NZ Trucking Magazine, June 2023

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

THE

REST 6 Editorial

Dave McCoid Ph: 027 492 5601 Email: dave@nztrucking.com

8 Road Noise – Industry news

EDITOR

Gavin Myers Ph: 027 660 6608 Email: gavin@nztrucking.com

36 Truck of the Year Australasia 2023

FIELD EDITOR

54 Just Trucking Around

Carl Kirkbeck Ph: 021 760 766 Email: carl@nztrucking.co.nz

56 Top Truck – First class freight 60

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

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Tracey Strange Faye Lougher

Ricky Harris

CONTRIBUTORS

John Berkley

Craig Andrews Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Alison Verran Mike Verran Shannon Williams Andrew Geddes

ART DIRECTOR

Wanaka Memories

62 Light Commercial Test – Starias in their eyes 68 New Rigs 74 New Bodies and Trailers 76 Million Mile Club

40 FULL SPEED AHEAD

Energy in the air, and everywhere

DIGITAL IMAGING

Willie Coyle

78 Aussie Angles – Bent eights forever 82 International Truck Stop – agitation electrified 86 Craig’s Trucking Snapshot

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87 Absolute Classic

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92 Little Truckers’ Club

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94 What’s On Niels Jansen (Europe) Paul O’Callaghan (Europe)

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98 Moving Metrics 102 Incoming Cargo – VGA Summit 104 VIPAL Knowing you tyres 106 Business Update – Hella 50 years 108 Product Profile – NAPA 110 Product Update – MyTrucking App 112 Scania Survey 114 Carriers Corner 116 Truckers’ Health 118 Health & Safety 120 Legal Lines 122 Business together 124 NZ Trucking Association 126 NRC 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile

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EDITORIAL

READING BETWEEN THE NUMBERS

I

n the past year, I recall coming across more speeding drivers than speed cameras, more drivers who got into their cars after a night out than police checkpoints, and an increasing number of drivers distracted by mobile phones. Sadly, I’m not surprised after reading the recently published Public Attitudes to Road Safety 2022 report undertaken by Kantar Republic for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

This annual survey measures New Zealanders’ attitudes to nine road safetyrelated topics. Let’s look at some of the most telling findings and help the agency decipher it all.

Speed, the perennial bogeyman of road safety campaigners, seems to be something that should be left well alone. Seven in 10 New Zealanders don’t have a problem with 100km/h on the open road; eight in 10 don’t take issue with 50km/h in towns and cities. Twenty per cent think the open road limit should be raised (8% lowered), while 10% think the urban limit should be lowered (6% raised).

Ninety-two per cent have no issues with lower limits around schools.

Most respondents are logical enough to understand that higher speed increases the likelihood of a crash (79%) and serious injury (96%).

However, the perception of what speed should be considered ‘speeding’ varies.

The takeaway: leave the speed limits well alone and focus on greater enforcement and education.

Or infrastructure. The number of New Zealanders who consider the country’s roads to be ‘at least fairly safe to travel on’ is decreasing – from 79% in 2021 to 71%. Put another way, fewer than one in five consider the country’s roads very safe, and the number of those considering them unsafe has increased from 19% in 2021 to 26%.

What makes the country’s roads unsafe? Unsurprisingly, the grouping ‘road design and maintenance’ ranked highest among 64% of the total respondents, with the main issues therein being road surface/quality, road design and road maintenance. Closely following was the grouping ‘road user concerns’, at 51% of the total – the key issue identified therein was bad driving.

The takeaway: put more effort into fixing roads that are deteriorating or in need of a design rethink and do something to raise driving standards.

How about tackling impairment and distraction, because more can clearly be done? While just 4% are comfortable having more than one or two standard drinks in an hour before driving, 56% are comfortable having just one or two.

Worryingly, though, three in 10 admit it is difficult to track

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6 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

what they’re drinking in social occasions. Eighteen per cent would use back streets after drinking if unsure whether they are over the limit and one in 10 has claimed to have driven slightly intoxicated at least once in the past 12 months, the same for those affected by either prescription or other drugs.

We’re a distracted bunch, too; 54% have made handsfree calls while driving in the past month and 21% handheld calls. Three in 10 drivers claimed to have texted while driving and 12% admit to checking or replying to social media while driving. Call me cynical, but those numbers seem pretty low – especially considering only 15% think it is likely for a person who is using a handheld cell phone or texting while driving to be caught by police, three in five consider it unlikely and those considering it very unlikely has increased from 23% in 2021 to 29%.

The takeaway: well, this brings us to the quandary that is enforcement and the apparent perception that one can ‘get away with it’.

More New Zealanders (43%) think it’s unlikely for a person who breaks a traffic law – other than speeding or drink-driving – to be stopped by the police than likely (30%).

It’s little different when talking exclusively about speeding or drink-driving – 48% agree that the risk is small of being caught for either.

But what of the repercussions if you are caught? While the perceived chance of getting a speeding ticket if driving over the speed limit on the open road remains high, 41% think speeding penalties are not very severe.

And while almost as many believe there is a good chance of being stopped at an alcohol checkpoint if driving late at night (41%) as those who don’t (42%), 51% think penalties for drinking and driving are not very severe even if caught. Interestingly, 50% think drink-driving laws are quite effective in reducing road deaths; 45% think they are not.

One in two New Zealanders is satisfied with the effort police put into catching people breaking road safety laws, while 36% think efforts should be increased.

The takeaway: I’ve always believed that a police car in the rear-view mirror is one of the most effective tools for improving road safety. Police visibility goes a long way to calming down errant drivers, especially if they know there’s a better-than-good chance they’ll be pulled up for it and – critically – the law will be enforced.

So long as drivers know their actions carry little consequence, Road to Zero will remain an unreachable, ideological fantasy.

NE BU

LO Gavin Myers Editor

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

NEW OWNERSHIP FOR TRT TRT (Tidd Ross Todd) has announced a significant change in ownership 56 years since the original company, Jack Tidd Ross Todd, was formed.

TRT’s engineering and technical director, Robert Carden, has decided to sell his shares of the business and resign as a director and as a TRT employee.

Carden’s brother and TRT director of sales and innovations, Bruce Carden, has acquired Carden’s shares, giving him 100% control of the business.

TRT Australia has played a significant role in restructuring the business for future success. Neil Webb officially became a new investment partner and 20% shareholder of TRT’s Australian operations in November 2022.

“This change assures the long-term future of TRT,” said Bruce Carden. “The way we currently operate will continue. Our commitment to service remains the same.

Our commitment to innovation remains a key ingredient to provide our customers with fit-for-purpose, bumper-tobumper solutions that are made to last.”

TRT board chairperson and non-executive director Bruce Nixon said the change gave the business future certainty while retaining the Carden family connection.

“I have seen first-hand the trust that TRT and all its owners have earned from the industry, and I look forward to supporting Bruce, Mary, and their family in this latest chapter of the TRT success story.”

8 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Penske New Zealand opens new Tauranga facility

P

enske New Zealand opened its brand-new Tauranga facility on 1 May. The new facility provides full retail sales, parts and service support for the Western Star Trucks, MAN Truck & Bus, Dennis Eagle, mtu and Detroit brands.

It has 11x 30m truck bays, three pre-delivery inspection bays, a transport engineering workshop, a 30m drive-through wash bay, a full-length service pit and two flush-mounted 24m tandem full vehicle hoists.

The purpose-built building comprises 2548m2 of workshop space, a 448m2 parts warehouse and 745m2 of retail and office space, including a drivers’ lounge.

“Our purpose-built infrastructure will allow us to deliver exceptional customer service now and into the future,” said Tim Geenty, branch manager – Tauranga, Penske New Zealand.

Penske New Zealand country manager Brent Warner added that the new branch formed a key part of the organisation’s future

plans.

“Further to the opening of our brand-new Christchurch facility in 2019, with our new Tauranga site, we are demonstrating our commitment to the New Zealand market and our customers,” he said.

“Penske New Zealand has bold growth plans, and our investment in our people and locations is integral to that.”

Penske New Zealand’s new facility is at 115 Kaweroa Drive, Omanawa, Tauranga.

Iveco beefs up dealer network

C

ablePrice NZ is the new authorised parts and service dealer for the full range of Iveco vans, light commercials, 4x4s and heavy-duty onand off-highway trucks in the Hastings, Palmerston North and Wellington regions.

“We continue to look for ways to strengthen our network, get closer to our customers and enhance the level of parts and service support available to our customers,” said Barry Woods, dealer principal, Iveco New Zealand.

“CablePrice has a long history in the transport industry, with some very impressive sites. They

run a very professional operation and have a great team of personnel, with excellent experience in the aftersales world. This appointment of CablePrice is seen as a perfect fit for the Iveco brand and for our customers.”

“We’re delighted to have partnered with Iveco as their service agent in Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Manawatu regions, with a number of our customers already owning and operating Iveco products,” said Aidan Mahony, managing director, CablePrice NZ. “Like Iveco, CablePrice is committed to providing customers with the most

effective solution and, as an example, has recently invested in a new stateof-the-art COF lane at our Hastings branch that will be completed in the coming weeks. This new COF lane will offer customers a quicker turnaround and the latest in brake and suspension test technology at the highest safety level.”

Iveco NZ will work closely with the team at CablePrice and provide them with the latest diagnostic tooling along with ongoing training to ensure they have the knowledge and knowhow to fully support the entire range of Iveco products.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

ContainerCo battery charger a game changer

N

ew Zealand container storage and servicing company ContainerCo has installed new electric vehicle charging infrastructure at its Auckland site.

ContainerCo, which already has one electric truck, has ordered four new trucks from Kahu EV in Palmerston North, with the first received in April.

The company has committed to the deployment of charging infrastructure at three of their sites – Auckland, Napier and Tauranga.

The company engaged with Jump Charging, a specialist in the supply of commercial electric vehicle charging and green hydrogen fuelling infrastructure solutions, who have partnered with YHI New Zealand to offer Siemens DC chargers as an “allin-one” solution.

Brent Batters, ContainerCo,

says the project was a couple of years in the making.

“We were early adopters of electric trucks; we had our first one in 2019, a light electric Isuzu.

Now we’ve committed to four more medium-heavy units, as well as having three sites with the Jump Charging chargers,” he says.

“Our electric truck works all day every day, and we are now able to just pull up, the driver has a break, plugs into the charger, and we’re given a good boost to keep going for the rest of the day.

“We can get the battery down to 20% and charge it back up to 80% within around 40 minutes, so compared to the old technology where that would be three or four hours, it’s a game changer.”

The Siemens SiCharge D 160kW charger provides flexibility as the power can

be split, allowing two trucks to be charged at one time. It can also be easily upgraded to 300kW with the addition of power modules alongside any necessary site upgrades and has the option to connect an extra dispenser, offering four-way DC charging.

Alex Watson, director at Jump Charging, says there was a hole in the commercial space when it came to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

“Jump Charging was formed to service that space, and we do this in two ways; supporting companies with their transition to zero emissions, whether supplying and installing infrastructure via purchase or finance options, and secondly, deployment of our own public charging network across the country,” he says.

“Whilst we do provide turnkey

solutions, we also recognise the value of a truly collaborative approach as demonstrated in this project with ContainerCo. They already had an EV in the fleet with more on the way prior to engaging with us, as well as a trusted existing site electrician.

Jump Charging were able to fill in the gaps and offer ongoing support so that ContainerCo can focus on their day-to-day business,” says Watson.

Jump Charging will support ContainerCo long term, managing and maintaining the charging infrastructure.

The Siemens EV charging range is distributed exclusively

by YHI New Zealand. YHI and its specialist integration partners, like Jump Charging, offer nationwide, factory trained installation, commissioning and maintenance services.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Hall’s acquires Brausch Transport

C

old chain logistics firm Hall’s Group has acquired Brausch Transport, which will start trading as part of Hall’s Group from

1 June.

Based in Auckland and Palmerston North, Brausch focuses on chilled and frozen freight.

In a statement Hall’s said the acquisition supported its vision of becoming New Zealand’s leading cold chain logistics provider, enabling it to expand its network capacity and strengthen its service offering.

“Coupled with our new fleet being rolled out, it’s an exciting time for the business.”

“We look forward to the opportunities this new chapter creates for Brausch and Hall’s people and their customers.”

Two-lane roundabout for SH1/SH29 intersection

T

he high-risk T-intersection at SH1 and SH29 will be replaced with a two-lane roundabout in a project beginning in October.

The Piarere site is a confluence of three destinations: South Waikato, Bay of Plenty and North Waikato. Funded through the New Zealand Upgrade Programme, the new roundabout allows connection with a potential expressway. It will accommodate any future walking and cycling connections as there will be two underpasses for cyclists: one under the SH1 Tirau leg and one under the SH29 Tauranga leg.

“A roundabout is an inherently safe intersection treatment as it gives everyone, whatever direction they approach, a slower speed environment whatever the time of day or night. A good roundabout design provides equal access and manages energy if a collision is to occur, therefore minimising severe injury,” said Waka Kotahi regional manager of infrastructure delivery Jo Wilton.

The Environment Court has accepted the applications for resource consent and notice of requirement to alter designations for activities associated with the project.

“Waka Kotahi is preparing to go to tender and hopes to have the contract awarded by August this year, with construction starting at the beginning of the earthworks season, hopefully in

E

D

October,” Wilton said.

The long-term Cambridge to Piarere expressway project is currently at the stage of securing route protection. This involves processes under the Resource Management Act to allow Waka Kotahi to require designations and to obtain

regional resource consents to ensure the agency is ready to proceed if funding is made available. Once route protection is secured, funding must be confirmed. The following stages then include detailed design, tendering and construction.

12 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

NZT 23

Aussie transport sector seeks zero-emission strategy

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he Electric Vehicle Council, Australian Trucking Association, Heavy Vehicle Industry Association and the Australian Hydrogen Council have joined forces to advocate for government direction and support to deliver its net-zero emissions commitments.

The organisations said the National Electric Vehicle Strategy, launched at the end of April, and the commitment to a fuel-efficiency standard were significant steps forward for Australia. But they said that the freight and transport industry believed trucks and logistics would be left in the slow lane to decarbonisation if the scope of government policy wasn’t expanded.

The freight and logistics transport sector contributes 38% of Australia’s transport

emissions. While Australia has a legislated commitment to net-zero emissions, there is no plan for reducing emissions from road freight transport.

“The Australian trucking industry faces significant barriers to the adoption of zero-emission trucks, including vehicle design rules, lack of electric truck recharging and hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and a temporary but significant higher upfront

cost,” the organisations said.

“We need to move from one-off pilot projects to a strategy that enables all trucking operators to plan with certainty for low- and zeroemissions transport,” said Samuel Marks, sustainability and future transport manager, Australian Trucking Association.

“Financial incentives in the United States mean that urban electric trucks are already

approaching cost parity with diesel trucks, and Australia now risks falling behind.”

Fiona Simon, chief executive at the Australian Hydrogen Council, said: “There is a cost of not acting. Heavy vehicle transition is already naturally delayed, compounded by the timeframe they remain on the road and regulatory barriers. It is with absolute urgency that a comprehensive low emissions trucks strategy be developed.”

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

First test of megawatt charging system

S IVECO, NIKOLA ENTER NEW PARTNERSHIP PHASE Iveco Group and Nikola have entered a new phase of their partnership to deploy zeroemission heavy-duty (class 8) trucks in North America and Europe.

The two companies worked jointly at a steady pace, despite Covid-19 and supply chain challenges, to achieve the outcomes of the previous phase, launching battery electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles for regional and long haulage.

Iveco Group will concentrate on Europe for the further development and commercialisation of its own battery-electric and fuel-cell electric trucks, which includes rolling out its financing business model GATE. Nikola will focus its operations in North America, with an integrated approach to its customers, offering BEV, FCEV and hydrogen infrastructure via its HYLA brand.

IVECO will assume full ownership of the joint venture in Ulm, Germany, and continue developing vehicle control software for the jointly developed BEV and FCEV. Nikola will be granted the IVECO S-Way technology license for North America and related component supply and will gain joint ownership of the intellectual property of Generation 1 eAxles.

cania has successfully installed and tested a pilot megawatt charging system (MCS) from ABB E-mobility.

The testing represents the next milestone in developing an efficient, high-power charging solution for heavyduty electric vehicles, with the technology halving charging time.

The initial testing aims to prove the technical viability of high-current charging and is the first important step towards the future MCS system from ABB E-mobility. This will result in the progressive deployment of high-power chargers, starting from 1500A and eventually extending to the full MCS

scope of up to 3000A. “We see momentum for electric transport, and our goal is that 50 percent of all vehicles we sell annually by 2030 are electric,” said Fredrik Allard, head of E-mobility, Scania.

“To achieve this goal will require infrastructure, and MCS is a crucial piece of the puzzle for the infrastructure going forward,” he said.

MCS technology enables the viability of longhaul electric trucks, where driving and resting times are regulated by law. In Europe, the vehicle can be driven for a maximum of 4.5 hours before the driver must take a 45-minute break, and during this time, the truck needs to charge enough

power to operate another 4.5 hours. Due to the size of the batteries, both fast and highpower charging is essential.

Chris Nordh, global head of the fleet & transit business at ABB E-mobility, said the collaboration with Scania would “set a precedent for the sector” and identify ways the company could collaboratively approach OEM charging partnerships.

From this year, Scania can offer trucks with the MCS pre-standard connector to customers with specific and pronounced needs, with production set to begin in 2024. ABB E-mobility will introduce the next iteration of its MCS technology in late 2024/early 2025.

Peterbilt unveils Model 589

P

eterbilt Motors has launched its highend, low-volume 589, building on the tradition of the current-generation 389 (launched in 2007) and the previous 379, 359 and 351 models. The history of the model line stretches nearly 70 years to the 351’s debut in 1954.

The 589 retains the classic square-hooded styling, 7in vertical chrome exhausts and 15in-diameter chrome air cleaners.

It debuted at the Peterbiltonly Pride & Class Truck Show, which featured more than 200 heritage models and included a rock concert, with over 3000 people in attendance.

“Over time, we have had evolutions of our traditional trucks, not revolutions,” Jason Skoog, Peterbilt general manager, said during the reveal.

The model 589 and a Legendary special edition

14 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

were a decade in the making.

Skoog acknowledged the diesel-powered model line could be on its last model.

“If you go back through our history, it’s every 15 to 20 years we redo the traditional Peterbilt truck. So this will carry us at least into the 2040 time frame,” he said. “You can never predict the future, but I would say quite possibly that it is the last of an era.”

All bumper options from the 389 are carried over to the 589 but now come with LED running lights. A V-style

visor replaces the 389’s rounded one. Bullet-style marker lights across the top are twice as bright as those on the legacy model. The 589 also offers the Bendix Wingman Fusion suite of safety system technologies, including forward collision warning and lane departure warning.

Production of the 389 ends at the end of the year, with the 589 beginning in January.

The first 589 trucks will get special interior badging and sequential numbering.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Daimler Trucks’ Torc launches autonomous refrigerated freight pilot

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orc Robotics, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, has partnered with North American transport firm C.R. England to implement a pilot programme in the refrigerated freight market.

Leveraging C.R. England’s temperature-controlled loads and Torc’s fleet of SAE level4 autonomous test trucks for long-haul applications, pilot information will help guide the development and ongoing commercialisation of autonomous trucks for long-haul applications. Initial planning will begin in mid2023, with on-road tests soon after.

“Torc’s collaboration with C.R. England allows for unique insights into

truckload freight that will help integrating with fleet industry logistics,” said Joanna Buttler, head of Autonomous Technology Group at Daimler Truck. “It will bring us closer to our goal of commercialising and implementing autonomous trucking within this decade.”

Peter Vaughan Schmidt,

Torc Robotics CEO, added: “The data derived from the pilot will contribute to our safety and validation efforts and use cases for autonomous trucking.”

C.R. England CEO Chad England said the partnership would provide the ability to expand the C.R. England network and enhance the

quality of existing driver jobs.

The pilot programme with C.R. England is Torc’s second carrier pilot. This news comes on the heels of Torc’s recently announced acquisition of Algolux for its award-winning intellectual property and expertise in computer vision and machine learning.

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*Nationwide online 2023 survey by NZ Trucking magazine with 720 respondents.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Hyundai Motor premieres new XCIENT fuel-cell tractor

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yundai Motor Company has premiered its new XCIENT Fuel Cell tractor – the commercialised class 8, 6x4 fuel-cell electric model – for the North American commercial vehicle (CV) market.

The company exhibited the XCIENT Fuel Cell tractor and the hydrogen fuel-cell system at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo in California in May. The model shown at the event was the 6x4 tractor equipped with two 90kW hydrogen fuel-cell systems (total 180kW power) and a 350kW e-motor. Its gross combination weight is a maximum of 37,194kg, and it offers a driving range of more than 720km per charge even when fully loaded.

Ken Ramirez, executive vice president and head of

global commercial vehicle and hydrogen fuel-cell business at Hyundai Motors, emphasised the importance of achieving carbon neutrality to realise the company’s vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’.

“We firmly believe that hydrogen is one of the most powerful and pragmatic solutions for achieving our vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’, with emission-free mobility as a fundamental pillar for a sustainable

society,” said Ramirez.

“Our hydrogen fuel-cell technology has pioneered the industry, with a realworld proven track record of its efficiency and durability.

We are leveraging these merits to further transform transportation with hydrogen energy for a broad range of mobility applications, including commercial vehicles, marine vessels and even air mobility.

“We now look beyond

mobility toward an integrated hydrogen ecosystem, from production of hydrogen to its storage, transport and delivery. Hyundai is uniquely positioned to cover all aspects and deliver a seamless solution across the value chain.”

First launched in 2020, XCIENT Fuel Cell has been deployed in five countries: Switzerland, Germany, Israel, South Korea and New Zealand.

DAF opens new Electric Truck assembly plant

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AF has opened its new Electric Truck assembly plant in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, with series production of the XD and XF Electric to start soon.

The new DAF Electric Truck Assembly plant includes two sub-assembly lines for the preparation of battery packs and the electric drive module, which consists of the front battery pack, highvoltage junction box and electrified auxiliaries. These key components as well as the e-motor with integrated gearbox are installed onto the vehicle on the main assembly line, which is almost 150m long.

DAF has built its DAF Electric Truck Assembly plant

to produce its latest generation of battery electric trucks.

Production of quality validation trucks is about to start with series production of customer vehicles planned from quarter three. DAF expects production to increase to thousands of vehicles per annum soon, in line with the increasing demand for fully electric trucks.

“The commissioning of the new DAF Electric Truck Assembly plant represents another important milestone on the road to an even cleaner future,” said Harald Seidel, DAF Trucks president.

“To support our customers in the transition to zeroemission road transport, we go further than delivering

18 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

H class-leading full electric vehicles,” he said.

“Our comprehensive package includes a broad range of charging solutions, advice on planning of routes

and charging, and the provision of dedicated training for drivers to get the best out of the vehicles.”

This month’s winner is Adam Jackson of Napier with his crisp Scania P410 on

to Mainfreight. Here we see the well illuminated Griffin, courtesy of 24/7 THIS ’S contract Auto Electrical’s application of Peterson lighting product, parked up at the Tyne MONTHNER: Street depot loaded and ready for the day ahead.

WIN

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T R O P S N A R S T N Y O I V T A U E L H O S G N I LIGHTS’ LIGHT TERSON PEC PE

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COVER FEATURE

TICKET TO RIDE

PART I

Iveco’s flagship S-Way has arrived on our shores and stands to make quite an impact in the market. Another player in Europe’s ‘big seven’, it certainly throws a good amount of accelerant on an already white-hot market here. We headed up our busiest linehaul pathway with one of the jewels in the new line-up’s crown.

Story Dave McCoid 20 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Photos and video by Dave McCoid and Carl Kirkbeck

H

ere it was all over again… actually, before we even start, is it right to mention an opposition model at the start of a road test? I have to really, because I call it Cascadia syndrome.

The phenomenon of standing in front of a truck you’ve only seen in, and contextualise with, faraway places. A truck you wish we had at home, one you knew would complete an OEM’s offering here, allowing it to put its best foot forward. To really have a go on equal terms.

Here we were, standing in Taihape at 4.30am on a foggy, autumnal morning among the linehaul fraternity, looking at just such a truck – Iveco’s flagship S-Way in 6x4 AS High-roof tractor form. One of the continent’s ‘big seven’, missing in action down here since arriving on the global scene in 2019, it felt weird. It always feels weird.

We looked at it, and it sat there idling, looking back at us. This wasn’t fatigueinduced hallucination; right here in the ‘Gummy’ capital itself, we could reach out and touch an S-Way. Humble old Taihape will go down as the place we first encountered a properly working Iveco S-Way in Godzone. Yes, we’ve been to the launch here and the media drive day in good old ‘Straya’ – the Aussies even let us go for a burn around the AARC test circuit in Victoria. But, at last, here was one with proper Desert Road overnight grime on it, and a revenueearning load pinned to the fifth wheel.

S-Way had at last begun to write its Kiwi story. It was really cool … in the Fonzie sense, not just the frosty one.

This gig was garden fresh too, far newer than we normally like. However, when proud owner Clint Rolfe offered us his new S-Way, resplendent in the understated yet classy livery of his business Titus Transport, how could we decline? With a hair under 3000km beneath its wheels, driver Scott Parker stood on the footpath and watched the

two truck ‘foamers’ he’d just met peer excitedly at his new machine.

Big boots and new horizons Making it clear from the start, I was a fan of the Iveco X-Way – a big, handsome European truck that didn’t look like anything else in its genre.

A well-proven participant in the 13L stable, after my day out with Jarrod Bryant in Jono Cloke’s X-Way AS in November 2020, I realised this big Italian could foot it in terms of performance, ride, cabin noise, and overall ambience. The whole thing was a breath of fresh air.

Delving back even further to the October 2018 test of X-Way’s less handsome predecessor – Stralis, I’m on record as saying the big Iveco is the best kept European secret… the ‘other European’, less considered, and somehow Iveco needed to address that. I pointed out in both the Stralis and X-Way pieces what a stronghold for the brand the South Island’s West Coast was. Here was a region able to dish up the toughest assignments in the business, and one populated with folk who buy trucks based on capability and reliability, not the moniker on the grille.

