies? What does the tax on CO2 look like? But eventually, it will be TCOdriven for sure. It’s a really exciting time – what an amazing time to be in this industry, to get to experience this big transition.

April 2022

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BETTER BUSINESS

MATCHING INTENTION WITH EXECUTION Ensuring that processes and information systems deliver can be frustrating for small businesses, not to mention expensive and sometimes disheartening. We talked to Roylance Watson, an associate at Hamilton-based Vazey Child Chartered Accountants, about a service team she now heads that might line those dark clouds of confusion… in gold.

ruck driving’s not the only career to suffer dire and pessimistic predictions regarding its future relevance. Believe it or not, accountants have also been the subject of the crystalball gazer’s naysaying prophecy. It was once said that by the end of 2022, there’d be 17 accountants left – such has been information technology’s effect on the corralling and organising of the digits that bring balance sheets to life. But like truck driving, rather than gloom and despondency, it’s about reinvention. Proactivity is, without doubt, the mother of opportunity, and Hamilton accounting firm Vazey Child has taken a good hard look in the mirror and asked itself the reinvention question. One of the early fruits of its deliberations is what it calls a systems and services team, headed up by associate Roylance Watson. The team’s role will not just change the way you look at your accountant, but everything about your business, including the way you do it. Aimed at small to medium enterprises (SMEs), Roylance’s crew isn’t so much interested in counting beans, followed by a pass or fail mark. No, they’re putting their skills into helping you make as many beans as you can… before the endof-term report. (Sort of like the old UE accredited for those of us old enough to remember.) “There’s certainly been a massive change looming for some time on how we work with clients and deliver our service,” says Roylance. “What do we want to provide? Who do we want our clients to be? And how do we get there? Our vision

104 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

at Vazey Child is one of doing business together, helping people reach their goals – business and personal. That thinking led to the idea of being innovative and responsive. From that spawned the systems and services team.” SME owners know the difficulty of working in and on the business all too well. Often the company’s reason for being came about because of a specific skillset unrelated to business practices, processes, and systems. Being a good

truck driver does not mean you are a good mechanic, accountant, or even a manager. Just like you might do for a truck, having a systems and process ‘mechanic’ look over things and give the business a top tune might be a good idea. “Not a lot of people look at their processes and systems and ask, ‘Why am I doing this?’, and ‘Should I be doing this?’ If you’ve trained as a mechanic, how can you possibly be expected to know about the nuances of business and process? We can value-stream a process and ask if it’s delivering value to the customer. And that is not just your end customer, but you as a customer of your systems and processes, and your suppliers also. In fact, anyone expecting benefit from the task. We ask what the outcome expectation is, and then work back from that.” The great news is the system services team isn’t pedalling wares. There’s no

Not a lot of people look at their processes and systems and ask, ‘Why am I doing this?’, and ‘Should I be doing this?’ If you’ve trained as a mechanic, how can you possibly be expected to know about the nuances of business and process?

specific IT system at the root of its analysis. The team looks at what you want to achieve and the tools you have, and begins there. The gap might be your knowledge about getting the best from your current system. If it’s not that, and the incumbent system isn’t up to it, they’ll help select what is right without bias to one product or another. “Often, if you look at software for your business, you’ll get hounded by developers, whereas we can ask the hard questions and make sure you’ll get out of it what you want to. “It’s about helping out small businesses, people who just don’t have the time to look at these things in detail.” Another plus relates to the theme of ‘walk the talk’. Roylance was raised in a small business environment, and outside of her day job at Vazey Child, she runs two small businesses of her

own. The team has already put actual runs on the board, with the goal or charter being, ‘Is the customer happy?’ “Using that measure, the team’s been extremely successful. One customer, a vehicle repair business, realised a profit improvement of two and half times against the same period the year before on the same revenue. That came about by simply changing their mindset from one of gross revenue to profit per productive hour. “Some people still just want a traditional accounting role, but if you’re serious about your business, you need to look further than that.” And the answer to the big question is? “The initial consultation comes with no obligation and at no cost.” That being the case, the systems services team at Vazey Child might well be worth the dial-up.

Hear the full interview with Roylance on episode 7 of the New Zealand Trucking Media Keep On Moving podcast.

Roylance Watson is a chartered accountant and associate at Vazey Child Chartered Accountants in Hamilton. Email: roylancew@vazeychild.co.nz Phone: (07) 838 5988 Website: vazeychild.co.nz

Roylance Watson heads Vazey Child’s System Services Team.

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KNOWING YOUR TYRES

The tyre’s main parts are: (1) Tread: The part of the tyre that has contact with the ground. (2) Tread voids: The pattern embedded into the tread surface, longitudinally and/or transversally. (3) Shoulders: The part of the tyre between the tread and the sidewalls. (4) Protection belt: The top protection belt is part of the tyre structure that aims to protect the main belt/ply package. (5) Steel radial belt plies: External part of the radial tyre’s tyre structure, which aims to stabilise the tyre. (6) Inner liner: The whole inner surface, consisting of rubber components, responsible for the airtight protection of the tyre. (7) Body ply: Inner part of the tyre structure where the radial cords extend from bead to bead.

PARTS TYRE OF A

Vipal Rubber brings you valuable technical information to help you get the most from your tyres. This month – the parts of a tyre.

he tyre is one of the most essential parts of modern commercial vehicles. Correctly inflated tyres support the weight of the load and are the vehicle’s interface with the ground. The tyre transfers the engine power to the ground in the form of traction. It is also responsible for the grip contact when braking and

106 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

the vehicle’s stability. That is why it is essential to understand the tyre’s structure and the features of each type, model and their applications. Again, it is important that tyre pressures are maintained and checked regularly. This maintenance will assist you in achieving the maximum safety and tyre mileage on your vehicle.