As it turned out, X-Way did well for IVECO New Zealand here. A huge leap in terms of looks. If you liked a big tall handsome Euro, X-Way brought the brand right back into play, and they’ve certainly enjoyed an increased presence on the road. In fact, as we all know, AJ Singh’s X-Way AS at Daily Freightways is currently our John Murphy Memorial Top Truck of the Year for 2021–2022.

You would have to say X-Way also benefited from the company’s new flagship head office in Wiri, South Auckland. No longer tucked down a side road with limited ‘show-off’ space, they were now loud and proud on the edge of Roscommon Road in

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June 2023 21

S-Way launch day at Wiri headquarters, and there was no shortage of interest.

Auckland’s truck sales hot spot. That coincided with the company expanding and shoring up their support and aftersales network, a project that continues to this day.

All of this is a great story about a great truck, but beneath it all was an awareness that IVECO’s game was only just beginning.

Yes, the headquarters and aftersales work was certainly all about supporting the brand’s rockstar light and medium-duty commercial offerings as well as its better than competent contender in the high end. However, in 2019, Iveco launched X-Way’s successor – S-Way. Eagerly anticipated, it certainly lived up to the excitement and buzz. Here was an Iveco that could glide into an absurdly tight and crowded European truck stop and pull up alongside any of its ‘big seven’ competitors and

look them squarely in the windscreen.

S-Way was big, classy, it was statuesque, and best of all, pretty. It won the automotive section of the International Forum Design (iF) Award in 2020, fending off 7298 contenders from 56 countries. No one would ever have thought the Italians of all people needed to learn the ‘sexy sells’ lesson, but learn it they had to, and it’s obvious they have no intention of ever going back. If Stralis proved competence and reliability and X-Way got punters interested, then S-Way had them drooling. And one thing was for certain – it would eventually arrive here.

Not that you’ll ever in a million years get OEMs to admit it, but regional assembly plants not producing an utterly regionspecific product in 2023 must hold the ability to be a

22 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

treasure on Monday, and a pain in the arse on Tuesday.

One of the huge questions posed with the S-Way journey down under was sourcing it.

Would it come to us ex the assembly plant in Dandenong, Victoria, or was it time for courageous conversations locally, and source the new machine from the Madrid plant in Spain?

To be fair, let’s not lump that burden on S-Way’s shoulders entirely. In an automotive world where the sun is rapidly setting on a single ubiquitous power source; and one ever more connected and oriented toward platform manufacture, the rationalisation of global manufacturing will only become more of ‘a thing’.

In order to keep S-Way’s forward-facing story instantly relevant in these parts, the decision to take option two – the courageous

conversation – was chosen.

As a result, in mid 2022 one of our region’s automotive icons – the truck assembly plant at Dandenong, originally home to International – fell silent. There is a silver lining, however…

Michael May left his role as brand director for MercedesBenz at Daimler Truck and Bus Australia in early 2020 to take on the big job at Iveco.

At the time, the company’s managing director’s role for this part of the world had been a bit like the UK PM of recent, with the hinges on the office door in need of regular lubrication. May was the man who took on the tough decisions and brought much needed stability and focus to the brand on the eve of its golden child’s arrival. S-Way must have been a product that piqued his interest when contemplating the position – and considering the product

portfolio he was leaving behind, that speaks to a lot.

A new model, a pandemic, and a series of courageous conversations about repurposing hallowed ground – if you’re going to leap in, you may as well not risk cracking your skull on the bottom of the pool.

“It was a really challenging time for us, and we did a good job on sundowning the factory in the right way,” says a relaxed May at the Australia media drive day in Victoria recently. “It’s given us an exciting opportunity to align with the latest products, and we haven’t lost a lot of our investment, particularly in the engineering and validation teams we have.

We have built a good strong core of engineers and we’re going to continue to grow that. We have a customer and innovation centre, and we have spent thousands of

hours and now millions of kilometres in local validation and testing of this product to make sure it’s right for our customers here.”

The customer and innovation centre at Keysborough, Victoria, will play a fundamental role in S-Way’s future story, relaying product and field information back to the mother ship so she can build the lorry Aotearoa and our Anzac whanau actually need.

“We’re already working on the next one now,” says Emiliano Foieri, heavy vehicle product manager.

The centre will also engage in collaborative work with universities on propulsion and technologies around autonomy, as well as creating closer and mutually beneficial working relationships with body and trailer builders (the world ahead is not one where cut and relocate will

Michael May; the goundwork has all been done.

All signed up, courtesy of an outstanding effort at Royans, she was ready to roll a short time later.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 23

1

always end well). Currently, it’s in the midst of sorting the dual control ACCO for the continuation of that model’s legendary municipal activities.

Nothing in life is a given, but the upshot is, if you were questioning Iveco’s ongoing commitment to this corner of the globe, and the provision of fit-for-purpose commercial vehicles, then rest easier.

2

3

A tale of two islands Like so many Europeans, S-Way was made for New Zealand. Way down the other end of the globe is an archipelago that’s just like them… well we were until we decided to use Angola as the model for our road network.

That aside, mechanically speaking, their trucks fit far quicker and, dare I say it, often times better than they do in the large dried arrangement to our immediate west. As such, we get things that irritate our Anzac brothers and sisters. Things like 750hp Volvos when they tap-out at 700, and now 570hp S-Ways when they tap-out 550hp. In the words of the late Windsor Davies, ‘Oh dear, how sad, never mind.’

When quizzed Commercial Motor magazine editor and IToY judge Will Shiers says, “We have the 570 in UK and Europe, and it’s bloody good!”

Our big S-Way is the biggest of the Big Daddies however. Even though they’re

1 & 2) Access to the daily essentials that need attention. The cab-tilt remote is tucked away in the bottom right – press the button and up she goes, simple as that. 3) The Cursor-13 will spearhead the S-Way’s top-end power offerings. aligned to Europe in terms of output, ours sport an increased cooling capacity, and a heftier transmission.

“The trucks as they are in Europe are not useable here,” says Emiliano.

Mechanicals are only half the story though. If you’re a tiny island nation in the middle of nowhere, with barely a soul in sight, the best way to align yourself with global truck manufacturing is to adopt a preferred vehicle dimension and configuration at odds with almost everywhere else in the world.

Hey, it’s worked for us so

24 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

far! Seriously though, this is where we do owe our kinfolk across the ‘Tassie’ a huge debt of gratitude for the scale they bring, allowing the OEMs the opportunity to humour us, for the time being at aleast.

A superb example of the fragile nature of things was Freightliner’s Cascadia, launched in the region in late 2019. Although initial whispers were encouraging regarding an 8x4 in the lineup, it never transpired, limiting the truck’s ability to truly penetrate our market. And although cabovers are an easier sell, it’s not always an

easy journey for them either. It took Mercedes-Benz a while to get us a highway spec 8x4 Arcos with all the safety fruit.

At the New Zealand S-Way launch in February this year, the second truck to appear was the 570 8x4 cab and chassis. Obviously, Iveco has been here in the cabover market for a long time, so it knows what’s required if you want a seat at the table. To be fair, it was a little simpler with the existing driveline largely crossing over to S-Way. What we have is a goodlooking truck that’s a great fit.

S-WAY CABS AS – Active Space: 2.5m wide cab in high (3800mm HoA) and low (3300mm HoA) roof.

AT – Active Time: 2.3m wide cab in medium (3500mm HoA) and low (2900mm HoA) roof.

AD – Active Day: 2.3m wide cab in low (2900mm) roof (No sleeper option).

Note: Height overall may vary slightly depending on tyre and suspension options.

WHAT’S COMING? IVECO has its unique cab nomenclature, one that’s been around a while, and once you’re in the ‘familiarity’, it’s a cinch. AD, Active Day – short for a day cab; AT, is Active Time, a 2.3m-wide day roof, or high-top at 3.5m external height and 1.85m internal. AS, short for Active Space, is the big kahuna, a full 2.5m-wide jobbie, with two heights, a ‘low’ at 3.3m external and 1.7m internal, and a high 3.80m external, and 2.150m internal headspace.

Under the S-Way cabs are the familiar Cursor range in 9L, 11L, and 13L displacement, now with Euro6 Step-E emissions. That’s as clean as it gets currently and for those who still wake up in the night sweating and screaming over their previous EGR nightmares, Iveco might have the elixir.

There’s not a recirculating exhaust gas molecule in sight in the Cursor, using IVECO’s Hi-eSCR system instead.

It is DEF-only system with passive DPF regeneration not requiring driver intervention, meaning it’ll regenerate anywhere without issue.

“The SCR system is a better system as it allows lower temperatures in the exhaust and extends component life,” says Emiliano Foieri, heavy vehicle product manager at IVECO in Australia. DEF consumption runs at about 7%–8% of fuel consumption.

S-Way engines Engine Displacement (Litres) Cursor 9 8.7 Cursor 9 8.7 Cursor 11 11.1 Cursor 13 12.9 Cursor 13 12.9

Power kW 251 265 338 387 425

hp 340 360 460 530 570

Torque Nm lb/ft 1400 1035 1650 1220 2150 1590 2400 1770 2500 1850

S-Way chassis options Prime Mover Cab Engine Transmission Suspension front Suspension rear Wheelbase (mm)

4x2 AT C 11 Hi-Tronix Mech Air 3650

Vehicle Set-up

ON

6x4 AD/AT C11 Hi-Tronix Mech Air 3200 3300 3500 ON

6x4 AS C13 Hi-Tronix Mech Air 3200 3300 3500 ON

8x4 AD/AT C11 Hi-Tronix Air Air 4950

8x4 AT/AS C13 Hi-Tronix Air Air 4950

ON

ON

8x4 AD/AT C11 Hi-Tronix Air Air 5300 5600 5820

8x4 AS C13 Hi-Tronix Air Air 5300 5600 5820

ON

ON

Standard connectivity box on all

Rigid Cab Engine Transmission Suspension front Suspension rear Wheelbase (mm)

6x2 AT/AD C9 Hi-Tronix Mech Air 5700 6050

Vehicle set-up

ON

6x4 AD/AT C11 Hi-Tronix Mech/Air Mech 3500 3800 4500 5100 5700 ON/ON+

6x4 AS C13 Hi-Tronix Mech Air 3500 3800 4500 5100 5700 ON/ON+

Standard connectivity box on all

Behind the engine is the Hi-Tronix AMT 12-speed transmission, an absolute sweetheart, not surprising considering it’s an Ivecotuned ZF TraXon. Meritor put the screws

on out back, with Iveco’s eight-bag ECAS pneumatic suspension holding everything in place, and keeping the rough from the tuff. The big 570 in 8x4 configuration has an air front end, and the 6x4

chassis can arrive in the yard with a full mechanical suspension and ON+, IVECO speaks for improved ground clearance – adding an extra 70mm of precious space on the underside.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 25

PART 2

UPUP

AND AWAY

B

ack to Taihape. The S-Way’s a banginglooking gig. The limitations imposed on European cab designers in terms of dimension envelopes does curb their inner artist, resulting in a ‘flavour’. Having said that, each OEM does a great job of making its trucks its own. S-Way was a real step away from X-Way, something bold and new.

Some negative Nellies argue it’s too close to others, but it’s not really. If I were going poke a pin anywhere, I would have liked the middle of the bumper to be slightly thicker to balance the visual weight of the overall frontal look, top to bottom. Interestingly, that bumper is multi-piece so if you ding it, you’re not up for a full replacement. In that case, maybe I’d leave it just as it is – LOL. S-Way’s a truly global machine. There are very few big trucks nowadays that you can assign to a single country.

As the good geographers

will have picked up, the big Iveco is assembled in Spain, and with one exception, the engines are made in France; that exception is sourced ex China.

Royans Total Fleet Imaging did all the prep and paint on this S-Way – a full strip and recolour in Titus’ classy silver/grey plus the uber cool, double T logo. Sitting under the streetlights, the whole thing really did pop.

Driver Scotty Parker was ready to roll south on his regular trip to the Bluebridge ferry terminal in Wellington to exchange trailers heading south to Christchurch, for ones heading north to Auckland. As big Euros do superbly well, the S-Way moved off with barely a whisper, and a few clicks coming from behind the cab as the Hi-Tronix AMT swapped some gears. In a second or two the whole rig swished silently into the foggy darkness, not a slumbering soul in the beds of the

26 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

surrounding bungalows aware anything had happened … unlike the train earlier that roared, shook and squealed its way through town. When the train comes through Taihape at stupid o’clock, I bet half the town gets up for a pee.

Portside at 8.30am or thereabouts, Scotty got more than the regulation 10 hours R&R; his northbound trollies were not going to emerge from the MS Strait Feronia until 11pm.

Watching the ship being unloaded late that night helps you appreciate life from the other side. All we witnessed was a slick operation of disembarking trailers and latenight bleary-eyed travellers, followed by the reloading process, all under the watchful eye of the Feronia’s crew.

Our trailers off, we saw the lights on the roof of the S-Way flick into life and Scotty rolled over to the hook-up area.

The right cab faring turns out of the way, exposing the access steps to the chassis deck for the connections.

Canny! As it turns out, Royans also rigged the tractor. All the slick deck plating is down to them too. A one-stop shop!

Paperwork and trailers checked, fifth-wheel secure and triple checked, all roads lead north on a much clearer night.

The enigma that is Transmission Gully: less hassle for sure, but from those we talk to, the jury’s mixed on improved efficiency, clearly split on the speed and fuel-saving front especially when you’re heavy. The S-Way tipped the scales at about 43 tonne all up, and so at 9.9kW (13.25hp)/tonne we had the feeling Auckland would be just up the road.

Scotty dispatched the Gully’s gnarliest grind in eighth, at 1700rpm and 48km/h. It’s a long time since we’ve been in a truck this new, and Scotty and I kept

Taihape... 4:30am...

looking at each other on the way up at places like the first step on the Taihape ‘divvy’, saying, “Yeah there’s more there. Another few months and she’ll hold that gear.”

The adaptive cruise in the S-Way is topographically linked, so as time goes on, and as familiarity and training bed in, there’ll be less for Scotty to do.

With the long, maniacriddled emptiness that is SH1 between Levin and Sanson over, we rolled up through the North Island’s lower central expanses. The steepest pinch heading north – the top of Carters Hill – had its ticket clipped in seventh gear at 1700rpm and 33km/h.

Scotty had been on the fleet side of Titus Transport for about three weeks at the

time we were with him, and the S-Way will be his truck 95% of the time. Occasionally, he might need to hand it off when rest breaks and ferry timetables don’t align.

In the glow of the antifatigue lights, the big cab looked downright huge. “It’s great,” he says. “I came off a Mercedes-Benz Actros with a low roof, so I’m really enjoying this.”

The three-stage engine brake kept things generally in check descending the Mangaweka Deviation. Down through the cutting, Scotty doesn’t let the truck go until the bridge is well in sight.

God bless that man. On stage three, the transmission will kick down a gear to boost the revs, but in saying that, if you’re running in the 54

tonne HPMV club or higher you’d have to set it up well to remain service-break-free on a decent drop. Iveco heavy and medium truck sales excutive for Auckland Pieter Theron says for weights in the upper echelons, the optional retarder would be the recommendation.

S-Way is not the quietest Euro we’ve encountered.

Don’t take that as a negative; it’s a Euro, so it’s bloody quiet, and anyway, I’m not a huge groupie when it comes to trucks that keep you out of the conversation. The Cursor-13 certainly didn’t do that; it had personality in the same ilk as Paccar’s MX-13. Harking back to Will Gunderson’s XF105 story in July 2018, we commented on MX-13’s throaty tones

of richness, an endearing factor that had received some counselling by the time we got to Graham Redington’s XF530 in Sept 2020. It was there, but certainly gagged to a degree. The Cursor-13 has picked up the baton, its deepseated grumble providing its own form of companionship and letting those serving the nation’s freight needs at night know they are not alone.

It’s so much easier to bond with a truck when it has a personality and isn’t just a lifeless, sterile ‘thing’.

“I love that,” says Scotty, as we negotiate the S-bends at the northern end of Taihape’s main street, and powered away up and out of town.

It triggered high 60s on the ‘soundometer’.

The Taihape Deviation saw

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June 2023 27

Okay, not exactly apples with apples in terms of latest models, but a great Euro line-up portside and shows clearly S-Way’s presence. the truck dip to 8th gear, 1520rpm, and 38km/h. The 12-speed Hi-Tronix AMT – IVECO’s tuned ZF-TraXon – really is a sublime match with its engine buddy. In an application like this, and certainly at weights like this, there is little need to ever select manual. ECO-FLEET mode keeps the transmission in automatic mode and in the optimal driving range, and ECO-SWITCH allows the driver to swap between ECOFLEET and normal operation.

Being a TraXon at heart, there’s Eco Roll of course, helping keep coins in the kitty, and Hill Holder etc.

A characteristic of the modern engines and their clever AMT sidekicks is often an on-road performance that exceeds what pure numbers on paper might suggest.

The Cursor-13 hits its torque

1

peak of 2500Nm (1850lb/ft) at 1000rpm and holds through to 1600rpm where it actually hands off to peak power of 425kW (570hp), and that’s impressive because not all 13-litre horses can make the switch at the respective peaks. The trick with Cursor is the power peak tails off rapidly at 1900rpm, so if you’re a rev-head, best you train a new habit.

Out back Meritor MT23150/D axles sit on IVECO 8-bag air suspension. Scotty had pulled a quad semi through to Mt Maunganui a couple of days before our trip and he said the truck certainly felt that; however it doesn’t know the B-train is even there. Aside from the fact that’s to be expected to a degree, it would be interesting to know how the quad was loaded.

The interior (see sidebar) was a lovely place to be and chat in, and although festooned with roof-mounted ‘spotties’ as is the trend in this era – when OEM-fitted lights have never been better – Scotty never really let them loose. Aside from the fact the standard LED lights are superb, the roofies are a fraction out and need an alignment tweak. New trucks, it’s always a journey to get them bedded in, isn’t it all part of the thrill and excitement of a brand ‘newy’?

What the lights in the S-Way really did illuminate was the incredible, selfless, others-first, guy who drives it.

The sidebar further on in the story will tell you who Scotty Parker is, but for now… “I probably drive a bit too much on dip,” he laughs. “Na, I hate dazzling people eh, I really do.

I’m really cautious with high beam and the spotlights.”

We passed through Waiouru just after 2am, the town abuzz with the nation’s needs in transit. Across the summit of the desert the temp got down to one degree and the ice light lit up on the S-Way’s dash, but this wasn’t ‘that night’.

Competition is a good thing, and it’s patently evident Europe’s seven high-end big truck offerings keep each other on point.

All credit must go to May’s Musketeers for tuning this machine to our end of the world. S-Way evaluation units have been down here quite a while getting hammered, bashed about, and thrashed in order for us to be enjoying this trip so much. Like its counterparts, the cab mass versus handling

2

1) Strait Faronia disgorges its customers and Scotty’s trollies zoom by. 2) Scotty motors over to the hook-up area. 3) Back under. 4) Landing gear up; check, check, and check again. Scotty’s fastidious on his predeparture routine.

Ready to roll from Bluebridge. characteristics make you think the tuning engineers are magicians.

It was ‘Euro-firm’, a phrase I’ve coined, and still defining in all honestly. Euro firm probably means it’s no K220, but you never ever lose track of the chassis from inside the fully air-suspended cab isolating you from Waka Kotahi’s near-death experience below.

I’d have to say it’s a firmer ride than X-Way, which was a tad soft for my liking. S-Way and its peers are precisely where we always dreamed the big Euros might get to all those years ago, when a bottle of seasickness tablets was almost a necessity in the day bag. You barely knew where you were, much less the chassis. Through the early bends just north of the desert summit toward the first sister,

3

we simply sat, and it simply cornered.

Fuel and coffee at the Mobil Taupo, it was on towards the dawn. As the first lumens sliced the South Waikato night into pieces, few of the commuters thinking they were experiencing a new day would have noticed the truck trundling north. For Scotty and his brethren, the day was well worn already.

To date the S-Way is returning 1.72kpl. When you consider ‘to date’ actually means about a week, we will indeed take that for the grain of salt it is. The S-Way’s 13% slipperier than the X-Way, and Iveco claim a 3% improvement in fuel consumption as a result. Clint should rightly expect 2.0kpl or better sometime down the road.

Although I signed off at

One set of trailers being readied, and another set backed in for unloading.

Keeping the good folk in both islands, happy.

Hamilton, Capt. K (Carl Kirkbeck) carried on up and saw Scotty off at Titus’s East Tamaki depot, and trip’s end.

A lovely bloke and a truly

lovely truck. A great run up the island. I could do that again … and again … and again.

4 New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 29

There’s a lot to be happy about, but being an ex aftersales man, Barry Woods knows that what happens next, matters.

“Welcome home” A new immigrant guaranteed to a bring positive contribution; it’s the first thing you should always greet them with. Seeing is believing, and at last IVECO’s biggest and best foot is being put forward in New Zealand.

They now have a truck that can deliver it all – and remember, this is a truck that made it into the final four for Truck of the Year Australasia 2023.

Yet for all the positives the truck brings: a proven drivetrain, comfort, room, presence and looks, they’re not the keys to its ultimate success and whether it will take its rightful place on the front lines of customer choice.

That will be determined by the support it receives from those who are its stewards. The good news is IVECO in New Zealand is headed up by ex-parts and aftersales leader for the country, Barry Woods. What happens after the sale is his passion, and ensuring no wheel is left unturned for long is his buzz.

Speaking to Barry at the New Zealand launch in February he said, “We need to have the support structures in place from an aftersales perspective to support growth.” Exactly what any buyer wants to hear.

There’s a long-serving crew in many parts of Iveco in New Zealand, and now they have a product they can love, and love to sell: a big one that complements their smaller hot shots 100%. All that’s left to say then is… Go get ‘em S-Way! Go get ‘em Iveco!

Nothing at all amiss with the cockpit. Contemporary, and it works. IVECO does a great wrap.

DOING IT EASY C limbing up four steps into the S-Way 570 AS Highroof reveals a classic, big, roomy premium Euro and if that’s your thing, you’ll be well pleased with what you find. It’s full width, and unless you’re Brodie Retallick, the 2150mm of headroom will allow a good old stretch when you alight from your slumber in the 800mm-wide lower bunk. In the event the kids have bumped you topside, you’ll climb down from the 600mm upper bunk.

Before we get too far in, let’s go straight for the jugular. One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in a cab was the X-Way’s folddown kitchen table, formed by folding up the middle section of the lower bunk, on the bottom of which was fold-out table. You then sat on either side of the remaining third of the lower bunk – facing cab centre, with a proper table to work, eat, or play solitaire at. With every S-Way I’ve

encountered to date, I’ve leapt aboard, bypassing the dash dials and flashing gizmos, in search of this stroke of practical workaday design genius in the hope it made it through to the S-Way. With disappointment at every turn, I finally emailed the ever-cheerful Pieter Theron, heavy and medium truck sales excutive for Auckland at Iveco New Zealand.

He could clearly read the desperation coming through the keystrokes. Oh, the joy and relief to hear it is still there, and able to be specced ex Europe. In fact, the photo he sent revealed so much more – would you believe in Europe you can include a home gym that clips on the various bits of the cab and allows a post-work workout, or early morning wake-up routine?

As you’ve guessed, the table doesn’t appear in any of the Antipodean sales material. Maybe it’s something Iveco doesn’t want to encourage? Yet the

essence of a great truck is one that makes the driver’s working day easier. One that gives him facilities, and makes being in his road transport tiny home for days on end that little bit more like home.

Anyway, finishing off the sleeper, there are plenty of options including two bunks, or one and a cargo shelf – likely to be the most popular. There are in-sleeper controls for climate, door locks and lighting, as well as a reading light, plus some handy end wall caddies.

Under the standard bottom bunk is a fridge/freezer and storage drawer configured in what is now the accepted standard. Both driver and passenger have a drink holder/cooler.

Finishing off the storage topic, there are door and side pelmet pockets, huge closed lockers all the way along the front and overhead with covered and open stows beneath; a stow on top of the main

1

3

1) S-Way’s factory interiors are sharp.

2) The local RVE treatment when you want it that little bit personlised.

3) Oodles of space for stashing the vitals. 4) The obligatory fridge and freezer. Standard kit in a high-end 2023 linehaul truck. 5) Dual lockers.

Here the bottom one is open, and just make sure you keep the doors in tune otherwise they might just touch when you open the top one. 6) How cool is that? A door-mounted USB port.

2

4

console, an open tray and cup holders mid-way down with a pull-out document drawer in the bottom. There’s a glovebox, and if you don’t want your passengers to ride in the same style as the driver, probably room underneath the co-pilot’s chair for the real hoarders. Externally there are roomy double lockers on both sides, accessible from within, and a word of caution here – unlike X-Way, you’ll have to keep an eye on the bottom locker’s door adjustment. It’s a ‘lifter’ and the top one’s a ‘swinger’, and in the truest sense of that metaphor, they will come together unexpectedly if not monitored. The doors on one of the trucks at the Aussie drive day certainly did.

Materials fit and finish are on point. I really like it and there’s options around seat fabrics. Looking around, and brochure surfing, I’ve given up with the colour thing now.

If you can’t get the Italians to do it, then it’s a dead duck.

I’m obviously the last human left who sees a spectra other

than black, grey, and fawn, so I guess it’s a case of buy some tee-shirt paint and knock yourself out; unless you take another road…

The Titus Truck has the swanky RVE (retro vehicle enhancement) leather and custom interior with monogrammed seats and everything. Made here in New Zealand, the options are huge and can include a broadened palette. If you want one of these babies, have a yarn to Pieter or his colleagues at Iveco. Being the first of its breed, there was a collaboration between owner Clint Rolfe, RVE and Iveco to celebrate all that could be done.

Outside the one off aspect, it’s all hard-wearing, pleasant to the touch where it needs to be, easily cleanable, and classy. ‘Scrubby’ materials down low, and ‘wipey/ vacuumy’ materials up high.