(8) Sidewalls: The flexible part of the tyre located between the crown of the tyre and the beads. (9) Guide rib or G-G ring: A raised line near the bead area to visually show the accurate centralisation of the tyre in the rim when the tyre is fitted. (10) Beads: Parts of the tyre that are in contact with the rim, assuring its fixing. (11) Bead bundle: Inner steel cords of the bead. (12) Casing: Complete tyre structure formed by plies/belts, beads and tread rubber area. (13) Cords: Metallic radial or fabric twisted cord plies shape the casing and provide the belt/ ply structure. (14) Tread wear indicator (T.W.I.): Raised bars placed on the bottom of the tread grooves visually indicate when the tyre is at its maximum wear limit.

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BUSINESS UPDATE

BRAKING

BALANCE The NZ Police in conjunction with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency have commissioned six mobile roller brake test units. Before they were deployed nationwide, we went to a demonstration day to see what’s about to pop up on a roadside near you! And why.

epresentatives from the Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST), Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, National Road Carriers, Ia Ara Aotearoa

Transporting New Zealand and the industry were among the guests at the recent demonstration of a mobile roller brake test unit held at the Stanley Street Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre in

Auckland. It’s the first of six units being deployed nationwide by the police, to be operated by the CVST. In partnership with other agencies and industry, the roller brake test machines will

complement Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s Weigh Rite programme and assist in achieving the standards required in the Road to Zero programme, part of which includes safety standards of

Lead drive axle on the roller brake tester.

the nation’s vehicle fleet. “This is a prevention tool first and foremost,” said acting inspector Lex Soepnel. “It’s about preventing accidents before they happen. It also means we can cover the entire country. They can be deployed anytime, anywhere. A unit will be assigned to each of the four CVST regions, and two will float. “Up until now, the only roller brake tester we [the CVST] have had is the one in the Paengaroa Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre in the

Bay of Plenty. These will change that significantly. Now it doesn’t matter where you are, they could pop up.” Soepnel pointed out how important it was to improve the testing network, saying that even though local operators knew the Paengaroa centre was there, of 2500 trucks tested between 2018 and 2021, 67% failed the roller brake test. “It’s not the first time we’ve used a mobile roller brake tester roadside. We had a set in the mid-1990s, but they weren’t successful. These

new ones are incomparable. Aside from technology advancing, we’ve overseen and been involved in the specification and build all the way through. They’re spec’d and built for our needs, to suit our operations, and conditions in New Zealand.”

The rigs The mobile roller brake testing machines and rigs were sourced from BM Autoteknik in Denmark and supplied through Sulco Tools & Equipment in New Zealand. Equipment manager for Sulco,

Brett Higgins, will be well known to many readers, with 38 years’ experience in the field. Brett headed the project from the supplier end and, as part of the wider deliverable, he also oversaw the build and set-up of the New Zealand-made Pinto trailers used to transport the roller brake testers and associated equipment. Each unit weighs about three tonnes and comprises the roller brake tester, ramps, an electric winch for deployment and recovery – with a hand winch as a failsafe – trolley jack for setting up, petrol generator, laptop computer, wireless tablet, calibration kit, cones, and everything else needed to operate autonomously. Set-up time from go, to the first wheels on the rollers, is about 22 minutes.

The mobile roller brake testers “Roller brake testers are not new in New Zealand – the first ones were deployed in 1995,” said Brett. “The 2006 Heavy Vehicle Brake Rule requiring COF brake testing at 60% of axle-design weight had a significant impact on

4 8

1) VSO Sarah Harrison (left) and Harry Seale start opening doors and prepping the trailer for tilting. 2) The ramps out, trailer tilted, and roller brake tester lowered on the winch. 3) The tester can be manoeuvred from either end via a hand-dolly. 4) Approach ramps laid out, roughly in position. 5) Lowering of the main platforms. 6) The trolly jack is used so the wheels can be removed, and the platform lowered onto the six adjustable stands (centre-left in the image). 7) Adjusting the weight-bearing stands – they also serve as the load sensors. 8) Connecting the tech. 9) The inside of the unloaded trailer. The generator can be seen at the front. Everything the officers need to operate is in there.

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 109

4 1) VSO Sarah Harrison discusses the results with Calven Bonney. 2 & 3) Screen information and a paper output are both available. 4) Acting inspector Lex Soepnel addresses the audience. “This is about preventing accidents.”

110 New Zealand Trucking

roller brake tester numbers used in the heavy transport sector here and, today, there are more than 800 roller brake testers in operation nationally for both the truck and car industry sectors. The BM Autoteknik brand is the most installed roller brake tester in New Zealand and is an industryleading marque in its homeland and throughout Scandinavia and Europe where it’s used in both commercial, inspection stations and policing applications.” The BM20200 model mobile roller brake tester is configured to operate identically as the vehicle testing stations but in mobile form. The main point of operational difference is the speed of the rollers. Because they’re not mounted in-ground, they turn much slower. This, according to Brett, has no impact on accuracy or repeatability. Modifications to these New Zealand field units ex-the manufacturer were primarily larger wheels to make them easier to move around roadside, a deadman’s instant cut-off switch, and longer platforms on either side of the rollers so the entire axle-group being weighed could be accommodated at a uniform height. Calibration occurs every 12 months, although each unit carries a calibration kit if a certified tech needs to visit them in the field. The unit does not have to be on level ground to work (the road is rarely level, after all), but it can’t be twisted. To combat any risk of twist, it sits on six adjustable feet that also double as the weight loadcell measure points. The roller bed has a smaller central roller, there to measure wheel speed. It stops the test rollers the instant it detects lock-up, preventing any possibility of damage to tyres. The unit can test axles up to 16 tonnes in weight, in -30C°, so New Zealand conditions will generally fall well within its working envelope. The brake rollers have been designed with a surface friction co-efficient that matches New Zealand roads. “Essentially, we’re looking at a giant torque gauge,” said Brett. “Brake force divided by axle weight equals efficiency.” Brake tests can