I like the Iveco dash and layout, and as I said last month, the brand does an awesome wrap. The S-Way is certainly an evolution

5 6 of the X-Way as far as the cockpit is concerned. Anyone leaping out of an X-Way into an S-Way for the first time in order to get the freight to where it needs to be is not going have much of a ‘What the...?’ moment at the surroundings at all.

It conforms to contemporary binnacle and wrap convention, although the design language linkage between the two is not as uniform as you would find in, say, a Scania. That said, it works for me, and if we hold to the premise that the

S-Way is an Italian truck for reasons of cultural roots and connection, then – if it wre all the same – ‘It-a would a-be a-boring.’

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 31

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

IVECO S-Way AS700S57TZ/P ON 6x4 AS-Sleeper Tare:

9300kg (Load certificate)

GVM: 25,000kg GCM: 60,000kg Wheelbase: 4020mm Engine: IVECO Cursor 13 Capacity: 12.9L Power: 425kW (570hp) Torque: 2500Nm (1850lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-6 Step-E Transmission: ZF TraXon 12 TX 2640 TD 12-speed AMT Chassis: 304.4 x 80 x 7.7mm Front axle: IVECO 5890/D ON Front axle rating: 7100kg (with tyres) Front-suspension: Parabolic springs with dampers Rear axle: Meritor MT23-150/D single reduction with diff lock Rear-axle rating: 21,000kg (with tyres) Rear suspension: 8-bag ECAS (4 per axle) Brakes: Disc, ABS, EBS Auxiliary braking: 3-stage engine brake, optional retarder Four steps in. Makes it easy.

Everything’s adjustable and if you’re from planet Earth you should find an acceptable position at the tiller. A classic contemporary binnacle with big odometer and tachometer gauges split with two small gauges – fuel and temp – at the bottom, and the telematics, trip, and driver information screen above them. The rest is consumed with warning lights.

As with previous IVECOs, there’s switchgear flanking both sides of the binnacle, as well as on the wrap, and also the busy smartwheel – home to data navigation buttons and phone on the left spoke, and cruise and more data sifting on the right. Between the binnacle and wrap are the starter and directions controls, plus the park brake.

The wrap is a big do, home to infotainment, climate, various switchgear, a nifty wee trailer control, and another handy stow.

Column stalks all conform to what you’d expect, with indicator, wiper/washer, beam adjustment on the left, and

transmission control on the right.

The S-Way is well connected with all the plugs and ports required to survive in 2023. The ACC is topographically linked, and the S-Way telematics are monitored from a new facility in Melbourne under the watchful eye of head of aftersales across the Tasman, Margot Baker; a passionate brand devotee, and genuinely abuzz about the product.

If you’d like, you can even deploy Alexa and have her do and tell you many things other parts of the truck can do and tell you also. As a Gen-X’er, why you’d want to do that?

The march of AI, I guess.

Visibility is fantastic, and here’s another Euro OEM that’s taken the A-pillar left/ right clearance issue full on, doing its utmost to clear the eyeline via things like binning the quarterlight and associated mid-window strut. The S-Way is pretty good really. Yes, you sill need to make sure, but it’s fine for now until the mirrors

32 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Additional safety: ESC (Electronic Stability Control), ASR (Anti Skid Regulation), DBI (Direct Brake Integration), BAS (Brake Assistant System), BVR (Brake Lining Wear Adjustment), ARB (Hill Holder – if fitted – only on AMT transmission).

Additional productivity: GPS Predictive Drive Eco Roll, E co Switch Fuel: 550 litres DEF tank: 80 litres Wheels: Polished alloy wheels Tyres: Front: 385/65 R22.5 Rear: 295/80 R22.5 Electrical: 24V Cab exterior: Fully European safety compliant. AS (Active Space) high top. Full air suspension. Multipiece front bumper. Servo-assisted cab tilt. Rain-sensing wipers. Twin heated and remote mirrors with kerb spotters. Sun visor and full aerodynamic kit.

Cab interior: Full leather RVE Interior custom cab.

Fully adjustable air suspension seats with ventilation and heating. HVAC system.

Refrigerator (cool box plus fridge). Electric roof hatch. Bunk curtains. LED with ambient lighting. Immobiliser. 7in LCD HD touch screen. DSB+AM/FM radio, USB, Bluetooth, Smart-phone mirroring, Apple Car Play/ Android Auto. Voice recognition. TomTom satellite navigation. USB charging. Reverse/ side camera (optional), Alexa (optional).

inevitably disappear. Then all will become clear – whether you like that solution or not.

There’s also a snazzy foil on the A-Pillar that aids air flow and window clarity in times of meteorological inclemency.

The first question is not

‘could you live in it?’, the first question is, ‘Do I want to be a linehaul stayaway trucker?’.

If the answer to question one is ‘absolutely’, then the other is not worth asking. Like all big Euro OEMs, it’s a lovely, roomy, tiny home on wheels.

Great truck, amazing bloke Y

et again, we stumble across a humble, kind, and genuine person, shunning the limelight, and doing great things in the community.

Titus managing director Clint Rolfe describes Scott Parker as “one in a million”. Forty-one-year-old Scott, his wife Gina and their four girls live in Rotorua. Although Scotty was born in and spent his formative years in Waikato, he says the bulk of his upbringing was in Rotorua in the sunny Bay of Plenty, and he considers that region home. The pair operated a courier business contracted to New Zealand Couriers for nigh on 15 years.

“Now there’s a job that has you running from dawn to dusk! She’s a full-on game that one,” says Scotty.

Around five years ago he decided to follow in the footsteps of his father and uncles and leave the chaotic courier life for something a little meatier. Scotty’s dad has driven furniture trucks for the bulk of his driving life, and his uncle owned and operated Skoglund Transport in Palmerston North.

“I’ve always loved big trucks but just hadn’t made the leap. I’m glad I did. I love it. I wouldn’t go back.”

Securing his class-2 licence through a tertiary training provider, his first foray into trucks proper was for Bidfood.

However, he soon realised it was more a job you need truck for than a truckdriving job, per se. From there, he went to work for Grant and Mark Darrah at Reliance Transport in South Auckland, a company he rates as a great place to work and where he gained his additional licences and undertook a wide variety of work.

“What killed that was just cost of commuting, and living in Auckland during the week,” says Scotty. “Auckland’s not a cheap place to live in, believe me.”

Returning home again it was to Toll, first in the fleet and then for an ownerdriver, a job that ended in a linehaul floating gig when his boss made the jump to independence under his name Naco Haulage.

“That was a learning experience also, finding your way around the country. It

was challenging and rewarding at the same time. Cellphone maps were in their infancy, and you had to make sure you weren’t being given a bum steer,” Scotty says with a laugh.

One year ago, Scotty began work for an owner-driver with Titus Transport and recently he came across to the fleet trucks. “It was purely a change in life circumstances, nothing negative or anything. It was a great job. I’ve never left a position on bad terms, never will. You should never do that. It’s a thing of mine.”

But all that barely touches the true Scotty Parker story. This quietly spoken gentle bloke has far more going on behind the scenes. Following the unbelievable tragedy of losing two of his own siblings to suicide, Scotty and Gina chose to reach out and support others.

The husband-and-wife duo produce ‘conversation starter’ T-shirts and with the proceeds they make support and gift packs to take to people they think might be in need of a pick-me-up or support.

They also started a Facebook page called Talk to the Bro, and most evenings this angel of the night chats to someone who makes contact because they need a

friendly ear and supportive voice in the midst of their own dark moments.

A sufferer of anxiety and depression at different times in his own life, Scotty devotes the bulk of his spare time to the couple’s cause.

“I enter lots of events and use them as personal challenges, and at the same time they raise money and promote mental health awareness,” he says.

“Twenty-four-hour walks and things like that...” Then he chuckles. “Last year I did a 24-hour ‘silence’ where you stay quiet for an extended period of time, but I got to Bulli Point and couldn’t call up, so I had to pull over and wait for a truck, then followed him in and he called us both through.” The cab erupts with laughter.

“Yeah, you don’t think of these things and then you’re like, ‘Oh heck! Now what?’

“It’s my passion, that’s all I can say. I want to help. I know where they’re at and I want to help.”

Scotty and Gina’s goal is to set up a charity and continue to progress this incredibly selfless part of their life.

Need to talk? Go to Facebook and search Talk to the Bro.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 33

Clint Rolfe has built his business on the oldest values in the game. Photo: Small Business Accounting NZ

Ticked boxes everywhere

I

n the classic theme of ‘there are no new ideas, only your take on old ones’, I give you, Auckland-based Titus Transport. And you have to admit, starting a new road transport business from scratch is a courageous act and an indication that the individual responsible is sick to death of having any spare time.

As my own old boss always said, “Service!” And then he’d say it again… twice more. “Service, service,

service.”

Service is indeed the foundation on which Titus Transport owner Clint Rolfe and family have built their company.

“This level of growth wasn’t expected,” he said in a recent interview.

Starting in 2013 with two trucks and a van, a decade later Titus runs more than a dozen trucks, 3PL operations from smart depots in Auckland and Christchurch, with additional

It’s a smart and uniform looking operation. Impressive standards for a young company. depots in Hastings, Tauranga, Rotorua and Gisborne. Via an associate network it can get your freight to just about anywhere you like.

The bent on how the fleet and facilities should look and present is a reflection of the man himself, and is always the other golden ingredient in the success formula.

The company’s silver/grey livery with black highlights is

classy, uniform and easy to replicate. A look that’s easy to replicate always sets you on the right path.

Of course, the other key element in the mix is a cool logo, and Titus’ double Ts round out an impressive ethos and execution.

The name’s not bad really either. There are just ticked boxes everywhere!

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INTRODUCING

The quirks of publishing being what they are, New Zealand Trucking magazine finds itself introducing the Truck of the Year Australasia Award and the inaugural winner simultaneously. The award announcement was made just after the May issue of New Zealand Trucking had gone to print, with the winner’s presentation at last month’s Brisbane Truck Show.

THE TRUCK OF THE YEAR AUSTRALASIA AWARD The Truck of the Year Australasia Award seeks to honour the truck making the greatest contribution to safety and road-transport efficiency in Australasia. The inaugural award, presented at the recent Brisbane Truck Show, spotlights the excellence of the products hauling freight on our highways. So, with great excitement, we announce Kenworth’s K220 the winner.

BUT FIRST, THE WINNER!

T

he Kenworth K220 has only been on the road for a short time, but already it’s shown itself to have spectacularly fulfilled the

judging criteria. In addition to the K220, the trucks nominated for ToYA2023 were (in no particular order) MAN’s TG3, IVECO’s S-Way and the Fuso Shogun 510 – all worthy

36 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

contenders in their own right.

“The Kenworth K220 is a massive step change for the Kenworth brand here in Australasia,” says Tim Giles, editor of PowerTorque

magazine and chair of the 2023 award jury. “The K-Series has been with us for a long time, evolving time after time, but both the K200 and the K220, have seen

complete transformations of a classic truck design. There are many innovations in this truck, too many to list here, but multiplex wiring, sophisticated electronics and the Eaton Endurant XD AMT stood out for the jury.”

The award was presented to Damian Smethurst, recently appointed managing director of Paccar Australia, at the opening of the truck show in Brisbane.

“What an honour and a privilege. We don’t do these things for the awards,” says Smethurst, “But we’ll certainly value and accept it wholeheartedly. The K Series is a legendary truck and the next evolution of that is the K220, and it has really hit the mark. Our engineers and product planning team led by Ross [Cureton] and Brad [May] and everyone back at Bayswater have really nailed it.

We’ve listened to our customers and their needs, and are over the moon with the product we’ve been able to create for them.”

“Kenworth has to be recognised for what it’s done with the K model in one generational leap,” says Dave McCoid, editorial director at New Zealand Trucking Media.

“As a contribution to safety in the context of the numbers sold, the K220 is exponentially significant.

Yet it’s been done while retaining the aesthetic and character that’s such a key to the success of the model and the company.”

As is the case with the parent International Truck of the Year Award, the country distributors also receive a copy of the trophy presented by their member publication. In our region, that is of course Southpac Trucks, and in the week following the show, Dave McCoid presented CEO Maarten Durent, and general sales manager Richard Smart with their trophy.

“It’s nice to have a factory so close to us that understands our market where the engineers actually know the customers by name,” says Maarten. “Where customers ask for specific features, and specifications with engineers that not only speak the same language but live in a similar environment where they can make adjustments specifically

Four fabulous and worthy contenders that caused some serious head scratching, soul searching, and ‘robust’ conversation: (1) The Kenworth K220, (2) Fuso Shogun 510, (3) MAN TG3, and (4) IVECO S-Way.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 37

1

2

1) From left, Tim Giles, editor of Power Torque magazine and 2023 ToYA chairperson; Damion Smethurst, managing director of PACCAR Australia, with the ToYA 2023 trophy in hand; and Dave McCoid, editorial director New Zealand Trucking Media. 2) Dave McCoid (left) presents the local trophy to Southpac CEO Maarten Durent (centre) and Richard Smart (right).

BACKGROUND The award Under the International Truck of the Year (IToY) Award, Truck of the Year Australasia (ToYA) joins two sanctioned regional awards already in existence – Truck of the Year Latin America and Chinese Truck of the Year. The title of ToYA will be awarded to the truck that meets criteria based on those used globally by the three existing awards and also considers the particular characteristics of the Australasian truck market.

The IToY award was initially launched in 1977 by the British journalist and legendary editor of TRUCK magazine, Pat Kennett. Every 12 months, a body of leading commercial vehicle journalists in Europe would determine a vehicle that stood out above all others. The coveted award, and therefore the influence of the jury in delivering better trucks worldwide for the past four and a half decades, is not to be underestimated.

Today, the 24 jury members represent leading commercial vehicle magazines throughout Europe.

In the past few years, the IToY Group has extended its influence by appointing one ‘associate member’ in the growing truck markets of China, India, South Africa,

Australia, Brazil, Japan, Iran, New Zealand, Israel and Malaysia. The combined truck operator readership of the 24 IToY full-jury members’ magazines and those of its 10 associate members exceeds 1,100,000.

As International Truck of the Year jury associate members, Tim Giles, PowerTorque editor, and Dave McCoid, New Zealand Trucking Media editorial director, represent the Australasian trucking media internationally. They both have spent their lives working in the road transport industry.

“In 2022, New Zealand Trucking magazine and our Australian associate member colleague, PowerTorque magazine, began discussing an award for our region.

Australasia is highly regarded on the international commercial vehicle journalism scene for its variation in topography, climate and the outrageously cosmopolitan nature of our fleet makeup and associated trailing systems. Our enquiry was met and ratified with enthusiasm.

We are extremely excited by the opportunity to celebrate our region’s vehicles in this way,” says Dave McCoid.

To choose ToYA winners, a jury of five will assess the trucks nominated each

38 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

year. Apart from Tim and Dave, South Africa’s IToY member Charleen Clarke, editor of Focus on Transport and Logistics, will be joined by long-time Australian trucking industry stalwart Bob Woodward, recently retired as the Australian Trucking Association chief engineer, and Randolph Kovich, publisher of Deals on Wheels from New Zealand.

Tim and Dave have driven all the nominated trucks. In years to come, we hope to enable other jury members to sit in the driver’s seat.

The award will be an annual event hosted in alternate years in Australia and New Zealand, the first having been in Brisbane in May. A corresponding biennial event in New Zealand is planned for 2024.

The criteria Choosing the nominations for the ToYA 2023 had been complicated by the effects of the pandemic on the flow of technology and vehicles at a time when travel and supply chains suffered significant disruption. As a result, the judging panel allowed some fluidity with the eligibility dates for the 2023 award – released after 31 December 2021 and before 31 March 2023.

THE ALL

Any contenders needed to be available in both Australia and New Zealand.

Australasia presents truck makers with challenges unlike those faced elsewhere in the world. Trucks from Europe, North America and Asia work in the harshest conditions – extreme heat, sub-zero temperatures and mountainous topography, at weights up to and over 200 tonnes and run at higher speeds than most of the world.

The main criterion for the nomination and the election of any truck as ‘Truck of the Year Australasia’ should be its contribution to the standards of safety and efficiency of the transport of goods by road in Australasia.

Any truck with a gross vehicle mass of 4.5 tonnes or above that fulfils the criterion is eligible. The truck must contain considerable technological improvements; a minor facelift, for example, does not make a truck eligible. The trucks nominated must be released by a date determined by the jury to allow time to assess the nominations, shall be produced in series and shall be ordered according to an official price list.

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“It’s good to shine a spotlight on this part of the world, because the gear is unique,” says Richard. “It’s different from American, and even European gear down here is built for purpose and specific to our market. It is good to recognise this corner of the world.”

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0623-06

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TARANAKI NORTHLAND NORTHLAND TARANAKI Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 HAWKE’S BAY MANAWATU AUCKLAND TARANAKI NORTHLAND TARANAKI TARANAKI NORTHLAND NORTHLAND AUCKLAND NORTHLAND Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 Mark Tucker WANGANUI - WELLINGTON Steve Willcocks021 276 6428 027 525 0015TARANAKI HAWKE’S BAY –1023 MANAWATU Adam Adam McIntosh McIntosh 027 027 603 603 1023 Mark Mark Tucker Tucker 021 021 276 276 6428 6428 Steve Willcocks 027 525 0015 McIntosh 027 603 1023 Mark Tucker 021 276 6428 Mark 027 2466 954 Mitchell Redington 021 555 326Adam HAWKE’S BAY – O’Hara MANAWATU –WELLINGTON WANGANUI – WELLINGTON AUCKLAND WANGANUI – HAWKE’S HAWKE’S BAY BAY – MANAWATU – MANAWATU – WANGANUI – WANGANUI WELLINGTON – WELLINGTON Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 AUCKLAND AUCKLAND HAWKE’S BAY – MANAWATU – WANGANUI – –WELLINGTON Mark O’Hara 027 2466 954 AUCKLAND Steve Willcocks 027 525 0015 SOUTH ISLAND WAIKATO Mark O’Hara 027 2466 954 Mark Mark O’Hara O’Hara 027 027 2466 2466 954 954 Steve Steve Willcocks Willcocks 027 027 525 525 0015 0015 Mark O’Hara 027 2466 954 Steve Willcocks 027 Mitchell Redington 021525 5550015 326 WAIKATO SOUTH ISLAND Mitchell Mitchell Redington Redington 021 021 555 555 326 326 Mike Gillespie 027 4322 491 Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023SOUTH SOUTH ISLAND ISLAND Mitchell Redington 021 555 326 ISLAND Adam McIntosh 027 SOUTH 603 1023 Mike Gillespie 027 4322 491 WAIKATO SOUTH ISLAND Chris Gray027 Tim Finlay 021 452 805Mike Mike Mike Gillespie Gillespie 027 027 4322 4322 491 491027 2816 840 WAIKATO WAIKATO Gillespie 4322 491 Chris Gray 027 2816 840 TARANAKI NORTHLAND WAIKATO Andrew Haberfield 027 4798 588 Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 Mike Gillespie 027970 4322 491 Chris Chris Gray Gray 027 027 2816 2816 840 840 021 451 Adam Adam McIntosh McIntosh 027 027 603 603 1023 1023 Richard Reid Chris 027 840 SteveGray Herring 0212816 377 661 Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 BAY OF PLENTY GISBORNE Andrew Haberfield 027 4798 588 Adam McIntosh 027 603 1023 Mark Tucker 021 276 6428 Steve Steve Herring Herring 021 021 377 377 661 661 Chris Gray 027 2816 840 Andrew Andrew Haberfield Haberfield 027 027 4798 4798 588 BAY OF027 PLENTY -588 GISBORNE Steve Herring 021 377 661 Andrew Haberfield 4798 588 Tim Finlay 021 452 805 BAY OF PLENTY - GISBORNE Steve Herring WWW.SPT.CO.NZ 021 377 661 Tim Finlay 021 452 805 OUT BAY BAY OFOF PLENTY PLENTY - GISBORNE - GISBORNE FIND MORE HAWKE’S BAY – MANAWATU – WANGANUI – WELLINGTON AUCKLAND BAY OF PLENTY - GISBORNE Andrew Haberfield 027 4798 588 WWW.SPT.CO.NZ WWW.SPT.CO.NZ FIND FIND OUT OUT MORE MORE WWW.SPT.CO.NZ Andrew Andrew Haberfield Haberfield 027 027 4798 4798 588 588 FIND OUT MORE Andrew Haberfield 027 4798 588

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW 2023

Probably the most significant upcoming truck for our region…

FULL SPEED

AHEAD Story by Gavin Myers

Photos by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid

I

t feels like just the other day that we reported on the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show – the sense of ‘time flying’ probably resulting from the world having overcome “the new normal” and returning to its pre-Covid ways. While the running of the 2021 show had been in doubt, there were no such concerns this year.

In fact, the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show set new standards for the event, with a record 16 truck OEMs representing some 23 brands. Of the

40 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

mainstream OEMs, only Scania opted out this year, instead choosing to run its own Australian roadshow. Nonetheless, there was certainly plenty to take in between the main show and the adjoining festivities at the South Bank Truck Festival, the Heritage Truck Show at the Rocklea Showgrounds (look out for this in the July issue of New Zealand Trucking) and the Heavy Equipment & Machinery Show.

Covering all three floors of the Brisbane Convention Centre, the main

More trucks, more components, more people, more to celebrate, unveil and enjoy – Brisbane Truck Show 2023 had it all. show set a new attendance record, with more than 40,000 people walking through the doors of the Brisbane Convention Centre – and you couldn’t turn around without bumping into another Kiwi!

Significantly, the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show also featured the biggest showcase of zero-emission vehicles ever assembled under the one roof in region. But you’ll be happy to know internal combustion was not pushed out of the spotlight entirely.

The OEMs PACCAR As usual, the PACCAR stand was packed with Kenworth and DAF models of all shapes and sizes, but there were two specific vehicles from each brand stealing the PACCAR show this year.

After its launch last year, the K220 made its show debut, and Kenworth took full advantage to present the latest in a five-decade line of its iconic cabover models.

Unsurprisingly, the K220 was one of the most clamberedover vehicles on the PACCAR stand, proudly boasting its “Truck of the Year Australasia 2023” decals after having been named the winning truck on the show’s opening morning (see page 36 for the full story).

The DAF brand was not left behind, though, with the striking, all-new DAF XG+ showing the future for this brand in the region.

Significantly, this particular XG+ featured a discreet ‘660HP’ badge on its grille, something buyers in other regional markets will not have encountered before. That’s because, in a move exclusive to Australasia, it will feature the Next Generation Cummins X15D at 660hp.

“The PACCAR Australia engineering team is working in partnership with Cummins and PACCAR; the DAF XG+ 15L project is the biggest undertaking in DAF Trucks Australia’s history. It’s the best of Europe, made for Australia,” says PACCAR Australia’s director sales and marketing, Michael Long.

The new DAF is already delivering a 6% fuel economy improvement and coupled

with a next-generation 15L engine is showing 8-15% efficiency gains in testing.

The final product will achieve a 97-tonne GCM with the addition of Airglide suspension and Meritor axles.

Australian market release and production alongside Kenworth and existing DAF models in the PACCAR Australia Bayswater plant are scheduled for 2024.

“Creating a product that can optimise every aspect of Australia’s unique operating parameters is a difficult challenge, particularly when starting with a base product canvas that has been designed predominantly for the European marketplace.

We are so excited to be able to take the opportunity to preview the foundation of what we believe will be the most productive European Truck in the world,” says Long.

PACCAR also previewed its

take on alternative propulsion, with a Kenworth T680 fuelcell electric vehicle and DAF LF Electric showing the way of the future. The T680 FCEV is one of 10 used at the Port of LA. PACCAR Australia took delivery at the end of last year to start evaluating it in partnership with Deakin University’s regional Hydrogen Technology Hub, Hycel, to research how the unique demands of the Australian transport industry interact with a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle and the surrounding ecosystem.

The T680 FCEV offers a 36,700kg GCM. Power comes from twin Toyota hydrogen fuel cells that offer 230kW peak power (180kW continuous). These integrate with a 12kWh Li-Ion battery and power a 470kW (630hp) peak/300kW (402hp) continuous electric drive motor with 2000Nm. An Eaton four-speed HD

EV transmission sends this power to the wheels. Range is up to 480km from the 60kg hydrogen capacity.

The DAF LF Electric alongside showed what might come for metro operators. It runs a 254kWh battery pack powering a 259kW continuous (370kW peak)/1900Nm electric motor and offers a range of up to 280km. It sits on a 5.85m wheelbase and offers 19,000kg GVM. “We’re unbiased about which is the appropriate technology for Australian transport needs, but we expect hydrogen to play a larger part in Australia than in some other markets.

Customers are seeking a trusted partner to guide them into the future with these technologies; that’s what we plan to be,” says Ross Cureton, director of product planning for DAF and Kenworth.

A mildly unfamiliar face to local enthusiasts of the Bug, but one with significant implications on the future.

Daimler This was the third Brisbane Truck Show with Daimler exhibiting some form of electric product, and it’s clearly only just getting into its stride.

Headlining the Mercedes-Benz product display were the brand’s first heavy-duty electric trucks for Australia and New Zealand – the eActros and eEconic.

“Both are designed specifically for their targeted applications with fully integrated drivelines and e-axles that also feature a two-speed automated transmission,” says Andrew Assimo, vice-president Mercedes-Benz Trucks at Daimler Truck Australia Pacific (DTAP). We’ll support our customers with e-services to facilitate the adoption of sustainable transportation.”

Regional validation will begin soon to ensure the specification is tailored to the unique conditions of Australia and New Zealand.

The eActros 300 4x2 is powered by two integrated electric motors offering 330kW continuous and 400kW peak power. Its three 112kWh battery packs combine to offer 336kWh and up to 300km range.

GVW is 19,000kg, and the wheelbase is 5500mm. The eEconic 300 6x2 offers similar battery, power and range specification. It weighs in at 27-tonne on a 4000mm wheelbase.

“Their arrival marks the start of local validation and pre-sales activities, working with selected operators, our dealer network and the broader industry to set up and prepare these vehicles for our conditions down under,” Assimo says.