be performed for service brake and park brake on the left and right sides of an axle independently. The unit can test drum or disc brakes; air or other mechanical park brake systems. Whether an axle is mechanically or air-suspended is of no consequence. “Although able to accommodate pull-down testing, there has been a procedural decision around officer safety not to do so roadside.” LW Bonney and Sons supplied the test truck. Testing took about 15 to 30 seconds per axle. The readout appears on the central PC in the trailer, relayed out to the wireless hand-held tablet with the VSO (Vehicle Safety Officer) truck-side. The results can then be monitored and discussed with the driver. “Does it have even brakes? Are they in balance? These are the two questions the officer is seeking answers to,” Brett said. “The pass criteria for service brake efficiency is over 50% for each axle. In terms of brake imbalance between left versus the right side of an axle, a 30% or worse imbalance will mean pulling to the left or right under braking.” The key to an accurate reading is slowing the speed of brake application. A gradual increase in pressure on the brake foot pedal is key to getting the best results. “Stabbing or stomping your foot on the brake results in a non test,” said Brett. At the end of the testing, the driver can take a printout away if they request it. “The question of brake temperature at the time of test often arises,” said Brett. “As does the dynamic weight versus static or presented weight. Both are inconsequential in terms of the maths and the numbers recorded impacting the overall outcome. As we always say, ‘when a kid rides out in front of you when your brakes are cold, you’ll still need them to work’. “When a truck is requested to stop, the VSO enters the registration, configuration, and the number of axles and they’re away.” The database of trucks amassed on the day of testing is autonomous, i.e. not feeding live into a national database at the time.

April 2022

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BUSINESS PROFILE

A BATTERY IS BORN

Varta batteries are developed with truck manufacturers, ensuring fleets get the best out of their investment. HCB Technologies, the exclusive importer of Varta batteries into New Zealand, explores why they are ideal for the transport sector.

n the race to net-zero, the heavytransport industry is constantly developing new technology to meet new emissions standards, with dramatic decreases in emissions and improved fuel efficiency. Demand for electric and hybrid vehicles has increased rapidly, but the technology is far more complicated for heavy vehicles than cars and other light vehicles. While there are some options in the market, the development of alternatively powered heavy vehicles is ongoing. Euro-6 standards were introduced in 2015. These rules control how much carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter vehicles can emit per kilometre. EU regulations require truck exhaust emissions to be reduced by 15% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. While these standards will help the transport industry reduce emissions, they also highly affect vehicle batteries, particularly their location and the vehicle load placed on them.

battery located at the end of the frame, put there so that bigger fuel tanks and the like can be added. The location at the chassis rear means there is a great deal of vibration, which affects the battery – vibration is one of the top four reasons a battery fails. Truck manufacturers also equip their vehicles with ever-increasing electrical features, requiring more energy. This can lead to deeply discharged batteries. Extra electrical loads such as sailing/ coasting features and hotel functions also affect battery life. Batteries are expected to power all electric loads, such as GPS, navigation, driver assistance systems and more. Opportunities to recharge batteries are also often limited, putting enormous strain on the performance of commercial vehicle batteries. And although fuelsaving functions are increasingly being used, reducing CO2 emissions, they can also drain the battery, drastically reducing its lifespan.

How the new standards affect battery life

Jeff Mills, HCB Technologies product manager, says a battery is now, more than ever, a core component of not

Commercial trucks often have their

How Varta plays it part

only starting a vehicle but also for maintaining reliable electrical flow for the safety systems now employed in these vehicles. “Fleets of today expect reliability from their vehicles and their parts. That’s where Varta comes in,” he says. Varta batteries are manufactured in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers – their engineers work inside the vehicle factory. This ensures the battery is synchronised with the vehicle and the vehicle systems that place electrical load on the battery. “Truck manufacturers turn to Varta to jointly develop a battery technology that can master these challenges and ensure a better service life,” Mills says. “Varta batteries are therefore not an aftermarket product per se, but rather, they are an exact fit part that meets all original criteria of the commercial vehicle manufacturer,” he says. “Customers can expect that they are purchasing and installing batteries as the manufacturer intended.”

Battery lifespan It can be difficult to predict how long a vehicle battery will last because of all the different variables involved in operating a heavy vehicle. One vehicle may work in a predominantly urban environment, whereas another may operate across metal, non-sealed roads. Distance between stops can also impact service life, as can conditions such as temperature. “All of this said, following real-world trials with customers such as Fonterra, Varta batteries absolutely provide superior service life over other batteries,” Mills says. HCB Technologies not only supplies Varta batteries, it also runs trials, with batteries returned for tear-down analysis in New Zealand, as well as being sent

Varta batteries are manufactured in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers.

112 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

HCB Technologies also runs trials with batteries returned for teardown analysis in New Zealand. to the manufacturing plants overseas for further analysis. Manufacturing changes are then made specifically from this information. The quality of data the New Zealand data directly influences battery design by the global manufacturer. “The quality of Varta batteries is derived from not only the best materials available but also the engineered design of them – for example, the patented grid designs and the fact that each part of

the battery will be in line with what is best for the particular manufacturer’s requirements,” says Mills.

Backup service HCB Technologies strives to provide quality products supplied with integrity and backed by excellent people and service. HCB trades nationally in the New Zealand wholesale battery market. Branches are located throughout the

major centres, servicing customers directly or through a distributor network. The company’s backup service includes a full investigation of what is deemed a premature failure of batteries, and the adaptation of batteries and/or the technology type of battery to meet the bespoke environment in which they are used.