Not forgetting its mainstream dieselpowered range, Mercedes-Benz also celebrated 25 years of the Actros in Australia with a limited-release Actros 25 Driver Edition.

Stephen Downes, vice president Freightliner Trucks at DTAP, says Freightliner remains committed to “setting the benchmark for innovation and technology in heavy-duty trucks”. The stand featured models from the 116 36in B-double to the flagship 126 60in raised roof in full road train spec.

“We believe every truck on the road should be equipped with the latest safety features. Freightliner is still the only conventional truck manufacturer in Australia to offer a driver airbag as standard and an optional B-pillar airbag,” Downes says.

It’s hard to believe the Fuso eCanter

42 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

made its Brisbane Truck Show debut in 2017, and this year, Daimler Truck Australia Pacific showcased the Next Generation eCanter. As Alex Müller, vice president Fuso Truck and Bus Australia, put it: “The Next Generation eCanter is an example of how quickly EV technology can advance.”

Displayed in short-wheelbase narrowcab and extra-long-wheelbase wide-cab variants, the Next Generation eCanter will be available in New Zealand late in 2024.

As we covered in our February 2023 issue, the Next Generation eCanter delivers a wider range of weight ratings, wheelbases and cab sizes. It boasts three different battery pack sizes and, critically, an e-axle motor assembly.

Also on show was the newly developed Shogun 510 tipper, the only Japanese tipper with more than 500hp in the market. “This hero model has helped to put Shogun on more shopping lists than ever before,” says Müller.

Volvo Group Australia VGA’s main aim at the show this year was to showcase sustainability, with all products on display powered by hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), claimed to result in a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The bright and bold paint scheme of the FH16 XXL not only attracted fans of the Volvo brand, but also represented the flow of air around that vehicle as it moves down the road. However, it was the first FM Electric in the region that was the real highlight for the brand. It will soon enter on-road trials in Queensland. For full details on the new FH and FM Electric in the region, see page 102.

Mack, which in 2023 celebrates 60 years of manufacturing in Brisbane, showcased the Anthem featuring a 36in walkthrough sleeper. However, it was the Super-Liner with its new, fully integrated

70in walkthrough sleeper that had big presence on the stand. It’s the biggest cab Mack offers, with full head height at the driver’s seat. Tom Chapman, vice president Mack Trucks Australia, says the 70in sleeper fits within the extra metre allowed now in Australian road train legislation. The first 70in sleeper vehicles are expected to be delivered to customers in the last quarter of 2024.

The UD brand was also celebrating, with 50 years of UD in Australia. Productwise, the Quon CG 8x4 agitator on

display was a world first for UD, being the first CG Quon 8x4 agitator with the ESCOT AMT. It also launched new safety features that will be standard across the Quon range, including a driver monitoring system and blind-spot information system to detect moving vehicles and road users 13m to the rear and 7m to the front of the vehicle.

Another world-first was the CG 8x4 with an extra-long 6400mm wheelbase.

This locally engineered solution is the first 16-pallet curtainsider for UD trucks.

lighter and more durable. Over $100 million was invested, and the new range was developed over six years with extensive testing that concluded with validation testing in Australia.”

The 47X is billed as highly versatile and has a short, sloped bonnet that yields payload flexibility, a set-back front axle, up to 72.5-tonnes GCM and comes in either a 6x4 or 8x4 configuration with the choice of Cummins or Detroit power.

Exclusive to the Australian market, the

48X is powered by the Detroit DD13 Gen 5 or DD16 engine, is available to over 130-tonne GCM, features a set-forward front axle, has a bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 2870mm (113in) and a choice of four sleeper cabs.

The showstopping 49X is powered by the Detroit DD16, offers GCM capability of more than 200 tonnes, and is available with multiple cabin options, including the largest cab on the Australian market, the 72in Stratosphere sleeper.

Penske With an entirely new product range from the MAN and Western Star brands, the Penske stand looked very different from shows gone by. The new MAN Truck Generation launched last year with three models represented the range: the 12-tonne TGL powered by the 250hp D08 Euro-5 SCR-only engine, the 26-tonne TGX powered by the 13L D26 Euro-5d engine, and the TGX 26.640 with the 15L 640hp Euro-6e engine and superspacious GX cab.

However, as striking as the new Truck Generation MAN trio was, the showstopping side of the Penske stand wore the Western Star badge. Launched in November last year, the new X-Series was on display with the 47X, 48X and 49X with 72in Stratosphere sleeper cab.

Craig Lee, executive general manager of on-highway, Penske Australia, says the new X-Series presented an opportunity to build on the brand’s reputation. “We designed it from the ground up to be

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 43

IVECO The IVECO stand featured new products from the brand shown to the public in Australia for the first time. The headliner was the new S-Way in 550hp B-double spec, rated at 70-tonne GCM. It was joined by a 460hp Active Time variant, ideal for semitrailer urban and intercity work.

“S-Way provides operators with an attractive array of safety, performance, comfort and productivity bundled into lower cost of ownership – and all wrapped up in what we think is the best-looking cabover truck in the region.

Early feedback has been overwhelming. Drivers like the quiet cab and efficiency from the 13L Cursor engine and 16-speed transmission combination,” comments Michael May, managing director of IVECO Australia and New Zealand.

S-Way 550 is the Aussie-market big-hitter.

The new T-Way takes over from the Trakker range and was displayed in 4x4 guise.

“T-Way sits mid-way between our highway product and the smaller Eurocargo 4x4. It shares the S-Way’s advanced adaptive technology and features a new dual-speed transmission and hub reduction all round.”

Making its debut in the region, the IVECO e-Daily showed what the brand has coming with alternative power.

A 111kWh battery powers a 140kW/400Nm electric drive motor. The e-Daily’s chassis rail system enables a modular battery system for the best payload potential and range of up to 300km.

“This e-Daily will enter local testing after the show.

We’re excited to dive into alternative drive research with customers, partners and tertiary institutions – this is a critical link to bring new people into our industry as we enter a new phase of propulsion and energy,” May says.

And more...

The centrepieces on the Hyundai, Isuzu, Hino and Foton stands were all electrified.

Hyundai launched its first EV to the market at the show, the Mighty Electric. A 4x2 light-duty vehicle, it’s rated at 7.3 tonnes with a payload of about 3.5 tonnes. Power comes from a 120kW, 320Nm electric motor. The 114.5kWh battery can be charged from 8% to 100% in 71 minutes on a DC rapid charger. Range is quoted at 200km, based on real-world testing in New South Wales. The Mighty Electric boasts all the active and passive safety features of its ICE brethren, such as dual airbags, lane departure warning and forward collisionavoidance assist. It is backed by a five-year/200,000km

warranty (including the motor) with an eight-year/400,000km battery warranty.

Catching attention on the Isuzu stand, with its striking new face hinting at Isuzu’s future, was the brand’s N-Series EV, revealed in Japan in March. Displayed in Japanese domestic market spec, it’s showing was one of its first appearances outside Japan or North America. The model is significant as it’s the first factory-developed, battery-electric production model from Isuzu. It was displayed with two 20kWh battery packs, and Isuzu Trucks has developed the battery spec to be modular, offering up to five battery packs. While the truck is already on the road in Japan, local validation for Australian

44 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Isuzu’s N-Series EV hints at things to come in looks and propulsion. spec development will start later this year.

The Hino Hybrid Electric 300 Series headlined the Hino stand. While the model has been around for 15 years, it has moved from a

niche offering to a genuine purchasing option for many fleets, says Hino Australia vice president of brand and franchise development, Richard Emery.

ALTERNATIVE SUPPLIERS SEA Electric Founded more than a decade ago and having launched its first commercial product in 2017, the rise of SEA Electric as a producer of EV trucks has been nothing short of inspiring. The company made full use of the show to prove it’s here to stay. Its all-electric trucks – the SEA 45e, SEA 85e, and SEA 225e – were all on the stand, joined by an intriguing Toyota Hilux EV conversion developed for the mining sector. This was the two-wheel-drive version, with a four-wheel drive due to start testing in the spring. SEA targets 8500 units of the Hilux or similar models in the first five years.

However, the headline launch at the show for the

OEM wasn’t another vehicle but the full suite of enhanced safety functions known as SEA driver assistance system (SEA-DAS). The active and passive safety features include vehicle stability control, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, traction control, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), dual SRS airbags and dual SRS seatbelt pre-tensioners.

Additional options will be announced in the future.

“The active and passive systems of the model line-up make the SEA Electric range an even safer workplace and perfectly complement the many advantages of our allelectric platform,” says Tony

A new niche for Sea Electric Fairweather, SEA Electric founder and CEO. While not at the show, at the ACT Expo just two weeks before Brisbane, SEA Electric unveiled its nextgeneration SEA-Drive 250 RE power system. Created

for zero-emission vehicles operating above 20-tonne GVM, it comprises a 250kW battery electric drive system with an optional 30kW or 40kW hydrogen fuel-cell range extender.

Janus Electric Janus Electric has evolved in leaps and bounds since we saw it at the 2021 Brisbane Truck Show. The stand was abuzz, with Janus co-founder Lex Forsyth seemingly run off his feet with interest in the product, the star of which was the JE610.

“This is the first, fully Australian manufactured electric vehicle,” says Forsyth.

“We can take any truck manufactured after 2010 and convert it to electric. This is a vehicle-agnostic solution.”

The heaviest vehicle Janus has converted so far is a 175-tonne 8x6 Volvo that tows a triple road train, but the JE610 is impressive in its own right. Based on a 2021 Kenworth T610, the JE610 includes Janus’ exchangeable

battery solution – 620kWh lithium NMC batteries that offer a 300km to 600km range depending on combination, GCM and operation. The Janus exchangeable battery solution means batteries can be swapped in four minutes, eliminating the need to park up and charge.

“We went straight away from the initial under-bonnet battery concept [shown in 2021] to the side-mount batteries. It involved less modification, and there now isn’t four tonnes of weight over the front axle. It’s about making it more adaptable, a common platform that can work across all trucks in this class.”

JE610 weighs in at 12.5tonne tare and boats a

Janus JCM540 conversion module: a drop-in replacement for diesel engines.

110-tonne GCM. Power is from a 540kW (720hp), 2500Nm electric motor and 16-speed automatic gearbox combination. The ancillaries are housed with these to create the JCM540 (for Janus conversion module). A PTO can be optioned.

“Think of it as a crate motor with a transmission attached,” says Forsyth. “It’s about 950mm shorter than a Cummins with an 18-speed.”

For a full report on Janus Electric, see the April 2023 issue of New Zealand Trucking.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 45

Hyzon Hydrogen fuel-cell company Hyzon Motors made the public unveiling of its first locally manufactured, designed and engineered truck – a heavy rigid side-loading garbage truck that will go into operation in Wollongong. The 110kW 500-cell fuel-cell system that powers it sat proudly on display alongside.

The performance of the Hyzon-converted Econic was benchmarked to the dieselpowered original.

It offers 270kW useable power

and 2400Nm torque, driving through a four-speed integrated transmission. Range from the 25kg of hydrogen is 200km and 1500 bin lifts, and the system adds a one-tonne tare penalty, the truck weighing in at around 9000kg.

Parker Meeks, global CEO Hyzon Motors, says the company’s long-awaited cabover model is due soon and will be powered by the 200kW fuel cell released at the ACT Expo in the US two weeks earlier.

Hyzon’s 110kW 500-cell fuel-cell system.

HDrive HDrive, in association with Pure Hydrogen, unveiled the first hydrogen fuel-cell prime mover in Australia, the HDrive TS50-300 49-tonne prime mover. With an 11-tonne tare, 300kW hydrogen fuel cell and 73.57kWh battery, it promised a range of about “about 500km”.

Scott Brown, MD Pure Hydrogen, says the design can be configured to up to 70-tonne B-double spec. “We are a couple of months away from going into operation. The truck is designed

in Australia for Australian conditions.

Hydrogen certainly is the future,” he says.

HDrive also brought along the only vehicle at the show pointing to autonomy, the HDrive Autonomous Electric Tractor.

Ben Kiddle, general manager HDrive Australia, comments: “We know Australia is not ready for autonomous vehicles.

The main reason to have it here is to generate discussion. There are currently 120 units operating autonomously in Chinese ports.”

The only hint of autonomy in 2023.

COOL COMPONENTS The move to electrification and alternative forms of energy extended beyond the vehicles on display, with numerous component suppliers showing the way forward.

Jost Two intriguing products on the Jost stand were its Drawbar Finder and KKS PushButton Trailer Coupling. Now available in Australia and New Zealand, the drawbar finder provides visual guidance of distance and height for precise coupling. It’s compatible with many OEM displays and can be retrofitted to Rockinger RO*50, RO*50E and RO*50BNA trailer couplings.

A completely automated coupling system, the KKS Push-Button Trailer Coupling vastly simplifies coupling a semi-trailer with control and operation being undertaken from the driver’s seat. It automatically connects the trailer air, electrics, braking and coupling through a standard ISO-certified connector and raises the landing gear using Jost’s

46 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Two new coupling innovations from Jost.

Razor Electric landing gear system. “Coupling and uncoupling is a job a lot of people don’t like to do. It creates risk and can lead to injuries. This fully homologated system creates a lot of efficiency,” says Joachim Dürr, CEO of Jost Werke SE.

Hendrickson The next evolution of Tyremaax, Tyremaax Pro-LB (for ‘load based’) highlighted the Hendrickson stand. The system varies tyre pressures depending on the load on the trailer, between 75psi unloaded and 90psi loaded.

The result is an improved contact patch and enhanced tyre wear, in addition to what Tyremaxx typically does – such as keeping the inner and outer tyres at the same pressure.

The system reads the airbag pressure as the trailer is loaded or unloaded, and the Tyremaxx Pro-LB control box manages the tyre pressures within pre-programmed parameters.

Hendrickson says the system is about a year away from being available in New Zealand.

Maha Maha grabbed attention with a Scania 25P raised in the air on a set of its 7.5-tonne wireless column lifts. These battery-powered lifts don’t operate on hydraulics but an electromechanical ball race on a worm drive. “It’s very efficient, with up to 35 lifts per charge,” says Mick Lauster, managing director MAHA Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands.

Carrier The Vector eCool from Carrier combines an engineless HE19 fridge system with SAF Intradisc TRAKr axle generator and 19.2kWh battery pack for a fossilfuel-free way to keep refrigerated goods cold. The system was installed on a trailer by Australian manufacturer FTE in a twocompartment multi-temp unit.

According to Carrier, the system

is typically like for like compared with the weight of a conventional fridge. The SAF generator puts out 20kW, and the 19.2kWh battery typically lasts up to six hours when maintaining temperature. Larger batteries up to 32kWh are coming.

The system can be charged and run on three-phase power when parked up.

The Vector eCool as fitted to an FTE trailer.

Cummins While many suppliers focused on electrification, Cummins showed there’s plenty of life left in internal combustion. Its Next Generation fuel-agnostic 15-litre engine series was the highlight of its stand, showing the X15D (diesel), X15N (natural gas) and X15H (hydrogen combustion).

Making use of a ladder block design, composite materials and advanced manufacturing, the Next Generation offers up a 220kg weight saving over the current X15. Field trials have shown 8% better fuel consumption than the current best Euro-6 X15. At 485kW (660hp) and

ICE into the future.

3200Nm (2360lb/ft), it also offers the highest-ever output for a Cummins truck engine.

“The great thing about the Next Generation 15-litre platform is everything below the head gasket is common architecture. The

differences are in the cylinder heads, air-handling and fuel supply systems,” explains Scott Alexander, manager for on-highway sales and customer support, Cummins South Pacific.

Operators can expect up to

380kW (510hp) and 2500Nm (1850lb/ft) from the X15N, and 395kW (530hp) and 2600Nm (1918lb/ft) from the X15H. The X15D is now undergoing field testing in Australia, while the X15N is being released to the US market.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 47

E-axles The advancement of electric axle technology was clear, with all major axle suppliers showcasing an e-axle in some form – whether to power a vehicle down the road or generate power for onboard componentry.

LITTLE TRUCKER DOWN UNDER A HIT AT #BTS23

By Shannon Williams

T BPW’s ePower Axle was jointly developed with Thermo King and includes two 8kW generator units. Extra weight is approximately 320kg.

Dana’s eS9000r Spicer Electrified e-Drive axle is an integrated motor, transmission, and axle power system. Designed for medium-duty truck and bus applications, it produces 237kW maximum power. System weight with disc brakes is 370kg.

The Meritor Cummins Accelera 17Xe ePowertrain is designed for heavy-duty 4x2 and 6x2 trucks. It features a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack and outputs up to 420kW continuous power (450kW peak).

The SAF Intra TRAKr offers 33kW peak power though a fluidcooled permanent magnet synchronous motor. It has a onespeed gearbox with differential at 1:14.

48 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

he Little Trucker Down Under stand at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show proved a popular spot for visitors. The ‘trucking for kids’ magazine – written by kids for kids – set up a photo booth at the Teletrac Navman stand over the Saturday and Sunday of the show. More than 350 kids of all ages visited the stand to have their photo taken for their very own cover shot.

With a full box of truckie dress-up at their disposal (think hi-vis vests, hard hats, trucker caps, faux moustaches and sunnies), the kids were able to pick between three background photos, strike a pose and have their photo projected onto their own cover of Little Trucker Down Under. The cover was then printed for them to take home.

“Seeing the enthusiasm for the trucking show and the magazine was really fantastic.

Getting kids interested in transport at an early age is key to the future of our

industry, and Little Trucker does just that,” says Matt Smith, advertising manager at New Zealand Trucking Media.

Little Trucker Down Under is packed with puzzles, activities, posters, colouring comps and stickers, as well as interviews and articles written by kids across New Zealand and Australia.

“It was so neat to see all the kids and their families show such interest in Little Trucker Down Under,” says editor Shannon Williams.

“Not only is the magazine filled with stories and photos, but our activities and articles are designed to get kids interested in reading and using their brains to solve puzzles, do maths, and learn about this key industry.”

A full show report by Little Trucker Down Under junior reporter Milly McCauley will appear in the Spring 2023 issue. To subscribe or sponsor the magazine into your local school, check out littletruckerdownunder.com.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SOUTH BANK TRUCK FESTIVAL

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1) Fresh out of Geelong, the Klos brothers’ latest creation for the Lawrence family. 2) Mack Trucks went for a world record with this 1:1 Anthem made from around 900,000 Lego bricks. 3) 48X, designed just for us. 4) Giving South Bank an International flavour. 5) What a way to move containters (12 at a time).

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 49

INSIDE ITOY We bring you exclusive truck industry content from fellow International Truck of the Year member publications.

SETTING A NEW

STANDARD Volvo’s six-cylinder diesel powerplant is gone in the FH Electric, replaced by three hard-working electric motors to keep 40 tonnes moving effortlessly. And for the first time, an electric truck must prove that it can keep up with its diesel siblings in both performance and range on the long haul.

Story and photos by Oliver Willms

Sleek and silent on the long haul.

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he new FH electric is ready for departure from Munich’s Volvo Trucks Center. It has fully charged batteries, 490kW (666hp) of continuous electric power (and 2400Nm) under the driver’s cab, and the ambition behind it to be the first standard e-truck to get from here to Berlin with just one pit stop at the charging station.

With a quiet hum, we swing onto the autobahn for Berlin. From the first few metres behind the wheel, we’re impressed by the smoothness and the acceleration scurries up to 85km/h. Compared with the diesel FH, the electric Volvo lacks nothing, right down to a refrigerator and coffee machine. Seating is extremely comfortable, the dashboard is typically Nordic, and the leather on the steering wheel is supple.

We feel almost like we are on an undercover mission – the ice-blue FH Globetrotter XL and aerodynamically optimised trailer in tow appear completely normal. Few people see the ‘electric’ badging on the doors and suspect that a truck of the future has just driven past them.

The FH electric is particularly good on the road thanks to about two tonnes of extra weight from its six 90kWh battery packs (540kWh in total) pressing on the axles. The steering, which is tailored to the vehicle, together with the full air suspension (standard due to the higher axle loads) has the 10.5-tonne tractor under control. You can adjust the electric steering force from soft to hard, and occasionally, you feel slight feedback from the axle due to the 385/55 wide tyres,

En route to Berlin, as energy conscious as possible. which are necessary due to the high frontaxle load.

The three 163kW (222hp) synchronous drive motors from Volvo’s modular motor kit are just as flawless. On the autobahn, their subtle whirring is completely drowned out by the rolling noise of the Conti tyres and the gentle wind on the mirrors. Even without a supporting background sound, they pull the fully loaded unit up inclines as if by a proverbial kilometre-long rubber band.

Minimal interruptions in tractive power hint that the drive is coupled to a classic I-Shift transmission, its nimble gear shifts keeping the electric motors working at a comfortable speed of between 9000 and 10,000rpm. Incidentally, power takeoffs and the usual drive-axle configurations also fit the I-Shift gearbox, making the FH electric a bit more practical for the customer. The 12-speed gearbox and

map-supported I-See cruise control ensure the successful conversion of power into momentum. Every kilowatt from the massive lithium-ion batteries is valuable and needs to be used wisely, even during overtaking.

The otherwise classic instrument display lists the remaining battery charge and the remaining range in a numerical display that is unfortunately far too small. Thankfully, this will be changed with an update at the end of the year.

Recuperation is the magic word with which the Volvo converts a gradient into electricity via its electric motor brake.

While it maintains speed control in many cases, it is not a real replacement for the effective VEB+ engine brake of the diesel variant. In difficult topography, you wish for the significantly stronger braking power of a retarder.

After the hilly Franconian landscape

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 51

takes its toll on the remaining range, the FH arrives at the Selbitz service station supercharger with 10% remaining battery capacity, or 25km remaining range.

The 85-minute lunchbreak allows us to take stock: halfway through the test, the electric drive had consumed 355kWh and gained 61kWh through diligent recuperation.

That means 294kWh was used to cover 287km – 102.44kWh/100km. With 327kW recharged, the ‘fuel’ bill of €160 ($277) is still about 10% higher than comparable diesel costs. But the energy balance is quite different: if you equate 9.8kWh to one litre of diesel, then the electric powertrain consumed the equivalent of just 10l/100km!

On the East German autobahn, it’s the hardly noticeable long inclines that repeatedly cause spikes in the consumption meter – but we are in good shape to reach Berlin with a reasonable range in reserve. I-See does a particularly good job here and instructs a shift – almost unnoticed – down to 11th gear and up again just as quickly. Saving drive energy and reaping the benefit of downhills can quickly transform one’s driving style from a casual diesel cruiser to a vigilant kilowatt guard.

Any outrageous thought of a kickdown to utilise the

available peak power of 595kW (810hp) is out of the question. Nor is there a reason for it – the electric drive motors always provide enough propulsion to devour every kilometre, as if pulled continuously by that rubber band. It makes driving quite pleasurable – a realisation that will dawn on those who don’t want to say goodbye to the diesel six-cylinder they’ve come to love.

After 606km, the Volvo arrives in Berlin with 132km range remaining.

On the second leg, the ice-blue, cool Swede used 106kWh/100km. Over the entire distance, the drive motors consumed 645kWh

Oliver tops up. Just like adding diesel…

52 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

and regenerated 120kWh; a nett of 525kWh. Overall consumption, therefore, was 86.63kWh/100km – or 1.15km/ kWh. ‘Fuel’ costs totalled €257 ($445), less than a comparably loaded diesel (not counting the bonus toll exemption).

So, in addition to its traditional domain of distribution, can electric drive also cover long distances?

The answer is yes and no. The e-drive and its control of the vehicle work so quietly and with perfect flawlessness, as if it were a technology as old as diesel, that has matured over decades. But a range of 500km or more is needed – and is promised by battery developers for the near future.

However, the current state of battery technology may well work for fixed-line transport or internal transhipment.

Regardless, FH electric buyers can feel like pioneers – pioneers of a noiseless but by no means emotionless freight journey into the future.

Oliver Willms represents Germany and the commercial vehicle publication Lastauto Omnibus on the International Truck of the Year jury.

The FH Electric was recently introduced to Australasia, turn to page 102 for more.

...at a fuel stop of the future.

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Toby McLean As he drove past Z Bombay, Gavin Myers couldn’t miss the North Western – Graham Redington’s iconic Kenworth K104 2.9m fat cab – parked up and looking spectacular. He swung around without delay to have a yarn with its minder, 26-year-old Toby McLean.

Toby had made a quick stop on his way to do a swap in Taupo for the Foodstuffs arm of the business.

“I mainly do the Ontour side of the business, transporting equipment for concerts etc, but I’m happy to fill in with other bits and pieces when I’m needed – stuff like this,” he says.

Toby has been driving for Graham for about two years now, and he’s been lucky enough to have had the keys to the big Kenworth since he started. Until recently, North Western was liveried in the iconic white and green Northchill colours. It’s just clicked over 2,000,000km and, after a full refresh, gleams as though it’s just rolled off the production line.

“I do my best to keep it clean… when the weather’s good,” Toby says with a laugh, as the unpredictable autumn rain starts up again. “It’s got the 620 Cummins Signature and 18-speed Roadranger. I love it; it’s a favourite.”

Toby’s driving journey started at 19 when he joined Hall’s, which helped him get his licences. He then moved onto Mainfreight, running up and down the country for about five years. “My favourite part of the job is cruising along on a nice day,” he says. “Negatives? People in cars can do stupid things…”

As a younger bloke in the industry, Toby imparts some sage advice for people wanting to enter the industry: “Find a small

company that will give you a chance and stick with them. It might be boring at the start, doing the same thing, and it might not be what other people can do, but just stick it out, stick with it. Eventually, you’ll get there, and being with a company for a couple of years means they’ll respect you a lot more than if you move around.”

Ray Biddle Ray Biddle wasn’t really into trucks as a kid, but his career journey has put him behind the wheel, and he’s loving it. “I love the friendships you make with other guys in the industry. I don’t mind getting out to give others a hand. It’s all about working together,” he told Alison Verran, who spotted him stopping to buy some lunch at BP Tauriko.

Ray is self-employed and contracts to several different companies, carting mainly logs. On this day, Ray was steering a McCarthy Log Haulage Kenworth K200 powered by a 600hp Cummins ISX-e5.

“It’s got more power than that, but I’m not sure how much,” Ray says.

Ray started his career as a trade-qualified mechanic. “I got sick of that,” says Ray. “I wanted something different. I went to work for roading contractor Johnstone & Masters and was put into trucks. It just went from there. I’ve been driving for about 12 years now.”

The next stop for Ray was Mamaku to load up and head back to Mt Maunganui. “I travel all over the place, but I’m based in Rotorua.”

Ray feels there are a couple of downsides to working in the industry. “The number of accidents happening is a worry. I think it comes from the pressures put on drivers these days. The other thing is just the way people drive… and that’s both car and truck drivers.”

After giving thought to the vexing question “Lawns or concrete?, Ray says, “I just mowed my lawns and it took ages, so I’d probably go with concrete!”

54 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

BREATHTAKING LENGTH Did you know that the paper packed into a Genuine Volvo Air Filter is nearly 40 meters long? That’s the length of a Patagotitan, the longest dinosaur that ever lived. All to trap as many impurities as possible and keep your engine clean.

The air filter traps harmful particles and keeps the intake air clean so your engine can perform at its best. The more paper there is, the better the performance. Genuine Volvo Air Filters have a high dirt-retention capacity and are leak-proof under normal operating conditions. Just as important, they are made from strong materials that are built to withstand the grueling engine environment.

• Made of strong materials – service interval as long as 24 months.

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Keep rolling with Genuine Volvo Parts

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TOP TRUCK

BAD HABITS DON’T ALWAYS CREATE A BAD IMAGE Pleasant Point, 19km inland from Timaru on SH8, is best known for steam locomotives, Model T replica rail cars and Denheath custard squares. It’s the gateway to the Mackenzie Country, Mt Cook and on to Central Otago. In the past 12 months — to the locals, at least — it’s become better known for being home to a shiny, gleaming, red Kenworth.

Story and Photos by Andrew Geddes 56 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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ften noticed and admired by locals and passersby, RT Southern Linehaul’s 2.8m K200 Aerodyne, Bad Habit, arrived in May last year, resplendent in Bascik Transport livery.

Owner-drivers Rob and Tania Jeffery and their family call Pleasant Point home, and this year sees 16 years in the transport industry.

The new K200 is the fourth Kenworth (the third new) to join their single-truck operation. Undoubtedly, it’s

the most impressive.

“You know the truck gets noticed by locals when you’re queried at the local fish ‘n’ chip shop as to whether Rob’s home for the weekend and likely out washing the truck,” Tania jokes.

Trucking runs deep in Rob and Tania’s families, Rob’s grandfather and Tania’s father and youngest brother all having done time behind the wheel.

Rob’s father was a truck driver for companies including Hyslop Blair, Dynes Transport and Dunedin Carrying, hauling

stock and logs. At Dynes, he was privileged to drive two of the company’s iconic SAR Kenworths. No stranger to the industry, Rob’s entry into driving started at 18.

Rob’s first driving job was hauling logs for Dunedin Carrying, on a 340hp Nissan Shogun longs unit. Next was a Mercedes-Benz 3235 V-series 8x4 truck and trailer called Red Pine. Keeping things in the family, Red Pine was a handme-down from Rob’s dad, a truck he had driven from new.

A MAN then followed.

On moving to Dynes Transport, Rob found himself behind the wheel of one of the company’s two Kenworth T650 chip trucks. Unfortunately, that unit was involved in an accident while in the hands of another driver and written off, and Rob was put on the second unit. Anyone who remembers these T650s will know what great-looking trucks they were. But sadly, neither had long lives, with fire destroying the second unit.

Rob then did a stint at Clutha Valley Transport, driving

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a Kenworth truck and trailer unit, hauling stock. From CVT, he stepped into his first new truck, arguably one of the standout units of its day, a bigcab Freightliner Argosy and five-axle B-train for O’Brien Laminates, Mosgiel.

By this stage, Dynes had purchased Dunedin Carrying, and Peter Dynes approached Rob with an offer to drive a

new K104 Kenworth 8x4 crane truck, which Rob accepted.

In 2005, Rob moved to Christchurch looking for a fresh start and a relationship with Tania, who was Christchurch born and raised. There, he initially drove an IVECO for an O/D at Owens, running to Nelson return, then had a stint at Leif Blair Transport. A brief return to Dynes for the milk

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season followed – it was to be Rob’s last driving job as an employee.

In 2007, the couple decided to become owner/operators and RT Southern Linehaul became a reality. Rob and Tania purchased a secondhand Kenworth K100G 8x4 day-cab dropside tipper with split-tip trailer unit. This was eventually replaced by a

Where it all began 16 years ago. Photos: Rob Jeffery.

2004 Freightliner Argosy. By now, they were contracting to Rangiora-based 4D Freight, and the truck had been into the paint shop for a freshen-up. I first met Rob when I was asked to come up with a fresh design.

The logo and now familiar cab stripe that adorn Bad Habit are a carryover from that design process, with a few tweaks.

A move contracting to NZL

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1) Bad Habit has plenty of presence, even as a truck unit.

2) Rob and Tania Jeffery: trucking’s in the family genes.

3) More than enough living room in the 2.8m cab.

4 & 5) Andrew Geddes at Timaru Signs was given a free run on the cab imaging, with the trademark cab stripe reworked on Bad Habit’s red base. Red-on-red ghost striping and subtle pinstriping keep the Bascik branding to the fore.

Transport Group resulted in the cab being reimaged, but as work changed and contracts dried up, an opportunity arose to work for Brosnan Transport in Timaru. This turned into an eight-year stint with the company. The Argosy was replaced, initially with a new 8x4 K200 2.3 Aerodyne tractor unit, followed by a 6x4 unit as work requirements changed.

By 2021, it was time to take up new opportunities.

Going full circle in their O/D venture, Rob and Tania found themselves back contracting to 4D Freight. Having contracts with Christchurch-based Bascik Transport, the K200 now runs the company’s familiar red, yellow and black livery. It hauls a companyowned six-axle TMC

curtainside B-train. Running at 54-tonne, hauling general freight, foodstuff, wool, timber, or servicing Bascik’s extensive warehousing infrastructure and customers, Rob goes anywhere from Invercargill or Central Otago to Auckland and between.

When spec’ing Bad Habit, the decision to go with the Kenworth product

Kenworth has been the preferred brand, except for the couple’s second truck, the Freightliner.

was obvious. Rob’s a fan of the brand. Chris Gray from Southpac handled the finer details – a Cummins X-15 rated at 462kW (620hp) and 2780Nm (2050lb/ft), which drives via an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission. Rob’s previous two Aerodynes were 2.3 models, and notwithstanding some friendly ribbing from his mates about driving a ‘day cab’, he opted for the larger 2.8 cab. Given the inter-island work and being away most of the week, living in the larger cab makes for a much nicer environment. Creature comforts include a microwave, TV and two fridges.

Externally, twin square fuel tanks, Kentweld alloy bumper and custom alloy fill-in panels behind the steps give the tractor a lowrider look. These, and the custom grill, stainless accents, lights and drop visor, are the work of Chris Stanley from Custom Truck and Chrome. All the other set-up work is by HDPS Engineering and Southpac Trucks.

Regarding final overall imaging, Rob was pretty much given the green light to do what he wanted to make the truck stand out. Tony Bascik’s only proviso was that the Kenworth had to sport the Bascik red base colour and company logos. Graphics, line work and paint protection film were provided by Andrew and Rochelle at Timaru Signs and Graphix.

A bad habit is seldom a claim to fame most would be proud to own, but RT Southern Linehaul’s K200 proves there’s always an exception to the rule!

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 59

WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

Wheels at Wanaka Memories has been well-received over the past two years.

This year’s event was simply fantastic. So, like an Olympic torch, we will carry on the pictorial memory and keep the Wheels at Wanaka 2023 flame alight until Wheels at Wanaka 2025.

The Wheels at Wanaka 2023 theme was The Year of the Motor Scraper, so it’s only fitting that we launch the machine pics with one. The Caterpillar 637G is a modern example of a twin-engine motor scraper and, indeed, at the higher end of what you would find in New Zealand. Shot here discharging its burden.

Thomson Earthmoving, Wanaka.

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LIGHT COMMERCIAL TEST

STAR BRIGHT Hyundai has issued a solid challenge to global van manufacturers regarding safety, capacity and efficiency with the release of its new Staria Load commercial van. The Staria Load is boldly going where no van has gone before.

Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

Massive tailgate opening allows ease of access, with twin barn doors as an option if fork-hoist access is required.

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e got our first taste of the new Staria Load when we featured it in our May 2022 issue. But a recent cross-island trip to Wheels at Wanaka 2023 allowed us to put Hyundai’s striking delivery van to a long-distance test.

When Hyundai designers looked to sketch a replacement for the ageing but proven iLoad platform, they clearly used a clean sheet of paper. The Staria Load delivery van has presence, boasting a futuristic and stylish design that sets it apart from traditional commercial vehicles. A bold front grille, low-set headlights and sleek profile give it a modern, head-turning, nearsci-fi look.

But design flair has not been delivered at the expense of practicality or user safety.

The van’s large side doors

and low step-in height make loading and unloading cargo a breeze. Offering 4935 litres of cargo capacity, the twoseater Staria Load can easily accommodate three Euro pallets – with space to boot.

Up front, the driver and passenger have ample room.

The Staria Load has also been awarded the maximum five-star safety rating under ANCAP’s 2020-2022 protocols – the most stringent to date – becoming the first commercial van to do so.

More power, Scotty Under the bonnet, the new Staria Load is powered by a fresh 2.2-litre diesel engine that delivers 130kW (177hp) and 430Nm (317lb/ft) of torque. The engine features twin overhead cams with 16 valves, as well as commonrail injection and a variable geometry turbocharger. This makes for a lively driving

experience, which can be further enhanced by selecting eco, normal and sport driving modes via the driver interface.

This Staria Load featured the eight-speed automatic transmission with sportshift (a six-speed manual is also available). The transmission was extremely smooth and responsive and was intuitive under load, allowing the engine to work within its peak parameters. On the open road, this made for consistent progress without the need for abrupt kick-down.

Auto pilot engaged The overall driving experience of the Staria Load is further improved by the segmentleading suite of advanced safety technology featured as standard. This includes a haptic feedback steering wheel, lane keeping assist with departure warning, lane following assist, forward

collision warning and smart cruise control. We found the smart cruise control worked fluidly with the engine and transmission combination and made for a set-and-forget drive. The haptic feedback steering wheel certainly has its place in this age of ‘distracted driver syndrome’.

However, I found it a little too assertive for my liking once out of the city limits and on the open highway.

This is easily rectified when you want 100% control by using the driver interface.

The ability to temporarily disengage the lane keeping assist feature is found here, but only do this if you are truly capable of driving a vehicle without sending Snapchats or checking out your Facebook status…

In command The onboard infotainment system is loaded with features

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 63

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1) Comprehensive infotainment system complete with CarPlay and Android connectivity, as well as wireless charging and twin USB inputs.

2) Haptic feedback steering wheel and digital display dashboard are the essence of today’s vehicle interior design. 3) A fresh new look around the commercial environs. that make it an attractive addition for business owners as well as end users.

Based around a central 8in touchscreen display, the system supports CarPlay and Android, allowing drivers to easily navigate routes, stay connected and manage their schedules on the go.

Bluetooth connectivity and smartphone integration is seamless. Wireless charging of compatible smartphones is supported, and there are twin USB inputs.

Other notable features include automatic climate control, power windows and locks, and keyless entry. The

van also comes with a rearview camera, which makes parking and reversing just that much easier, though all-round visibility through the large windows is perfect.

Placed directly in front of the driver is an easy-to-read digital instrument cluster that clearly displays all the essential driving information a driver requires.

Starry-eyed The new Hyundai Staria Load has a big reputation to live up to when replacing the old iLoad. But after getting to know its features and driving characteristics, you get the

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3 clear impression the Staria has its eyes firmly focused on the crown.

The Staria Load presents great value for businesses needing a reliable, efficient and safe commercial vehicle built on a solid reputation.

Its advanced features, sleek design and powerful engine

make it a standout in its class, and I would hesitate a guess if Captain Kremmen and Carla were in the market for a new inter-stellar chariot to chase the Thargoids, they would look no further than Hyundai’s latest cosmic offering to the commercial sector.

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4) Twin sliding doors on either side as standard will be welcomed by tradies and courier drivers alike. 5) A car-like interior awaits, with seven airbags, too.

A splash of colour to complement the modest pallet would be welcomed, though.

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Outgrown the kids’ menu?

If you have an appetite for bigger payloads, our Ready to Work trucks can swallow over a ton more than typical utes . And most models are driveable on a car licence. Plus, with our takeaway deals, the versatile Traypack starts at just $63,778*. Find out more at Isuzu.co.nz or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer now and fill up.

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PROMOTIONAL

GROW YOUR PEOPLE, GROW YOUR BUSINESS

P

almerston Northbased Booth’s Logistics is a large, fast-growing company with more than 400 trucks and 800 employees operating around Aotearoa.

The company has included MITO micro-credentials and the Road To Success programme in its workforce development matrix.

Designed for employees and owner operators in the commercial road transport industry, the micro-credential provides the foundation knowledge required to understand industry documentation, vehicle systems, customer service, heavy combination vehicle dynamics, safe driving, and loading principles and procedures.

Des Waters, learning and development lead at Booth’s Logistics, says education and training are a real benefit to not only the staff, but the business as a whole.

“We want to grow our people as fast as we are growing our business. We really see the value in training

and development, in that not only are we safe and compliant, but we’re also benefiting our staff and the product we are delivering,” he says.

“It gives us a point of difference, something extra, to show our customers and set us apart.”

Des says the MITO and Road to Success programmes are well designed to work alongside the industry and the work transport operators do.

“We can get our staff certified and make sure they understand how to put different weights on trucks and how to secure them.

“The courses are well crafted and aligned to the work we do. And the team at MITO are also really supportive and helpful.”

Des says seeing staff achieve the qualifications is a highlight of the programme.

“The cool thing about the micro-credentials is they get a certificate. Some of these guys have left school and never achieved anything, never got credits or anything like that, and we’re trying

66 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

to say to them, education doesn’t have to be what it was like when you were at school,” he says.

“We’re into making it enjoyable, something that is actually going to benefit them in their job.

“The little glint they get in their eye when they get their certificate... it looks like a degree – it has a proper seal on it. They hang it up; it’s great. When you talk to them about it, it’s definitely something they see a benefit

in, and they’re proud.

“Obviously, we’d like to retain our staff, but if they go somewhere else, that company knows they’ll be getting some of the best people around because that’s what we’re interested in.”

Smaller than a qualification, micro-credentials certify achievement of a specific set of skills and knowledge and are approved by NZQA. For more information, check out mito.org.nz.

Boost your career.

Get qualified.

Designed in consultation with industry, MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport - Heavy Vehicle Operator (Level 3) will provide you with the skills and knowledge to safely and competently operate heavy rigid vehicles or heavy combination vehicles.

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NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

HOT HIGGINS

Volvo FH700 8x4 rigid – sleeper

OPERATOR: Higgins Contractors, Napier ENGINE: Volvo D16G 522kW (700hp) 3150Nm (2323lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Volvo ATO3112 I-Shift 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Volvo RTS2370B

REAR SUSPENSION: Volvo RADD-GR air BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: ESP, DAS, ACC, AEB, LCS, LKA, AB BODY/TRAILER: Specialised Engineering Services, Palmerston North

FOR-WARD THINKING DAF CF530-FAT 6x4 rigid OPERATOR: Ward Demolition ENGINE: Paccar MX-13 13-litre Euro-6 390kW (530hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF TraXon 16TX2620 16-speed AMT REAR AXLES: DAF SR1360T with dual diff locks REAR SUSPENSION: Paccar 8-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: Full safety suite – ACC, AEB, LKA, DA BODY/TRAILER: Transfleet Trailers ROCTUFF, Auckland FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stoneguard PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: The Sign Shed, Auckland OPERATION: Supporting demo projects from its Auckland base SALES: Steve Wilcocks

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 68 New Zealand Trucking

June 2023

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stoneguard OPERATION: Bulk bitumen tanker duties, based out of Napier DRIVER: Mo SALES: Simon Wilson

WAIRUA Scania R650 B8x4NA rigid – sleeper OPERATOR: Lord Logging, Hawke’s Bay ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre Euro-6 484kW (650hp) 3300Nm (2434lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO926R 12-speed AMT with 4100D retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RPB735 hub reduction with cross locks REAR SUSPENSION: Scania air front and rear BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Logging equipment and 4-axle trailer by Patchell, Rotorua FEATURES/EXTRAS: Scania scales, CTI, V8 leather trim, fridge, LED roof light bar, Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels, Broshmik drop visor and stoneguard PAINT: HRPP, Hastings OPERATION: Log cartage in and around Hawke’s Bay into Pan Pac DRIVER: Andy Lord SALES: Callan Short

PRESTIGIOUS STAR Western-Star 4864FX 6x4 tractor OPERATOR: Prestige Building Removals, Hamilton ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 447kW (600hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO22918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT50-160GP REAR SUSPENSION: Neway AD-246 air BRAKES: Drum, ABS BODY/TRAILER: Heavy-haul house-removal set-up

by TRT, Hamilton FEATURES/EXTRAS: King Bars heavy duty bullbar, stainless steel drop visor and bug deflector, straight cut exhaust stacks, CTI PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: King Signs, Hamilton OPERATION: House and building movements, North Island SALES: Mitch James

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

69

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

GOING DUTCH

DAF CF530 Euro-6 8x4 rigid

OPERATOR: Normans Transport, Morrinsville ENGINE: Paccar MX-13 13-litre Euro-6 390kW (530hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF TraXon

16TX2620 16-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Paccar SR1360T with dual diff locks REAR SUSPENSION: Paccar 8-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS

SAFETY: Full safety suite – ACC, AEB, LKA, DA BODY/TRAILER: Domett body and 5-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Full air management kit, stone guard,

SPIRAL’S HEAVY HITTER Kenworth T610SAR 6x4 tractor – 860mm Aero sleeper OPERATOR: Spiral Drillers Civil, Auckland ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 447kW (600hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO22918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor MT23-168GP REAR SUSPENSION: Neway AD-246 air BODY/TRAILER: Heavy haul set-up by MTE, Hamilton FEATURES/EXTRAS: Kentweld custom front bumper, stainless-steel drop visor and bug deflector PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Headcase Designs, Manukau OPERATION: Moving company equipment to projects New Zealand wide DRIVER: Kim Moore SALES: Steve Willcocks

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 70 New Zealand Trucking

June 2023

alloy wheels PAINT: Fleet Image, Hamilton SIGNAGE: Ken Baird, Baird Signs, Papakura, Auckland OPERATION: General Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland

DELIVERING THE GOODS OPERATOR: Te Pari Products, Oamaru ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre Euro-6 484kW (650hp) 3300Nm (2434lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO926R 12-speed AMT with 4100D retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RPB735 hub

Scania R650 B8x4NA rigid – sleeper

reduction with cross locks REAR SUSPENSION: Scania air suspension front and rear BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: ESP, DAS, ACC, AEB, LCS, LKA, AB BODY/TRAILER: Seaview Custom

Engineering, Christchurch FEATURES/EXTRAS: Scania scales, Alcoa alloy rims OPERATION: Te Pari product deliveries throughout New Zealand SALES: Kere Menzies

ICE COOL MAN TGX 26-640 Elite 6x4 tractor – sleeper OPERATOR: Blue Ice Logistics, Rotorua ENGINE: MAN D38 15-litre Euro-6 477kW (640hp) 3000Nm (2212lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: MAN TipMatic with Retarder-35 REAR AXLES: MAN HY REAR SUSPENSION: MAN ECAS air BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: Full safety suite BODY/TRAILER: Roadmaster 6-axle curtain side B-train FEATURES/EXTRAS: Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels, stone guard, additional LED marker lights, TV PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs and Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Running inter-island freight from Christchurch depot DRIVER: Richard Arnold SALES: Mark Ellerington

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

71

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 Regulation ATC – Automatic Traction Control BAS – Brake Assistant System

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

Programme FCA – Forward Collision Avoidance FCW – Forward Collision Warning FUPS – Front Under-run Protection System HH – Hill hold HSA – Hill Start Assist LCS – Lane Change Support LDW – Lane Departure Warning LG – Lane Guard LKA – Lane Keep Assist PCS – Pre Collision System PD – Pedestrian Detection

RB – Reversing Buzzer RM – Rocking Mode RW – Reverse Warning SAB – Side Air Bag SC – Speed Control SD – Side Detection SGA – Side Guard Assist TEBS – Traffic Eye Braking System TECC – Traffic Eye Cruise Control TPM – Tyre Pressure Monitoring VSC – Vehicle Stability Control

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

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NEW 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

Cool customer With an operation stretching throughout the country, CoolTranz was in the market for new refrigerated quad-axle semi-trailers to add to its fleet. The team made a call to Fairfax, and a solution was secured. Fairfax’s 15.6m onepiece fully moulded fibreglass shell mounted to an in-house structural chassis forms the base for the builds. Under this sits SAF 22.5in super-single disc-braked axles riding on air, with Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels and Pirelli tyres.

A Carrier Transicold Vector 1950 unit takes care of the chill factor, and Ancra’s double-stack racking system ensures maximum load space.

Features: Structurally integrated bumper with Channex protection, Hella LED lighting, pallet-jack box, alloy toolbox with stainless steel doors.

Fairfax

Lion’s share Looking for a new six-axle B-train curtain-sided trailer set to pair with its new MAN tractor unit saw Mainfreight owner/driver R&H Transport, Christchurch, heading to Rotorua. The new Transtech Dynamics-designed Roadmaster-built combination seen here fits the bill perfectly.

Based on a 7.4m 14-pallet front unit and 11.4m 22-pallet rear unit with mezzanine floors in the rear unit and with lightweight high-tensile construction, the rig can accommodate a healthy amount of freight.

Features: Custom alloy toolboxes with stainless-steel doors, dunnage box, Peterson LED lighting, stainless-steel light-bar trim work.

Roadmaster

KIWI 16/17

Contact Jim Doidge 021 190 1002, Hayden Jones 0800 549 489, Danial Vincent 021 222 4144 | sales@kiwityres.co.nz |

0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 489) | kiwitrucktyres.nz 74 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

KIWI 175

The lowdown

Features: Polished alloy rims, LED lighting and beacons, custom tool lockers.

TMC Trailers

Central Machine Hire, Christchurch, called upon local engineering talent TMC Trailers to build a new three-axle transporter semi-trailer to add to Central’s fleet. The resulting build has ticked all the boxes.

Running FUWA drum-brake axles and air suspension, the 2800mm-wide lower deck with 1800mm spaced axles allows 21 tonnes on the tri-set running VDAM, or up to 25,200kg with an overweight permit.

Based in Christchurch, the new semi is matched up to the company’s new Fuso Shogun 510 tractor unit.

Flatdeck flexibility The need for two new 15.7m super-quad flat-deck trailers brought Christchurch’s Fenco to Roadmaster in Rotorua.

The light bars on both are fitted to 4m long slide-outs, allowing 18m over-length loads to be safely accommodated on the deck between the headboards and tailboards.

The pair were also rigged for all manner of containers with a full complement of twist locks integrated into the decks. A set of lightweight 1.8m bolsters engineered to support the oversize pipe completes the package, with all this riding on air-suspended BPW axle sets.

Features: Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy rims with Continental tyres, twin 1200mm toolboxes and dunnage/corner board box with stainless-steel doors, Peterson LED lighting.

Roadmaster

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

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KIWI 175

265/70R19.5

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

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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

June 2023 75

Rob Bailey gave Bounty Hunter a look that harks back to the US freeways of the 1970s and 1980s.

BOUNTY HUNTER

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his month’s first inductee, Bounty Hunter, started its working life at Buckeridge Transport in 2009, enjoying a solid working career with the Dannevirke-based Buckeridge team.

From here, it was onto NZ Bulk for a stint until March 2021, when Rob Bailey of RJ Bailey Transport became the proud owner.

The old K108 was looking a little tired when Rob took control of the keys, and in his mind, it was time to give the rig a top-to-toe refurbishment. It was given a complete strip-back, including sandblasting the chassis in preparation for a new coat of paint. The colours and stripe design Rob chose suit the K108’s flat-roof sleeper cab and are sympathetic to paint schemes of the 1970s and 1980s cab-over Kenworths trucking across US

Bounty Hunter in Buckeridge colours.

freeways at the time.

During the refurb, all the mechanicals were inspected for wear and tear.

Generally, it was in good shape, with only the usual items needing attention.

The turbocharger looked a little suspect, so a new, genuine Holset was sourced in Australia and installed on the big Cummins. A new charge air cooler and radiator were also fitted. The gearbox was removed for a rebuild, and a new clutch kit installed. Further back, the entire driveline was replaced, including yokes and bearings, and a reconditioned front diff head was installed. Rob also fitted a set of new vertical chrome stacks to complete the overall look.

A new 6m x 1.3m Hardox steel bin, complete with KiwiTarps rollback system and new Edbro hoist package, was

fabricated and fitted to the chassis. This finished the rebuild process, with nothing left to do except get to work and get dirty. Rob did just that and ran the K108 until recently, when a drop-off in workload meant he had to sell it. The standout K108 is now part of the STLand Contracting fleet, based in Auckland, running daily loads to the Redvale Landfill.

“It sure was hard to let the old girl go after putting all that work and effort into it,” says Rob. “But the K108 is a bullet-proof truck. I have a real passion for them after spending six years in one travelling all over Australia and putting 1,900,000km on it. One day, I will get my hands on another.” All we can say is we cannot wait to see what you do to it once you get it, Rob.

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

76 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

WEST COAST CONSTANT

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he Iveco marque has notched up a stellar reputation on the South Island’s West Coast, quietly getting on with tasks and chores in conditions that make even the strongest feel faint.

No.54 in the Aratuna Freighters fleet is one of those trucks that has helped carve out that reputation. And now, with close to 2,000,000km

on the clock, it has definitely earned its membership in the Bridgestone Million Mile Club.