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PRODUCT PROFILE

UP IN LIGHTS When it comes to traffic management and worksites, safety is paramount. Narva AeroTech beacons and warning lights provide maximum visibility for a range of vehicles and applications.

he Narva emergency lighting range does more than keep people safe on the road and at worksites. From powerful and innovative beacons and strobes to sleek and modern warning lights and mini light bars, Narva’s emergency lighting products provide maximum visibility and compliance on the worksite and the road. The range includes amber options for mining, construction and commercial industries and red and blue lights for emergency services. Narva has a warning light for every vehicle and application. Flashing warning lights such as beacons and strobes are fitted to vehicles to convey a specific warning to other road users. The lights come in a range of colours, shapes and sizes and can be permanently or temporarily fitted to vehicles, including roadside assistance and towing vehicles, road construction machinery, utility vehicles, agricultural machinery and trucks. Flashing or revolving amber beacons must be mounted on a vehicle’s roof to give a 360° uninterrupted view on the horizontal plane. All flashing beacons used in New Zealand must comply with section 11 of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Lighting 2004.

What sets Narva apart? NARVA AeroTech beacons and warning lights are ECE R65-compliant. A commonly quoted standard for emergency lighting output is SAE J845, and many users assume this is sufficient for their purposes. However, this standard is not relevant to the CoPTTM – Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management – which relates to all New Zealand vehicles involved in traffic management. The code stipulates that flashing beacons must be ECE R65 compliant, and indeed this is a brighter standard, ensuring the highest levels of visibility.

AeroTech LED strobe/ rotator range The AeroTech range of strobes are designed to be the brightest and most visible strobes of their size. The strobes are engineered to produce smooth, highly visible rotating patterns suitable for all civil applications. Designed, engineered and tested in Australia, their aerodynamic shape increases visibility and reduces high speed wind noise. Because of their extreme brightness, AeroTech strobes also include an integrated light sensor, which

automatically switches the strobe between high and low power modes, as is required for ECE R65 Class 2. This ensures the strobe does not dazzle road users or workers at night.

12/24 volt R65 slimline LED warning lights Narva’s 12/24 volt slimline LED warning lights meet both ECE R65 Class 1 & 2 standards, are ECE R10 EMC-compliant, and offer maximum visibility with 18 selectable flash patterns. These are available in two options – a low-profile design with a height of 9mm, and a super narrow design with a height profile of 13mm, including a universal multi-angle bracket. Narva’s slimline LED warning lights are ideal for tight spots such as frontgrill applications and have a unique optic design that allows for efficient and powerful light output from multiple directions.

The Narva AeroTech LED range is available at NAPA Auto Parts. Call 0800 800 073 or visit napa.co.nz to find your nearest branch.

114 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

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CARRIERS’ CORNER

WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, WE ALL WORK IN THE RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY In last month’s column, I acknowledged the phenomenal industry of which we’re all fortunate to be a part. I also pointed out that we’re often the last to recognise the contribution our collective efforts make to our communities and country. Now, I ask this: Are we truly doing all we can to portray ourselves in the best light and sell the opportunity of joining our industry to new entrants?

t’s near-impossible to open a daily newspaper without spying a headline referencing a vast and varied array of industry groups crying foul about labour shortages. We in the road transport sector may have a driver shortage (and I sense this issue goes back a very long time), but every industry is currently in the same boat, and every potential candidate is fair game, as it were. We must also understand that as much as advanced technology may get bandied about as a potential solution to some of the world’s labour supply challenges, we won’t soon see a robot safely and accurately navigating its way into the forest to pluck a load of logs, or deftly manoeuvring a unit into stockyards to load and unload a herd of unruly cattle. Most will be aware of the considerable investment and the immense work done at an industry level via Transporting New Zealand and the Road to Success transport cadet programme, an initiative developed to create a structured pathway for new entrants to the industry. I’m a big fan of what’s been put together and know first-hand the contribution many have made to bring the programme to life. Rather than viewing Road to Success as the solution, however, I’d challenge the industry to consider the programme should instead be the catalyst for all operators to thoroughly assess what they’re doing to promote and attract new talent. There is immense competition

for labour, so we’re kidding ourselves if we think that drawing the volume of new talent required can be successfully navigated solely at a central level. This is on all of us. It may start with small and simple acts, such as ensuring a positive and inviting approach to how our teams, sites and fleets are projected to the community, opening up the opportunity for word-ofmouth and peer recommendations. It might be contacting the local high school and making a truck and driver available for career events. Perhaps it’s about a simple promotion on a community Facebook page of a local operation, giving people insight into the fun your trucks and drivers have? Recently, I was fortunate enough to obtain some national media exposure for a cadetship our operation runs. The enquiry that ensued blew me away – not

just the overall volume of applicants in what is supposedly a depressed labour market, but the make-up and background of these potential new industry entrants and their rationale for getting in touch. I was inundated with people mid-career elsewhere, who’d always harboured more than a passing affection for road transport and the idea of driving a heavy vehicle for a living, some of whom already had licenses. Their biggest challenge previously? Not actually knowing how to enter the industry – the mere promotion of such an opportunity had been enough to entice them into putting their hat in the ring. Furthermore, the enquiries I fielded weren’t from individuals looking for some 30-hour-a-week hybrid work arrangement, seeking adequate time in their day to integrate their yoga and herbal tea rituals. It came from people wanting to work, not scared of the hours that come with the industry, and looking to get into a role that would provide them with the tangible reward of achieving something physical every day. The candidates exist – we must ask ourselves if we are collectively doing everything we can to make the entry door to road transport look as big and inviting as possible. Are we really rolling out the carpet to greet those people knocking on the door? Or will we let other industries craft a better entrance?