New to the Aratuna Freighters fleet in 2010, No.54 was set up as an 8x4 fuel tanker with matching four-axle trailer and handed over to Chris Newton to pilot. Chris is still at the helm, responsible for virtually every one of those 2,000,000km. The tanker configuration has remained

the same throughout No.54’s working career and, as seen climbing the Spooners in the image here, it is still very much hard at it.

Aratuna Freighters general manager Andrew Havill says IVECOs are great all-rounders.

“They are a good fleet truck that just gets on and gets the job done. That one has been a good truck – all the typical things that you would

expect from a truck that has done that amount of milage and working in our part of the country. It’s had an engine rebuild and a re-manned gearbox, as well as the front diff rebuild. You never touch the rear diff – they just keep going. Yeah, they are just a good all-rounder.”

No.54 still hard at it on Spooners, now with near on 2,000,000km on the clock.

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

Those selected will get a Million Mile Club cap and badge for the truck.

Terms • Only owners can submit • NZ trucks only • Supply chain may affect the timing of cap and badge arrival

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

New Zealand Trucking June 2023

77

AUSSIE ANGLES

SMALL BADGE

BIG BOOST Story by Howard Shanks

Photos by Scania and Howard Shanks

Scania’s latest V8-powered R660 boasts 660hp and 3300Nm of torque, and its new quick-shifting G33-CM transmission offers 14 forward and eight reverse gears. It all combines to provide greater retardation, improved fuel economy and a tenacious appetite for hauling freight.

Scania V8: as ever, an exceptional longhaul cruiser.

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he personalised 660HP number plate made finding the R660 in the row of trucks parked at the rear of Scania’s Laverton, Victoria, dealership easy.

Scania’s Jarrod Hegarty is on hand to provide insight into how to get the best from it.

“We’ve loaded up this B-double set of Freighter trailers to give us a gross weight of 61.5 tonnes,” Jarrod explains as he touches a button on the key fob to activate the lighting test sequence. “This has to be one of the best features added to modern trucks.”

Jarrod’s keen to have the new R660 demonstrate its steadfast appetite for effortlessly hauling big weights. Unsurprisingly, his test route includes typical interstate terrain and urban congestion, similar to the real-world duties this truck would experience in a typical fleet. Still, he includes a test run up the infamous Pentland Hills on the Western Highway just for good measure.

Earlier in the morning, I’d noticed a poster on the spare parts counter in the dealership advertising driver information for the new Scania trucks by following the links on the QR codes for Apple or Google apps.

So I scanned the QR code and downloaded the iPhone app.

It then asked for the chassis number, which I typed in, and moments later, I had the full operator’s handbook and quick guide at my fingertips. After a cursory glance over the quick guide, I was comfortable that I had enough knowledge of the new vehicle to get the show on the road.

Pleasingly, the R660 is in a factory-painted blue livery, not stock-truck white. Yet it is still relatively conservative in its appearance; there is no over-thetop bling and only the factoryfitted badge tells you it’s an R660.

Inside, the cab is precisely what you’d expect in a top-of-the-range V8. Leather seats, steering wheel and the iconic V8 logo here and there. But other than that, the interior is essentially the same as previous New Gen Scania trucks.

Nevertheless, I still rate Scania

cabins as among the best on the market: they exude quality and are, by and large, well laid out and functional. That said, others are catching up and, in some cases, possibly overtaking them. But more on that another time.

Luckily, pulling the loaded B-double out of the dealership onto Boundary Road is effortless today, thanks to a significant break in the traffic. But almost immediately, we are on one of the city’s most challenging roads.

The dual lanes of Boundary Road and the subsequent meanderings around Laverton onto the Western Freeway are exceptionally busy, and there is little time to familiarise yourself with the finer workings of the new R660. As a result, it is the opposite of a nice smooth drive through the country.

The condition of the road is also found wanting in many areas, with an inferior top surface and potholes that could double for water storage dams.

The Western Freeway is one of Victoria’s busiest freight routes, yet it is not an ideal trucking road, thanks to its poor state of repair.

Nevertheless, the inclusion of the front air suspension certainly irons out many of the sharper potholes that would have rattled right through to the bone with a traditional steel spring front end.

Handling-wise, the Scania steering system now incorporates a raft of electronic wizardry that works a treat on the rough, uneven road surface.

Jarrod explains that along with the new 660 power setting in the V8, the most significant advance in operational terms is from the widened ratio spread of the new 14-speed G33-CM transmission – from the crawler ratio of 20.8:1 to a top overdrive gear of 0.777:1.

“The wider ratio spread, coupled with slightly wider gears, handles the increased load better and longer,” Jarrod says. “Now we can run high gross weight applications with the flexibility to utilise taller rear-axle ratios while maintaining deep gearing to facilitate smooth lift-off and deliver optimum efficiency.

“Furthermore, with the G33-CM, we’ve included an abundance of

newly developed and clever power take-off (PTO) solutions to satisfy any number of advanced PTO needs.”

The new dash displays slightly different transmission gears that commence with ‘C’ for the crawler, followed by the ratios to 12th (direct drive), then ‘OD’ for overdrive.

More importantly is the substantial improvement in retardation performance. The G33-CM transmission now contributes 4700Nm of auxiliary braking compared with 4100Nm from the previous transmission.

Indeed, the additional retardation is a significant gain that, soon enough, highlights exceptional downhill speed control through the Pentland Hills.

The final drive ratio of 3.07:1 might be considered a tall ratio for a B-double spec truck. Still, Scania has done its homework and is confident it’s got the balance right, thanks in no small part to the new transmission ratios and shear torque of the new 660hp V8.

Once out of the urban traffic congestion, getting the R660 to stretch its legs didn’t take much.

This truck has all the bells and whistles to make life behind the wheel simple. Set the adaptive cruise control and downhill speed control, then sit back and let the Scania do all the hard work.

The engine develops a peak power of 485kW (660hp) at 1900rpm and produces a remarkable torque peak of 3300Nm (2434lb/ft), between 950 and 1400rpm. Yet it’s where the power and torque curves overlap at around 1350rpm that a distinct appreciation for this V8’s gallant strength and tenacity emerges.

Where these two lines intersect in the rev range of this 16-litre V8 engine, approximately 640hp is produced while the engine still pushes out maximum torque.

Consequently, this extreme pulling power at relatively low engine speeds results in an exceptional economy with high average road speeds.

The transmission has three modes – eco, standard and power.

I select ‘standard’ mode, which

Not much has changed inside, but not much needs to.

A boost in power with refined delivery from the V8 combines with an enhanced 14-speed transmission to make one impressive drivetrain. provides good acceleration from traffic lights and enables the R660 and its fully loaded B-double to keep up with traffic easily.

On the Western Freeway, the R660 strutted its stuff in style. I set the cruise control to 100km/h and the tacho indicates the V8 is ticking over around the 1200 mark in ‘OD’. But as we approach the Pentland Hills, the V8 bites hard as the climb intensifies, the engine revs lower and once down to 1000rpm, the G33-CM transmission swaps effortlessly back into 12th gear. A slower vehicle up ahead means I need to lift off the throttle, and as the revs slowly lower again, the transmission seamlessly drops back another gear.

Thankfully, the right-hand lane clears. I press the button on the end of the gearstick wand to engage ‘power’ mode, indicate to the right and squeeze down hard on the throttle. The big 16-litre engine responds instantly, the transmission hanging onto

12th gear as the needle on the rev counter spins around to 1950rpm. Once I pass the slower truck, I tap the button on the end of the gear stick again to shift the mode back to ‘normal’ to maximise fuel economy.

On the descents, the downhill speed limiter works a treat to keep the R660 at the set 100km/h without any overspeeds. The system is clever enough to turn on the fan to add to the braking effect as well as apply the retarder.

Another feature worthy of mention is the ‘hold’ function, which activates once the vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is pressed down towards the floor. A green light illuminates on the dash to indicate the active function and holds the truck until the accelerator gets pressed and the truck drives away.

Verdict From a driver’s point of view, there is a lot to like about the new R660, including extrawide sleeper cabins. The slick

changes of the G33-CM are impressive, and, likewise, the power of the 660hp V8 doesn’t disappoint.

Scania has put much thought into how trucking businesses run, compliance and asset valuation. For instance, an R660 can be purchased with full-service maintenance contracts, giving operators known fixed maintenance and operating costs for the purchase term.

A maintenance contract also means repair and maintenance

compliance responsibility is taken care of by Scania. As a result, a Scania truck on a full-service maintenance contract attracts higher resale value than one that’s not and is sought after by prospective used-truck buyers.

Overall, the R660 is a truck packed with functionality. It’s very drivable and supported by competitive maintenance contracts, making it a model we’re sure we’ll see more of on our highways as time passes.

QUICK SPECS SCANIA R660 6x4 Engine: S cania DC16 660 16-litre V8 E6 Power: 485kW (660hp) @1900rpm 300Nm (2434lb/ft) @ 950-1400rpm Torque: 3 Gearbox: Scania G33CM1 14-speed overdrive, Opticruise shift Retarder: Scania R4700D cania AM64S Front axle: S Front suspension: S cania air Rear axles: S cania AD200SA axle housings Rear axle ratio: 3 .07:1 with diff locks to both axles Rear suspension: S cania air Wheelbase: 3 150mm Brakes: Scania electronically controlled disc brakes Additional Safety: E BS with integrated ABS and traction control ridgestone 295/80 R22.5 Tyres: B

80 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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9/5/23 3:03 pm

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP

THE

Story by Will Shires

Pictures by Renault Trucks / Tarmac

RIGHT MIX Can an electric concrete mixer offer definite advantages over its diesel-powered counterparts?

R

enault Trucks sees itself as a leader in electromobility in the UK. Although it has sold only a handful of zero-tailpipe-emission trucks, it’s certainly doing the groundwork. Last year, it set up the contract hire firm Vertellus (see opposite), offering a unique try-beforeyou-buy option for hauliers interested in running batterypowered trucks. It also actively targets niche sectors and works closely with bodybuilders and operators to design bespoke electric trucks.

A great example is Europe’s first electric concrete mixer, which has just gone on the road with

building materials company Tarmac. The E-Tech D 6x2 27-tonner, which has been more than three years in the making, is a joint project between the operator, Renault Trucks and bodybuilder TVS Interfleet/McPhee.

“The idea originated with Renault Trucks,” explains Tarmac’s senior manager of logistics development, Ben Garner. “We run an innovation challenge through our procurement teams, where we get all sorts of suppliers coming up with brilliant ideas about how to decarbonise parts of our business. And the electric mixer truck was a proposal that Renault Trucks brought to the table in partnership with TVS

82 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Interfleet.”

One of the first steps in the project was for TVS and Renault to put sensors on a regular Tarmac mixer, which allowed them to gain realworld data on its usage.

The information gathered confirmed the suspicions of both parties that they could indeed produce a vehicle capable of doing everything Tarmac required of it.

Garner says the project was far more complicated than simply replacing a diesel engine with batteries and an electric motor. The finished truck needed to offer tangible improvements over an equivalent diesel vehicle from the start.

He explains that of the

1500 trucks on Tarmac’s UK materials fleet, electrification lends itself best to concrete mixers (of which it runs about 500). Most construction is based in urban areas, and this especially applies to concrete delivery. So, while the energy draw might be high with a mixer, the mileages are comparatively low.

Although based in England’s second-largest city, Birmingham, this truck rarely travels more than a 16km round-trip to make its deliveries. It has a range of about 120km, allowing it to carry out five or six daily deliveries. “So, the truck can effectively do everything we need of it,” says Garner.

When I ask him what

1

2

3

1) Rethinking concrete mixers: “We’ve become a software company.” 2) Use of type-2 charger included in the trial cost. 3) !ntelligent drum speeds are on the cards to further enhance stability on the road. lessons he’s learned from running this electric mixer, I’m surprised to discover that the pros easily outweigh the cons. “The really obvious negative is that we’ve found it to be too quiet,” he says. “So, we’re working with Renault to retrofit a white-noise sound for driving forwards as well as for reversing.” There was a slight issue around charging, but this was down to someone supplying the wrong cables and was soon rectified.

I had expected him to describe the purchase price as a negative – after all, electric trucks cost roughly three times the price of their diesel equivalents – but he didn’t.

“We view it on a total cost of ownership basis over seven

years,” he explains. “Yes, it is more expensive to buy, but the operating costs are substantially lower.”

He says not only is electricity cheaper than diesel (it is being charged using electricity generated by solar panels at Tarmac’s Birmingham Asphalt Plant), but so are maintenance costs. Over seven years, it is expected to work out 10% more costly than a diesel equivalent.

“We were certainly very surprised, as was Renault, when the cost model came out that close,” he admits.

In the early stages of development, it was anticipated that the electric mixer would suffer in terms

TRY BEFORE YOU BUY Contract hire firm Vertellus, co-owned by Renault Trucks UK and its dealers, operates a fleet of 30 E-Tech D rigids, and a mix of boxes, curtainsiders and fridge vans, which are loaned for threemonth periods. While this route is vastly more cost-effective than buying a truck outright, only to find that it doesn’t suit an operator’s business, there’s still a significant cost.

Vertellus charges £1.50 ($3) per kWh, with customers contracting a minimum of 3000kWh per month, equivalent to 40,000km per annum.

This works out at £4500 ($9100) per month and includes all expected standard full contract hire services and the use of a Zenobē-supplied vehicle charger.

“I’m not saying it’s cheap, but in the context of an opportunity to try a vehicle in your home setting, in your own operation, and do your own research and development, which is something that is currently impossible, it’s actually good value,” reckons Vertellus MD Nigel Baxter.

“Personally, I don’t like to buy cheap things. I buy good value. And I think this is a good-value opportunity.”

Photos: Tom Cunningham

of payload. However, these fears never materialised thanks to numerous weight-saving developments made by TVS Interfleet.

“It put a lot of effort into reducing the truck’s kerb weight, which allowed the fitting of a 5.8m3 drum. “The average for a vehicle like that is between 5.6m3 and 5.7m3,

so 5.8m3 has been a really pleasant surprise.”

Continuing with the pros (including the obvious lack of tailpipe emissions, and the positive PR that comes with running an electric truck) is improved safety. Because of their high/dynamic centre of gravity, concrete mixers are prone to rollovers. As the drum

THE BODYBUILDER

84 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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rotates, so the concrete travels up the side of it. The faster it turns, the more momentum the concrete has, and the higher it moves. If a driver enters a bend too quickly, just as the concrete is in its highest position, there’s a danger that it might topple over.

While developing this truck, TVS Interfleet introduced some innovations to help. Electric trucks already have a lower centre of gravity due to the location of the batteries on the chassis rail. However, TVS has improved it further by reducing the height of the water tank.

Additionally, it has lowered the speed of the drum rotation, which again aids stability (see below).

What’s more, according to TVS Interfleet technical director Kevin Walker, in the future, it will look at introducing intelligent drum speeds, which will automatically slow the rotation speed as the truck enters a bend.

Another safety improvement

VS Interfleet technical director Kevin Walker reckons this project enabled the company to “forget everything we knew about mixers and start again”. As a result, the finished truck features several patented innovations, all of which can be used in future electric mixers, and some can also be transferred to diesel-powered trucks.

A good example is how the mixer drum is powered. “The first question was would we use Renault’s ePTO, or go direction connection,” says Walker. “The preference was to go direct connection, but due to Renault’s timeline, we won’t have that until later this year. So, then it was a case of moving their mechanical PTO to a position where we could run a hydraulic system to drive the drum.

“But where it gets really clever is that we started to realise that by using electrification and a disconnect between the standard drive model of an ICE, which is associated with engine speed, we can control the mixer away from that setup. So, there is an absolute disconnect between the two. This meant that we could slow down drum speed revolutions, which would make it safer.”

relates to an improved drum restraint.

“In a rollover situation, this invention helps to keep the drum in position,” explains Walker. He says it typically takes 0.5G of force to dislodge the drum. However, thanks to this truck’s new design, the figure has been increased to 1.5G. “So, it’s effectively three times as safe.”

Another unexpected advantage has been that the truck can make deliveries inside buildings. “Normally on a construction site like that, you would need huge extractor fans to take the fumes out, but you don’t need them with this,” Garner says.

Walker stresses that the project has been a success due to collaboration between all three parties and believes this will also be the case going forwards, saying, “the bodybuilder can’t do it on their own, the OEMs can’t do it on their own, and the customer can’t do it on their own.”

TVS initially assumed this would have energy-saving benefits but soon realised that other advantages included safety and a quieter operation.

Walker says TVS developed an entirely new human interface. Whereas, traditionally, the controls are cableoperated, with this mixer, there’s an interface on the screen, which allows drivers to add water, change the rotation speed, charge (load) and discharge (unload) the concrete.

TVS also took the opportunity to make the drum lighter by changing the material it is constructed from. And by reducing the revolutions, it is likely to wear better, too, increasing its longevity by about two years.

“There are a lot of other things that are scheduled to happen for this mixer further down the line,” he says. “We have about seven patents on this vehicle regarding what we’ve already done and what is still to come. We really started to think outside of the box on this and went from effectively being fabricator welders and bodybuilders into software developers. It is an exciting project for us.”

Celebrating 25

Hammar New Zealand Ltd

YEARS

LIFTING EXPECTATIONS

TO THE NEXT LEVEL

With a single focus on quality Sideloaders for almost 50 years, and Sideloaders sold in more than 121 countries, Hammar is the world leading manufacturer of Sideloaders Every freight delivery is different, which is why we offer our three high-performance Hammar models designed for your needs.

Each Hammar is built for reliability, constructed with care from premium-grade steel and a combination of Swedish and NZ components. Designed for high safety, easy operation and maintenanc, you can rest assured with Hammar.

HAMMAR 195 Top seller world-wide with the high versatility precision stabilizer.

HAMMAR 110 The NZ favourite with the unique double action stabilizer

HAMMAR 130 The light tripple-crane model for handling up to 16 tonnes

Hammar New Zealand Ltd, 16 Marphona Cres, Takanini, Auckland | 0800 2 HAMMAR | sales.nz@hammarlift.com | www hammarlift.com

CRAIG’S TRUCKIN’ SNAPSHOT

Craig McCauley showcases a mixture of classic and contemporary images of Kiwi trucking.

A MAN TGX 35.540 operated by Millers Flat Transport Ltd, seen on SH1 near Glenavy on a recent Autumn afternoon.

ORIGINAL ORIGINAL

Parts Parts Fit Fit Performance Performance

Hendrickson Hendrickson Genuine Genuine Parts Parts provide provide the the same same quality quality components components installed installed in Hendrickson in Hendrickson original original equipment equipment systems systems - designed, - designed, tested tested andand validated validated as aassystem a system for for greater greater component component life,life, optimum optimum performance performance andand support support to fleets to fleets working working to maximize to maximize equipment equipment uptime. uptime.

Tel:Tel: +64+64 9 570 9 570 4721 4721 www.hendrickson.com.au www.hendrickson.com.au ActualActual product product performance performance may vary maydepending vary depending upon upon vehicle vehicle configuration, configuration, operation, operation, serviceservice and other and other factors. factors. ©2023 ©2023 Hendrickson Hendrickson USA, L.L.C. USA, L.L.C. All Rights All Rights Reserved.

Reserved.

All trademarks All trademarks shownshown are owned are owned

by Hendrickson

by Hendrickson USA, L.L.C., USA, L.L.C., or oneorofone its of affiliates, its affiliates, in oneinorone more or more countries. countries.

AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC

From the south comes a classic captured by that icon of trucking imagery, none other than Richard Lloyd. And what a treat it is. A shot of a Freight Haulage Volvo N1021 taken at Pareora on the south side of Timaru. Richard recalls the FHL drivers were always as sharp as a tack in their uniform and, in his words, “always a pleasure to talk to”. Thanks, Richard, what a ripper.

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18/05/23 10:22 AM

MINI BIG RIGS RC trucks on a track are always a crowd-puller.

SMALL TOYS

FOR BIG BOYS Story and photos by Niels Jansen

This month, European correspondent Niels Jansen brings us a Mini Big Rigs story with a difference, reporting on the world’s biggestscale model show of its type.

M

odelshow Europe is, as the name implies, an exhibition for scale models. It is organised annually in March/April and is held in Ede, the Netherlands. It is specifically focused on a certain form of model making, namely cranes, earthmoving equipment, heavy haulage and special trucks.

After being absent or minimised for a few years due to pandemic restrictions, this year’s 30th edition was bigger and better than ever. The unique

event was sponsored by wellprecision scale work. And known European names such as to please the public, many Nooteboom Trailers, Spierings participants demonstrated how Mobile Cranes and Mammoet they construct such miniatures.

Heavy Lifting and Transport, Of course, there were also among others. stalls with all kinds of parts, In an empty flower auction decals, paint, photographs, hall covering an area of more books, magazines and videos than 2000m2, 75 professional on the subject. Popular with exhibitors from Belgium, the owners of radio-controlled Denmark, France, Germany, vehicles or machinery Romania, Switzerland, the UK and spectators was the and, of course, The Netherlands ‘Playground’, where all the promoted and sold anything in RC-scale models are shown in the field of miniature vehicles operating mode. The main track and machinery. In addition, was set up by a RC Club from 1/50 KW C509 & Drake 2x8 & 5x8 Low Loader 350 hobbyists showed their Papendrecht, the Netherlands.

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A collection of classic truck-mounted draglines.

Tim Trick demonstrates his huge Manitowac crawler crane.

A nice gesture was that nonmembers were allowed to show and drive their remote control ‘toys’ on it.

X-treem RC-Trucker from Germany is a big name in this field, selling the latest remotecontrol loaders, excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks and hydraulic machinery. It claims it sources the latest and greatest RC products from around the world and will also ship them to many countries.

It exhibited some amazing models at the show.

RC-Lab from the Netherlands started in 2014 to make custom parts for RC cranes and, not long after, earthmoving machines and trucks. Manufacturing miniature concrete blocks is the company’s speciality.

It has also developed a complete light system for

Various Euro and US scale models were for sale.

New Zealand’s all-new Mack books were also for sale.

X-treem RC-Trucker is a significant German player.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 89

Tamiya Scania and Volvo trucks, which includes a fully working dashboard.

The common scale for radio-controlled vehicles and machinery is 1:16, with intriguing masterpieces to be admired in this and 1:8 scale. RSJ Scandinavian Brick Scale Models was initiated by Dutch truck driver Ralf Samuel Janse some years ago. His speciality is building 1:16 scale trucks using Lego bricks and parts (nothing is 3D-printed).

He does not use a kit or blueprints, only a set of photos of the real thing to custombuild the interior and exterior of his trucks to his design.

Many hobbyists have lately moved from the Lego City scale to the larger 1:16.

Renowned French enthusiast Bernard Perier showed two unique heavy trucks made of Meccano parts in 1:18 scale. One was a forwardcontrol rigid Shell tanker, the other a typical old-style US 18-wheeler. For the van trailer, parts from a Blue-Gold box 7 were used. The fibre/ carton Meccano sheets dated from 1934 (yes, you read that right); sheet metal parts from Meccano did not appear until 1938. A complete description of this unique model was published in Constructor Quarterly (No.135).

Many hobbyists showed smaller HO-scale trucks, cranes and earthmoving equipment, which are a lot more realistic when you do not have enough space at home to tinker with king-size models.

And, of course, the smaller miniatures cost far less.

But ‘big is beautiful’ certainly applied to the huge 1:8.5 scale Manitowac 18000 crawler crane that Englishman Tim Trick assembled on the floor of the hall. It is said to be the biggest accurate-scale model of this crane in the world at a height of 5m and weight of 360kg. It is entirely scratch-built, and he started work on it in 2014 after two years of design. Apart from the boom, it is made completely

A fully working Liebherr crane made of Meccano parts.

Modelshow Europe 2023 covered an area of 2000m².

1 2

Love Machine from Convoy, made of Lego.

1) Rare 1:18 scale Meccano trucks made by Bernard Perier from France. 2) RC-Lab offers a complete light system for Tamiya model trucks.

• 2 • 1 Mammoet was also the sponsor of the event.

of aluminium. Like the real machine, it has fully working hydraulic cylinders. Tim must break it up into smaller parts to transport it, just as they have to do with the real Manitowac crane.

Organiser Willem Kuiper, also the driving force behind the Dutch Mack fanclub, can look back on a very successful show.

90 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

Willem Kuiper (event organiser) and Rene Pieterse behind their massive book stand.

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9/05/22 7:51 AM

LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB

This month, we have two puzzles for you, and we’ll be offering prizes for solving each one! Find the most words in each puzzle to win. Email your answers to rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz.

Find the word

HI, LITTLE TRUCKERS! Winter is here. So, wrap up warm if you are out trucking.

Last month’s colouringin competition featured Tony Burling’s Kenworth K124. There have been some fantastic entries so far. If you haven’t got yours in already, please do so – the winners will be announced in the July issue. Three prizes are up for grabs, so grab those colouringin pens and pencils. To enter, you can take a photo or scan a picture of your art and email it to me along with your name, age and address.

We’re looking forward to seeing your entries!

Congratulations to 13-yearold Rylley Dalton, who found the Little Truckers’ Club logo on page 80 of the May 2023 issue. Keep an eye on your mailbox, Rylley, a prize is on its way.

If you would like to see yourself here in Little Truckers’ Club, all you need to do is email your stories, jokes, photos and/ or drawings to me at rochelle@ nztrucking.co.nz with a wee paragraph telling us about them, along with your name and age.

We love seeing them all!

The Little Truckers’ Club logo is hidden somewhere in this issue, Find it, and you may win a prize.

Email me with your NAME and AGE at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz

JOKE OF THE MONTH

Inside this grid is the word TRUCK spelt forwards, backwards, upwards and downwards.

How many times can you count the word TRUCK?

T R U C K T R U C K

R T K C T R U C K K

U U C T R U C K R C

C R T R U C K C U U

K T R U C K T U T R

T R U C K K C U R T

R U C K C T U R U R

U C K U U C T K C U

C K R T R U K T K C

K C U R T R U C C K

ED

Th ca as pr

How many words?

For this puzzle, tell me how many words you can make using the letters from the words TRANSPORT INDUSTRY … Example: Train

1: ________________ 2: ________________ 3: ________________ 4: ________________ 5: ________________ 6: ________________ 7: ________________ 8: ________________ 9: ________________ 10: _______________

11: ________________ 12: ________________ 13: ________________ 14: ________________ 15: ________________ 16: ________________ 17: ________________ 18: ________________ 19: ________________ 20: ________________

DEPOT C A N YOU F I N D YOUR WAY BACK TO THE D E P OT T H R OUGH T H E M AZ E?

WHAT DO YOU CALL A SLEEPING BULL? A BULL-DOZER!

92 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

STA RT

Safety M

ROAD SAFETY TRUCK After 5 years and over 40,000 participants through the NTA Road Safety Truck, it is now going through a major transformation inside and out. The team are working on upgrades and to all the programmes as well as a launch EDUCATION ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM of the SafeT360 virtual reality programme. All will be The Education Engagement Program (EEP) for the Road Safety Truck is designed to increase awareness and edurevealed very soon - watch this space. cate individuals and communities about the importance of safe driving practices. By using the Road Safety Truck as a mobile classroom and interactive exhibit space, the program effectively reaches a broad audience and promotes safer road behaviour.

Thanks to all our Partners & Sponsors Source: Ministry of Transport

Safety MAN magazine June 23.indd 1

23/05/2023 12:07:02 pm

WHAT’S ON Show organisers Please send your event details at least eight weeks in advance to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz for a free listing on this page.

NZ Co-Op Dairy Company/Anchor transport-staff reunion 25 June 2023, 11am to 5pm Te Rapa Racecourse, Hamilton Contact: 021 033 7734

NRC/NTA Trucking Industry Summit 8 July 2023 Cordis Hotel, Auckland Contact: natroad.co.nz, info@trucking.nz

Special Rigs for Special Kids

Vintage Barn Open Day

27 August 2023 Edgar Centre, Portsmouth Drive, Dunedin Contact: 027 435 8508

25 June 2023, 9am to 4pm 57 Orongo Road, Thames Contact: 07 867 5340

Transporting New Zealand 2023 Conference 28 and 29 June 2023 Lower Hutt Events Centre Contact: transporting.nz/conference

All scheduled events may be subject to change depending on weather conditions etc. Please check the for updates before setting out.

Alexandra Blossom Festival 41st Annual Truck Parade 23 September 2023 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra Contact: info@blossom.nz

WHAT’S BEEN

Brisbane Truck Show, 18 to 21 May 2023.

Events Gallery Visit the New Zealand Trucking website to view galleries of the latest truck shows from New Zealand and abroad. Go to nztrucking.co.nz/events or scan the QR code to view on your mobile.

94 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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THE CONNECTED TRUCK The Connected Truck is transforming the way our teams work by bringing real-time visibility and information to the workplace. This technology enhances not only our driver’s safety with fatigue and maintenance tools, but also promotes sustainability through fuel efficiency and effective job management.

0800 447 735 TeletracNavman.co.nz

98 Moving Metrics 102 Incoming Cargo – VGA Summit 104 VIPAL Knowing you tyres 106 Business Update – Hella 50 years 108 Product Profile – NAPA 110 Product Update – MyTrucking App 112 Scania Survey 114 Carriers Corner 116 Truckers’ Health 118 Health & Safety 120 Legal Lines 122 Business together 124 NZ Trucking Association 126 NRC 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile BROUG HT T O Y OU BY

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES

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

First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for April 2023 by major manufacturer

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in April 2023 This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal.

The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.

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

First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles for April, 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

NB

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

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

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

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

A table of all vehicle classes is in Table A of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2016 Rule 41001/2016 https://www.nzta.govt.nz/ assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicle-dimensionsand-mass-2016-as-at-1-October-2019.pdf Note: Vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

98 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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

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

9 7

8

8 8

5

Apr-19

0

Apr-21

6

2

0

0

0

0

TM C

M .T .E .

8

po rt T

ha uf

Apr-20

0

TE S

0

7 7

ra ile rs

3

2 0

7 5

er

3

4

9

8

5

1

Fa irf ax

t Do m et

7

l

33 0

0

7

12

Ro ad m as t

66

13

Pa tc he l

6 3

2

2

9 7

er

4

10 10

Fr ue

6

8 6

gh t

10

12

Apr-22

Tr an s

12 8

14

13

14

Fr ei

Number of units

16

Apr-23

Other suppliers of class TD heavy trailers not included in above Apr-19 45

Apr-20 0

Apr-21 39

Apr-22 49

Apr-23 41

First registration of NC class vehicles year to date 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer

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

Number of units

1400 1200 1000

923

810

800

1002

1113

715

556

600

1163

1063

979

817

486 307

400

439 418 443

200 0

NB

NC

YTD 2019

YTD 2020

TD

YTD 2021

YTD 2022

YTD 2023

First registration of TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer First registration of TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer 70

Number of units

60 50 40 30 20 10

2022

ra ile rs

po rt T

TM C

Ro ad m as t

TE S

er

2021

l

2020

Tr an s

2019

Pa tc he l

2018

M .T .E .

Fr ue

ha uf

er gh t Fr ei

Fa irf ax

Do m et

t

0

2023

Other suppliers of class TD heavy trailers not included in above Apr-18 190

Apr-19 172

Apr-20 112

Apr-21 154

Apr-22 161

(NOTE:RH – This is a new table to go under above graph in future.)

Apr-23 165

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 99

This information is put together from metrics provided by the NZ Transport Agency.

New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA in providing the data.

ROAD USER CHARGES Total value and distance of road user charges purchased between 1 January 2018 and 30 April 2023 by purchase year

RUC purchase for April 2023, all RUC types In April 2023 there were 49 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 1,113,611,035km at a value of $104,461,945.

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

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

16,166,434,103

$2,041,939,272

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

15,421,400,378

$2,069,615,049

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

16,204,803,262

$2,249,341,814

1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022

17,683,361,155

$1,710,831,998

1 Jan 2023 – 30 Apr 2023

5,848,179,597

$540,842,502

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Average monthly distance (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

11,502,905,782

958,575,482

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

10,952,303,565

912,691,964

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

11,427,917,860

952,326,488

1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022

13,375,038,937

1,114,586,578

1 Jan 2023 – 30 Apr 2023

4,299,799,189

1,074,949,797

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

100 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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

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

6

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

43

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

14

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

951

Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles

H94

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

33

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

408

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

Average monthly RUC purchases for year (All RUC types)

RUC purchases April for selected types RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types

By comparing distance purchased year to date with the same period for previous years, trends in changes to activity by RUC type vehicles will become clear.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 101

INCOMING CARGO

VGA INTRODUCES

ELECTRIC Since the latter half of the 2010s, Volvo Group has been on a charge to develop and implement a full range of battery-electric trucks while simultaneously investigating other forms of alternative propulsion technology. With the EV range now complete, Volvo Group Australia has wasted no time with a local introduction.

Story by Gavin Myers

T

raditionally held ahead of the Brisbane Truck Show, the 2023 Volvo Group Australia Sustainability Summit was a double-highlight event. On the back of last year’s celebrations for its 50th anniversary of truck production in Australia, the VGA team was celebrating having just handed over the 75,000th truck produced at its Wacol facility and delivered locally – an FH16 700 tractor unit for long-standing customer, Hills Tankers.

“With this truck, VGA has demonstrated that automotive manufacturing is alive and well in Australia. Our Wacol plant has been operating since 1972, and it’s earned us a place in the Australian Made campaign – we’re proud to say that every Volvo

Photos by Gavin Myers and Volvo Group Australia

we build carries the iconic green-and-gold Australian Made logo,” said Gary Bone, vice president Volvo Group Australia.

“The plant operates without any government subsidies and supports 1500 staff and approximately 85 local suppliers, delivering more than 3500 different components.

“When we built our 60,000th truck in 2017, we said we were here to stay.

Here we are six years later, and we’ve produced 25% of that number again. Given the economic conditions we’ve experienced in that time, that’s nothing short of phenomenal,” says Bone.

With orders extending well into 2024, VGA has now set its sights on the future, introducing Volvo’s line-up of heavy electric models. The

102 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

FH Electric debuted at the summit, with the FM Electric following at the Brisbane Truck Show – these being the first two heavy electric Volvos to land in the region. The FMX Electric can be ordered and will be available as a prime mover.

Martin Merrick, president Volvo Group Australia, says customers are already latching on. More than 80 orders are in the pipeline for EVs, with the first vehicles delivered. At the end of 2022, the largest order for the lighter FL Electric in the world was made by Team Global Express. At the Brisbane Truck Show in May, the first order for a 6x4 FMX Electric heavy-duty prime mover was placed by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

VGA intends to build the FH and FM Electric at the Wacol

plant by 2027. All 11 dealer partners within Australia and New Zealand will be EV-certified.

Bone says VGA is poised to support customers with the transition. “The electric ecosystem is all about connectivity. Our ICE trucks are the most connected in the market, and we’ve enhanced that for our EVs. We’ll be able to run route simulations for every truck in a fleet to ensure it returns home with plenty of energy to spare. We want to remove ‘range anxiety’ from the dialect. Financial services and R&M are also lined up.”

With an expected six to eight years in the average fleet, every electric Volvo will have full R&M for up to eight years.

Merrick says VGA’s ambition is to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030.

Volvo Trucks is the only OEM offering an electric version of its full range of trucks.

“Thirty-five per cent of freight in Australia is covered in urban areas, perfect for EVs. Charging is not the barrier we have right now…

The barrier right now is legislation. If we don’t get legislation change, we won’t meet those targets – that’s a concern.

“A recent report made it clear that focusing on heavyduty trucks gives a better reduction in CO2 emissions – a typical truck produces 111 tonnes per annum compared to 2.84 tonnes of a passenger car. If you electrify 10 urban delivery vehicles, that reduces the emissions by the equivalent of 56 households purchasing an EV. “We are committed. We strongly urge government at all levels to work together, create a task force and work through this legislation issue now. We have the technology, the factory, dealer network and customers – we are ready,” Merrick reiterates.

Global picture In Brisbane for the summit and the Brisbane Truck Show, Roger Alm, president and CEO Volvo Trucks, and Per-Erik Lindstrom, senior vice-president Volvo Trucks International, discussed

Volvo’s current global position.

Since beginning serial production of the FE and FL Electric in 2019 and the FH, FM and FMX in September 2022, Volvo has sold more than 5000 electric trucks to about 1000 customers across 40 countries.

“Our ambition is for 50% of our global volume sold to be battery or fuel cell by 2030. By 2040, we aim for all trucks sold to be net-zero emission trucks,” says Alm. “This is necessary to meet the Paris Agreement. It’s a very ambitious target, but we are investing heavily to be a leader in the transformation.”

The move to electric goes beyond just the product and customer operations. Says Alm: “We welcome further cooperation with other companies to roll out charging infrastructure, as we’ve done in Europe and the US.” There’s also a plan for aged batteries. “We will buy back batteries from customers to put into second-life use. We believe there will be a good future business using them in power banks, which we will operate with Volvo Penta – for example, in countries where power production is a problem.”

From left: Roger Alm, president and CEO Volvo Trucks; Per-Erik Lindstrom, senior vice-president Volvo Trucks International; Gary Bone, vice president Volvo Group Australia; Martin Merrick, president Volvo Group Australia.

While battery technology develops, Volvo is also pushing forward with the development of its e-axle technology. It’s also targeting the end of the decade for serial production of hydrogen fuel cells, being developed through the Cellcentric joint venture with Daimler. (Detailed in the May 2023 issue.)

“There’s no silver bullet solution. We have 13000 engineers working daily to find solutions for the future, and we have the financial muscle to work with the

different solutions (including internal combustion and renewable fuels),” says Lindstrom.

He sums up: “We feel extremely confident. We’re prepared to increase production volume big time for all the solutions we have, including internal combustion.”

Turn to page 50 for an exclusive drive report on the FH Electric.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2023 103

KNOWING YOUR TYRES

TREADWEAR AND DAMAGE Vipal Rubber presents valuable information to help you get the most from your tyres. This month, we look at even more examples of treadwear and damage.

PART 3

T

yres are a significant investment for transport companies, making it essential to determine the factors that can lead to their demise.

Exposure of protective belt Appearance: Tyre worn to point of exposing edge of belt.

Probable causes: Mechanical problem, such as misalignment of the axle etc.

Actions: Remove tyre from service.

Precaution: Perform regular maintenance.

Excessive wear on one shoulder

Lug torn Appearance: Lug torn partially or completely from the base of the design.

Probable causes: Excessive torque, tread depth not suitable to the application, incorrect design for the application and aggressive drive behaviour.

Actions: Consult your tyre dealer/ retreader to repair or retread casing.

Precaution: Remove tyre from service. Repair or retread.

104 New Zealand Trucking

Partial tread lifted

Appearance: Excessive wear on one side of tyre.

Probable causes: Excessive toe, excessive axle camber, overloaded or twisted axle.

Actions: Change tyre position on the trailer. If excessively worn, retread.

Precaution: Perform maintenance on the vehicle.

Appearance: A portion of the tread is lifted, non-buffed surface is noticed. A puncture is evident on the inner liner.

Probable causes: Nail puncture.

Actions: Retread again if possible.

Precaution: None.

June 2023

Hella NZ

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BUSINESS UPDATE

ILLUMINATING HISTORY HELLA New Zealand is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the automotive and marine lighting industry.

Since launching in 1973, HELLA New Zealand has focused on designing and manufacturing premium quality products.

O

ver the past five decades, HELLA New Zealand has grown significantly as a business by incorporating modern production techniques and heavily investing in new lighting technology. One of the biggest achievements was becoming the first in the world to achieve ECE compliance for a high-level brake light using lightemitting diodes (LEDs).

The foundational product range, DuraLED, has revolutionised the transport industry, offering energy-efficient LED lighting with unparalleled reliability and durability. To date, the DuraLED and Jumbo ranges continue as benchmarks for transport operators across New Zealand and Australia.

Every product that leaves HELLA New Zealand’s facilities is individually tested, and every order line is QA inspected.

On-site testing facilities subject products to extremes of temperature, intense UV light and exposure to chemicals. They are also trialled in humid and salt-laden conditions to ensure that they perform under stresses that greatly exceed those of most real-world situations.

The Auckland facilities cover some 7500m2 and boast state-of-the-art, highly automated manufacturing capabilities.

Huge investment has been made in computer-controlled moulding machines that enable extremely precise moulding tolerances to be achieved, down to as little as plus or minus 0.02mm.

Additionally, the Waihi electronics plant, purpose-built in 2007, boasts the latest automated, high-precision assembly

Celebrating 50 years of production in New Zealand. Clockwise from top: The HELLA factory floor, Waihi electronics manufacturing, the HELLA DuraLED Combi taillight, electronics design in action.

systems. In 2013 the plant became self-sufficient in printed circuit board assemblies (PCBAs) production. This facility places a staggering 53,000 LEDs onto PCBAs every working day, totalling 12.8 million LEDs per year (in 2022).

In accordance with HELLA’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the Auckland factory uses 100% renewable energy, and 95% of waste material generated during the moulding process gets recycled into packing trays and glue tubes, and for purging machines between different types of plastics.

New Zealand’s maritime history, worldclass boat building and yacht racing success saw HELLA New Zealand become the global headquarters for

Hella marine in 2004. The company has since created the iconic NaviLED LED navigation lamp range, which has cemented its position as a leader in marine lighting.

Fifty years on, HELLA New Zealand is a world-class design and manufacturing facility with the latest high-tech equipment. With strong customer loyalty and support, the company looks forward to continuing to provide the transport and marine industries with the best possible lighting solutions for many years to come.

To commemorate this significant milestone, HELLA is celebrating by offering weekly and monthly giveaways, with a total prize pool of $50,000. To enter, head to hella50year.co.nz

B T

106 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

NZT 23

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PRODUCT PROFILE

Three-in-one PROTECTION Cooling system problems can cause significant unanticipated downtime. Once problems from overheating start, they spread throughout the engine. And because today’s lower-emission engines can run extremely hot, it’s more important than ever to catch cooling problems before they lead to major engine overhauls.

T

here are myriad coolant options available for fleets. The ALL FLEET HDD Coolant provides exceptional summer cooling and excellent freezing protection during winter.

ALL FLEET HDD Coolant is a fully formulated, high-quality, long-life, heavy-duty diesel engine coolant based on hybrid technology, which offers conventional technology coupled with

Keep it clean Regular truck washing helps extend the life of your fleet. Having a cleaning schedule protects against rust and corrosion.

Auto Star Fleet & Truck Wash is a concentrated liquid soap that can be used in pressure washers. It features a thick, rich foam that safely removes dirt, bugs and grime.

KEY BENEFITS • pH-balanced formulation safe for all paint types

• enhanced surfactants produce longlasting, deep, rich foam that lifts and holds dirt in suspension, preventing it from re-attaching to the vehicle’s surface • generates excellent beading action preventing water spotting • concentrated formulation mixes with water, reducing usage cost • available in 20L and 200L.

Organic Acid Technology.

The product is a three-in-one – offering anti-freeze (-37°C), anti-rust and anti-boil.

It has a service life of six years, 12,000 hours or 1,000,000km – whichever comes first.

Hybrid technology coolants have the advantage of being more robust than conventional and organic acid-technology engine coolants.

The low silicate, phosphate and aminefree product is recommended for use in automotive, light-duty and heavy-duty diesel applications, namely on road and offroad trucks, as well as farm and marine equipment.

ALL FLEET HDD provides excellent high-temperature aluminium protection

and does not require an initial charge of supplemental coolant additives (SCAs) upon initial fill in heavy-duty diesel applications, as the product is specially formulated to protect heavy-duty diesel wet sleeve liners.

ALL FLEET HDD meets the requirements for Caterpillar, Cummins, Mack, Detroit Diesel, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, MAN, Mercedes-Benz, MTU, New Holland, Peterbilt, Land Rover, Kenworth, Scania, Perkins, Freightliner and Volvo. It is available in concentrate and pre-mixed formulas.

The ALL FLEET HDD Coolant and Auto Star Fleet & Truck Wash is available at NAPA Auto Parts. Visit napa.co.nz or call 088 800 073 to find your nearest branch.

KEY FEATURES • phosphate-free and body shop-safe formula • red liquid with plum fragrance • concentrated (mix 1:100)

Hybrid technology coolants have the advantage of being more robust than conventional and organic acidtechnology engine coolants.

108 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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Central Region: Pukekohe to Wellington. South Region: South Island.

PRODUCT UPDATE

MYTRUCKING GETS BETTER ON THE GO Business is set to get easier for MyTrucking customers with the roll out of the new and improved MyTrucking Mobile App.

T

he MyTrucking Mobile App is loved by MyTrucking customers for its ease and simplicity. But it has now been kicked up a gear, making it better and more intuitive.

The new Mobile App is a complete rebuild based on customer feedback and the latest platform-specific technology, which means improved user performance and a range of new features.

MyTrucking head of customer success, Nikola Berryman, says the new app release is an exciting step forward.

“Running your trucking business has never been easier with the release of MyTrucking’s new mobile app,” Berryman says. “Knowing that customers enjoy the functionality of the existing app, the new version has a similar look and feel to it – but better.”

NEW FEATURES INCLUDE: • individual job accept – jobs can be ‘accepted’ one at a time, allowing drivers to signal jobs they are performing or about to select. This is ideal for those drivers who share a list of jobs or want to indicate their next one • select whether jobs are sorted by pickup time or delivery time – drivers who have multiple drop-offs can now have jobs displayed in the preferred time order • adjustable text size – the app will respond to the device settings, allowing drivers to select a size that’s easy to read • multiple image select – when adding photos to a job from your phone gallery, multiple images can be selected simultaneously, making this task much quicker and easier • queue completed jobs – drivers working outside of data coverage can now complete jobs and be 100% confident that, once they are in range

110 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

again, jobs will automatically be returned • time and location data captured in images – any images taken by drivers will now have the time and GPS location saved with the image.

This means the information is safely captured and stored and easy to find if needed again.

Existing MyTrucking customers may notice two versions of the MyTrucking Mobile App in the app store. MyTrucking wants drivers to upgrade to the new app when it suits them, and the new app was created so that it can run at the same time as the old one. In the coming

months, MyTrucking will retire the old app, giving customers plenty of notice to switch.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance the MyTrucking experience for our customers. We know the mobile app is a widely used and popular feature of MyTrucking, and this latest app release delivers on our commitment to continuous improvement, making sure we deliver the best product we can for users,” concludes Berryman.

MyTrucking is the brainchild of Wairarapa couple Sam and Sara Orsborn, who wanted to bring a new level of simplicity, automation,and mobility to trucking businesses nationwide.

MyTrucking is a simple and practical transport management programme to replace old-fashioned diary systems, creating efficiency and savings for customers.

Servicing Cardan shaft park brakes A new method for testing Cardan shaft park brakes (also known as transmission type park brakes) was introduced on 1 December 2022.

Service providers must be able to correctly diagnose, maintain and adjust these brakes to the manufacturers’ specifications in order for them to pass the new in-service test, especially if they have already failed.

When servicing a Cardan shaft park brake, the following steps should be followed: • Only use lining materials that are recommended by the manufacturer. The linings for Cardan shaft park brakes tend to be a softer compound than normal service brake linings.

• Brake drums and shoes may need to be radiused in the same manner as other drum brakes.

• Some burnishing of the linings will help to bed in the new parts.

• Cables, linkages and actuators must move freely and be correctly adjusted, especially if a bell-crack is used.

• Brake shoe to drum clearance must be minimal but not induce any drag.

• Always refer to the manufacturers’ specifications.

For more information, including a video on servicing Cardan shaft park brakes, visit: nzta.govt.nz/cardanbrakes 23-EX-024

SCANIA CELEBRATES TOP RANKING

truck brand was and why.

S

cania knows Kiwi truckies are a discerning bunch, which is why the overwhelming results meant ‘truckloads’ to the world-leading brand.

The survey garnered 720 respondents.

Spoiler alert – Scania came out tops, by a long way.

Scania New Zealand managing director, Rafael Alvarenga, says there is nothing better for a brand and a team than to see the results of its focus and effort strongly validated by its most important critics – its customers and industry peers.

“The Scania NZ team works tirelessly to make its customers’ needs its top

priority, so to come out as No.1 across so many categories, from safety to comfort and performance to sustainability, is incredibly motivating as we always continue to look to improve,” he adds.

Alvarenga says one of the survey’s most gratifying results for his team’s hard work and focus in making the brand aspirational is the noticeable increase when comparing the number of truckies who already drive a Scania with those who would prefer to drive one if they had the choice.

“It really does speak volumes,” says Alvarenga, “…just like the sound of a Scania 770S V8 under full load climbing up the Kaimais!”

He is also very proud to say this stakeholder success has not come about by chance.

Scania NZ has an ongoing programme of strategic investments across its

Survey results Truck brands driven by respondents: Scania 29% Kenworth 28% Volvo 18% All other brands 25%

Top three preferred trucks to drive: Scania 41% Kenworth 32% Volvo 27%

Scania ranked #1 in every category surveyed across all brands Comfort: Safety: Sustainability: Performance Efficiency: Service & parts: OVERALL:

Scania rated No.1 for driver comfort Scania rated No.1 for safety features Scania rated No.1 for brands doing their bit for people/planet Scania rated No.1 for performance from torque to tonnage Scania rated No.1 for low running costs Scania rated No.1 for locations/availability Scania rated No.1 as the best heavy truck overall Scan to view the full results

112 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

national and regional networks to ensure its renowned customer service maintains pace with the brand’s ever-expanding presence in the country.

Encouragingly, they are investments that speak directly to many of the categories canvassed in the survey, such as after-sales servicing and parts, performance, training and sustainability.

Greater reach into the regions – Scania now enjoys a stable of 25 nation-wide service centres, 10 of which are Scania-owned branches.

Most recent additions to the network include Hastings, Hautapu and Hokitika, with major upgrades in Whangarei and Christchurch coming soon and new facilities set for Invercargill and Hastings next year The National Training Development Centre in Christchurch – which is about developing Scania technicians and ensuring best-practice, productivity, efficiency and the latest technology is maximised when servicing vehicles The expansion of driver services, training and skills – a focus on improving fleet vehicles’ performance and customer profitability The new Business Transformation Team – launched last year to ensure the Scania business plans and acts sustainably alongside its day-today operations, covering areas from digitalisation to network development.

“We aim to be the industry’s preferred solution provider, delivering premium products and services in a sustainable way with a strong dealer network. That is our commitment to customers and the ongoing focus of our fantastic team,” says Alvarenga.

“So, thanks again for being such an important part of our journey.”

19-0623-T

Thank you. That’s the overriding sentiment from Scania New Zealand to the country’s trucking community following a recent online survey undertaken in partnership with New Zealand Trucking, that asked drivers and owners what their preferred

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19-0623-T

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CARRIERS’ CORNER

MUCH TO PONDER Vast and varied musings from an overthinking transport operator…

A

s I sit here venting away on the (transport) world around me, Auckland is again in a state of emergency thanks to another spectacular deluge. Surely Mother Nature has just about run out of precipitation to throw on our direction?

Beyond keeping abreast of the gargantuan efforts of our team to navigate our fleet to higher ground safely, I’ve been intrigued by photos of suburban residents clearing blocked drains with an array of versatile garden implements. The intrigue isn’t directed at their impressive creativity and elbow grease, but rather that preventative drain clearing isn’t being done ahead of time by what is surely a record-sized fleet of vacuum and hydro trucks sitting across the country. No doubt it’s somehow linked to Covid-19, labour shortages, or any other raft of current ‘hot’ justifications.

In a very different vein, I was just as interested to see that March 2023 produced another new record of truck registrations. It’s intriguing because, for many, it’s the end of the financial year and we are trying to contain costs, and also because at a time when interest and vehicle pricing are at some of the highest rates seen in a very long time, the cost of acquisition is a somewhat different equation to what it might’ve been 12 months ago.