Do you agree with Blake or want to engage with his comment? He’d love to hear from you. Contact Blake at: blake@transcon.co.nz. Blake Noble is managing director of Transcon, a 15-truck general freight operation based in Warkworth, just north of Auckland.

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116 New Zealand Trucking

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MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

NO GEAR, NO PROBLEM Access to a gym or sporting facility isn’t always guaranteed in these strange and ever-changing times. In fact, I am currently writing this article from isolation. I thought it would be apt to show you a full-body workout that will challenge you without the need for any equipment or fancy gadgets. You can do the exercises anywhere, anytime – all you need is a chair or step.

will run through each movement and outline what muscles it targets, technique pointers, progressions (to make it more difficult) and regressions (more manageable) so the

exercise can suit anyone of any fitness level. I have included two movements for the core, upper body and lower body, allowing proper balance and leaving no muscle groups untouched.

2. Tricep dips (triceps, shoulders, core) Most of my clients have a love/hate relationship with tricep dips (predominantly hate). Our triceps are quite a small muscle and aren’t often used as much as larger muscles like the chest and back, making tricep exercises challenging. Set yourself up on a chair or step. Keeping your bottom and back nice and close to the chair/ step, gently lower yourself until your elbows parallel your shoulders, then

push yourself back up to the starting position. It is essential you don’t go any lower than shoulder height as this can place too much strain on your shoulders. In addition, keeping your elbows pointing backwards rather than sideways is also crucial. To make the movement easier or more challenging, you can place your feet closer to your body or further away (the further away they are, the harder the movement).

1. Press-ups (chest, shoulders, core) First off is the press-up. It’s a reliable favourite that predominantly works your chest but also needs your shoulders and core to complete the movement. The press-up can be done on your knees or toes. Either way, it’s very important you keep your core tight and your back nice and flat.

118 New Zealand Trucking

Lower your chest as much as you can, aim for a 90° bend in the elbow and push yourself up, squeezing your chest as you lift. It’s essential to know what muscle you’re working on as you exercise, as it provides a mind-to-muscle connection, and you get better results from your training.

April 2022

3. Squats (glutes, hamstrings, quads) The squat movement utilises many of our muscle groups, making it an important staple exercise. The golden rule of squats is to make sure that your knees never travel over your toes as you lower yourself down. If you wanted to regress this movement, you could sit down and stand up from a chair.

To begin your squat, place your feet hip-width apart. Tilt the hips back, and keep your chest up and your gaze forward as you lower down. The ideal range of motion is to get your hips parallel with your knees. As a beginner, you may find this difficult – but it is a target to aim for as you practice.

4. L unges (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) Lunges are another amazing staple movement as they get every muscle in our lower body firing throughout the movement. I find many clients tend to struggle with the lunge because there are a lot of technique cues that can be overwhelming and a lot to think about. I’ll try to keep it straightforward. Start with your feet hipwidth apart, keeping that hipwidth distance as you take a large step forward. Your

step should be large enough so that your knees can bend comfortably at roughly a 90° angle when you lower your back leg. Here are a few simple cues: • Keep your back heel raised • Keep a hip-width distance between your feet • Keep your body upright and your chest up • Take a nice big step forward – give your knees room to bend.

5. Plank hold (core) The plank hold is another movement that many of my clients dread. Much of it is the mental struggle of not moving and simply holding the plank – much like a wall sit. The plank predominantly works our core, but there are a lot of other muscles at play from head to toe. It also strengthens our spine, which is hugely important. A few key tips for

performing a plank are to keep your back flat and your bottom down – you want your body straight like a plank, hence the name. Set elbows beneath your shoulders so you are not overreaching and placing undue stress on your shoulders. A plank can be performed on either your knees or toes, depending upon your core strength.

6. Leg lower (core) A leg lower is a simple and effective way to work your lower core and hip flexors. To regress the movement, you can lower one leg at a time; lower both legs together to progress the movement.

An important factor to consider when doing a leg lower is your lower back. If your core isn’t strong enough to hold your legs closer to the ground, you may feel a tugging or discomfort in your lower

back. If that is the case, you just need to raise your legs slightly higher to avoid overloading your lower back – never let your back lift off the floor either. Laura Peacock Personal trainer TCA Fitness Club

You could do this simple full-body workout as a circuit – for example, three 40-second rounds of each movement with a 20-second rest between each round.

New Zealand Trucking

April 2022 119

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CH-CH-CH-CH-

CHANGES How do you help employees accept change in the workplace?

recently had a conversation with one of the Safewise team about how people can be resistant to change, even when we know it will make their lives easier. We need to remember that there has been a lot of change in everyone’s lives over the past two years or so. With change comes uncertainty, which leads to fear. Often, when changes take place inside a workplace, that uncertainty is about money – will I still have a job? Will I still earn what I need to? Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty about money or health. People are concerned about the effects of Covid19 on themselves and their families and friends. This isn’t an article about protecting people from the uncertainty and fear of Covid-19, which has been discussed in great detail by many well-qualified practitioners. Rather than that, I would like to raise awareness how the changes

23031 DANI1 TRUCKING AD.pdf

27/5/10

and fear resulting from Covid-19 impact every aspect of society, especially when we are trying to introduce something new. Talk to your workers about the change you want to make and why. Reassure them that this will have no impact on their position, workload or income. It’s important to tell them the truth – don’t say it won’t change something if you know it will. Listen to their concerns. Ask them what they are unsure of. If you can, introduce the change as slowly as possible. Consider selecting a few workers to trial it. It’s nice to have positive people onboard, but trialling something with a resistant worker can be very successful. If they adopt it well, they will greatly influence others. Consider buddying-up workers so that they can support each other. You may like to introduce a worker mentor, so workers have someone to approach who isn’t management. Don’t punish failure; encourage better performance. Above all, if it is a valid change, persevere, and it will eventually become just the way things are done.

Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Ltd, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 12 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 professional member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the HASANZ register.

How can Safewise help? We work with organisations that need more health and safety knowledge or more time to address these issues than they have in-house. We also have free Covid19 resources available. For more information, check the website safewise.co.nz

3:12:58 PM

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

120 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

LEGAL LINES

LIMITING CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY IN DISRUPTED TIMES PART 2

This month, I will focus on what happens when a force majeure clause is triggered and how to avoid the common pitfalls of drafting and negotiating force majeure clauses.

he term force majeure describes events over which operators have little or no control. A force majeure clause may relieve a contracting party for failure to perform in certain circumstances by allowing them to terminate or temporarily suspend their contractual obligations. However, an event will not be force majeure unless it makes the performance of the contract impossible, it was unforeseeable, and it was irresistible both in its occurrence and its effects. There is a wide range of rights and obligations that can come into play when there is a force majeure event, and that is why it is important to draft a precise force majeure clause that can be relied upon.

What happens when a force majeure event occurs? When a force majeure clause is triggered, a party may be able to: • Suspend its contractual obligations; • Be given an extended period to fulfil its obligations; • Cancel a contract either immediately

or after completing a period of suspension. Even when a party is affected by a force majeure event, that does not mean it is automatically relieved of all contractual obligations. Depending on the nature of the disruption, it may still be required to use its best efforts to abide by the terms of the contract despite the force majeure event. Such endeavours may include mitigating the effects of the force majeure event on the performance of its obligations and continuing to perform the party’s obligations that are not affected by the force majeure event as required by the terms of the agreement.

Common issues with drafting and negotiating force majeure clauses The object of a force majeure clause is to allocate risk in the event of unforeseen circumstances. In light of this purpose, parties are well advised to carefully consider the risk they are absorbing, building this into their pricing models. In addition to this consideration,

parties should also think about the relationship between the risk allocation under a force majeure clause and their insurance arrangements. In other words, is there business interruption or professional indemnity cover in place, and is it adequate if a force majeure event occurs? The downstream effects of a force majeure clause will have different implications for each party. For example, a purchaser needs to consider what would happen if a supplier invoked a force majeure clause because of the supplier’s actions, a purchaser may be forced to rely on force majeure clauses in contracts with its customer. An example of this is the supply-chain issues the pandemic has caused. There are competing interests to bear in mind when looking at what each party wants to include in their force majeure clause. A supplier will generally want broadly defined force majeure clauses to be able to defer its obligations or at least limit them if its ability to perform is adversely affected by a force majeure event, which creates flexibility. In direct contrast, a purchaser will usually want a narrowly defined force majeure clause with mitigation requirements to prioritise continuity of supply. This is particularly important in circumstances where the supplier is providing critical infrastructure, in which case a purchaser may not want

One of the main traps to avoid is ending up with a force majeure clause that is drafted too much in favour of the other party. 122 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

NZT 22

a force majeure clause at all. One of the main traps to avoid is ending up with a force majeure clause that is drafted too much in favour of the other party. If we return to our supplier and purchase example, the following are some pitfalls to watch out for: A purchaser should only allow the definition of ‘force majeure event’ to include events the supplier will not be expected to continue to supply on an uninterrupted basis. A purchaser should make sure that a force majeure clause does not include events that are within the supplier’s control. A purchaser should consider requiring the supplier to use its best endeavours to continue supplying (and continue to supply services and products that have not been affected), rather than simply giving the supplier the ability to terminate an agreement for a force majeure event. A purchaser will want to ensure it can source replacement services during any suspension period invoked by the supplier.

A purchaser should also have the appropriate insurance cover in place and limit its liability through an effective force majeure clause in its contracts with customers. A supplier should ensure that a force majeure clause covers every circumstance in which it would be impossible for the supplier to continue to perform the contract. A supplier should consider the implications, particularly additional expenditure, of an obligation to mitigate the effects of a force majeure event that may not be recoverable from the purchaser.

Conclusion While acknowledging that a welldrafted force majeure clause cannot be underestimated, legally and commercially, there are strong incentives for everyone involved in a supply chain to look beyond their contractual force majeure provisions. During the Covid-19 pandemic, parties need to ensure that all their contracts are soundly based and that they have taken suitable protective and contingency measures to recognise the possible occurrence of disruptive events and manage their impacts.

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 a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law. Contact her on (09) 379 7658 or 021 326 642

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PLAYING WITH FIRE The New Zealand trucking industry is asking people with a licence and experience to fill the staffing shortage amid the pandemic supply chain pinch. Unfortunately, the driver shortage has been a glaring issue for years due to an ageing workforce, long working hours, and the stigma that society has placed on the career. According to Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, one in four transport companies has vehicles parked due to a lack of drivers.

upply chain demands and a tight labour market pose even more risk to the industry’s sustainability. In some corners, the idea of loosening employment regulations in favour of hiring and retaining staff has been floated. This weakening of regulations, including drug testing policies, is a red herring. While it might increase drivers, it will most certainly increase the risks on New Zealand roads. The NZTA just revealed its Road to Zero campaign. Are drivers with poor health records, a history of logbook errors, dangerous driving offences, and drug and alcohol abuse what the industry really needs right now? A well-trained workforce is the lifeblood of any company – but that workforce must remain safe and compliant. Business owners who relax their stance on drugs and alcohol are playing with fire. Recently, Lowy Institute research revealed that the use of methamphetamine and cocaine has been steadily increasing in Australia and New Zealand, despite the disruption of supply chains. The New Zealand Health Survey showed 15% of the adult population used cannabis last year, a rate nearly double

that of a decade ago. The growing use and demand for illicit drugs is a clear signal that trucking companies that compromise their drug testing policies do so at significant risk. What truckies need are purpose-built, fair and robust drug and alcohol policy and testing programmes. And logistics operators need these policies built by professionals to suit the specific needs of the company, where it works, and how it works. No two businesses or situations are identical. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, company owners, directors and senior executives are exposed to penalties for failing to ensure a safe working environment. A drug-free workforce helps establish and sustain a safety culture, and mandatory drug tests are more common than ever, especially in safety-sensitive roles, such as heavy machinery or construction jobs. Pre-employment checks and surveillance, and random and postincident testing are all tools in a business toolbox for staying compliant. To avoid legal grievances, businesses should also teach supervisors and managers how to manage and identify drug issues at work.