The former potentially highlights the profit that many companies were trying to reduce before year-end, and in the case of the latter, I’ll assume that a fair portion of the new registrations were long-held orders finally hitting New Zealand shores.

Lead times from cab and chassis suppliers and their bodybuilding peers wouldn’t suggest momentum will slow down. What’s become apparent, though, in my own fleet and involvement with other operations, is the double whammy that comes with these lead times and the additional costs they produce. There’s the purchase and interest costs and the unrequested ‘bonus’ in the extra 12 to 24 months of R&M on an asset we would rather have let go.

114 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

There’s no doubt fleet selection and ownership are a balancing act at the best of times, but the current necessity to manage the short- and long-term needs of one’s fleet at a time when we head into a potential economic storm, is cryptic at best!

Alas, we all know that supply challenges aren’t reserved solely for new asset purchases. Labour supply (a term I despise but seems to be the coined descriptor) continues to wreak havoc on businesses and industries countrywide. I was recently involved in recruitment in Central Auckland, which opened my eyes to the extent employers are currently going to retain staff at literally any cost. The wage rates and overall packages being put to some relatively inexperienced members of the workforce blew my mind, more so the cost and obligation that many operators were signing themselves up for in a bid to keep the driver’s seat warm.

While I accept the market forces at play, this will surely prove harmful to us all in the long-term through increasing our costs of doing business and ability to reinvest profits, and equally when we find ourselves having to drive a recruitment bargain with such rates and rewards in place.

As things toughen economically, I remain of the view that stability of employment and a focus on the smaller details will trump the heightened spot rates some may be projecting into the market. Operators may no longer be able to fund and justify all they lavishly roll out to lure recruits.

On the topic of comings and goings, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the contribution to the industry of Transporting New Zealand CEO Nick Leggett. Association allegiances aside

– you may well have your own view on Nick’s contribution – few can deny the impact he’s had on heightening the media profile of our sector and generally putting a face to the industry in Wellington. I suspect Nick’s move to Infrastructure New Zealand will prove valuable for our industry; insiders suggest you can never have too many friends in the streets surrounding the Beehive.

My final rant also happens to link to infrastructure, sadly, this time concerning its misuse. Early on 17 May, just north of Hamilton, a driver decided to enter the Waikato Expressway the wrong way, rapidly driving towards oncoming traffic, tragically resulting in a double fatality.

One of our units was travelling in the lane directly adjacent to the vehicle that was hit and was party to some minor collateral damage.

Three things have resonated for me after this tragic event. First, even our newest and technically safest infrastructure can present immense risks to our teams when the human element is added – I’m sure the engineers behind the road design hadn’t ever factored in two-way traffic on the same side of the expressway!

Second, the necessity of well-designed infrastructure to prevent further impact on other road users – as much as we may dislike barriers, the fact there was one down the median of the road stopped further carnage in the adjacent lanes.

And, finally, the value of equipping our fleet with comprehensive telematic and camera equipment – the picture painted (and graphically replayed) after the event thanks to such technology is priceless and beyond valuable in piecing together the details.

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.

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T t

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Blake Noble is managing director of Transcon, a 16-truck general-freight operation based in Warkworth, north of Auckland. He is also the founder of specialist transport growth and advisory provider Delivery. Head to getdelivery.nz to connect with Blake.

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TRA 23

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TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

MIND YOURSELF You may hear ‘mindset’ and immediately think of yoga retreats, meditation and kale smoothies. But there is a more simplistic and relatable meaning of mindset. It simply means your way of seeing or framing things, and it can be the make or break of achieving your health goals.

H

aving a positive mindset is important in all facets of life, especially regarding your health and wellbeing. I have worked with many clients who know how to get healthier, fitter and stronger – their battle is with their mindset.

It’s a huge topic that can’t be thoroughly covered here, but I want to identify the type of mindset that can be helpful when trying to achieve health and fitness goals.

Have a positive mindset I understand that this is easier said than done. I don’t mean taking all the challenges that life throws at you and smiling and pretending everything is okay – I suggest having a positive frame around what you want to achieve.

For example, a negative mindset would be, “I can’t eat chocolate cake because it makes me fat.” A positive mindset would be, “I’m going to eat this chicken stir-fry because it tastes good and it makes me feel good.”

It is just a simple reframing of what you’re doing and why. Talking to yourself about ‘not being fat anymore’ puts you subconsciously in a negative frame of mind.

Compliment yourself and celebrate milestones It is very easy to be hard on yourself and not appreciate the effort you’re making.

This leans into the positive versus negative frame as well. For example,

“I only walked 5km, that’s terrible – I should be walking at least 8km,” versus, “Awesome, I walked 5km today. That’s much better than just sitting on the couch.”

If you are thrown by constant selfcriticisms, you will never feel like you are good enough and will be more likely to give up. Whereas, if you give yourself small pats on the back each day for the little things you’ve done and achieved, you are more likely to feel accomplished and excited to keep on with the progress.

Surround yourself with like-minded people The people around you can make a positive mindset either very difficult or very achievable. There will always be a bit of teasing from your mates if you are cutting down on the pies or having fewer beersies on a Friday night. It is all fine in jest, but we do need to remember that being around people who share similar values on their health and fitness can make a world of difference. They can create a support network and help reaffirm that what you’re doing is worth it in the grand scheme of things.

“Ah, well, the whole day is ruined now”, and proceed to have fish and chips and takeaways for the rest of the day.

Missing one training session or having one ‘naughty’ meal hasn’t ruined your entire week – just make your next meal healthy or get an exercise session in at the next chance. This means you’re not writing off an entire week – or month – and will get to your goals quicker.

Resist the urge of boredom Eating the same food or doing the same style of exercise can get boring. When bored, we can often get distracted and go completely off track. Instead of having an all-or-nothing approach, take a broader stance and be more flexible. This may be a change of training style.

Just because you’re bored of walking doesn’t mean you’re bored of exercise and you must stop completely – just try something new. Being sick of the foods you’re eating doesn’t mean you’re sick of eating healthy, it means you need to add more variety into your diet. There is a huge list of healthy foods.

Eating well and exercising is not a punishment. It is a reward and should be seen as an accomplishment. You are giving back to yourself and investing the time and energy to feel good, which will, in turn, give back in many other areas of your life.

Learn to reframe and pivot The temptation to let one diet ‘slip-up’ or missed training session ruin your whole week is overwhelming. I’m sure you can relate – if you miss a training Monday, you might let Tuesday slide and think, “I’ll start fresh next week.” Or you have a chocolate bar or pie at morning tea and then think,

It is just a simple reframing of what you’re doing and why...

Laura Hulley Personal trainer

116 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

NZT 19

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

OF COMMON SENSE AND BEING CAREFUL Safewise is turning 15 this year! The approach to safety remains the same.

I

have spent almost 15 years discussing common sense and its close relative – being careful. My regular clients talk about these with a glint in their eye – waiting for me to react. Other people still talk about common sense and being careful as valid health and safety approaches.

Common sense depends on our life experiences. Put a 15-year-old farm kid in the same space as a 15-year-old city kid and see what happens. Put a 16-year-old in the same workplace as experienced adults and see what happens.

When we rely on people doing what they think is best to protect themselves and others, we play Russian roulette with people’s lives.

Educate workers on how you want tasks done and how you don’t. Then you can talk about common knowledge.

‘Be careful’ is a lovely fluffy instruction.

It sounds great, caring and kind. But it doesn’t provide actions. Educate workers as above and give them best-practice rules to follow – wear safety glasses, park

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in that spot, don’t lift the guard…

The other day I was told, not for the first time, that “the hazard has been eliminated because the accident-prone person has left”. ‘Accident-prone’ might be the new addition to my commonsense-and-be-careful list of manager/ employer-abdication-of-responsibility terms.

How can Safewise help?

We work with organisations that need more health and safety knowledge or more time than they have in-house.

For more information, check the website, safewise.co.nz

Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Ltd, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 15 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.

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: (09) 985 5609 mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@trafficlawyerauckland.co.nz Referral Through Solicitor Required and Arranged

118 New Zealand Trucking June May 2023 2023

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LEGAL LINES

SCAMS Cyber fraud seems to be on the rise, and even the wary can be duped. The online world is home to all manner of fraudsters with a scam to suit everyone. Being tricked into parting with my personal information or hard-earned cash is a scary prospect so I decided to look at ways to keep myself safe.

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What are the warning signs?

Scammers like to pressure you to decide or do a deal by creating a sense of urgency. This is a giant red flag. Take the time to do some due diligence, talk it through with someone you trust or contact the source to verify it’s genuine.

If you can’t get the answers you need, alarm bells should be ringing.

Scammers often try to move you out of places that give you protection and onto less traceable platforms. So if you started communicating with someone on Trade Me, stay there and don’t accept their excuses for wanting to move elsewhere. Asking to be paid for goods with gift cards is another warning sign.

If you’re buying an item and the seller wants to be paid in iTunes vouchers, it should put you on high alert.

There are a few simple ways to protect yourself online. Use unique, long passwords and change these regularly.

Never give your passwords or pin to anyone. If in doubt, check with your bank before giving personal details or making a payment.

120 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

email address that has contacted you. If the scammer has already been reported, this may confirm your suspicions.

• Look at the details in the email. If there are statements of reliability and phrases like “we are not a scam”, chances are it is a scam.

• When purchasing online, be weary of reports that only one item is left.

What to do if you’re unsure?

Identifying a scam e-mail Here are some ways to conduct simple tests to confirm the legitimacy of an e-mail, which has become a standard mode of communication for online fraudsters: • Consider whether you’ve signed up to receive e-mail notifications and reminders from the business that contacted you. An unsolicited e-mail should be a red flag.

• Look at the email address from which the message was sent – you can often distinguish a genuine email address from a fake one because it will be similar but incorrect.

• The email might be missing specific details you’d expect the business to know.

• If there are spelling mistakes or the grammar is incorrect, this is highly suspicious.

• Contact the police to see if they have received any information or complaints about scams from the

If you’re unsure whether you’ve received a legitimate email, you can hover over buttons or links to view the website address they’ll take you to before clicking on it. Never give out your personal details or payment details, and do not reply to the email.

In many cases businesses will have an email address to which you can send the email, and they can reply to you to let you know whether it’s a scam email. I sent a phishing email, which purportedly came from the NZTA, to reportscams@ nzta.govt.nz to report it, and then I deleted it.

I would also recommend checking that your device is protected by antivirus and anti-spyware software.

Organisations such as Netsafe provide free information and expert advice to help keep people safe online, so make use of their services.

If you have mistakenly provided a scammer with your personal details, contact your bank immediately and ask them to stop the suspicious payment.

You may also need to request a new credit or debit card. It’s also sensible to report the incident through your local police station and their cyber-crime division.

F F

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice, and if you have a particular matter to be addressed, you should consult with a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law, and she can be contacted on (09) 985 5609 or 021 326 642.

166-0922

hy do we fall for online scams?

The common thread running throughout all scams is that they exploit your trust. This is true of many types of fraud, whether an online shopping scam, investment scheme or a request for a loan from a supposed romantic flame. They rely on us not doing the checks we should because we trust them. Instead of trusting the scammers, we need to start trusting our intuition.

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RECESSION A recession can be challenging for any business, but it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.

A

recession can allow businesses to re-evaluate their strategies, streamline their operations, and emerge stronger than ever. Here are some positive steps that companies can take to weather a recession:

Innovate and adapt During a recession, businesses must think outside the box and innovate to meet new challenges. They can create new revenue streams and find new opportunities by adapting to changing consumer needs and preferences. This can involve exploring new markets, launching new products or services, or investing in technology to increase efficiency. By improving efficiency, businesses can reduce costs and increase productivity, which can be critical during a recession.

Focus on customer experience During tough times, customers are looking for value and excellent service.

By focusing on customer experience, businesses can create loyal customers who will continue to support them during

122 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

the recession and beyond. This could involve offering personalised services, building loyalty programmes or offering flexible payment options.

innovating, embracing cost-cutting and increasing efficiency and planning, businesses can weather the storm and come out on top.

Embrace cost-cutting While cost-cutting is never easy, it can be an essential step for businesses to remain viable during a recession. By finding ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality, businesses can streamline operations and become more efficient. This could involve consolidating office space, negotiating better deals with suppliers, or reducing staff.

Plan for the future Finally, businesses should always have an eye on the future, even during a recession. This means having a plan in place that addresses shifts in industry trends and preparing for potential market changes. By planning for the future, businesses can position themselves for long-term success, even in uncertain economic times.

A recession can be a challenging time for businesses, but it can also be an opportunity for growth and innovation.

By focusing on customer experience,

Roylance Watson is a chartered accountant and associate at Vazey Child Chartered Accountants in Hamilton.

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info@nztruckingassn.co.nz

PREVENT HARM BEFORE IT OCCURS

A

n important factor in achieving safety in your workplace is good work design. Prevent harm before it occurs by designing work tasks, systems and equipment to optimise workplace health and safety, worker performance, worker wellbeing, job satisfaction and business success.

Implementing, improving and developing good work design in the workplace is essential in helping to reduce psychosocial harm, increase productivity and benefit worker wellbeing. Identifying where good work design is required involves considering the systems, processes, physical environment and emotional demands of performing a task. After consultation with workers and experts, put in a system or procedure that applies good work design.

As a PCBU, seeking continuous workplace improvement is important to prevent harm before it occurs. Harm is a hazard that must be managed. If you have staff, it is crucial you understand an employer’s duty-of-care responsibilities and the importance of providing the highest level of protection to workers that is reasonably practicable.

Take the first steps towards achieving and improving good work design by clearly comprehending what it is and what approaches can be taken to accomplish good work design. Here are some examples: • Assess the work environment by taking a company risk assessment.

Evaluate the current state of your company, including job roles and tasks.

This assessment will help identify areas that require improvement and set the foundation for achieving good work design.

• Consider the ergonomic design of vehicles and equipment to minimise physical strain and fatigue. For example, vehicle features such as adjustable seats, steering wheel and pedals.

• Use of technology and automation

124 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

to reduce workload and increase safety.

For example, automatic braking, fatigue detection, lane departure warning systems, chain throwing equipment and GPS tracking and telematics systems.

• Identify roles to optimise work processes and improve productivity.

Clarify and define objectives and responsibilities clearly.

• Implement workplace best practices.

This means providing adequate access, resource, time and active leadership support to develop, implement and monitor health and wellbeing practices.

• Prioritise training programmes/courses to empower workers and ensure they have the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their jobs safely and effectively.

• Enhance worker control over their work environment and tasks. Grant workers a degree of autonomy and decision-making authority within their role, which gives them a sense of ownership and promotes job satisfaction.

• Nurture and support the wellbeing of workers by reducing workplace stressors that can contribute to psychosocial harm.

For example, promoting work-life balance and redesigning work processes or schedules to reduce overload.

• Provide resources, support and the necessary tools to enable your team to perform tasks effectively and safely.

• Improve the effectiveness of communication channels. For example, regular team meetings, toolbox talks, feedback sessions and transparent communication about organisational changes.

• Continuously evaluate, adapt, monitor and reassess the effectiveness of any good work design procedures or processes that are implemented within your company.

The chain of responsibility (COR) states that everyone who works with heavy vehicles – from the business that employs a driver to the place where goods are delivered – is accountable

for safety. That being said, good work design within transport and logistics requires a collaborative approach between employers, leaders, workers and industry experts to identify and implement effective strategies to create safe and productive workplaces. Implementing good work design can help create a more positive workplace culture and an environment that promotes communication, respect and inclusivity, reducing the risk of harassment, bullying and other psychosocial hazards.

HARMfree Transport and Logistics can help businesses identify where good work design is required and guide you towards resources and experts to help improve overall operational success within your company. Existing good work design best practice procedures will be available to access and implement, along with hazard and risk assessment and risk identification resources.

The HARMfree Transport and Logistics programme is launching later this year.

It will provide transport business owners and health and safety managers with the tools to identify and manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace, including a good work design module. A lot of information is available on these issues, but you must search for it. Bringing all those resources and information into an easy-to-follow programme saves time for employers and is designed with easily implemented practical information.

The programme is shaped by the transport sector’s needs. We listen and learn from transport and logistics leaders who are on the ground, continually improving, expanding and evolving.

By meeting people, sharing ideas and collecting information, we are fine-tuning the HARMfree content to meet our industry’s needs.

If you would like to learn more about the HARMfree transport and logistics programme, please contact me at john.sansom@harmfree.nz

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Justin Tighe-Umbers CEO

THE TIME TO CHANGE INVESTMENT IN OUR ROADING INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOW

A

s the election draws closer, we see politicians starting to put a stake in the ground on what their parties stand for. The role of National Road Carriers is to ensure trucking operators get the policy settings they need to enable efficient and safe movement of goods regardless of which party, or parties, are in Parliament after 14 October.

NRC is advocating for developing a 50-year roading infrastructure plan that delivers a safe, productive and resilient network and helps New Zealanders and businesses connect to each other and the world.

The task has its challenges. For decades, investment in New Zealand’s local and national roading infrastructure has lagged well behind what’s needed for a safe, productive, durable roading network. The lack of investment is increasingly visible across New Zealand’s roading network – from routes that are not resilient to weather events, to damaging potholes, to roads and lanes that are too narrow and unsafe.

Aside from the impact on truck drivers and the wider transport industry, the state of our roads is seriously affecting the country’s productivity. Investment in roading is easy for local and central governments to delay in the short term, often for legitimate reasons and without obvious consequences. But, as we see

now, the impact when it occurs becomes increasingly expensive to fix. This approach is unsustainable and effectively pushes the cost of maintaining and improving today’s roads onto the next generation of New Zealanders.

In March, Waka Kotahi released a refreshed version of the 30-year plan for the land transport system. This is a key step towards getting the roading network we need. However, without reliable

technology needs are anticipated over time, as well as attracting investment where necessary.

The funding model needs to consider the total value quality roading infrastructure provides to New Zealand, including the economic and social return on investment. NRC favours an investment-based funding model rather than the current consumption-based funding system.

Any long-term plan needs to address the elephant in the room – we have a poor track record in delivering big infrastructure projects on time. funding and governance to implement it, free from conflict with short-term government priorities or other interests, it is difficult for the trucking industry and the infrastructure businesses building our roads to plan and invest for the long term.

Any long-term plan needs to address the elephant in the room – we have a poor track record in delivering big infrastructure projects on time. It needs to meet New Zealand’s broader longterm economic, social and climate objectives, supported by a pathway that includes understanding what engineering and construction methods, labour and

And all of this must be underpinned by evidence and expertise. Quality long-term solutions must be based on modelling that reflects expected demand, technology evolution and climate change.

Planning and maintenance decisions should draw on the experience of those using the road network – collaboration is key.

So, NRC’s commitment to the industry is clear, and we intend to hold the government accountable for these important issues. We have drawn a line in the sand on what the road transport sector needs to be safe, productive and resilient. The time for action is now.

* **

126 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

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Transporting New Zealand can be contacted on (04) 472 3877

Nick Leggett

or info@transporting.nz

outgoing CEO

Focus to remain on

INFRASTRUCTURE

A

s I depart Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, I can reflect on my time advocating for the industry and the obvious alignment with my new role at Infrastructure New Zealand.

We are at a pivotal crossroads regarding the provision of infrastructure.

The standard, scale and specification of so much of our transport, housing, communications and utilities is no longer fit for purpose and is either over capacity or failing. While the private sector must take its fair share of responsibility for this, the public sector is mostly to blame for most of the infrastructure gap. Unfortunately, political and bureaucratic neglect, some of it fuelled by the ignorance and ideology of antidevelopment activism, has resulted in at least two decades of underinvestment.

We now have a massive infrastructure deficit, a deficit that Treasury estimates to be about $210 billion. While the word ‘crisis’ is used liberally these days, it is hard to judge a problem of this scale as anything else.

One of the biggest challenges we face over the next 20 to 30 years is how we catch up and pay for all the infrastructure needed. Better roads and transport systems remain a major part of that mix and will continue to be critical to maintaining economic prosperity and quality of life.

I look forward to my new role and asking the key questions about how we fund what we need to build, how we build it and who will be available to do the work.

I can’t mention infrastructure without a quick comment on the state of the Cook Strait ferry services. Not only are the continual mechanical breakdowns and staff shortages inconveniencing thousands of people, but they are providing significant safety concerns and a significant headache for transport operators. The disruption to some of Transporting New Zealand’s members has been so great, I have had operators phone me in serious distress about how they can satisfy their contracts

128 New Zealand Trucking June 2023

and continue moving freight. This situation is, frankly, unacceptable.

While the Bluebridge and Interislander services have both been impacted, the government on behalf of New Zealanders, holds the share in KiwiRail, and in my opinion, must be held accountable for its lack of reliability and fragility.

I am extremely proud to have represented an industry full of so many hardworking men and women dedicated to getting the job done. There was no better illustration of that than during the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic and the government-imposed lockdowns.

Under extremely stressful circumstances, and while the rest of the country was staying safe at home, the road transport industry kept the supermarkets stocked and got our exports to market.

The resilience of this industry is also something that cannot be underestimated.

Whether it’s a pandemic, earthquake,

flood, cyclone or just an unhelpful economic environment, the trucks keep rolling, and the freight keeps moving.

Transporting New Zealand is and will remain a strong advocate for the industry, but its effectiveness is frustratingly diluted by the industry continuing to accept a structure of three representative organisations instead of one. This makes no sense and is continually used to undermine the strength of our advocacy.

I will forever remain a supporter of those who actively work for one industry body.

Finally, let me wish Warwick Wilshier and his team on the Board of Transporting New Zealand every success in the future. I also want to acknowledge Transporting New Zealand’s hardworking staff, and I know that I am leaving the organisation in good hands with Dom Kalasih stepping into the role of interim chief executive.

Conference tickets on sale Transporting New Zealand’s election year conference, A Changing World, is fast approaching, and tickets are on sale now.

The conference, to be held at the Lower Hutt Events Centre on 28 and 29 June, will provide the industry with a unique opportunity to engage with the transport spokespeople of our major political parties. Transport Minister Michael Wood, National’s Simeon Brown, Julie Anne Genter of the Greens, Simon Court from ACT and NZ First’s Shane Jones will all be there to debate the future of transport.

Speakers will also address other issues facing the transport industry. Cameron Bagrie will present on the state of the economy and what we can expect, Transporting New Zealand’s Green Compact will be discussed, and keynote speakers Phil O’Reilly (former head of Business NZ) and Katherine Rich (recently departed chief executive of the Food and

Grocery Council) will provide their take on advocacy for business.

Alongside the formal aspects of the programme, there will be plenty of opportunities to network and celebrate the ongoing success of our industry.

The conference will conclude with the traditional industry awards dinner.

You can purchase tickets for the full conference, individual days or either of the two dinner events through the Transporting New Zealand website.

More information can also be found on the conference programme, accommodation options and speakers.

Please go to transporting.nz/ conference.

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e are a third into 2023 (at the time of writing), and what a start it has been. We are only just beginning to see the election campaign get underway, and it will be an interesting few months as the battle to get hold of the Treasury benches cranks up. That is, of course, unless the prime minister decides to bring forward the election date.

It was more than a bit disturbing to read that a key element of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act – random roadside drug testing – due to come into effect on 11 March 2023 would not go ahead because the technology required to do it is not available. The Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Bill was introduced into the House in July 2020 as a component of the government’s Road-To-Zero strategy.

Is it too much to expect that somebody would have asked if the technology was available during its progress through the legislative process? It would appear not, or if they did, it was kept out of sight. (The act, which includes increased penalties for driving under the influence of drugs, did come into effect as planned on 11 March.)

It was interesting to read an article in The Dominion Post of 15 March, attributed to Len Gillman, a professor of biogeography at AUT, claiming that a reduction in the maximum speed limit to 80km/h on our roads would reduce emissions by approximately 15%. For more than 50 years, I have believed that fuel use was largely influenced by the engine’s speed,

not the vehicle’s road speed. Thus, we saw the introduction of gearboxes fitted with overdrives in the 1930s, culminating in the multi-speed gearbox we see today. It is also why we see green bands on the tachometer of many trucks following the gear-fast-run-slow principle, which allows the vehicle to operate in the most fuel-efficient rev range while maintaining the necessary torque to keep it moving. So, I am at a loss to understand what the professor is getting at – but, then, I never reached such dizzy heights of academia, either.

As one who used to fly a lot, going through security always bugged me. But these are the rules; if you want to fly, you must live with them. I read with interest, therefore, a story about a delay at the domestic terminal in Auckland when an aviation security officer saw what appeared to be a knife in a passenger’s baggage. A rescreening of bag showed no item resembling a knife, but nonetheless, aviation security decided that all passengers who had passed through security and waiting to board had to be rescreened while AvSec undertook a “sterile check” of the airside area. Nobody has asked is why, having established there was nothing suspicious via the second screening, it was necessary to then rescreen everybody who had already passed through security. Or was this just another example of “we have the power, so let’s use it”?

Delaying and/or scrapping some transport-related projects to focus on more important things will undoubtedly leave several people at NZTA pondering what to do next. I have a simple solution, give them all a pick, shovel and wheelbarrow and send them to Hawke’s Bay to help with the clean-up. And when that’s finished, send them out to fix potholes. It will keep them gainfully employed for years, and at the end of each day, they will actually have something to show for their efforts. What PR they could spin from this.

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Memo to the Minister of Transport Minister, I note in your press release of 22 March 2023 that you have a vision of a world-class EV-charging infrastructure.

Your dream of having EV charging stations every 150km to 200km on main highways, a public charger for every 20-40 EVs in urban areas and public charging for settlements with more than 2000 people is very noble.

Dreams are free, of course; it’s the implementation of these that costs. Mind you, if it’s not your money and you have an endless supply of it, the costs really don’t matter to you. I trust, however, that in the advice you received from your officials, they reminded you that EVs also use roads, and our roading network is beyond a disgrace. Indeed, I would go so far to say we have a roading crisis. So why not also have a vision of a world-class roading network, and while you are dreaming about what might be, get the bloody roads fixed!

Can’t complain with the immaculate refurbishment you guys did. Everyone still mistakes it for a brand new unit.

Ashvyn Prakash, General Manager Express Freight and Logistics

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