Pre-employment checks and surveillance, and random and post-incident testing are all tools for staying compliant. 124 New Zealand Trucking

Establishing appropriate cause to test a worker is challenging without training. With a little education, the initiation of a test following an incident can be easily supported – you can even get an app for support. Companies with good policies, education and testing programmes benefit from reduced legal liabilities, less downtime and lower insurance costs. But effective post-incident testing also goes both ways, as it allows the employee involved in the accident to get professional help and support to get their life back on track. The trucking industry has a good record of operational excellence on New Zealand roads. And good businesses understand that drivers don’t let drugs and alcohol into their workplaces or truck cabs. Loosening regulations and drug and alcohol testing should not be seen as a path to fixing the driver shortage. That’s a road paved with unnecessary risks.

Kirk Hardy, CEO, The Drug Detection Agency The TDDA has ISO15189:2012 accreditation for workplace drug testing (see NATA and IANZ websites for further detail). It is a drug and alcohol testing leader, with more than 64 locations throughout Australasia. Visit tdda.com

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AN INDUSTRY UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE

ur industry faces huge challenges – the ongoing pandemic, the tragic situation in Ukraine, staggering fuel-cost increases, parts and equipment supply issues, declining workers’ mental health and increased fatigue, sustainability, new technologies, driver shortages, ferry disruptions, and ever-increasing government regulation. To say life is difficult is the understatement of the year. The Covid-19 journey of the past two years has been challenging for everyone, but especially for the trucking industry, which has stepped up to keep the country supplied with the essentials that keep society functioning and the economy going. Covid-19 continues to create havoc, with many unable to work as they are isolating or waiting for a negative test result. This puts immense pressure on businesses as they try to adjust workloads to keep operational. Hopefully, the experts are correct, and we will have peaked soon. The crisis in Ukraine is undoubtedly a concern not only for Ukrainians and wider Europe. It will also impact the New Zealand economy. We have seen the impact on diesel fuel costs, which have doubled in the past year. The supply of urea for diesel exhaust fluid has become challenging as Russia and China provide most of the world’s supply. Our suppliers tell us that New Zealand should be OK, but any restrictions on this supply would impact our industry hard. Ukrainian and Russian factories assemble motor vehicles and supply parts for many European, Korean, and Chinese manufacturers. Russia is the world’s

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leading exporter of natural gas, supplying much of Europe, which may need to look for alternative energy supplies. If this crisis continues for long, the impact on the world economy and New Zealand by default will be enormous. New Zealand is heading into a period of uncertainty, with substantial government debt, rising interest rates, inflation rates that have not been seen for a generation, rocketing costs of products and services, and supply issues. This has the potential to impact severely on our industry, with increased costs and an already tight labour market putting upward pressure on labour rates. Now the borders are reopening, we need the government to look at the immigration settings for truck drivers, as our neighbours in Australia are trying to entice more Kiwi drivers across the ditch. The cumulative effect of the past two years is also having an impact on mental health and fatigue. Many are struggling to cope. Truck crashes and serious health and safety incidents seem to be increasing again, which is a concern for everyone. The Ministry of Transport has released a discussion document, Driving Change: Reviewing the Road User Charges System. The paper poses 89 questions about the future structure and purpose of the road-user charges system. Questions asked include: • Should greenhouse gas emissions charging be included in RUC rates? • Should other fuel types be considered in RUC rates? • Should eRUC be compulsory for all heavy vehicles? • Should integrated telematics be mandatory?

• Should infringements be reviewed? • Should enforcement authorities have access to this data, including enforcement of logbook requirements? The NTA will certainly make submissions to the RUC discussion document on behalf of members. If you would like to add your feedback, do not hesitate to get in touch or consider putting in your own submission. Recently, Waka Kotahi launched a new campaign supporting the Road to Zero strategy. We certainly support any efforts to bring down New Zealand’s road toll, which still stubbornly sits around 300plus deaths per annum. Our death rate per 100,000 is one of the highest in the world, and significantly higher than our neighbours in Australia. One of the key focuses of the Road to Zero strategy is road-user choices. We think it is time to put more effort into influencing these. In 2019, New Zealand had 352 road deaths. Some 137 deaths were related to alcohol and drug use, 90 deaths were from not wearing a seat belt, and fatigue and distraction accounted for another 40. Combined, that means more than 75% of road deaths were a result of road-user choices. The government is currently reviewing the graduated driver licencing system. We think it is time to emphasise advanced skills-based training, including learning to drive to the conditions, a better understanding of the road rules with regular mandated updates, and an empathy and understanding of other and vulnerable road users.

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Nick Leggett chief executive officer

ROAD TO ZERO DEMANDS BROAD INVESTMENT IN SAFETY

recently attended the launch of the Government’s Road to Zero public awareness campaign, which sets a target of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050 and a 40% reduction in these by 2030. The achievement of the 2050 target is improbable unless we ban private motor vehicles or slow down the roads to such an extent as to grind the country to a halt. The 2030 target, however, is much more tangible and something that government, councils, and the various road transport sectors should be striving to achieve. I can tell you that no one supports road safety more than Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand and the roadfreight transport industry generally. New Zealand’s roads are the workplace for thousands of men and women who drive the trucks that deliver the vast majority of the goods to our homes, supermarkets, ports and vital services. These people all deserve to go to work and know that they will return home safely to their families. The ministers of transport and police, who launched the Road to Zero campaign, told us that a safer system includes: • Investing in safer infrastructure; • Working on getting more people into safer vehicles; • Rolling out safer speed limits; • Refocusing on targeted and effective policy enforcement. The $2.9 billion to be invested in Road to Zero over the next three years includes $1.2 billion for road policing, which is an increase of $140 million compared with the past three years. This is important, and we support it wholeheartedly. Our drivers are sick of seeing people distracted by their phones while driving and are rightly concerned by the number of people who still use drugs or drink too much alcohol and then get behind the wheel. More police on the roads should improve enforcement and be a greater deterrent to irresponsible road users.

128 New Zealand Trucking

April 2022

SH5 between Napier and Taupo now has an 80kph speed limit along much of its length. When it comes to road safety, nobody could argue that this government isn’t

limits will be extremely challenging. We

focused on the role of speed in serious

by a low speed limit or sitting behind

road accidents, although I believe this

a vehicle they think is going too slow,

is where a more pragmatic approach is

it leads to bad decisions and risky

needed.

behaviour.

Simply going around the country

also know that if people are frustrated

Road users pay a lot of money for

imposing lower speed limits on

our roads (you only have to look at the

communities that do not want them is not

current rate of fuel excise or RUCs to

the way forward and will not lead to good

know that) and expect their money to be

results. Aucklanders are well aware of the

prioritised to projects that will make their

1600 roads in and around that city that

journeys safer, more comfortable and

are up for speed reduction. There are also

more efficient (a particular issue for our

significant proposals that would see every

industry).

100kph zone in Northland reduced to

It is a shame, therefore, that transport

80kph, and a there has been a maximum

policy has become so politicised and

speed limit of 80kph placed along much

captured by some fringe interests in

of the length of SH5 between Napier and

recent years. Sensible proposals to

Taupo. Reaction from businesses and

upgrade and build safer roads and

many parts of the community has been

maintain reasonable speed limits have

pretty hostile to these proposals, and I

now become political footballs open to

have a lot of sympathy for them.

all sorts of ideological and environmental

Causes of road deaths and injuries are

accusations.

far more complex than just speed. The

The fact is that if we are to meet our

enduring solution is to invest in proper

2030 target, the government and Waka

maintenance, upgrades and replacement

Kotahi need to be using all the tools in

roading infrastructure where it is

the toolbox to reduce road accidents.

necessary.

This includes investing in the repairs and

Tinkering with speed limits is a cheap

upgrades of our substandard roading

but ultimately lazy solution. The police

network and delivering the modern

cannot be everywhere, so enforcing what

transport infrastructure our industry and

the public consider unreasonable speed

all other road users deserve.

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THE LAST MILE

PLAIN CONTINUATION BIAS

ne of the better things about the pandemic is that it has given me the chance to do a lot of reading (or rereading in my case), and I have been reminded of a phenomenon called Plan Continuation Bias (PCB). PCB applies when, after a person or business has set out a plan, they continue with that plan no matter what happens, even if the evidence before them suggests they are wrong. History is littered with examples of this. Bonaparte had a plan to conquer Russia and continued with his plan despite the evidence that he was on a fool’s errand; Hitler did the same during World War II. PCB is often present in aircraft crashes. The January 2020 death of Los Angles Lakers basketball superstar Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash was attributed to the pilot becoming fixated on achieving his plan, getting his passengers to their destination, and not reacting to the changing flying environment around him. He was an experienced pilot who had flown the route often and was familiar with the vagaries of the weather in the area. We can see PCB developing in the government’s announcement of zero road deaths by 2050. It is a jail ministers have set and will be their focus for the future. They will do whatever they can to work towards this, including lowering speed limits and increasing fines for traffic-related offences. When these do not work, they will develop more crazy and draconian ideas. They won’t revisit their plan.

In a way, the divorce between the three industry associations late last year and the rebranding of the Road Transport Forum could also be an example of PCB – somebody decided on a plan and continued with it despite the evidence suggesting it was wrong. The result of this is that we no longer have a single entity representing the industry at a time when unification is paramount. Plain Continuation Bias is a close cousin to another phenomenon, the Abilene Paradox. This holds that a group of people will often make a decision that, as individuals, they know are stupid. We can all relate to this. Perhaps the Abilene Paradox is driving some of the decisions coming out of our current government?

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April 2022

On 10 February, Australasian Transport News (ATN) reported that a heavy-truck repair company had been fined A$210,000 (about $226,000) because its staff had failed to conduct accurate testing and inspection of a trailer coupling, resulting in the trailer becoming detached from the prime mover, directly contributing to the deaths of three people. The court held that had the company staff undertaken more accurate testing and inspection of the coupling during a recent routine service, the wear and tear in the coupling would have been obvious. In a Stuff opinion piece on 5 February, Anna Fifield asks the question, “When did our public service get so arrogant?” and gives several examples to illustrate her point, including an almost complete refusal of government departments and agencies to allow journalists to speak to subject matter experts. This writer can relate to this and the increasing difficulty of getting information from the government and its agencies. Even questions put under the Official Information Act are delayed or receive very broad answers – and it’s getting worse. Perhaps Maxwell Smart’s 1960s ‘Cone of Silence’ is alive and well and was not fantasy after all?

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